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.
Men’s Golf Earns National Academic Award
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.
Tennis Teams Honored with ITA National Academic Awards
The academic achievements of the Belmont’s tennis teams were honored by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as they announced their Academic Awards for the 2009-2010 school year.
Both of Belmont’s tennis teams were named an ITA All-Academic team. To be chosen for this honor, a squad must have a cumulative team grade point average (GPA) of 3.20 or above (on a 4.00 scale) and all team members must have competed during the 2009-2010 season. The men’s team, who finished with a team GPA of 3.35, was one of 29 teams honored in Division I and one of three Atlantic Sun Conference squads among the list of schools. It marked the ninth straight year they have been honored with this award. The women’s team finished the year with a team GPA of 3.253. They were among 57 teams honored in Division I and one of just two Atlantic Sun schools to earn the award. In addition, it marks the fifth time since 2003 that the women’s program has been honored by the ITA. Click here for more on this story.
Hamann Named Most Valuable Pitcher of Wilson Tobs
Belmont junior Matt Hamann earned Most Valuable Pitcher honors for the Wilson Tobs after leading the team with 10 saves en route to a 37-19 summer league team record. Hamann recorded a 2.72 ERA and a record of 3-1 in 24 appearances out of the bullpen. Click here for more on this story.
Titans Cheerleader Focuses on Nursing Preparation at Belmont
Kristin Singh is one of Belmont’s many nursing students, but she boasts an extra special extracurricular–for the past two years she has shared the sidelines with the Tennessee Titans as a Titans cheerleader.
She began her academic career as a marine biology major at the College of Charleston but through a series of major changes found herself in the neuroscience department. She moved to Belmont “because it was one of the only schools in the Nashville area that had a neuroscience major” and soon “started thinking about nursing after hearing how great Belmont’s program was.” Once in the nursing program she quickly formed a bond with Mrs. Keary Dryden, her clinical instructor her first semester. Kristin recalls, “I was so nervous for my first clinical, and she made it easy for me to relax and learn as much as I could. She still challenged me, but she did it in a way that made me comfortable.”
Despite finding nursing a highly rewarding career, she sought to fulfill another desire: her passion for dance. She began her dance career at only four years old and eventually danced her way onto her high school dance team. After graduation she started to miss dancing so when she moved to Nashville her sophomore year she decided to try out for the Titans.
When asked about the connection between her work as a Titans cheerleader and her nursing preparation, Kristen had an interesting story to tell. “We do many charity events that involve the healthcare community. I had the opportunity to go to an appearance at the V.A. hospital about a month ago. I did my clinical there last year and was able to visit patients on the floor that I worked [on]. It was very neat to go back and see everyone that I worked with during my clinical rotation. However, it was different being there in my cheerleading uniform. I never told anyone that I was a cheerleader, so the other nurses that recognized me were a little surprised that I had this other life. It made me so happy that I was able to relate my nursing experiences to cheerleading. It also pleased me to help the patients in a different way by visiting them as a Titans cheerleader rather than a student nurse.”
Kristin loved being a cheerleader and positive role model for the community, but her upper-level nursing classes were making it “more difficult to juggle both school and cheerleading.” She says that her “education is by far more important than cheerleading” which is why you won’t see her again this year on the Titans sidelines. Soon she will graduate with her nursing degree and is excited to start her new career.
School of Nursing Re-Awarded Scholarships
Scholarships funded through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Belmont University School of Nursing announced today that for the second year in a row, it has received funding to award scholarships from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) through the RWJF New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program (NCIN). Grants provided through this competitive program will be given to students traditionally underrepresented in the field of nursing and strives to prepare culturally competent leaders in Belmont’s accelerated Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing program. NCIN was launched in 2008 to address the national nursing shortage and fuel the pipeline of diverse nurse faculty.
“Through the NCIN program, we are challenging the nation’s nursing schools to be innovative and resourceful in how they grow their nursing programs, diversify student populations and contribute to the nursing leadership of tomorrow, said Denise A. Davis, Dr. P.H, RWJF program officer for NCIN. “We are very pleased to support this unique approach, particularly at a time when growing numbers of Americans are gaining insurance and entering our health care system.”
Dr. Chris Algren, Belmont’s associate dean of nursing, said, “We are so pleased that we have once again received funding for the New Career in Nursing scholarships. This program has increased enrollment in the accelerated program for second degree students who are underrepresented in nursing. Since little funding is usually available for second degree students, we are very appreciative to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for assisting us to meet the needs of these highly motivated students.”
