IMPORTANT NOTE: These are the archived stories for Belmont News & Achievements prior to June 26, 2023. To see current stories, click here.

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Armbruster Named Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Scholar of the Year

Charlotte Maracina
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Armbruster Named Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Scholar of the Year
John Armbruster

John Armbruster, Belmont University accounting student and member of the Belmont Men’s Soccer Team, has been named the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Scholar for the 2021-2022 academic year. The PCAOB is a nonprofit corporation that oversees auditors of issuers and broker-dealers. The nonprofit has been awarding academic scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students since 2011.

The goal of the scholar program is to benefit outstanding students who are likely to become auditors and to make a difference to eligible students who might otherwise pursue a different career path. Armbruster has already secured a full-time position with Deloitte after graduation.

PCAOB Acting Chairperson Duane M. DesParte congratulated the recipients saying, “The PCAOB is pleased to help support these dedicated individuals on their paths to becoming leaders in accounting and auditing.”

Read more about the scholarship and its recipients here.

Belmont University Announces 2021 Humanities Symposium Lineup

Haley Charlton
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Belmont University Announces 2021 Humanities Symposium Lineup

Belmont University announced the event lineup for the 2021 Annual Humanities Symposium which is set for September 27 – October 4. The 20th anniversary of the symposium will center around the theme “Reading as a Radical Act.”

Radical acts result in change or controversy of some sort. Throughout time, reading became used as a form of “connectedness” and a way to communicate ideas. Having the ability to read results in having the ability to make change. The symposium will investigate some of the many ways reading leads to change-making in ourselves and in the world. 

During the week-long event, speakers will discuss topics varying from the importance of reading in democracy to cultural diversity within literature. Featured speakers include President Dr. Jones, Belmont alumnus and editor of the Nashville Journal Steve Cavendish and founder of The Black Book Project Meredith McKinney.

All events will be held in-person in the Janet Ayers Academic Center (JAAC) 4094 or participants can watch the discussions online at  www.belmont.edu/symposium. A sample of the event schedule can be found below, for the full schedule please visit the Belmont Humanities Symposium page.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

10 a.m. —“Take and Read:” Cultivating Imagination through Traditioned Innovation President Dr. Greg Jones

Dr. Jones will explore why and how the radical act of reading cultivates a lively sense of the past that enables creative opportunities for the future and stirs our imagination in the present

4 p.m. — “The Roar on the Other Side of Silence:” Reading the Invisible Life Beyond the Page with Dr. Annette Sisson

Using examples from literature and pop culture, English Professor Dr. Annette Sisson will discuss how the process of writing and reading makes what’s invisible visible

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

10 a.m.– Reading Sign: A Brief History of Sign Language and Its Use Today with Adam Riekstins and Members of Belmont’s American Sign Language Organization

This presentation by members of one of Belmont’s newest student organizations will offer a brief overview of the history of sign language in different cultures and what sign language looks like in America today

1 p.m. — Shakespeare is From Nashville with Dr. Jayme Yeo

This talk illuminates how the South—and particularly Nashville—shaped Shakespeare through antebellum depictions of race, civil rights struggles, jazz and country music, and more

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

10 a.m.– Why You Can’t Have a Democracy without Newspapers with Steve Cavendish, Belmont alumnus and editor of Nashville Banner

Cavendish will discuss the importance of newspapers in democracy and how their role is changing in a digital age

5 p.m.– Not Go Away is My Name: A Virtual Visit with the Poet Laureate of Arizona with Alberto Ríos

Arizona poet Laureate Alberto Ríos will join us via Zoom for a reading of some of his poetry, including “Don’t Go Into the Library” and pieces from his latest collection “Not Go Away is My Name,” followed by informal conversation about how living in an bilingual, bi-cultural environment has shaped how he reads and writes the world

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

10 a.m.– Poor Girls and Book-laden Mules=Access to the World: The WPA Packhorse Library Project with Professor Jeanne Canella Schmitzer

Professor Schmitzer will discuss how WPA Packhorse Library’s helped bring access to books and ideas to eastern Kentucky post-great depression

5 p.m. — The Black Book Project with Meredith McKinney

McKinney will discuss The Black Book Project, which she started to address the lack of cultural representation in children’s literature

