Belmont senior entrepreneurship major Maggie Fincher and media studies professor Dr. Sybril Brown were both honored by the Nashville chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) during the “Celebrating Women of Music City Awards” event held Wednesday in Green Hills.
Brown, who was unable to attend the event due to her class schedule, was recognized as the 2015 Nashville NAWBO Diversity Leader of the Year, noting that she has consistently cultivated diversity and inclusion in the community. Meanwhile, Fincher, who serves this year as the president of Enactus, was awarded the 2015 Student Scholarship Award by NAWBO. Fincher is also the owner of The Red Table Cloth, a dining experience auction launching this fall.
Popular business speaker and author Joe Calloway is joining Belmont University’s Center for Entrepreneurship as the Executive in Residence for academic year 2015-16. He will be working directly with the Jack C. Massey College of Business’s entrepreneurship students and will be participating in all of the Center’s events throughout the year, including offering insights to student entrepreneurs in the University’s Accelerator and Hatchery programs that are designed to get new businesses off the ground.
Calloway said, “Belmont University has always been a source of new thinking and ideas. In my work with entrepreneurs, I’ve seen that success is driven by a passion for new ideas and a constant drive to take what works and make it better. This is what I hope to encourage and develop in students in bringing them some of the best thinking from the entrepreneurial marketplace.”
Calloway works with entrepreneurs and business owners to help them improve performance and grow their businesses. He is the author of six business books including the acclaimed Becoming a Category of One, and his new book to be released in November, Magnetic: The Art of Attracting Business. A popular speaker for business conferences around the world, Calloway has worked with groups ranging from Coca Cola in Africa and newspaper publishers in the Netherlands to American Express and small business owners throughout the United States.
Belmont University will kick off its 125th Anniversary Celebration this Saturday with a family-friendly music festival featuring exclusively student and alumni talent. The event will begin on The Lawn at 2:30 p.m. with the annual “Battle of the Belmont Bands” contest as six selected student bands–Better Eyes, Brave Town, Constellations, Emma Place, Mocha and Nodaway–perform with a panel of industry experts in the audience to determine a winner. Those judges are organized by Musician’s Corner, the annual concert series in Centennial Park to promote emerging artists, which then invites the winner to perform at an upcoming concert.
In addition, following the announcement of the “Battle of the Belmont Bands” winner, the evening will conclude with a concert featuring three critically and commercially acclaimed Belmont alumni bands: Steve Moakler, COIN and Kopecky.
Throughout the afternoon, children’s activities will be held on the patio in front of McWhorter Hall, including face painting, balloon animals, inflatables, musical performances by “Mr. Steve” and more. Plus, a number of popular community food trucks will be on hand, stationed along the Lawn, to provide refreshments, and numerous stations will be set up around the Lawn to welcome back alumni and friends, provide additional information on the anniversary celebration and sell artist merchandise.
This free event is open to the public, and parking is available on the north side of campus in the Inman/McWhorter Garage, the Wedgewood Academic Center Garage and the Baskin Garage, all of which can be viewed on the Campus Map.
FULL SCHEDULE
2:30 p.m.: Festival begins!
Food Trucks Open (2:30-10 p.m.)
Family Fun Zone Opens (2:30- 6 p.m.)
Photo Frames roaming the site (2:30-8 p.m.)
Bruiser in the family Fun Zone (2:30-2:50 p.m.)
Bookstore Open (2:30-5 p.m.)
Student Affairs Zone Opens (2:30-6 p.m.)
Athletics Tent Opens (2:30 PM- 6 p.m.)
Alumni Tent Opens (2:30- 6 p.m.)
Picture Booth Open (2:30- 10 p.m.)
