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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Alumna Turns Heads – Literally – On New Season of ‘The Voice’

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Alumna Turns Heads – Literally – On New Season of ‘The Voice’

Thomas' headshotNashville-based music artist, songwriter and alumna of Belmont’s Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business Andrea Thomas recently competed in the blind audition rounds of the newest season of NBC’s “The Voice.” Thomas’ cover of Allison Krauss’ hit “Baby, Now That I’ve Found You,” which aired on March 13, had audition judge and country singer Blake Shelton hitting his buzzer and turning his chair to claim her as part of his team for the rest of the season.

Thomas’s music career began at the young age of four when she sang with her parents’ ministry for the homeless on the streets of downtown Fort Worth, Texas. By age nine, Andrea was singing weekly on her grandfather’s TV music show, “Texas Country Gospel,” as well as in her local church choir. After moving to Nashville with her family later down the road, Thomas studied music business at Belmont and graduated in 2009.

Since her graduation, Thomas has been most recognized for her work as a back-up singer for Carrie Underwood. To view Thomas’s blind audition and read more about her experience, check out this article in The Tennessean.

Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame Member Duane Eddy Visits Campus

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On March 17, well-known Rock’n’Roll artist and guitar-soloing extraordinaire Duane Eddy visited Belmont University to share the stories and the successes behind his music career. Eddy, also known as “The Guitar Man,” shared with students what it was like to have a career in the 1950s.

While he was signed with Capital Records, Eddy had the chance to work with other musicians, including Paul McCartney of “The Beatles” and Jeff Lynne, before the major peaks in their careers. He discussed the reactions he would get from the audiences at his shows in England and how no one had ever heard music with a style similar to his.

Eddy concluded his talk by thanking students for coming to hear “their grandparents’ music” and listening to him tell his story. He was interviewed by Music Business Professor Dr. Donald Cusic.

Beggs Presents Nationwide Webinar on Addressing Needs of Patients Experiencing Homelessness

Hope Buckner
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Beggs Presents Nationwide Webinar on Addressing Needs of Patients Experiencing Homelessness

Ashton Beggs Head ShotCollege of Pharmacy Assistant Professor Dr. Ashton Beggs prepared and presented a nationwide webinar titled “Addressing the Health Needs of Patients Experiencing Homelessness and Other Underserved Populations” on March 9.

This webinar, hosted by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, was a collaborative effort with Lakesha Butler (SIU Edwardsville), Sharon Connor (University of Pittsburgh) and Cheryl Abel (MCPHS University). The program focused on describing common health concerns of patients experiencing homelessness and other underserved populations, providing examples of available community resources and partnerships to address health concerns of these populations and the role of the pharmacist in improving patient outcomes for these populations.

In addition to teaching in the classroom at Belmont, Beggs also teaches experientially as a clinical pharmacist at Neighborhood Health Mission Clinic, where she precepts fourth-year student pharmacists in providing patient care to adults experiencing homelessness in Nashville.

Belmont Law Student Dale Evans Selected for Prestigious Steiger Fellowship for Summer 2017

April Hefner
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Belmont Law Student Dale Evans Selected for Prestigious Steiger Fellowship for Summer 2017

Dale Evans HeadshotDale Evans, current second year student in Belmont University’s College of Law, was recently named as the only student selected for a Janet D. Steiger Fellowship in the Tennessee Attorney General’s office for Summer 2017. The 8-10 week fellowships were initiated in 2004 by the ABA Section of Antitrust Law to introduce law students to the rewards of legal careers in consumer protection, and Evans will serve in the office of the Tennessee Attorney General.

“The Steiger Fellowship Program provides an extraordinary opportunity that our Office is proud to support,” said Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III. “Accomplished law students experience firsthand the merits of working for a great state like Tennessee, while at the same time providing our Office with meaningful assistance on consumer protection cases. We appreciate our partnership with Belmont University and the high quality of students representing its College of Law.”

The Janet D. Steiger Fellowship Project provides law students the extraordinary opportunity to work in the consumer protection departments of state and territorial Offices of Attorneys General throughout the United States. Evans is currently working in the Consumer Advocate and Protection Division of the Tennessee Attorney General’s office.

A native of Gloucester, United Kingdom, Evans graduated from Lipscomb University in 2014 with a major in Law, Justice and Society. In addition to his spring field placement in the Tennessee Attorney General’s office, Evans also serves as the Mock Trial Division Captain for the Belmont Law Board of Advocates and as the Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Association Troop 131.

Evans said, “I see consumer protection law as a way to fight injustice in a lesser known but equally important field. While assistant district attorneys prosecuting criminals often take center stage, those lawyers who bring cases against companies who defraud their customers help to keep the marketplace safe and dependable for the general public. Courses at Belmont have given me the tools necessary to confidently engage this technical and complex field of law.  Knowledge of the Rules of Evidence and Civil Procedure is essential, and through rigorous instruction, Belmont’s professors have prepared me to use these rules to help protect the citizens of Tennessee.”

