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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Alumnae Make Billboard’s 2016 List of ‘Women in Music’

April Hefner
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Billboard magazine recently released its 2016 “Women in Music” list representing “the best of today’s dealmakers, influencers and tastemakers.” The publication included categories for labels, publishing, live music, agencies, digital, media, branding, management and performance rights organizations as well as music attorneys and public relations executives. Several Belmont alumnae made the Top 100 list, including:

Beka Tischker, manager; president, Prescription Songs (Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business)

Lori Badgett, senior vp/team manager, Nashville Entertainment; City National Bank (Massey Graduate School of Business)

Cindy Mabe, president of University Music Group (Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business)

Wagonfield Named 2016 Gabhart Award Recipient

Hope Buckner
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Wagonfield Named 2016 Gabhart Award Recipient

Belmont held its annual Staff Christmas Breakfast on Wednesday, December 7 and named Bonnie Wagonfield, administrative assistant in the School of Social Sciences, as this year’s Gabhart Award recipient. Named in honor of the late Dr. Herbert C. Gabhart who served Belmont selflessly for 50 years, the Gabhart Award is the highest honor presented to a staff person and honors a member of the Belmont community who demonstrates significant achievements, commitment and service to the University.

In her position, Wagonfield supports the daily needs of the faculty and adjuncts within the School of Social Science’s six departments, meets with prospective and current students, assists guests with questions and concerns, supervises student workers and assists the department with event planning and promotion. Having been at Belmont for 19 years, Wagonfield said it’s the opportunities to engage with members of her team, both students and faculty, that has been the most meaningful.

Wagonfield accepts her award from last year's award recipient, Gary Hunter.
Wagonfield accepts her award from last year’s award recipient, Gary Hunter.

“The opportunity to interact and support students with their needs while building relationships has been the greatest part of my job,” Wagonfield said. “I also enjoy assisting faculty, even in the smallest of ways, so I can lighten the heavy loads they carry. It’s the interactions and friendships I’ve developed with students, faculty and staff that have kept me at Belmont for so many years.”

For Wagonfield, receiving the award is uniquely special as she attended Belmont College under Dr. Gabhart’s leadership. “I am humbled and honored to receive the award that remembers Dr. Gabhart,” she said. “He was a man of high integrity, honesty and Godly wisdom which was revealed many times in his delivery at our chapel services. He was a gifted speaker and his messages were always meaningful.”

Watching him lead through many challenging years, Wagonfield said Belmont has so much to thank Dr. Gabhart for. “I wish I could thank him for his example, understanding and endurance through so many difficult seasons,” Wagonfield said. “It’s because of his dedication and devotion to Belmont that it has become the community we celebrate today. His life will always be remembered because he touched so many people.”

The other finalists for the Gabhart Award this year were Lori LeBleu (Massey College of Business) and Tanya Owen (Custodial Services). Past winners include Don Purdy, Betty Wiseman, Sarah Cates and Gary Hunter.

Pharmacy Students, Faculty Present Posters at International Meeting

April Hefner
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Pharmacy Students, Faculty Present Posters at International Meeting

Thirty student pharmacists and five faculty from the Belmont University College of Pharmacy (BUCOP) attended the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exposition held  in Las Vegas this week. Presenting a poster at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting is a noteworthy accomplishment, and several BUCOP students prepared a poster and presented at this international meeting. Posters presented included:

  • Comparison of ocular gel forming solutions of gellian and calcium gluconate with and without polyvinyl pyrollidone. (Nate Berger, Caitlin Medley)
  • Metronidazole-induced cerebellar toxicity following prolonged course of therapy. (Kelsie Yates and Angel Johnson)
  • Cholesterol medications and breast cancer: Unraveling the potential value of statins in breast cancer treatment.  (Brittany Hayes)
  • Antiproliferative and chemosensitizing effects of metformin in neuroblastoma cell lines. (Allison Karst and Cassandra Boils)
  • Impact of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) blood culture identification technology on antimicrobial stewardship. (Alexander Kreimer and Charlie Upton)
  • Findings and implementation of the multiplex polymerase chain reaction meningitis/encephalitis panel in a community hospital. (Kathryn Litten)

Faculty co-authors included Drs. Edgar Diaz-Cruz, Kelley Kiningham, Montgomery Williams Kenneth Reed and Kristy Wahaib.

Student pharmacists Alex Kreimer and Charlotte Wesley represented BUCOP in the international clinical skills competition final rounds, and Belmont Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Pratice Dr. Montgomery Williams presented an invited platform presentation titled Antimicrobial Stewardship:  Innovative Practices in Community Hospitals.

Belmont student pharmacists and faculty welcomed alumni at a reception in conjunction with the meeting. Many of these alumni are completing post graduate year one and post graduate year two residencies throughout the country.

