The first members of the Belmont University Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership program graduated at summer commencement on Aug. 13. The Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership program was established as a cooperative relationship between the Belmont University Department of Education, under the leadership of Dr. Trevor Hutchins, associate dean of the Department of Education, and The Center for Nonprofit Management. The program educates nonprofit executives in Middle Tennessee who are committed to building strong nonprofits and stronger communities. The partnership guarantees students will have access to Middle Tennessee’s best experts and nonprofit professionals to direct courses and share their experiences.
Recent graduate, Sharon Hurt, who serves as the executive director of the Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership, said of her student experience, “I am extremely honored and excited that Belmont administrators and faculty recognized in me a natural desire to serve and equipped me through this program with principles and knowledge that makes me a bonafide ‘servant’ leader. My professors taught me that it was as important to be resilient, as much as it was to gain the knowledge. I am an ordinary person who accomplished an extraordinary thing. I believe and know that dreams do come true.”
First Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership Class Graduates
Oglesby-Pitts Writes Book to Share the Teaching Wisdom of Mary Craighead
Dr. Oglesby-Pitts (Education) recently published To Teach Like Mary: Getting it Right at First with Dorrance Book Publishing. The book is the first in a series of four small conversations. Oglesby-Pitts wrote the book based on interviews she conducted with Mary Craighead, a highly respected school teacher and administrator from the Nashville area. Oglesby-Pitts was first impacted by the teachings of Craighead as she was her first grade teacher at Head Elementary School. Mary Craighead, along with Sister Sandra Smithson, founded Smithson Craighead Academy, Metro Nashville’s first charter school, in 2003. Craighead died in the summer of 2008, but Oglesby-Pitts feels fortunate to have been able to glean wisdom from Craighead to share with others through these books.
Biles Gives Presentation at Conference
Dr. Daniel Biles, associate professor in the math and computer science department, recently gave a presentation at the Fourth International Conference on Neural, Parallel and Scientific Computations, at Morehouse College in Atlanta. General topics of the conference were analytical and computational methods on all aspects of Neural, Parallel and Scientific Computing. Dr. Biles’ presentation was titled “Analytic Solutions for a Class of Functional Differential Equations.”
Rogers King Appears in Duvall Film Get Low
Tammy Rogers King, an alumna and adjunct commercial violin instructor, appears with her band The SteelDrivers in the upcoming Robert Duvall motion picture Get Low. The film, which also stars Sissy Spacek and Bill Murray, also features four SteelDrivers’ songs on the soundtrack. Get Low opens in Nashville Aug. 27.
Men’s Golf Earns National Academic Award
The Belmont men’s golf team was named a Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) All-Academic Team as the GCAA announced its team academic awards on Monday. The Bruins were named a GCAA All-Academic Team for a second straight year after posting a team GPA of 3.149 for the 2009-2010 school year. Belmont was among four men’s golf programs in the Atlantic Sun Conference to earn academic team honors from the GCAA (Belmont, ETSU, Kennesaw State, and Mercer).
To be eligible for GCAA All-Academic Team honors, a college or university must submit the grade points earned and hours attempted for each player on its official squad list for the aca¬demic year. The men’s golf program opens up its 2010-11 season on September 13-14 at the Morehead State Fall Kickoff in Pineville, Kentucky.
Renfroe Signs Pro Deal in Croatia
Former Belmont men’s basketball star Alex Renfroe has signed a professional contract with KK Zagreb of Croatia and the Adriatic League. Renfroe, who as a Bruin senior in 2008-09 was named Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America and Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year, is fresh off a stellar 2009-10 professional campaign in Latvia.
The Nashville, Tenn. native was named MasterCard Baltic Basketball League (BBL) Most Valuable Player playing for VEF Riga. Renfroe finished the regular season ranked in the top-eight in five different league statistical categories. He was seventh in scoring (15.2 average), fifth in rebounding (7.4 average), second in steals (2.1 average), first in assists (7.1 average), and eighth in field goal percentage (56.2 percent). He also posted a league-best seven double-doubles and had a league-high two triple-doubles.
Belmont Announces New Concert Hall
Trustee provides lead gift for renovation of Belmont Heights sanctuary to create classical concert venue
Belmont University announced today that a lead gift has been secured for the renovation of university-owned Belmont Heights Baptist Church’s main sanctuary to provide the campus a new, large concert venue suitable for classical performances. The congregation of Belmont Heights Baptist Church will continue to be able to worship in the renovated sanctuary and will enjoy the benefits of the much-improved acoustics. The McAfee family, which has supported Belmont University for years, is providing this “lead gift challenge” for the renovation project.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “We are very grateful to the McAfee family for this generous gift. Their commitment to the university and support of this project means that we will have a Concert Hall to match the high quality of our music programs, and one that will appropriately showcase the amazing talent of our performing arts students.”
