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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A Business With A Mission: Alumna Sarah Moseley Launches Songbird City

Haley Charlton
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A Business With A Mission: Alumna Sarah Moseley Launches Songbird City

Sarah Moseley is pursuing her dreams and helping others in the process.

Moseley, who graduated in 2017, recently founded Songbird City, Nashville’s first and only custom song company which employs a melting pot of nine talented songwriters from a variety of genres, including a few Belmont graduates.

Songbird City writes custom songs for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and more. Customers complete an interest form, then a songwriter of their choice creates a custom song at an in-home studio within five days. The process turns “memories into melodies.”

Moseley finds joy in employing and promoting Music City songwriters.

“I am a songwriter first. I have been writing for over a decade. I understand the struggle,” she said. “I wanted to help the creative community through Songbird City. Ten percent of proceeds from a custom song go to the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) for artists in need.”

Moseley developed a passion for songwriting while attending Belmont University. A native of Oklahoma, she traveled between Tulsa and Nashville during her collegiate life, working on her own singer-songwriter career. She majored in Entertainment Industry Studies (EIS) and joined Alpha Sigma Tau sorority.

She recalled her professors from the EIS program—industry professionals!

“I remember being starstruck by Mark Volman, a co-founding member of The Turtles, and one of my first professors in the program. I enjoyed program classes with Cristi Williams, too, who has been involved in the entertainment industry with her daughter, Hayley Williams of Paramore,” she said.

Following her graduation from Belmont, Moseley further pursued her singer-songwriter career as pop artist JOVVI, writing for TV and film. However, her love for songwriting would lead her to something more: creating a business with a mission … helping local songwriters thrive at every level. It was then she collaborated with her husband, Aaron, a digital marketing agency owner, to bring her dream to fruition. Songbird City was founded less than 60 days later.

Songbird City may be in its infancy, but she is already planning its future.

“Nashville is a city of dreamers,” Moseley said. “I hope Songbird City will help songwriters make connections, expand their songwriting through custom song and provide them with another layer of financial income.”

A Songbird City writer’s round could be coming soon; follow the business online or on social media to stay connected. 

Gaines Participates in Summer Workshops for Computer Science

Haley Charlton
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Gaines Participates in Summer Workshops for Computer Science

Assistant Professor of Computer Science Dr. Tisha Brown-Gaines participated in both The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Virtual Summit on Women and IT in May and the CSinParallel Summer 2021 Virtual Workshop in June.

A trusted source for research-based strategies that facilitate reform in computing classes and technical organizations, the NCWIT summit continues to be the world’s largest annual convening of change leaders focused on significantly improving diversity and equity in computing. Speakers included New Yok time bestselling author Cathy O’Neil, CNN political commentator & Emmy Award-winning producer Van Jones, as well as NCWIT Co-founder Lucy Sanders.

CSinParallel is an NSF-funded initiative to help Computer Science programs incorporate parallel and distributed computing (PDC) into their undergraduate curricula. Acceptance into the workshop was by application, and Gaines had to demonstrate a commitment to increasing the parallel and distributed computing knowledge and skills of undergraduates in Belmont’s Computer Science program. She was also awarded more than $500 in computing equipment to seed PDC instruction at Belmont.

The workshop featured a hands-on introduction to the CSinParallel teaching modules and other teaching resources that feature PDC software technologies: PDC Unplugged offline activities for learning PDC concepts, parallel programming patterns for teaching PDC problem solving and “parallel thinking,” and realistic exemplar applications that motivate students to learn PDC.

Belmont Executive Learning Network Hosts Ketch Secor for Discussion on Diversity’s Place ‘In the Circle’

Haley Charlton
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Belmont Executive Learning Network Hosts Ketch Secor for Discussion on Diversity’s Place ‘In the Circle’

Belmont’s Executive Learning Networks hosted Ketch Secor, lead for Old Crow Medicine Show, on June 22 to discuss his TEDxNashville presentation “Will the Circle be Unbroken” as well as diversity, equity and pulling out a chair of inclusion. Secor co-authored the Grammy Award Winning song ‘Wagon Wheel’ with Bob Dylan, and, in 2014, launched Episcopal School of Nashville in the East Nashville Area.

