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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Third Annual ‘Battle of the Belmont Bands and Family Fun Festival’ Set for Aug. 26

April Hefner
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Third Annual ‘Battle of the Belmont Bands and Family Fun Festival’ Set for Aug. 26

Belmont University will kick off the 2017-18 academic year with a family-friendly music festival on Sat., Aug. 26 featuring exclusively student and alumni talent. The event will begin on The Lawn at 5 p.m. with an event designed for Bruins of all ages. Children’s activities will be held on the patio in front of McWhorter Hall, including face painting, balloon animals, inflatables,illusionist performances and more. Plus, a number of popular community food trucks will be on hand, stationed along the Lawn, to provide refreshments, and numerous arts, crafts and boutique vendors will be set up around the Lawn to welcome back alumni and friends and sell artist merchandise.

At 6 p.m., music performances kick off with the annual “Battle of the Belmont Bands” contest as selected student bands compete in front of a panel of industry experts in the audience to determine a winner. Those judges are organized by Musician’s Corner, the annual concert series in Centennial Park to promote emerging artists, which then invites the winner to perform at an upcoming concert.

This free event is open to the public, and parking is available on the north side of campus in the Inman/McWhorter Garage, the Ayers Garage and the Baskin Garage, all of which can be viewed on the Campus Map.

 

 

Motion Pictures Alumna Screens Film at CineArtistry

Hope Buckner
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Motion Pictures Alumna Screens Film at CineArtistry

Bethany Brinton, a recent Belmont graduate, recently screened her short film “My Practice,” as part of a bi-monthly series by CineArtistry, a group that promotes indie filmmaking. Brinton created the short as her senior capstone project for her degree in motion pictures, highlighting the combination of her two passions–music and film. Brinton also earned a degree in commercial music while at Belmont.

The screening, which included four shorts, took place at the Secret Rose Theater in North Hollywood. A facilitator hosted a question and answer session with the filmmakers after the showings. “I was so happy to screen my short for an audience and have my hard work pay off,” Brinton said. “It was received very well!”

Having lived in LA for the last year, Brinton said she’s been honored to learn more about her industry and have the opportunity to continue storytelling. “Living in LA has been great,” she said. “I’m hugely grateful to all the fellow students who helped make this film happen.”

 

Students Earn Top Marks at National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition

Hope Buckner
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Students Earn Top Marks at National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition

Four Belmont students recently competed in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) semifinals, the most students Belmont has ever had to make it to this level of NATS competition and one student, Alex Wunder, won first place in his division, underclassmen men. In addition to Wunder, Belmont’s participants included Nick Branson, Melissa Starkweather and Jeff Tarver. To reach the semifinals, these students participated in the organization’s regional auditions which were hosted on Belmont’s campus in the spring.

Each region’s top five finalists then send performance videos to NATS for national semifinals consideration. Videos are then evaluated by voice teachers across the country, and only the top 15 are invited to the semifinals.

Participating students pose for the camera
Semi-finalists (L to R) Tarver, Starkweather and Branson enjoying beautiful downtown Boulder

At the event, singers perform a variety of repertoire pieces consisting of operatic arias, art songs or oratorio arias. After performing in the semifinals, Wunder was selected to competed in the finals and won first place in his division. This is the first time in four years that Belmont has had a first place winner.

Coordinator of Vocal Studies and Associate Professor of Voice Dr. Mark Whatley said, “This is a wonderful accomplishment for our students to have earned. They all gained valuable experience by auditioning and spending time in a competitive environment outside of Belmont. This also provides an opportunity to meet teachers and students from all across the country, making those all-important connections that are so critical to having a career in music.”

Above image (L to R): Wunder and Whatley

Arts and Business Council Welcomes New Leadership

Hope Buckner
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Arts and Business Council Welcomes New Leadership

The Arts and Business Council of Greater Nashville, currently housed on Belmont’s campus, has recently welcomed a new Executive Director, Jill McMillan. The Council has been on Belmont’s campus since 2013 through a partnership that advances the educational and charitable purposes of both organizations by leveraging and uniting their unique resources to create a thriving, sustainable creative culture in Nashville.

Originally from Indiana, McMillian comes to Nashville from Boston, most recently. Throughout her career, she has gained a range of experiences and arts exposure including her first professional position as a marketing intern at a major studio in Los Angeles to her most recent role as a strategic fundraiser at one of Boston’s leading cultural institutions.

McMillian graduated summa cum laude from Pepperdine University with a B.A. in Integrated Marketing Communication and a minor in Industrial Organizational Psychology. After graduation, she taught with Teach for America in Phoenix, Arizona before moving to Boston to begin her career in arts administration. There, McMillan worked with Boston Children’s Theatre, ArtsBoston, Broadway In Boston and the Institute of Contemporary Art.

