Assistant Professor Cathy Ficzere, of the Department of Pharmaceutical, Social & Administrative Sciences, has published “Curriculum and Instructional Methods for Drug Information, Literature Evaluation and Biostatistics: Survey of US Pharmacy Schools” in The Annals of Pharmacotherapy. Ficzere and her team evaluated the state of drug information education in current pharmacy curricula using the specific recommendations regarding drug information education established by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Drug Information Practice and Research Network. Their results show an increased focus on evidence-based medicine, medication safety and informatics.
Belmont Helps Paint ‘A Brush with Kindness’
For the second consecutive year, Belmont University partnered with area churches, businesses and Habitat for Humanity to renovate the home of someone in need.
Belmont Church, Greater Christ Temple, John Wesley United Methodist Church, Kayne Avenue Missionary Baptist Church, Mount Gilead Missionary Baptist Church, Southside Community Church, Tabernacle of Glory Baptist Church, Fifth Third Bank, Energizer and baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. contributed to the project. Belmont University donated $7,500 to the project and plans to have its students renovate another house in South Nashville in the fall.
Together volunteers from the organizations renovated the East Nashville home of William Montgomery over four days, adding new siding, caulking holes, sealing the home against water, removing peeling paint, painting the house blue with beige columns, working on landscaping and fencing and replacing wood framing. They celebrated the project’s completion with a block party on June 2 and a home dedication on June 3.
Montgomery said his home was falling apart, and because he has suffered a heart attack and stroke and lives on a fixed income, he was unable to make repairs or even keep brush from overgrowing. Although unable to assist with renovations, Montgomery served refreshments to volunteers and offered words of encouragement.
“It was a blessing from the Lord. I was sitting on the porch one day, and Eric from Habitat from Humanity came by and said, ‘You look like you could use some help,” said Montgomery, who has lived in his house on Eastmoreland Street for 15 years. “I appreciate them helping me because I have been very depressed and all of the sponsors, churches and Habitat for Humanity have given me a blessing. They even gave me an American flag for the porch. Now people have been coming by all week and asking if this is the same house.”
A Brush with Kindness is a beautification and revitalization program for low-income and elderly homeowners. In 2011, dozens of Belmont students, faculty and staff volunteered their labor in repairing and restoring the properties, working on exterior maintenance and revitalization on the four homes located in the Edgehill community. The program serves homeowners who struggle with maintenance and helps them reclaim their homes with pride and dignity. Improvements are made at no cost to the homeowners.
“A Brush with Kindness is a program designed to help existing homeowners with low income who couldn’t otherwise make repairs necessary to their home – to provide a good, safe and healthy home environment,” Habitat For Humanity Chief Operating Officer Ralph Knauss told WSMV.
Belmont University Announces New Program in Motion Pictures
Belmont University announced today the opening of a new undergraduate degree program in motion pictures, the study of cinematography, screenwriting, film production, etc. The curriculum for this interdisciplinary studies program is being developed under the expertise of Will Akers, Belmont’s new assistant professor and chair of the program. Motion Pictures classes will begin in fall 2013.
In addition to having 25 years experience as a screenwriter, Akers’ background includes 19 years of teaching at Vanderbilt University in film studies, theater and communication studies. He is also the author of an industry-standard text, Your Screenplay Sucks!, 100 Ways To Make It Great. A Nashville native, graduate of Vanderbilt, with a master’s degree in cinema production from the University of Southern California, Akers is a fixture in the Nashville film community. He has had three feature films produced from his screenplays and wrote for the network television series “Strange Luck,” “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” and “Eerie, Indiana.”
The new program intends to encompass all areas of the modern motion picture world. “Today motion pictures can be found in all kinds of media including television, cell phones and computers; it’s not simply film-in-a-theater anymore,” Akers said. “Belmont’s new program will capitalize on the growing diversity of motion pictures, teaching students all aspects of the craft from script development, through production, to marketing and distribution. We’ll combine our classroom curriculum with the hands-on experiential learning that is a consistently distinguishing factor of a Belmont education.”
