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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Belmont Business Faculty Publish Papers in Review of Black Political Economy

Haley Charlton
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Belmont Business Faculty Publish Papers in Review of Black Political Economy

Two economics faculty in the Jack C. Massey College of Business — Dr. Colin Cannonier and Dr. Luke Petach — recently published papers in The Review of Black Political Economy. The published articles are part of a special volume, “Criminal Justice Reform: 2020 and Beyond,” which is intended to provide readers with a fascinating set of papers, but also to serve as a great way to commemorate the death of George Floyd and other events of the past summer.

In the paper titled “The Impact of a Reentry and Aftercare Program on Recidivism,” Cannonier and co-authors (which include a Belmont student) explore the impact of a reentry and aftercare service program on the likelihood of returning to prison by ex-offenders in Tennessee. Using administrative data within a difference-in-differences design, they find that this social program is associated with a reduction in recidivism rates. Benchmark estimates show that the program was associated with estimated reductions in the probability of recidivating of 6.0 to 8.7 percentage points or the equivalent of effect of 15.8-19.2 percent. The program helped to reduce recidivism among Whites but not Blacks; older participants were the main beneficiaries while the effectiveness of the program was observed among older participants. Back-of-the-envelope cost-savings analysis is incorporated to estimate the potential savings to the state arising from the reduction in recidivism rates likely attributable to the program. The results offer some implications for the role of faith-based social programs within the context of criminal justice reform to combat reentry of former inmates. They also provide a cautionary tale about the need to evaluate programs not just based on their overall effect.

In the paper “Local Labor Market Inequality in the Age of Mass Incarceration,” Petach and co-author contend that the rise of mass incarceration in the United States can be framed through  the  lens  of  stratification  economics,  which  views  race-  and  class-based discrimination as a rational attempt on behalf of privileged groups to preserve their relative status and the material benefits which that status confers. The authors are the first use local-level data set on incarceration rates by race to explore the relationship between income inequality, poverty, and incarceration at the commuting zone level from 1950 to the present. Consistent with Michelle Alexander’s hypothesis that expansion of the penal system and the rise of “tough on crime” policy were efforts by privileged groups to drive a wedge into working-class political coalitions formed out of the Civil Rights Movement, they find that labor markets with greater inequality experienced larger increases in the overall incarceration rate. They also find that relative rates of poverty play a key role in explaining differential effects of mass incarceration across race. Areas where White poverty rates were large relative to non-White poverty rates experienced no significant change in White incarceration, but an expansion of non-White incarceration. These findings have implications for policies related to economic and judicial systems.

The Review of Black Political Economy — peer-reviewed and published quarterly — is the leading outlet for research that examines issues related to the economic status of African-Americans and the African diaspora throughout the world. The journal promotes scholarship on economic inequality and provides a viable forum where scholars can express their views on matters of public policy relevant to the economic well-being of marginalized populations.

McGuire Presents Research at CPNP Annual Meeting

Haley Charlton
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McGuire Presents Research at CPNP Annual Meeting

J. Michael McGuire, PharmD, BCPP, associate professor of pharmacy at Belmont, recently presented a poster with several faculty from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy at the annual meeting of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP).

The poster, titled “Consumer Perception, Knowledge and Uses of Cannabidiol,” reported on findings from an anonymous, nationwide online survey administered through Qualtrics that consisted of sections about demographics, safety of CBD use, use of resources for CBD information and perception of CBD. Funding for the study was provided by the Belmont College of Pharmacy Departmental Fund and the University of Kansas General Research Fund.

The team found that a large portion of people are using CBD for psychiatric and neurologic conditions. The investigators noted that a high percentage of respondents reported significant adverse events with CBD products, but further analysis of data needs to be conducted.

Arnold Selected for Emerging CUPA-HR Leaders Program

Haley Charlton
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Arnold Selected for Emerging CUPA-HR Leaders Program

Meg Arnold, director of organizational development at Belmont, is one of six College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) members who have been selected to participate in the 2021-22 Emerging CUPA-HR Leaders program.

The year-long program recognizes volunteer leaders from across the country who have demonstrated exemplary leadership and initiative within higher-ed HR and desire to play an active role in advancing the profession. The unique opportunity provides peer interaction and connection with CUPA-HR leaders as an integral part of the cohort’s learning experience. Participants engage in problem-solving work groups and develop deep networks with peers while gaining an inside look at CUPA-HR’s operations and structure.

Emerging CUPA-HR leaders are identified and nominated by CUPA-HR leadership at the region and national levels, and are selected based on their knowledge, leadership skills, engagement with CUPA-HR and demonstrated willingness to advance higher-ed HR.

