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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Giordano Published in Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science Journal with Students

Hope Buckner
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Giordano Published in Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science Journal with Students

Peter Giordano HeadshotDr. Pete Giordano, Psychological Science, has published an article with two psychology majors, Eason Taylor and Hannah Branthwaite, titled “Personality Process-Structure Duality: Reply to Two Commentaries.” The article appears in Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, a journal that features articles that cover theoretical integration of ideas, epistemology of social and biological sciences and original empirical research articles of general scientific value.

You can access an abstract of the article here.

Belmont Sends Thousands of New Bruins into Nashville for Service

Hope Buckner
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Belmont Sends Thousands of New Bruins into Nashville for Service

The beginning of a new school year looks different each year. It can include moving into a new dorm room, wayfinding through campus or scoping out the best spots for future study sessions. For more than 2,000 Belmont University freshmen and transfer students, this year’s new school year included all these things and a special opportunity to serve their community.

Group of Belmont students and Nashville General Hospital employees pose for group photo before working on service projects in the hospital.
Students volunteer at Nashville General Hospital at Meharry 

In the days leading up to the start of classes, Belmont freshman and transfer students are immersed into university life through the Towering Traditions orientation program including an afternoon traveling to 26 locations across the greater Nashville area for service. The event, called SERVE, allows students to immerse themselves in their new hometown.

After a send-off from University President Dr. Bob Fisher, Nashville’s Mayor David Briley was welcomed to the stage to inspire students as they went off into the community to complete various service projects. Loaded on buses, students visited Nashville General Hospital at Meharry, Sweet Sleep at Nashville First Baptist Church and Rise Against Hunger, among others, and spent the afternoon painting buildings and sidewalks, cleaning up outdoor areas and building beds.

Freshman audio engineering technology major Eli German was busy building 25 bed frames with a group of 15 other student volunteers. The bed frames were constructed for Sweet Sleep to give to children coming out of homelessness in the Middle Tennessee area. “We got a warm welcome from Nashville First Baptist Church and Sweet Sleep, a mini construction lesson and went right to work,” German said. “It is nice to know how we are affecting the community and feels good to have a direct impact. We get to see our work go right back in to the Middle Tennessee area.”

Belmont students use tools to build wooden bed frame for Sweet Sleep at Nashville First Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee.
Freshman German (center) and other Belmont students build bed frames for Sweet Sleep at Nashville First Baptist Church

Service is a key part of Belmont’s values and is why SERVE continues to be an integral part of students first experiences on campus. Throughout their time across the city, students were encouraged to be engage with each other and understand the impact this one afternoon has on Nashville’s community.

SERVE doesn’t just stop at Belmont’s newest undergraduate students, new graduate students also take part in the day of service. Belmont University’s graduate nursing students spent their afternoon at Project C.U.R.E completing a variety of tasks. Project C.U.R.E. sends medical supplies around the world to communities in need. Belmont graduate students worked hard to break down 26 pallets of medical supplies, pack and label $27,500 worth of infusion products and pack equipment for ultrasound machines and fetal monitors, among a variety of other tasks. Graduate students were also able to hear from a Project C.U.R.E. needs assessment representative to understand how their work would affect different communities.

Included in the graduate SERVE participation was first year physical therapy students. The 49 students and two faculty spent the day at Feed the Children where they helped pack boxes of food for people in need in the area. “This was a great opportunity for the students to get to know one another on their first day at Belmont and to be able start their time at Belmont with serving their new community,” said Physical Therapy Department Chair Dr. Renee Brown.

Freshman and fellow SERVE participant Mallory Wallace was enthusiastic about getting the chance to immerse herself into Nashville’s community in this special way. “Most other schools don’t do this, so it’s nice to see that there is such an emphasis on community at Belmont,” said Wallace. “I’m excited to be part of a school that has this focus and can help me find places to volunteer.”

Belmont University Announces Newest Building Project, World-Class Performing Arts Center

Hope Buckner
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Belmont University Announces Newest Building Project, World-Class Performing Arts Center

1,700-seat multi-purpose facility to be the ‘finest music performance hall on any college campus in the world’

Committed to providing students with access to stages that rival some of the world’s finest, Belmont University announced today a state-of-the-art performing arts center on Belmont Boulevard. The Belmont University Performing Arts Center will house a 1,700-seat multi-purpose theatre, a grand lobby and two contiguous event spaces that can hold more than 900 guests when combined with the lobby. The venue, which will be located between Bernard and Compton Avenue on Belmont Boulevard, is slated to open fall 2021.

