Members of Belmont’s Xi Alpha Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society, presented their research projects at the organization’s regional conference held at the University of Tennessee Martin on Saturday, April 1. The students who presented their work at the conference were Mary Beth Mosley, Alex DaCruz, Jordon Heykoop and Hannah McClure. They were accompanied by Faculty Advisor Dr. Cynthia Bisson and Dr. Douglas Bisson of the History Department.
Phi Alpha Theta Members Present Research at Regional Conference
Dudley Receives Steinway Recognition
Bruce Dudley, associate professor of music, recently became an Steinway Concert Artist, an exclusive honor bestowed to pianists by Steinway & Sons – Americas. In a letter to Dudley from Vivian Chu, director of cultural partnerships and artist services, she wrote, “I am pleased to officially welcome you to the international family of Steinway Artists. In recognition of your contribution to the performing arts, academia, and your community, you are now formally included on the roster of the most accomplished and discriminating artists.”
Beyond this recognition, Dudley was also named the Top Teacher of the Year by Steinway Piano Gallery of Nashville for 2016.
College of Law’s Mock Trial Team Second in the Nation After AAJ Victory
Young team defeats veteran powerhouses in legal advocacy tournament
The Belmont University College of Law Mock Trial Team was just crowned second in the United States at the finals for the American Association for Justice National Student Trial Advocacy Competition this past weekend in Cleveland, Ohio. Belmont advanced to the national tournament after winning first place regionally, securing the regional trophy for the third time in four years. The American Association for Justice (AAJ) seeks to inspire excellence in trial advocacy through training and education for both law students and practicing attorneys. The annual nationwide mock trial competition provides opportunity for law students to develop and practice their trial advocacy skills before distinguished members of the bar and bench.
Belmont Professor of Law Amy L. Moore oversees the Belmont mock trial team as the director of the Board of Advocates for Belmont Law. She said, “After just five years of competition in total, this mock trial program has proven itself to be a national powerhouse. Of the five years that we have competed in the American Association for Justice tournament, we have gone to the regional finals four times and won the region three times, proving that we belong among the best in the nation. I could not be more proud of our students or our coaches.”
For the competition every school has a four-person team with two people serving as attorneys for the plaintiff and two serving as defense attorneys. During a round, the team members who aren’t competing play the roles of witnesses for their teammates. This year’s competition centered on a fictional premises liability case, one in which the owner of a business was being sued because someone was injured on the property.
Belmont’s mock trial team included current third year law student Kierstin Jodway and second year students Paul Fata, Marcerious Knox and Summer Melton, and the team was coached by both faculty and alumni over the past several months. The head coach of mock trial at Belmont University is Professor Andrew Caple-Shaw who helped start the program and continues to coach teams each year. At the national competition, Belmont had one of the toughest preliminary draws, facing and defeating three of the nation’s top teams in University of Akron, Loyola Marymount and Syracuse. They also eliminated University of Missouri-Kansas City and Chicago-Kent before falling to Wake Forest in a nail-biting final. The point margin of the loss was a mere four points on a scale of 180.
“Through mock trial, and with the help of my coach, Dayne Geyer, I was able to find my voice,” said Jodway, a Kingwood, Texas native who is interested in civil rights and employment litigation. “There are so many people who understandably don’t know how to navigate the complex legal system so that they can obtain the Justice they deserve. Mock trial has taught me how to use my voice to speak up for those people.”
Fata, who hopes to practice in the field of criminal prosecution, noted, “Mock trial has given me a chance to make some great lifelong friends, and it’s given me courtroom experience that would otherwise have taken years to gain in practice… I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities Belmont Law has provided me. I have excelled in my externships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Nashville District Attorney’s Office because of the exceptional training I’ve received at Belmont. Belmont Law professors do an incredible job of ensuring that Belmont students understand the complexities of legal theory, while also having the practical skills they need to succeed in day-to-day practice.”