Emerging CUPA-HR Leaders program facilitators include Leanne Fuller, director of human resource services at Auburn University; Theresa Elliot-Cheslek, vice president and chief human resource officer at Washington State University; and Julie Boggs, director of member marketing and engagement at CUPA-HR.

“We are excited to welcome this year’s Emerging CUPA-HR Leaders cohort,” says CUPA-HR President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Brantley. “These individuals bring a wealth of leadership experiences to CUPA-HR and to the profession, and we’re so fortunate to have them in the program this year.”

The 2021-22 Emerging CUPA-HR Leader cohort will serve until June 30, 2022.

Belmont Pharmacy Students Find Patterns in COVID-19 Data using Amazon and Microsoft Analytics Tools

Haley Charlton
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Belmont Pharmacy Students Find Patterns in COVID-19 Data using Amazon and Microsoft Analytics Tools

Belmont College of Pharmacy Healthcare Informatics team members April Pepper, Phuong Truong and Karen Le have recently become database analysts using Amazon Relational Database Services (RDS) and Microsoft Corporation’s Structured Query Language (SQL).

The team’s analytics work focused on COVID-19-related data which was obtained from Data.Gov, the home of the U.S. Government’s open data. Under the OPEN Government Data Act, government data is required to be made available in open, machine-readable formats, while continuing to ensure privacy and security. The Big Data tools from Amazon and Microsoft make it possible to analyze and manipulate the large data repositories stored there.

Le analyzed COVID-19 Provider Relief Funds, Pepper compared COVID-19 deaths to the total of all deaths (by county and state) and Truong analyzed COVID-19’s impact on mental health in the U.S.

“The students’ findings may be used to further research at a later date,” said Dr. Anthony Blash, the team’s professor. “But our primary goal was to develop the skills necessary to effectively ask questions of large clinical datasets. Our team was very successful in that regard.”

The Healthcare Informatics team at Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy collaborates with interested organizations to provide competent graduate student healthcare informaticians. Collaborating is of no cost to the partnering organization and can help to advance the organization’s healthcare informatics initiatives currently underway or in the planning phase. This collaboration also benefits the Learning Health System as companies work with future pharmacists on projects that identify new or expanded healthcare informatics services in the pharmacy profession. To find out more about partnering with the student healthcare informatics teams at the College of Pharmacy at Belmont, please contact Dr. Blash at Anthony.Blash@belmont.edu

Belmont Physical Therapy Students Serve the Community by Building a Wheelchair Ramp for Someone in Need

Haley Charlton
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Belmont Physical Therapy Students Serve the Community by Building a Wheelchair Ramp for Someone in Need

In April, second-year students in the Belmont Doctor of Physical Therapy program volunteered to construct a wheelchair accessible ramp on the home of a community member in need who uses a power wheelchair. The previous ramp was not built to ADA-compliant regulations and was too steep and slippery when wet, creating a hazard when leaving the home. The students performed well under pressure and completed the project quickly during the community member’s doctor appointment so as not to be an inconvenience.

The ramp build is an annual project between second-year DPT students and United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee. This year’s ramp build was coordinated by Dr. Cathey Norton, assistant professor in the School of Physical Therapy at Belmont. During the course of the project, 21 students with a range of talents and experience came together to run power saws and nail guns to complete the ramp in five hours, with careful monitoring from Professor Dr. Renee Brown.

Due to the rapid shift to remote learning last spring, this project became a casualty of the pandemic. This was a welcome opportunity to get back out and serve the community.

New Worship Leadership Scholarship Endowment to Honor Belmont Board Chair Marty Dickens

April Hefner
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New Worship Leadership Scholarship Endowment to Honor Belmont Board Chair Marty Dickens

Belmont University announced today the establishment of the Marty Dickens Scholarship Endowment for Worship Leadership to support students in the program within the University’s College of Theology and Christian Ministry. The $250,000 fund will provide scholarships for aspiring church worship leaders while also honoring Dickens’ longtime service as chair of Belmont’s Board of Trustees.

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “I’ve often said that one of the top reasons I have stayed so long at Belmont has been because of the extraordinary support I’ve received from our Board of Trustees, and Marty Dickens has led the way as our chairman. The commitment he and Betty have shown to Belmont students and this institution at large has enabled us to accomplish so much more than we could have ever dreamed. Most of all, he has kept us focused on our Christian mission and modeled Christ’s love and service to our community.” 

