This summer Dr. Joan Lind, assistant professor of Mathematics, attended a one-day workshop with Project NExT and led a break-out session titled “Continuing a research program in analysis.” This concluded her year as a project NExT fellow. Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching) is a professional development program for new or recent Ph.D.s in the mathematical sciences. It addresses all aspects of an academic career: improving the teaching and learning of mathematics, engaging in research and scholarship, and participating in professional activities. It also provides the participants with a network of peers and mentors as they assume these responsibilities.
Dr. Lind also attended a Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics (CURM) workshop in Provo, Utah Aug. 10-12. CURM is the first and only center devoted to undergraduate research in mathematics. Approximately 15 mathematics faculty members from across the county were awarded CURM mini-grants to pursue undergraduate research projects during the coming academic year. As one of the recipients of the award, Dr. Lind attended the workshop where they discussed successful approaches to involving undergraduates in math research.
Lind Attends Math Teaching, Research Conferences
Tennis Team, Individuals Honored with ITA National Academic Awards
The academic achievement of the Belmont men’s tennis team along with eight Belmont student-athletes were honored by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as it announced its Academic Awards for the 2007-2008 school year.
The Belmont’s men tennis team was named an ITA All-Academic team. To be chosen for this honor, a squad must have a cumulative team grade point average (GPA) of 3.20 or above (on a 4.00 scale) and all team members must have competed in at least one match during the 2006-2007 season. The Belmont men’s team, who finished with a team GPA of 3.44, was one of 41 teams honored in Division I and the only Atlantic Sun Conference squad among the list of schools.
In addition, eight Belmont tennis players earned the ITA’s Scholar-Athlete Award. To earn the Scholar-Athlete Award, a player must be a varsity letter winner, have a GPA of 3.50 and been enrolled at the school for two semesters. Belmont’s five honorees from the men’s side were: Felipe Cirne Lima, Ignacio Gesto, Marshall Lipman, Brady Manifold and Fausto Rocha. The three honorees from the women’s team were: Linda Johansson, Kelly Pence, and Tatiana Pozo. Click here for more on this story.
Bennett Participating in Multiple National Conferences on Media
Dr. Sybril Bennett, director of Belmont’s New Century Journalism program, was selected to participate in the 2008 Disney/IRTS (International Radio Television Society) Digital Media Summit for faculty, which was held Aug. 5-7 in Burbank, California.
In addition, Bennett is leading the student newsroom for the Online News Association national conference to be held Sept. 11-13 in Washington, D.C., and she will be coordinating the National Association of Black Journalists Media Institute in partnership with the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute to be held in Nashville, Oct. 23-25. This summer, Dr. Bennett had an article published in the NABJ Journal about the importance of journalists learning multimedia skills.
Van Hatten-Granath’s Project Featured in Magazines
Teresa Van Hatten-Granath, associate professor in the Art Department, continues to receive media attention for her “Green Bag Lady ” project. Earlier this year Van Hatten-Granath started making fabric bags to use in place of plastic and set up a Web site to give the fabric bags away to anyone who promised to use them. Her goal was to inspire artists to think about the ecological impact of their art as well as to produce work that has a direct, positive impact on the environment. The project will be featured in the fall issue of Positively Green magazine as well as the Oct./Nov. issue of Plenty magazine. For more information, visit www.greenbaglady.org.
Sullivan to Present Keynote at Conference on Mental Illness
Dr. Bryce Sullivan, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, will be giving the keynote address at the “Erase the Stigma” conference on Aug. 22 in Belleville, Illinois. His talk, titled “Religion, Mental Health and Clinical Practice: Integrating Psychological Treatment with Religious Beliefs and Practice,” will present research and clinical information related to the integration of religion and psychological treatment, arguing that religion and spirituality can provide a strong supportive role in treatment and in overall mental health.
School of Nursing Selected as Site for Research Study
The School of Nursing has been selected as the site for a National League for Nursing/Laerdal/American Heart Association research study on different approaches to learning basic life support and advanced life support. The Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences and Nursing was one of nine colleges of nursing selected from a pool of 34. Under the coordination of Beth Hallmark, coordinator of simulation in the School of Nursing, the project will begin in January.