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “Our goal is to build the finest music performance hall on any college campus in the world, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I have dreamed of the creation of this facility since I first came to Belmont in 2000. Along with the Massey Performing Arts Center, Troutt Theater and McAfee Concert Hall, the addition of this venue completes our campus’s performance facilities, creating the most extensive suite of venues of any other institution of higher education.”

Board Chairman Marty Dickens said, “Our students are just the best, and they deserve the very best.”

Outfitted for both acoustic and amplified sound, the Center’s Performance Hall, referred to as an instrument of its own kind, will adapt to the performances it hosts. Classical concerts, operas, musical theatre performances, theatre productions, dance recitals, commercial showcases and more will be held in the Center’s Performance Hall to accommodate the diverse musical interests and talents of Belmont students. The facility will include a full fly space, wing space, orchestra pit, two forestage lifts, a trap room under the stage and television broadcast capabilities.

In addition to its on-stage features, the facility will have a warm-up room for dance or choral use, various sized dressing rooms, a green room, a scene dock, a loading dock and a green roof to assist with water quality filtration, among other sustainable components as the project will pursue LEED certification.

Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns said, “As we prepare the next generation of musical greats, we must ensure that our students are exposed to some of the world’s best venues. With the creation of this impressive complex, our students will have access to one of the finest. This new performing arts center will serve as an extraordinary training ground, both onstage and backstage, for students in our Colleges of Music & Performing Arts and Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business.”

Nashville-based R.C. Mathews is the contractor, and ESa is the architect for the project.

Alumnus Carlton Anderson Signs with Morris Higham Management

Staff Writer
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Alumnus Carlton Anderson Signs with Morris Higham Management

Singer/songwirter and Belmont University graduate Carlton Anderson recently signed with Morris Higham Management for global representation. This announcement comes following the release of his debut single “Drop Everything.”

“I have worked my whole life to be in a position like this and to have years of hard work be noticed by such a prestigious company means more than I can I say,” Anderson says. “I’ve been told a long time that my music is ‘too country’ so I’m truly grateful to have a team at Morris Higham that understands who I am as a person and supports my visions as an artist and songwriter.”

“Carlton is one of the rare young artists who understands why country music matters, and he makes it as compelling and as current as anything on radio,” said Clint Higham, president of Morris Higham Management. “When you find an artist who’s so grounded in the roots, who can sing, write and connect with fans across ages, places and everything that country music now contains, that’s like finding a unicorn.”

Higham added, “When you find an artist like that, and they have a work ethic that matches the team at Morris Higham, that’s when special things happen. Everyone here believes in his music, and there’s no young artist I’ve seen like this.”

A graduate of Belmont University’s Curb College music business program, Anderson joined ASCAP and later signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music. Morris Higham Management represents Kenny Chesney, Ryan Griffin, Brandon Lay, Old Dominion, Michael Ray, and Walker County. Higham is also an alumnus of Belmont University.

—Story by Claire Anderson, Class of 2019

Occupational Therapy Students Participate in Vanderbilt Consortium LEND

Hope Buckner
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Occupational Therapy Students Participate in Vanderbilt Consortium LEND

Third year Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) students Taylor Johnson Jones and Mariah Horton were accepted as long-term trainees in the Vanderbilt Consortium LEND. Chair of the School of Occupational Therapy and LEND Core Faculty Member Dr. Lorry Liotta-Kleinfeld will serve as the student’s faulty advisor.

Both Johnson and Horton successfully completed the OTD LEND Independent Study class and engaged in a number of service, clinical and research activities in pediatrics. As Long-term Trainees, they will receive a stipend of $7,500 contingent on their successful participation in 300 hours or more of LEND activities. These activities focus on foundational concepts in the field of neurodevelopmental disabilities including the clinical, education, ethical, public health, legal, public policy and social implications of specific neurodevelopmental disabilities.

At its core, the LEND traineeship is interprofessional in nature and students will participate in leadership, advocacy and training activities with families and individuals from diverse professions. They will assist in developing and leading an interprofessional workshop this fall and next spring on topics pertaining to best-practice, current issues in pediatric practice, as well as patient- and family-centered care.

Belmont Faculty Participate in Annual Lilly Conference

Hope Buckner
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Belmont Faculty Participate in Annual Lilly Conference

A group of interdisciplinary Belmont faculty recently attended and presented at the Innovative Strategies to Advance Student Learning Conference, hosted by the Lilly Foundation, recently held in Asheville, North Carolina.