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1

1 p.m.- Reading Together: It’s Not Just for Kids: Panel Discussion with Belmont Students and Alumni

In this panel, members of two very different reading groups, The English Alumni Reading Group and the Philosophy Reading Group, will discuss some of the pleasures, intellectual and social, they have discovered through acts of reading (and reflecting) together

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4

10 a.m.– Symposium Wrap-up: Rooted in Reading: Panel with the members of the 2021 Humanities Symposium Planning Committee

Join members of this year’s Symposium Committee for the final session as we reflect together with audience members on what we have learned from the various presentations

Belmont Songwriting Hosts Operation Song Retreat

Charlotte Maracina
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Belmont Songwriting Hosts Operation Song Retreat

The Belmont Songwriting Department and The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame hosted Operation Song for a songwriting retreat on September 11 in historic Columbia Studio A at 34 Music Square East.

This annual program pairs veterans with a professional songwriter and a Belmont senior songwriting major to write a song and perform it for the group at the end of the retreat.

AET Master Production Class Visits with Alan Parsons OBE

Charlotte Maracina
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AET Master Production Class Visits with Alan Parsons OBE

Professor Alan Shacklock recently took his Audio Engineering Technology Master Production classes to the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville. During the field trip, Shacklock’s longtime friend and colleague, legendary Producer Alan Parsons OBE, held a private Q&A with the Belmont students along with surprise special guest Producer Joe Bonamassa.

Parsons discussed his time at Abbey Road Studios, his personal projects, as well as his work with The Beatles, Pink Floy, and Babe Ruth.

Belmont Songwriting Instructor’s Song Becomes Viral TikTok Sensation

Haley Charlton
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Belmont Songwriting Instructor’s Song Becomes Viral TikTok Sensation

In 2007, Songwriting Instructor Jodi Marr wrote the song “Grace Kelly” with UK Star Mika, the first artist Marr developed and got signed. The song has recently become a viral sensation on TikTok, with A-List celebrities like Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell joining in on the #gracekellychallenge.

“Grace Kelly“ was the first single of the debut album on Universal that Marr associate produced with Greg Wells, and the song was Best Selling British Song of that same year (2007) as well as the Ivor Novello Award winner.

With the rediscovery of the song from TikTok, the song has now reached no. 1 on the Billboard LYRICFIND GLOBAL Chart. And, the “Grace Kelly Challenge” has been featured in articles including People Magazine, Men’s Health, MSN and Just Jared.

Learn more about Marr at www.jodimarr.com

Belmont Alumna Jami-Lyn Fehr Opens Nashville-Based Store MODISTE

Charlotte Maracina
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Belmont Alumna Jami-Lyn Fehr Opens Nashville-Based Store MODISTE

Jami-Lyn Fehr, a Belmont graduate of the Class of 2018, opened her own store this summer called MODISTE.

Fehr, who received her BFA in Fashion Merchandising from Belmont and then her MS in Marketing from Vanderbilt, opened MODISTE with a specific vision in mind: bring new, luxurious and exciting clothes to the Nashville fashion scene. MODISTE accomplishes just that.

“MODISTE is filled with emerging and luxury designers, most of which are unavailable anywhere else in Nashville,” said Fehr.

Not only are MODISTE’s clothes fashionable, they are ethically made as well. 

“There are several boxes a brand checks if they’re stocked at MODISTE, including sustainable, ethical (fair wages, no slave labor), female-founded and meaningfully designed,” explained Fehr. “Many of our brands check several of these boxes, but we want our customers to know they’re getting the highest quality clothing available, knowing these pieces will live in their wardrobes forever.”

Opening MODISTE’s doors this summer turned out to be no small feat. The planning process first started with hours of concepting and researching to find the perfect name for the store. After that, the real work began.

“I then began working with my graphic designer, Olivia Fortune, on what the brand would look like. Once we had a solid brand on our hands, I began reaching out to the designers I found, placing orders and building out the website with a fellow Belmont alumnus, Cody Parnell (who also executed the vision perfectly),” said Fehr. “ I launched online first while I hunted for the perfect showroom location, but the plan was always to have a storefront in Nashville.”

Fehr faced more than the typical start-up business troubles. The emergence of COVID-19 and its delta variant added additional struggle to the launching of MODISTE. 