Secor sat down with Jeremy Snow, TEDx coach, at Belmont to discuss the themes revealed in his TEDx presentation in which he reflects on unique origin stories in the music he’s spent the past 20 years uncovering. Country music’s origins are more varied and its reach far wider than most people think.

Songwriters try to mimic what America really sounds like when they write songs. “How is it that a song like ‘Dixieland’ written be the children of a freed slave couple would become synonymous with the confederacy and the rebel flag and racism?” asked Secor. “This happens not because of mimicry, but rather, when we erase the memories of those we mimic by refusing them a place in the circle.”

Secor said country music songs are layered like sedimentary rocks and it’s up to the listener to recognize that when they sing along to their favorite country songs, they are actually singing the songs of the hardest working people in America, sounds that have gone through songwriter after songwriter. “We are singing songs about a cab driver from Sudan or someone from the Congo, or of freed slaves in Ohio,” Secor said. “You take Black music and country music and you have the same thing exactly.”

Secor is credited for co-writing “Wagon Wheel” but says he didn’t write it – Bob Dylan did. Dylan says the same, that it was written from a songwriter before him. And the pattern continues. After going through Old Crow Medicine Show’s rendition, Darius Rucker recorded the song and it became one of the top five most popular country singles ever.

Secor said, “Even ‘Wagon Wheel’ took 90 years and many diverse authors in its gestation. It’s remarkable to me that Darius Rucker is on the bestselling record list and made black history, but it had to funnel through me.”

Secor talked about the wave that has been coming in which Nashville is faced with grappling with the racial identity politics it has held for so many years. “The history of country music has catered to the white male patriarchy, and it’s a shame on the city’s past, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take a look at it and try to rectify it. I try to topple monuments in my own music that could be misinterpreted,” Secor said.

When trying on other sounds as a songwriter, one must be sensitive not to partake in cultural appropriation. Secor said you cannot parody it and you can’t assume you have permission to authenticate it. It must be done with love and respect. “When I take on music that’s not my own, which I do professionally, I gotta know what I am talking about,” he explained. “And how I do that is by going there, by being around the people, by asking people and making connections. It’s not enough to put on the headdress, you need to take a deep dive to really authenticate it. You have to do more than pull out the chair, you have to work intentionally and give everyone an opportunity to work collectively.”

View Secor’s TEDxNashville talk “Will the Circle be Unbroken” on YouTube.

Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame Announces Two Years of Inductees

Haley Charlton
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Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame Announces Two Years of Inductees

Belmont University announced today the sixth and seventh inductee classes of the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame. Because last year’s inductee class was not able to be recognized in person due to COVID-19, this year’s event will honor both the 2020 and 2021 classes at a ceremony on October 19.

With a mission to honor men and women who have made significant and lasting contributions to the health and health care industries, the Hall of Fame was created in 2015 by founding partners Belmont University, the McWhorter Society and the Nashville Health Care Council.

“Over the course of the past 18 months, the COVID-19 pandemic has refocused the spotlight on the health care industry and the important role health care professionals play in each of our lives,” said Belmont President Dr. L. Gregory Jones. “Now more than ever, we want to honor the leaders in this vital field, individuals who demonstrate the character, compassion and strength of purpose that quite literally transforms lives on a daily basis.”

The Hall of Fame nomination process was open to practitioners, executives, entrepreneurs, mentors, teachers, scientists, researchers, innovators or any person with a connection to the health or health care field who: 

  • was born, lived or worked in Tennessee
  • made a significant impact and lasting contribution to health care at the local, state, national or international level
  • exhibits the highest ethical and professional character
  • serves as an outstanding role model in their community

Among the highly-qualified nominees, inductees for each class were chosen by a selection committee made up of health and health care leaders from across the state. Selected inductees represent some of Tennessee’s greatest health and health care pioneers, leaders and innovators.

