The Entrepreneurship honor society, Sigma Nu Tau, recently held its 2019 induction ceremony in which 29 new members were inducted. The new inductees include students, both graduate and undergraduate, as well as community members involved in entrepreneurship.
Sigma Nu Tau was brought to Belmont’s campus in 2011 as the third chapter for the national honor society. Since then, more than 300 members have been inducted into this organization that focuses on encouraging academic entrepreneurship and the practice of principled entrepreneurship.
In addition to the 24 students inducted, five community members were also honored at the ceremony. The honorary member inducted this year was Sean Hanson, founder of BUD Ministries, a ministry for college-aged men. Other community members inducted include Belmont Entrepreneur in Residence Victoria Kopyar and Sharon Reynolds, founder of DevMar Products, LLC that distributes environmentally friendly commercial cleaning products.
Two Massey Graduate School of Business alumni were also inducted. Chris Taylor received his MBA from Belmont and is an investor in JumpStart Holdings and a franchisee owner of MassageEnvy. An alumna who also received her MBA from Belmont, Sarah Hadsor Worley, was also inducted. Worley is the founder, co-owner and operator of Nashville fan favorite Biscuit Love restaurant.
“This year’s inductees represent another talented group of aspiring and accomplished individuals engaged in principled entrepreneurial pursuits,” said Sigma Nu Tau faculty adviser, Dr. Mark Schenkel. “With this year’s 29 inductees, Belmont’s Sigma Nu Community is now over 300 strong and will undoubtedly have a transformational impact through their efforts in the years to come.”
James Archer, president/CEO of Nashville-based MV2 Entertainment, and his wife Lois announced today the creation of a $10 million endowment at Belmont University, resulting in a renaming of the University’s prestigious Presidential Scholars program. The Archers’ gift recognizes Belmont’s longstanding institutional commitment to being a values-based organization which includes a pledge to ongoing excellence and values-based leadership development within the University community.
Belmont University
President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “I am so grateful to James
and Lois for investing their time, energy and resources into Belmont University
over the past several years. This new gift is not only extremely generous, but
it also demonstrates the Archers’ commitment to the importance of values-based
leadership at every level of an organization. These funds will serve to empower
students and promote continued efforts across campus to foster the values and
leadership the Archers exemplify.”
The Presidential
Scholarship, now to be known as the Archer Presidential Scholarship, is
Belmont’s most competitive scholarship, providing full tuition, room, board,
books and fees for four academic years (eight semesters) of continuous study.
Selection criteria include a review of academic and leadership accomplishments
along with a minimum composite score of 30 on the ACT or SAT score of 1390.
Recipients are chosen with values and leadership in mind, and they apply those
skills throughout their experience at Belmont. The Archer Scholars meet often
during their time on campus to hear from a variety of speakers, and each
recipient is paired for four years with a mentor from Belmont’s Senior
Leadership team.
James Archer
added, “From Texas oil fields to the Nashville music industry to higher
education, the common thread running through everything I do is values-based
leadership centered on a four core values: ethics, commitment, excellence and
innovation. It’s always about doing the right thing for all of your
stakeholders. My time to date at Belmont has shown me this University shares
those values, and Lois and I are honored to further support their efforts in
promoting values-based leadership to Belmont’s students, faculty and staff.”
As announced with the
university’s We Believe Campaign unveiling,
Belmont is partnering with its supporters to leverage their investments in the
institution’s future. The University will match endowment contributions to
select institutional priorities, doubling the impact of each donor’s
commitment. The Archers $5 million gift is being matched by Belmont to create a
$10 million endowed fund to support the Archer Presidential Scholars program
and ongoing values-based leadership development across the University campus.
The James B. and Lois
R. Archer Charitable Foundation also serves as the presenting sponsor
for The
Gallery of Iconic Guitars (The GIG), providing support to undergird
the museum’s operation, special projects and educational programming.
Beyond his work at MV2 Entertainment, Archer has more than 40 years of experience in the oil and gas business and serves as CEO and president of Texas-based oil and gas operator KJ Energy. Recognized as a leader in technology for gas enhancement, Archer founded Multi-Chem and under his leadership grew his company into the third largest specialty production chemical company globally and successfully sold to Halliburton in 2011. A long time music fan, Archer was convinced he could make a difference in music the same way he had in oil, by incorporating values and ethics into the product and the process of doing business. True to that philosophy, MV2 Entertainment was founded in 2015 with the moniker standing for “Mission Vision Values,” shorthand for doing the right thing.