Dickens, who has led Belmont’s Board since 2005, noted, “Thank you Belmont for this underserved, incredible honor of a scholarship being endowed in my name. The fact that this scholarship will support students engaged in the Worship Leadership program makes it all the more special. One of the many joys of being associated with Belmont is how this university family strives to live out its Christian mission every single day. This wonderful scholarship is just one more example of that commitment. God blessed my life by providing me the opportunity to be a small part of the Belmont journey for the last 21 years. Being on that journey with Bob Fisher has been more like being on a rocket ride always taking us to greater and farther reaching accomplishments. Thank you for everything. Belmont… from here to anywhere!”

Throughout his tenure as chair of Belmont’s Board of Trustees, the University has experienced remarkable growth in campus facilities and enrollment while also raising its national profile through the addition of new colleges in law, pharmacy and medicine and the hosting of two presidential debates, among other achievements. Dickens is stepping down from his role as Board chair in conjunction with Dr. Fisher’s May 31 retirement. In addition to the scholarship endowment, Dickens and his wife Betty were previously recognized by the University with the naming of a 300-bed residence hall for upperclassmen in their honor, Dickens Hall, which opened in 2012. 

A 2013 Nashvillian of the Year, Dickens is the former president of BellSouth/AT&T Tennessee. He serves as chair of the Convention Center Authority and helped spearhead the construction of the Music City Center. He has also served on the boards of a number of charitable and community organizations including the Boy Scouts, Adventure Science Center, YMCA of Middle Tennessee, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Nashville Symphony.

Retired HCA Chairman and CEO Milton Johnson, who will be taking the helm of Belmont’s Board June 1, added, “Marty Dickens has provided extraordinary leadership in our city for decades, and his work as chair of Belmont’s Board of Trustees for the past 15+ years has enabled this University to achieve previously unimagined heights. His leadership, and his support of Bob Fisher’s vision, has propelled Belmont into a nationally recognized institution and empowered countless students to receive a transformational education. Future students in the Worship Leadership program will benefit not only from the financial support of this endowment but also from the powerful Christian example set by its namesake.” 

In addition to completing required courses in theology, spiritual formation and Christian ethics, students majoring in Worship Leadership at Belmont participate in classes that explore the theology and arts of worship. Students can choose from one of five concentrations: audio engineering, theatre, design communication, music and video production. 

Belmont’s New College of Medicine to Be Named in Honor of HCA Healthcare Co-Founder Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr.

April Hefner
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Belmont’s New College of Medicine to Be Named in Honor of HCA Healthcare Co-Founder Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr.

Belmont University announced today that its new College of Medicine, first announced last October, will be named in honor of health care icon Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr., co-founder of HCA Healthcare. In addition to its name, the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University enjoys strong ties with HCA Healthcare, whose Nashville-based TriStar Health will provide residencies and clinical rotations for students of the college. 

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “We have exceedingly high aspirations for this new College of Medicine. We know that we will have to earn a world-class reputation over time, but we intend to deliver a world-class learning environment beginning on day one with outstanding faculty, staff, students, physical resources and clinical experiences. It’s been said that a good name is more valuable than anything else, and the name ‘Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine’ signals our determination to create an innovative, entrepreneurial approach to compassionate, patient-centered care that will settle for nothing less than the very best. We are deeply honored by the trust that Dr. Frist has shown in us by linking his name with our College of Medicine, and we are committed to build on the legacy of Dr. Frist and his fellow HCA Healthcare co-founders Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Sr. and Mr. Jack Massey.” 

Dr. Frist added, “Belmont has a history of building programs that are exceptional. I know with the leadership at the University, we have the potential to build a school that produces physicians with the same heart for service that guided my own career – not just for Nashville but also for a nation that desperately needs more practicing physicians.” 

In addition to being a leading healthcare provider, HCA Healthcare also is the leading provider of Graduate Medical Education (GME) in the country. The health system is the largest sponsor of GME programs, with more than 5,100 residents and fellows in 304 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited programs, and its affiliates currently include 61 teaching hospitals. HCA Healthcare’s flagship, TriStar Health, will provide Frist College of Medicine students vital learning experiences: core clinical clerkships for third year students and clinical elective rotations for fourth year students. HCA Healthcare also will provide a pathway to outstanding post-graduate medical education opportunities and will support existing members of the medical staff who may be interested in faculty positions.

HCA Healthcare CEO Sam Hazen said, “I have looked up to Dr. Frist throughout my 38-year career with HCA Healthcare. Not only is he a thoughtful businessman with immense knowledge and expertise, but he has remarkable compassion for others and leads by example. I am proud that his legacy will live on in the Frist College of Medicine. This is an exciting moment for Nashville, future medical students and our entire HCA Healthcare family.” 