The 2020 inductees are:

  • Monroe Dunaway “M.D.” Anderson: Health care philanthropist; Former Treasurer, President and CFO for Anderson, Clayton and Co.; and Namesake for M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the no. 1 cancer center in the world for research, diagnosis, care and treatment.
  • Governor Phil Bredesen: Former Governor of Tennessee and Mayor of Nashville; Leader of the initiative to re-make the nationally-respected model of TennCare and many other Tennessee public health programs; Successful healthcare entrepreneur, founding HealthAmerica, Coventry Corporations and the nonprofit Nashville’s Table; and Author of “Fresh Medicine: How to Fix Reform and Build a Sustainable Health Care System.”
  • Kathryn M. Edwards, M.D.: Sarah H. Sell and Cornelius Vanderbilt Endowed Chair in Pediatrics, Scientific Director of Vaccine Research Program and Professor of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Infectious Diseases Society of America Fellow; and  renowned Researcher and Vaccine Developer whose work has contributed to vaccine development and the elimination of countless diseases, advancing science and saving countless lives around the globe, and training the next generation of pediatricians, infectious disease doctors and researchers.
  • Donald S. MacNaughton: Former CEO and Chairman of HCA Healthcare; Chairman of the executive committee at HealthTrust; and Mentor to numerous health care providers and leaders.
  • G. Scott Morris, M.D.: Founder and CEO of Church Health of Memphis who developed a model for whole person health care and led Church Health to become the largest faith-based, privately-funded health clinic in the country; and Speaker on community and faith-based health care.

The 2021 inductees are:

  • Tom Cigarran: Co-founder, former Chairman, Director, President and CEO of Healthways (now Tivity Health), the largest chronic disease management company and well-being provider in the U.S.; Co-founder, former Chairman, Director, President and CEO of AmSurg, Corp (now Envision); Two-time former Chairman of the Nashville Health Care Council and active community leader. 
  • Autry O.V. “Pete” DeBusk: Founder and Chairman of DeRoyal Industries, Inc., a world-wide medical device manufacturer; Member of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to Congress; and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Lincoln Memorial University who helped launch multiple healthcare graduate and professional degree programs.
  • William E. Evans, Pharm.D.: Former CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital who led the hospital to consistently be nationally ranked and helped push cure rates for the most common cancer in children from 50 percent in 1975 to more than 90 percent in 2021; Author of more than 450 scientific publications; and elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (2002) and the U.S. National Academy of Medicine (2015).
  • James E.K. Hildreth, Ph.D., M.D.: President and CEO of Meharry Medical College, catapulting the institution to the national stage; Immunologist, researcher and health care educator; Advisor to local, state and national government on infectious diseases; and advocate for minority communities and leader in fighting for health equity.
  • Robert Sanders, M.D.: Former Chairman of the Accident Prevention Committee of the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; successful advocate and lobbyist of the Child Passenger Protection Act, leading to his name “Dr. Seat Belt;” and Former Director of the Rutherford County Health Department.

Jones added, “The inductees of the 2020 and 2021 classes of the Hall of Fame have helped shape and advance the industry, paving the way for future health care leaders. As we continue to draw the best and brightest to Belmont’s health care programs, and as we plan for the Thomas F. Frist Jr. College of Medicine, I’m thankful for our inductees’ inspiration and countless contributions. I can think of no better way to solidify the hope we have for our health care students than by honoring the heroes and heroines we want them to emulate.”

In addition to recognizing Tennessee’s most influential health and health care leaders, the Hall of Fame serves as an on-going educational resource to document the rich history that has contributed to Tennessee’s position as a leader for national health care initiatives. Sponsors of the induction ceremony contribute to not only the long-term viability of the Hall of Fame, but also to the McWhorter Society Scholarship Fund, which benefits students pursuing careers in the health sciences. Since the inception of the McWhorter Society and the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame, more than $3.6 million has been raised to support McWhorter Society Endowed Scholarships, and there have been more than 100 scholarship recipients since 2014.