In her new role, McMillan will oversee the Arts and Business Council’s five main programs. Focused around the viability of Nashville’s creative community these programs offer assistance to artists from all genres and include:

  • The Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts: A program that provides free legal services to Nashville’s artists
  • Educational Offerings: Monthly seminars cover topics pertinent to the sustainability of artistic ventures and Periscope, ABC’s 6-week intensive training program, is an artist entrepreneur training experience
  • Arts Board Matching: A program that pairs young professionals with arts organizations and prepares them for board membership
  • WorkCREATIVE: Bridges the gap between arts and business by inviting artists into the workplace to help produce a more engaged, innovative and productive workforce through the tactful collision of art and industry.

“ABC is currently experiencing a time of excellence and stability,” McMillan said. “Now with over 10 years in service of artists in Nashville, the Arts and Business Council’s current position allows us to focus on strategic growth and innovation in our programs and offerings. We hope to serve as a translator and connector, leveraging and uniting the unique resources of the arts and business communities to ensure that Nashville is, and remains, a dynamic cultural hub.”

Image provided by Heidi Ross.

Alumna LeMieux Named XMI Chief Operating Officer

Hope Buckner
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Alumna LeMieux Named XMI Chief Operating Officer

Jennifer LeMieux headshotJennifer LeMieux, a Belmont Executive MBA alumna, was recently named as Chief Operating Officer for XMI, a company that provides businesses with the business infrastructure necessary for growth. In this role, LeMieux will be responsible for strategic planning and management, identifying business development and partnership opportunities and strengthening internal company teams and company culture.

She joins XMI with over two decades of experience working with companies to improve business operations and processes. Under her leadership in previous roles, LeMieux forged long-term client relationships that produced process management improvements, higher revenue flows and growth for client companies. She also has significant experience implementing training programs for employees and developing initiatives to reward top performers.

“Jennifer will be a wonderful asset to the XMI executive leadership team,” said James C. Phillips, Jr, chief executive officer at XMI. “Her experience working with growing businesses in the health and technology sectors are one of many attributes that make her a good fit for this position, and we are pleased she has joined XMI to help businesses grow and thrive.”

Prior to joining XMI, LeMieux was chief customer/operations officer at Gaffey Healthcare and HealthTechS3.  Her career has been focused on partnering with growing businesses and supporting them with business process services and outsourcing needs.

“I am excited to join the XMI team, and I look forward to strengthening existing relationships and creating new partnerships to help businesses amplify their ambitions,” said LeMieux. “I am always invigorated by the opportunity to support businesses with business infrastructure so they can focus on growing their products and services, revenue and staff.”

Student Selected as Festival’s Principal Viola

Hope Buckner
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Student Selected as Festival’s Principal Viola

Belmont student viola player performs at a festivalBelmont senior and music performance major Corey Starks was recently selected as the Principal Viola of the Guilford Symphony Orchestra at Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“Being chosen as Principal is an honor given to those who have well-developed leadership abilities and mature playing,” said his Belmont and Festival viola instructor Sarah Cote.  “I am very proud of Corey!  He did a wonderful job leading his section in Nicolay Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and the Rodrigo Concierto.”

The Eastern Music Festival is a five-week program attracting music students from around the country and abroad. The festival’s student orchestra rehearses six times each week and performs twice weekly.

Velikova Named to Tennessee World Affairs Council Board

Hope Buckner
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Velikova Named to Tennessee World Affairs Council Board

Marieta Velikova HeadshotAssociate Professor of Economics Dr. Marieta Velikova was recently named to the Tennessee World Affairs Council Board of Directors. Previously a member of the Council’s President’s Advisory Board, Velikova was also named as the Board’s Vice President.

The Board’s growth came as the organization completed a program year of organizing community and education outreach activities to increase awareness of international affairs. The Tennessee World Affairs Council, which celebrated its tenth-anniversary this year, is one of about 90 similar grassroots, educational groups in the country that work to improve global affairs awareness. For more information, click here.

Summer Scholars Facilitate Research Across Campus

Hope Buckner
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Summer Scholars Facilitate Research Across Campus

Belmont’s Summer Scholars program, now it its 15th year, provides the opportunity for faculty to mentor groups of students throughout the summer as they conduct important research. Since it began, more than 60 research communities have formed among more than 200 students in English, mathematics, computer science, biology, history, psychology and sociology. This summer, 18 students and 4 faculty are participating in the programming.

This summer, a number of projects are underway. These include:

  • A group of undergraduate researchers who are modeling Parkinson’s disease and treating the Parkinson’s-like worms (C elegans) with novel reagents to determine their effectiveness for relieving symptoms, led by Professor of Biology Dr. Nick Ragsdale. The group hopes their work may inform new therapies.
  • Students who are growing cells that have been isolated from cancerous tumors to test potential treatments with the hopes of uncovering new chemotherapeutic agents. This team is led by Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Chris Barton.
  • Biology Department Chair and Associate Professor Dr. John Niedzwiecki’s team, a group of students who are characterizing predator-prey responses in local snail populations to explore differences in response of snail size, as well as native vs. non-native predators. This work seeks to understand stream health, an important ecological endeavor.
  • A final group of students who are working alongside Professor of Biology Dr. Lori McGrew and measuring the effects of treatments on anxiety levels in zebrafish. These studies will add to a growing body of knowledge about zebrafish which will increase their usefulness for modeling human disorders.

