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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Social Work Club Impacts the Community

 

Belmont’s Social Work Club recently volunteered for a day with four kindergarten classes at Una Elementary School. Club members hosted a holiday party for a total of 68 students and made a craft, served a snack, read stories and gave out goodie bags. The bags contained gloves, toothbrush, pencils, notepad, crayons, an orange and a glue stick.

The Club was also active earlier in the semester as they collected more than 350 cans of green beans to donate to Luke 14:12, a non-profit soup kitchen providing free meals to the hungry, homeless and working poor of Nashville. They also volunteered at Thistle Farms to help package a large shipment and spend time with the ladies of Magdalene House.

Page Named Law Student Volunteer of the Year

The Tennessee Bar Association recently announced the state’s top pro bono and public service awards that will be presented at a ceremony in January. Sara Page, a 2015 graduate from Belmont’s College of Law, has been selected as the Law Student Volunteer of the Year for her work with numerous pro bono organizations including Belmont Legal Aid Society, Justice for Our Neighbors and Magdalene Clinic.

Jeffrey Usman, assistant professor of law at Belmont, nominated Page. “Sara is exactly the type of person who is too often overlooked, but who is critical for the continuing success and expansion and pro bono efforts in the state of Tennessee,” Usman said. “Sara meets other students where they are. She finds ways to get students who might not otherwise engage in pro bono hooked.”

The Law Student Volunteer of the Year Award is given annually to a Tennessee law school student or recent graduate who performs outstanding volunteer service to one or more organizations providing legal representation to the poor.

The awards will be presented by the Tennessee Bar Association at its 2016 Public Service Luncheon on Jan. 23 at Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium. Held each year as part of the association’s Leadership Conference, the luncheon also will feature remarks by TBA President Bill Harbison and other leaders from the legal community.

Belmont Employees Raise $42K for Local Causes

Belmont Cares CheckBelmont Cares, a campus-wide campaign to raise money for a number of local causes and organizations, encourages Belmont faculty and staff to engage with the community in a powerful way. This year’s efforts concluded with faculty and staff giving more $42,000 to benefit United Way of Metropolitan Nashville, Community Shares of Tennessee, Community Heath Charities of Tennessee and Nashville Public Education Foundation.

Throughout the month of October, the 2015 Belmont Cares Committee hosted a number of events including the month’s kick-off, a Two Buck Breakfast where faculty and staff were invited to eat breakfast in the dining hall for a $2 donation. This year’s event brought record numbers. Two weeks later, the Belmont community enjoyed lunch from area food trucks at the campaign’s “Foodtruck Frenzy.”

 

Pharmacy Students Present Research at Clinical Meeting

Students from Belmont’s College of Pharmacy recently attended the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting this month, the largest gathering of pharmacists and longest running clinical meeting in the world. Former President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush served as the event’s keynote speakers.

The conference updates pharmacists and pharmacy students on their knowledge, provides networking opportunities and offers information about the latest products and innovations. Additionally, the 35 students who attended were invited to a residency showcase to meet with representatives from hundreds of residency programs around the country.

Additionally, 13 posters submitted by Belmont students were accepted and presented at the meeting:

  • “Antimicrobial stewardship: considerations for primary care,” Jennifer Collins, Erin Todd & Elisa Greene
  • “Ciprofloxacin release rates from various novel pH neutral delivery vehicles,” Sarah Gobin Hardeman & Ken Reed
  • “Clinical decision support for pediatric obesity: accuracy, completeness, and usability of the most popular drug information applications for healthcare practitioners,” Amy Schnees, Shelby Blalock, Laurin Reed, Genevieve Ness & Amber Watson
  • “Evaluation of student performance on selected response versus constructed response examinations in a pathophysiology and therapeutics course,” Kristen Sherlin, Joe Huenecke & Kristy Wahaib
  • “Evaluating the utilization of an ABCDE bundle protocol for mechanically ventilated patients in a community hospital,” Haley Willett, Uyen Leet, Margaret DeVier
  • “Hydrogen peroxide contributes to cisplatin‐mediated toxicity in neuroblastoma,” Allison Sweat, Heang Lim & Kelley Kiningham
  • “Impact of medications on hospital‐based falls with injury,” Candace Beam, Heang Lim, Kristy Wahaib
  • “Implementation of updated palivizumab use guidelines to computerized physician order entry  (CPOE) administration criteria at a childrens hospital,” Christina Coy & Susan Publow
  • “Intensive interdisciplinary diabetes intervention in an underserved, multiethnic population,” Alexandria Ernst, Brian George, Bailey Bolton, Alan Graber & Elisa Greene
  • “Perioperative blood glucose in orthopedic surgery patients,” Sarah Ayers, Erin Todd & Montgomery Williams
  • “Retrospective analysis of vancomycin goal trough attainment and incidence of acute kidney injury in hospitalized patients with pharmacist managed vancomycin dosing,” Christopher Conkling & Montgomery Williams
  • “Rise of the superbugs: what you need to know about antibiotic resistance,” Destin Lenz, Kelsie Graham, Montgomery Williams & Ashton Beggs
  • “Student perceptions of interprofessionality experienced in an international missions Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE),” Emily Russell, Leela Kodali & Adam Pace

Marsh Accepted to Economics Scholars Program Peer Review Board

Alexander Marsh

College of Business economics major Alexander Marsh was recently accepted into the 2016 Economic Scholars Program (ESP) Conference Peer Review Board and will responsible for reviewing submissions for conference acceptance to ensure presentation quality remains high. ESP is a collaborative effort between Austin College and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas to foster the involvement of undergraduate economics students in research. The cornerstone of ESP is the annual conference where student scholars and faculty from institutions across the U.S. and Canada come together to share undergraduate student-initiated or student–faculty co-authored works, ideas about the role of undergraduate research in curriculum and challenges and concerns of undergraduates who conduct research.

Students who have served as either discussants or presenters at previous ESP conferences are invited to apply to be a member of the Board. Students who serve on the Board are encouraged to attend the conference and may participate as presenters, discussants and session chairs.

In March 2015, Marsh presented a co-authored paper titled “GDP, Unemployment, and the Great Recession: Utilizing Okun’s Law to Analyze the GDP Drop from 2005-2013”at the 9th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference hosted by the ESP for Undergraduate Research. The paper was part of an assignment in the fall 2014 Labor Economics class taught by Assistant Professor of Economics Dr. Colin Cannonier.

Belmont Celebrates December Commencement

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Belmont University will hold its December 2015 commencement ceremony for graduate and undergraduate students at 5 p.m. this Friday, Dec. 18, in the Curb Event Center.  The University will celebrate the graduation of a total of 432 students, the largest December graduating class in the University’s history. During the ceremony, 358 bachelor’s and 74 master’s degrees will be conferred.

Dr. Robert C. Fisher, president of the University, will preside over the event. Dr. Qingjun Li, assistant professor of Asian Studies and Chinese language, will present the commencement address. Li is the 2014-2015 Chaney Distinguished Professor recipient, a title awarded for each year to the faculty member who best represents the University’s vision to be “a premier teaching institution.”

Watch a live stream of commencement by visiting www.belmont.edu during the graduation ceremony Friday evening.

Music Therapy Program Launches Free Choir for Children with Autism

Rising Star-funded choir open to students aged 8-13;
Additional ‘Wiggle, Giggle, Grow’ class scheduled for infants, toddlers

The Rising Star Music Fund and Belmont University School of Music are partnering to create a free community choir for children with autism. The goal of the choir, which will be an initiative of Belmont’s music therapy program, is to provide a successful choral singing experience for people with autism and other developmental disabilities who are between the ages of 8 and 13. The choir will provide young members of the autism community with opportunities for music learning, performance and camaraderie with peers, and every semester will culminate with a performance for family, friends and the community.

“Belmont University’s music therapy program is honored to partner with the Rising Star Music Fund to bring the Rising Star Choir for Children with Autism to Nashville,” said Dr. Cynthia Curtis, dean of Belmont’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. “The Rising Star Music Fund is dedicated to supporting music education, encouraging the study and making of music and providing opportunities for children with special needs. Belmont’s focus on the arts, on music and on service—and our growing Music Therapy program—make this an ideal collaboration.”