A complete list of the more than 30 individuals inducted since 2015—along with information on sponsorship opportunities for the Oct. 19, 2021 induction event—can be found on the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame website.

Labbe Graduates from Northwestern School of Police and Command

Haley Charlton
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Labbe Graduates from Northwestern School of Police and Command

Assistant Chief of Campus Security Mark Labbe graduated on May 28 from the Northwestern School of Police and Command, an intensive 10-week program that sets a nationally-recognized standard for professional training for law enforcement executives. The program focuses on topics such as leadership, management, engaging the community, problem solving and communications.

Labbe attended the session, held at the Tennessee Highway Patrol Training Center in Nashville, along with leaders from the Metro Nashville Police Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, the University of Tennessee and twelve other agencies from across eight states. It was the first time a Belmont staff member had the chance to attend.

Chief of Campus Security Pat Cunningham said the program provided leadership and management training as well as the chance to focus on key issues that can help elevate Belmont’s campus security department from being “very good” to “exceptional.”

“We’ve always had exceptional staff who were focused on providing exceptional service. What we needed was to be sure we provided the tools, resources and structure for our officers to also excel at outreach and engagement,” said Cunningham. “That’s really what Northwestern provided – the chance to focus, in both strategic and operational ways, in how we take the engagement officers were already doing on an individual basis and replicating it as department-wide initiatives that we can carry out in collaboration with our internal campus partners and external agencies.”

During the program, attendees discussed how difficult the pandemic was for everyone and ways to emerge with renewed energy and new strategies to engage the campus community to ensure the department is having productive dialogues and building solid relationships. These conversations led to the development of new community engagement initiatives with the support of experts in the field and the collective wisdom of executives from other organizations facing similar challenges.

While completing the program, Labbe developed the proposal of designating the evening shift captain, Mike Moultry, to preside over engagement initiatives. Since afternoons and evenings tend to be the times when students and student groups are most available, this assignment helps align the department’s engagement efforts with times most convenient to students. 

Cunningham explained, “Captain Moultry’s energy, outgoing nature, commitment to building relationships, focus on getting to know members of our student community and being responsive to their concerns make him the ideal candidate for spearheading our engagement activities. As the second shift captain, he is in the unique position of being able to refocus and elevate the entire shift into a cohesive team of officers collectively focused on engagement.”

Areas of Focus will include:

  • Engaging students, student organizations and other members of the campus community in dialogue on programming, services and security-related issues.  
  • Developing, mentoring and designating officers to assist in outreach / engagement activities with the goal of having all officers participating on a regular basis as part of their duties. 
  • Identifying opportunities to work in collaboration with campus partners and with external agencies such as the Metro Nashville Police Department, to cross–promote programming and provide consistent messaging across disciplines.  
  • Conducting surveys of the campus community to assess programming, departmental communication and service. 
  • Coordinating current student engagement programs and overseeing the development of new programing. 
  • Serving as a key member of departmental team related to social media presence and looking for opportunities to partner with other campus departments to further that growth. 

“We are very excited about the opportunities this single change brings; we see it as a key step toward being exceptional in engaging students,” said Cunningham. “And it’s only one step in a tiered plan that Mark developed as part of his research and planning at Northwestern.”

Belmont University Holds ‘Juneteenth: Celebrating Freedom’ Event on Campus

Haley Charlton
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Belmont University Holds ‘Juneteenth: Celebrating Freedom’ Event on Campus

Now a newly recognized federal holiday, Belmont University held an event called “Juneteenth: Celebrating Freedom” on Friday, June 18, 2021 to celebrate Juneteenth on campus.

Juneteenth, celebrated each year on June 19, is a day designated to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Sometimes referred to as “America’s second Independence Day,” this is a day worthy of celebration that those enslaved black Americans were granted their freedom; but also of reflection on the harsh reality that freedom was so cruelly withheld from them in the first place.

