On April 14, Professor J. Haskell Murray of the Massey College of Business won the master teacher competition at the Midwest Academy of Legal Studies in Business Conference in Chicago, Illinois.
Finalists, who were chosen based on written submissions, presented at the conference on pedagogical techniques and original case studies. The winner was chosen by a vote of professors in the audience.
The annual Tennessee Junior Academy of Science (TAS) meeting was held at Belmont University on April 15, the tenth year Belmont has hosted the event. Dr. Steve Murphree, biology, arranged the meeting and serves as treasurer for TAS, an organization that exists to promote science education in Tennessee by encouraging student research.
TAS invites students to submit papers based on their research question and a panel evaluates each submission based on a set of criteria. The authors of approximately 25 submissions are invited to present at the organization’s annual meeting. A second panel at the meeting selects the top submissions and the complete papers are published in “The Handbook and Proceedings of the Tennessee Junior Academy of Science.” Additionally, winners receive cash prizes, travel awards and the ability to present their work at the American Junior Academy of Science Meeting.
Belmont University’s College of Sciences and Mathematics hosted the annual Middle Tennessee Regional Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science in the Wedgewood Academic Center on April 16. This event serves as an opportunity for students to showcase scholarly work and foster collaboration with local universities. This year, 33 students from Belmont University, Cumberland University, Fisk University, Tennessee State University, Tennessee Tech University and Vanderbilt University gave oral presentations in one of four sessions including chemistry, cellular and molecular biology, health and medical sciences and math/computer science/physics.
The meeting was coordinated and run by Dr. Duane Hatch, assistant professor of chemistry. All sessions were moderated and judged by faculty volunteers who awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd place certificates to the top three presenters in each session. Faculty judges were Dr. Lori McGrew, Belmont, Dr. Steve Murphree, Belmont, Dr. Danielle Garrett, Belmont , Dr. Steven Damo, Fisk, Dr. Qingxiu Li, Fisk, Dr. Kim Atwood, Cumberland University and Dr. Mary Kidd, Tennessee Tech University.
The following are the winners from each session:
Chemistry: 1st – Daniel Beagan (Belmont), 2nd – Shekinah Baum (Belmont), 3rd tie – Rukiayah Warner (Fisk) and Libby Ligon (Belmont)
Cellular and Molecular Biology: 1st – Alexandra Ruff (Vandy), 2nd – Alyssa Tidwell (Belmont), 3rd – Kathryn Hook (Belmont)
Health and Medical Sciences: 1st – Parker Tumlin (Belmont), 2nd – Araceli Garland (Belmont), 3rd – Brandy Sweet (Belmont)
Math/CS/Physics: 1st – Sharee Brewer and Ashley Davis (Fisk), 2nd – Tucker Dowell (Belmont), 3rd tie – Howsikan Kugathasan (Fisk) and Gwendolyn Buchanan (TTU)
Belmont Biology Department faculty members Drs. Darlene Panvini and Laura Stephan, along with 5 biology, biochemistry & molecular biology and neuroscience majors, attended the 28th Undergraduate Research Conference at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 8. The conference was attended by more than 900 individuals representing 58 colleges and universities from 11 states. Presentations were in varied disciplines including sciences, humanities and social sciences.
Belmont students Julisa Nunez, Eeleyah Tanwar, Angel Brothers, Morgan Turner and Robin Weyman gave the following oral presentations at the conference:
Investigation into the Regulation of CST6 by p53 Following Cellular Stress
Robin Weyman, Belmont University, Jasmin Mohn, Belmont University
Faculty Sponsors: Chris Barton, Belmont University
p53-Mediated Regulation of CCNH In Response to Paclitaxel-Induced Mitotic Stress
Morgan Turner, Belmont University , Taeler Dahm, Belmont University .
Faculty Sponsors: Chris Barton, Belmont University
Transcription Factor p53 and its Regulation of Pro-Apoptotic Gene Bnip3L During Heat Shock
Eeleyah Singh Tanwar, Belmont University.
Faculty Sponsors: Chris Barton, Belmont University
Chemotaxis Assay of Caenorhabditis elegans to Bacillus thuringiensis strain 4A4 in vegetative and sporulated growth stages.
Angel Brothers, Belmont University
Faculty Sponsors: Robert Grammer, Belmont University, Roger Jackson
The Effect of Caffeine Concentration and Time of Exposure on C.elegans Locomotion Towards an Attractant
Julisa Nunez, Belmont University
Faculty Sponsors: Robert Grammer Belmont University, Roger Jackson
Pictured above (L to R): Dr. Laura Stephan, Julisa Nunez, Eeleyah Tanwar, Angel Brothers, Morgan Turner, Dr. Darlene Panvini and Robin Weyman.
On Friday, April 15, Belmont School of Music faculty members Joel Treybig, Radu Rusu, Jeff Phillips and Chris Vivio performed with Tri Star Brass at the Tennessee Music Education Association convention.
