Dean Raines named ‘Most Supportive Dean of the Year’ nationally
Following a fourth consecutive year as regional champions, the Belmont University Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team competed this week at the SIFE USA National Exposition in Philadelphia, finishing as the first runner up in their semi-final league. This placement translates to the Belmont SIFE team being among the Top Eight teams among the 370 total SIFE teams in the country. SIFE is an international organization that mobilizes students around the world to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders.
In addition, Dr. J. Patrick Raines, dean of the College of Business Administration at Belmont University, received SIFE’s “Most Supportive Dean of the Year” award. Katie Ragsdale, a member of the Belmont SIFE team and entrepreneurship major, was called to the stage to make the presentation to Dean Raines. The Belmont team was also selected as a finalist for the 2009 SIFE USA Topic Competition for six of their projects and landed a trophy as first runner up in the Program Sustainability area.
Dr. John Gonas, assistant professor of finance and the 2008 Tennessee Professor of the Year, serves as a Sam Walton Fellow responsible for advising Belmont’s SIFE students. Adjunct instructor Cate Loes and Assistant Professor Jason Stahl also serve the team as Sam Walton Fellows. Stahl noted, “SIFE is such a great way to combine service with knowledge. Our students exemplify what a good education mixed with an earnest desire to help others can achieve. The projects at the national SIFE competition are top notch. It’s truly an honor to be ranked so highly amongst the best SIFE programs in the nation.”
Dean Raines added, “The depth and impact of the projects this SIFE team has undertaken are truly remarkable. Our Sam Walton Fellows did a fantastic job coordinating all of the projects and working with the students. Every student did a fantastic job completing the projects and presenting their results. They received excellent comments from the business executives judging the competition.”
Dr. Gonas remarked, “We certainly appreciate the awards we have received, yet are humbled to have been blessed with so many opportunities to take what we’re teaching and learning in the classroom and make sustainable, life changing impacts in our community. In our four years of existence Dean Raines has been there every step of the way. He has yet to miss a final rehearsal or any of the eight SIFE Regional and National Expositions. Our students truly enjoy his friendship and advice, and his award reflects their appreciation for all of his support and encouragement.”
SIFE Team Finishes in Top Eight at National Competition
Staff Attend National Graduate Admissions Conference in New York City
Lucy Baltimore, program assistant with the School of Physical Therapy, and Kayla Lyftogt, admissions assistant with the School of Occupational Therapy and School of Physical Therapy, recently attended the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP) conference in New York City. NAGAP is the only professional organization devoted exclusively to the concerns of individuals working in the graduate admissions and recruitment environment. Membership in NAGAP provides an opportunity to network with professional colleagues at all sizes and types of institutions. NAGAP’s educational offerings also provide an opportunity for members to share their knowledge and experience with their fellow graduate professionals throughout the year. It was Baltimore’s seventh NAGAP conference, but first time to visit New York City and Lyftogt’s first NAGAP conference.
Belmont Announces 2009 Summer Camp Schedule
Every summer Belmont University hosts many options for school-aged children to attend summer camps. This summer, camps are being offered for a wide variety of ages, interests, skill and talents. Several camps include direct contact information below, but interested parties can also view more information about individual camps and their costs by visiting Belmont’s Summer Camp Web page at www.belmont.edu/promo/summercamps.
Belmont Girls Team Basketball Camp
Senior and junior varsity high school girl teams are invited to apply for this camp. Campers can stay overnight or attend as day campers.
June 4- June 6
Belmont Boys Basketball Camp
The camp specializes in individual instruction and competitive league games for boys aged 7-17.
June 8- June 12
Beetles, Bugs & Butterflies
An introduction to the biology of insects and other arthropods, the courses at this day camp for school-aged children will explore how insects live, where they can be found and the potential benefit or harm they represent.
