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

Home Blog Page 251

Foreign Language Students, Faculty Offer Holiday Cheer with Caroling

April Hefner
-
0
Foreign Language Students, Faculty Offer Holiday Cheer with Caroling

For the third year in a row, students and faculty from the Department of Foreign Languages gathered recently to bring holiday cheer in the Janet Ayers Academic Center with a morning of caroling in the atrium. Different groups gathered around the central atrium on the third floor and sang carols in English and a variety of other languages including Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Italian.

Dr. David Julseth, chair of Foreign Languages, said, “We do this sort of flash-mob style so some of students [in the building] are going to be surprised when they hear Christmas carols sung in different languages.”

The event is held during the convo hour, and more than 100 students participated. Students and faculty from the department also helped lead the annual “Christmas Around the World” Chapel service that was held on Dec. 4.

 

2018 CLASS Seminar Cohort Completes Program

April Hefner
-
0
2018 CLASS Seminar Cohort Completes Program

A new class of local high school students graduated recently from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) Seminars program, an opportunity that allows the students to attend lectures and participate in collaborative experiences in education, humanities and social sciences.

Comprised of 24 sessions, the series begins in the spring of participants’ sophomore year and continues through the fall of their senior year. The CLASS Scholars who will graduate from high school in Spring 2018 finished the Belmont program this month and celebrated with a graduation ceremony on campus. Students in the program attend cultural events such as the Nashville Shakespeare Festival winter performances and the Belmont Humanities Symposium. The remaining sessions are seminars presented by Belmont professors and other experts in the community.

This year’s class was selected based on their applications and nominations from their schools. Twenty students from eight area schools participated in this year’s graduating class. The program is designed to educate students on what the humanities and social sciences have to offer and introduce them to subject matter that might not be covered in their daily high school curriculum. After completing the seminar series, participants have a better understanding of where their interests lie and possible collegiate majors that could be a natural fit.  In addition to participating in educational lectures and experiences, students complete community service projects, a required aspect of the CLASS Seminars.

Chair of the English Department and CLASS Seminar leader Dr. David Curtis said, “This program has been a great way for these students to connect with our faculty, with our University, and with so many areas of study in the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences that they might not otherwise have been exposed to. The students also like it because it has given them a taste of what a college classroom is really like.”

Thirty-five students who will graduate in 2020 were recently admitted to the CLASS Seminars program and attended an orientation last week.

Tony Award-Winning Kreis Earns Belmont Diploma

Hope Buckner
-
0
Tony Award-Winning Kreis Earns Belmont Diploma

Tony Award-winning singer, songwriter and actor Levi Kreis earned his bachelor’s of music in commercial music last week from Belmont University — a journey he began years ago and completed this semester. In September, Kreis completed the final piece to the degree, his senior recital.

After leaving Belmont years ago to begin his career before graduating, Kreis won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical when his experience as a recording artist, actor and pianist combined to originate the role of Jerry Lee Lewis in Broadway’s Million Dollar Quartet. Soon after, to further his success, Kreis became more and more interested in completing his degree. Since then, Belmont’s School of Music has worked around his show, tours and travel schedule to ensure he was able to complete his outstanding degree requirements. Understanding the importance of finishing what he started, Kreis set his sights on graduation.

“There’s a pride in being a Belmont alumni,” he said. “I didn’t want to leave any unfinished business. It’s important to me to be associated with Belmont, especially in this industry. The university attracts the cream of the crop and has proven, time and time again, that it can groom that talent to have a remarkable impact on the entertainment industry and beyond. I’m proud to be a Belmont alum.”

Kreis said it’s always been important that he finish the degree, it was just a matter of timing. Reflecting back on his “fantastic experience,” Kreis has a message for current students. “There are so many ways to be successful,” he said. “Had I not been given the tools through my Belmont experience to create a unique vision for myself, I’m not sure where’d I’d be. We all have the opportunity to use the tools we’ve been given and decide what success looks like for our own careers. At any time in life, you can always turn to your education.”

Before taking the stage last week to complete his senior recital (the final requirement for his degree), Kreis said he heard a final word of encouragement from Dr. Jeff Kirk, associate director of the School of Music and the faculty member who shepherded the completion of his degree. “I know this has been a long journey,” he said, “but we are so very proud of you.”

In addition to his recognition for Million Dollar Quartet, Kreis’s career has included other notable acting credits like  Broadway’s Tony nominated revival Violet, the national tour of Rent, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Pump Boys & Dinettes and the films Frailty, Don’t Let Go, Slip Tumble and Slide, A Very Sordid Wedding and The Divide.