Belmont Law Dean Alberto Gonzales visited Notre Dame Law School April 8 and spoke about a wide variety of topics — from his upbringing in Humble, Texas, to his work in President George W. Bush’s administration.
“I encourage all of you to pursue public service, but go into it with your eyes open and your armor on,” Gonzales told the law students. “The higher you go, the more influential or powerful you are perceived to be, the more you are going to be criticized… But it’s worth it. I wouldn’t trade it for a second.”
Professor Bill Kelley, who served in the White House as deputy counsel to the president from 2005 to 2007, led the discussion.
The Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business hosted its annual “All the Things You Can Do with a Law Degree” program for Curb College students. This year’s panel included an impressive roster of legal experts including Rick Marshall, Warner Music Group; Judge Richard Dinkins, Court of Appeals; Molly Shehan, Milom Horsnell Crow Kelley Beckett Shehan; and Linda Edell Howard, Adams & Reese. The program was moderated by Curb College Associate Dean Cheryl Slay Carr, who developed the program to inspire students to think creatively about contemplating legal careers. Assistant Professor Amy Smith coordinates the program and provides information about it to students, particularly music business majors who choose the legal studies emphasis, though the convocation is open to all interested Belmont students.
Cheryl Slay Carr, associate dean of the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, presented “The Women of Music Row and The Nashville Music Industry” at Balancing the Mix, an International Conference on Popular Music and Social Justice, at The University of Memphis. Carr, who was featured as a spotlight panelist for the conference, received a research grant to study the topic and presented goals and implications for the study.
Belmont Philosophy students presented papers at the Pacific
University Undergraduate Philosophy Conference held in Forest Grove, Oregon,
April 5-6. Emily Hunt presented her work “To Revolt Against the Nothingness.”
Charlie McDonald read “The They Self: A Phenomenological Description of
Inauthenticity in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.” And Kevin Kozik
presented “On the Importance of Embodiment—or, Why the Experience Machine is
Suicide.”
Drs. Joel Overall and Jason Lovvorn, faculty members in Belmont’s English Department, participated in the Peck Research on Writing Symposium, held at Middle Tennessee State University on April 5. The symposium featured Dr. Laura Micciche, professor of Rhetoric and Composition at the University of Cincinnati, who presented her new research study focused on the mundane realities of writing instruction. Drs. Overall and Lovvorn participated in a subsequent workshop exploring writing partnerships alongside the ordinary conditions of writing and teaching—elements that both help and hinder those who regularly engage these activities.
The Belmont University Scholarship and Awards Day is a special day honoring faculty and students who have achieved success in their educational endeavors. The 2019 ceremony, held on April 10, began with welcoming remarks from Belmont University President Dr. Bob Fisher. After speaking to the importance of the day and thanking family members for attending, Provost Dr. Thomas Burns took over and honored students who made the dean’s list for fall 2018 and retired faculty.
Before the awards were presented, Dr. Vaughn May, professor of political science and recipient of the 2017-2018 Chaney Distinguished Professor Award, gave the Honors Address speaking to the intellectual curiosity of students at Belmont. He also commented on the community fostered by faculty, staff and students at Belmont. “We are all blessed to be a part of this community,” said May.
The highly anticipated John Williams Heart of Belmont Award is awarded each year to a student who demonstrates a variety of Belmont’s values and commitment to service. The award looks specifically at a student who excels in problem solving abilities, advocacy for change that enhances lives of the people in the community and understanding the needs of the community while building relationships with them. This years Heart of Belmont Award was given to Marcie Bulla, a senior biology major. Bulla founded the organization Belmont Medical Brigades that goes on mission trips to serve communities around the world. Nominating faculty said that Bulla “displays a heart of service” and that she “truly thrives when she is serving others.”
Dr. Jimmy Davis receives Chaney Distinguished Professor Award from Provost Burns.
Other anticipated awards include those honoring Belmont faculty for their commitment to the university, its mission and their students. The Chaney Distinguished Professor Award recognizes a faculty member who represents the vision of the university and is determined on the basis of superior teaching in the classroom. The Chaney Distinguished Professor Award for 2018-2019 was awarded to Dr. Jimmy Davis, professor of communication studies. Davis has served Belmont since 1987 in a variety of capacities, including as professor for more than 15 years. Students attest that Davis and his classes are “always entertaining and challenging” while showing that he is an “extraordinarily dedicated teacher… who challenges his students.”
