Peter Giordano, chair of Psychological Science, has published an edited book titled Your Graduate Training in Psychology: Effective Strategies for Success with Sage Publications. With co-editors Stephen Davis of Morningside College and Carolyn Licht of Fordham University, the book takes a developmental approach to establishing a variety of professional skills from the first year of graduate training until degree completion. Chapter authors include Belmont psychology faculty Seraphine Shen-Miller and Lonnie Yandell. In addition, three other chapters are written by alumni of the Belmont Department of Psychological Science who later obtained PhDs in psychology: Christy Spears Brown is associate professor of Psychology at the University of Kentucky, Dan Corts is professor of Psychology at Augustana College, and Radha (Dunham) Carlson is a clinical assistant professor at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Psychology Professors and Alumni Collaborate on Book Project
‘Alumni on Mission’ Guests Share Story of ‘147 Million Orphans’
Belmont alumnus and former basketball player Mike Mayernick (’90) and his wife Suzanne visited campus on Monday as part of the “Alumni on Mission” series in an event sponsored by the Belmont Ambassadors, SIFE and the Office of Alumni Relations. Alumni on Mission is an ongoing speaker series featuring Belmont alumni who incorporate mission and ministry in their everyday lives.
Mike, now a financial planner, opened the session recalling how his life changed six years ago following a Sunday morning church service. Leaving the church that day, Suzanne mentioned that she felt like God was leading their family–already blessed by four biological children–to consider adoption. Mike, laughing at the memory, said at the time, “I was awake during the sermon, and I didn’t hear that!”
However, it was only a matter of days before Mike too was convinced that adoption would be in his family’s future. Two domestic adoptions brought Joshua and Caleb home, and then in 2009, the Mayernicks flew to Uganda to adopt Josie Love.
Suzanne said, “When I spent that first day with Joshua’s birth mom in the hospital, I looked into her big, brown, beautiful eyes and saw myself, only she had been dealt a different hand in life. She loved her baby so much to give him up… I now have a nagging ache for those birth moms. In my brokenness [for them], I was stirred to try to help.”
Suzanne shared her burden with good friend and fellow adoptive mom Gwen Oatsvall, and the women joined forces to launch 147 Million Orphans. According to the organization’s website, “We are two moms who love orphans! … Thirteen kids and seven adoptions later, we are bound together through faith and mission. We love ‘doing life together’ and accepting the call to speak up for orphans everywhere. We want to help as many people as possible to see the 147 million orphans as scripture calls them, ‘…those who have no voice.'”
The organization sells a number of products and apparel to raise funds for its initiatives. Currently, 147 Million Orphans is involved in a number of efforts including feeding children in Uganda, Haiti, Honduras, China and Ethiopia; educating and encouraging families about the HIV/AIDS crisis along with financially supporting several ministries that care for these children; offering adoptive families wholesale products to sell as fundraisers for their adoption costs; helping local African refugees earn a sustainable income from handmade products; and working with Ugandan women in Africa on sustainable income from their handmade necklaces, along with numerous speaking engagements.
Click here to read Suzanne’s blog.
Scholar/Author Thomas Lippman Presents Forum on Saudi Arabia
Belmont University welcomed scholar, author and journalist Thomas Lippman to campus for two forums on the developments and current affairs in Saudi Arabia. The World Affairs Council, the United Nations Association- Nashville Cordell Hull Chapter and Belmont’s Center for International Business sponsored an event on campus Monday night that was open to the community, and Lippman spoke again in a student convocation session Wednesday morning.
Lippman began his convo by describing his background of reporting for The Washington Post in Saudi Arabia and how he finds information. “I am not an academic; I go there, I look around, I ask questions,” Lippman said.
After stating basic Saudi facts, Lippman dove into discussing the culture, commenting on the state of the government and the religious requirements Saudis respect to keep public dissension and dialogue separate from public demonstrations. This led him to his discussion of Iranian tensions among Saudi Arabians and how American issues come into play.
