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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Biles Research Article Published

Hope Buckner
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Biles Research Article Published

Dr. Danny Biles Head ShotProfessor of Mathematics and Computer Sciences Dr. Daniel Biles had a research article, “Lower bounds for the first zero for nonlinear second order differential equations,” accepted for publication by the Journal of Differential Equations and Applications on January 25. The Journal of Difference Equations and Applications is a world-leading Journal publishing state-of-the-art papers which significantly contribute to the theory and applications of difference equations or discrete dynamical systems.

 

Alumnus Devin Dawson Visits Campus on Heels of Debut Album Release

Staff Writer
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Alumnus Devin Dawson Visits Campus on Heels of Debut Album Release

Belmont alumnus and Warner Music Nashville artist Devin Dawson (’15) is making waves in the music industry with his first album, “Dark Horse,” releasing Jan. 19 and his single “All On Me” breaking the top 15 on Billboard Country charts. Dawson returned to campus Friday to discuss his career with current students.

Dawson, who hesitated to join the music industry right away, said that Belmont was “the most amazing experience… I learned so much about myself through the people that I met” there.

Devin Dawson Seminar speaks and performs at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, January 26, 2018.

Cris Lacy, the senior vice president A&R at Warner Music Nashville, prompted Dawson to discuss his networking skills, complimenting him on his unique ability to connect with people. Dawson said that the most important thing to remember when networking is to “look people in the eyes and listen.” “Ask questions” and remember that “the little things go a long way.”

As for his success thus far? He attributes it to his “obsession” with songwriting. According to Dawson, songwriters and artists were like his baseball cards. He compared his knowledge of songwriters and music producers to children who have stats and figures of their favorite baseball players memorized. He said he attended as many convocation events and writers’ rounds as he could to expose himself to songwriters and their music.

In fact, songwriting was Dawson’s area of study at Belmont. In honor of Dawson’s accomplishments and the success of Belmont’s songwriting major, a $50,000 endowed scholarship was created in his name by Warner Music Nashville. Lacy told students that what attracted Warner Music Nashville to Dawson was that his “craft of songwriting was stellar… far and beyond what most songs sound like.” She said that Dawson has “an old school craft that is really, really hard to master, but sounds effortless.”

Dawson said that Belmont was the perfect place to launch his career. “Nashville is where I wanted to be rooted,” and Belmont is “at the delta of Music Row.” He told students to make the most of their time at Belmont because, while here, “you have the excuse to dive 100 percent into what you want to do.” But most of all, about the students Dawson said “We all grow together… We build each other up and we learn together, and that’s the beauty of Belmont.”

Thanks to his time here, Dawson said, “I’m literally living my childhood dreams… I’m not tired, I’m ready to keep going.”

Belmont Occupational Therapy Students Create Ride-Along Cars for Local Children

Hope Buckner
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Belmont Occupational Therapy Students Create Ride-Along Cars for Local Children

Maseline Harcrow poses with some of the ride-along carsA group of 34 Occupational Therapy Doctoral students from Belmont University met at Permobil, leader in the rehabilitation power wheelchair industry, to collaborate with representatives and students and faculty members from Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering to adapt ride–on cars for children with mobility impairment and their families. The event, hosted by Associate Professor of OT Dr. Teresa Plummer through the organization Go Baby Go, showcased the importance of self-initiated mobility in early development and the need for greater mobility options for children living for disabilities.

Volunteers were divided into teams, each team serving the unique needs of one pediatric client. Ride–on cars were rewired to eliminate the use of the foot pedal and were outfitted with a big red “GO” button in the center of the steering wheel. The plastic seats were redesigned and furnished with necessary head and lateral supports using foam, PVC pipe and other materials. Each client left with a one-of-a-kind car and a big smile.

Students work on the ride-along cars.Participant and Belmont OT student Madeline Harcrow said, “This experience proved beneficial to my education and future as a clinician. All are deserving of play, joy, self-expression, companionship and new learning, and I love that this truth drives the work of our profession. The energy in the room was undeniable and unwavering – evidence of a job well done by all.”

