Seventy high school students from across the state of Tennessee recently gathered on the campus of Belmont University to participate in the eighth annual Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA) Accounting Academy. Under the direction of Dr. Del DeVries, assistant professor of accounting and information systems, and Dr. Jane Dillard-Eggers, associate professor of accounting, this free, four-day program offers students the opportunity to explore careers in accounting and learn more about the dynamic world of business. This year students met more than 50 accounting professionals, participated in an interactive team project and visited several area businesses, including Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, the Tennessee Titans practice facility, Curb Records and the historic RCA Studio B.
This is the third consecutive year the program has been hosted at Belmont University. Dr. Pat Raines, dean of the College of Business Administration, said, “The TSCPA Accounting Academy aligns with our approach to teaching by incorporating experiential methods of learning that are fun and engaging. We believe students can truly benefit from the professional experience and business contacts our faculty possess and are happy to partner with TSCPA to help students better understand the opportunities available in the accounting profession.”
College of Business Administration Hosts Eighth Annual TSCPA Accounting Academy
Acree and Ward Serve as National Science Foundation Mathematics Reviewers
Dr. Glenn Acree, professor in the department of mathematics and computer science, and Barbara Ward, assistant professor in mathematics and computer science, recently served on panels to review mathematics and statistics research proposals for the National Science Foundation. The review panels met July 13-14 in Arlington, Va. The grant applications were for the Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program which seeks to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for all undergraduate students.
Jordan-Lake’s Novel Wins 2009 Christy Award
Author and adjunct professor Joy Jordan-Lake recently received the 2009 Christy Award for excellence in Christian Fiction. The award was presented on July 11 at the tenth annual Christy Awards presentation in Denver, Colo. Jordan-Lake’s Blue Hole Back Home took home top honors in the First Novel category. It was also recently selected by Baylor University as the Common Book 2009, which will be read by more than 4,000 incoming freshmen. Each year The Christy Award invites publishers to submit novels written from a Christian worldview and copyrighted in the year preceding the awards. The novels are then read and evaluated against a 10-point criteria by a panel of seven judges composed of librarians, reviewers, academicians, literary critics and other qualified readers, none of whom have a direct affiliation with a publishing company.
Admissions Nominated for Excellence Awards
Belmont University’s Office of Admissions was nominated for Excellence Awards in the Activity in Users’ Community and Product Expertise categories at the recent Connect University 2009 conference in Boston. Connect U, the EMT Users’ Conference, brings together higher education experts from across the globe for four days of training, networking and sharing of best practices in admissions and enrollment management.
40/40 Class Returns to Nashville After 9,300 Mile Journey
After a 9,300 mile journey through 40 states, Belmont’s “40 States in 40 Days: Rediscovering America” class returned to Nashville late Wednesday evening. Despite skipping the last city on the tour, Montgomery, Ala., due to a mechanical failure on their bus, the ten students along with traveling faculty members Ken Spring and Andi Stepnick arrived home with new perspective on their country and culture.
Junior Jenni Kilen blogged earlier this week, “Either CNN has done a total revamp, or I really have changed a lot over the past 37 days. As Emily, Shirah and I sat down to the glorious cheap salad bar in the grocery store we are parked near, I found myself absorbed in the T.V. Instead of tuning out information that was either too depressing or didn’t seem relevant in my life, CNN was more like a collage of stories that weaved gracefully into my thought process these last six weeks… I don’t think travel is necessary for these kinds of discoveries, but I am thankful to have had the privilege to have my eyes opened.”
The class continued to receive media coverage throughout its journey, including an article in the July 17 Chronicle of Higher Education Daily Report. Click here
to read “What It Means to Be an American (Hint: It Involves Freeway Travel).”
Kiningham to Be Published in Journal
Dr. Kelley Kiningham, associate professor in the School of Pharmacy, was recently informed that an article she co-authored titled “Progestin Stimulation of Manganese Superoxide Dismutase and Invasive Properties in T47D Human Breast Cancer Cells” has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Cusic Signs Books at Cowboy Hall of Fame
Music Business Professor Dr. Don Cusic was at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City recently to sign copies of his latest book, The Trials of Henry Flipper, First Black Graduate of West Point. Cusic’s biography of Flipper, who was court martialed in 1881 in one of the most controversial courts martial in history, looks beyond that event and chronicles a young black man who was born a slave, lived through the Civil War and died as World War II began in Europe.
Rives Competes at Track and Field Championships
Lynette Rives wrapped up her stellar collegiate career in June at the 2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, becoming the first Belmont athlete, male or female, to compete at the elite meet in program history. As was the case throughout the postseason, the Clarksville, Tenn., native was seeded in the fourth and final heat of the 200m. Among the sprinters she competed against in her heat were Olympic medalist Allyson Felix and bronze medalist at the 2007 World Championships Carmelita Jeter. Rives went on to finish 20th overall with a time of 23.71 (3.4) in the staggeringly deep and accomplished field. Click here for more on this story.
40/40 Trip Receives Press Coverage in Philadelphia
Drs. Ken Spring and Andi Stepnick (Sociology) and 10 students are finishing up their 9,300+ mile trip across the country for the “40/40: Rediscovering America” trip, a first-of-its-kind, study-at-home journey in which the class sought answers on what it means to be an American. Earlier this week, the class was profiled in an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Click here to read the piece.
The group arrived in Washington, D.C. on Thursday with just four cities remaining: Williamsburg, Va.; Charleston, S.C.; St. Augustine, Fla. and Montgomery, Ala. Click here to read student blogs and see photos of their journey.
Sturgis, Students Contribute to Book
Dr. Amy Sturgis, adjunct professor in the University College’s liberal studies program, is publishing a book next month that she co-edited titled The Intersection of Fantasy and Native America: From H.P. Lovecraft to Leslie Marmon Silko. The book features a collection of essays by an international, interdisciplinary and multi-ethnic group of scholars, most of whom are seasoned professors. However, a few students also contributed to the book, University College graduate Grace Monk and current liberal studies major Tripper Ryder, who represented the only undergraduate contributor. Click here to read more about the book.
