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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Belmont Student Rose Kores Honored with 2021 U.S. Congressional Award Gold Medal

Haley Charlton
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Belmont Student Rose Kores Honored with 2021 U.S. Congressional Award Gold Medal

Belmont honors student Rose Kores, a freshman legal studies major, was one of 518 youth from 42 states across the nation honored at the Congressional Award Foundation’s annual Gold Medal Ceremony for earning the Congressional Award Gold Medal. The Congressional Award is the United States Congress’ only charity and the highest honor bestowed upon a youth civilian through the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, recognizing initiative, service and achievement.

Each Gold Medalist must complete 400 hours of voluntary public service, 200 hours of personal development, 200 hours of physical fitness and conduct a 5-day, 4-night exploration trip over the course of two years at minimum. See the full listing of all 2021 Gold Medalists here.

In order to complete the voluntary public service section of the Congressional Award, Kores partnered with a multitude of different organizations that addressed different community needs. For instance, she volunteered at Girl Scout recruitment events, the House of Hope thrift shop and food pantry, the Four C’s and her local soup kitchen. Kores worked with children at the Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA, various pediatric cancer organizations, shoe drives, food drives and healthcare worker card drives. She also planned and executed camping trips and road trips to fulfill the exploration chapter of the award, as well as participated in choir, drama and Girl Scouts as a part of the personal development portion.

Kores said, “This award opened my mind up to the endless amount of possibilities and needs in every community, as well as expanded upon my goals and morals.”

Presented by Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc., (Otsuka), this year’s virtual event was themed “Bright Futures” and included interactive workshops with Members of Congress and industry experts on a range of topics including mental health, STEM, entrepreneurship and government. While the topics were diverse, each session’s speakers focused on the bright future ahead after an unprecedented year.

Paxton Baker, Chairman of the Board for The Congressional Award, kicked off the procession with a live keynote address, praising the award earners for their hard work, “The Congressional Award Gold Medal is Congress’ highest honor for youth civilians. After what you all have been through in the last year, to say that his honor is well-deserved is an understatement.” 

In addition to live virtual workshops with Members of Congress and business leaders, medalists were personally spotlighted in a virtual procession that featured pre-recorded congratulatory messages from more than 100 members of the House and Senate. 

Student Band Sugar in the Gas Tank featured on Local Buzz Radio Again

Charlotte Maracina
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Student Band Sugar in the Gas Tank featured on Local Buzz Radio Again

Sugar in the Gas Tank is a rising Pop-Punk/Alternative band composed of four Belmont students aiming to bring back the early 2000’s punk scene. Nashville rock radio station, The Local Buzz, has recently been promoting the band’s new song “On My Own,” and the band was recently featured in The Local Buzz’s weekly article 5 Songs You Should Hear Right Now for the second time. 

Curb College student Luke Dapuzzo, vocalist and guitarist, founded the band in Fall of 2019. Dapuzzo is joined by fellow Curb College students Reese Marshall on drums, CJ Christianson on guitar and Jack Samter on bass. 

Previously featured on the list for their song “Bye,” released in November 2020, radio personality Andy Herrin continues to rave about the band’s latest July release, “On My Own.” Herrin writes, “When it comes to keeping the rock ‘n’ roll sound of pop punk alive, few do it better than Sugar In The Gas Tank…these guys have lyrics that take on more serious tones yet they never take themselves too seriously and that’s one of the many great things about them.” 

Learn more about the band on their website.

Nashville Ballet to Hold Performances in World-Class Belmont University Performing Arts Center Next June

Haley Charlton
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Nashville Ballet to Hold Performances in World-Class Belmont University Performing Arts Center Next June

With the highly-anticipated release of Nashville Ballet’s 2021-22 season lineup came the announcement that Nashville Ballet will collaborate with several local organizations to offer innovative and specially-curated performances as add-ons this season. In addition to the regular season, the Ballet will offer three spectacular debut performances in Belmont University’s brand new, world-class performing arts center (BUPAC) in June 2022. With the BUPAC ribbon cutting set for September 14, Nashville Ballet performances will be part of the venue’s inaugural season.

