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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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.

Massey College of Business Student Publishes Paper in Issues in Political Economy

Haley Charlton
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Massey College of Business Student Publishes Paper in Issues in Political Economy

Nicholas Arbogast, an economics major in the Jack C. Massey College of Business, recently published a paper in the journal Issues in Political Economy (IPE). In the published article titled “Examining the Effectiveness of Official Development Assistance in Sub-Saharan African Countries,” appearing in the July 2021 issue of the journal, Arbogast noted that the effectiveness of foreign aid to lower income countries has often been thought to be somewhat ambiguous. Though additional funding may help to drive economic development, this may skew wealth distribution in low-income countries and drive political corruption.

In this research, Arbogast investigated the effectiveness of Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 11 Sub-Saharan African countries over a 60-year period (1960-2019). Given the panel structure of the data, a fixed-effects model was used to determine the correlation between ODA and four key development indicators: average life expectancy, gross enrollment ratio at the primary schooling level, agricultural value-added and the age-dependency ratio. After controlling for a number of relevant macroeconomic variables, the findings suggest that higher ODA is associated with statistically significant improvement in all four development indicators. The positive associations may underlie important causal relationships which are critical for further understanding the nexus between the amounts of ODA received and economic development.

Early contributions to the research came from fellow students Grace Collier, Camille Herren and Bogle LaRue during a course in economic growth and development taught by Dr. Colin Cannonier, who also served as research advisor and faculty sponsor. 

Issues in Political Economy (IPE) is the leading undergraduate research journal in economics and is edited by students, with oversight from faculty.  The journal follows a double-blind review process and is indexed in Cabell’s Directory of Publishing Opportunities in Economics and Finance. 

Alumnus Trevor Hinesley Featured in Nashville Business Journal’s ’40 Under 40’

Haley Charlton
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Alumnus Trevor Hinesley Featured in Nashville Business Journal’s ’40 Under 40’

Alumnus Trevor Hinesley was recently featured in Nashville Business Journal’s ’40 Under 40’ list as the co-founder and chief technology officer of Soundstripe. Soundstripe provides unlimited, royalty-free music and sound effects for video, podcasts and other media using a subscription model that lets content creators pay a fee to use the media in the company’s catalog.

Hinesley, who majored in computer science and audio engineering at Belmont, oversees all technology initiatives at the company while shaping its technology vision, strategy and plans for growth.

Hinesley sat down for a Q&A-style interview with Nashville Business Journal. Read the profile here.

Belmont to Invest $60 Million Over Five Years in New Data Initiative

April Hefner
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Belmont to Invest $60 Million Over Five Years in New Data Initiative

With a vision to become “a globally recognized source of morally-grounded data fluency,” Belmont University announced today the launch of the new Belmont Data Collaborative (BDC). The BDC will serve Belmont students and working professionals by delivering curricula and programming to help fill the ever-evolving need for data skills in nearly every workforce environment. The BDC will also partner with companies and nonprofits across a variety of fields to consult and collaborate on data-related needs and to offer exploratory analysis and internships. Dr. Charlie Apigian, formerly the founding director of the Data Science Institute at Middle Tennessee State University, will serve as the executive director of the BDC as well as a professor of business system and analytics.

Belmont President Dr. Greg Jones said, “Belmont is the perfect home for a future-shaping effort that unites academia and industry in approaching data because our mission involves seeking solutions for complex problems in order to help people and communities flourish. As the ‘data-tization’ of our world becomes ever more pervasive, we have an opportunity to harness data for good, allowing it to drive the kind of decision-making that can produce positive impacts on society’s ‘wicked problems’ and inform change. Furthermore, Belmont’s Christ-centered mission distinctively equips us to examine questions around the ethical uses of data and incorporate those conversations into educating and forming individuals, businesses and communities.”

