Dr. Debora C. Finch and Dr. Meaghan Mundy, Gallup-Certified Strengths Coaches and adjunct faculty in University College, recently presented at the Symposium for Part-time, Adjunct and Contingent Educators (SPACE) in Atlanta. Their presentation, A Strengths-Inspired Story: Utilizing StrengthsQuest in Your Course Foundation, was inspired by the introductory Intellectual Growth and Inquiry class for all new adult degree students they teach at Belmont, in which participants learn practical ways to infuse a strengths lens into their courses and gain an understanding of how their students’ talents and strengths – and their own – impact the classroom culture. By helping students name, claim and aim their strengths, teaching and learning are enhanced. The “strengths story” that evolves becomes a powerful foundation for growth, development and academic success.
Hogan Tapped by Tennessee Department of Education to Serve
Mark Hogan, chair of Belmont University’s Education Department, was recently asked to serve on the Educator Support and Effectiveness working group as Tennessee begins to design the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan by the Tennessee Department of Education (TNDOE).
A member of one of the six working groups formed to focus on Tennessee’s educational policies surrounding assessment, accountability, support for all learners and educators and school improvement, Hogan and his team will begin meeting in July. The teams will continue to collaborate through the remainder of the summer to contribute to’s ESSA transition plan. The groups will be lead by two senior education officials from the state and will be made up of 10 educational leaders from local communities and school districts.
Hogan, who joined the Belmont faculty in January 2014, said he identifies as a strong advocate for children, families and the profession of teaching. In addition to serving on the ESSA strategic working group, Hogan was recently asked by the TNDOE to serve on working groups looking at Tennessee’s accreditation of Education Program Providers and the TN Report Card.
Hogan staid, “I’m honored to be asked by the Commissioner, and her staff, to serve on these working groups. My belief has always been that teacher educators need to have a voice at the table of policy decisions regarding the education of students. Tennessee is a pivotal place in the way they develop policy for equitable education.”
Hogan also emphasized out that Belmont’s teacher education program, which advocates for children and families, “centers on advocacy, innovation and leadership. Having a seat at the table allows us to speak to these crucial issues that Belmont does well with a strong teacher education faculty.”
Hogan is also the President-Elect of the Tennessee Association of Colleges of Teacher Education.
Schreiber Presents Research at Warner Music UK
Dr. David Schreiber, assistant professor and chair of the Entertainment Industry Studies program, presented research on decision-making in small businesses to a cohort of UK and US academics and Warner Music staff this week.
In cooperation with the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA), the group of academics and industry executives shared ideas on current industry trends and ways in which academia and industry can better engage in research endeavors and prepare students to enter the 21st century music and entertainment industry.
Dark Interviewed by Religion News Service on New Book
Assistant Professor of Religion and the Arts Dr. David Dark was recently interviewed by Religion News Service about his new book, “Life’s Too Short to Pretend You’re Not Religious.” In the article “Can You Be Religious Without Knowing It?,” which can be read here, Dark argues, “…we need not disavow the fact of our own bodies, our patterns, rituals, and buying habits. Phyllis Tickle once observed that saying ‘I’m spiritual but not religious’ is like saying ‘I’m human but I’m not flesh and bone.’ Why not own the fact of our loves and liturgies? I say we hold it all out with open hands.” Dark’s book was published in February by Intervarsity Press and is available in stores and online.
Students Embark on the Biblical World
“Jesus Christ and God became more real to me from my ability to walk in places where Jesus walked,” said Sarah Cannavino, a rising senior and participant in Belmont’s Biblical World Maymester trip. “Think about a family member who has passed away. Did you feel more emotional when you went a place they had been? That’s how I felt once I was able to grasp all of what we were told and experienced on our trip.”
Traveling to Israel, Turkey and Greece throughout the month of May, a group of 22 students and their two faculty leaders spent time in many cities including Bethlehem and Jerusalem. While there, students visited the Wailing Wall and the Al Aqsa Mosque, among other locations, and engaged in conversations surrounding the area’s militant presence. Leader and Professor of Biblical Studies Dr. Mark McEntire points to these experiences as some of the trip’s 
most formative.
“These are immensely disorienting experiences for our students,” McEntire said. “I watch, listen and talk to them as they struggle to wrap their heads around these sets of experiences. The conversations and the questions they raise are the best part of the trip for me.”
From dressing in culturally appropriate attire, to eating new foods and engaging in discussions far beyond their expectations, McEntire said the students’ ability to pull themselves out of their comfort zones and engage in experiential education is powerful. “Traveling to a different place and culture requires a deliberate act of making ourselves uncomfortable. The degree of that discomfort varies from place to place, and this trip offers more than most.”
Beyond experiencing their faith in ways they haven’t before, the Biblical World trip allows students the opportunity to push their perspectives and engage with a culture far different than their own. McEntire said he believes in the power of study abroad for all students, but this trip offers an experience most will not have the opportunity to enjoy again. “Travel to these places is arduous and time consuming,” he said. “But it makes possible moments of learning that cannot happen in other places.”