For a video from the event, click here.

 

Belmont Celebrates GRAMMY Night with Social Media Splash

April Hefner
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Belmont Celebrates GRAMMY Night with Social Media Splash

Alums Dwan Hill, Alvin Love III take home Grammy Awards

Ashley Phillips Photo
Alumni Dwan Hill and Alvin Love III at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony, holding their awards. (Photo by Ashley Rose Phillips)

It was a great night of celebrating music at the 60th annual Grammy Awards, held on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City. As part of the celebration, Belmont’s Twitter and Instagram accounts featured significant content throughout the day, and during the show’s live broadcast, that recognized the numerous ways Belmont students, alumni and faculty were contributing to the show and the music business at large.

For example, 20 Belmont students who are members of Service Corps assisted with red carpet artist/arrival escort duties at the MusiCares Gala on Friday night, Pre-GRAMMY Gala on Saturday night and GRAMMY Awards on Sunday. Service Corps is designed to offer Belmont students opportunities for experiential learning in the entertainment industry, thereby preparing them for their future careers.

In addition, the social media accounts offered shout outs to alumni and faculty who wrote, produced, played and mixed on many of the songs and albums that were nominated for Grammy Awards this year as well as to those who walked home with trophies. Moreover, a number of alumni were recognized throughout the evening for the major roles they play at the record label, PR and management companies behind some of this year’s nominees biggest names.

Winners from Grammy night 2018 included Belmont alumni Dwan Hill and Alvin Love III, who co-wrote “Never Have to Be Alone” for former Belmont trustee CeCe Winans. The track took home the award for Best Gospel Performance/Song. In addition, Winans’ “Let Them Fall in Love” was awarded the Best Gospel Album trophy – the album was also produced by Alvin Love III.

Belmont’s other highlights from the nominations include the following:

  • Best Pop Solo Performance: “Million Reasons,” by nominee Lady Gaga, was co-written by Belmont alumna Hillary Lindsey, who also contributed guitars and vocals for the Lady Gaga album “Joanne.” Another nominee in this category was the song “Love So Soft” from Kelly Clarkson. Alum Jason Halbert serves as Clarkson’s musical director and offered keys/piano/production on her current album, “Meaning of Life.”
  • Best Pop Vocal Album: Nominee “Rainbow,” by Kesha, was mixed by Belmont alumnus Chuck Ainlay.
  • Best Country Album:
    • Belmont alums Hillary Lindsey, Ashley Gorley, Jesse Frasure, Jon Nite, Nicolle Galyon, Emily Weisband, Ryan Hurd, Jordan Reynolds, Hailey Whitters, Connie Harrington, Matt Dragstrem and Natalie Hemby wrote or co-wrote songs on four of the albums nominated in this category.
    • Belmont alum Clint Higham is the manager for Kenny Chesney, and Belmont students won a contest in which they created the music video for the song “All the Pretty Girls” from Chesney’s nominated album, “Cosmic Hallelujah.”
    • Belmont alums Jesse Frasure and Dann Huff co-produced and AET faculty member Joe Baldridge was the recording engineer for Thomas Rhett’s nominated album, “Life Changes.” Alumna Laurel Kittleson is Director of A&R for Big Machine, Rhett’s label. 
  • Best Rock Performance: Belmont alumni bands Wilder and Judah and the Lion both toured with nominee Kaleo in 2017.
  • Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song: 
    • Nominee “Oh My Soul,” by Casting Crowns, was co-written by Belmont alum Bernie Herms.  And, Casting Crowns is managed by Proper Management, which is owned by Belmont alum Mike Jay.
    • “Even If,” MercyMe : The band’s PR handled by The Media Collective, an agency founded and run by alum Velvet Kelm
    • “Hills And Valleys,” Tauren Wells : This nominated song was co-written by alum Jonathan Smith.
  • Record of the Year/Song of the Year: Justin Bieber was a featured performer on the nominated record/song “Despacito,” and Bieber is managed by Scooter Braun, who spoke on campus in November.
  • New Artist of the Year: Nominee Julie Michaels spoke on campus Oct. 19 last fall and is managed by music business alumna Beka Tischker, who appeared with Michaels.
    • “Tin Man,” Miranda Lambert – Lambert has funded the Women Creators Scholarship at Belmont for the past two years
    • “I Could Use A Love Song,” Maren Morris – Morris is engaged to alum Ryan Hurd, who is an artist/songwriter in his own right. Faculty member Jeff Balding, who also serves on the Curb College Advisory Board, was an engineer on Morris’ album.
  •  Best Country Duo/Group Performance
    • “It Ain’t My Fault,” Brothers Osborne – John Osborne is a Belmont alum, and the band is managed by John Peets of QPrime South. Peets is a frequent speaker at Belmont. Also alum Brad Hill was a producer/engineer on the album Pawn Shop. John Osborne is scheduled to speak on campus this semester.
    • “Drinkin’ Problem,” Midland– Alum Dann Huff was a producer on Midland’s album, “On the Rocks.”
  • Best New Age Album / Best Contemporary Blues Album: Songwriting faculty member Drew Ramsey co-wrote songs on nominated albums in these categories by India.Arie and Robert Randolph and the Family Band.
  • Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Bob Dylan’s Triplicate was nominated. Several of Dylan’s most famous recordings (“Nashville Skyline” and “Blonde on Blonde”) were recorded at Belmont-owned Columbia Studio A. Faculty member Mark Maxwell frequently teaches an entire class on Bob Dylan.
  • Best Engineered Album, Classical / Best Contemporary Classical Composition: Works from the Nashville Symphone were nominated in both of these categories, and four Belmont faculty members perform with the Symphony: Dan Lochrie – Bass Clarinet, Radu Rusu – Assistant 1st Horn, Robert Maler – Principal Keyboard and Alison Gooding Hoffman, First Violin.
  • Best Contemporary Christian Music Album:
    • “Rise,” Danny Goke : Alum Bernie Herms produced part of the album, and alums Herms, Emily Weisband, Benji Cowart and Bobby Hamrick as well as faculty member Drew Ramsey wrote on the album> Gokey is managed by Maxximum Artist Group, where adjunct faculty member Dennis Disney serves as VP.
    • “Hills And Valleys,” Tauren Wells: Alums Bernie Herms, Emily Weisband, Casey Brown, Jonathan Smith and Jeff Pardo wrote on the album, and alum Becca Bradley played cello on it.
    • “Chain Breaker,” Zach Williams: The title song was co-written with alumnus Jonathan Smith.
  • Best Roots Gospel Album
    • “Sing It Now: Songs Of Faith & Hope,” Reba McEntire : Belmont alum Justin McIntosh serves as VP of Creative and Marketing for her management company, Reba’s Business, and alum Sean Neff was the Mix and Tracking Engineer for the album.
    • “Hope For All Nations,” Karen Peck & New River : Belmont alum and former American Idol contestant Ricky Braddy sang as a member of KPNR until recently, when he stepped down to become a worship leader at a Nashville church.
  • Best Folk Album: “You Don’t Own Me Anymore,” The Secret Sisters. Secret Sisters are managed by Olivia Management, whose founder Erin O. Anderson is an alumna as well as an adjunct professor in the music business and entrepreneurship programs. Day to Day Manager/Olivia assistant is Maggie Adams, a EIS graduate.
  • Best Reggae Album: “Avrakedabra,” Morgan Heritage. This album was co-produced by Shannon Sanders, a guest speaker at Belmont and a production partner of faculty member Drew Ramsey.