2:55 p.m.: Battle of the Belmont Bands begins
3-3:30 p.m.: Mr. Steve performs in the Family Fun Zone
3:10-3:30 p.m.: Bruiser at Photo Booth
4-4:20 p.m.: Bruiser working the stage Crowd
4:30-5 p.m.: Mr. Steve performs in the Family Fun Zone
4:40-5 p.m.: Bruiser in Family Fun Zone
5:15-6 p.m.: Announce winner of BOTBB
5:30-5:50 p.m.: Bruiser at Alumni Relations/Athletics
Freshmen orientation is widely known for move-in days, campus procedure seminars and new student meet and greets. For Belmont University freshmen and transfers, the days leading up to the first day of school are marked with these events and more, including the chance to experience Nashville in a meaningful and hands-on way – through service.
SERVE, an event that’s been held for more than 10 years, allows members of Belmont’s newest class and transfer students to spend time in the community with their orientation groups. This year, the 1,800 students were spread out among 41 sites including Buena Vista Enhanced Options Middle School, Preston Willis Ministries and Rocketown.
Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, who will be joining Belmont’s faculty this year as a Distinguished Visiting Professor of History and Politics, spent time with the group before they left, thanking them for their service and commitment to the community. Sending them out with the charge to “find a lasting and meaningful way to get involved,” Mayor Dean encouraged students to fully embrace their new community. “Maybe it will be painting a playground, maybe it will be helping a child with reading or math, but however you do it, you are capable of making a lasting difference in someone’s life.”
With service being a significant guiding principle of the University’s Vision 2020 plan, President Dr. Bob Fisher commented on the natural fit of including a service project in students’ first days on campus, telling the student volunteers, “I hope many of you will remember the very first time you came to this campus, and you’ll be reminded that at Belmont, it’s about who you can serve. The greatest privilege you’ll ever have is to be in a position where you’re strong enough, smart enough and have the resources and the education so you can help someone. I’m so grateful that this is a place where we start and say from the beginning – you will go out and serve the community,” Dr. Fisher said.
For Belmont freshman and Dallas transplant Sam Johnston, the opportunity to spend the afternoon serving was the perfect chance to invest in his new home. “It’s a great way to give back to a place that gives so much to you,” Johnston said. “Nashville is an amazing city, and I love the fact that I can have the opportunity to give back to something that has given me a place like Belmont and such an amazing community.”
Tim Stewart, Belmont’s director of service learning, said the experience provides an opportunity for students to put the University’s beliefs into action, while allowing them the chance to experience the needs of their community. “SERVE sets a valuable tone for students to realize that service is an integral part of Belmont’s mission and that it will be an integral part of their experience here,” Stewart said. “Students accomplish things that are of direct and immediate benefit to the community but beyond that, students become aware of the needs around them and how they can make a difference in the lives of others.”
Tanner Roman and Gary Lancaster, audio engineering technology alumni and students of Associate Professor of Physics Dr. Scott Hawley, recently participated in an acoustical renovation of Christ Presbyterian Academy’s (CPA) choir room. The duo teamed up with Randall Griffith of Harrison Entertainment Group to design and construct the new room.
Roman attended and graduated from CPA in 2008 and said he has stayed in touch with a number of teachers since then. At a recent visit to the school, Roman overheard teachers discussing challenges with the choir room. After experiencing the sound quality himself, he remembered back to what he learned in Hawley’s physics 2010 course, one of his favorites at Belmont, and knew he could help.
The room’s renovation included a modification of the AC system, framing walls, adding panels and thermodynamic bass traps, stretching acoustical fabric, laying insulation in the ceiling, building multifusers, diffusers and installing a new sound system.
Roman said the opportunity to use his Belmont education for CPA’s success was incredibly meaningful. “I have kept both Christ Presbyterian Academy and Belmont University close like family,” Roman said. “I am grateful for the amazing education I have received from both and am so excited and humbled to be able to give back in this way.”
Since the renovation, Roman has gone back to CPA for a presentation on the basics of acoustical physics.
Belmont’s Men’s Basketball team recently returned from a trip to the United Kingdom where they played the Dagenham Dragons, Thames Valley Cavaliers and Swords of Thunder – and won all three games.