A collaboration across programs and colleges on Belmont’s campus as well as with a host of Middle Tennessee companies, the BDC is intent on integrating data fluency with moral, ethical and social responsibility. Belmont intends to invest more than $60 million in establishing the BDC over the next five years as a hub for collaboration and education to:

  • Develop a diverse community of leaders who will bring an ethical compass to data use;
  • Meet the cultural and corporate demand for data fluency;
  • Create an evolving portfolio of degree and continuing education programs to provide broad-based data literacy for students and working professionals across all fields;
  • Serve as a resource for Nashville through academic-community partnerships and specialize in key industries, including health services, music/entertainment and entrepreneurship.

The BDC was developed by a committee of Belmont deans, faculty and technology officers along with Nashville industry representatives Tod Fetherling (founder/chief data scientist, Perception Health) and John Liu (CEO/founder, Intelluron Corporation). Input was also solicited from Belmont’s Business Systems and Analytics Advisory Board, which includes representatives from Amazon, HCA Healthcare, Tractor Supply, AllianceBernstein, The Mechanical Licensing Collective, Cat Financial, HealthTrust, Schneider Electric, Nissan North America and more.

New BDC Executive Director Dr. Charlie Apigian added, “The Belmont Data Collaborative is an opportunity to infuse data skills into the fabric of all majors and disciplines at Belmont. The greatest need isn’t just for the next cohort of data scientists; it’s for data-driven problem solvers in every field. We can help individuals and companies ‘think differently about data’ so that it can be actionable and instrumental in solving problems and be used in a responsible and ethical way.”

In his previous role at MTSU’s Data Science Institute, Apigian was charged with building partnerships with industry, communities, government and other entities on big data projects while engaging faculty and students for projects and programs that spanned the campus. His work included funded projects and research with the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Science Foundation along with partnerships with Hytch Rewards, Second Harvest Food Bank, Tennessee Department of Human Services, Project Maslow and Special Kids, Inc. A 20-year faculty member, frequent author and respected presenter/speaker, Apigian received the 2020 Data Scientist of the Year Award and the 2018 Community Leader of the Year Award from the Nashville Technology Council.

Brian Moyer, president and CEO of the Greater Nashville Technology Council said, “Business reliance on technology to remain competitive is accelerating demand for data science as the technology of the future. Data fluency is one of the most sought after skills today, and that trend is only going to increase. The timing could not be better for the launch of BDC, and I can’t think of anyone better qualified to lead that effort than Charlie Apigian. This initiative aligns perfectly with NTC’s mission to ‘lead Nashville into the world that is becoming,’ and we look forward to working with Belmont and Charlie as we continue to grow our tech workforce.” 

In addition to coordinating co-curricular activities and working with faculty across Belmont’s 13 colleges and adult education programs, Apigian will continue to build relationships with corporations and nonprofits throughout the Nashville region. His initial efforts will also include a focus on diversity as the BDC aims to encourage more women and minorities to explore data and technology fields. As part of that initial effort, the BDC will serve as a sponsor of the upcoming Aug. 31 “Can You Hear Me? Succeeding in Data Science” seminar, which is co-hosted by Blacks In Technology Nashville (BIT) and Women in Technology Tennessee (WiTT).

In the future, Belmont plans to develop an intentional, collaborative physical space for the BDC to serve as an accessible, centralized resource for companies, working professionals, nonprofits and the community in addition to the University’s undergraduate and graduate students.

‘University You at Belmont’ Invites Local High School Students to Picture Themselves in College

Haley Charlton
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‘University You at Belmont’ Invites Local High School Students to Picture Themselves in College

Thirteen rising juniors from Metro Nashville Public Schools were nominated by their school administrators to participate in the inaugural year of the new “University You at Belmont University” program, a three-week, on-campus opportunity to take a college-level course. Belmont is committed to playing a supportive role in the community and working as a resource for area students to imagine themselves in college.

Dr. Keri Randolph, executive officer with MNPS, approached Belmont administration earlier this year with the idea to provide an innovative growth opportunity for students who are on track to becoming first generation college students and who would benefit from more focused attention. Knowing faculty would be on board, Belmont’s team eagerly took on the grant-funded project and quickly assembled a cohort of diverse faculty from all different disciplines.