Carolyn McAfee has served on Belmont’s Board of Trustees since 2006, and her late husband Jim, president and CEO of Hallmark Systems, Inc., served on the Board from 2002 until his untimely death in 2004. In addition to their time on the Board, the McAfees also support Belmont through an endowed scholarship in their name for School of Music students with a major in organ or classical music. The McAfees’ son and daughter-in-law, Tom and Julie McAfee, joined Carolyn McAfee at today’s ceremony announcing the project.
“My late husband Jim, my son Tom daughter-in-law, Julie, and I have always been enthusiastic about supporting Belmont as a leader in Christian education,” said Carolyn McAfee. “Belmont’s School of Music has earned national recognition for the quality of its programs and the breadth of its vision. Our family is proud to kick off the fundraising efforts for this new Concert Hall, which will match those high standards with a performance space suitable to the talent these programs attract.”
Dr. Cynthia Curtis, dean of Belmont’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, added, “The new Concert Hall, which houses a 55-rank Aeolian Skinner organ, provides an outstanding venue for performances of the University’s classical choral and instrumental ensembles, including the symphony orchestra, wind ensemble, Chorale and 200-voice Oratorio Chorus. The College of Visual and Performing Arts is tremendously grateful to the McAfee family for their generous gift which helps sustain the rich artistic history of the Belmont campus and active cultural life of Nashville.”
The design concept for the new Concert Hall was developed in consultation with the architects and acousticians involved with the construction of the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Acousticians have conducted extensive, carefully documented scientific studies and developed a plan for the building that eliminates ambient noise, expands the volume of space to optimal acoustic proportions for a large orchestra and chorus and creates optimal sound diffusion.
Fundraising for the new Concert Hall will continue as the total renovation is anticipated to be $7 million.
Belmont Athletics Launches New Website
Belmont Athletics proudly announces the launch of the new-look belmontbruins.com, and its partnership with web servicing provider, PrestoSports. The enhanced version of belmontbruins.com sports numerous new features, including multimedia players on the site front page and all team pages. Check back all year long with exclusive highlights, interviews, and feature stories from every team.
In addition, convenient “quick link” icons have been provided in the upper right corner of each page, to provide Bruin fans easy access to popular areas, such as live Bruin Sports Network broadcasts, live stats, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Included is a brand-new mobile platform of belmontbruins.com, so fans can stay updated on the go. The site is also characterized by streamlined site navigation, bold high resolution photography, and trademark in-depth coverage of all Bruin teams.
PrestoSports is a Rockville, Md.-based company specializing in online solutions for intercollegiate athletic programs.
Belmont Races Into Top 5 in U.S. News Rankings of America’s Best Colleges
University hits highest ranking ever; honored for teaching, innovation
At the release of last year’s U.S. News & World Report rankings of America’s Best Colleges, Belmont University President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “Seven is the perfect number—until we reach six!” Today Belmont leapt right over position No. 6 to land at No. 5 in the Best Regional Universities—South category, the University’s highest placement in its history. Since 2003, Belmont has risen 16 spots on the nation’s prestigious rankings chart, from 21st to 5th.
Fisher said, “There are times when even I am speechless. Rising to the Top 5 in U.S. News represents a key element of Belmont’s Vision 2015 plan. To reach this level of prominence already demonstrates the immense dedication and talents of Belmont’s faculty, staff and students in accomplishing what has clearly been an ambitious University goal. One thing’s certain: complacency is not an option. We will continue our efforts to seek positive change and growth at every opportunity.”
Belmont was also honored for the third year in a row by fellow college administrators as a top “Up-and-Comer” for making “the most promising and innovating changes in the areas of academics, faculty, student life, campus or facilities.” Recognizing Belmont’s vision to be a “leader among teaching universities,” Belmont was ranked second in the South category for strong commitment to undergraduate teaching and for learning communities.
Health Services, Pharmacy Care Center Open Doors in New Building
On Mon., Aug. 9 at 8 a.m., the University’s Health Services and Pharmacy Care Center opened their doors to the Belmont community. The faculty and staff of the School of Pharmacy gathered in celebration of this long-anticipated moment. After a visit to the Health Services Center, Belmont staff member Lougan Bishop, information systems assistant/web specialist in enrollment services, became the pharmacy’s first customer. Bishop said, “Having Health Services and the Pharmacy in one place is so incredibly convenient. I could go to Health Services and get a refill on my prescription then walk right next door and get that prescription filled. Not only that, the staff of the new Pharmacy are great. Not only did they fill my prescription, they worked with Humana to get me an even better discount than I was already getting.”
The Pharmacy Care Center, a functioning classroom and business, is ready for customers to bring their prescriptions to be transferred from other pharmacies. Dr. Ronda Bryant, the pharmacy manager, invites the Belmont community to stop by for a visit anytime and is open to suggestions for new products and services.