“Both Nashville Ballet and Belmont University have the unique advantage of being surrounded by such an incredibly robust arts scene, and we have a long history of working together to offer artists the space they need to thrive,” shared Nashville Ballet Artistic Director Paul Vasterling. “We’ve partnered together to present free performances to our community, house our Summer Intensive students from all across the country on their beautiful campus, and invite Belmont students to train on our campus while our dancers pursue degrees on theirs. For our company artists to have the opportunity to perform in a performing arts venue of this caliber right in our own city is unprecedented, and we are so honored to be continuing our long-valued partnership with Belmont by being a part of their inaugural BUPAC season.”

Nashville Ballet at Belmont will feature an exclusive sneak peek of award-winning choreographer Matthew Neenan’s newest piece commissioned by Nashville Ballet, the premiere of Associate Artistic Director Nick Mullikin’s pas de deux 2,192 Days, and Val Caniparoli’s Tutto Eccetto il Lavandino (everything but the kitchen sink). Music will be from Antonio Vivaldi, Sergei Rachmaninov and more.

Vasterling shared that the company’s artists and employees continued working throughout the pandemic so that when live performances could resume, Nashville Ballet would be able to bounce back stronger than ever. “Because our dancers have spent the last year honing their craft, we are able to present robust and technically-challenging works that showcase their artistry but, just as important, also allow our artists to connect with our audiences in a meaningful way,” he said in Nashville Ballet’s season release. “And that connection is what we’ve all missed the most over the last year.” 

Other highlights of Nashville Ballet’s upcoming season include family-favorites Peter Pan and Nashville’s Nutcracker at TPAC, iconic contemporary works like Attitude and the highly-anticipated reprise of Vasterling’s nationally acclaimed Lucy Negro Redux. Other special add-ons to the regular season include a virtual opportunity in collaboration with the National Museum of African American Music, available to stream for free November 2021 – June 2022, and “Ballet Extravaganza with the Nashville Symphony” next May.

Season packages and individual tickets for Nashville Ballet’s 2021-22 season are on sale and can be purchased through their website or through their Box Office at 615-297-2966 x 710 or tickets@nashvilleballet.com. 

About Nashville Ballet

Nashville Ballet is the largest professional ballet company in Tennessee. Nashville Ballet presents a varied repertoire of classical ballet and contemporary works by noted choreographers, including original works by Artistic Director Paul Vasterling. Nashville Ballet and the second company, NB2 (a pre-professional training company), provide more than 55,000 arts experiences to adults and children annually through virtual and in-person season performances and its Community Engagement programming. Curriculum-based Community Engagement programs bring hybrid learning dance education to community centers, colleges, public libraries, and public elementary, middle and high schools across the state. School of Nashville Ballet brings world-class in-studio, on-demand and outdoor dance instruction to students age 2 and up. To learn more about Nashville Ballet, please visit nashvilleballet.com.

Brown-Gaines Participates in Summer Teaching Workshops

Haley Charlton
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Brown-Gaines Participates in Summer Teaching Workshops

Dr. Tisha Brown-Gaines, assistant professor of computer science, was selected to participate in two teaching workshops in July of this summer.

Workshop 1: Teaching Heterogeneous Computing

Teaching Heterogeneous Computing (ToUCH) is a training workshop intended for educators interested in incorporating heterogeneous parallel computing into their courses. The workshop introduced a collection of teaching modules covering a range of topics including GPU programming with OpenMP and CUDA, heterogeneous architectures, hybrid algorithms, task mapping and scheduling on heterogeneous systems. Dr. Gaines received hands-on training and guidance in adopting these modules in her own curriculum. Acceptance into the workshop was by application and a stipend of up to $1000  was provided to participants. Learn more about the workshop here.

