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 College of Pharmacy Students Combine Artificial Intelligence and Personal Medicine

Belmont University College of Pharmacy third-year students Jacquese Reed, Raven McKinnie, Abel Alemeshet, Katarina Bielinski, Azmaan Lakhani and Ahmed Abogamiza took on the task of updating an Amazon Alexa skill for the Top 300 most prescribed drugs, in addition to incorporating recently approved drugs. Upon searching for a particular drug, a user will be given information for proper medication management. This includes storage information, administration techniques, common side effects and when to contact a primary care provider. Such a skill will revolutionize the way patients are able to receive information.

The first Alexa skill at hand was initially developed collectively by a previous informatics group at Belmont. The current informatics team was responsible for updating pertinent information for each medication in addition to creating a separate skill altogether.

“My Medicine Cabinet” is the Alexa skill that contains all of the previously mentioned information in relation to the top 300 most prescribed medications. The skill was updated to reflect current changes in prescribing practices. All of the information contained within the skill is pharmacist verified and available for retrieval upon request. This skill can be accessed at no charge either online or via the Alexa application.

“My Medicine Cabinet Part 2” is an additional Alexa skill that was created for the purpose of reflecting top recently approved medications. The FDA releases this information each year. Relevant data going back to 2015 was examined and incorporated into this skill.

Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy is a HIMSS Approved Education Partner and is the only pharmacy school with a healthcare informatics concentration leading to internationally recognized certification in healthcare informatics. This is often obtained prior to experiential rotations, residency inquiries and job searches begin. Collaboration with a number of organizations takes place and regional partners takes place during the school year.

Belmont’s Pharmacy informatics team collaborates with interested organizations to provide competent student and graduate healthcare informaticians with clinical knowledge as grad-student team members. It plans to expand its program to include residents and/or fellows. This collaboration would be of no cost to the partnering organization and could help advance Healthcare Informatics initiatives currently underway or in the planning phase. To find out more about this exciting opportunity, please contact Dr. Blash at Anthony.Blash@belmont.edu

Carter Serves on Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation Review Panel

Dr. Tracey Carter, associate professor of law and Belmont University College of Law’s director of academic success, recently served on the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation’s 2021 Nashville Regional Review Panel held virtually on Wednesday, March 17, 2021.

Carter, a1993 Truman Scholar herself, interviewed thirteen Truman Scholarship finalists from the states of Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee, along with the following Truman Scholars who also served on Nashville’s Regional Review Panel in this year’s selection process: David Cooley (Principal, Cooley Public Strategies); Rev. Jennifer Bailey (Founder and Executive Director, Faith Matters Network); Judge Travis McDonough (U.S. District Court Judge, Eastern District of Tennessee); Holly Peña (Co-Founder and Executive Search Consultant, Peña Search Consulting); Carol White (Associate Director of Operations, Tennessee Arts Commission, State of Tennessee); and Dr. Terry Babcock-Lumish (Executive Secretary, Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation).

There are currently more than 3,000 Truman Scholars, and the 2021 Class of Truman Scholars will be announced in April.

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation is the nation’s official living memorial to the thirty-third president and the presidential monument to public service. The Truman Scholarship is a highly competitive national scholarship and is considered “the premier graduate fellowship in the United States for those pursuing careers as public service leaders.” The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation awards merit-based scholarships to college students who plan to pursue careers in government or elsewhere in public service. Truman Scholars receive up to $30,000 for graduate or professional school, participate in leadership development activities and have special opportunities for internships and employment with the federal government.

For more information about the Truman Scholarship, visit https://www.truman.gov/.

Belmont Professor Bursch Receives 2021 APTA Hall of Fame Award

Gail Bursch, professor in Belmont’s School of Physical Therapy, was recently presented with the 2021 Hall of Fame Award from the American Physical Therapy Association of Tennessee. The award is granted to an APTA TN member who has a minimum of 25 years of continuous contribution to APTA TN as a clinician, educator, clinical educator or a combination of these roles. 

Previously, Bursch became a national trainer for the APTA Credentialed Client Instructor Program and has taught more than fifty clinical instructor credentialing courses. 

The recipient must also have a history of service to the APTA TN Board of Directors, contributions to the growth of the profession through the formal state, national or international presentations and demonstrated exceptional contributions to APTA TN and the profession.

Senior Lucy Walsh Completes Communications Internship with Nashville Mayor’s Office

Belmont public relations senior Lucy Walsh is currently completing a unique internship as the communications intern in the Office of Mayor John Cooper of Nashville, Tennessee. In the mayor’s office, she has been given an opportunity to become more familiar with the city of Nashville and the resources available to the neighbors that need them. 