Belmont Provost Thomas Burns added, “This new undergraduate major is a natural extension of Belmont’s strong liberal arts curriculum and our commitment to high-quality professional programs related to the management and development of the entertainment industry. Moreover, motion pictures will prepare students to succeed in a dynamic marketplace that is currently experiencing immense development and growth.”
Faculty Perform at International Trumpet Guild Conference
On May 23, School of Music faculty members Joel Treybig (trumpet) and Carolyn Treybig (flute), along with organist Polly Brecht performed by invitation at the 2012 International Trumpet Guild conference, which was held at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts in Columbus, Ga. The trio performed Anthony Plog’s “Jocaan Trio” at the conference and was chosen to play based on the recording of the premiere performance given by the Treybigs with Andrew Risinger in Nashville, Tenn. last fall. The demanding piece features the three performers in a variety of combinations and also includes sections for flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet and piccolo flute along with the standard trumpet and flute. It has been praised for its innovative and challenging scoring. The ITG conference is held at a different location each year and features performers from around the world, with hundreds of trumpeters in attendance each year.
Cates Accepted into Leadership Music
Sarah Cates was accepted into Leadership Music. Twelve out of 45 people in the class are from other cities around the country including New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, and that will give Cates an excellent opportunity to network not only the Nashville music community but other key music cities.
Belmont Earns Six TCPRA Awards
Belmont University’s Office of Communications and Office of University Marketing and Special Initiatives earned six 2012 Tennessee College Public Relations Association Awards during the association’s May meeting. The awards were:
- Gold for the President’s Report 2011
- Gold for college view book Be Belmont
- Gold for overall promotional campaign “Admission Materials 2011”
- Gold for the “Christmas at Belmont Invitation and Save the Date”
- Bronze for electronic newsletter Tower Notes
- Bronze for media success story “E. S. Rose Park and Sports Complex”
Gen. Colin Powell Shares Qualities of Effective Leadership Through Anecdotes
By listening to staff and infantrymen of all levels and pacing himself through his work, Colin Powell was an effective leader, he said. The retired four-star general and former secretary of state spoke May 30 in the Massey Performing Arts Center to promote his latest book, It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership.
“A successful leader is somebody who has the ability to inspire followers,” Powell said. “It is born in you to start with. You must have affection for people … and from that point on it is trained and developed through education. Leaders delegate the ability to get the job done and look at the broader world that you are in.”
The book focuses on human relations and translates his experiences with former President Ronald Reagan and an African American street sweeper in Philadelphia as well as relates stories from his time in Vietnam, Fort Campbell, Ky. and the U.S. Department of State into lessons on leadership for university classrooms and corporate boardrooms.
Powell’s appearance in Nashville was part of Salon@615, an author reading series presented jointly by Humanities Tennessee, the Nashville Public Library, the Nashville Public Library Foundation and Parnassus Books. Random House Executive Editor and Executive Vice President Jon Meacham conducted the conversation with Powell before an audience of more than 900 people before a brief question and answer session and book signing.
Before his visit to Nashville, Powell stopped at Fort Campbell, Ky., the army base where he once served as second brigade commander.
Retired Four-Star General Colin Powell to Speak at Belmont May 30
Retired four-star general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell will speak in Nashville at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 30 as part of Salon@615, an author reading series presented jointly by Humanities Tennessee, the Nashville Public Library, the Nashville Public Library Foundation, and Parnassus Books. Joining those organizations to present this event is Belmont University, which will host “An Evening with Colin Powell” in the campus’ Massey Concert Hall. The event arrives on the heels of Powell’s latest book release, It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership, which hit stores May 22.
All tickets for this free, general admission event have been reserved. Individuals interested in attending can call the Box Office at 615-460-8500 to request to be placed on a waiting list should tickets become available.