Session 1: June 15-19, Children entering grades 1-3
Session 2: June 22-26, Children entering grades 1-3
Session 3: July 20-24, Children entering grades 4-6
For more information, contact Dr. Steven Murphree at 615-460-6431
ATO Raises $14,500 With Golf Classic
The Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity held its Second Annual ATO Charity Golf Classic on April 18 at the Hermitage Golf Course. The tournament benefited Blood:Water Mission, which is a local charity dedicated to providing clean water and preventing HIV/AIDS in Africa. This year the brothers were able to donate $14,500 to the worthy cause. Through the chapter’s efforts last year, ATO raised enough money to build two new water wells that will provide clean water where there was none before. ATO hopes to build another two wells with the money raised this year. For more information on Blood:Water Mission, visit www.bloodwatermission.com . Donations are still being accepted; send a check to ATO Charity Golf Classic, Alpha Tau Omega, P.O. Box 120742, Nashville, TN 37212.
Howell Recognized as All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete
The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) recently awarded Belmont track and field athlete Tyler Howell with its annual All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year award. This award, which recognizes dedication to strength training and conditioning, was given to 207 collegiate athletes from 116 schools from across the nation. Howell was nominated for the award by Belmont Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Josh McMillian.
“Tyler was a walk-on to the Belmont track and field program as a freshman,” said McMillian. “He has never missed a day in the weight room and not only increased his strength over the past three years, but has also changed his body and become more of an athlete.”
Howell, a senior from Signal Mountain, Tennessee, is a four-year letterwinner as a thrower, competing in the shot put and hammer. During the 2009 indoor and outdoor seasons, he has 11 top-10 finishes, including two top-five finishes in the weight throw at the last two Atlantic Sun Conference Indoor Championships.
Goss Named Drummer for Jars of Clay
Graduating senior Jake Goss was recently named the new drummer for local band Jars of Clay. The band is currently on tour in support of its latest album, The Long Fall Back to Earth.
PT Faculty Awarded by Susan G. Komen Foundation
Belmont Physical Therapy faculty Renee Brown, PT, PhD, worked with two Vanderbilt faculty members on a project which was awarded $75,000 from the Susan G Komen Foundation, Greater Nashville. The project is titled “Transitioning from cancer patient to survivor: physical and functional considerations after breast cancer for primary care providers and survivors.” This project will focus on educating primary care providers about long term physical and functional problems after breast cancer as well as providing them with education materials to provide their patients.
PT Students Develop Festival for Disabled Children
Belmont Physical Therapy students recently developed and implemented a sports festival for children with disabilities. Students worked with “Empower Me” Day Camp to put on an afternoon of fun games and sporting activities for school-age children. Empower Me provides summer day camps, social and recreational activities throughout the school year for children with disabilities. The Physical Therapy students planned several fun activities that each had a specific therapeutic purpose. Activities included obstacle courses, parachute games, face painting and crafts, sensory-based activities and other childhood games adapted for children with disabilities.
Senior Business Students Achieve Top Ranking on National Exam
Belmont’s College of Business Administration announced that many of its graduating seniors scored at or above the top 10 percent level on the Major Field Test in Business, an exam produced by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) of Princeton, N.J. The ETS exam has been administered to almost 85,000 students at 564 undergraduate business programs across the U.S.
“Many of our students are now demonstrating that they can score very well when compared to their peers at other U.S. business schools” said Susan Taylor, associate dean of the College of Business Administration. “Their performance is a direct reflection of our focus on delivering a high-quality program and the individual attention our students receive from our highly-qualified faculty.”
Belmont Recognizes Scholar Athletes at Year-End Reception
Belmont University’s scholar-athletes were honored Monday in a special ceremony in the Maddox Grand Atrium, as numerous administrative officials remarked on Belmont athletes’ academic achievements and strong character. Dr. John Gonas, who won the 2008 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Faculty Academic Inspiration Award, noted his pride in Belmont athletes in three distinct areas: balance, conduct and humility, and community involvement.
“I have three boys who are 9, 7 and 4 1/2 who love sports just about more than anything else, and my boys look up to you more than professional athletes,” Gonas said, remarking how one son had chosen his team number based on his favorite player at Belmont. “Thank you for being examples on the court, in the field, in the classroom and in the community.”
For the first time this year, four co-winners were announced for the President’s Scholar Athletes of the Year awards, marking the strength of this year’s field of candidates. Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher ultimately doubled the traditional number of recipients, honoring volleyball’s Cat Mundy, women’s golfer Lorie Warren, men’s basketball’s Andy Wicke and cross country/track & field athlete Kipkosgei Magut.
Click the “more” link below for a complete list of award winners.