Nashville native Knox, who is also focusing on criminal law, added, “We competed against the best teams in the nation and came in second out of hundreds of teams that competed in this tournament. That confirmed for me that I had the talent necessary to be a zealous advocate and made me more passionate about becoming a trial advocate after I graduate. Professionally, since this competition simulates real trials, it allowed me to gain more experience in the courtroom, so when I step out into the real world I will be more than ready to try cases on my own.”
Other regional winners that the Belmont team ultimately outranked in this national competition included Harvard University, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Baylor University, Stetson University, Fordham University, University of California Davis, Tulane University and the University of Maryland. At the regional level, the Belmont team edged out a number of strong competitors as well including Notre Dame, Vanderbilt and University of Tennessee.
The UPS Store at Belmont University Opens to Serve Campus, Community on 12 South
Highly visible retail outlet represents unique business/service model partnership
Belmont students and staff were joined by community members today to celebrate the grand opening of The UPS Store at Belmont University, a new retail outlet in the hot 12 South district. The store represents a unique partnership in that The UPS Store, in addition to supporting its retail customers, also serves as the central mail center for the University, handling all incoming mail and packages for more than 8,800 students and employees.
This hybrid store partnership is a first-of-its-kind for The UPS Store. In addition to the professionally-managed central mail center, The UPS Store at Belmont University is the first location nationwide to provide a 24-hour package locker system that gives students the option of retrieving packages at the time that fits best with their schedules.
“Opening The UPS Store location on campus allowed us to add convenience for our students, faculty and staff and increase the breadth of services while providing a cost savings to the university” said Belmont University President Dr. Bob Fisher. “The UPS Store provides an integral service for our university with the mail services as well as added benefits like the lockers and shipping during campus move in. It’s been a win-win to have them on campus.”
Business owners Les Jackson and Jim Thien are Nashville entrepreneurs who own four other local The UPS Store locations. The UPS Store at Belmont University was able to revamp the software program for tracking mail and packages, cutting down time for retrieving campus packages by 60- 80 percent compared to the previous system.
Jackson said, “The UPS Store at Belmont University is the first location nationwide that combines services not only for Belmont University, but also for the local community. Service to the community is very important to Belmont, and the University encouraged us to provide services to the growing neighborhood around the school (including the vibrant 12 South community), an area that was not previously served by The UPS Store. We are very excited about this new, unique location on the Belmont University campus.”
The store’s hours are 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday thru Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays. In addition to its Belmont partnership, this location also offers the printing, packing, mailbox, shipping and small business services for which The UPS Store is known nationally.
Hallmark Elected to INACSL Nominations and Elections Committee
Assistant Professor in Belmont’s School of Nursing and Director of College and Health Sciences Simulation Dr. Beth Hallmark was recently elected to the Nominations and Elections Committee for the International Association of Clinical Simulation Learning (INACSL). The INACSL is a portal for nurses and educators dedicated to advancing the science of health care simulation by developing standards for its practice. Hallmark will join four other committee members for a two-year term of service, beginning in 2017 and continuing through 2019.
In addition to her recent achievement, Hallmark has been serving as an invited contributor for the National League of Nursing’s (NLN) TEQ blog. Sponsored by the NLN Center for Innovation in Simulation and Technology, the blog works to keep nurse educators up-to-date with the latest innovations in simulation, e-learning, telehealth and informatics. Hallmark is on the blog’s editorial advisory board, which oversees content and contributes articles while also interacting with followers. The team is comprised of nurse educators who have been actively involved with the NLN’s technology-related professional development programs and are experts in the field.
Ramsey’s Song Included on Album
Drew Ramsey, instructor of songwriting, co-wrote the song ‘Lovesick’ for the Robert Randolph & The Family Band album ‘Got Soul.’ The album was released on February 17 on Dare/Sony Records.