Saudis feel threatened by Iranian rebels and other surrounding countries causing upheaval. They see them as the “ones that make all the trouble.” Above all, they are not interested in any involvement towards reconstruction efforts.
When speaking on the rights of women throughout the country, Lippman said, “I’m not worried about the status of women, only the pace of change.” He went on to say that he knows women will ultimately be given more rights, including the right to drive, he just isn’t sure when.
As Lippman concluded his lecture he welcomed comments from the crowd answering questions that inquired about Saudi selling oil to Eastern countries and the internal religious debate between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Lippman is currently a senior scholar at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is author of numerous books on U.S. foreign policy, understanding Islam and Saudi Arabia, including the forthcoming book, Saudi Arabia on the Edge: The Uncertain Future of an American Ally. International media outlets and Washington think tanks regularly contact him to participate in discussions about Middle East affairs and provide assessments of Arab World developments especially in Saudi Arabia.
PT Students Assist with Komen’s Race for the Cure
On Sat., Oct. 29, Belmont’s School of Physical Therapy brought more than 100 student volunteers to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at the Maryland Farms YMCA. With 14,000 racers and more than 10,000 spectators, the volunteers were needed to assist with course setup and takedown, serve as course marshals at the start and finish line, hand out water at course stations and help manage the crowd.
Megan Tisdale, a third-year physical therapy student and student organizer of the volunteer efforts, had a special connection with the event and the people it serves. “Since my mother has breast cancer, I think it’s very important to present people with great opportunities to come together to celebrate life and give to support a cause that is near and dear to millions of hearts… The reward is seeing people come together with passion they have for a loved one.”
The Komen affiliate members, as well as the event management group, were thankful for the dedicated volunteers who participated in the event. “The Belmont team of volunteers from the School of PT made a huge difference to this year’s race,” said Komen Executive Director Patty Harman. “The Race wouldn’t have been so successful without them. We had more people participating this year than ever before, and Belmont jumped in to do whatever was needed to make it a wonderful experience for each person. We can’t thank them enough for all they did.”
Marc Overlock, chairman of the board for the Komen Affiliate, added , “Thank you so much for your every effort, through planning efforts, logistical team packing and mailing and hand-outs, and last but not least Race Village clean up. The Board, Komen Staff and I owe you everything. Please know we today honor your gift of time.”
PT Students Volunteer for Bentley’s ‘Miles & Music for Kids’
During the October celebration of National Physical Therapy Month, approximately 100 Belmont University Physical Therapy students and faculty volunteered for the sixth annual “Dierks Bentley Miles & Music for Kids” event. On Oct. 16, Bentley and more than 1,700 people gathered for his annual charity motorcycle ride to benefit Vanderbilt’s Children Hospital and the Children’s Miracle Network. The ride began at the Columbia Springs Harley Davidson and ended at Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville.
The event ended with a concert by Bentley and some friends (Eli Young Band, Charles Kelley from Lady Antebellum, Colt Ford and Josh Thompson entertaining thousands of fans at Riverfront Park. Event Coordinator Mandy McClister said, “It was definitely another great year, and again we could not have done it without the students from the Belmont University School of PT! The students worked harder this year than ever before to make this a success. The leadership should be proud of the way they have represented the University.”
Bentley was also impressed with the volunteers. “We could not have taken this event to the level it now is without the help of my friend Mike Voight and his students at Belmont University School of Physical Therapy. The Belmont students have been integral to the success of this event from the inaugural ride six years ago to its current size. I look forward to working with them again in the future,” Bentley said.
Since the inception of this annual event, $2 million has been raised to benefit the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Miracle Network.
Senior Named Nashville’s IT Student of the Year
Belmont’s Rachelle Holloman, a senior ISM major and computer science minor, was named Nashville Technology Council’s 2011 IT Student of the Year. Holloman, along with Belmont student runner-up Jordan Bennett, was notified of her award at the organization’s annual October Awards Gala.