DeVries Earns National Award from Accounting Association
Assistant Professor of Accounting Dr. Delwyn “Del” DeVries is the single recipient of the “Information Systems Section 2008 Outstanding Service Award.” The announcement was made last week at the annual meeting of the American Accounting Association (AAA) in Anaheim, California. Dr. DeVries was recognized by the Information Systems section for Distinguished Service in Membership Services, 2005-08, based on his work in analyzing and promoting membership services at both the section and national association levels over the past four years.
DeVries has taught accounting at Belmont University since 2007, having previously taught in the College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He earned his Ph.D. in accounting, with an accounting information systems specialization, from Arizona State University. Prior to beginning his academic career, he served as manager-operational control for Citibank from 1989-94 and manager for Deloitte (formerly Deloitte Haskins & Sells) from 1982-89. He is a Certified Public Accountant, as well as a Certified Information Systems Auditor, and in addition to his many other service contributions, he also serves as a member of the audit sub-committee for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Foundation’s Board of Directors.
Hobson Speaks at Pharmacy Conference
Dr. Eric Hobson, professor of pharmacy practice and associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Pharmacy, was a featured speaker this week at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ 2008 National Residency Preceptors Conference in Washington, D.C. More than 300 of the conference’s 600+ attendees participated in his workshop, “Here we go again: Maintaining realistic expectations for new residents.”
Pinter, Stewart Present at Mathfest
At the Mathematical Association of America’s Mathfest in Madison, Wisconsin, July 30-August 2, Dr. Mike Pinter presented a talk titled “Viewing Mathematics as Human Endeavor” as part of the “Incorporating Humanities and the Arts into the Mathematics Classroom (and Vice Versa)” Contributed Paper Session. MathFest is the largest annual summer meeting of mathematicians in the United States. Dr. Pinter offered examples from several courses he teaches at Belmont, including Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning, Analytics and First-Year Seminar.
Also at Mathfest, Dr. Sarah Ann Stewart was invited to be a panel member for the session titled “How to Apply for Jobs.” She also co-organized a new workshop for graduate students. In the workshop, graduate students presented a 20-minute “job talk” aimed at undergraduates and then received feedback from experienced faculty members. Both sessions were well received, and Stewart has been asked to be a part of the two sessions again in the future.
Belmont Teams with CMT One Country for ‘Your Voice Your Choice’ Concert Event
Make a decision. Have it heard. Belmont University and CMT One Country will host the “Your Voice Your Choice” concert event at the Curb Event Center on Wed., Aug. 27, including free food, voter registration and outdoor performances beginning at 5 p.m. The community-wide event, encouraging voter registration in advance of the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate at Belmont University, will include performances by Eli Young Band and Randy Rogers Band along with a Student Battle of the Bands featuring acts from local universities.
Tickets, which are free to students with a college ID or $5 for the general public, go on sale today at the Curb Event Center box office on Belmont’s campus and all Ticketmaster outlets. In addition to the Curb box office, student tickets will also be distributed at the Sarratt box office at Vanderbilt University, the Office of Student Life & Diversity Initiatives at Volunteer State, at the Student Services office at Tennessee State and at the Student Life office at Nashville State Community College.
All proceeds from the event will benefit the local nonprofit partners of CMT One Country, the pro-social initiative of cable network CMT, which include Hands On Nashville, Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity, Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. In addition, students picking up tickets by Aug. 25 will be eligible to enter a sweepstakes offering front row tickets, meet and greet passes and other prizes. Additional details and rules are available at YOURVOICE.CMT.COM.
Belmont Associate Provost and Dean of Students Dr. Andrew Johnston said, “We’re convinced that Belmont’s opportunity to host the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate is also a Nashville opportunity. It presents a valuable and unusual opportunity for colleges and universities in Nashville to draw their students’ attention to the privilege and responsibilities of citizenship. The ‘Your Voice Your Choice’ event kicks-off Belmont’s year-long celebration of debate-related programming under the theme ‘the Art of Being Free,’ and it also marks the beginning of focused student voter registration campaigns and collaborative programming at educational institutions across the city.”
