Belmont University’s Entrepreneurship Program in the College of Business Administration was recently selected by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) as the winner of the National Model Undergraduate Program. USASBE, which presented the award at its national conference in San Antonio, recognizes excellence in entrepreneurship education in seven categories including undergraduate, MBA and Ph.D. programs. The USASBE Excellence in Education Awards are sponsored by Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE).
Belmont Professors Dr. Mark Schenkel and Dr. Jeff Cornwall along with Chris Gray also won the Outstanding Case Study award for the instructional case, “The Bun Lady,” a study of Cordia Harrington, president and CEO of the Tennessee Bun Company in Dickson. Harrington, who delivered a keynote address at the conference, was named Woman Entrepreneur of the Year.
Belmont University Provost Dr. Dan McAlexander said, “The Entrepreneurship major at Belmont has, since its inception, been recognized as one of the top 10 programs in the country. These ‘best in the nation’ recognitions by USASBE affirm that the program is indeed a national model of excellence in the field. We are extremely proud of what this team of faculty, staff and students has accomplished under the leadership of Dr. Cornwall in the four short years since he joined Belmont University. ”
Cornwall, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, added, “This is an amazing time to be teaching entrepreneurs. This generation has business ownership as one of their top goals. They are full of energy, excitement and optimism. Many young people today are graduating from college with a successful business already operating and growing. Although my entrepreneurial career has passed, I am able to continue to live the dream of free enterprise through my students and alumni.”
Entrepreneurship Program Wins National Awards
Dr. John Perkins Speaks on Finding ‘Justice for All’
Belmont’s first convocation of 2008 spoke to the issue of “Justice for All” with a talk presented by nationally known speaker and advocate for the poor Dr. John Perkins, who asked his audience today to build community through the three Rs: Reconciliation, Relocation and Redistribution. He also encouraged attendees to look for the root of the problems that plague their communities rather than merely focusing on symptoms.
Perkins, who serves as president of the John M. Perkins Foundation for Reconciliation and Development in Jackson, Miss., grew up in Mississippi amidst dire poverty. He fled to California when he was 17 after his older brother’s murder at the hands of a town marshal and vowed never to return. However, in 1960, after his conversion to Christ, he returned to his boyhood home to share the gospel. His outspoken support and leadership role in civil rights demonstrations resulted in repeated harassment, imprisonment and beatings. Through it all, Dr. Perkins returned good for evil, love for hate, progress for prejudice and brought hope to black and white alike.
“Justice is understanding who owns the earth while injustice is about enslaving and exploiting people for your own aggrandizement,” Perkins said. “Justice was God’s motivation for redemption. Justice motivated God to come down from heaven, incarnate himself as Jesus of Nazareth… so that he could be just and justify you and me.”
Despite dropping out of school in the third grade, Perkins has written nine books and has received recognition for his work with seven honorary doctorates. He is an international speaker and teacher on issues of racial reconciliation, leadership and community development and is the co-founder and chairman of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA). An association of Christian leaders from across America who are bonded by a commitment to express the love of Christ in America’s poor communities, CCDA has grown from its initial 37 founding members in 1989 to 6,800 individuals and 600 churches, ministries, institutions and businesses in more than 100 cities and townships across the country.
Musical Theatre Alumni in Touring Shows to Appear Locally
Musical Theatre graduate Mat deGuzman (’06) is appearing in the touring show of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” which is playing seven shows Jan. 9-13 at TPAC. In addition, the last two days of May will find Tiffini Dodson, a 2004 Musical Theatre graduate, in town with the touring show of “Jesus Christ Superstar” in the role of Mary Magdalene. The performances will be part of TPAC’s Broadway Specials series.
Belmont Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday with Series of Events
In celebration of the Jan. 15 anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birth date, Belmont University will be holding its 11th annual series of Commemorative Programs over the course of the next several weeks. The university’s commitment to Martin Luther King Week through classroom and special events began in 1997 and continues to grow today with Belmont observing the MLK holiday with widely varied events. All of the events listed below are open to both the Belmont community and the general public at no charge unless otherwise noted. For additional information, visit Belmont’s MLK Web site at www.belmont.edu/mlk.
Wed., Jan. 16, 10 a.m.
“Our Journey: A Black History Pageant” by Michael Walker
“Our Journey” is a celebration of Black History that combines poetry, song, dance and drama. The timeline begins with the civilizations of ancient Africa and runs through the late 1960’s. This performance will be directed by Crystal Jones, B.A. in Theater & Arts, with performances by members of the Black Student Association and the Belmont Theatre Program.
Harton Recital Hall
Fri., Jan. 18, 10 a.m.
“A Christian’s Perspective of Race” with Al Allen
Alumnus and recent Belmont Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Al Allen (‘96) remains one of only eight players in Belmont men’s basketball history to score over 2,000 career points (2,030) despite playing only three years. After graduating, Allen began a career in mortgage banking. About three years ago, he and his wife Jude began working
Senior Chosen as Kentucky Derby Festival Princess
Senior Kathryn (Katie) Elizabeth Allen of Louisville was recently chosen by the Kentucky Derby Festival as one of five Princesses who will serve during the 2008 Kentucky Derby Festival. One of the five Princesses will be crowned the Derby Festival Queen randomly by a spin-of-the-wheel at the annual Fillies’ Derby Ball on April 18. Each woman receives a $2000 scholarship and will act as an ambassador for the 2008 Derby Festival, attending nearly 70 events over a three-week period. Allen is majoring in management and is a Phi Mu Presidential Award Recipient, a member of the dean’s list since 2004 and a Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital intern.