Belmont’s reception and exhibit featured a visual display, designed to educate, engage and inspire, explaining the importance of the holiday as well as the opportunity for Belmont community members to support local businesses owned and operated by black business men and women. A special display at the event presented the life stories of relatives of black Belmont faculty and staff members after receiving their freedom. Also present at the event was information about other Juneteenth events in the Middle Tennessee area happening over the weekend. 

Andrea McClain points to story of her grandfather, Reverend Harrison Dury William Porter McClain
Andrea McClain points to story of her grandfather, Reverend Harrison Dury William Porter McClain

“Creating this event for the campus community is truly a labor of love,” said Dr. Mary Clark, assistant dean of students & director of Bridges to Belmont. “I am passionate about providing all an opportunity to learn, contemplate and lean in to information and experiences they are not familiar with. Juneteenth is something my family and I have always celebrated, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share that with the campus. My hope is that this celebration is simply the beginning – there will be more events, displays and opportunities to explore, engage and exemplify the Belmont State of Mind.”

Belmont President Dr. L. Gregory Jones thanked Dr. Susan West and Dr. Mary Clark for leading the effort to make this exhibit available. “This is the type of Bridge Building work we need to be doing – work that acknowledges painful history, promotes understanding and empathy, and creates opportunity to build community,” he wrote in an email to campus. “It is an excellent example of making progress toward our goal for Belmont to be a leader in reweaving the social fabric.”

View photos from the event here.

Natalie Michaels Named New Co-Editor of the Journal of Aquatic Physical Therapy

Haley Charlton
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Natalie Michaels Named New Co-Editor of the Journal of Aquatic Physical Therapy

Dr. Natalie Michaels, PT, EdD, professor in the occupational therapy department at Belmont University, has been named co-editor of the Journal of Aquatic Physical Therapy. This is the primary peer-reviewed journal of the Academy of Aquatic Physical Therapy, a section of the American Physical Therapy Association. Michaels will be serving in this capacity with Anita Van Wingerden from the School of Health Professions at Rutgers State University of New Jersey.

Dr. Michaels has been actively involved in aquatic physical therapy for many years. She was awarded the 2021 Richard Ruoti Research Award for Excellence at the 2021 Combined Sections Meeting and has published numerous articles in the field, ranging from the use of aquatic exercise for weight loss in older adults to the efficacy of activity monitors ion land and in the water. She is a recipient of the Hydroworx Research Grant and has served as a reviewer for the Journal of Aquatic Physical Therapy. She holds an Aquatic Clinical Competency Certificate through the Aquatic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association and an Aquatic Certification through the Aquatic Therapy and Rehabilitation Institute (ATRI).

Faculty, Staff Begin Forming Solutions to ‘Wicked Problems’ through new Belmont Accelerator for Social Innovation Collaboration (BASIC) Initiative

Haley Charlton
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Faculty, Staff Begin Forming Solutions to ‘Wicked Problems’ through new Belmont Accelerator for Social Innovation Collaboration (BASIC) Initiative

In an email to faculty and staff during his first week on campus, Belmont President Dr. L. Gregory Jones announced a new campus initiative known as the Belmont Accelerator for Social Innovation Collaboration, or BASIC. BASIC promises to encourage and empower individuals across Belmont’s campus to use their intellectual capital and faithful commitment for the betterment of students, the local community and the region.

Jones explained in his email, “For us to be a catalyst for hope in Middle Tennessee, we need to be frontrunners in the quest for innovative solutions to what are commonly called ‘wicked problems,’ issues that are so pervasive and complex that they require intensive collaboration and experimentation across a variety of sectors.”

Examples of “wicked problems” could include everything from intergenerational poverty and lack of educational opportunity to health care inequities and drug abuse, and beyond. The preliminary BASIC experiments will typically involve three or more disciplines across colleges or administrative areas, as complex problems require interdisciplinary thinking and diverse perspectives.

