IMPORTANT NOTE: These are the archived stories for Belmont News & Achievements prior to June 26, 2023. To see current stories, click here.

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Belmont Announces 4th Annual Diversity Week Listing of Events

Hope Buckner
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Belmont Announces 4th Annual Diversity Week Listing of Events

Slate of events to include nationally-known author Austin Channing Brown, a guided tour of Fisk University and a Privilege Walk, among others

Launched in 2015 to celebrate the University’s diversity and inclusion initiatives campus-wide and invite faculty, staff and students to engage in important conversations, Belmont’s fourth annual Diversity Week is scheduled for Monday, October 1 through Friday, October 5. This year’s celebration will include opportunities for members of the Belmont community to engage in important dialogue, hear from nationally-known authors and speakers, experience privilege in a physical way and view “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” among other things.

A complete listing of this year’s events can be found here.

A sampling of this year’s events include:

  • The Power of Diversity: Mark Charles on Monday, October 1 at 10 a.m. in the Janet Ayers Academic Center Chapel: Mark Charles is a Navajo Christian Community Development leader who engages the complexities of American history regarding race, culture and faith in order to help forge a path of healing and biblical reconciliation.
  • Global Engagement Study Abroad & International Missions Fair on Monday, October 1 at 10 a.m. in the Maddox Grand Atrium
  • The Auxiliary Partners Luncheon on Tuesday, October 2 at 11:30 a.m. in the Maddoc Grand Atrium: Director of Bridges to Belmont and the Office of Multicultural Learning and Experiences Dr. Mary Clark will be this year’s featured speaker as she discusses gender in the workforce and strategies that can be adopted to further the talent pipeline. The Auxiliary Partners exist to provide Belmont students with scholastic support and the event’s $40 ticket covers both lunch and a donation to the scholarship. Register here.
  • Real Talks (for Students) on Tuesday, October 2 at 5 p.m. in the Johnson Center, Room 422: This event will provide an opportunity for student participants to engage in a ‘real talk’ regarding diversity and inclusion efforts on Belmont’s campus and offers the chance to discuss important issues honestly and authentically.
  • I’m Still Here, Austin Channing Brown on Wednesday, October 3 at 10 a.m. in the Chapel and 3 p.m. in McWhorter Hall, Room 110: Austin Channing Brown’s book, “I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness,” is a Publisher’s Weekly “must-read” for its exploration of racial justice, faith and black womanhood. Austin has an MSW and served as Multicultural Liaison at Calvin College.
  • Fisk University Guided Walking Tour on Wednesday, October 3 at 1 p.m. on Fisk’s Campus: Join us for a visit to Fisk University, a historically black university and the oldest higher education institution in Nashville. Fisk has a rich history, both for its work in the Civil Rights movement and for the contributions of its alumni, from W.E.B. DuBois in the 1880s to contemporary poet and author Nikki Giovanni and US Representative John Lewis.  Our visit to Fisk will include a campus tour of Fisk’s Van Vechten gallery, which include works from Cezanne, Picasso, O’Keefe, and as well as examples of African, Oceanic and Asian art. RSVP here.
  • Privilege Walk, Walking Towards Awareness, Equity and Action on Thursday, October 4 at 5 p.m. on the Lawn between the Baskin and Johnson Centers: This event provides a unique opportunity for students, faculty and staff to better understand their privilege, and the privilege of the Belmont community, in a physical way. Afterwards, trained facilitators will provide a debrief experience for all participants. RSVP here.
  • A Discussion on Race & Sports with Andrew Maraniss on Friday, October 5 at 10 a.m. in Beaman A&B: Andrew Maraniss will be on campus to discuss race and sports. Maraniss is the author of The New York Times bestselling book “Strong Inside,” the untold story of Perry Wallace who enrolled at Vanderbilt University in 1966 and became the first African-American basketball player in the Southeastern Conference. “Strong Inside” is not just the story of a trailblazing athlete, but of civil rights, race in America, a campus in transition during the tumultuous 1960s, the mental toll of pioneering, decades of ostracism and eventual reconciliation and healing.
  • Juvenile Injustice, Judge Sheila Calloway on Friday, October 5 at 10 a.m. in the Chapel: Judge Sheila Calloway was elected Juvenile Court Judge in 2014. She helps lead the Disproportionate Minority Task Force as an advocate for at-risk children and youth and teaches on the undergraduate and graduate levels at both Vanderbilt and American Baptist College.
  • “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” Screening on Friday, October 5 at 9 p.m. in the Johnson Center Theatre: The film is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Morgan Neville about the life and guiding philosophy of Fred Rogers, the host and creator of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

Diversity Week is part of the University’s overarching diversity and inclusion initiative, The Belmont State of Mind. For more information, click here. 