Workshop 2: CHEESE

Dr. Gaines participated in a hands-on workshop on Cybersecurity. Cyber Human Ecosystem of Engaged Security Education (CHEESE) is a NSF-funded initiative that aims to build a community for instructors, learners and practitioners by sharing containerized virtual labs in the cloud. Cybersecurity is a very dynamic field, and designing hands-on labs for undergraduate students can assist in informing students on the complex concepts surrounding the topic. Opportunities provided to the workshop participants included cloud credits awards that can assist instructors in adopting the CHEESEHub project into their courses in Fall 2021 or Spring 2022. Learn more about this workshop here.

Stephanie Celada Writes Winning Story in Belmont Law’s Fiction Workshop

Haley Charlton
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Stephanie Celada Writes Winning Story in Belmont Law’s Fiction Workshop

Stephanie Celada, a rising 3L at Belmont University College of Law, is the winner of the school’s second annual Legal Fiction Workshop for her story, “Diminished Capacity.” The piece tells the story of a young attorney struggling with the fallout of a complicated ethical decision.

Celada’s story was chosen by an outside reader panel, through an anonymized review process. In announcing their decision, the panelists released the following statement:

The judges of the Belmont Legal Fiction Workshop selected “Diminished Capacity” as this year’s winner. The judges felt that this story displayed a high level of creativity; polished writing craft, with excellent and organic dialogue; a compelling structure and narrative; emotionally resonant stakes; realistic character development; and a satisfying surprise ending. Also, the judges found that this story admirably illuminated the role of the law and lawyers in modern society. They extend their warmest congratulations to the story’s author.  

Belmont’s Legal Fiction Workshop is conducted over the Spring semester as an extracurricular activity for a limited number of 2Ls and 3Ls, and is taught by Professor Kristi Arth, who designed the workshop as an incubator and space for students to produce creative work capable of publication.

Download a copy of the winning entry.

Belmont University’s Watkins College of Art Announces New Majors in Photography, Illustration

Haley Charlton
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Belmont University’s Watkins College of Art Announces New Majors in Photography, Illustration

Just a year after a successful merger with Watkins College of Art, Belmont University launched two new majors this fall within the Watkins College of Art at Belmont that will continue expanding on the excellent work already being done to prepare students for the thriving creative industries in Nashville and beyond: photography and illustration.

Internationally known for country music, Nashville is also a printing and publishing hub with a rapidly growing tech sector and consistently strong job market. The city, which ranked eighth on the Milken Institute’s 2020 and 2021 Best-Performing Cities Index, continues to employ legions of designers, illustrators and photographers at magazine, book and music publishers, ad agencies and other vibrant industries: education, healthcare, museums, technology, tourism and much more.

At Belmont, students have the opportunity to work closely with their professors who mentor them and leverage their network of creative professionals to assist with their development of professional-level portfolios to launch their careers.

Belmont’s Photography Program

The photography program at Belmont will empower students with the confidence and skills to thrive and be self-sufficient as image makers and responsible, thoughtful, cultural producers in an ever-changing field. Aside from building a creative foundation on skills and concepts within photography’s past, present and future, students will have opportunities to experiment with image-making to build their own unique visions and voices as photographers.

Students in Dark Room processing photographs

With two degree options, a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Fine Arts, all Belmont photography students will study the foundation of photography, a broad foundation in art history and intermediate techniques such as studio lighting, alternative printmaking and large format photography. Students work closely with professors to complete an ambitious thesis exhibition at the culmination of their degree.

The B.A. path is designed for students who are interested in combining a focused study in photographic practices with a minor or even a second major in another academic area such as media studies, business, sociology, English literature or art history. The B.F.A. path builds on the B.A. foundation but encourages more in-depth research and experimentation, leading to further honed skills and sensibilities for high-end photography in multiple media.

Students have access to analog and digital cameras, darkrooms, lighting studios, large format printers and alternative printmaking studios. Examples of courses include digital imaging, print making, darkroom and film photography, studio lighting, photo history and theory, as well as opportunities for collaborative work with other departments like film, music, architecture and fashion to learn techniques important for those industries. Students will have opportunities for exhibitions and internships to complement their classwork.