The Frist College of Medicine is built on a strong history of connections between Belmont and HCA Healthcare, one that traces back to another of the company’s co-founders Jack Massey, a staunch Belmont supporter and the namesake of the Jack C. Massey College of Business. Since those early years, the organizations have worked together on a number of initiatives, including the Partners in Nursing Consortium to address a nursing shortage in Tennessee. HCA Healthcare also worked with the University as the local health advisor for the Oct. 22, 2020 Presidential Debate at Belmont.

Marty Dickens, current chair of Belmont’s Board of Trustees, noted, “Belmont’s new College of Medicine and the collaboration with HCA Healthcare represent a longtime dream of Dr. Fisher’s coming true. Now to have the honor of naming the new college after Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr. is truly a reach to the stars. The mission and values of healing and caring instituted by Tommy and his father, along with Jack Massey, when they founded HCA Healthcare are at the core of the culture of the organization. They also fit perfectly with the mission and values of Belmont University to help students engage and transform the world with disciplined intelligence, compassion, courage and faith. From this time forward when people see or hear about the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine, they will immediately know that this place is training doctors who are committed to the care and improvement of human life. This is truly another great day in the life of Belmont University.” 

Milton Johnson—retired chairman/CEO of HCA Healthcare, a Belmont alumnus and the incoming chair of Belmont’s Board of Trustees—added, “Tommy Frist was a mentor to me during my time at HCA Healthcare, and I witnessed firsthand how his character shaped the company’s culture. He led by example, demonstrating honesty, integrity and fairness in how he conducted business along with treating everyone he encountered with dignity. Having his name on Belmont’s new College of Medicine signals the intent to instill those same qualities in tomorrow’s health care professionals while giving them an exemplary model to emulate.” 

A Nashville native, Dr. Thomas “Tommy” Frist, Jr. is a graduate of Nashville’s Montgomery Bell Academy and Vanderbilt University. In 1965, he graduated from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and then returned to Vanderbilt University for his surgical residency, which was interrupted by a two-year term as a flight surgeon at Robins Air Force Base (GA) during the Vietnam War. 

While in the military, Dr. Frist had an idea for a company that would bring hospitals together to share resources. In 1968, Dr. Frist, his father Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Sr. and Jack C. Massey formed Hospital Corporation of America (now HCA Healthcare). As one of the nation’s first investor-owned hospital companies, HCA Healthcare modernized the way health care was delivered in the United States while keeping patient care and safety first. Dr. Frist served HCA Healthcare in various leadership roles including President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. He remained on the Board of Directors of HCA Healthcare until 2009 and currently serves as Chairman Emeritus.

An active philanthropist and civic volunteer, Dr. Frist served as Chair of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, founded the United Way Tocqueville Society, and is the recipient of a number of awards including United Way’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” and the Nashville Business Journal’s “Best in Business Lifetime Achievement Award,” as well as being selected for induction in the inaugural class of the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame. He is the founder of The Frist Foundation, a Nashville grantmaker that has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to Nashville nonprofit organizations over the last thirty years.

About HCA Healthcare
Nashville-based HCA Healthcare is one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services, comprising 186 hospitals and approximately 2,000 ambulatory sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, and physician clinics, in 20 states and the United Kingdom. With its founding in 1968, HCA Healthcare created a new model for hospital care in the United States, using combined resources to strengthen hospitals, deliver patient-focused care and improve the practice of medicine. HCA Healthcare has conducted a number of clinical studies, including one that demonstrated that full-term delivery is healthier than early elective delivery of babies and another that identified a clinical protocol that can reduce bloodstream infections in ICU patients by 44 percent. HCA Healthcare is a learning health system that uses its more than 32 million annual patient encounters to advance science, improve patient care and save lives. Please click here to connect with HCA Healthcare on social media.

Alumnus Andy Harding Presents ‘Arrokoth’ Solo Art Exhbition at Tinney Contemporary This Month

Haley Charlton
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Alumnus Andy Harding Presents ‘Arrokoth’ Solo Art Exhbition at Tinney Contemporary This Month

Curiosity about matter led Belmont alumnus Andy Harding to study chemistry and physics in college and obtain his degree in science, but he soon began searching for ways to explore these interests through art and the alchemy of object-making. Now a well-respected practicing artist and sculptor in the Nashville art community, Harding recently opened an exhibition called “Arrokoth” that runs through May 29 at Tinney Contemporary, a downtown art gallery.