“I had to delay my opening, and when I could finally open, a variant emerged, forcing me to shift to an appointment-based structure which certainly doesn’t allow for walk-ins and foot traffic, but I’m hoping to reopen soon,” said Fehr. 

While her time at Belmont may not have fully prepared her for a global pandemic, it did prepare her for tough decision making and planning. 

“There were many classes I took within the Fashion Merchandising degree that played and continue to play a heavy hand in my decision-making process when concepting, opening and operating MODISTE,” recalled Fehr. “Many of the professors in the fashion program won’t give you an A if you simply do the work, you have to put in extra effort and pay attention to details… that mentality has allowed me to make MODISTE unlike anything else in Nashville.” 

Fehr advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to take note of what’s missing in their desired industry and lean into that. “So many Nashvillians have impeccable style but didn’t have a variety of options as far as curated shopping experiences went, and I decided instead of waiting for it to arrive, I’d open the store I was waiting for.”

Since its opening, MODISTE has received attention from a variety of fashion publications. Most notably, from British Vogue. The September edition of British Vogue features MODISTE under the Designer Profile section.

Visit MODISTE’s Nashville location (currently doing showroom appointments only) or customers can shop MODISTE online. 

Three Alumni Entrepreneurs Join Massey College of Business as 2021-22 Entrepreneurs-in-Residence

Charlotte Maracina
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Three Alumni Entrepreneurs Join Massey College of Business as 2021-22 Entrepreneurs-in-Residence

Alumni Meredith Mazie, Matt Fiedler and Ryan Reisdorf all recently joined the Massey College of Business as the 2021-22 Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, which serve as mentors for student entrepreneurs at Belmont. Each of these alumni were chosen based on their different experiences, personalities and industry focus. This year’s entrepreneurs work in a variety of fields from fashion to the food service industry. 

Meredith Mazie, class of 2010, came to Belmont as a music business major. While her aspirations for a career in the music industry waned, she found another outlet that allowed her to fuse her creativity with her passion for business and retail. In 2015, Mazie opened up her fashion boutique ABEDNEGO. Last year, she expanded her business by doubling her storefront space in Germantown. 

As an Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Mazie will support Belmont’s student-run business retail spaces on campus as well as any student seeking to open a brick & mortar or a business within the fashion industry.

Matt Fiedler, class of 2011, majored in entrepreneurship and music business. Fiedler’s passion for music led to him becoming the co-founder of a record-of-the-month club called Vinyl Me, Please (VMP). Fiedler served as the CEO of VMP from 2013-2020, helping the company grow from a passion project to a well-developed business with more than 30,000 subscribers. VMP made the Inc. 5000 list twice, and Fiedler himself won the Runner-Up Entrepreneur of the Year Award by CO Biz magazine.

Although Fiedler currently lives in Denver, he will give lectures and hold student meetings via Zoom. 

Ryan Reisdorf, class of 2017, started his business during his time in nursing school at Belmont. Reisdorf believed connecting healthy food with genuine hospitality was the solution for better health and overall healthcare sustainability. This belief resulted in him starting his business, Placemat. Placemat brings chefs into guests’ homes to prepare healthy meals. Today, Placemat serves everyone from the A-list celebrity, professional athlete, next-door neighbor, at-risk students, patients leaving the hospital and people experiencing homelessness. 

As an Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Reisdorf hopes to inspire and encourage students to take risks and to pursue their dreams.

On September 1, the entrepreneurs spoke at a panel where they discussed the importance of mentorship, the benefits of failure and the messiness of getting started. Reisdorf said, “We look to the startup world and we think we are seeing a bunch of instant success. But, there is no such thing. You have to learn to be patient and get your ego out of the way of what you’re capable of doing. Identifying why a failure happened and preventing it from happening again is what I’d consider growth. Phases of growth can be so uncomfortable, but they help you reevaluate, and it’s so beneficial to grow and adapt.”

Students can book appointments with the Entrepreneurs-in-Residence on the Center for Entrepreneurship website.

Jellissen Published Book Review in Middle East Quarterly

Charlotte Maracina
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Jellissen Published Book Review in Middle East Quarterly

Associate Professor of Political Science Dr. Susan Jellissen published a book review in the Fall 2021 issue of Middle East Quarterly.

Jellissen reviewed the book The Global Spread of Islamism and the Consequences for Terrorism. In the review, Jellissen provided input on the author’s analysis and commentary on the issues. 