While there, the team toured Ireland and England and as Head Coach Rick Byrd said, “As always, we look forward to friendly competition, but the trip is about so much more than the games. One of the great things about collegiate athletics is the opportunity to see and experience different parts of the world. All of us are grateful for the opportunities that this trip allows.”
For more information on the team’s travels, click here.
Assistant Professor of Business Law and Management in the Jack C. Massey College of Business J. Haskell Murray recently authored two publications, moderated a panel and presented an article at the Southeastern Association of Law Schools conference.
Murray authored a chapter entitled “State Laboratories and Social Enterprise Law” in the Research Handbook on Partnerships, LLCs and Alternative Forms of Business Organizations, recently published by Edward Elgar Publishing. Murray also authored a case study, “Ben & Jerry’s Struggle with Corporate Social Responsibility in an International Context,” which was recently published in the Journal of Legal Studies Education.
At the Southeastern Association of Law Schools this summer, Murray moderated a panel on trends and developments in private fund regulation after the Dodd-Frank Act. During a business ethics portion at the conference, Murray presented on his paper that applies interest group theory to recent corporate legislation.
New R. Milton and Denice Johnson Center to house Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, media studies program, new 950-seat cafeteria
Johnson Center Ribbon Cutting
Following a ceremony that began at 1:25 p.m., Belmont University officially cut the ribbon today to celebrate the grand opening of a new multi-functional complex to serve its growing student body. Named in honor of longtime trustee and Bridges to Belmont Endowed Scholarship creators, the new R. Milton and Denice Johnson Center will house the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, the media studies program and a vibrant new 950-seat cafeteria. The 1:25 start time marked the beginning of the University’s 125th Anniversary celebration during the 2015-16 academic year.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “From top to bottom, this building reflects innovation, excellence and a strong commitment to setting our students up for success. Our Curb College and media studies majors will be privileged to work with equipment and in settings that meet or exceed industry standards, preparing them to not simply achieve their career goals but to lead their respective industries. It’s only appropriate that we should name this building in honor of a man who is at the forefront of his industry and a couple who generously support education with their time, energy and resources.”
Milton and Denice Johnson
HCA Chairman and CEO Milton Johnson, who also serves as a Belmont Trustee, said, “Belmont is a world-class learning environment experiencing tremendous growth, and it is a privilege for Denice and me to be a part of the school’s tradition of excellence. This new center will help Belmont provide its students with the technology and other resources needed to become the best in their fields, while also enhancing campus life for all students. As longtime supporters of the University, we look forward to seeing continued growth and success at Belmont.”
With a total cost of $87 million, the 134,000 square foot Johnson Center boasts $3.6 million in technology resources and specialized equipment to serve students majoring in entertainment industry studies (EIS), music business, audio engineering technology (AET), songwriting, motion pictures and media studies. With multi-functional spaces offering classroom, lab, performance, production and research options, the new building is designed for interdisciplinary collaborations among the programs.
Cafeteria
Moreover, the second floor of the Johnson Center is devoted to a new 950-seat cafeteria to serve the entire campus, a facility that nearly triples the seating capacity of the former dining hall. The seating space is segmented into three distinctively themed areas to provide student diners a variety of experiences—formal, BBQ/casual and urban contemporary—each with their own décor, furniture and lighting, as well as the Kaye and Ron Knox Balcony that overlooks the beautiful Lawn.
Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns noted, “The Johnson Center is a perfect reflection of Belmont’s Vision 2020 principle to put our students at the center of all we do. From the addition of 1,000 underground parking spaces to a cafeteria largely influenced by student focus groups to academic areas that can compete with any professional production house, this building is designed to enrich campus life and provide a superior educational environment.”