The convention, held at Gaylord Opryland Resort’s Convention Center, was attended by 850 registered attendees plus 920 student attendees. The ensemble performed diverse compositions for 15-piece brass ensemble by Gabrieli, Kurek, Rimsky-Korsakov, Simmons, Stravinsky and Wagner.
Two Tennessee county school systems sign on for leadership training
Launched last fall with the hiring of former Metro Nashville Director of Schools Dr. Jesse Register, the nonprofit Center for the Improvement of Educational Systems (CIES) announced today that it has signed on its first two school districts for consulting services and leadership training, with recently established Memorandums of Understanding with Warren County Schools and Maury County Schools as part of the Center’s pilot year programming. The Center is the product of a collaboration between Belmont University and The Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA). The Center is being formed to provide support and add capacity for local school districts to sustain successful systemic school improvement initiatives.
Register, who possesses nearly 30 years serving as a public school superintendent in Tennessee and North Carolina, said, “Our goal is to help develop highly effective district leadership teams of school boards and superintendents that are collaborative, understand governance structures and political context, and use effective short term and long term strategic planning processes. We will focus on fundamentals for sustained success and hope to work with partner districts over three to four year engagements.”
Dr. Tammy Grissom, executive director of the Tennessee School Boards Association and Belmont alumna, is collaborating with Register for the consultancy initiative. She added, “This partnership will enable us to fully develop the district leadership team concept. School boards and superintendents must have a common vision and strategic plan if system level progress is maintained.”
Once a district leadership team is established for each pilot school system, that team will complete a two-day orientation retreat and the School Board Academy “Planning a Joint Venture” workshop. The pilot programs will then participate in on-going work sessions and monthly consultations with CIES. As part of the consultation, an administrative Change Leadership Group will be formed in each district, modeled on research from the Change Leadership Group at Harvard University, to facilitate the implementation of the district’s strategic plan.
In addition, an accountability system will be implemented to measure progress and outcomes of the social, emotional and academic development of the district’s students. Ongoing engagement for each participating district will be developed based on a specific analysis of needs and capacities of each district.
Dr. Chris Marczak, director of schools for Maury County, said, “Maury County is excited to partner with Belmont University and the Center for the Improvement of Educational Systems to further our newly created Maury County Public Schools’ seven Keys to College and Career Readiness. The vast wealth of knowledge that Dr. Jesse Register brings to our district will accelerate the opportunities we are seeking for all students to have success with the Keys.”
Bobby Cox, director of schools for Warren County, added, “Warren County Schools is very excited to begin our partnership with the new Center for the Improvement of Educational Systems. We are excited to partner with Belmont University and Dr. Register to help improve our district leadership, instructional practices and gain knowledge from such an accomplished and nationally recognized school leader as Dr. Register. Our district and school leadership as well as our board of education feel that this partnership will benefit the students and teachers of our school system now and will pay long lasting dividends improving student achievement in the future.”
April 2017 Update:
Maury County Superintendent Chris Marczak was recently named as a 2016-17 National School Boards Association’s “20 to Watch,” a designation given to emerging education technology leaders who significant potential to make an impact on their communities and field for the next 20 years.
Author and speaker Lisa Harper concluded the 2016 “Belmont & Beyond Series,” a schedule of events for students co-sponsored by the Office of Career and Professional Development and the Massey College of Business Career Development Center, with a presentation to more than 150 attendees on Monday, April 18.
Harper’s talk, titled “Walk This Way: Avoiding Potholes in the Path of Life,” told the redemptive story of the adoption of her daughter Missy from Haiti in 2014 after she met the little girl and learned of her mother’s AIDS diagnosis. Harper discussed issues of injustice and how she often worries that things said to Missy might hurt her feelings. Telling of how she is quick to defend Missy when other children have said hurtful things, Harper recalled one instance on a playground where she hopped to Missy’s defense and heard God say to her, “If only you were this quick to defend me.” It was then that Harper realized she wasn’t so quick to defend God when hurtful things are said.
She went on to share stories from the Bible and describe the miracles Jesus allowed his followers to witness. In one, Harper shared about a father who brought his sick son to see Jesus and as he continued to get sicker, the father’s belief in Jesus’s power only strengthened. As the father stood strong in his beliefs, the son was healed. Harper used the story to share encouragement with the crowd and said, “Be preoccupied with Jesus to make it through the potholes…Jesus is your perfect place. Focus on Jesus.”
Music business alumna Megan Hamilton Smith, class of 2013, won an ACM Award for producing the Video of the Year, Mr. Misunderstood by Eric Church. Smith was hired as a full-time project coordinator at Q Prime after a successful internship, and her responsibilities have included everything from touring with Eric Church and managing his signature line of cowboy boots to recently working on music video projects.
When asked about her accomplishment, Smith gives all the credit to her team. “Eric Church is very authentic artist. He cares a lot about his music and every aspect of his career, and I think that comes across in everything,” Smith said. “I also think John Peets’s concept for the video is very relatable to a lot of people, including Eric, and Peets and his co-director Reid Long were able to really capture Eric’s authenticity in this video.”