Learn more about Belmont’s Photography Program here.

Belmont’s Illustration Program

Through advertising, animation, books and games, illustration is ever-present today. And in our increasingly visual world, the demand for this visual storytelling medium has never been greater. Through the BFA in Illustration Program at Belmont, students focus on developing their creative hand and their inventive mind. The studio-based program provides the ideal path for students seeking an intense visual storytelling education with an entrepreneurial focus. Students will learn effective strategies for illustrating for diverse markets while demonstrating fluency in traditional and digital media.

Students working on digital illustration

On the journey to developing a distinctive illustration style and voice, students build on two years of foundational art, illustration and design courses, as well as a stimulating liberal arts curriculum. At the junior level students create increasingly sophisticated solutions in digital and non-digital environments. At the senior level, students refine their visual storytelling, conceptual and technical skills to produce a professional quality portfolio.

Throughout the program, students explore the entire illustration process, including conceptual and technical development in traditional and digital media. Students will take essential courses in figure drawing, character design and sequential art, the fundamentals of typography to better understand the relationship between words and images, picture book illustration, basic web development, fine art electives, art and design history, and special topics in illustration courses.

Students have access to sophisticated computer labs with current software and hardware, 3D printers and more, as well as fully-equipped drawing, painting, photography and printmaking labs. Students will graduate with entry level, professional-quality portfolios, prepared to launch their illustration careers.

Learn more about Belmont’s Illustration Program here.

BOLD Leadership Experience Puts Values Into Action at 2021 Move In Weekend

Haley Charlton
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BOLD Leadership Experience Puts Values Into Action at 2021 Move In Weekend

Romans 5:3-4 teaches us that perseverance produces character and character produces hope. This week, 75 student leaders participated in the character-forming, hope-inspiring 2021 BOLD Moves Leadership Challenge (BMLC) offered by the Belmont Office of Leadership Development.

During this week-long training experience, students engaged in interactive learning activities facilitated by Belmont Student Life and University Ministries staff. Students used “The Student Leadership Challenge” by James Kousez and Barry Posner as well as “Belong” by Rhada Agrawal to craft their own personal philosophy of leadership. The BOLD Moves Leadership Challenge helped students find their voice, clarify their values and set the example by aligning their values with their actions.

BMLC participants volunteered to “Model the Way” of exemplary leadership during move-in week by moving both incoming freshmen and returning students into their dorms for three full days. 

“This has been one of the most engaged and committed group of aspiring student leaders I’ve worked with in years,” said Dr. AdriAnne Sternberg, associate dean and director of Leadership Development. “Our diverse group of Belmont seniors, juniors and sophomores from almost every academic college helped positively impact the lives of thousands of students returning home to campus. BOLD student leaders persevered through challenging lessons, the pouring rain, hundreds of stairs and injected hope into what could have been a very hard day for families.”

Students in BOLD training
Students attend BOLD training.

Belmont Senior Jack Burgoyne shared, “This experience was one of the best in my life. Thank all of you for bringing out the best of what it looks like to love God and love all people.” 

A two-time BMLC participant also stated, “This BMLC surpassed 2019. The content and speakers were exquisite. The leadership and team leaders were remarkable and engaged so well with us. I am beyond proud and happy with this being my last BMLC.” 

For these BOLD leaders and those who received their help, the semester is even more hope-filled. To learn more about BOLD programs for the 2021 fall semester call x6897, email bold@belmont.edu or visit https://belmont.edu/leadership-development/index.html. 

Entire Pharmacy P1 Class has Machine Learning Models Certified by Amazon

Haley Charlton
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Entire Pharmacy P1 Class has Machine Learning Models Certified by Amazon

First-year students in the Belmont College of Pharmacy program have all worked to create successful machine learning models or “skills” that were certified, accepted and are now available for use by the general public on the Amazon Alexa store.