Presenting faculty members included:

  • Associate Professor of Management and International Business Dr. Dennis Chen, “Learning by Playing II: Continuous Improvement Through Feedback”
  • Director of the Teaching Center and Professor of Mathematics Dr. Mike Pinter, “Uncertainty: A Vehicle for Student and Faculty Development
  • College of Pharmacy Faculty Fellow in Drug Information Jenny Garland*, “Students’ Perception of TBL in a Biomedical Literature Evaluation Course”
  • Director of Experiential Education in the College of Pharmacy Dr. Angela Clauson and Associate Professor in the College of Pharmacy Dr. Angela Hagan, “Educational Gaming: THe Design of a Pharmacy ESCAPE Game”

In addition to these presenters, Belmont’s attending group included Teaching Center Office Manager Nanci Alsup, Assistant Professor of Music Business Dr. Amy Smith, Assistant Professor of Management Dr. Eduardo Lopez, Clinical Sciences Fellow for Aegis Sciences Corporation Stephanie Manley*, Assistant Professor of English Dr. Heather Finch*, Professor of English Dr. Robbie Pinter and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Dr. Phil Johnston.

The Lilly Conferences have long been an attractive setting for faculty to focus on teaching and learning principles and to convene in a small group to share ideas and demonstrate useful skills in teaching. Belmont has been active in these conferences for many years.

Names with an asterisk are Lilly Fellows

Hinton Receives Lucy Blair Service Award

Hope Buckner
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Hinton Receives Lucy Blair Service Award

Dr. Cathy Hinton receives her award at the conference this summer. Dr. Cathy Hinton, professor in the School of Physical Therapy, was presented with the Lucy Blair Service Award this summer at the American Physical Therapy Association NEXT annual conference. The Lucy Blair Service Award honors physical therapist members or physical therapist life members whose contributions to APTA are of exceptional quality.

Belmont Launches New Office of Leadership Development

Hope Buckner
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Belmont Launches New Office of Leadership Development

Office begins the year with BOLD Moves Student Leadership Training

Aptly named BOLD, the newly-created Belmont University Office of Leadership Development officially launched last week with its first student leadership programming — the BOLD Moves Leadership Challenge. The experience, which began when students arrived to campus last week, exists to provide a comprehensive student leadership development experience that encourages participants to clarify their individual and group values and align those values with their actions. Through this experience, students began to understand and model what leadership looks like at Belmont — through the lens of service.

BOLD Moves Leadership Challenge at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, August 16, 2018.

The first few days of their time on campus was spent in the classroom as 17 staff and faculty from 10 offices across campus facilitated interactive learning sessions with participants. Covering the basics of leadership, behaviors effective leaders portray, the importance of forming well-developed group values and more, these sessions allowed participants the opportunity to understand their own leadership style before putting it into action.

But it wasn’t all business. After their training, the BOLD Moves crew, which included 65 students in total, took to the city to experience some of what Nashville has to offer. After spending the morning on Friday at Top Golf, the group headed downtown for a round of laser tag before coming back to campus to prep for their busy weekend. Demonstrating the true meaning of service, the students completed their BOLD experience by assisting Residence Life with moving 2,200 upperclassmen and 900 freshmen into their dorms across campus. Now that the week is over, participants can continue in BOLD’s ongoing leadership development experience, Bruin Lead.

BOLD Moves Leadership Challenge at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, August 16, 2018.

Assistant Dean and Director of Leadership Development Dr. Adrianne Archie said the program was created directly from a student desire for expanded leadership development opportunities across campus. “Service is the Belmont way,” Archie said. “What better way to get students plugged into leadership development from the very beginning of the semester than to collectively serve 1,700 hours by assisting upperclassmen in move-in, an activity that demonstrates a true leader’s ability to model the way.”

BOLD Moves participant Nicole Pesce said the opportunity to start the year with this experience was incredibly meaningful as she further developed her leadership skills and her faith. “BOLD created an environment that was 100% engaging,” she said. “It has helped me grow in my faith in Jesus Christ and allowed me to see students begin as strangers and become a transformed body of friends and leaders with servant’s hearts. Everyone has a place and a purpose in BOLD.”

Though student leadership opportunities have always been available across campus through a variety of programming, BOLD captures all leadership training that Belmont provides and houses it in a central location. Additionally, it allows students to engage with intentional leadership development programming all throughout their college career. And it’s not just reserved for those who hold a traditional leadership position.

BOLD at Top Golf at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, August 17, 2018.In fact, BOLD Moves was created and reserved for students who don’t hold leadership positions across campus but were interested in getting involved. “Leadership development is everyone’s business,” Archie said. “BOLD Moves set the tone for all students to understand that everyone can learn and practice leadership — it’s not reserved for those with a certain title. All our students can be better in BOLD!”

For Archie, the opportunity for students to experience real, authentic leadership opportunities while in college is what prepares them for life after graduation. “These experiences are transformative,” she said. “In so many ways. I look forward to seeing students changed by the process as they understand that they, too, are leaders. I look forward to watching God transform each participant for his purposes on our campus and in our community. This is only the beginning — the BOLD beginning.”