Ko Wins 2017 Juno Award
Dr. Doyuen Ko, assistant professor of audio engineering technology, won a 2017 Juno Award for his engineering work on “Brahms: String Quartets, Op. 51 NOS. 1 & 2, New Orford String Quartet (Bridge Records).” The album won in the Classical Album of the Year: Solo or Chamber Ensemble category. Ko was responsible for both recording and mixing the complete album.
This is Ko’s first Juno award, though he has received five nominations previously. A recent review of the album from a prestigious classical music magazine “Gramophone” is here.
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame are also inducted as part of the awards ceremonies. The complete list of award winners is found here.
Webb Published in Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
Dr. Nathan Webb, assistant professor of communication studies, was published in the most recent issue of the Journal on Excellence in College Teaching. His article, “GTA Self-Disclosure: Motivations for Sharing Private Information with Students,” examines why instructors choose to share private information with their students in the classroom.
The study revealed that instructors choose to self-disclose for reasons such as building interpersonal relationships, enhancing their credibility and creating an environment of reciprocity. The Journal on Excellence in College Teaching is published by the Center for Teaching Excellence at Miami University.
Brown Joins Peer Review Journal Editorial Advisory Board
The Association of American Colleges and Universities has welcomed Dr. Sybril Brown to the Peer Review Journal editorial advisory board. Her appointment to the advisory board is for two years, with the possibility of re-appointment.
As an advisory board member, Brown will help guide Peer Review’s editorial calendar and provide feedback on higher education issues. Peer Review, now in its 19th year of publication, provides a quarterly briefing on emerging trends and key debates in undergraduate education. Each issue focuses on a specific topic, provides comprehensive analysis and features campus perspectives.
World Culture Week Promotes the Exploration of Diverse Cultures
On March 20-24, Belmont’s annual World Culture Week engaged students, faculty and staff in celebrating and exploring diverse cultural backgrounds through open dialogue and a variety of fun activities. World Culture Week, sponsored by Belmont’s newest chartered student organization HOPE Council, is an idea that grew out of the University’s annual World Culture Fest which began as a collaborative effort among a few dedicated students who wanted more programming on that celebrated their diverse backgrounds. The HOPE Council has aided the effort by helping to expand the event into a week-long celebration instead of a single festival.
This year’s events were aimed at making cultural exploration fun and comfortable for all. The week started with an evening of spoken word poetry by Emily Joy, a professional poet who focuses on issues of social justice. Tuesday evening was International Movie Night in the Johnson Center Theater where students gathered to see the Korean blockbuster film, “Train to Busan.” On Wednesday, six faculty members led discussions with students on current issues in world politics in Syria, China, Israel and North Korea. Additionally, international food trucks were on campus, allowing students to enjoy international cuisine by the lawn.
On Wednesday evening, HOPE Council teamed up with campus residential facility Patton Hall and Belmont’s Board Game Society to present “Around the World + International Game Night” where students learned about different countries and study abroad while experiencing leisure games that originated overseas. The week concluded with the original World Culture Fest event on Friday evening in the Beaman Lobby. Students from all backgrounds came together to showcase Belmont’s diversity through music, dance, martial arts, spoken word and booths that served international food and led interactive activities such as henna tattoo art.
Senior music business and management student Rylee Sutherlin led the planning process for this year’s World Culture Week, which she says began last fall. Sutherlin believes it’s important to celebrate diversity not only throughout the world, but also on Belmont’s own campus. “I think one major takeaway from this week is to realize that we have people right here in our very own community who have different backgrounds,” Sutherlin said. “Celebrating culture and diversity offers the opportunity for everyone to learn and for others a chance to embrace their heritage. This is especially important on a college campus, which is naturally a place that fosters growth. As a student, I believe that there should be space for students to not only develop academically but to empower one another. The beauty of being human is that none of us are the same. This is why I think having an annual event like World Culture Festival is important, and this is why I’m happy that Belmont has recognized the need for a student council that promotes diversity and inclusion on campus.”