Nashville Music Therapist Carrie Friddell, MT-BC, will direct the choir with assistance from Belmont music therapy students. There are no auditions for the choir, which is anticipated to be between 20-25 students who will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis. In addition, the music therapy program is also partnering with the Nashville Ballet on a free weekly “Wiggle Giggle Grow” group for infants and toddlers with special needs and their caregivers. A variety of activities—including singing, dancing, playing instruments and reading books—will be offered to assist in working toward important developmental milestones.

Started in fall 2014, Belmont’s music therapy program is directed by Dr. Alejandra Ferrer, MT-BC, and currently boasts more than 70 majors. In addition to the program’s challenging coursework, junior and senior level music therapy students also actively engage in clinical practicum in the Nashville community. Current clinical sites include Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Parthenon Pavilion at Centennial Medical Center, Alive Hospice, Morningside at Belmont and Harris Hillman Special Education School.

Ferrer noted, “The Rising Star Choir for Children with Autism will not only serve our community, but also function as a meaningful and enriching clinical practicum for our music therapy students. It will serve as a normalizing, enjoyable and therapeutic music experience for all involved!”

Registration and a meet and greet session for the choir will be held Sun., Jan. 10 at 2:30 p.m. Massey Performing Arts Center (Room 12) on Belmont’s campus with rehearsals being held every Sunday in the same location from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Jan. 17-April 17. The first public concert is scheduled for Sun., April 17 at 3 p.m. The Wiggle, Giggle, Grow music therapy class for infants and toddlers will meet on Fridays from 3-3:45 at Nashville Ballet (3630 Redmon Street) from Jan. 15-March 4. For additional information on the Rising Star Choir, contact risingstarchoirnashville@gmail.com. For additional information on the choir, the infant/toddler class or Belmont’s music therapy program, contact Dr. Ferrer at Alejandra.ferrer@belmont.edu.

About Rising Star Music Fund
The Rising Star Music Fund is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to supporting music education, encouraging the study and making of music, and providing opportunities for children with special needs or in under-served communities to access well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality programs of music instruction.

Tough’s Song Featured on NCIS

David ToughDr. David Tough, Associate Professor of Audio Engineering Technology, recently wrote and produced the big band/jazz-style song “Christmas Cheer” that was featured on Monday, Dec. 14 on NCIS: Los Angeles on CBS.

Business Alumnus Presents at International Business Conference

John SharpeJack C. Massey College of Business alumnus John Sharpe recently presented a paper, “Economic Growth in Post-Soviet States – The Role of the Great Recession” at the Academy of International Business (AIB), Southeast USA Chapter Annual Conference Nov. 12-14. The paper was co-authored by current Belmont student Joonas Bask and alumni Jacob DeVries and Kurtis Gibson. The AIB US Southeast chapter is one of the largest and most active worldwide chapters of the Academy of International Business, providing participants with opportunities to present their work in a collegial setting, obtain and provide constructive feedback and interact with world class scholars, speakers, panelists and keynoters.

In their research, the authors attempted to study and explore the economic growth experienced by post-Soviet states after the fall of the Soviet Union and the role, if any, played by the Great Recession in comparison to countries not previously a part of the Soviet Union. By identifying the structural changes in both the country’s economic and political institutions, the authors examined the relationship between economic growth and pertinent variables influencing growth in transitioning economies. Compared to non-transition economies, they found that the post-Soviet states had lower economic growth.

Sharpe presented the paper during a session comprised of presenters fro many universities. He is currently completing his master’s in economics at University of Texas-Austin and will be enrolling in an economics doctoral program in fall 2016. The paper was part of an assignment in the spring 2015 Economic Growth and Development class taught by Assistant Professor of Economics Dr. Colin Cannonier.