A student completes research during the Summer Scholars.

The importance of undergraduate research opportunities are immense for student success. “Evidence suggests that undergraduate research facilitates student learning both by increasing student interest/motivation, and fostering critical thinking skills through the application of the scientific method,” McGrew said. “Summer Scholars also develop a sense of community.  While their projects differ, the shared experience of conducting research that they planned with all its successes and failures, creates a strong bond among the student participants.”

This fall, participants will present their findings on campus during the Science Undergraduate Research Symposium and off-campus at regional or national meetings.

McGrew Hosts Alumnus and his Students for Research Experiences

Hope Buckner
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McGrew Hosts Alumnus and his Students for Research Experiences

Belmont Professor of Biology and Summer Scholars research program advisor Dr. Lori McGrew recently hosted Jim Garrett, alumnus and science teacher at Davidson Academy, and two of his students. This summer, Garrett and his students are learning to work with Danio rerio (zebrafish) and have joined McGrew and her student group in Belmont’s zebrafish lab to replicate research conducted by one of last year’s Summer Scholars, Curt Brown.

The team would like to extend Brown’s project and present their results at the Middle Tennessee Science Fair. Additionally, Garrett plans to establish a zebrafish colony at Davidson Academy so he can his students can conduct additional research and McGrew and her team will be heavily involved in establishing tailored data collection methods.

(Image above L to R: Davidson Academy students participate in research with Mr. Garrett). 

 

Belmont Participates in Teacher Pipeline Coalition

Hope Buckner
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Belmont Participates in Teacher Pipeline Coalition

Belmont University, in partnership with eight other teacher prep programs across the city, recently formed a coalition focused on the broken teacher pipeline, specifically related to a lack of diversity in Nashville’s teacher workforce. The Trailblazer Coalition completed a year of research and self-analysis on the pipeline, shared its findings and recently held a community discussion to brainstorm ways partners across the city can fix the broken pipeline.

The group met monthly during the 2016-17 school year, conducted research on causes of disparity between teacher and student diversity and worked to find ways to improve the diversity of Nashville’s educator preparation programs and teaching ranks.

Citing misperceptions of teaching, the financial burden of college and licensure and a lack of specific mentoring and retention strategies, among others, the Coalition’s research highlights multiple barriers for people of color to become teachers in Nashville. The disparity in teacher and student diversity is a nationwide issue reflected across Tennessee and in Nashville’s schools. A report last year by the Metro Human Relations Commission pointed out that over 68 percent of Nashville’s students identify as African American, Hispanic or Asian, while less than 26 percent of Nashville’s teachers do.

Members of the Coalition's event participate in the brainstorming event. “Working to improve the diversity of the teaching force in Metro Nashville Public School takes all of us,” Assistant Professor and Director of Innovative Projects in Education and Coalition Steering Committee Dr. Alan Coverstone said. “The most exciting thing about the Trailblazer Coalition is that it brings together all the Educator Preparation Programs serving Davidson County schools to learn about and work to address the challenges that our teachers of color face in entering and remaining in the profession. We are all learning from each other and beginning to develop new strategies together  to support teacher candidates as they prepare for and begin their careers.”

Based on its research, locally and a comprehensive review of national research on teacher diversity, the Trailblazer Coalition identified five main areas of need in its report:

  • Promoting teaching as a transformative practice
  • Promoting an anti-oppressive culture in teacher preparation programs
  • Support for teacher retention and success
  • Support for licensure and testing
  • Financial support for underrepresented students

Over the next year, the Coalition will work to partner with local and state government leaders and area nonprofits to implement systemic changes to impact these areas.

“It is inspiring to see the teacher prep community in Nashville come together to help our school system tackle this issue,” Nashville Mayor Megan Barry said. “Often in Nashville you see government leaders convening and calling on institutions and organizations to collaborate and help solve public sector problems. In this case, it’s the teacher prep programs stepping up to say ‘we all have to own this to make a difference.’ Their findings align with the work my office has been doing to make affordable housing more accessible to Nashville teachers. I look forward to expanding and accelerating this work with more partners at the table.”

The Trailblazer Coalition’s full report, titled “Fixing the Broken Pipeline: Teacher Diversity and the Classroom,” is available here.

Alongside Coverstone, Belmont is represented by Dr. Mark Hogan, professor and chair of the Education Department, and Dr. Mona Ivey-Soto on the Coalition.

Images provided by Trailblazer Coalition.

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