Other interesting notes:

  • Nominees Chris Stapleton, Sam Hunt, Little Big Town, Lady Antebellum and Brothers Osborne are all signed to Universal Music Group Nashville – Belmont alumna Cindy Mabe serves as UMG Nashville President
  • 2009 alumna Janelle Hawkes led the project that clears the licensing for the entire voting site for the awards. That means finding and clearing all publishing rights for 4,000 songs in under two weeks!
  • Irish rock bank U2 performed during the broadcast. U2’s newest album, “Songs of Experience,” was released December 1 and portions of the album were recorded in a home studio in Brentwood, Tennessee with the help of many familiar Belmont names. Paul Nelson, a 2002 Belmont alumni, served as contractor/leader on the program, Avery Bright, a 2014 alumni, played the violin and Craig Nelson, a Belmont adjunct faculty member, played string bass.
  • Alumna Tyne Parrish is a partner with The GreenRoomPR, whose publicity clients include nominees Lady Antebellum and Thomas Rhett
  • AET/Computer Science alumnus Josh Reynolds mixed the Little Big Town live performance during the Grammy broadcast, and 2001 graduate and 2017 Curtain Call award winner Akil Thompson played keys on the performance.

College of Health Sciences and Nursing Hosts Visiting Professor Dr. Amanda Phelan

Hope Buckner
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College of Health Sciences and Nursing Hosts Visiting Professor Dr. Amanda Phelan

Dr. Phelan spends time with students in the Inman Health Science Building.The College of Health Sciences and Nursing recently hosted Visiting Professor Dr. Amanda Phelan, associate professor and associate dean for global engagement for the School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems at the University College Dublin (UCD). Phelan also serves as the co-director for the National Centre for the Protection of Older People at UCD.

 

While on campus, Phelan presented on nursing education, health care and public health systems in the Republic of Ireland. She met with students and faculty interested in international collaboration and scholarship and discussed special challenges associated with the Republic’s aging population, as well as her own research in the area of elder abuse and protection.

Phelan provided an overview of Sláintecare, a newly proposed model of care for Irish citizens.  Said to be a radical transformation from traditional models, Sláintecare is designed to shift care out of hospitals and into the primary care, community setting.

Phelan will be working with Belmont students participating in the upcoming Public Health and Public Health Nursing Maymester trip.

Belmont Performing Arts Recognized at First Night Awards

Staff Writer
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Belmont Performing Arts Recognized at First Night Awards

Belmont artists were recently recognized in this year’s First Night Awards, which pay tribute to Nashville’s most outstanding personalities and productions.

Jo Lynn Burks and Anna Perry, in the School of Music, took home the awards for Outstanding Musical Direction and Outstanding Choreography for their parts in Belmont University Musical Theater’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Jaclynn Jutting, assistant professor for the Department of Theatre & Dance and head of Belmont’s B.F.A. Directing Program, won outstanding Director of a Play for her direction of “The Amish Project,” produced by Actors Bridge Ensemble and Belmont University Theater.

Women in Science Host Chemistry of Food Event

Hope Buckner
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Women in Science Host Chemistry of Food Event

Students participate in a Women in Science Baking Event held on Belmont's campus.Members of Belmont’s Women in Science Club recently hosted a baking night led by Dr. Kimberlee Entsminger, professor of chemistry in the College of Sciences and Mathematics. Members were able to make their own souffles while learning the chemistry behind the process.

As participants learned, beating eggs is all about science — and it’s physics and chemistry that make a souffle rise or fall. The first step in making an egg dish like a souffle is to separate the yolks from the whites, the fat from the protein. The yolk has fat and some protein, but the white is all protein, no fat. Beating egg whites relaxes the proteins by causing conformational changes. Sugar is then added to act as a “glue” that holds the egg white structure together in its relaxed state. When the egg mixture is baked at 350 degrees, air bubbles expand, making the souffle rise. The heat also causes the protein to stiffen, and along with the fat from the yolk, it forms a kind of scaffold that keeps the souffle from collapsing.

President and Founder of Women in Science Crystal Lemus said, “While I have taken several biology, chemistry and biochemistry based courses and learned the ins and outs of proteins and fats, I never knew that it could be so applicable in the kitchen. Their truly is a scientific art to cooking and baking process.”