This published review marks the third time Jellissen has been published in the Middle East Quarterly. Previous reviews from 2010 and 2015 have also made an appearance in the publication.

Jellissen’s full review can be read here.

Holt’s Lovenoise Brings Hip-Hop Artist Nas to Ascend Amphitheater in Collaboration with Nashville Symphony

Charlotte Maracina
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Holt’s Lovenoise Brings Hip-Hop Artist Nas to Ascend Amphitheater in Collaboration with Nashville Symphony

Curb College Professor Dr. Eric Holt’s company Lovenoise, which works to bring urban music to Music City, collaborated with the Nashville Symphony to bring hip-hop legend Nas to play at Ascend Amphitheater on September 12. This marks the first time that the Nashville Symphony collaborated with a hip-hop artist.

The Lovenoise and Nashville Symphony partnership has grown over the past five plus years. The primary goal of the partnership is to expand the symphony’s reach to a more diverse audience.

Holt currently teaches “Jay-Z: The Business of Hip-Hop” as a music business elective in the Curb College.

Read more about Nas’ performance at Ascend here.

Belmont Law Student Brandon Dragan Wins ABA Journal, Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction

Charlotte Maracina
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Belmont Law Student Brandon Dragan Wins ABA Journal, Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction

The American Bar Association recently announced that Belmont law student Brandon Dragan won the ABA Journal/Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short fiction with his story “Advokat.” 

The ABA Journal Board of Editors selected the Ross essay contest winner from finalists picked by ABA Journal editors and writers. The contest sought original fictional stories of no more than 5,000 words that illuminate the role of the law or lawyers in modern society. Entries were judged on creativity, plot exposition, legal insight and character development.

Dragan’s story “Advokat” follows the story of an immigration attorney who learns a lesson about acceptance after advocating for a pro bono client in a life and death situation. Perfecting this story involved the help of many. Dragan first enlisted the help of Nashville immigration attorney Divyash Gopal of Gopal & Pedigo, who assisted Dragan in learning more about legal barriers his characters would face and ways they would be able to get around them. 

Later on in the writing process, Belmont College of Law Professors Kristi Arth and Lynn Zehrt guided Dragan in ensuring that his characters followed ethical guidelines. 

“One of the best parts of writing this piece was participating in the College of Law’s workshop that was led by Professor Arth. My first three semesters of law school saw all of my creative projects get put on the shelf. This workshop, however, gave me the incentive and the structure which allowed me to prioritize working on a creative project during the semester, and that came as a very nice mental reprieve,” said Dragan.

Although “Advokat” was Dragan’s first legal fiction, he is no stranger to creative writing. Prior to deciding to go to law school, Dragan originally moved to Nashville to be a songwriter. However, after being in Nashville for a while, he quickly realized that the music industry was not for him.

“I found that I loved creating music, but the image-crafting, the networking and the need to have a certain sound didn’t appeal to me,” said Dragan.

After moving on from music, Dragan found a new creative outlet in fictional writing.

“I had always enjoyed writing fiction but had never been committed enough to actually finish anything substantial. Finishing my first novel, then, really became a personal challenge that I undertook with the idea that even if no one ever read it, it was something I needed to do for myself,” recalled Dragan. 

In 2020, Dragan released his first novel Wages of Grace. 

“I nearly gave up on it a couple dozen times, but something inside whispered ‘just keep going,’ that even if it was never read by a single soul, that it was a story worth telling, a story worth finishing. At the end of the day, I’m very proud of how it turned out and have been humbled by the positive response it’s received,” said Dragan.

Aside from his career as a writer, Dragan worked in the nonprofit sector and in film production. In 2018, Dragan suffered a back injury that left him reevaluating what he wanted to do long term. His desire to do work that matters led him to contemplating law school and becoming a criminal defense attorney. 

“A big part of the appeal to that area of law for me is the idea that standing accused of a crime is one of the scariest positions a person can be in, and that every person–even those who may have done horrible things–deserve an advocate in their corner,” said Dragan.  

“Advokat” along with a collection of other short stories and essays written by Dragan will be published by Quoir Publishing in early 2022. For now, Dragan’s debut novel Wages of Grace can be bought at thewagesofgrace.com and brandondragan.com. 

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