Graduate Student Performs at Carnegie Hall

Hope Buckner
-
0
Graduate Student Performs at Carnegie Hall

Featured in local news interview after performing in New York City’s Carnegie Hall

James Matthews, a graduate music student at Belmont, was recently featured in a NewsChannel5 interview where he discussed his recent trip to Carnegie Hall for Christmas. After winning the American Fine Arts Festival piano competition, Matthews earned the opportunity to travel to New York and play a solo recital at the esteemed venue.

A classical music lover since he was 3-years-old, Matthews said his high school years brought about significant challenges. His family found themselves homeless and living on the streets for more than a year. After sleeping in truck beds and rehearsal spaces, Matthews earned a scholarship to attend college and began studying music for his undergraduate degree. Now, he is working on his master’s degree at Belmont.

To view the story in its entirety, click here.

Belmont Celebrates Winter Commencement on Friday, December 15

Hope Buckner
-
0
Belmont Celebrates Winter Commencement on Friday, December 15

Belmont University held its December 2017 commencement ceremony for graduate and undergraduate students at 5 p.m. Friday, December 15, in the Curb Event Center.  The University celebrated the graduation of a total of 418 students. During the ceremony, 361 bachelor’s degrees, 56 master’s degrees and 1 doctoral degree were conferred.

Dr. Robert C. Fisher, president of the University, presided over the event. Dr. Christopher Norton, percussion coordinator in the School of Music, presented the commencement address. Norton is the 2016-2017 Chaney Distinguished Professor recipient, a title awarded for each year to the faculty member who best represents the University’s vision to be “a premier teaching institution.”

The commencement ceremony can be viewed in its entirety here.

Pharmacy Students Attend, Present at Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting

Hope Buckner
-
0
Pharmacy Students Attend, Present at Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting

Students who attended the Pharmacy event pose for a photo together.A group of 25 Belmont College of Pharmacy students attended the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting this month. This is the largest gathering of pharmacists and longest running clinical meeting in the world. Former First Lady Michelle Obama was the Keynote Speaker.

The conference serves to update pharmacists and pharmacy students on their knowledge, provide networking opportunities and offer information about the latest products and innovations. Additionally, students can attend the Residency Showcase to meet with representatives from hundreds of pharmacy residency programs around the country.

Belmont hosted a reception for students, alumni, faculty, and friends of the college. Additionally, seven posters submitted by Belmont students were accepted and presented at the meeting including:

  • Enhancement of in situ gel in glaucoma medications (Amy Li)
  • Evaluation of pump association and smart pump compliance rates at an academic medical center (Carli Smith)
  • Evaluation of a fixed-dose opiate detoxification protocol (Keri Putulowski)
  • Updated GOLD guidelines and our COPD patients: Are we meeting the gold standard for treatment? (Brittany Collins)
  • Factors that impact treatment completion of teriparatide (Emily Singleton)
  • Changes to Antiretroviral Therapy regimens in co-infected Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis C Virus patients (Andrew Douglas)
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship: Finding Effective Methods to Educate Belmont University Undergraduates (Kevin Nofi)

 

 

Belmont’s Health Sciences Simulation Program Earns Full Accreditation

Hope Buckner
-
0
Belmont’s Health Sciences Simulation Program Earns Full Accreditation

The University’s program is the first in the state to earn the designation

Belmont University’s Simulation Program recently received full accreditation in the Teaching/Education Area from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSIH) and the Council for Accreditation of Healthcare Simulation Programs. The status was granted for a five year period and is valid through December 2022.

The University’s robust Simulation Program exists to improve patient safety and health outcomes by providing high quality, evidence-based, experiential education in a safe innovative environment. With many labs offering a variety of experiences, students in many programs throughout the College of Health Sciences and Nursing (CSHN) have the opportunity to participate in a simulation during their time on campus.

In its report, the SSIH noted many program strengths including:

  • Strong integration of student support in paid positions
  • Tremendous faculty support of the program
  • Continued expansion of faculty and staff skills
  • A recognition of simulation value from learners
  • Significant support from upper administration regarding the Simulation Program and its merits

Additionally, the Simulation Program’s material recycling program was acknowledged as one of Belmont’s best practices, and a recommendation that other programs adopt the initiative was mentioned. This innovative program saves the University more than $40,000 per year.

Director of the Simulation Program and Assistant Professor Dr. Beth Hallmark said students in the College will have many meaningful opportunities to participate in simulation, beginning as soon as their first semester. “Simulation is a safe place to participate in patient care,” Hallmark said. “It enhances patient safety and improves patient outcomes by increasing confidence and improving clinical reasoning. We also are able to expose our students to interprofessional training.”

