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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Rigsby and Parker Published in BMB Journal

Drs. Rachel Rigsby and Alison Parker, faculty members in Belmont’s Chemistry Department, recently published an article in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, an international journal aimed to enhance teacher preparation and student learning in related sciences.

Their article, “Using the PyMOL application to reinforce visual understanding of protein structure,” describes an iPad activity Rigsby developed to help students gain a deeper understanding of protein structure. Rigsby and Parker discuss the activity as well as assessment of its effectiveness.

Trustee James Wright, Wife Susan Donate $1 Million to Support Belmont Missions

Former Tractor Supply CEO, chairman creates endowment to fund scholarships for students to participate in faith-based mission, service trips

Belmont Trustee James (Jim) Wright and his wife Susan recently announced the creation of the Jim and Susan Wright Missions Endowment with a gift of $1 million to the University. The major gift comes within three months of the launch of Belmont’s $300 million We Believe comprehensive fundraising campaign, and the endowed fund will directly benefit one of the campaign’s top giving priorities, missions. Jim Wright is the now-retired, former chairman and CEO of Nashville-based Tractor Supply, and he and Susan currently live in Lake Quivira, Kansas.

“Belmont’s foundation as a Christian university creates a unique opportunity in higher education to offer life-changing missions as part of our students’ experience,” said University President Dr. Bob Fisher. “We provide a place for students to find their God-given purpose through service to each other, their community and the world beyond. I’m grateful for Jim and Susan’s generous support of these efforts because I witness what these opportunities mean to our community, and I know how often lives are positively transformed through Belmont missions.”

The Wrights said, “We are involved in Belmont and remain committed to this University because it’s staying true to its core as a Christian institution while continuously and passionately working to provide the best opportunities and education possible for its students. Those qualities align with our own beliefs, both personally and professionally, of the life God calls us to live. It’s a privilege to have the means to support Belmont at this level, and we are excited to see how this gift allows more students to develop and spread their faith in the coming years.”

Athletics Mission Trip 2016The $1 million gift will establish an endowed fund that financially supports students with demonstrated need in their efforts to participate in missions work through Belmont University. As announced with the campaign unveiling, Belmont is partnering with its supporters to leverage their investments in the institution’s future. The University will match endowment contributions to University priorities between $25,000 and $1.5 million ‘dollar for dollar,’ doubling the impact of each donor’s commitment. In this instance, the Wright’s $1 million gift to support missions will be matched by the University in a mirrored fund for the same purpose, marking an overall increase of $2 million for endowed support of Belmont missions-related scholarships.

Frequently, as is the case with many health care-related missions, the trips are tied to academic pursuits, allowing students to see how their chosen field of study can impact places and cultures they never before imagined. In 2015-16, 250 Belmont students engaged in mission-oriented experiences with trips ranging from tutoring at an after-school program in downtown Chicago to leading songwriting workshops in Zimbabwe to providing a free health clinic in Jamaica.

Most importantly, these trips foster students’ spiritual growth alongside the academic, physical, social and cultural challenges they face in different situations at home and abroad. Missions opportunities are central to Belmont’s foundation as a Christian institution and its intent, as spelled out in its Vision 2020 plan, to further “exemplify the Christian faith by responding to the imperative expressed in James 1:22, which states ‘Do not merely listen to the word… Do what it says.’”

Belmont’s Vice President for Development and External Relations Dr. Perry Moulds added, “We are deeply grateful for the Wrights’ willingness to support Belmont students as they venture into the world providing service to others and spreading the love of Christ. We frequently hear stories of students who return to Belmont from such trips with a reaffirmed belief that serving others is central to their faith and development. The Wrights’ dedication to the betterment of our students’ lives, and to the Christian mission of this institution, is inspirational.”

Students Travel to South Africa for International World Changers Mission

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Four Belmont students recently traveled to Motherwell, South Africa to spread love and the Gospel to the people of NU29, a government-provided township. Traveling with International World Changers (IWC), the students were introduced to the opportunity through Jeff and Lynne Holder, Belmont’s Missionaries-in-Residence.

During their 9-day trip, the student group participated in trainings each morning on how to best speak with diverse populations and then split into groups each afternoon for service. With groups responsible for working with children, women, participating in street evangelism and hosting sporting activities, each student had the opportunity to experience ministry in a powerful way.

Participant and rising sophomore Jordan Sanders said the opportunity to travel to South Africa is one she will always look to as a major milestone in her college career. Though her time with the residents of NU29 was a wonderful experience, Sanders said her favorite memories include the students she served alongside. Though they arrived in South Africa from all over the world, the connection was instant. “It was a friendship founded in mutual love for Christ,” Sanders said. “I think that’s why we all became such good friends. There was no cultural barrier at IWC—we were all family by the end of the week.”

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L to R: Allie Currie (Auburn student), Mareon Smit, Hubert, Sanders and Ali Bonds

Sanders also has fond memories of her time with the NU29 children and their excitement surrounding her team’s presence. “My favorite part of the day was getting out of the car and being greeted with little hugs and kisses from dozens of sweet children,” she said.

Belmont senior and soccer player Nat Hubert led the sports team each day and spent the afternoons with local children. As an athlete himself, Hubert said he’d been looking for an opportunity to participate in a mission trip and IWC’s was the perfect combination of what he loves. “I want to coach and this provided me another opportunity to do so in a different culture and furthered my passion for teaching what I know to younger generations,” Hubert said. “Teaching the children was another way of really encouraging me that this is what I want to do.”

As a social entrepreneurship major at Belmont, Sanders dreams of using her degree to make an impact and her time with IWC only solidified that possibility. “Seeing God use us, ordinary American students, to spread the love of Christ to people in a country 8,600 miles away was something that I will never forget,” Sanders said. “That will inspire me for the rest of my life.”

