Dr. Ken Reed, associate professor in the College of Pharmacy, presented a poster titled “Comparison of Calcium Glycerol Phosphate Versus Calcium Gluconate Mediated in Situ Gelling of Alginates for Ocular Drug Delivery” on November 4 at the annual meeting of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) in San Antonio, Texas.
AAPS
is a professional scientific organization of individuals in academia, industry,
government and other pharmaceutical science related institutions. Its mission
is to advance the capacity of pharmaceutical scientists to develop products and
therapies that improve global health.
As a wrap-up to events around the Ken Burn’s documentary, “Country Music,” Belmont’s School of Music hosted a conversation with Dr. William Pursell and Dr. Terry Klefstad, author of “Crooked River City: The Musical Life of Nashville’s William Pursell” on November 7 in the Gallery of Iconic Guitars.
When he moved to Nashville in 1960, Bill Pursell was a classically trained pianist and composer who found his way into the studios on Music Row during the rise of the Nashville Sound. As he was working with some of country music’s biggest names, including Chet Atkins and Patsy Cline, Pursell was moonlighting as classical composer and a soloist with the Nashville Symphony.
Having retired from teaching at Belmont University (he began teaching in 1980), Pursell still keeps busy composing. View a gallery of photos from the event here.
Alumnus Luke Putney returned to campus this week to walk the final leg of the 26.2 miles in his “Marathon & Music for Charity” project, a fundraiser for his nonprofit Instrumental Horizons. Inspired by his recovery from a devastating medical crisis, the “Marathon & Music for Charity” initiative has already received hundreds of charitable gifts totaling more than $17,500 in donations!
Determined to triumph over brain tumors, a stroke, blindness and chronic pain, Putney was not only re-learning to walk, he decided to create a fundraiser and new music to benefit children in South Africa. Earlier this fall, he set out to walk a marathon, one mile per day for 26 days, as part of his recovery.
Donations to the marathon will support music education and music therapy through Instrumental Horizons’ partner organization, Music Works, supporting children in marginalized communities in Cape Town, South Africa.
Crossing the finish line with Putney was Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher, who has provided crucial business support during the start up of Putney’s nonprofit as well as personal encouragement in his physical recovery from a 2017 brain surgery and stroke.
Pledges for the marathon are still being taken with 100% of gifts received on or before December 31, 2019, funding Music Works programs for children in marginalized communities in Cape Town, South Africa, starting in early 2020.
As a thank you to anyone who makes a donation, Putney is sending a free download of his new song, “Cape Town (I Miss Africa).” This song features Luke Putney (Lead Vocal/Guitar), Bakithi Kumalo (Bass/Vocals for Paul Simon), Bob Franceschini (Sax for Chaka Khan, George Benson and more), Jeff Coffin (Sax for Dave Matthews Band), Darren English (Trumpet and Keys), Derico Watson (Drums for Victor Wooten), and Brad Covington (Alternative Percussion). Five-time Grammy Award winner Victor Wooten produced this recording at Ocean Way Nashville earlier in 2019.
Instrumental Horizons is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the State of Tennessee approved by the US Department of Treasury. This charity shares the joy of music by donating musical instruments and volunteering services to socioeconomically and medically challenged communities in the United States and around the world.
The Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, in partnership with Warner Chappell Music, presented the Belmont + Warner Chappell Writers Showcasein the Johnson Theater on Oct. 30 with special performances by alumni Jordan Reynolds, Parker Welling, Mark Trussell, Carlton Anderson and Caroline Watkins as well as current student Grace Lee.
The alumni shared music, advice and stories from their time at the University. The event showcased the special partnership between Belmont and Warner Chappell. Over the years, the publishing company has hired many Belmont alumni in business and creative roles, most recently offering a new, unique internship opportunity for songwriting students.