“An Evening with Colin Powell” will be conducted as a conversation with Jon Meacham, the executive editor and executive vice president at Random House. A former editor of Newsweek and a Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author and a commentator on politics, history and faith in America, he is a contributing editor to Time magazine. A book signing will follow the conversation between Gen. Powell and Mr. Meacham. Gen. Powell will sign only copies of his book, and no other memorabilia. No photography is allowed at this event.
Colin Luther Powell was born in Harlem in 1937 to Jamaican immigrants who stressed the importance of education and personal achievement. A graduate of City College of New York with an MBA from George Washington University, Powell served two tours of duty in Vietnam during which he was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star and the Soldier’s Medal. In all, he has received 11 military decorations, including the Legion of Merit. In 1987, Powell was appointed National Security Advisory under President Ronald Reagan and later served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush. In 1997, Powell returned to his alma mater, the City College of New York, to open the Colin L. Powell Center for Leadership and Service, offering high-achieving CCNY students the opportunity to prepare for careers in policy and public service. For the rest of the decade, he continued his work with young people as Chairman of America’s Promise: the Alliance for Youth. In 2001, newly elected President George W. Bush appointed Colin Powell to be Secretary of State, an office he held until 2004.
It Worked for Me is filled with vivid experiences and lessons learned that have shaped Powell’s legendary public service career. At its heart are Powell’s “Thirteen Rules”—notes he gathered over the years and that now form the basis of his leadership presentations given throughout the world. Powell’s short but sweet rules—among them, “Get mad, then get over it” and “Share credit”—are illustrated by revealing personal stories that introduce and expand upon his principles for effective leadership: conviction, hard work, and, above all, respect for others. In work and in life, Powell writes, “it’s about how we touch and are touched by the people we meet. It’s all about the people.”
About Nashville Public Library
Nashville Public Library offers a collection of two million items including books, DVDs, CDs and downloadable ebooks and audiobooks, as well as more than 1000 public-use computers, 24/7 reference assistance, and free exhibits and programs. For more information, call 615-862-5800 or visit www.library.nashville.org.
About Humanities Tennessee
Humanities Tennessee is a statewide, non-profit organization and the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Its programs include the Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word, which marks its 23rd annual event Oct. 14-16 in Nashville. www.humanitiestennessee.org
About Parnassus Books
Parnassus Books is an independent bookstore located in Nashville, Tenn., that was started by best-selling author Ann Patchett and publishing veteran Karen Hayes. In Greek mythology, Mount Parnassus was the home of literature, learning, and music. Parnassus Books provides a refuge for Nashvillians of all ages who share in the love of the written word. Visit Parnassus Books online at parnassusbooks.net or in person at:3900 Hillsboro Pike, Suite 14, Nashville, Tennessee.
Belmont SIFE Team Wins National Championship… AGAIN!
Students will now represent United States at SIFE World Cup, hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in Washington, D.C.
For the second time in three years, the Belmont University Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team won the national championship at the SIFE USA National Exposition, which was held this week in Kansas City. Belmont’s SIFE team will now represent the United States at the international SIFE World Cup competition Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in Washington, D.C.—U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is already confirmed to host the event. Belmont’s SIFE Team previously took third place in the 2010 SIFE World Cup.
Belmont President Bob Fisher said, “This is a really, really big deal. The work our SIFE team does in the community and around the world fills me with pride as these students are using their talents and skills to make a positive difference for others. I am pleased, but certainly not surprised, that the work of these students and their faculty sponsors has earned this national prize.”
Thursday night’s top place finish places Belmont as the No. 1 team out of nearly 600 teams nationwide and the best of the 156 teams who competed in the National Exposition. Click here to view the team’s winning presentation and the question and answer session with the judges. Belmont SIFE was selected to go to nationals after a seventh consecutive year winning as regional champions. With the tagline “A head for business, a heart for the world,” SIFE is an international non-profit organization that mobilizes students around the world to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders.