Belmont Students Participate in Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program

For the second summer in a row, students in Belmont’s College of Science and Mathematics are finding themselves spending their days in the Janet Ayers Academic Center’s labs—experimenting with lasers, exploring quantitative differences in guitar resonance patterns and analyzing the movement of ballroom dancers, among other things.

SURFS, Belmont’s Summers Undergraduate Research Fellowship, was created last summer based on the vision of Chemistry and Physics Department Chair Dr. Robert Magruder and offers a unique opportunity for the 23 students studying chemistry, physics, biology, psychology and mathematics to experience a long-term research project. With nine faculty members serving as student advisors, the SURF program allows participants to experience a 6-week research project first-hand.

Drs. Scott Hawley, Steven Magruder and Devon Ferrara led a group of fellows through a project using a laser interferometer to observe the vibration patterns that develop on a square metal plate as it vibrates at different frequencies. As the first signal the instrument has generated, the interferometer will be used to evaluate differences in resonance found on guitar faces.

The software used to conduct the project was created by Hawley and physics/audio engineering technology double major Steven Shook. Efforts are currently underway to improve image quality for the software.

dancingA second group, advised by Ferrara, filmed dancers at The Ballroom, a dance studio in Nashville, to analyze the physics of ballroom dancing alongside Steven Black, owner at The Ballroom.

Student scientists presented their findings at the SURFs poster presentation on Friday, July 13 in the Janet Ayers Center.

Kendrick Interns at Washington Center, Explores New Found Passions

Madison Kendrick, Belmont sophomore marketing major and political science minor, is spending her summer kayaking the Potomac River as she interns for Do Good, LLC through The Washington Center. An academic internship program based in D.C., The Washington Center assists students in finding internships in the area through a mutual selection process. After researching the nonprofits interested in bringing her on for the summer, Kendrick said Do Good (DG) was an easy choice.

Working with DG, a company committed to helping nonprofits do good work and connecting “good-doers” with opportunities to contribute, Kendrick said her summer has been filled with more experiences that she imagined. As the marketing intern, Kendrick is responsible for social media content and analytics, website management, event planning and innovative marketing ideas.

Despite the many opportunities she could have chosen for the summer, Kendrick said The Washington Center’s experience stood out the moment she found it. “I knew that I wanted to do something really impactful and out-of-the-box this summer,” Kendrick said. “I felt the Lord pushing me to take a jump and go for it. It also didn’t hurt that the internship is in one of my favorite cities—Washington, D.C.”

Though her internship has contributed to her skill set and expanded her abilities, Kendrick points to the city for her favorite memories. “This has been a dream, but one of the best parts has been living in D.C,” Kendrick said. “This city is so vibrant and full of passionate, intelligent people. Most people think D.C. is politics and that’s it; but it truly is so much more.”

Through the variety of tasks she’s been assigned, Kendrick said she’s coming closer and closer to honing what she hopes to do in the future—working in marketing and managing social media strategy or evening planning. She also highlighted a new found passion, political marketing, an ideal fit for the city she’s called home this summer.

Reflecting on her time in D.C., Kendrick said she owes significant gratitude to Belmont Professor of Political Science Dr. Vaughn May who introduced her to the Center and its opportunities. “Dr. May was always available to answer any questions I had, and I could not be more grateful. I also want to thank Belmont for providing me with this experience and creating such a great platform for me to jump from. Belmont has been everything I dreamed of in a school, and I couldn’t have made a better college decision.”

Beggs Published in Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning

beggs faculty photoDr. Ashton Beggs, assistant professor of pharmacy, recently published a paper in Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, a journal “devoted to high quality, peer-reviewed scholarship relevant to all areas of pharmacy education, including innovative teaching and learning strategies.”

Beggs paper is titled, “Evaluating student pharmacists’ perceptions of adherence before and after a pillbox simulation” and was co-authored with Jessica Wilhoite and Alison Walton from Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Zoro’s Book Climbs on Amazon’s Hot New Release List

zoro07Zoro, adjunct instructor of percussion in Belmont’s School of Music, recently published his new book, “Soar: 9 Proven Keys for Unlocking Your Limitless Potential.” The book climbed to No. 6 on Amazon’s Hot New Release List this week.

Of his release and its ranking Zoro said, “God is faithful…I thank all of my friends for their faith in what God has called me to do and for their prayers over the years.’

Arnn Publishes Book

John Arnn, past Belmont School of Music faculty member and composer of the University’s hymn “Jesus is the Christ,” recently published a novel, Jaheewah God of the Winds.

The novel is currently available for purchase at Amazon.

 

Lee Cast in Chicago Production of Hamilton

Belmont senior musical theatre major Christopher Lee was recently cast as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson in the Chicago production of Hamilton after submitting a video submission to the show’s production team.

Lee said the opportunity to join the cast and crew of Hamilton will be a life changing one. “This opportunity means literally everything,” he said. “One day it was a far-fetched dream and today it’s a reality.”

This experience hasn’t come without significant work, and Lee said he points to God for his success. “I thank God for every open and closed door that led to this experience,” Lee said. ” I also thank my family, the Belmont University Musical Theatre Program and last but definitely most, my mother. She’s everything.”

Looking to the future, Lee said he hopes to become a working actor, singer, songwriter, all around artist.

Featured image provided by MA2LA. 

Carr Performs Summer Concert

IMG_5172Cheryl Slay Carr, Curb College, performed a concert in Detroit, Michigan using a house concert business model that has gained increasing attention in the music industry.

Home concerts offer an alternative to traditional venue performance opportunities for both audiences and performers.

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