Grace Lee
The night included a performance by Grace Lee, a junior songwriting major, who is currently participating in Warner Chappell’s Emerging Talent Associate – Songwriting program. Through the internship, Lee will be treated as an up and coming W/C songwriter, receiving various co-writing opportunities with professional songwriters, consistent song feedback, one-on-one time with the A&R staff and mentoring in the publishing community in Nashville.
“Being a Belmont alumni myself, it has been such an honor to help facilitate the Warner Chappell / Belmont songwriting program. Alison Junker (previously at WC, now at Spotify) and Ben Vaughn created the program in 2018 and passed it on to me in 2019,” said Jessi Vaughn, manager, A&R/Digital at Warner Chappell Music. “I have been blown away by the talent, willingness to learn and bravery that Grace has displayed thus far. Walking into the room to write songs with people you’ve never met can be intimidating. Not only has she created amazing art, but she’s also done an incredible job and forging new friendships in the songwriting community. I look forward to seeing the rising stars this program yields over the next several years.”
ames Elliott, Cchair of Belmont’s Songwriting Program added, “I loved hearing the stories of these Belmont alumni who write for Warner Chappell Music. It was great listening to the hit songs they’ve written and how they met their co-writers and so many others they work with during their time as Belmont students. The Curb College has a rich history with Warner Chappell, and we’re excited about the new opportunities Ben Vaughn and his team are providing for songwriting majors like Grace Lee to co-write with their writers via the innovative Warner Chappell Songwriting Internship.”
The Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business recently hosted a convocation in Johnson Theater on their exclusive BMI Catalog Cast program with special guests BMI Executive Director – Creative Leslie Roberts, BMI Catalog Cast Alumna and current Belmont student Krystyn Ryder, Spirit Music Group Director of Administration Michelle Davey and SMACKSongs songwriter Emily Falvey. Through this unique partnership with BMI, Belmont offers students a hands-on experience and face-to-face meetings with songwriters, publishers, A&R executives, producers and other professionals.
During the weekly internship, 10-12 Curb College students have
the opportunity to listen to over 90 cataloged songs, pick songs that stand out
the most to them, and then become songpluggers as they attend meetings to “pitch”
the songs to industry executives. This program provides professional
development and a networking base for students looking for a future career in
the music industry as they work alongside their peers and attend weekly classes
with guest speakers.
“You have the opportunity to make connections with people
that you normally don’t have the opportunity to meet. You get to hear songs
that have not been cut yet, and you get the chance to get in front of someone
and fight for [the song],” said Ryder.
Applications for the Spring 2020 BMI Catalog Cast are open now for Curb College juniors and seniors through November 15. If interested, students should visit the Curb College page on myBelmont to apply.
Belmont University College of Law alumnae Mallory Acheson, Danielle Johns, Ann Hogan Murphy, Ann Rals Niewold-Brown and Samantha Simpson were honored by the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in the 2020 class of Nashville’s Top 30 Under 30.
“I am truly honored to be included in the 2020 class of Nashville’s Top 30 Under 30 and raise awareness and funds for those living with cystic fibrosis through the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation,” shared Johns. “I moved to Nashville for law school without any connection to the city. Belmont opened many doors and offered a wide range of opportunities which gave me the ability to engage in the legal and civic community right from the start. Through Belmont, I have met life-long mentors, served on the board and volunteered for a number of local non-profits, and gained priceless practical experience. Without these opportunities, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
The foundation has a 16-week recognition program and philanthropic competition raising funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s work. Honorees are nominated by co-workers, friends and family for their contributions to Nashville’s charitable and professional fields.
“We had so many outstanding young professionals nominated this year, which is a testament to how many talented young professionals there are in Nashville,” said Heather Hines, development director for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Middle Tennessee. “We are very proud of this year’s group and look forward to seeing them better the community and spread cystic fibrosis awareness.”
Since 2009, Nashville’s Top 30 honorees have raised
more than one million dollars to support the mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation,
the world’s leader in the search for a cure for cystic fibrosis.