ASHP’s Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition is the largest gathering of pharmacists in the world. With its focus on improving patient care and medication safety, the meeting is attended by more than 20,000 pharmacy professionals from around the globe. For more than 50 years, the Midyear Clinical Meeting has provided pharmacy practitioners with a value-packed event for advancing knowledge, networking with colleagues, enhancing practice skills and learning about the latest products and innovations.

New Report Ranks Belmont as a Top School for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Staff Writer
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New Report Ranks Belmont as a Top School for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Belmont University recently added another high ranking to its list of growing recognitions for undergraduate entrepreneurship by being counted as one of the best colleges in the U.S. for aspiring entrepreneurs. According to LendEDU, Belmont is No. 30 in the country in terms of providing resources for students to start and grow their businesses.

The LendEDU ranking system considered factors including the number of entrepreneurship courses offered to undergraduate students, the overall tuition and fees required by the university and the quantity and quality of entrepreneurship resources available. The report highlighted Belmont’s Center for Entrepreneurship and two of its programs—The Hatchery and The Accelerator. The Hatchery is a program offered for students who are interested in starting a business to help get through the early stages of structuring and maintaining their plan. It gives them the basic tools necessary for business and advises them in establishing collaborative connections within the community. The Accelerator is offered for students who have already launched their idea to give them access to resources such as office space and mentorship from Belmont’s Entrepreneur in Residence Shawn Glinter.

Belmont’s Entrepreneurship program was also recently recognized by The Princeton Review, which ranked the university as No. 23 out of over 300 colleges on its 2017 list of “Top Schools for Entrepreneurship.” The Princeton Review ranked schools on factors such as alumni ventures and partnerships with outside entrepreneurship institutions.

To view LendEDU’s full report, click here.

Students, Faculty Present Research at Tennessee Academy of Sciences Meeting

Hope Buckner
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Students, Faculty Present Research at Tennessee Academy of Sciences Meeting

Belmont Biology department faculty members Drs. Darlene Panvini, Nick Ragsdale, Chris Barton, Roger Jackson and Jennifer Thomas and Mathematics & Computer Science department faculty member Dr. Daniel Biles, along with 22 Belmont students, attended the 126th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Sciences held at Austin Peay State University on November 19.

Students, primarily seniors, representing majors in biology, biochemistry & molecular biology, neuroscience and mathematics presented their undergraduate research projects in various poster sessions ranging from ecology and environmental Science to cell and molecular biology to mathematics.

Four Belmont students received recognition for their excellent work:

  • Anna Margaret McDonnell received first place in the Health and Medical Science section.
  • Gary Noel received first place in the Ecology and Environmental Science section.
  • Stacey Crockett received second place in the Cell and Molecular Biology section.
  • Sarah Anderson received third place in the Health and Medical Science section.

Additionally, Barton and Ragsdale served as section chairs in microbiology and health and medical science sections, respectively. Biles served as a judge for the mathematics/ computer S=science student presentations.

Panvini and Chris Barton gave an oral presentation entitled “DNA Barcoding as a Research and Teaching Tool in the Undergraduate Curriculum”  and Thomas presented her work, “Connecting with Our Students: Traditional Approaches and Radical Ideas,” in the science and mathematics teaching section.

The following research projects that were presented at the conference:

  • “Decomposition Rates of Acer Saccharum and Lonicera Macckii in Mixed Litter Bags,” Anna Anderson, Faculty Advisor: Darlene Panvini, Ph.D.
  • “Convallatoxin induces apoptosis in HCT116 colorectal cancer cells,” Sarah Anderson, Faculty Advisor:  Chris Barton, Ph.D.
  • “Seeking Behaviors of Nicotine,” AJ Arnold, Faculty Advisor: Robert Grammer, Ph.D.
  • “Disinhibition by Ethanol on C. elegans Towards Bacillus thuringiensis,” Samantha Bush, Faculty Advisor: Grammer
  • “Insight Into the Chemotaxis of Caenorhabditis Elegans Toward Pathogenic Bacillus Thuringiensis Strain 4A4 Using Chemosensory Deficient Nematodes,” Stacey Crockett, Faculty Advisor: Grammer
  •  “The effect of caffeine on motor movement of Caenorhabditis elegans,” Madeline Johnson, Faculty Advisor: Grammer
  • “Investigating the effect of super oxide dismutase, 6-hydroxydopamine and exogenous dopamine on the mobility of Caenorhabditis elegans,” Arielle Manabat and Abby Rife, Faculty Advisor: Nick Ragsdale, Ph.D.
  • “Effects of Epigallocatechin-gallate and Enoxacin on HeLa cells,” Anna Margaret McDonnell, Faculty Advisor: Barton
  • “Chemotaxis of Caenorhabditis elegans with Bacillus thuringiensis 4A4 in vegetative and sporulated growth stages,” Meghan McGath, Faculty Advisor: Grammer
  • “Investigation of p53 activation in HCT116 with the sesquiterpene Beta-Caryophyllene,” Diana Neculcea, Faculty Advisor: Barton
  • “The Effects of Fertilizer on Decomposition of Native and Invasive Exotic Plant Species,” Gary W. Noel, Faculty Advisor: Panvini
  • “Detection of Respiration in C. elegans and the Effects of Different Sugars and E. coli,” Prisha Patel, Faculty Advisor: Grammer
  • “Differences in Plant, Macroinvertebrate, and Microbiota Diversity on a Well-Established Green Roof and a New Green Roof,” Sargoel Rezanejad, Faculty Advisors: Barton and Panvini
  • “Comparison Between Established Versus Newly Created Green Roofs Focusing on Microbiology, Macroinvertebrates and Green Roof Flora,” Kelsey Saint Clair, Faculty Advisors: Barton and Panvini
  • “Caffeine’s Effect on Chemotaxis of C. elegans at Various Stages of Life,” Emily Shearon, Faculty Advisor: Grammer
  • “Treatment effects of emetine on HCT-116 cells,” Kerry Sommers, Faculty Advisor:  Barton
  • “Expansion on the Nematode Scent Detection Test: Evaluating C. elegans Attraction to Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer,” Brian Song Faculty Advisor: Grammer
  • “Linearization and solution approximations for nonlinear differential equations,” Allison B. Hardee, Faculty Advisor: Daniel Biles, Ph.D.
  • “Mapping the unmapped of Nigeria,” Oluwatito P. Ebiwonjumi, Faculty Advisor: William Hooper, Ph.D.
  • “Problems in algebraic combinatorics,” Tucker L. Dowell, Faculty Advisor: Brad Schleben, Ph.D.
  • “Vector representations of musical harmonic structures,” Brandon Stephens and Peter Eigel, Faculty Advisor: Schleben

Chemistry & Physics Department Hosts Workshops for High School AP Chemistry Students

Hope Buckner
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Chemistry & Physics Department Hosts Workshops for High School AP Chemistry Students

“Back Titrations:  Neutralizing Agents – How Basic is It?,” a guided inquiry workshop for Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry high school students, was recently hosted by Belmont’s Department of Chemistry and Physics. Event organizer Dr. Danielle Garrett, assistant professor of chemistry education, held two half-day workshops in the chemistry labs in the Janet Ayers Academic Center in early December.

AP chemistry classes from Christ Presbyterian Academy and Clarksville Academy brought 29 participating students. In these hands-on workshops, students learned how to perform back-titrations and used this technique to compare the effectiveness of neutralizing agents in commercial products sold to reduce stomach acid. The student participants worked in groups to determine the most effective commercial neutralizing agent in 3-4 commercial products, based on evidence including both effectiveness and cost.

After the workshop, students met with Chemistry/Physics Department Chair Dr. Robert Magruder and College of Sciences and Mathematics Dean Dr. Thom Spence for a lab tour. One of the teachers noted that her students found the event to be a “fantastic field trip experience.”

“This workshop directed towards AP Chemistry students was developed in response to requests from several teachers who attended my ‘It’s Easy Being Green’ workshop series for middle and high school physical science and chemistry teachers,” Garrett said. “In my outreach work, I strive to develop and implement labs that are not only interesting for students, but serve to enhance their skills – whether that be trying a new lab technique, working with equipment they have not used before or expanding their critical thinking skills by challenging them to make connections. These were great groups of students – very hardworking, motivated and not afraid to ask questions.  I’m looking forward to making this an annual event for AP Chemistry students.”

Johnston Appointed to NashvilleHealth Steering Committee

Staff Writer
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Johnston Appointed to NashvilleHealth Steering Committee

Johnston's headshotDr. Phil Johnston, dean of Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy, was recently appointed to the NashvilleHealth Steering Committee, set up to guide and advise the organization in its efforts moving forward. The committee consists of 24 business, government and community leaders who carry diverse expertise in health and the factors that impact it. The group will work alongside NashvilleHealth’s Governing Board to align community attention and resources in an effort to address poor health outcomes and health equity issues.

Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader and NashvilleHealth Founder Bill Frist said, “These 24 local leaders are critical champions for NashvilleHealth and Nashville as a whole. We will rely on each of them to provide guidance on our overall community-developed strategic plan, help execute tactical implementation, advise on the development of pilot programs and monitor outcomes of our initiatives.”