Tarr Authors New Audio Textbook

Hope Buckner
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Tarr Authors New Audio Textbook

Tarr's faculty headshotDr. Eric Tarr, assistant professor of audio engineering technology, recently authored a textbook published by the Audio Engineering Society and Focal Press, a division of Taylor & Francis. The book is titled, Hack Audio: An Introduction to Computer Programming and Digital Signal Processing in MATLAB and incorporates materials from his undergraduate and graduate classes taught at Belmont.

Hobson Published in Article Describing the Collection of Artifacts from Matto Grosso Expedition

Staff Writer
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Hobson Published in Article Describing the Collection of Artifacts from Matto Grosso Expedition

Eric Hobson Headshot

Dr. Eric Hobson, professor of English, previously facilitated the donation of historical records from the Matto Grosso Expedition to Penn Museum and was recently featured in an article published on the museum’s website. He discovered the records after reaching out to Hans F. Due Jr., son of Hans F. Due who was a pilot in the expedition.

After understanding his unique collection of items, Hobson directed Due, Jr. to Penn Museum. Once visiting the museum, Due, Jr. donated documents and materials from the expedition including a map with flight patterns, letters from Pan American Airlines/Panair, a list of supplies taken on the plane, the Engine Handbook, a telegraph key, photographs taken by Due, Sr. and three letters to Due Sr. from financial backer on the expedition, Fenimore Johnson.

The Matto Grosso Expedition was a zoological and ethnographic expedition over the Matto (now Mato) Grosso plateau of western Brazil. Due, Jr. was assigned to Flight Operator to the NC146M for four months in 1931. This expedition was based in Desclavados, Matto Grosso, about one thousand miles from Rio de Janeiro.

Dr. Hobson will be releasing a book on the expedition soon, but in the meantime, he will be discussing the Matto Grosso Expedition and Brazilian General Candido Rondon in an upcoming issue of Expedition, the Penn Museum’s member magazine.

Top 10 Again! Belmont Continues Consistent Performance in Annual U.S. News College Rankings

April Hefner
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Top 10 Again! Belmont Continues Consistent Performance in Annual U.S. News College Rankings

University scores accolades for innovation, teaching, veteran support and more

For the 10th consecutive year, Belmont University has again achieved a Top 10 regional ranking with today’s release of U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 edition of America’s Best Colleges. This year Belmont landed at No. 6 in the South region where the University remains the highest ranked in Tennessee in the category. In the publication released today, Belmont also appears as the only Tennessee institution from any category noted as being a “Most Innovative School,” landing on the list for the 11th year in a row due to the University’s ongoing commitment to “making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities.”

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “Great universities don’t just happen. They are built through the dedication of faculty, staff and supporters who devote time and energy to creating challenging academics, state-of-the-art facilities, a welcoming environment and pioneering approaches to education. Belmont’s consistent presence near the top of its category, along with 11 straight years of being recognized for innovation, indicate we are fulfilling our mission to equip students to transform their communities and the world at large.”

Moreover, Belmont won the praise of its peers as it was included on a number of additional U.S. News lists that rate institutions on areas critical to student opportunities and success:

    • Strong Commitment to Undergraduate Teaching (No. 4 in the South): The strong commitment to undergraduate teaching ranking is determined via a survey of peer institutions, who cite their fellow institutions who best reflect that quality.
    • Best Colleges for Veterans (No. 4 in the South): To be included, institutions must be ranked in the top half of their overall category, be certified for the GI Bill and participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program with 20 or more veterans/active service members enrolled.
    • Best Value (one of only 66 institutions recognized in the Southern region): The listing takes into account a school’s academic quality and net cost of attendance for a student who received the average level of need-based financial aid. The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal.
    • Top Undergraduate Business Programs: Each year, U.S. News ranks only those undergraduate business programs that have achieved accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Belmont is ranked in the top half of all schools nationally and is the top private business program in Tennessee.
    • Most Innovative School (one of only 19 recognized in the South)

    Maintaining its momentum for growth and innovation, Belmont began the Fall 2018 semester with a series of significant announcements, including:

    The U.S. News analysis places Belmont in a premier position among the 165 public and private institutions included in the South region, an area that covers Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre Named Among Top Ten in Nation

Staff Writer
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Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre Named Among Top Ten in Nation

Belmont University’s musical theatre program was recently named among the top 10 in the nation, according to OnStage Blog. Ranked at No. 5, Belmont’s Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre was included because of a variety of criteria including performance opportunities. The Bachelor of Music is set apart from a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree for musical theatre because students are required to take more music focused courses, according to OnStage Blog. Classes include conducting, piano and more extensive study of music theory, all of which Belmont offers.