On Feb. 1, 2020, the honorees will be acknowledged at the Top 30 Under 30 celebration gala event at the Sheraton Hotel at 6 p.m. The event is open to the public and will highlight each honoree’s accomplishments as well as feature a silent auction. Click here for more information about the event and each honoree.
In October, six students from the neuroscience and psychological science majors joined Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Timothy Schoenfeld in Chicago, Illinois, to present independent research at the Society for Neuroscience’s annual meeting. They were joined by nearly 27,000 scientists from across the world sharing their newest research in the neurosciences.
Throughout the week, students and faculty were able to
attend a variety of exciting research lectures and learn about cutting edge
research in the field. A history and modern inventory of neuron communication
at the synapse, a discussion about studying episodic memories in the human
brain, new technologies designed to stimulate the brain in Alzheimer’s patients
and a debate about neuron creation in the adult human brain were a few of the
highlights of the conference.
Many students were able to network with graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty and program directors at poster sessions, socials and graduate school fairs. Throughout the programming, students found renewed interest in Ph.D. programs, desire towards an M.D./Ph.D. program in addition to medical school and clarity in the types of research programs they want to pursue in the future.
Schoenfeld attended a workshop on keeping a research program
at an undergraduate institution, which discussed creative and innovative ways
to apply for grants and conduct research at teaching-focused institutions.
Students Damaris Guevara, MK Parrott and Arielle Manabat presented research at the undergraduate poster session at the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience Social. Guevara, and Parrott presented summer research at Belmont on the effects of acute exercise on memory and depressive behaviors in rats. Manabat presented summer research at Purdue University on toxicity within a Parkinson’s Disease model. Schoenfeld and students Amelia Smith, Kayla Williams and Karina Glushchak presented at the Hippocampal Learning poster sessions later in the week. Schoenfeld presented student research on modeling frustration effects on anxiety in rats. Smith and Williams presented their summer research at Belmont on the effects of ongoing adult neurogenesis on aging and inflammation in the brain. Glushchak presented her honors thesis research on adolescent high-fat diet and sleep deprivation effects on adult memory.
Students and faculty reported excitement from many visitors in regard to their posters about their research and a lot of constructive feedback on how to move forward with each project.
The Department of Chemistry and Physics hosted the third annual Celebrating the Women of Physical Science outreach event on Monday, Nov. 4. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, the theme of the event this year focused on rocket science and science and engineering practices.
Almost 60 students from 13 area high schools attended the event. Some of the highlights of the event included guided lab tours led by Dr. Thom Spence, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics, and Dr. Rachel Rigsby, professor of chemistry, as well as a hands-on physics-engineering design challenge led by Belmont physics and chemistry faculty Drs. Krista McBride, Steve Robinson and Danielle Garrett.
This event – serving to make the physical sciences relatable and accessible to high school students, exposing them to key equipment, materials and skills needed in science and math classrooms – was organized by the Department of Chemistry and Physics STEM Outreach Committee (Garrett, Rigsby and McBride). Garrett, who chairs this committee, was delighted by the positive feedback and continued success of this annual event.
During the afternoon, Rigsby also moderated a career panel where students had the opportunity to interact with professionals from the Middle Tennessee area who have pursued various careers in the physical sciences. Panelists included Dr. Sharon Weiss (Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Engineering/professor of Electrical Engineering, Physics, and Materials Science/director of the Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering), Dr. Hanna Terletska (assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Middle Tennessee State University), Dr. Tiffany Ellis Farmer (director of Learning & Outreach at the Adventure Science Center), Dr. Shelly Crescenzi (assistant professor in the Department of Radiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center), and Belmont alumna Katie Decker (instructor of Upper School Chemistry and director of Design Lab at Christ Presbyterian Academy).