In addition to winning the national championship, the Belmont team also won second place in a competition sponsored by Sam’s Club—the $4,000 cash prize will go to purchase equipment for Spring Back Recycling, a nonprofit business the students helped start last year.
Belmont faculty members Dr. John Gonas, Dr. Jason Stahl, Nathan Adam and Cate Loes serve as Sam Walton Fellows and SIFE team faculty advisers. Gonas said, “Belmont SIFE students continue to demonstrate that they have the ability to create and apply complex business models to lasting social change. These models are not only sustainable, but are also economically profitable and even scalable. I am honored and blessed to help steward these young men and women who tirelessly take what they’re learning in the classroom and give it away. We look forward to attending the 2012 World Cup, hosted by Secretary of State Clinton and the U.S. State Department, to share best practices and our innovative social enterprises with students and top industry leaders from 39 different countries.”
College of Business Administration Dean Patrick Raines, who in 2009 was named the “Most Supportive Dean of the Year” at the National Expo, added, “For our team to be selected as the best out of the 156 teams competing in the SIFE National Exposition is gratifying, but to be the representative of the United States in world competition for two out of the past three years is an extraordinary feat. The poise and professionalism with which our team presented the results of their projects in front of 4,000 people was beyond impressive; it was inspirational. Through their SIFE projects, Belmont students are engaging and transforming the world.”
During the 2011-12 academic year, the Belmont University SIFE team focused on 10 projects to benefit the local and global communities. They addressed issues including job skills training, small business development and environmental sustainability. Belmont SIFE students spent 2,442 volunteer hours developing and completing their projects. In addition, the 42 SIFE team members are involved in many other organizations and represent a variety of majors across campus.
A few examples of the Belmont SIFE’s team projects are as follows:
• Developed the concept and business plan to start Spring Back Recycling (a nonprofit business partnership with Belmont Church), which employs formerly homeless or incarcerated workers in recycling mattresses, giving them an opportunity for new life while also disassembling old mattresses. Spring Back recently celebrated its one-year anniversary and continues to gain momentum and national media interest. To date 9,600 mattresses and 340,000 pounds of metal, foam and cotton have been recycled (enough to cover an NFL football field six times). In addition to receiving mattresses from individuals and a consortium of retailers covering five states, Spring Back is also currently in talks with the U.S. Navy to receive an additional 13,000 mattresses from two aircraft carriers to recycle this fall. Plans are also in the works for this sustainable business to be duplicated in markets in Colorado and Missouri.
• Provided business and financial plans to FashionABLE, which works with women from Ethiopia whose former source of income was to sell their bodies as prostitutes. With Nashville operations housed in SIFE space on Belmont’s campus, FashionABLE empowers these Ethiopians by allowing them to make and dye scarves that are sold across the United States. With Belmont SIFE’s assistance, FashionABLE doubled its annual revenue to $198,000 and increased its retail outlet presence from 70 to 193.
• Conceptualized by Belmont SIFE member Andrew Bishop, PhilanthroTeach provides job readiness training for Nashville’s unemployed and economically disadvantaged citizens by matching their needs with the skills of local academic and business professionals. Through SIFE, PhilanthroTeach developed an eight-week skills program, created a formal operating and marketing plan, recruited a board of directors and obtained 501(c)3 status. To date, more than 450 Nashville residents have been trained through PhilanthroTeach programs.
SIFE is an international non-profit active with more than 1,600 university teams in 39 countries. SIFE Teams create economic opportunities in their communities by organizing outreach projects that focus on market economics, entrepreneurship, personal and financial success skills, sustainability and business ethics.
Cornwall Named Top Nashville Entrepreneur
Nashpreneur.com has named Belmont Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship Jeff Cornwall as among the top Top 30 Influential Nashville Entrepreneurs. Cornwall ranks as No. 25 for his work educating budding entrepreuers through the classroom, his books and blog as well as his work as co-founder and president of Atlantic Behavioral Health Systems, a company which operated a variety of health care facilities and programs throughout the state of North Carolina.