This project pathway introduced the students to the concepts and terminology of artificial intelligence and machine learning. By the end of this project, students were able to select and apply machine learning services to primarily build study aids, but the skills may be applied in the future to help solve complex research and clinical problems. The students each were able to label, build, train and deploy a custom machine learning model under the direct supervision of Dr. Anthony Blash.

The machine learning models “Opioids Quiz” and “Top 300 Drug Game” were one of the many developed to help pharmacy students study and review the most commonly prescribed drugs. These models include brand and generic names of many of the most commonly prescribed medications. The information in these skills are provided for informational and educational purposes only. They are not a substitute for professional medical advice, treatment or diagnosis.

Watkins Alumnae Briscoe, Carter Receive National ADDY Awards

Haley Charlton
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Watkins Alumnae Briscoe, Carter Receive National ADDY Awards

Watkins College of Art at Belmont University alumnae Natalie Briscoe and Destiny Carter each won a Silver National American Advertising Award in this year’s competition, working their way through local, district and national levels. The American Advertising Awards is one of the industry’s largest creative competitions that attracts more than 35,000 professional and student entries each year.

Carter graduated in 2020 with a major in graphic design. She won in the Poster Design category for her submission, “End Sexual Violence.”

Briscoe graduated in 2020, majoring in graphic design, and won in the Illustration category for her book cover “St. George and the Dragon Illustration,” originally created as she developed her publishing portfolio.

“Being an illustrator is a solitary experience most of the time, so my work practice can feel a bit like an echo chamber,” said Briscoe. “I am very grateful to AAF, as it is great to receive encouragement from the outside world and feel that all the hard work and time I put into developing my craft is paying off.”

Natalie Briscoe
Natalie Briscoe

With her graphic design background, Briscoe said she enjoys creating book covers as they give her a chance to incorporate typography and layout design into a narrative illustration. As for the subject matter, she said she has always had an interest in fairytales and the fantasy genre, which she often incorporates into her nature-themed work. She was inspired to add the botanical border and decorative elements she did from her love of medieval illuminated manuscripts. 

Briscoe currently work as a freelance illustrator full-time and is represented by Advocate Art. Recently, she worked with Scholastic UK on their collaboration with the Royal Horticultural Society to create a series of garden activity books. Since graduation, she has also illustrated her first picture book and has been working on licensing work for gift products, greeting cards and apparel.

Alumni Recognized in 14th Annual Nashville Emerging Leader Awards

Haley Charlton
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Alumni Recognized in 14th Annual Nashville Emerging Leader Awards

Massey College of Business alumni Elizabeth Wood and Clark Buckner were recipients in the 14th annual Nashville Emerging Leader Awards from YP Nashville and The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. The NELAs recognized four finalists in 14 industries and were chosen by a committee of industry experts, community leaders and past NELA recipients based on their professional achievement, demonstrated leadership and community impact.

Wood, director of the Leadership Excellence Program at HCA Healthcare, graduated in 2018 with her Healthcare MBA. She received the NELA Award in the Medical and Healthcare Services area. Her work at HCA focuses on a dynamic executive development program that equips leaders to build strong teams and deliver exceptional patient care. A 2018 honoree of Nashville’s Top 30 under 30, Wood enjoys being connected to the community through the Junior League of Nashville’s board of directors, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Ronald McDonald House.

Buckner, who graduated in 2013 with his degree in entrepreneurship, is the co-founder and partner of Relationary Marketing. Buckner received the NELA Award in the Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing category. Buckner works with mid- to large-sized organizations seeking to leverage podcasting in their content marketing strategies. By partnering with global PR firms such as Finn Partners, Relationary serves dozens of clients from health care to technology as well as brands such as Jack Daniel’s. Additionally, Buckner is a team member at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center and lead organizer of the Nashville Podcasters meetup.

Read more about this year’s NELA recipients in the Nashville Post.

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