Belmont Law Dean Judge Alberto Gonzales added, “I was pleased to learn that Dale Evans, one of our second year law students, has been recently recognized as a Steiger Fellow with the Tennessee Attorney General’s office. This selection brings honor to Dale and to the Belmont University College of Law. “

Each of the highly motivated Steiger Fellows provides tangible, meaningful assistance to states and territories that are in substantial need of additional resources to fulfill their consumer protection mission. Offices that have hosted Steiger Fellows in the past have characterized the Fellows’ work as exemplary and have often described the students as some of the most talented interns the offices have ever attracted.

The Council of the Section approved funding for states to participate in the 2017 Steiger Fellowship Project. Each selected student will receive a $6,000 stipend (subject to certain federal taxes and administered through the offices of the state). This Project continues to be a tribute to the memory of the late Janet D. Steiger, one of America’s great public servants who, during her remarkable tenure as FTC Chairman, dramatically improved cooperation, communication and coordination between state and federal consumer protection and antitrust enforcement agencies.

About the College of Law

Belmont University’s College of Law provides a natural extension of the university’s mission and vision that emphasizes challenging academics, a service-minded approach, real-world experience and community leadership. The College is integrated into Belmont’s main campus and offers specialties in areas that complement the university’s nationally-known undergraduate programs including healthcare and entertainment and music business. Belmont law graduates will be practice-ready attorneys, empowered by their education and co-curricular experiences to provide legal counsel in a variety of settings with commitment to high standards of expertise and ethics.

Student Start-Ups Impress at Annual Business Plan Competition

Staff Writer
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Student Start-Ups Impress at Annual Business Plan Competition

Three student start-ups are walking away with major cash prizes and an opportunity to pitch their businesses at LaunchTN’s 36/86 technology conference in June after wowing a panel of judges at Belmont University’s annual Business Plan Competition. The March 15 contest gave 10 student businesses the chance to compete against one another in an effort to win over the support of the audience and eight judges.

Each start-up was given six minutes to pitch their idea followed by a two minute “Shark Tank” style Q&A where they answered the tough questions their potential investors passed along. Participants were then judged based on characteristics including their ability to grab the audience’s attention, how well they defined their problem and solution and the justification they gave for their team’s ability to succeed. Prizes were given for first-third place in addition to a “People’s Choice” award, decided by audience votes.

Winners of the Business Plan Competition hold their prizesFirst place was student Sarah Perry’s start-up “With the Band,” which won her $3,000, a subscription to Entrepreneur Magazine and a membership to Nashville’s Entrepreneurship Center. With the Band aims to establish a deeper connection between both established and up-and-coming artists and their fan bases by putting the artist’s social media posts, touring information, ticket sales and music in one place. The idea allows fans to be a “VIP” follower of their favorite artists while also allowing for interaction with other VIP fans.

Following closely behind in second place and also receiving the People’s Choice recognition was Bloom Brightly Paper Company, a business pitched by Annabelle Bright and Jacob Kissamis. The company sells greeting cards that have an unusual twist—they are filled with plant seeds that allow the cards to be planted into the ground instead of tossed into the trash after the occasion ends. So far there are several cards available for Christmas, birthdays and thank you notes, each having an environmental design. Bright and Kissamis currently sell the cards for $6.50 each and allow customers to choose between wildflower and basil seeds. The duo was awarded $2,000 and a prize package for their unique pitch.

Third place recognition and $1,000, plus a prize pack, went to Kendall Warren for her start-up Gift Box Drop, an online retail store that aims to make gift-giving fast and simple. The store lets consumers buy boxes filled with a variety of different items based on the occasion (e.g. weddings, baby showers, Father’s Day) and offers to ship the gift directly to the recipient.

As an addition to each of the top three winners’ individual prizes, each start-up will be eligible to pitch their business at LaunchTN’s 36/86 conference in June at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center downtown. The four-day-long event is Tennessee’s premier entrepreneurial conference, and it will provide students with the opportunity to gain feedback from more industry professionals.

This year’s Business Plan Competition was made possible largely by an award that the University received through LaunchTN’s University Venture Challenge (UVC) Program. The program aims to support universities across Tennessee in their entrepreneurial opportunities for students. Belmont received the largest monetary award of any university across the state, which consisted of $4,000 for competition prize money.

The contest aims to give students the opportunity to network with and learn from industry experts in an effort to help them further develop their business plans. Director of Belmont’s Center for Entrepreneurship Elizabeth Gortmaker said of the annual event, “This is a wonderful opportunity to practice pitching, network with other entrepreneurs and receive feedback from experts. Any student who participated received feedback from the judges, attending faculty and other students. It is so valuable to be able to put together a pitch and present in front of a large audience. The judges were ready to support the students in any way they could, and we had some amazing prizes that will provide business-building resources to our students.”