The ranking’s story included mention of Belmont’s annual New York trip taken during Fall Break. While traveling, students have the opportunity to see shows, attend a master class and meet with alumni at a networking event. Students also have the opportunity to focus on the business side of musical theatre.

Belmont musical theatre has a variety of alumni and former students who have starred on Broadway or in traveling shows. Alumni include Ben Laxton (’11) in “The Book of Mormon” on Broadway, Rebecca Covington (’05) in “Beautiful: A Carol King Musical” on Broadway, Katie Ladner (’13) in “Wicked” on Broadway, Deonte Warren (’10) in “Aladdin” on Broadway, Candace Quarrels (’17) in “Hamilton” in Chicago and Lissa de Guzman (’16) in “Aladdin” National Tour. Notable former students include Chris Lee who starred as Lafeyette/Jefferson in “Hamilton” in Chicago and has appeared on the hit television show “Empire.”

Belmont Legal Aid Society Wins Statewide Video Contest

April Hefner
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Belmont Legal Aid Society Wins Statewide Video Contest

The Belmont Legal Aid Society won the 2018 Access to Justice (ATJ) Commission Law Student Video Contest, which was focused on “Why Pro Bono Matters.” The Access to Justice initiative is the top strategic priority of the Tennessee Supreme Court, and the ATJ Commission sponsored a video contest for Tennessee law students to increase participation in pro bono work as well as to raise awareness of pro bono efforts, programs and providers throughout Tennessee.

Under the leadership of Associate Professor of Law Elizabeth Usman, current third-year law student Curtis Campbell and 2018 graduates Elizabeth Robinson Patton and Alix Rogers created the winning video. The winners used the prize money to fund summer stipends so other law students can engage in pro bono work.

Bulla, Mayo Win Audio Engineering Convention Paper Award

April Hefner
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Bulla, Mayo Win Audio Engineering Convention Paper Award

Bulla-Mayo AES awardProfessor of Audio Engineering Technology Dr. Wesley Bulla and Paul Mayo, MS Audio Engineering graduate, are the winners of the Audio Engineering Society’s 145th Convention Paper Award for their work titled, “The Effect of Pinnae Cues on Lead-Signal Localization in Elevated, Lowered, and Diagonal Speaker Configurations.” They will receive their award during the Opening Ceremonies of the convention in New York on October 17.

Caterpillar Financial Hosts Belmont Alumni Event, Donates to Massey College of Business

April Hefner
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Caterpillar Financial Hosts Belmont Alumni Event, Donates to Massey College of Business

A gathering of Belmont alumni was recently held at Caterpillar Financial, and during the event Belmont was presented a check for $10,000 from the Caterpillar Financial Contribution Fund to benefit the Jack C. Massey College of Business. The money will be used for a seminar on Global Career Readiness in the Spring co-hosted by the Center for International Business and the Massey College of Business Career Development Center.

Cat Financial Alumni Event, August 23, 2018.Headquartered in Nashville, the finance and extended protection solutions company employs more than 75 graduates from the Massey College of Business. With approximately 1,000 employees in the West End Avenue building, Belmont graduates represent nearly eight percent of the workforce.

Brandon Harwood, a 2015 business administration graduate, currently serves as a credit analyst at Caterpillar Financial. “My position requires me to analyze credit data and financial statements of individuals or firms to determine whether or not to lend money and the terms to which we do so. The Massey College of Business prepared me for my current position by providing me with the knowledge to think critically and work with other individuals or teams to accomplish tasks. The challenging curriculum and excellent faculty provided me the opportunities to be successful and a degree from Belmont comes with a reputation of individuals being prepared to solve problems, work in teams and lead by example no matter what the position may be.”

2015 accounting graduate Erin Connors is a sales representative for Cat Financial, assisting the network of Caterpillar dealerships and the financial sales teams in the Southwest and Pacific Southwest with providing quotes on financial products as well as service requests. “My education at Belmont taught me how to think globally and look at business issues more realistically. The College of Business does a great job about using real world examples to help make concepts stick and that has been invaluable in transitioning from academia to the corporate world. I think my most impactful class at Belmont was Business Ethics with Dr. [Barry] Padgett. That class taught me to think very objectively and be able to better understand and be comfortable with the gray area that is business. It also helped me to understand what values I was looking for in an employer. Because of that, I feel like I chose a very ethically responsible employer to work for that truly stands by their values in action and aligns with my own personal values as well.”