The event ended with Dr. Janica Cheney’s keynote address “Rocket Science is Just Cool.” Cheney is the Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) Propulsion, Structures, Ordnance & Controls (PSOC) Director at Lockheed Martin Space. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin she worked at Orbital ATK, having served in numerous critical roles there, including support to FBM. She held key leadership positions at Orbital ATK, including most recently as senior director for test and research services and, prior to that, director for safety and mission assurance for defense and commercial systems. Prior to entering the defense industry, she was a National Academies Fellow at the Naval Research Laboratory, where she conducted research on semiconductor quantum dots to provide components for quantum computers. Cheney received her Doctor of Philosophy in Physics from the University of Utah.
“We were privileged to have Dr. Cheney as our keynote speaker this year. Her talk was very well received and sparked a great interest in rocket science for both the visiting high school students and the Belmont undergraduates who attended her talk,” Garrett said. “It’s a joy to be part of developing and hosting an event that has such a positive impact on local students. Along with choosing different themes, each year we make modifications to the overall program – working to develop a rich and meaningful experience for the attendees. This year was the first year we incorporated a building challenge. Students worked in small teams to design and test rubber band-powered rovers – working to achieve a design that traveled the farthest along a straight line path.”
She continued, “It’s exciting to watch students work through the engineering design process, using both successes and failures to guide the re-design process. Learning and refining this type of critical and creative thinking is essential to strengthening both the depth and breadth of students’ scientific understanding. I’m also glad to see that this event is motivating Belmont undergraduate students to take a more active role in bringing science to the community. This year, roughly 20 Belmont undergraduate students both from the College of Sciences and Mathematics and from the Belmont undergraduate Women in Science (WIS) student organization were also on hand to help with this event. Without their help, we wouldn’t be able to make such a positive impact on our local schools year after year. Each year this event has been even better than the previous year, and we cannot wait to start exploring and developing new, exciting and engaging ideas for next year.”
With an eye to the future, Belmont University
announced today the launch of an innovative new major designed to take
advantage of an increasingly digital ecosystem around the globe: Social Media Management.
As the world of social media continuously rises and evolves, organizations of all types and in every sector are navigating the ever-changing media landscape and looking for communication strategists to help them maximize their use of social media. Belmont is bridging the gap between the personal and professional use of social media by preparing students for a growing industry with its new major in social media management.
As one of the few institutions in the nation to offer
a traditional bachelor’s degree in this field, Belmont is providing students
with the opportunity to hone their skills and expand their knowledge to become
strategic social media communicators.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, social media specialists might go by various job titles, including digital engagement specialist, social media strategist and online community manager. Indeed currently lists more than 60,000 openings for full-time social media jobs in companies across the country. Onward Search’s 2019 Salary Guide lists social media manager as one of the “19 most in-demand digital creative talent for 2019.” However, with the list including additional jobs such as content strategist, digital project manager or digital strategist, Belmont’s program would prepare students for nine of the 19 most in-demand positions.
Belmont
Provost Dr. Thomas Burns said the new social media management program is
greatly beneficial for students and organizations globally, as this industry
continues to revolutionize society. “By learning to think strategically, solve
problems creatively and communicate purposefully, our students will be equipped
to find success with highly in-demand positions in every sector across the
country,” he said. “As one of the first in the nation to offer this program for
our undergraduates, our students are in a unique position to be competitive and
stand out through real internship experiences in the booming city of Nashville.”
Social Media Management will be offered at Belmont in
the form of both a major and a minor. Through a mix of public relations and
social media courses, students will learn to develop plans for social media to
support communication goals, design and conduct research, create engaging
content, identify and respond to emerging risks and crises and practice
responsible social media management.
The curriculum is designed around five key areas that make up the core of the National Institute for Social Media’s social media strategist certification exam. The five key areas are relationship building and strategic planning, research and analytics, content creation, engagement and community management, leadership, ethics and law.