Large Screening Theater
Belmont’s motion pictures majors will particularly benefit from the technology in the Johnson Center. Students will learn and be able to render their projects for Digital Cinema Package (DCP) compatible large-format screens. In addition to giving students a valuable skills edge in the industry, this capability means they can create and submit works that meet industry standards for film festivals and production companies. In addition, Dolby Corp. was so impressed by the educational potential of the Johnson Center that the company has provided a Dolby Atmos Rendering Unit (Dolby RMU) that will allow faculty to teach the process of creating and compiling movies in full Dolby Digital, 7.1 and the Atmos DCP formats. This makes Belmont Motion Pictures the first and only university-based film program capable of not only showing commercial films, but also teaching the process of developing and producing theater-ready films in the Atmos format. The Johnson Center’s large screening theater is also the only theater in Nashville capable of showing films in the Atmos format.
Additional building highlights include:
A TV Production Control Room that will allow for the control of multiple sources of audio and video signals
Motion Capture Space/Anechoic Chamber
Motion Capture Space to create live-action computer-generated imagery, allowing for 3D animation, digital compositing and motion graphics for any production.
A large (250 seat) and a small (50 seat) Screening/Mixing Theaters to serve as a screening room for motion pictures, a mix theater for audio mixing for motion pictures and a lecture theater
Client Edit/Color Correction suite to perform color grading and correction of video elements
Multipurpose Media Focus Lab/Entertainment Industry Research Center to study audience reaction, interaction with media technologies and consumer consumption. Area includes one-way windows for observation and media control.
2,500 square foot Sound Stage for making single- and multiple- camera motion pictures adjoined by equally large warehouse space for set storage and construction
20 individual and four small group Student Edit Bays in which students can view, process, synchronize, edit and mix video and audio program material
Foley/ADR Suite to capture sound effects and atmospherics for replacing and enhancing sounds in audio, video and film productions
TV Production Studio
TV Production Studio for producing and capturing student newscasts, commentators, product shots and small interview productions. It will house a semi-permanent news set, Chroma key backgrounds and cyclorama curtains so cameras can capture video and audio of multiple actors.
Music History Display Caseswhich will initially house a selection from Dr. T.B. Boyd’s private guitar collection, “Breaking Boundaries: R.H. Boyd Publishing and the Influence of African American Music.” The collectionrepresents more than 50 years of African American music with instruments signed by such legends as Dr. Bobby Jones, CeCe Winans and Isaac Hayes.
Harvey Room with white boards to allow for free thought and creativity when creating storyboard ideas
Dining hall that features numerous options and stations, including:
Vegan/vegetarian serving line
Pizza Oven
Brick oven pizza bar with in-house, fresh made dough
Weekly homemade pasta bar
360 degree grill in the international station
Two salad bars
Deli station offering custom-made sandwiches as well as Grab ‘N Go sandwich selections
Simple Servings allergy free station with individualized cooking to order to ensure against cross-contamination
Full bakery
Waffle bar
Simply to Go meals
Traditional entrée and vegetable serving line
Grill station
The Granary with a large selection of self-service breads and cereals
The Kaye and Ron Knox Balcony providing outdoor seating for up to 45
Green features As part of Belmont’s Conservation Covenant, the University is seeking LEED Gold certification for the new building. These efforts are supported by the geothermal heating and cooling system installed beneath the Lawn, which the Environmental Protection Agency recognizes as an environmentally-friendly heating and cooling system because it uses the earth itself as the source to transfer temperatures, reducing energy costs and carbon pollution. In addition, the five-level underground garage limits the building’s footprint, and in combination with the building’s four areas of extensive green roof, reduces the heat island effect. One of the most intriguing “green” components of the Johnson Center can be found in the five dehydrators located in the service area. The dehydrating system can reduce 450 lbs. of food and cardboard waste to approximately 35 lbs. of enriched soil additives in 24 hours, reducing overall waste from food operations by 45 percent.
For Belmont senior Jackson Wells, singing to crowds of more than 10,000 fans is all in a day’s work. Spending the summer performing across China, Wells and his Nashville band have been seen on stages in Chengdu, Shenzhen and Nanjing, among others, and rounded out their three-week tour on August 9 in Beijing.
