The Belmont University School of Pharmacy (BUSOP) reached another milestone in its development last Friday with the school’s first Admissions Interview Day. According to Dr. Elinor Chumney, BUSOP’s assistant dean for Student Affairs, the high level of interest in the Belmont Doctor of Pharmacy degree program was evidenced in the fact that prospective students came from eight states as well as across Tennessee. There were also three Belmont undergraduate students in this group of interviewees. Dr. Chumney said, “We are so happy with the response to our program. All of the prospective students and families that came to visit with us last Friday were quite impressed with the academic reputation of Belmont University as well as its warmth, charm and Christian community.” The School of Pharmacy will hold four additional interview days for its fall 2008 inaugural class over the next several months. Belmont students who are interested in careers in pharmacy and the Doctor of Pharmacy graduate program may obtain additional information about the program and this high-demand professional career by talking with any of the faculty at the School of Pharmacy office, which is located in Inman 202.
EMERGE Features Prominent Authors Sweet and Jones
EMERGE, a week long experience meant to inspire and encourage the Belmont Community in corporate and individual faith journeys, kicked off Monday with a convocation seminar with noted author/speaker Dr. Leonard Sweet. A professor and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Theological School at New Jersey’s Drew University, Sweet spoke on the topic “Being the Good News vs. Imposing Your Own Views.” His most recent book is The Gospel According to Starbucks.
Intended to challenge individuals to “Reflect, Refocus and Be Renewed,” EMERGE also featured sessions with doctoral fellow and author Tony Jones, national coordinator of the Emergent Village (www.emergentvillage.com). In discussing “Spiritual Practices for the 21st Century,” Jones noted that the Western/American church views the notion of “sin” as a list of rules and laws to be followed rather than the more traditional, orthodox perspective of sin as a chronic condition without an easy cure. “I think it’s a mistake for us to believe that some sort of radical conversion will cure a tendency toward sin. It doesn’t. There’s no magic pill.”
Jones argued that spiritual formation requires consistent exercise and discipline, in the same manner as training for an athletic event or music performance. “It takes repeated practice, over and over again. Look at the history of the church—our forefathers have developed patterns and rhythms in their lives to bring them closer to God.”
Jones is the author of Cultivating Authentic Community, Creating Holistic Connections, The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life, The Most Difficult Journey You’ll Ever Make: The Pilgrim’s Progress and You Converted Me: The Confessions of St. Augustine.
Junior Entrepreneurship Major Competes for Two National Prizes
Junior entrepreneurship major Andy Tabar—a native of Cleveland, Ohio—is a semifinalist in two national business start-up contests, IdeaBlob.com and the Fifth Annual Spirit of Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (S.E.E.D.). Tabar is garnering notice for his company Bizooki Inc., which has created web site tools that enable niche social networking. Bizooki works with developers and clients domestically and globally helping organizations to connect with their customer base online. It can alternatively be used for secure, online document sharing.
Tabar said, “Participating at S.E.E.D. in March, in addition to regional interest that Bizooki has received, is a good place to be for the growth plan that’s in place. This is the real world experience we are all looking for. My business is no exception. Belmont’s entrepreneurship program has provided me with the know-how and tools to create value and grow a venture. That, along with my experience and commitment, is a winning combination. I will continue to expand Bizooki post May 2009 graduation, building upon operations in the U.S. and globally.”
Dr. Jeff Cornwall, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, said, “Andy is a great example of the type of student we are seeing come into our program. He came with a business and has used all of the resources we offer to build, grow and improve his business.”
Tabar is one of 10 national semifinalist ventures chosen to attend the Fifth Annual S.E.E.D. National Collegiate Venture Forum March 14-15 at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California. Other semifinalists hail from such institutions as Emory University, Harvard University, University of Florida, Westmont College and University of Wisconsin-Madison. Each year, S.E.E.D. helps top collegiate ventures secure capital funding. S.E.E.D. completes preliminary due diligence on dozens of business plans submitted by the December deadline, then invites the most promising ventures to present their business plans to a world-class panel of evaluators, early-stage investors, and product development and market-industry specialists.
