Three Belmont alumni—Jason L. Turner, John Zarling and Matt Burns—are honored in this week’s issue of Billboard magazine, listed in the publication’s annual “30 Under 30” special feature to highlight rising young music business executives. The article, which is unavailable on the publication’s Web site, appears in the issue dated Aug. 25 that is on newsstands now.
UNITE Concert Raises Funds for Compassion International
Wednesday night’s “Welcome Week” UNITE concert with recording artists Shane & Shane, Bebo Norman, Monk & Neagle and Belmont alumni Mikeschair brought more than 2,000 people to the Curb Event Center for a nearly four-hour performance. The tour stop, designated to benefit Compassion International, raised $3,500 in donations and saw 54 children receive child sponsorships from attendees.
Compassion, a child development organization dedicated to releasing children from poverty, was founded in 1952 and works with 800,000 children in 24 countries. Donations from the concert will be used to purchase mosquito nets as part of Compassion’s Malaria Intervention Fund. Malaria kills one million people per year but is a preventable and treatable disease. 
The $3,500 raised will provide 350 mosquito nets for use in needed areas around the world. The $32 monthly child sponsorships allow for health care, education and Christian programming for needy children as well as foster cross-cultural relationships via letters between sponsors and children.
The “UNITE: Local Involvement…Global Perspective” event seeks to engage and challenge new and current college students to broaden their perspective on global needs and injustices while creating opportunities for local involvement in the Nashville community.
Nashville Mayoral Candidates Debate at Belmont
The Massey Performing Arts Center played host Mon., Aug. 20 to a run-off debate between Nashville mayoral candidates Bob Clement and Karl Dean, who are campaigning after each received 24 percent of the votes cast on Aug. 2. The debate was carried live on local NBC affiliate, WSMV-TV Channel 4, and moderated by WSMV anchors Dan Miller and Demetria Kalodimos. Belmont President Dr. Robert Fisher welcomed the crowd and the candidates to the university before the debate began. Clement and Dean discussed a variety of issues during the hour-long debate including education, property taxes, crime rates and what it would take to turn Nashville into a “world-class city.” Early voting begins Aug. 22 with the run-off election being held Sept. 11.
Class of 2011 Starts College Career with SERVE Project
After moving onto campus Saturday, Belmont University’s incoming freshman class volunteered their time this morning to a number of local charity and ministry organizations as part of the school’s annual “Welcome Week.” In groups ranging from 25 to 100 students, most of Belmont’s new freshman class participated in SERVE.
SERVE was begun as part of Belmont’s ongoing commitment to engage students in their community and encourage the values of service on both a local and global level. Matt Burchett, Belmont’s Director of New Student and Parent Programs, said, “Our identity as an institution is most clearly defined when we serve others. We are committed to encouraging our students to find the places of need wherein their energy, talent and enthusiasm can be used for a significant purpose.”
Tennessean Honors Belmont Student-Athletes
Four Belmont University student-athletes have been named to the The Tennessean’s inaugural ‘Brains and Brawn’ first team. Senior Justin Hare of the men’s basketball team, along with fellow seniors Elizabeth Smothers, Lauren Williams and sophomore Brittany Thune of the women’s cross country & track program, were named to the exclusive list of 25 student-athletes. In addition, Belmont had 20 student-athletes receive honorable mention recognition–the most of any area school. For more on this story, click here.
School of Nursing Receives Share in Foundation Grant, Inman Hosts Press Conference
Belmont University’s School of Nursing recently received $30,000 of a health care grant secured by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and The Tennessee Center for Nursing from the Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future (PIN). PIN is a national initiative led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Northwest Health Foundation to develop solutions to America’s nursing shortage.
Together with Vanderbilt University, Belmont will be using the funds to implement a Teaching Institute to assist nursing faculty across the state to develop informatics and simulation technology skills. In addition, the School of Nursing will be recruiting expert clinical nurses to become “faculty extenders” for students.
In related news, Belmont’s Inman Center, home to the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences and Nursing, served as the site of a press conference Aug. 17 to announce that funds have been raised to support Gov. Phil Bredesen’s campaign, The Graduate Nursing Loan Forgiveness Program. The campaign initially kicked off in January with a goal to direct $1.4 million into a scholarship program that would help current registered nurses (RNs) pay the costs of earning graduate teaching degrees in nursing.
Belmont Remains Top School in Tennessee in U.S. News Rankings
For the third year in a row Nashville’s Belmont University achieved a Top 15 regional ranking in the “Best Universities—Masters” category in the annual U.S. News & World Report college guide, again landing the highest spot of any Tennessee university. Ranked for 2008 at No. 11, Belmont is joined in the South’s Top 15 by such institutions as Rollins College, Elon University, James Madison University, The Citadel and Appalachian State University.
Belmont is the highest-ranked Tennessee school in the Master’s category, which reports on 119 schools across the South, including 15 in Tennessee. The rankings in America’s Best Colleges 2008 are based on several quality indicators including student retention rates, graduation rates, student-faculty ratios and scores on college entrance exams. With a 13/1 student-to-faculty ratio and a competitive 69 percent acceptance rate, Belmont is providing a high quality educational environment for the accomplished and selective students it draws.
“Belmont has earned a national reputation as a college of choice for students seeking a creative and challenging environment that enriches academic study with real world experience,” said University Provost Dr. Dan McAlexander. “Our outstanding faculty and staff have created a leading teaching university that emphasizes innovative programs and pedagogy, strong student-teacher relationships, and entrepreneurial thinking and action. As a result, a diverse body of increasingly qualified students—from across the country and around the globe—are choosing Belmont.”
Pharmacy School Signs Affiliation Agreement with Vanderbilt
Belmont University’s School of Pharmacy announced today that it has signed an affiliation contract with Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), assuring the new program’s students a training site in an academic medical center. The agreement will enable students to learn a broad spectrum of skills and competencies while at Vanderbilt, including dispensing of pharmacy products, management techniques, drug information and patient focused care.
Phil Johnston, Dean of Belmont’s School of Pharmacy, indicated that while the Vanderbilt agreement is the first major affiliation, it will not be the last. “We have interest in working with other regional medical centers and hospital corporations,” said Johnston. “Each agreement will be tailored to the needs of students and the attributes of the institution. These agreements and the collaborative teaching that goes on is required by the credentialing body over pharmacy education. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education will expect us to work with the best sites possible for all of the pharmacy student experiences we provide.”
Herndon Signs with Spanish Basketball League
Former Belmont men’s basketball player Boomer Herndon, a 2007 graduate in Communication Studies, recently signed with C.B. Grupo Promobys Tijola of the Spanish Basketball League, which is also the league home of another former Bruin, Adam Sonn, now with C.B. Ourense. Herndon ranks second on Belmont’s all-time list for field goal percentage shooting (59.2), blocked shots (102) and third in rebounding average (6.3 per game). Moreover, the imposing center overcame a health scare in the summer of 2006 – the discovery of a benign mass in his chest – to rank third in the Atlantic Sun in field goal percentage (.610). The Nashville, Tenn. native twice earned All-Atlantic Sun Second Team honors and was named to the Saint Mary’s (CA) All-Tournament Team as a senior.
Smith Writes Column for Tennessean
Dr. Bonnie Smith, assistant professor of English and director of the Writing Center, wrote a column titled “To strive, to look to the sky: That’s what makes a teacher” for the Aug. 16 issue of The Tennessean. To read her story, click here.