With significant events in Nashville taking place this past year, Walsh has had the opportunity to assist in uniting the city. This semester she worked on the COVID-19 flag memorial project when Davidson County announced 500 deaths in January and helped with the tornado anniversary walk that commemorates the tornado that devastated much of Nashville on March 3, 2020. Throughout the course of her internship, she has also gained skills and experience in reading social media analytics and writing press documents. 

Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in the public relations department with a minor in publishing, Walsh has been involved in a number of different organizations on campus that have helped her land her current internship. PRSSA, Belmont’s student-run PR firm Tower Creative and her senior PR capstone project all have been influential in her academic and professional career. She also is holding another virtual internship with the public relations department at Belmont where she runs the PR at Belmont blog and all social media channels. 

“The PR department has been so instrumental in my success, and I have felt so unbelievably valued by them since my first visit on campus as a high school student in 2016,” Walsh said. She shared that her experience in the Belmont East program, a study program in New York City, during the Spring 2020 semester presented her with opportunities and mentors that “have really inspired me to think about the type of life I want, the people I want to surround myself with and the work I want to do.”

Walsh shared that her internship with the Mayor’s office has allowed her to embrace Nashville as a long-term home as opposed to a campus community. Walsh is set to graduate this spring and is then moving onto Vanderbilt’s Master of Marketing program in the Owen School of Management.

BOLD Students Participate in Virtual Programs throughout Semester, Continue Leadership Development

Throughout a year unlike any other, student leaders in the Belmont Office of Leadership Development (BOLD) have continued to work on their co-curricular leadership certification virtually.

While it may seem unique and at times difficult to navigate a leadership certificate online, BOLD experiences are still vital and continue to provide students with ample information, support and guidance needed to be better-equipped leaders.

Every Monday in March, a new “Leadership Lately” session is posted for students to learn about topics such as how to be a likeable leader, the importance of ethics in leadership and inclusive leadership. Additionally, dozens of students were able to complete an interactive overview of socially responsible leadership called “Social Change & Me.”

Students are actively sharing their transformational leadership stories by posting “Tower Talks” in Bruin Link. These inspiring talks allow students to share and gather insight into other individual’s leadership journeys and will be offered through the end of the Spring semester.

Throughout the leadership development process, students are able to engage with their close circles or communicate virtually with others navigating this different way of learning. Junior and BOLD participate Peter Geoly said, “I think there is nothing that compares to being in the room with other awesome leaders, learning with them and from them. Both the Tower Talks and Social Change & Me do a great job of forming leaders on this campus and highlighting their achievements in the hope that other people will want to follow.”

Student leaders will close out the semester with the Belmont Leadership Awards where students from across campus will be recognized for their leadership contributions on and off campus. 

In-person interaction and experiential learning have always been key elements to the BOLD curriculum. However, the challenge of engaging virtually is still worth it and just as influential and transformative as in-person experiences.

BOLD continues to offer The BEAT – Belmont Ethics and Accountability Training – online until April 5. This is a self-paced online interactive training program for all student leaders to sharpen their leadership skills and qualities that will help them ultimately engage and transform the world.

Leadership development programs continue to be offered across campus, and BOLD continues to work to offer experiences and activities that are beneficial and engaging for all students. Both graduate and undergraduate students can join BOLD or GOLD- Graduate Opportunities in Leadership Development experiences in Bruin Link. Email bold@belmont.edu with any questions.

Alumnus Selected for TikTok’s Incubator Program for Black Creatives

Pastor and TikToker. Two professions you might not imagine have much in common, let alone imagine someone simultaneously doing both. It is not only possible to do, but possible to do successfully. Just ask 2016 Belmont alum Kristoff Hart.

The foundation for Hart’s life and purpose is his faith as a Christian. Attending church was a big part of his upbringing, and he continued to practice his faith when he came to Belmont in the fall of 2012. When asked how he found Belmont, Hart replied with a chuckle, “I got kidnapped into going to Belmont.” He continued to explain that he came to Nashville with his father while he was attending a conference at the Opryland hotel. One morning, they went out for a drive and much to the surprise of Kristoff, they arrived at Belmont for a tour. Although the involuntary excursion was initially frustrating, Hart couldn’t deny the incredible experience he had when he set foot on campus. “I fell in love with the school that day!”