Volman Appears on New Richie Furay Recording
Former Turtles member Mark Volman, who serves as a CEMB assistant professor and Program Coordinator of Entertainment Industry Studies, recently contributed to a new recording by Richie Furay, founding member of country rock bands Buffalo Springfield, Poco and the Souther-Hillman-Furay band. The new CD, The Heartbeat of Love, was recorded in Nashville and is currently available on Furay’s Web site or Amazon.com. Other all-stars who contributed to the CD include Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Nashville bassist Michael Rhodes, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Jeff Hanna, Timothy Schmit, sax player Jim Horn, Kenny Loggins, Sam Bush, Al Perkins and others.
Scarlett Leadership Institute Hires Executive Director
Belmont University recently announced that long-time retail executive Jerry Brase has been named Executive Director of the Scarlett Leadership Institute. Brase comes to Belmont after a 32-year career in retailing, including the last 10 years at Tractor Supply Company where he served as Executive Vice President of Merchandising. During his tenure with Tractor Supply, the company grew to be a $2.7 billion retailer operating more than 700 stores nationally.
Pat Raines, dean of the College of Business Administration at Belmont, said, “Jerry’s passion for executive education and leadership will help us achieve our goal of becoming the premier leadership institute in middle Tennessee. We are excited about hiring a prominent business leader to further enhance our partnership with the Nashville business community.”
Brase graduated from George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management, and he has been an active supporter of the National FFA Organization as a member and past Chairman of the National Sponsors Board. Jerry and his wife of 29 years, Michele, have two grown daughters and two grandchildren. Michele is very active in the equine community raising horses and riding competitively throughout the Southeast.
The Scarlett Leadership Institute at Belmont University offers a wide range of executive education and leadership programs including the Certificate in Financial Planning, MiniMBA™ , Corporate Leadership Development, Peer Learning and Peer Exchange Networks and the Signature Executive Program.
Belmont Grads Gain Momentum for Philanthropic Web Site
Sam Davidson and Stephen Moseley (Belmont class of 1998) met working in the nonprofit sector in Nashville. Seeing first-hand how community needs were changing and being affected by technology, the two joined forces to launch philanthropic Web site CoolPeopleCare.org.
“We wanted to provide a place where individuals wanting to make a difference could meet the organizations actively doing so,” says Moseley. “We also wanted to show people that it was easier than they thought to make a difference. We wanted to prove that it is possible to change the world in less than five minutes a day.”
The key concept behind the site is a daily, 99-word article titled, “5 Minutes of Caring.” These motivational and informative articles provide concrete steps and suggestions on how to make an impact in a small amount of time. Supplementing the content is CoolPeopleCare’s very own “Act Locally” events calendar that lists any event that makes the world a better place. Since its launch less than 18 months ago, the site now offers listings for 43 cities across the U.S. Malinda Moseley (Belmont class of 1997) oversees management of the calendar listings. She says, “It’s both inspiring and overwhelming to see just how many opportunities are available for anyone to change their local community.”
In November, Davidson and Moseley teamed up with Xyzzy Press to release their first book, New Day Revolution: How to Save the World in 24 Hours. The books offers more than 100 ideas on how to make a big impact in a little amount of time, all as a part of one’s daily routine.
The site has also recently launched its first spin-off, CoolMomsCare.org, managed by Michelle Wright Andrade (Belmont class of 2003). CoolMomsCare mirrors the format of CoolPeopleCare, but the “5 Minutes of Caring” content is modified to offer ideas and suggestions for ways parents can teach their children to make a difference. Says Andrade, “As a new mom, I’ve immediately seen the need to know how to begin to instill values of caring and giving in my daughter. I want to help other parents do the same.”
For more information, visit www.CoolPeopleCare.org or www.CoolMomsCare.org.
Sturgis Interviewed on Work on Tolkien
Dr. Amy H. Sturgis, a Belmont Interdisciplinary Studies adjunct faculty member, was interviewed on Woodland Star Net Radio on Jan. 6 on “An afternoon of wandering with Frodo and Dr. Amy Sturgis through Mirkwood Forest,” a conversation regarding Sturgis’ work on Tolkien. Sturgis is an author, speaker and scholar of Native American Studies and Science Fiction/Fantasy Studies. Her newest book, Tecumseh: A Biography, will be available from Greenwood Press in Spring 2008. Sturgis lives in Granite Falls, N.C. with her husband, Dr. Larry M. Hall, who is Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College at Lenoir-Rhyne College and the former Dean of Belmont’s College of Arts and Sciences.
Austin Named to Top Three of National Video Contest
Freshman finance major Landon Austin has been selected as one of three finalists from 352 video entries for the MySpace/Doritos “Crash the Super Bowl” Music Video contest.
All three finalists will receive a trip to a Super Bowl XLII viewing party in Phoenix, Ariz., as well as a $10,000 cash prize and a limited distribution deal with Interscope Records. The Grand Prize winner will have 60 seconds of their music video aired as part of a Doritos commercial during the Feb. 3 Super Bowl XLII live telecast as well as receive a $5,000 advance pursuant to the terms of a recording contract with Interscope.
The contest’s Grand Prize winner will be chosen from the three finalists via fans who are allowed to vote once per day from Jan. 7-27 at www.myspace.com/doritoscrashthesuperbowl. Fans must be a MySpace member to vote, but registration takes less than a minute. For more information, visit http://landonaustin.com.
Austin’s original performance video for his song “Waitin’” was filmed in his Pembroke dorm room, but he will be in Los Angeles this week filming a new music video for the song. Last Friday, a camera crew joined Austin at Belmont to film footage of the freshman in Pembroke, the Curb Cafe and around campus.