Belmont Hosts Luncheon for Nashville Women Entrepreneurs

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Belmont Hosts Luncheon for Nashville Women Entrepreneurs

On March 9, Belmont University hosted nearly 100 attendees for the 2017 “Power of WE: Women Entrepreneurship” luncheon. The event centered around a panel discussion led by powerful women entrepreneurs and professionals from the Nashville area. These panelists included Dr. Katherine Y. Brown, founder of Learn CPR America, LLC, Marcela Gomez, founder of Hispanic Marketing Group and Kim Sasser Hayden, senior manager of external affairs for Comcast South. The discussion, moderated by Founder of Phoenix Forrester Events Krystal Bonner, allowed participants to hear advice from seasoned professionals who shared personal experiences and learning and growth opportunities as well as tips on how to get ahead in the business world.

The annual luncheon is celebrated in conjunction with Women’s History Month in an effort to promote the accomplishments of extraordinary women in business in Nashville. The inaugural luncheon, held last year, was also hosted by Belmont and featured an address by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry.

Massey College’s Part-Time MBA Ranked Among Best Graduate Schools by U.S. News & World Report

April Hefner
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Massey College’s Part-Time MBA Ranked Among Best Graduate Schools by U.S. News & World Report

The part-time MBA program in Belmont University’s Massey College of Business was lauded recently when U.S. News and World Report released its 2018 rankings of Best Graduate Schools, a tool to help prospective graduate students better understand the graduate school landscape and identify potential programs. The Massey Part-Time MBA ranked No. 151, appearing among 360 surveyed part-time programs.

Massey Associate Dean Dr. Joe Alexander said, “It is personally gratifying to see us making progress at the national level in building on our reputation as an outstanding graduate business program. And knowing that we moved up 46 spots in these rankings since just last year will be good news to our 2,400 Massey alumni out there.  They like it when they see the value of their degrees increasing in the marketplace.”

According to U.S. News, “Part-time business programs play a vital role for working people who can’t go to school full time because of family or financial reasons.” U.S. News’ part-time MBA ranking is based on average peer assessment score, the average GMAT score of students entering in fall 2016, average undergraduate GPA, work experience and the percentage of the school’s enrollment that is part time.

The Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business began offering its part-time MBA program in 1986, and has continued to add high-quality graduate business programming as market needs have evolved through the years.  The School added an innovative part-time healthcare MBA program in 2012 to complement Nashville’s growing reputation as the healthcare capital of the U.S. and a joint PharmD/MBA program in 2016.  In its most recent part-time MBA rankings, Bloomberg BusinessWeek ranked the Massey part-time MBA program No. 28 in the U.S., between the University of Maryland and the University of Florida.

College of Sciences & Mathematics Celebrates Pi Day

Hope Buckner
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Students celebrate Pi Day!The College of Sciences & Mathematics celebrated Pi Day on Tuesday, March 14 with a ‘well-rounded’ event in the 4th floor atrium of the Janet Ayers Academic Center.  Pi Day is celebrated on March 14 around the world.

Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159.

College of Science and Mathematics Hosts Local High School Class

Hope Buckner
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Students from Father Ryan learn from Belmont professorsThe College of Sciences and Mathematics had the pleasure of hosting Father Ryan High School’s Honors Bio Technology class on March 10 Dr. Neelie Crooke and her class partnered with Drs. Thom Spence and Nick Ragsdale as they explored the skill of thin layer chromatography (TLC), extraction of pure chlorophyll and spectrometry. The class learned the science behind and the technique of TLC and visible light spectrometry as they separated chlorophylls a and b from the other photo pigments and determined the absorbance spectra of these plant photo-pigments. After attaining their data, the group worked on determining the concentration and percent make-up of chlorophylls in a spinach leaf. Finally, Dr. Crooke and her class toured the science labs on the 3rd and 4th floors of the Jane Ayers Academic Center.

Science Student Groups Host Student vs. Professors Trivia Night

Hope Buckner
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Science Student Groups Host Student vs. Professors Trivia Night

Belmont’s AED and Tri-Beta College of Sciences and Mathematics student organizations recently hosted a trivia night where students and professors were pitted against each other. Complete with pizza for participants and onlookers, the event included five teams–four made up of students and one of faculty.

The faculty team included Drs. Steve Murphree, Jennifer Thomas and Lori McGrew from biology, Patrick Morse from psychology, Andy Miller from mathematics and computer science, and Duane Hatch (and his wife) and Davon Ferrara from chemistry/physics. This team, dubbed “Team Extra,” took home the crown.

 

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