Science Undergraduates Present Research at Campus Symposium

Belmont’s College of Sciences and Mathematics has hosted its  Science Undergraduate Research Symposium (SURS) every fall semester since the 2004 inaugural event where 27 presenters participated. This year’s event, held Dec. 3, featured more than 55 student participants and included SURS keynote speaker Dr. Christopher Raridan, associate professor of mathematics at Clayton State University. Raridan presented on “What Undergraduate Research Means to Me.”

lab researchThis year’s event saw 58 students who presented research posters in biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, neuroscience, environmental science, chemistry, physics and honors-psychology. Additionally, there were 24 individual and group oral presentations in psychology.

SURS was created to provide undergraduate students with an opportunity to conduct independent research and present to a community of peers. With the Wedgewood Academic Center’s facilities, students are able to present research posters in the third and fourth floor atriums.

Many students who presented research participated in this year’s inaugural Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURFs) program and began their projects then.

Presented research included:

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

  • “A Study of Tumor Suppressor p53’s Potential Role in the Upregulation of MARCKS Transcription,” Nelly Grigorian
  • “Mixed Catechin Solution from Rosa centrifolia Suggests Multiple Avenues for Tyrosinase Inhibition,” Felicity Newton
  • “Preventing Cancer By Placement of Special Bacterial Carotenoids in Selected Natural Oils,” Robert Fira
  • “Synthesis of [2,3-b]Selenophene Pyrrole,” Daniel Gilani
  • “Concise Synthesis of 4H-Seleno[3,2-b]pyrrole Toward its Bio-transformation to [4,5]Selena-L-Tryptophan ([4,5]SeTrp),” Jacob Curry
  • “Effects of Probiotic Fermentation on Antioxidant Activity in Blueberries,” Adam James

Environmental Science

  • “Biodiversity of macroinvertebrates in a first order spring-fed stream on the Belle Forest Cave property, Bellevue TN,” Walter Burn
  • “Comparisons of water quality and macroinvertebrate diversity in Richland Creek (Nashville, TN) – an urban stream undergoing riparian restoration,” Alexandria Jeffers

Neuroscience

  • “Technological Screen Exposure’s Effect on Danio rerio’s Development,” Samantha Gould
  • “The subcellular localization of the apoptosis signaling kinases Ask1 and Ask3 influence signalosome formation and composition in response to cellular stress,” Kathryn Hook
  • “Circadian Rhythm Dependence of Habituation in C. Elegans,” Chase Mackey
  • “The Effect of Caffeine Concentration and Time of Exposure on C. elegans Locomotion towards an Attractant,” Julisa Nunez
  • “Potential Protective Effects of Nicotine in C. elegans Treated with 6-OHDA,” Miranda West