He recalled his first weeks at Belmont, sitting in the lobby of Maddox Hall discussing faith with some fellow residents who identified as atheist and agnostic. Hart found himself unable to answer questions he had never been asked before and was inspired by them to dig deeper to find these answers for himself. Throughout his first year, he deconstructed his faith, which he realized was built from borrowed elements of his parents, and began to reconstruct a faith of his own. 

There were two major figures that Hart attributed to greatly supporting him and his faith journey in his time at Belmont: the men’s basketball team and Dr. Sybril Brown. Volunteering as a manager for the men’s basketball team, Hart considered the team to be his family. Spending extended periods of time together, he expressed gratitude for having people to lean on when things got tough, as well as having people to celebrate life’s (and basketballs) victories with. Hart met Dr. Brown when he first toured Belmont as a prospective student, also upon the arrangement of his father. He enjoyed talking with her and wound up enrolling in one of her classes. One class turned into a few, which became an enduring friendship and mentorship. “She would encourage me, or give me real talk,” Hart recalled. Her honesty coupled with her genuine support helped Hart to find his path in both his career and his life. 

After graduating from Belmont in 2016 with a degree in music business, Hart worked in marketing and social media for the music industry. While working for various companies in the creative realm, Hart continually asked, “How do we create things that are excellent?” Much of his creative inspiration can be drawn back to the book of Genesis. “The first way that God is characterized in the Bible is as a creator,” he shared.

When he transitioned into ministry, serving as a communications director, his skills in social media and content creation continued to serve him. He realized that “furthering the name of Jesus is what I was meant to do.” He continued on to be a creative director and then an online pastor. At the height of the pandemic, he found himself re-defining the platforms in which he could share his faith. While continuing to preach regularly, he began pursuing the development of Christ-centered social media content, namely Instagram and TikTok. Despite feeling a bit unsure if this was a conflict of interest, preaching and developing a social media presence for himself, he continued creating content. He felt that God called him to do it.

One day, while scrolling through TikTok, Hart came across the Incubator Program for Black Creatives. Normally, this would have initiated a spiral of self-doubt, but he submitted the brief application without hesitation and remained fully authentic to his content. Hart is one of only 100 individuals accepted to the program among more than 5,000 applicants. The program is aimed at enabling Black creatives to continue creating content at a high level while continuing to develop as creatives. It connects them with large-scale brands and provides the resources to advance their talents into a career.

Hart is thrilled to be in the program to continue advancing his skills but says he’s not looking to stop preaching anytime soon. “God has been so kind to me and he’s not finished yet! I’m excited for what’s to come.” 

Belmont Pharmacy Student Receives United States Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award

Riguin Zengotita Borges, a fourth-year student in Belmont’s College of Pharmacy, was recognized by the Office of the United States Surgeon General for his significant contributions to advancing the goals of Healthy People 2030. To be considered for the award, students are evaluated on their contributions towards voluntary health-related services, an emerging public health issue or contributions to the National Prevention Strategy. 

Over the past four years, his dedication to maintaining health in medically underserved communities here in Nashville has been tremendous. Borges has worked with populations that are vulnerable — the homeless, the HIV infected and the elderly. Early on in the pandemic, he seized opportunities to be on the front line testing patients for COVID-19 at a center for underserved and indigent patients. 

After vaccination efforts began in December, Borges again found a way to be involved, this time with elderly nursing home patients in Nashville and the surrounding areas, some of them rural, including LakeShore of Heartland (Nashville), Standing Stone Care + Rehab (Monterey), Pavilion THS (Lebanon) and Cedar Hills Assisted Living (Cookville).

In addition to receiving the USPHS Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award, Borges has been recognized previously for his hard work. In 2019, he was awarded the Walgreens Multilingual Scholarship for his work with the Spanish-speaking community in Nashville. 

College of Pharmacy Professor Dr. Angela Hagan said, “He is a great example of a student leader dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those around them.” As an underrepresented minority in pharmacy education, Borges serves as a role model and mentor to not only the diverse students in the College of Pharmacy but also to the patients that he interacts with. 

Borges has been chosen to complete a residency at Holyoke Health Center Pharmacy, which is a federally qualified, non-profit community health center (FQHC), in Holyoke, MA. He will continue to improve the health of patients through his role in providing comprehensive community-based programs to those in need. 

As a bilingual pharmacist, he will work with a patient population that is primarily Spanish-speaking. Borges radiates with passion for helping those around him. When asked to elaborate on his calling, he has said, “I didn’t get into this profession to watch from the outside.”  Borges models collaboration and inclusion by exhibiting respect and empathy for others, and he has clearly had a significant impact through his efforts in public health.