Amy Hodges-Hamilton (English) wins Presidential Award at Scholarship and Awards Day at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, April 10, 2019.
The Presidential Faculty Achievement Award honors a faculty member who has made outstanding contributions to their students lives, both inside and outside of the classroom. The recipient of this year’s award was Dr. Amy Hodges Hamilton, professor of English. Hodges Hamilton is involved not only on Belmont’s campus but also in the Nashville community and regularly encourages her students to get involved alongside her. Students praise Hodges Hamilton as a professor saying she “takes pride in getting to know each of her students” and that “she embodies the phrase: ‘When you learn, teach. When you get, give.'”
Other awards presented include:
The Williams-Murray First Year Writing Award: Anna Thompson and Mary Frances White.
The Alfred Leland Crabb Award, Creative: Sydney Queen.
The Alfred Leland Crabb Award, Research/Analytical: Sophie Lasher.
The Stacy Awalt Writing Award:Peyton Harrington.
The Annette Sisson First Year Seminar Award: Caitlyn Kimiko Ferral.
The Lumos Travel Award: Christopher Hansen, traveling to Haiti, Rebekah McKerley, traveling to Uganda, Jessica Molloy, traveling to the Dominican Republic, Kathryn Wurm, traveling to India, Jordan Dunn, traveling to Nepal.
The Dr. Fannie Hewlett Award, Undergraduate: LeAndrea Wallace.
The Dr. Fannie Hewlett Award, Graduate:Caleb Darensbourg.
The University Hale Leadership Award, First Year: Zachary William Kurtz, history major.
The University Hale Leadership Award, Second Year: Haleema Shamsuddin, Honors, biochemistry and molecular biology major.
The University Hale Leadership Award, Third Year: Madalyn Nicole Vanarthos, music therapy major.
The University Hale Leadership Award, Fourth Year: Mary Barber, Presidential Scholar, chemistry major.
The Christian Scholarship Award: Dr. Bonnie Smith Whitehouse, Director of the Honors Program and professor of English.
The Leadership in Christian Service Award: Dr. Mona Ivey-Soto, assistant professor of education.
The Scholarship Award: Dr. Mark Schenkel, professor of entrepreneurship.
Dr. Bob Fisher, president of Belmont University, was announced last weekend as this year’s recipient of the Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence, and the presentation was made at the beginning of the Best of the Best showcase held on Be Belmont Day.
Doug Howard, dean of Belmont’s Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, said, “With the combined leadership and commitment of Dr. Fisher, the University Trustees and Senior Leaders, the Curb College has grown into one of the most respected music business and entertainment colleges in the nation. The Mulloy Award is the highest award given by the Curb College and serves as a sincere and heartfelt way of saying thank you from every Curb student and graduate, and from every faculty and staff member.”
The Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence is a Curb College tradition that preserves and honors the memory of Bob Mulloy, the founder of the music business and entertainment programs in the Curb College. The Mulloy Award seeks to highlight and honor an individual or an organization who has had an important impact on the entertainment industry, and in addition, has displayed notable service to Belmont University and to Nashville.
Past honorees include legendary music publisher Donna Hilley, Grammy award winning artist and Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill, Curb Records/Publishing owner Mike Curb, Sony/ATV Music Publishing president Troy Tomlinson, Grammy winning writer/producer Gordon Kennedy, Grammy and Academy of Country Music award winning engineer/producer Chuck Ainlay and organizations that include The International Entertainment Buyer’s Association, Clair Global and Bandit Lights.
Doctor of Nursing Practice students Rebecca Carden and Jennifer Scanlon attended the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Student Policy Summit March 23-25. The three-day conference held in Washington, D.C. immerses students in didactic program sessions focused on the federal policy process and nursing’s role in professional advocacy. On Monday, students joined a delegation of nursing deans and directors from Tennessee, led by Associate Dean of Nursing Dr. Martha Buckner, to visit the senate office staff of both Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Marsha Blackburn. Senator Alexander was able to join the group to discuss the importance of funding for nursing education and workforce initiatives.