Gaines Participates in New Computing Faculty Workshop

Hope Buckner
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Gaines Participates in New Computing Faculty Workshop

Dr. Tisha Gaines, who joined the Mathematics & Computer Science Department at Belmont this fall, was one of 40 professors nationwide accepted to the New Computing Faculty Workshop held August 5-10 in San Diego. The goal of the workshop, funded by the National Science Foundation, is to help new computing faculty become better and more efficient teachers.

The workshops were described in an article entitled “Preparing Tomorrow’s Faculty to Address Challenges in Teaching Computer Science,” published in the May 2017 issue of Communications of the ACM.

Belmont University Dedicates Newest, Largest Residence Facility, ‘Tall Hall’

April Hefner
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Belmont University Dedicates Newest, Largest Residence Facility, ‘Tall Hall’

Site features beautiful new water feature, sculpture by acclaimed artist Sandy Scott, stunning view of downtown Nashville

Furniture goes into Tall Hall at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, July 25, 2018.Visible from countless spots around the city, Belmont University’s newest residence hall officially opened its doors today to welcome the 610 residents who will live in the building this year. Dubbed “Tall Hall,” the facility includes a basement and 10 floors and sits atop a hilly area between 12 South and 15thAvenue. The structure’s top floor, based on overall elevation, represents one of the highest points in Nashville, offering tremendous birds-eye views of downtown. Moreover, a new picturesque scene on the campus’ southeast quadrant was unveiled with Tall Hall’s dedication today, as the building is bordered by large green space and a babbling “Bear Creek” that features a bronzed bear sculpture, “Chum Run,” crafted by acclaimed Wyoming visual artist Sandy Scott.

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “We have been working for several years to create a residential village on the south end of campus for our upperclassmen, and Tall Hall is truly the pinnacle of those efforts. Not only does this residence offer incredible views of downtown Nashville, but it’s surrounded by one of the most beautiful scenes on campus with the addition of a large new lawn, Bear Creek and Chum Run. This entire area has been transformed, providing a peaceful park-like setting for our residential students to enjoy right in the middle of the city.”

The dedication of Tall Hall and Chum Run on Bear Creek at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, August 18, 2018.

Congressman Jim Cooper added, “We are here today witnessing yet another Belmont miracle… This is awesome. This quadrangle would do credit to any university in the world.  This is such a fabulous addition to not only Belmont but to the Nashville community. It is so representative of the quality, the ambition and the bright future that we have here at Belmont and in this great city.”

The area surrounding Tall Hall is enhanced by the unveiling today of Chum Run, a large bear sculpture that provides a clever nod to the University’s athletics nickname, the Bruins. Chum Run was created by Sandy Scott, who received her formal art training at the Kansas City Art Institute and later worked as an animation background artist for the motion picture industry before taking up sculpting in the 1980s. She has received awards for sculpture and etching from the Allied Artists, Pen and Brush Club, American Artists Professional League, Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Club, National Academy of Western Art, Society of Animal Artists and the National Academy of Design. Headquartered in Lander, Wyoming, Scott is an avid outdoorswoman who loves to hunt and fish, and she believes wildlife artists should be in the field to accurately present their subject to the viewer.

At 243,000 square feet, Tall Hall represents Belmont’s largest residential building to date. The $78 million complex includes a fitness studio on the ground level to provide workout opportunities close to students’ homes. The new facility features suite and apartment-style options, including many single room opportunities that were attractive to returning students. Moreover, Tall Hall features innovative new modular furniture that gives students countless choices for how they set up their spaces.

Tall Hall at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, August 9, 2018.Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life Dr. Anthony Donovan said, “We were excited to work with our long time furniture partner, RT London, to introduce several unique furniture concepts to our newest residential community. Like the building itself, our furniture choices offer bold, modern looks and innovative features, while emphasizing variety and flexibility, allowing each student to make their room a home away from home.”

Approximately 55 percent of Belmont’s undergraduate population currently lives on campus, and the new hall increases the University’s residential spaces to more than 3,900 spots this fall. According to President Fisher, “Once again Belmont has teamed with Nashville-based R.C. Mathews as contractor and ESa as architect, along with first-time partner Siteworks, to create something out of the ordinary – I guess that means extraordinary –for our students.”

Belmont continues its commitment to sustainable buildings with this project, as this is expected to be the fourth campus building to achieve LEED certification. Occupancy sensors, nearby material sourcing, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) HVAC system and low VOC paints are just a few of the features that contribute to ensuring less impact on the environment from this new construction.

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