University You at Belmont University, a partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools

College of Theology and Christian Ministry Dean Dr. Darrell Gwaltney stepped in to lead the program on campus as a first generation college student himself. “As ‘Nashville’s University,’ we have an opportunity to create a resource for our area’s kids to experience life as a college student,” he explained. “Of course we hope they’ll end up as Belmont students, but just as much, we hope they’ll be college students somewhere. Every one of the students came to campus unsure and nervous, and I bet by time they left they were thinking ‘I can go to college.’”

Students completed a three-hour humanities course entitled “Understanding the Digital Divide” which creatively explored digital literacy in various subjects. Assistant Professor in the Honors Program Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel led the faculty cohort with Associate Professor of History Dr. Peter Kuryla, Assistant Professor of Art Dr. Emmanuel Saka, Associate Professor of Math and Science Dr. Michelle Guinn and Associate Professor of Political Science Dr. Nathan Griffith.

Pethel said they designed the course to be interdisciplinary in order to give the students research skills they will need in college, dealing with big issues in a way that would also give them concrete skills. “The first week we dove into big problems, discussing ways of knowing and working through some deep philosophical questions. Then, we took field trips to make connections between what they were reading and what they care about here in Nashville. We started with a 30,000 foot view of issues and then drilled down to how those issues impact their lives,” she said.

students listen to presentation
Student visited the Nashville Public Library’s Civil Rights and Votes for Women Room Exhibits

The class visited places around the city like the planetarium at the Adventure Science Center and Fort Negly. Courtney Buggs and Rebecca Price led a tour of the Civil Rights and Votes for Women Room Exhibit at the Nashville Public Library, helping students learn about people, places and events connected to local and state history, as related to issues of citizenship, social justice and civil disobedience.

The final week of the course was spent developing solutions to problems in their own neighborhoods or in Nashville and creating proposal presentations. Ideas revolved around bike systems in underserved areas, public park upgrades, bathrooms for the homeless population and creating safer sidewalks. Groups spent time learning to better understand their surroundings, becoming educated about city planning and working on theoretical budgets for their proposal before presenting them to the class.

Additionally, one of the main learning outcomes from the experience was what life is like as a college student. Pethel said students were thrilled to receive student IDs and Belmont email addresses, learn about the Belmont Fitness Center and try out on-campus dining. Journalism Instructor Jennifer Duck guest lectured on digital and media literacy and Studios Manager Dave Warburton gave students a tour of Johnson Center’s sound studios and theaters.

student talks in class

“Our goal was not only to deliver content, but to give the students a true college experience and let them know what life was like at Belmont. They weren’t just coming to take a course, they were becoming dual-enrolled students” said Pethel. “This was possible because the folks at Belmont stepped up and worked together with the right set of motivations and intentions. We all asked ourselves, ‘What can we give the students to make the college experience possible for them?’ It was collaboration at its finest.”

The plan for the program is to have classes of students return for a second summer to earn more college credit and work with the new incoming class. The program aims to eventually pull two participants from each MNPS high school, instead of the four schools from which the complementary Bridges to Belmont program selects, for a total of 50 students on campus each summer. With a strong template now in place moving forward, University You at Belmont will continue developing and growing over the next few years to become a solid resource for first generation students to acquire the skills and confidence needed to take the next step in their education.

View photos of the experience here.

Dark Recently Featured in Various Media Outlets

Haley Charlton
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Dark Recently Featured in Various Media Outlets

Associate Professor of Religion and the Arts Dr. David Dark has recently been featured in a couple of media outlets.

In March, Dark was featured in the Nashville Scene’s “People Issue,” which can be read here. In the article, Dark’s love for “intellectual mischief” is explored as he aims to decompartmentalize human expression.

More recently, Dark coined the term “Robot Soft Exorcism” in a Twitter thread which inspired the latest single from Thrice on their upcoming album “Horizons/East.” Dark joined Thrice’s singer and lyricist Dustin Kensrue on his podcast to discuss the subject and other topics. Read more here.