Biology

  • “Utilization of alpha-lipoic acid as an antioxidant in the presence of 6-OHDA,” Danielle Aument
  • “Chemotaxis Assay of Caenorhabditis elegans to Bacillus thuringiensis strain 4A4 in Vegetative and Sporulated Growth Stages,” Angel Brothers
  • “The Effects of Stress Due to Increased Immune Response on Working Memory in Danio rerio,” Lindsey Cheek
  • “p53 Mediated Regulation of CCNH in Response to Paclitaxel-Induced Mitotic Stress,” Taeler Dahm and Morgan Turner
  • “The Effects of Glucose, Saccharine, Aspartame, and Sucralose on Longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans,” Emily Deas
  • “The effects of statin drugs on memory in Danio rerio,” Lindsey Dennis
  • “Caenorhabditis elegans response to hyperglycemic and hypoxic conditions post infection with Staphylococcus aureus,” Bryan Eoff
  • “Do Tricyclic Antidepressants Affect Working Memory in Danio rerio?” Araceli Garland
  • “Implications of Parkinson’s Disease in Nematodes Treated with the Insecticide Permethrin,” Dora Geving
  • Caenorhabditis elegans and their Habitats,” Jemeilise Guzman
  • “The relationship between exotic earthworms, exotic plants, and soil and leaf litter invertebrate abundance and diversity,” Sara Haney
  • “Abundance of earthworms relative to leaf litter mass and exotic plant coverage,” Laura Horton
  • “The Effect of Antioxidants on Working Memory in Danio rerio,” Donald Hoyle
  • “Effect of p53 Status on S100A13 Expression in Response to Oxidative Stress,” Jeff King
  • “Role of Fatty Acid Metabolism and the Development of Parkinson’s Disease,” Zara Latif
  • “Differences in leaf pack decomposition rate between invasive exotic and native species in a temperate deciduous forest,” Lindsay Millward
  • “Investigation of the Regulation of CST6 by p53 During Cellular Stress,” Jasmin Mohn and Robin Weyman
  • “The Effect on ATP levels of Caenorhabditis elegans from a Staphylococcus aureus Infection,” Parin B. Patel
  • “Biomass and diversity of earthworms is affected by presence of exotic shrubs,” Ayda Porkar-Rezaeieh
  • “Transcriptional Regulation of RGS2 by p53 in Colorectal Cancer Cells,” Vian Pulous
  • “The Effects of Increasing Dosages of α-Lipoic Acid on the Chemotaxis Index of Caenorhabditis elegans at Adulthood,” Ambrose Rice
  • “The Effects of Bupropion on the Working Memory of Anxious Danio rerio,” Tessa Shupe
  • “Transcription Factor p53 and its Regulation of Pro-Apoptotic Gene BNIP3L During Heat Shock,” Eeleyah Singh Tanwar
  • “Decomposition of Acer saccharum and Lonicera maackii leaf litter in a first order stream,” Katlin Stodard
  • “Comparing the Anxiolytic Effects of Anandamides on Danio rerio,” Brandy Sweet
  • “The Effectiveness and Precision of Capillary Assays for Caenorhabditis elegans,” Alyssa Tidwell
  • “Appetite-Stimulating Effects of Herbal Root, Gentiana lutea, on Caenorhabditis elegans,” Sarah Trippett
  • “Determining C. elegans Chemotaxis to Cervical Cancer to Expand On the Nematode Scent Detection Test – A Cancer Screening System,” Parker Tumlin
  • “The addictive effects of nicotine on Caenorhabditis elegans,” Jud Wisdom
  • “Effects of Triclosan Exposure on Embryonic Development, Sensory Functioning, and Working Memory in Zebrafish,” Melissa Wolf

Honors- Psychology

  • “The Effect of Primers on Types of Semantic Satiation,” Devon Corcoran, Saniha Lakhani, Morgan McCauley & Riley Wymer
  • “Effects of Arousing Stimuli on Change Blindness,” Ciara Hauber, Lindsey Knapp, Reed Priest & Caroline Snellman
  • “The Effect of Adding a Congruent Auditory Stimulus to the Standard McGurk,” Charlotte Payne, Sarah Maxwell & Dean Adams
  • “Creativity and its Effect on Ambiguous Figure Detection,” Sean Rossettie, Jacqueline Skokna & Lauren Weber

 

Physics (*indicates presenter)

  • “Fabrication Protocol of Silver Ion Exchange Glasses,” Rachel N. Evans*, Sarah A. Cannavino, Christy A. King, Joe LaMartina, Robert H. Magruder & Davon W. Ferrara
  • “Fabrication Techniques for Gold Nanoparticles in Solution,” Sarah A. Cannavino*, Christy A. King & Davon W. Ferrara

Chemistry

  • “Sarcinaxanthin’s Effects in Sunscreen,” Kris Howard
  • “A Kinetic Study of the Dependence of Ascorbic Acid Concentration on Temperature and Time,” Ilyana Ilieva
  • “Towards the Concise Synthesis of a Tellurium-Containing Tryptophan Analog for the Elucidation of Protein Structure and Function,” Ryan Agh
  • “Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of a Copper(II) Imine Complex with Biomimic Properties,” Caroline Williams, Michelle Leatherwood & Justin Stace
  • “Characterization of Imine Nickel(II) Complexes and Their Reactivity with Various Solvents,” Daniel Beagan, Michelle Leatherwood, Jeanette Krause,(b) Tasneem Siddiquee,(c) Justin Stace (b: University of Cincinnati, c: Tennessee State University)
  • “Antioxidant Activity in Matcha and Leaf-Brewed Green Teas,” Shekinah Baum
  • “Quantification of Polyphenols and Assessment of Antioxidant Activity of Polyphenols Present in Organic and Non-Organic Raspberries from Different Sources,” Sofia Elmaliki
  • “Surface-Active Properties of Bis-Quaternary Ammonium Cationic Gemini Surfactant Mixed with Conventional Ionic and Nonionic Surfactants,” Sarah Heacock
  • “Cationic Gemini Surfactants for Enhanced Oil Recovery,” Adam Woods & Morgan McCauley