With academic year 2021-22, Belmont anticipates funding 3-5 BASIC grant proposals that hold the promise of making an impact in the region, especially in initiatives that enable children 0-8 and their families to flourish. Seed grant proposals do not have a cap, but most funded proposals will be under $50,000 with timelines for design and implementation being up to three years.

Shelley shares an idea at information session

Approximately 120 interested Belmont employees from all corners of campus gathered for an information session on June 15 to learn more, further discuss BASIC and find potential collaborators to turn the tide on complex problems in the local community. More than 20 “passion projects” were discussed, and many more are still incubating. Examples of potential projects discussed include assisting vulnerable women with childcare and workforce re-entry, food insecurity and community building for immigrant and refugee populations in Antioch, Tennessee, digital rights and literacy initiatives, gamifying elementary learning needs at Metro Nashville Public Schools, supporting at-risk youth through theatre arts and addressing problems of pain and compassion fatigue in caregivers.

Jones said, “As a Christ-centered institution of higher education, we are blessed to have extremely capable, passionate and insightful faculty and staff, individuals who I believe can work together to create effective and innovative approaches to such problems in our community. As our Vision 2025 document states, we seek to be ‘doers’ of God’s word, and that desire forms the foundation of this new initiative.”

Those who are formulating BASIC proposals should complete this survey, even if they were unable to attend the information session. Additional interest sessions and planning sessions for proposals in progress will be held and announced to campus preceding the second round of grants.

Vice President for Transformative Innovation, Character, & Purpose Dr. Amy Crook is helping to manage the BASIC process. In a follow-up email to campus, Crook said, “I’m so proud of your ingenuity and generosity of spirit, and look forward to walking alongside you as your projects develop. We look forward to seeing your creative social innovations and to sharing more on our first BASIC programs as they roll out this fall.”

Belmont University Physical Therapy Students Serve Virtually in Dominican Republic

Haley Charlton
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Belmont University Physical Therapy Students Serve Virtually in Dominican Republic

On May 14-16, physical therapy students Ann Shikles and Marissa Arnerich participated in a Virtual Service Experience (VSE) in the Dominican Republic through a nonprofit organization called Here for Kids. Here for Kids aims to help at-risk children through sending teams of students and young adults to various locations throughout the world to share their sports and educational gifts. For this VSE, Here for Kids partnered with an organization called Kids Alive Dominican Republic.

Shikles and Arnerich worked with two sites in the Dominican Republic during their virtual service experience. These sites have both a children’s home and school associated with them that are run by Kids Alive. The students learned about the sites and the work they do there, took a virtual tour of the neighborhoods that house the sites and the sites themselves, and met with missionaries placed in the Dominican Republic.

Arnerich explained, “We also were able to virtually meet and play with the kids living in the children’s home at one of the sites. In addition to learning about our partner sites and organizations, we also learned a lot about each other through testimonies and devotionals. Together, we spoke about our faith journeys, reflected on the importance of service and what it truly means to serve, and how we as future physical therapists will be able to apply our hearts for service into our profession.”

Plummer Presents, Participates in European Academy of Childhood Disabilities

Haley Charlton
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Plummer Presents, Participates in European Academy of Childhood Disabilities

Dr. Teresa Plummer, associate professor in the School of Occupational Therapy, presented on her current research involving 40 international experts in the field of pediatric powered mobility entitled: Global Partnerships: Opportunities and Challenges: The development of a training guide for teaching infants how to use the Explorer Mini (a new powered mobility device for infants 12-36 months. She and co-researchers Feldner, Hendry and Leire have created an evidence-based guide for therapists and caregivers of children with mobility impairments.

Additionally, she co-presented a poster entitled: What if ‘Early’ Is Too Late? Supporting the Theoretical Perspective of On Time Mobility In Early Childhood Intervention.

The European Academy of Childhood Disabilities is an international forum for individuals interested in advocacy and research in conditions that affect infants and children.

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