Caterpillar Financial has been recruiting on campus since 2000 for their internship and management training program. Corporate Syndications Manager Colin Martin has been a part of the company’s Belmont recruiting team since 2011, conducting the on-campus interviews for the company’s Management Trainee program and intern candidates. He said, “I’m always amazed at the leadership opportunities Belmont provides it students either through class projects, clubs, social responsibility or Enactus. The students are always so prepared for our on-campus interviews and can highlight many leadership examples. They compare well against other universities when we bring them to our facility for final interviews. I would encourage all students to take advantage of the opportunities that Belmont provides because companies are looking for future leaders.”

Simmons Nonprofit Work Gets Support from Elected Officials

Staff Writer
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Simmons Nonprofit Work Gets Support from Elected Officials

Lakisha Simmons PREFERREDDr. Lakisha Simmons, associate professor of management information systems, was previously featured in the Tennessean for her nonprofit work as founder of the Period Project. The project, created by Simmons to gather feminine supplies for disadvantaged girls, has now gained support from elected officials Rep. Brenda Gilmore and her daughter Metro Councilwoman Erica Gilmore.

Through the Period Project, donated feminine care supplies will be given to schools in the Metro-Nashville area to hand out to girls in need. Young girls struggle to stay in school during their menstrual cycles, so the supplies Simmons is collecting and donating will allow them to continue learning without missing classes.

The Gilmore’s have helped Simmons launch the Nashville Period Project Challenge and are encouraging community members to gather donations. The drive will take place through the month of September culminating September 29 with an End of Challenge Community Celebration.

Those who wish to participate in the challenge are encouraged to host a drive and collect feminine care products. Donated supplies will be distributed throughout the Metro Nashville Public Schools Community Achieves Program.

Recent Physical Therapy Graduate Completes Unique Clinical Experience in Hippotherapy

Hope Buckner
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Recent Physical Therapy Graduate Completes Unique Clinical Experience in Hippotherapy

Recent graduate of Belmont’s physical therapy program Barbara Parks recently completed a unique clinical experience. With a life-long love for horses, Parks began volunteering at a PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) International Premier Accredited Center after finishing her undergraduate degree. It was that opportunity that sparked her interest in physical therapy.

“I went there to be around the horses, but once I started to get to know the kids and saw the incredible impact the horses had on them, I was hooked,” she said. “I saw children speak their first words and take their first steps after hippotherapy sessions. Hippotherapy is what made me decide to go back to school to become a physical therapist.”

Parks has been volunteering at Saddle Up!, a local hippotherapy facility, since she started PT school at Belmont. Hippotherapy is physical, occupational or speech therapy utilizing the movement of the horse as a treatment strategy. She completed her PATH therapeutic riding instructor training at Saddle Up! and worked as a substitute instructor during her 3rd year at Belmont. Thanks to Associate Professor of Physical Therapy & Director of Clinical Education Gail Bursch, a unique clinical experience was created for Parks to follow her dream.

Knowing she wanted a clinical experience in hippotherapy, Parks partnered with Bursch to create an opportunity that would fulfill the requirements of a PT clinical site. Since Saddle Up! does not currently provide PT every day, Parks split her time between the organization and a second facility.

“I absolutely love Saddle Up! so I was thrilled to be able to do my final clinical rotation here,” Parks said. “PT with hippotherapy is a totally different beast because you are not only working with your client, but you have a horse, horse handler and multiple volunteers to worry about simultaneously.”

In addition to working alongside children, Parks was able to focus her attention on learning how to rehabilitate her horses, too. While at Belmont, she discovered the Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner program offered through the veterinary school at UT Knoxville which certifies physical therapists and assistants, veterinarians and veterinarian technicians to apply PT principles to horses. The course consisted of a 60-hour online portion and a week-long, in-person lab at UT Knoxville’s campus.

This year, only 20 professionals will earn the Equine Rehabilitation Certification, and Parks said she is thrilled to be among the ranks. “I hope to be able to apply what I know to help the therapy horses that we rely on so heavily for hippotherapy,” she said. “A lot of people don’t realize what a hard job this is for them physically, but we need these horses to balance unsteady riders while maintaining a steady rhythm, adjust their stride length on command, bend their bodies nicely along circles and be incredibly tolerant of all the crazy things we ask our clients to do on their backs.”

Thanks to her time on site, Parks will be joining the Saddle Up! team this fall as a physical therapist.

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