Belmont’s Simulation Program is the first in the state to receive this full accreditation.

Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Nursing Dr. Cathy Taylor said, “Reflecting years of dedicated work, this achievement is truly a shining achievement for nursing and health sciences at Belmont.  I’m so proud of our Simulation team and excited for the benefits it will offer future students and faculty.”

 

Alumna Publishes Guide to Navigating FAFSA

Hope Buckner
-
0
Alumna Publishes Guide to Navigating FAFSA

Katie Caldwell HeadshotKatie Caldwell, a 2015 Master’s of Education graduate, previous Belmont employee and current Mortgage Loan Originator, has recently published her first ebook, Let Me Help You Complete the FAFSA. Caldwell initially wrote the book as her thesis project, a requirement of completing her master’s at Belmont.

During her graduate work, Caldwell said she took every opportunity to focus her assignments and projects on this topic–navigating the FAFSA process. At the time, she was a staff member in Belmont’s Student Financial Services Office and had the chance to work with students and families as they navigated the financial aspects of college on a daily basis. “By doing these projects, I learned I was able to take a complicated topic and explain it in a way for others to understand easily,” she said. “More importantly though, I was willing to do this and enjoyed it. The more papers I wrote and discussions I had led me to the idea of completely dissecting the FAFSA and making it available in an eBook format.”

Knowing that financial concerns are often a major contributor to students not pursuing college, Caldwell was motivated to get her thesis work into the hands of students and families across the country. “I want to provide a resource to families and stress the importance of the application,” she said. “There is already intimidation and fear associated with applying for college, and I believe that professionals in this industry can reduce many of these feelings by simply sharing their knowledge.”

In her book, Caldwell reviews each of the FAFSA’s 103 questions, allowing readers to narrow down specific areas of interest. She also includes detailed scenarios to ensure understanding and highlights additional electronic resources for readers to access. “Finances can be a sensitive subject,” she said, “so adding the purpose or reasoning behind each question can reduce that sensitivity. Overall, if this book answers one reader’s single question about the FAFSA, I’ve done my job.”

Over the next year, Caldwell hopes to get the book into high schools and colleges across the country, while making herself available to teach college prep and senior transition courses.

Baldridge Achieves Several Recent Accomplishments

Staff Writer
-
0
Baldridge Achieves Several Recent Accomplishments

Joe Baldridge, professor of entertainment and music business, has several recent accomplishments to boast including the following:

  • A plaque listing Joe Baldridge's accomplishmentsBaldridge was honored in his hometown of Centralia, Illinois as a Distinguished Alumni, an award intended to inspire high school students to pursue their dreams. Mayor Tom Ashby, Principal Reid Shipley and community leaders look to build hope in local students by inviting high school alumni to encourage and inspire development and growth. His plaque will hang on the wall of the high school, and the city has declared Nov. 4 “Joe Baldridge Day.”
  • Baldridge recorded Thomas Rhett’s recent album, “Life Changes,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Album chart upon its release and sold over 120,000 units in its first week. The album has also been nominated for the 2018 Grammy Awards as Country Album of the Year.
  • Baldridge also recorded Kane Brown’s new single, “What Ifs.” The single topped the three main Billboard’s country songs charts – the Country Airplay, Country Streaming and Host Country Songs listing. The similarly titled album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s country chart.
  • Another recent recording of Baldridge’s was Keith Urban’s single, “Female,” performed at the CMA Awards last month.
  • Lastly, Baldridge recorded Keith Urban’s recent single, “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” and most of the album, “Ripcord.” Urban won three American Music Awards for the productions.

Joe Baldridge is a successful music professional with over 25 years experience in music production, recording, mixing, artist management and brand/artist development with more than 300 album credits on AllMusic.com in the United States. He has won multiple Grammy Awards for engineering, received a nomination for 2014 Record of the Year for work on Taylor Swift’s RED and won a Dove award for production work for Toby Mac.

Phillips Screenplay Optioned

Hope Buckner
-
0
Phillips Screenplay Optioned

Assistant Professor of Motion Pictures Production Jeff Phillips recently had his screenplay, “The Dawg House,” optioned by BME, the company behind “Soul Surfer” and “King’s Daughter.” Over the holidays, Phillips will be completing the first draft of his cultural-science fiction screenplay, “Trick of the Light.”

1...250251252...860Page 251 of 860
Belmont University Logo | News & Media

CONTACT US

University Marketing and Communications
615-460-6650
communication@belmont.edu

FOLLOW US