Program Director Dr. Kevin Trowbridge explained that,
with social media being such a dynamic field, there are not many professional
credentials or standards developed yet. “Our program builds on academic and
professional research, including the criteria used by the National Institute
for Social Media, which administers a certification process for professionals
who understand social media as a powerful platform that can truly affect and shape
society,” he said. “Organizations and businesses are using social media
platforms for more than just marketing and publicity; they’re using it to build
community and look at the effects that social media has on relationships between
people and brands. Our program has been built around many of these
characteristics, but at the heart of it is strategic planning and relationship
building.”
Courses in the program include Social Media & Public Relations, Social Media Content Development, Social Media Measurement & Analytics, Risk & Crisis Management for Social Media and Social Media Planning & Management.
With a focus going beyond technical media training,
Belmont is taking an interdisciplinary approach so students will see and
understand the broader scope of social media as a strategic communication
force. Graduates of the program will be able to work with the media technicians
that create the websites, podcasts or videos to develop content that will have
the greatest impact for achieving strategic purposes. Therefore, social media management
pairs nicely with many other academic programs at Belmont – including
marketing, business, motion pictures, music business, political science and
more – for a minor or second major.
Students studying social media management at Belmont
will be equipped to become digital content creators and strategists who can
manage social media to achieve strategic communication goals for their
organization or clients. With the rise of social media in the professional
world, the opportunity to launch a career in social media is present in every
industry imaginable—from corporate to nonprofit or entertainment to government.
Part of Nashville Design Week, Belmont’s O’More College of Architecture, Art and Design hosted a discussion on November 4, bringing together designers and therapists in an engaging conversation about inclusive design. “Room for All: Designing for Inclusion” panelists were Doug Regen, designer and adjunct professor at Belmont, Dr. Missy Bryan, assistant professor in Belmont’s School of Occupational Therapy, Sunny Rosanbalm, executive director of Tucker’s House (501c3), and Jayme Jacobson, assistant professor of architecture at Belmont.
The panelists discussed the evident and experiential impact that designers have on the built environment. Just as physical and occupational therapists address the specific needs of clients, designers are responsible for making environments that accommodate people, and not environments that exclude people.
As many interior design students were in the room, panelists
encouraged the future professionals to engage with their clients throughout the
entire design process to get a true understanding of how they will use the
space.
Rosanbalm (left) discusses Design for Inclusion with Jaconson (right)
Jacobson said they may never know what challenges someone has.
“Design with and not for. It’s important to get to know
people first hand to better understand their point of view. As designers, we
tend to design based off of our own bias,” she said. “Try to think outside of
your own world view by engaging with those who have different experiences than
you.”
Panelists and audience members discussed real-world examples they have witnessed of particular designs excluding some individuals, such as a media room without a wheelchair lift or a crosswalk button located on the other side of rough gravel that would be near impossible to reach in a wheelchair. As those examples were illustrated from brand new constructions, one audience member commented, “We need to be vocal because Nashville is growing so fast, and we want to be actively creating a space to which we all belong.”
Regen emphasises a point during the “Room for All” panel discussion
Another consideration for design professionals is short-term
versus long-term disabilities and how the disability might change over time.
Rosanbalm had plenty of advice from her job at Tucker’s House, which partners
with the families of children with disabilities by providing the home
renovation and retrofitting services and resources necessary to make their
homes safe and more accessible.
Rosenbalm addressed two common misconceptions about
inclusive design: that it costs more and that it is ugly. “Take curbless
showers, for example. They don’t cost more because you’re actually using less
material, and they are beautiful,” she said. “We have to consider cost all of
the time, but if you design holistically, you can help your clients better
understand how specific features will work for them even better in the long
run.”
Jacobson joined other panelists for the Designing for Inclusion Discussion
Panelists agreed that sustainability has trended in design
recently, and inclusivity can trend in the same way with enough support. They
encouraged the future designers to fight for the resources necessary to fund
inclusive product development and to be creative in their approach to inclusive
designs from the start.