Smith said the opportunities she had from her time at Belmont were essential in preparing her for her career. “I took advantage of as much as I could while I was there. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, so I just tried to learn a little bit about everything, and that’s been very beneficial to my career,” she said. “I work for a management company now, so I’m involved in a little bit of every aspect of the music business, and I don’t think any other school would have been able to offer me the opportunities to get such a well-rounded and hands-on music business education.”
Keeping in line with Smith’s success, Belmont alumnus Mark Fuhrer recently signed an exclusive, global publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville via the company’s joint venture with Droptine Music. See the article on Music Row.
Finally, alumna Emily Reid signed an exclusive publishing deal with Big Machine Records. Reid is a CCMA Discovery Finalist who has opened for artists including Dierks Bentley and Charlie Worsham. She cowrote “Two in a Million,” the series finale duet for Disney’s “Austin & Ally.” Reid was also a featured artist for the Canadian clothing company, Roots. See the full article on Music Row.
Sophomore Missy Martin recently accepted a position in Vermont Law School’s New Frontiers in Environmental Science summer program. Vermont Law School is ranked number one in the nation for environmental law by U.S. News and World Report. Martin will join five other undergraduate students and approximately 15 Juris Doctor students in her summer classes.
House Of, located on Belmont Blvd., features only products designed in Tennessee
New Nashville fashion boutique House Of opened its doors last Friday with a Spring Launch Party to celebrate the opening of the student-run retail concept. The store, located on Belmont Boulevard near the trendy 12 South shopping district, is the result of a unique partnership between Belmont University entrepreneurship students and the Nashville Fashion Alliance, and the outlet will provide the Nashville community with a curated group of local designers and brands. The one-of-a-kind shopping experience will be augmented with in-store events, trunk shows and networking events featuring creative talent from the region.
Elizabeth Gortmaker, director of Belmont’s Center for Entrepreneurship, said, “We are thrilled to be working with such fantastic designers and connecting our entrepreneurial students with the Nashville fashion community. This retail store provides an opportunity for our entrepreneurial students to work directly with local creative entrepreneurs while supporting and developing the design ecosystem in Nashville. The students have been working on this launch since August and have big plans to continue growing their business.”
Considering itself both a retail store and fashion lab, House Of will feature a rotating list of designers and brands offering collections of clothing, accessories, shoes, stationary and home goods that represent the best of emerging regional talent. Samples of items for sale can be found on the store’s Instagram account, @HouseOfNashville, which already has more than 870 followers.
Nashville Fashion Alliance CEO Van Tucker added, “House Of is an important partnership for our brands and our Belmont entrepreneurship students as it provides each with a retail learning lab. Our emerging designers have the opportunity to gain insight into a retail environment with low risk and support from business-minded students. Our students have the opportunity to gain insight into the fashion business and be a resource for our designers. House Of will serve as a place where our designers can connect with their customers in a retail environment.”
The uniqueness of this idea emerges from the “learning lab” partnership between college students, the Nashville Fashion Alliance and local designers. House Of also offers Belmont entrepreneurship students hands-on experience running every aspect of a store. Each student involved is assigned a specific role (communications, events, sales, merchandising, etc.).
Emily Gaus, a sophomore music business major, serves as the manager and merchandising manager for House Of, making her responsible for selecting the products that are sold in the store and working with the designers to curate the space. She presented the new student-run business to a room full of designers and fashion industry professionals during the recent Nashville Fashion Alliance Pitch Night. She said, “We are so lucky to be partnered with the Nashville Fashion Alliance, and that is where we started with picking our designers and our items. We had a pretty clear vision of what kind of style we wanted in the store, and we didn’t want to limit ourselves to women’s clothing and accessories, so we had a large variety to consider. From there it was a matter of curating the items to that taste, and always keeping in mind our audience of college students and neighborhood members. The designers made it very easy to pick quality, ethical and beautiful items to put together in our store.”
Belmont’s entrepreneurship program has been named as one of the Top 25 Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Programs in the country by The Princeton Review and has also been recognized as a National Model Undergraduate Program for Entrepreneurship Education by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE). In 2010, the program was featured as one of five schools to consider when studying entrepreneurship by Fortune magazine.
In addition to the prime retail space for student-run businesses on Belmont Boulevard, on campus Student Business Hatcheries provide an office environment containing basic resources and support to help students as they develop their own entrepreneurial ventures. Students are advised by faculty, staff and local entrepreneurs who are part of the Belmont Entrepreneur Network. Other resources available to students include free legal clinics, accounting clinics and practicing entrepreneur roundtables.
About The Nashville Fashion Alliance
The Nashville Fashion Alliance is a trade organization representing over 350 regional members. The mission of the NFA is to incubate and accelerate fashion companies throughout the entire eco-system through advocacy, economic & resource development and education. More information is available at www.nashvillefashionalliance.com.