NashvilleHealth is an organization dedicated to creating a culture of health and wellbeing in the Nashville area. It aims to open dialogue and build strategic partnerships to help close the gap in health disparities.

Former Mayor Dean Co-Authors Book on Nashville’s Growth

Hope Buckner
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Former Mayor Dean Co-Authors Book on Nashville’s Growth

Former Mayor and Distinguished Professor of History and Political Science at Belmont Karl Dean has co-written a book about Nashville’s 25-year run of success with reporter and writer Michael Cass. Dean led Nashville through a period of dynamic growth and change during his two terms as the city’s Mayor.

The book, Nashville: The South’s New Metropolis, explores the redevelopment of downtown, the arrival of major league sports in the 1990s, the city’s increasing diversity and its entrepreneurial spirit. The burgeoning restaurant scene and the transformation of the Gulch and SoBro into lively urban neighborhoods share the spotlight with the evolution of Nashville’s bedrock industries: health care, higher education, tourism and, of course, music.

Dean, who served as mayor for eight years, led the city through the Great Recession and the historic 2010 flood by continuing to bet on Nashville and invest in its future. The new book, full of photographs showcasing the city’s people and places, captures the advances made under the leadership of former mayors Phil Bredesen (1991-1999) and Bill Purcell (1999-2007).

“Nashville is an extremely appealing city because of its rich diversity, vibrant economy, musical foundation and forward-looking people,” Dean said. “It was a pleasure and a privilege to write about the city’s powerful energy and progress in this beautiful coffeetable book.”

Published by Memphis-based CityInk as the latest title in its Urban Renaissance Books series, the book includes interviews with and insights by musicians Jack White, Vince Gill and Ketch Secor, leader of the band Old Crow Medicine Show; author and Parnassus Books Co-Owner Ann Patchett; HCA Co-Founder Dr. Thomas Frist Jr.; businesswoman, philanthropist and arts champion Martha Ingram; Conexion Americas Co-Founder and Executive Director Renata Soto; Bishop Joseph Walker of Mt. Zion Baptist Church; restaurateurs Margot McCormack and Benjamin and Max Goldberg and many others.

Mayor Megan Barry, who succeeded Dean in 2015 and is building on her predecessors’ work while beginning to put her own stamp on the city, wrote the introduction.

Dean served as mayor from 2007 to 2015. He has lived in Nashville for more than 30 years since moving to the city for law school at Vanderbilt University. Cass worked as a reporter for The Tennessean for 15 years before joining Dean’s administration in its final year as speechwriter and communications adviser. He now holds the same position in Mayor Barry’s administration.

Six photographers, led by Memphis-based Stephanie Norwood, captured hundreds of beautiful images of Nashville to accompany and illustrate the text by Dean and Cass.

Nashville: The South’s New Metropolis is available for purchase at Parnassus Books, Barnes & Noble at Vanderbilt and Broadway Entertainment and online here. Journalists who need a copy of the book for review or reporting purposes should contact Michael Cass at michael_cass@hotmail.com.

 

Tough’s Song Featured in Current Holiday Film

Staff Writer
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Tough’s Song Featured in Current Holiday Film

Tough's HeadshotAssociate Professor of Audio Engineering Technology Dr. David Tough recently had a song cut by the 2016 independent film, “Holiday Breakup.” The song, “By Your Side,” was produced, engineered and co-written by Tough along with songwriter and producer Justin Busch.

Tough has had a history of songs used in television shows and movies including “Nashville,” “Pretty Little Liars,” “Braindead” and “NCIS: Los Angeles.”

“Holiday Breakup” was released on Nov. 1 and is now available for purchase or rent on Amazon, iTunes, Comcast Xfinity and Direct TV. For more information, visit the film’s website.

DeBlasis Selected for Tennessee Bar Association’s Leadership Program

Hope Buckner
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DeBlasis Selected for Tennessee Bar Association’s Leadership Program
Headshot of Abbie DeBlasisAssistant Professor in the College of Law Abbie DeBlasis was recently selected to participate in the Tennessee Bar Association’s (TBA) 2017 Leadership Law program. One of twelve Nashville attorneys selected, DeBlasis will join a group of 35 other attorneys from across the state to participate in the program’s 14th year.
The class will meet for its first session in January and spend the next six months learning about leadership in the legal profession, issues in the courts, policymaking in state government and the importance of community service.
TBA is the largest professional association in Tennessee with more than 13,000 members. Founded in 1881, TBA provides opportunities for continuing legal education, professional development and public service. TBA’s dedication to serving the state’s legal community is evidenced by its membership roll, which represents the entire spectrum of legal practice: plaintiff and defense lawyers, corporate counsel, judges, prosecutors, public defenders, government lawyers and legal services attorneys.
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