Sarah Snyder (’07) recently joined NewsWest 9 (a new channel in West Texas) as a graduate of Belmont’s New Century Journalism program.
During college, Snyder interned at the CBS and NBC affiliates in Nashville, attended and worked at professional conferences, and served as the first news director and primary anchor/reporter for Belmont’s television station. Click here for more on this story.
Alumna Joins TV News Team
Professor, Senior Speak at Conference
Dr. Annette Little, assistant professor of education, and Joshua McCoy, Belmont senior in business, spoke at the Tennessee Chapter of the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed (TN-NADD) on Sept. 24. The title of their presentation was “Autism Treatments Across Disciplines.”
Belmont Opens Center for Social Entrepreneurship and Service-Learning
Belmont University opened today the Center for Social Entrepreneurship and Service-Learning as the home base for its new undergraduate major in social entrepreneurship, the first of its kind nationwide.
Led by Dr. Bernard Turner, an educator with extensive experience with nonprofit organizations, Belmont’s new major centers on the emerging business field that tackles social problems and unmet community needs via entrepreneurial principles. “We will prepare students to be change makers and to go out and transform the world by addressing or helping to alleviate social problems through sound business efforts,” Turner said. “Students will also gain experiential learning through a 225-hour internship during their junior year with a nonprofit or social entrepreneur, further preparing them to pursue their passions regarding a social venture.”
Kris Prendergast, president & CEO of Social Enterprise Alliance, provided the keynote talk at a Town Hall Meeting held on campus to celebrate the launch of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship and Service-Learning. She was joined by CEOs from Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, Goodwill Industries and Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity to discuss social enterprise and the future of the nonprofit sector. The Social Enterprise Alliance is the chief national advocate for the field of social entrepreneurship, serving as a hub of information and education and builder of a vibrant and growing community of social enterprises.
Wrights Kicks Off 2009-10 Belmont and Beyond Series
Rev. Cliff Wright, senior pastor of Brentwood United Methodist Church, kicked off Belmont and Beyond this week, a convocation series meant to inspire and prepare Belmont students for the transition from college. More than 250 students were in attendance.
The presentation, titled “Journey to a Meaningful Life,” focused on the topic of finding a life of purpose and meaning. Wright discussed his own personal journey to find his purpose and gave the audience five questions that students should ask themselves as they are making life-planning decisions: 1) What are you passionate about? 2) What do you avoid like the plague? 3) Is money sidetracking you? 4) What do you want to be remembered for? 5) Who is your audience (i.e. if it is not God, you are playing to the wrong crowd).
Additional Belmont and Beyond convocations this year will address topics such as resume and interview prep, grad school prep, money management and life planning. Click here for more information.
Alumni Showcase Supports Worthy Cause
On Sat., Sept. 19, Belmont University’s Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business held its first showcase of the year. The Alumni Showcase featured performances by Ricky Braddy (pictured above), Brittini Black and Shirock and raised awareness for Everything Burns, a charity founded by the band and main act of the night, Shirock. The non-profit organization works to encourage people around the world to get involved in making a difference.
Black told the crowd, “I knew I was coming to Belmont when I was in sixth grade. I’ve never met so many talented people in one clump like I did at Belmont.”
Kazakhstan Ambassador Speaks at Belmont
Erlan A. Idrissov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan, presented information about the history and goals of his country Friday morning in a convocation titled “Kazakhstan-The Heart of Eurasia.” His talk spanned the earliest days of Kazakhstan’s history to its present-day ambitions and situation.
Idrissov was joined by the Kazakhstani embassy’s First Secretary, Zhanbolat Ussenov, as well as two representatives of the Tennessee World Affairs Council. Idrissov has worked for the Kazakhstani government since 1981 and has served as Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden and Ireland.
Parry to Present Papers at the American Journalism Historians’ Association Conference
Pam Parry, associate professor of journalism, will present a paper Oct. 9 at the American Journalism Historians’ Association Conference in Birmingham. Her paper titled, “Second Fiddle, Not Second Rate: Associate Role Obscures Anne Wheaton’s Contributions to Public Relations,” explores the career of the first woman appointed as an associate press secretary to a U.S. president. Wheaton served as an associate press secretary to Dwight D. Eisenhower. Additionally, Parry will present a research-in-progress paper the next day at the same conference. This project investigates Anne Wheaton’s role in helping Margaret Sanger publicize the need for birth control information in the United States.
Renfro Receives RXportfolio National Achievement Award
Zachary Renfro, a second year student in the School of Pharmacy, was one of 20 students selected nationwide from more than 9,000 entries as a recipient of the 2009 RXportfolio National Achievement Award. The award criteria consisted of content, quality of writing and overall achievements professionally displayed within their RXportfolio.
Coach Byrd Honored in Preseason Publication
Longtime Belmont Head Coach Listed Among Nation’s Best
Belmont men’s basketball head coach Rick Byrd has been named one of the Top 10 ‘Under the Radar Coaches’ in America by Athlon Sports in their 2009-10 College Basketball Preview Edition.
Byrd, who ranks 11th among all active NCAA Division-I head coaches in career victories with 561, is set to embark upon his 24th season roaming the Belmont sidelines. The Knoxville, Tenn. native was named 2008 Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award after directing the Bruins to an unprecedented third consecutive conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance.
Byrd has also garnered national acclaim for leading a program characterized by high academic achievement and sportsmanship. Since 2001, Belmont’s eight ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans represent the most for any program in the country. Further, six of the last eight Atlantic Sun Conference Male Student-Athlete of the Year Award recipients have been Belmont Basketball players. Click here for more on this story.
Public Relations Program to Hold Ethics Week
Public relations ethics will be the focus of several special events on campus as part of Public Relations Ethics Week, Sept. 21-25. The incoming national president of the 34,000-member Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Gary McCormick, will speak on campus Tues., Sept. 22, at 11:30 a.m. in the Massey Board Room. McCormick is director of partnership development for HGTV, Scripps Networks. He will discuss “Are You Ready for Your Closeup? The Changing Face and Challenges of Public Relations.” Attendance is free, and lunch is available ($30 for members and students, $35 for nonmembers) with advance reservation at www.prsanashville.com.
“Gary will discuss changes facing businesses and organizations as we move into an era of trust, confidence, transparency, consumer engagement and social media,” said Bonnie Riechert, director of Belmont’s public relations program.
Immediately following his luncheon presentation on Tuesday, McCormick will meet with students for informal discussion in Massey 100. A convo (personal and professional growth) will focus on “Ethics in the Workplace” on Fri., Sept. 25, at 10 a.m. in Massey 103. A panel of young professionals will discuss ethical dilemmas they’ve encountered or observed, followed by Q&A. Panelists will include recent Belmont graduate Jena Locke, consultant at Hall Strategies, and Heather Schablik of KVBPR.