Nursing Major Veronica Bernaba Receives BlueCross BlueShield Power of We Scholarship

Haley Charlton
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Nursing Major Veronica Bernaba Receives BlueCross BlueShield Power of We Scholarship

Senior nursing major Veronica Bernaba was recently selected as one of six 2021 recipients of the BlueCross Power of We Scholarship. The scholarship, funded by the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation, awards $10,000 to outstanding minority students pursuing careers in the health care field with a goal of helping to reduce health disparities by improving diversity in the state’s health care workforce and combating systemic racism and injustice.

Bernaba has been on a clear path to health care, but there have been obstacles. This scholarship will allow her to reach her goals without worrying about financial support. “I understand what it’s like to be affected by health disparities and what it’s like to feel underrepresented and not have anyone advocate for you,” Bernaba said in a video in BlueCross’s announcement. “I want to be that type of nurse that evokes change in her community.”

To do that, Bernaba said you have to understand your patients’ lives in order to treat their bodies holistically.  

“In nursing school, we’re learning that some blood pressure medications won’t work for certain ethnicities,” Bernaba said. “Yet often, providers are unaware of a patient’s ethnic background — how they eat, how they live. They don’t understand that a patient can’t take their medication properly because the directions on the label are in English and they only speak Spanish. But understanding is important. We have to remember, every day, that the person we’re taking care of is a human being, not a diagnosis or disease.”

This scholarship will allow Bernaba to continue volunteering at a local non-profit clinic focused on serving immigrants, refugees and low-income populations, a place close to her heart as her family immigrated to Nashville from Egypt when she was just a few months old.

In addition to her scholarship, Bernaba received a gift package for the coming school year which included a MacBook computer. Read more on BlueCross BlueShield’s website.

Belmont Welcomes Two Newest E.S. Rose Scholars

Haley Charlton
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Belmont Welcomes Two Newest E.S. Rose Scholars

Sana Fatah and Suad Mohamed, both graduates of Hume-Fogg Academic High School in Nashville, are heading to Belmont University this fall as freshmen recipients of the E.S. Rose Scholarship, created to honor the memory of E. S. Rose, an African-American religious and Edgehill community activist who served as pastor of Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Each year, Belmont awards two full scholarships to students distinguished by their record of academic achievement and leadership. Every other academic year, Belmont offers an additional half-tuition scholarship as funds allow. Highest consideration is given to Metro Nashville Public School students who meet the scholarship criteria and whose permanent residence is located within Metro Council districts 17, 19 and parts of 18.

Mohamed (pictured left) was selected for her impressive list of extra-curricular activities in high school. She participated in the International Court for Justice for Model United Nations, interned at the Business Incubation Center, was lead outreach and student ambassador for Save the Children, served as secretary of the International Club, held the office of vice president in student government, was a guest ambassador for Vanderbilt Medical Center and worked as an assistant for Health Innovations of America, all while working part-time at Home Depot.

Mohamed intends to major in computer science, and she said Belmont offered her one thing that she desperately needed throughout the chaotic college process: support.

“In addition to the financial security that came with enrolling, the overwhelming support I received from administration solidified my final decision to committing. While academics and student organizations were important, the consistent support showed me that finding a place where I am wanted is crucial,” she said. “At Belmont I am more than a statistic or an applicant number, and I am reminded by every smiling face that I do indeed belong.”

Fatah (pictured right) was selected thanks to her own impressive high school resume, which includes involvement with Alive Hospice, volunteering as president and founder of the United Nations International Children’s Fund at Hume-Fogg, and serving as vice communications lead for Save the Children Action Network.

Fatah intends to major in neuroscience or public health, and she said meeting the public health community solidified her decision to attend Belmont. “I was interested in the curriculum that would allow us to dissect health disparities in the classroom and take our studies into the community with fieldwork projects. Throughout the college transition process, everyone from the Belmont administration and faculty has been incredibly supportive and welcoming,” she said. “I knew this tight-knit community would foster my personal and academic growth.”

To learn more about the E.S. Rose Scholarship, visit the Belmont Community Relations website.

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