Launched by Advanta in September 2007, the Ideablob.com Web community has narrowed its January contestants down to the final eight, of which Tabar is the youngest entry. Ideablob.com is where entrepreneurs and small business owners can share and grow their business ideas–and have a chance to win $10,000 towards fulfilling them. Eligible individuals submit their business idea to ideablob.com, and based on votes from the ideablob.com online community–which includes other innovators as well as friends, family, colleagues, associates, teachers and mentors–one idea every month will win $10,000. January entrants may re-submit ideas for February and subsequent months.
Cornwall Interviewed by SmartMoney
Dr. Jeff Cornwall, the director of Belmont’s Center for Entrepreneurship, was recently interviewed for a story on “Starting Up: The Thrill of the Launch,” a feature on SmartMoney‘s Small Business Web site. Click here to read the article.
Belmont Receives $10 Million Donation from Johnson Estate
Belmont University announced today the receipt of more than $10 million from the estate of the late Ed and Bernice Johnson, long-time friends of the university.
For 16 years, Ed and Bernice Johnson ran a neighborhood gas station on Belmont Boulevard. During the Depression, the couple often helped Herman Lay keep his potato chip trucks on the road by allowing him to pay on credit. In 1948, Lay offered the Johnsons a chance to buy stock in his company. The couple’s initial investment of $8,000 grew exponentially with the company, which is now part of Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Co Inc. Following Bernice Johnson’s death in January 1998 (her husband died in 1994), $8 million from the Johnson estate was given to Belmont and directed toward scholarships in the College of Business Administration, primarily for accounting students. Additional funds from the Johnson estate were placed in a 10-year charitable remainder annuity trust, and those accumulated monies, $10 million, are now being released to Belmont, making the couple’s total bequest to the university equal more than $18 million. This represents one of the largest gifts in the history of Belmont University.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “It should come as no surprise to anyone to discover the generosity of the late Ed and Bernice Johnson, a couple who believed in and supported a friend even in difficult financial times. Their remarkable philanthropic spirit will now benefit a new generation of students and future leaders. Belmont University is very grateful for this gift and extremely proud to be associated with such a dynamic legacy.”
The $10 million from the trust will be directed into the general university endowment. The original $8 million donation was placed in the Lawrence Glover Scholarship Fund, which honors retired Belmont accounting professor Lawrence Glover, who once served as the Johnsons’ accountant and first recommended Belmont as a worthy investment.
In 2004, Belmont honored Ed and Bernice Johnson with the unveiling of an original statue by Nashville sculptor Russ Faxon, which now graces the plaza on the Belmont Boulevard side of the campus adjacent to the fountain in front of the entrance to the Maddox Grand Atrium. The site is directly across the street from the Circle K convenience store, which sits on the site of a previous Esso gas station that was owned by the Johnsons. The statue portrays the Johnsons waving goodbye to a student.
BUSOP Faculty Assist with Toy Drive
On Dec. 20, four members of the Belmont University School of Pharmacy spent the day volunteering at the Sixty-First Avenue United Methodist Church Last Minute Toy Store. Led by “Head Elf” Dean Phil Johnston, Drs. Salvatore Giorgianni, Cathy Turner and Julie Rafferty participated in the distribution of around 20,000 toys/gifts to 3,902 children from approximately 1,380 families in the Nashville area. According to Dr. Johnston, while it was hard work it was a rewarding way to remind us of all the blessings that we enjoy and the ever present need and opportunities for community service.
School of Pharmacy Introduces Faculty Team for First Year
Dr. Philip E. Johnston, Dean of Belmont University’s School of Pharmacy (BUSOP), announced today that he has completed the hiring process for the necessary faculty/staff team for the 2008-09 academic year. Anticipating a full first class of 75 students, the BUSOP program currently has ten full-time faculty members in place, all of whom boast impressive credentials in education, research and practice.
Johnston said, “Given the immense shortage of pharmacists across the country, finding such a qualified and committed group of faculty members for our first cohort makes a tremendous statement about the quality and potential of our Pharmacy+ program as well as the significant support we’re receiving from the administration and community. Our incoming students couldn’t find better educational resources than what they’ll receive from their faculty mentors.”
In addition to having faculty in place, BUSOP has also begun a new marketing campaign with a newly-produced, 30-second TV spot that highlights both the imperative need for pharmacists as well as the unique offerings of Belmont’s Pharmacy+ program. (A four MB .mov file of the spot can be e-mailed upon request). Billboards and radio spots can also be expected to appear throughout the region soon.