Photos provided by Sarah Cannavino.
Virden Finds Life-Long Transformation in Slovenia
Teaching music, chatting over coffee with her new teammates, learning to penny board or enjoying Slovenian ice cream treats are just some of the activities that fill the days of Annika Virden’s summer. A rising junior and computational neuroscience major at Belmont, Virden is spending her time away from campus interning for Josiah Venture (JV), an international organization devoted to creating a movement of God among the youth of Central and Eastern Europe.
Virden said she first heard of the organization from her Nashville-based church, Fellowship Bible, and immediately felt her heart called to the mission. “I felt deeply called [to this internship] in a way I didn’t quite understand,” Virden said. “I believe strongly that this is what God has for me this summer, and He’s going to use my time here both to reach whomever He want to with His grace an to teach me about Himself.”
While serving in Slovenia, Virden has many different jobs including planning for JV’s upcoming music camp “Fusion,” spending time with other interns and missionaries to engage in important conversations, visiting local primary schools for mini-choir sessions and spending time making relationships with young Slovenes, among other opportunities.
Since arriving at the beginning of the summer, Virden said she’s already experienced life-changing moments, the biggest of which happen when she least expects it. “The best part has been the deep community I’ve already gotten to experience here…Relational ministry means pursuing connections on a heart level with family members, team members, neighbors and anyone God puts in my path to serve.”
And the impact won’t stop in Slovenia. Though Virden says her time in the new country has ignited new passions within her, it has also instilled a new confidence in her ability to take on challenges successfully. “I’ve learned that I am adequate for this task, both here and in Nashville–not because of myself, but because of God and His grace toward me.”
With two more years left in college, Virden is already looking to what the future can hold. “This is what I want my life to look like in general,” Virden said. “People-focused, Christ-led, flexible, and full of opportunities to be stretched and grown in everyday circumstances that are transformed by grace.”
Alumnus Paul Shaw Selected for Prestigious Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme
Belmont alumnus Paul Shaw (May 2016) was recently selected as an assistant language teacher in the prestigious Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET). The JET program began in 1978 as a Japanese government initiative that funds university graduates who are native English speakers to live and work in Japan. The goals of the program are to increase mutual understanding between the people of Japan and the people of other nations, to promote internationalization in Japan’s local communities by helping to improve foreign language education and to develop international exchange at the community level.
Shaw, an international business major with a minor in Japanese, hopes to work in foreign policy or diplomacy and studied in South Korea at Sogang University in 2015 as a recipient of the Sogang University Global Scholarship. He has also done advanced Japanese language study at Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka, Japan. During his time at Belmont, he served as president of the University’s Japan-America Relations club.
“I first heard of the JET Program when I was a freshman at Belmont,” Shaw said. “My Japanese professor suggested that I look into the program, due to the fact that I would be able to get a lot of practice with Japanese and help children learn English. Over the next three years, I became more involved with the Japanese community in Nashville, volunteering at the Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival and Celebrate Nashville Festival, as well as participating in events put on by the Japanese Consulate General Office located in Nashville. After spending part of my summer studying abroad in Japan last year (2015), I decided that applying for the JET Program would be the best move for me to make immediately after graduating.”
Shaw will live in Shikabe-cho, a town in the northernmost prefecture of Japan, Hokkaido where he will be an assistant language teacher of English at a kindergarten, an elementary school and a junior high school. “My role consists of exposing students to the English language, participating in community events, and assisting other Japanese teachers of English with developing tools to make language education more interesting and cohesive for students.”
Tough’s Song Featured on CBS Network
Dr. Dave Tough’s song, “I Love Em All,” was featured on “Braindead,” a new CBS summer show, on June 20. The song was co-written with Belmont Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business alumni Rowland Folensbee.
Alumna Presents Research at American Delirium Society Conference
Dr. Kanah Lewallen, a 2015 Belmont School of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduate, recently presented the results of her DNP scholarly project at the American Delirium Society national conference in Nashville. Lawallen’s project was entitled “Improving Nurses Knowledge of Delirium and Implementation of the R.A.D.A.R. Screening Tool at two Post Acute Care Facilities in the United States.”
During the conference, Lewallen was able to meet with one of her scholarly project team members, Dr. Philippe Voyer, an international nursing expert on delirium and a member of the research faculty at Universite` Laval in Quebec City, Canada.
Stewart and Schreiber Present at NACU Annual Meeting
Tim Stewart, director of service-learning at Belmont, and Dr David Schreiber, assistant professor and chair of entertainment industry studies, recently presented at the 2016 NACU Annual Meeting held at Manhattan College in New York City. Stewart presented on using technology to support service learning initiatives, while Schreiber presented on Belmont’s Pipeline project as an instance of industry and undergraduate student research.
Provost Dr. Thomas Burns, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Dr. Beverly Schneller and Associate Provost and Dean of Students Dr. Jeffery Burgin attended and participated in the event’s provost and student affairs leader meetings.