 

Psychology Oral Presentations

  • “Attention Modifies Emotional Response: A Study on the Effects of Shifting Attention,” Chase Mackey, Ragan Clark, Shelby Willard, Carson Ward & Matthew Williams
  • “The Effects of Food Preferences on Learning Performance in Rats,” Austin Arnold, Courtney Canady, Hunter Foltz, Sydney Omweg & Matthew Williams
  • “Media Exposure and Religiosity,” Sydne Richardson, Madi Lausten, Ashton Judy & Bayli Alexander
  • “Evaluating the Validity and Reliability of a New Scale for Uniqueness Seeking,” Ashton Judy, Hunter Foltz, Margaret Rittler, Bethany Strother & Lauren Weaver
  • “The Effects of Emotion and Color on Sensitivity to Impurity,” Kyle Mclean, Brittany McGavic, Scarlet Sanders & Mary Elizabeth Sorci
  • “The Relationship Between Personality Types and an Athlete’s Satisfaction with their Sport,” Sydney Omweg
  • “Does the Attitude of Facebook Profiles Change Self-Perception?” Courtney Canady
  • “Political Ideology and Interpersonal Attraction,” Bianca Flury
  • “A Validation Study of the Belmont University Measure of Adaptive and Maladaptive Absorption,” Madlin Lausten, Katy Coffer, Scarlet Sanders & Brittany Yaeger
  • “Perception of Intelligence Depends on Voice Intonation,” Katy Coffer, Blair Ferguson, Kathryn Graeff & Kathryn Hook
  • “Does Belief in a Just World and In-Group/Out-Group Membership Affect Perceptions of Suffering,” Mikayla O’Malley, Blair Ferguson, Jacob Huffman, Megan Kibby, Justin Lang & Mallory McDonald
  • “Under Pressure: The Effects of Emotion and Anxiety on the Phonological Loop,” Jacob Huffman
  • “The Effect of Mood Priming and Extroversion on the Perceived Pain of Spending Money,” Carmen Davisson, Lauren Fox, Emy Gildea, Amber Lowe, Diana Neculcea & Bri Widmer
  • “The Differential Effects of Artificial Sweetener and Natural Sugar on Memory in Rats,” Morgan Turner, Lauren Weaver, Lindsey Dennis, Ali Miller & Stephane Morin
  • “The Role of Mind Wandering in Incubation: The Effects of Incubation on Problem-Solving,” Stephane Morin, Bethany Strother, Miranda West & Brianna Widmer
  • “Schadenfreude: Developing and Validating an Effective Measure,” Alexandria Gumucio, Emily Fernandez, Faith Pollard, Christina Sorentino & Miranda West
  • “Validation of the Jealousy in Generalized Terms Scale,” Kayla Evans, Haley Foutch, Marlee Graham, Heather Jelonek & Brittany Lebhar
  • “Gaze and Fixation Time on People with a Handicap,” Heather Jelonek
  • “The Relationship Between Racial Bias and Memory of Medical Information,” Courtney Bright
  • “Voice Pitch Effects on Auditory Working Memory,” Nicole Canes, Kayla Evans, Samantha Gould & Courtney Bright
  • “The Effects of Continuous vs. Intermittent Reinforcement on Learning and Retention in Rats,” Allison Ramsey, Haley Foutch, Lyn Deters, Iris Chiang & Briana Anderson
  • “Attitude and Religiousness Towards Homosexuality,” Noelle Browne
  • “The Relationship Between Parenting Styles and College Students’ Alcohol Abuse,” Robert Bond
  • “Young Adults and the Comorbidity Between Social Anxiety Disorder and Cannabis Use Disorder,” Caroline Moore