Student Athletes Reach New Heights in the Classroom for Fall 2007
The Belmont University Department of Athletics recently announced that its student-athletes had one of their most successful semesters in the classroom since the program moved to NCAA Division I.
For the 2007 fall semester, Belmont had a department grade point average (GPA) of 3.254, which is the highest GPA for the fall semester in the department’s Division I era. The fall 2007 GPA is also among the top-three highest GPAs recorded by the department in both the fall or spring semesters behind a 3.288 in the spring of 2002 and 3.273 in the spring of 2005. Also, every Belmont team had a team GPA of over 3.0 for the first time in the Division I era. The top three sports in terms of team GPA are Women’s Cross Country (3.619), Women’s Golf (3.538) and Men’s Golf (3.503).
In addition, nearly 72 percent of Belmont student-athletes earned a 3.0 GPA for the fall semester. This percentage is nearly six percent higher than the fall semester of 2006. Both the women’s cross country and women’s golf team had all of their members post a 3.0 GPA for the fall semester.
“Our student-athletes work extremely hard on the court, course, and field, as well as the classroom,” said Renee Schultz, Belmont Athletic‘s Academic Coordinator. “They optimize what it means to be a student-athlete day in and day out. I couldn’t be more proud of them; they have earned this honor.”
Not only were Belmont student-athletes successful in the classroom, they also garnered success on the field as well this past fall. Belmont won two conference championships (men’s and women’s cross country), saw Lauren Weaver become the second Belmont female runner to compete at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, and for the first time, witnessed all five Belmont fall sports qualify for their respective Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament .
“I am very pleased by the performance of our student-athletes in the classroom during the past semester,” said Mike Strickland, Belmont Director of Athletics. “It is because of their hard work and desire to do well in their studies that we are able to produce this achievement. I also appreciate the work of our coaching staff, who emphasize academics on a day-to-day basis with their student-athletes, as well as to our academic support staff, who work hard to give our student-athletes the tools to become successful in the classroom.”
Slay Published in Maryland Bar Journal
Cheryl L. Slay, the newest addition to the Curb College Music Business faculty, published an article in the January 2008 issue of the Maryland Bar Journal titled “MySpace or Whose Space Is It?” The article discusses the Digital Millennium Copyright Act as it applies to web site operators, including statutory framework, court interpretations, guidance to legal practitioners and recent litigation. Slay is a Business Law attorney with a particular focus on Intellectual Property and entertainment industry matters. Her professional credits also include extensive experience in managing and advising public sector programs on matters ranging from consumer protection and privacy to equal employment and administrative law, and her previous teaching experience includes courses at The University of Baltimore School of Law, The University of Maryland School of Law and The Maryland State Bar Association. For more information on Slay, visit http://www.slaylaw.com.
Hall of Fame Alumnus Discusses ‘A Christian Perspective on Race’
Alumnus and Athletic Hall of Famer Alaric (Al) Allen graduated from Belmont in 1996 after an outstanding basketball career and began working in mortgage banking. Allen and his wife Jude volunteer with an inner-city ministry, and he also serves as the executive director of Pass the Salt, a marketplace ministry that encourages Christians to be Jesus in their jobs. Allen has published two books, A Father’s Epistles and The Salt Journal, but his talk focused on the root causes of racism and the impact of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Introduced by Coach Rick Byrd, Allen began by acknowledging all the supposed sources of racism—economic, social, cultural, moral and civil rights issues—before confirming that the real root is a spiritual problem. “The problem is not racism, it’s rejection,” Allen said. “We were created, every single one of us, to be a child of God, but everything this world tells us says otherwise. It’s a spiritual problem, and the world can’t solve a spiritual problem.”
Pointing to John 4, Allen illustrated how Jesus accepted the woman at the well despite her position in the culture as a woman, a Samaritan and a sinner, freeing her from the bondage of rejection. In a similar fashion Allen recalled an experience in his own life that reminded him, “My heritage has nothing to do with skin. My heritage is as a son of God… I celebrate Martin Luther King not as a black man or a great American. I celebrate him as someone who looked at the impossible and went after it. He dreamed a dream that was God’s dream, and he lived, sacrificed and died for it.”