Belmont Pharmacy Students Receive Prestigious Air Force Scholarship

Every year, hundreds of pharmacy students apply for the Air Force Health Profession Scholarship, but only four awards are granted nationally. Belmont junior pharmacy students Austin Bailey and Xrystina Bicoy were among two of the four nationally selected students to be awarded this competitive scholarship.

The scholarship includes two years of paid tuition and the commissioned officer rank of the second lieutenant throughout pharmacy school. Once Bailey and Bicoy graduate, the scholarship will require them to complete three years of active duty service which follows a five-week training course post-graduation. 

“For Austin and Xrystina to both be selected for the Air Force Health Professions Scholarships sends a tremendous message about their character and the type of students we are blessed to have in our program. Our College of Pharmacy has a foundational value of service and we are grateful for their commitment to their education in serving patients and how they will serve our country in the Air Force in the near future,” said Dr. David Gregory, dean of the College of Pharmacy.

After their training program, Bailey and Bicoy will be assigned to a base depending on their duty which can range from hospital pharmacy to managing an outpatient clinic. The scholarship is highly competitive and will provide the select few students with opportunities to further their experience.

Belmont Professor Shares Expertise in CreditDonkey Article

Belmont Professor of Entrepreneurship Dr. Mark Schenkel was recently featured on the personal finance website CreditDonkey for his expertise in opening a business account. A professor in Belmont’s College of Business, Schenkel also serves on the boards of local ventures in Nashville. 

In his feature in CreditDonkey, Schenkel specifically shares what a small business should be looking for in regards to a business bank account. He emphasized that businesses should be asking themselves why they need the account and paying attention to the fees that come with opening a bank account. 

Schenkel is well accomplished with previous experience at The Habegger Corporation, David E. Estes Engineering, Inc., The Hennegan Company and Wright Brothers Inc. This is also not the first time his work has been published, as his works can be found in the Academy of Management Review, British Journal of Management, New England Journal of Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship & Regional Development and Management Research News.

Nursing, Pharmacy Students and Faculty Staff Nashville’s Mass Vaccination Event

More than 100 Belmont School of Nursing faculty and students and approximately 50 College of Pharmacy students and faculty staffed what Nashville Mayor John Cooper called a “watershed moment” for the city as it hosted a mass vaccination event on March 20 at Nissan Stadium.

Joining forces with city health officials and volunteers, Belmont representatives aided in 10,000 people receiving their Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination by the end of the event.

College of Health Sciences and Nursing Dean Cathy Taylor said, “This was an extraordinary opportunity to serve and learn alongside our public health colleagues and community volunteers. Our students demonstrated skill and caring typically expected of more seasoned professionals, and I couldn’t be more proud or inspired by their work.”

Nursing Instructor Martha Ezell recognized that Belmont students made great contributions to the event including putting patients at ease, taking time to offer assurance and careful explanations and even signing for a deaf patient. Beginning in the cold and dark at 5 a.m. and staying long past the last scheduled appointment when it was once again cold and dark, students and faculty stayed the course to see that every patient was served.

Mackenzie Race, P3 pharmacy student working toward her PharmD, said the day was a humbling and emotional experience. “After seeing our community lose so much over the past year, Saturday felt like a real step to making progress towards healing our city. Witnessing so many healthcare professionals come together and work as a team for the benefit of our community was astounding and something I will never forget,” she said. “I am so thankful that I got to serve the residents of Nashville alongside my colleagues at Belmont. I’d like to thank Dean Gregory for extending pharmacy students the opportunity to serve Nashville; it was an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life and carry forward with me in my professional career.”

Caroline Worley, P4 pharmacy student and Pharm.D. candidate, also enjoyed working alongside other healthcare professionals from different fields, knowing they all had a common goal- keeping patients healthy and helping each other through this pandemic. She said, “I learned how passionate the city of Nashville is about our own health and the health of those around us, even those we don’t know. Nashville is truly an amazing place to live with inspiring people in it.”

Dr. Lucyellen Dahlgren, assistant professor of nursing, commented on the students’ ability to interact with a diverse general public and emotions ranging from fear and trepidation to excitement and joy. With gratitude, she noted Belmont’s ability to participate in this historic event during the crisis of a pandemic, stating it was “a great learning event, time to share tasks as a team, and just an overall positive feeling of goodness.”

Varallo Public Relations also took several photos of Belmont students and faculty staffing the event, featured below.

Madison Thorn Photography provided several shots that illustrate the hard work put in by Belmont students and faculty, seen below.