Niedzwiecki and Students Begin Work Funded by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

Hope Buckner
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Niedzwiecki and Students Begin Work Funded by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

Samantha Chu and Joanna Bellan with their research collections.

This past weekend, Biology Department Chair and Associate Professor Dr. John Niedzwiecki and two Belmont Biology Honors students, Samantha Chu and Joanna Bellan, began collections for their thesis projects. The work is connected with a recently funded Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency grant that Niedzwiecki is the Co-Principal Investigator on with Dr. Carla Hurt at Tennessee Tech University.

The grant is titled “Conservation Genomics and Population Status of Streamside Salamanders (Ambystoma barbouri) in Tennessee.” The grant, which began January 1 and concludes June 30, 2019, provides $19,668 for the scope of this work. Several of Dr. Niedzwiecki’s previous biology and honors students have worked with this salamander in the past on undergraduate research projects.

Judah and the Lion Nominated for iHeart Radio Awards, Release New Music Video

Staff Writer
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Judah and the Lion Nominated for iHeart Radio Awards, Release New Music Video

Belmont Alumni group Judah and the Lion have been nominated for two iHeart Radio awards, including Alternative Rock Artist of the Year and Best New Rock/Alternative Rock Artist. The group is heading up against bands like Cage the Elephant, Imagine Dragons and Kings of Leon.

Their newest music video “Going to Mars,” directed by Belmont alumnus Mathew DeLisi, is scheduled to be released soon, and the group will embark on their 2018 Going to Mars tour on Jan. 31. Their tour manager, Adam Davis, is also a Belmont alumnus.

College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Hosts Dr. William Tate, Scholar-in-Residence

Hope Buckner
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College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Hosts Dr. William Tate, Scholar-in-Residence

Belmont’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences hosted Dr. William Tate this week as part of the University’s Scholar-in-Residence program, an initiative created by the Welcome Home Team that brings diverse scholars–deans, senior administrators, presidents or other scholars– whose lives and careers serve as an inspiration to underrepresented students. These interactions allow the Belmont community to engage with scholars from across the country who have made an impact on higher education and their industries, while further familiarizing students with career options in academia.

Tate is the Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. Currently, he serves as Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education.

While on campus, Tate presented sessions to students, faculty and staff and served as the keynote speaker at The Collaborative for Collegiality, an initiative between the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and Sciences and Mathematics where K-12 teacher work together in interdisciplinary ways through engaging topics like cooking, gardening and storytelling. Tate discussed how teachers can support all student learning through these topics, particularly vulnerable urban youth.

He also presented “Who is My Neighbor? The Geography of Opportunity in Ferguson and Beyond,” a convocation session held on Monday morning. The talk detailed events in Ferguson, Missouri and allowed attendees to examine critical questions surrounding how politics, practices and folkways created the conditions in Ferguson and the broader St. Louis region. To do so, Tate used geospatial methods to create visuals and determine if racial segregation, economic opportunity, health and developmental outcomes and education-related outcomes are spatially arranged. He concluded his session by offering hopeful recommendations for improvement.

On Tuesday, Tate led a discussion surrounding “STEM Education: Is Geography Destiny?” where he discussed the implications of Tobler’s first law of geography for opportunities in STEM learning. He illustrated the relationship between place and STEM attainment, highlighting challenges related to urban and rural areas and available interventions. He also addressed state mandates for equal opportunity and the intended and unnitended consequences of those mandates.

Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Dr. Bryce Sullivan said, “While at Belmont, Dr. Tate brought to bear a combination of deep intellect, solid research on urban communities and a thoughtful Christian perspective to some of the important social issues of the day. He has a gift for speaking and engaging his audience. His description of his own experiences and reactions in the aftermath of the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, as a professor, administrator and Christian, brought insight to personal and institutional responses to social determinants of poverty and systemic educational problems.”

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