In the years following his graduation, Harding’s visual and conceptual identity evolved as an artist-in-residence at the historic Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville. His work was exhibited in Belmont’s Leu Art Gallery in 2015, and in 2016, he was invited to join 12 other art professionals from around the U.S. to study contemporary art in China. Harding’s work has been exhibited nationally and can be found in numerous private and corporate collections throughout the United States. He is currently represented by Tinney Contemporary in Nashville, TN.                                        

“Arrokoth,” the Powhatan word for “sky,” is the name given to the most distant and primitive object ever explored by a spacecraft. For thousands of years, human beings have trained their gaze toward the heavens: for purposes of navigation, scientific discovery, or as vessels for stories and myths. This body of work embodies that tradition—inspired by Harding’s own fascination with the cosmos and the origins of matter. Though celestial objects are alien to us, they contain the same elements that make up our own planet and all the rocks, trees and living things therein.

“Arrokoth” is a meditation on the vastness of the cosmos and the myriad contradictions within while highlighting the essentially alien nature of our own familiar world. The installation consists of sculptural objects of varying sizes reshaped from fallen trees into alien artifacts, resting on metal stands that evoke landing gear. Large-scale prints and video further the world-building element of the work by providing a glimpse into the supposed origin of the objects, floating in the abyss of space. The result is an eerie encounter with a cosmic other, an engagement with mythologies old and new.

There will be an open reception of the solo exhibition on May 1, and Harding will present an artist talk on May 20 at 6 p.m. Visit tinneycontemporary.com for more information.

Curb College Continues Excellent Programming During Pandemic Year

Haley Charlton
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Curb College Continues Excellent Programming During Pandemic Year

Faced with a season unlike any other, one where in-person events were no longer feasible, the Curb College student enrichment and career development team decided to address the challenge head on during the 2020-2021 academic year. “What does this season make possible?” was the guiding question for Senior Career Development Specialist Nina Woodard, Career Development Specialist Caroline Rupard and Coordinator of Student Enrichment Jenny Lokey. With a goal of maintaining as much of the Belmont experience as possible, they set out to continue providing excellent Curb College programming.

Starting in the summer of 2020 when it became evident that internship and job opportunities were hindered due to the pandemic, Rupard and Lokey jumped into high gear and created a virtual mentorship program. The program gave May graduates and Curb College students who would typically be interning the opportunity to connect with industry professionals in a virtual group setting. The summer iteration featured 110 student mentees and 23 industry mentors and received positive feedback.

One student who participated shared, “This program was truly one of the highlights of my summer. With everything being shut down and me having to move back home where there are no opportunities related to my career path, I was extremely disappointed and discouraged. I learned so much about both artist management and live events through this program, which are the two parts of the industry that I am most passionate about. In addition to teaching me a lot of valuable things about the music industry, this also helped me to become more comfortable networking virtually, which was difficult for me at first.”

Because of the positive feedback and COVID’s continued impact on internship opportunities, the program was held again in the fall and engaged 117 student mentees and 28 industry mentors.

Throughout the rest of the year, Woodard, Rupard and Lokey hosted or helped coordinate more than 30 virtual events with more than 80 industry professionals. The format of each event varied from panel-style seminars, small-group “Coffee Hours” and large networking mixers. Because all events took place online, they were also able to involve partners from Los Angeles, New York City and other parts of the country.

“We’re so grateful for all of our incredible industry partners who continued to engage and invest in our students throughout the year,” Lokey shared. “Not only did they provide great career advice and professional wisdom, but they also offered encouragement that pursuing a career in entertainment is still absolutely doable, even if it looks a little different right now because of the pandemic.”

While the team is excited to hopefully return to in-person events soon, this season revealed that even in strange circumstances through teamwork, creativity and flexibility, there are still ways to connect students to the industry and equip their ongoing career exploration process.

WalletHub Features Belmont Professor Cornwall on Advice for Entrepreneurs

Haley Charlton
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WalletHub Features Belmont Professor Cornwall on Advice for Entrepreneurs

Belmont Professor of Entrepreneurship Dr. Jeffrey Cornwall was recently featured in the WalletHub article “Best Cities to Start a Business” as the company wanted to consult with entrepreneurship experts to share their thoughts on several startup-related questions.

Cornwall shared his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, with his first note being to understand the interdependence of their business finances and their personal finances. “Accurate financial forecasts of the business will help determine how much personal funding is necessary until the business can consistently generate income for the entrepreneur,” he explained. “The entrepreneur must truly understand the market need being addressed and have a marketing plan that will ensure that customers will be attracted to the new business.”

He also advised finding a market with a need and coming up with a solution rather than seeking out a market for a cool idea they came up with. He said, “The truth about predicting the ‘next big thing’ is that we never really know what it will be until it has happened. Then those who were lucky enough to make the right guess look like visionaries!”

To read more on Cornwall’s insight and his feature related to the best cities to start a business, visit WalletHub. 

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