Originally from New York, Wells relocated to Nashville with his family years ago and chose to study songwriting and Chinese at Belmont because of its prominent music program and Music City location. In 2012, Wells traveled to China for what would, unbeknownst to him, become his first performance in the country. Initially traveling for an educational service opportunity, Wells was encouraged by a friend to bring his guitar and found himself playing in Chengdu’s Youth Music Festival – to 5,000 fans. From there, Wells’s international career took off.
Prior to launching his summer tour, Wells spent the month of April in China performing two concerts – one hosted by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and a second at Xichong Technical College, both drawing crowds of several thousand fans.
Wells said the best part of his experience has been his fan base. Being the band’s first ticketed tour, Wells said they weren’t sure what reaction they’d get. But the response was nothing short of incredible. “To walk into a venue and have the crowd already excited to be there and ready to go was a complete blessing. I’m delighted to say that I feel the tour was a 100 percent success. To the fans – thank you, thank you, thank you. You give us a chance to do what we love on a daily basis. I don’t take that lightly, and I am very humbled to be 21-years-old, touring China and doing what I love.”
Though success has come quickly and Wells and his band are already looking towards a U.S album release in the coming months with the Chinese version close on its heels, the musician is quick to provide advice for aspiring talent. “Find your niche,” Wells said. “For us, it was an international fan presence that was worth cultivating. It’s a constant learning process and even at good shows, there are always things to learn. It’s always about growth. And it’s about believing in you.”
Wells has been profiled in a number of publications across China including recent articles in Shenzhen Daily highlighting Wells’s tour, ever-growing talent and ability to turn a venue into a “hot summer party with fans.” But even as the party continues, Wells is committed to staying “on his game,” remaining humble and innovative through his music. Because as Harrison Ford said in Star Wars, a mantra that repeats in his head often, the secret to musical success for Wells is remembering, “don’t get cocky, kid.” There’s still plenty left to learn and lots of stage left to cover.
Belmont Associate Professor of Biology Dr. John Niedzwiecki led the Adventure Science Center’s Science Café today, Thursday, August 20, and gave a talk titled “The Role of Ecology and Geography in the Speciation of Darwin’s Finches.” The adaptive radiation of Darwin’s finches from one species to about 15 within the Galápagos Islands was one of the inspirations for Darwin’s theory of evolution and continues to be a focal point in evolutionary studies today.
Using modern molecular techniques, participants examined conditions where this radiation took place. Results support the idea the radiation occurred without complete geographic isolation between islands, and that island characteristics may influence between islands. Niedzwiecki presented his research and discussed other species on this isolated archipelago.
Niedzwiecki’s research primarily focuses on population genetics, evolutionary biology and behavioral ecology. Most recently, he has worked on the migration of Darwin’s Finches between islands in the Galapagos, investigating connections with ecology as well as the evolutionary consequences of migration, as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Cincinnati.
For his dissertation work at the University of Kentucky, Niedzwiecki worked extensively with ambystomatid (mole) salamanders in the South and Midwest, including salamanders from Murfreesboro. His research showed that these salamanders were evolutionarily distinct from their relatives in Kentucky and central Ohio. He has also worked with other researchers to assess the status of these salamanders in Tennessee.
Belmont senior entrepreneurship major Maggie Fincher and media studies professor Dr. Sybril Brown were both honored by the Nashville chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) during the “Celebrating Women of Music City Awards” event held Wednesday in Green Hills.
Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, who will be joining Belmont’s faculty this year as a 
Assistant Professor of Business Law and Management in the Jack C. Massey College of Business J. Haskell Murray recently authored two publications, moderated a panel and presented an article at the Southeastern Association of Law Schools conference.
Belmont Associate Professor of Biology Dr. John Niedzwiecki led the Adventure Science Center’s 