The award is based not only on experience in the IT field but also considers community involvement, leadership and academic achievement in the selection process.
Holloman said the combination of her ISM major and computer science minor has been beneficial to her success. The pairing of the two emphases has given her a technical background as well as a business background, which Holloman said is exactly what corporations are looking for.
Holloman is also grateful for her experience working with the Nashville Technology Council as their student congress president alongside Belmont alumna Jessica McDougal. She said that the council is working to get more students involved in technology not just at Belmont, but in Nashville as a whole so students can understand how Nashville is “becoming a center for technology.”
Holloman hopes to speak to female IT students everywhere through the winning of this award to show that anyone can be successful in IT and it doesn’t have to be seen as a male-dominated career. Ultimately, Holloman plans to graduate in August 2012 and run her own IT consulting firm helping small to mid-size businesses with their technology needs.
Riechert Elected to PRSA District Post
Bonnie Riechert, associate professor and director of the public relations program in the College of Arts & Sciences, has been elected to serve as web/e-newsletter officer for the Southeast District Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) for 2012. A board member in the Nashville Chapter of PRSA, she is serving as secretary for the Southeast District PRSA during 2011. With membership of 21,000, PRSA is the world’s largest and foremost organization of public relations professionals, providing professional development, setting standards of excellence and upholding principles of ethics for its members and the global public relations profession. Other SE District officers for 2012 are Chuck Norman, North Carolina Chapter, chair; Mitch Edwards, Alabama Chapter, chair-elect; Natalia Flores, Charlotte Chapter, treasurer; Kelly Davis, South Carolina Chapter, secretary; Melanie Davis, Alabama Chapter, immediate past chair; Kevin Lusk, Lookout Chapter, director-at-large; Penny Cothran, South Carolina Chapter, director-at-large; Stephen Loudermilk, Georgia Chapter, director-at-large; and Vickye Hester, Memphis Chapter, director at-large.
Debaters Qualify for Elimination Round at Berry College Tournament
The Speech and Debate team took their strongest debaters to Berry College in Rome, Ga. on Oct. 29. With just three students in attendance, all of them qualified for elimination rounds in their brackets. The results were as follows: Chris Carlevato and Jenni Gustafson, Overall Champions; Novice NPDA Debate, Bryan Meehan (partnering with Michael Lugo form Carson-Newman College); Semi-Finalists, Open NPDA debate; Jenni Gustafson, sixth place novice debate speaker award. Congratulations to these debaters for their success!
Vision Editor Selected for 2012 Campus Coverage Project
Brian Wilson, a junior journalism major and Belmont Vision editor, is one of 75 students chosen to participate in the 2012 Campus Coverage Project. The project is Jan. 5-8 at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University in Phoenix.
This is the third year of the highly competitive program in which working journalists and professors help college students investigate and report more effectively on their universities through teaching skills, providing resources and building awareness. The sponsor of the program is The Lumina Foundation, which provides scholarships that pay for travel, tuition and all other costs for participants. The program is presented by the Investigative Reporters and Editors in partnership with Education Writers Association and the Student Press Law Center. Investigative Reporters and Editors is an international professional organization that supports and trains investigative journalists.
Niedzwiecki Presents at Herpetological Society Meeting
John Niedzwiecki (Biology) presented research at the 2011 Meeting of the Tennessee Herpetological Society. The meeting was held on Sept. 29-30 at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tenn. Niedzwiecki’s research was done in collaboration with recent Belmont students, Lauren Oeser (2009) and Sara Bentley (2010). The talk was titled “The specificity of the anti-predator response in the streamside salamander, Ambystoma barbouri”. Dr. Niedzwiecki had previously presented this research as a poster at Behavior 2011, the Joint Meeting of the Animal Behavior Society and the International Ethological Conference, held July 25-30th in Bloomington, Ind.
