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.
University launches International Business MBA concentration
The Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business, in partnership with Belmont’s Center for International Business, has added an International Business Concentration, allowing students to travel and work alongside a local organization that operates internationally.
Created out of the need for MBA graduates to have experience working in international markets, Director of the Center for International Business and Massey Professor Jeff Overby said, “A truly global mindset is necessary, and to compete in the global economy, we must appreciate and understand the complexities and the benefits created by globalization. I hear this theme from Nashville executives daily, and it is only going to become more significant as Nashville continues to attract more multinational corporate headquarters and incubate more entrepreneurial ventures. We want our new concentration to enable students to gain real hands-on experience in global business.”
Though the concentration will include aspects of international business throughout all courses, the program’s newly created practicum experience allows students to serve in a consulting role for an international organization, travel abroad with the organization’s team and complete the 5-week course with a presentation of suggested solutions.
Tractor Supply Company (TSC) was the pilot organization for the program, working with a group of three students throughout the year and ending the spring semester with a trip to China. While there, students attended TSC’s Asian Vendor Summit, visited factories and testing labs, accompanied executives on meetings, toured the Port of Shanghai and participated in a factory human rights audit. Following the trip, the students were asked to develop recommendations for issues they had been working with throughout the year.
Vice President of Product Development and Strategic Sourcing Ken Strait said the opportunity to work with the graduate students was mutually beneficial. “Tractor Supply Company has a longstanding relationship with Belmont, and we’ve seen great success working with their graduate students. We are excited to be involved in the new hands-on study abroad program and supporting the MBA international business students’ professional growth, while learning about ourselves along the way.”
Student and trip participant Horace Grant said his time in China ignited an interest in international business and deepened his understanding of working and living abroad. “My experience in China has ignited my aspirations to work internationally after graduation. The experience gave me a broader perspective of international business as I was able to learn many things from the Chinese culture. The most significant takeaway, among others, was that the Chinese population moves with a purpose – whether to school, work or elsewhere – reminding me of the importance of finding purpose in all areas of life.”
While the trip was formative for both TSC and the students, Overby said his time in China has impacted him far more that he expected. “In many ways, I was able to be a student again. I may have been working and teaching in various international business functions for over 20 years, but I’ve learned as much as the students,” Overby said. “In fact, I was already incorporating some of these key learnings into my undergraduate classroom a week after my return. This experience will continue to influence my teaching and even my consulting work for years to come.”
Megan Maddox, a student in Belmont’s Bachelor’s of Nursing fast track program, was recently awarded a $1,500 scholarship from F.A. Davis, a family-made publishing house. The organization’s first annual award seeks to honor student nurses who exhibit strong academic prowess and passion in the nursing field.
Upon the award’s announcement, the organization received more than 1,300 applications from students enrolled in nursing programs across the country and in Canada. Despite the high numbers of qualified students, F.A. Davis’s Editor-in-Chief of Nursing Jean Rodenberger said Maddox’s application set her apart as she “demonstrated the very special nature of those who have chosen to be nurses. Her story is one that should inspire all of us. With Ms. Maddox leading the way, the future of nursing looks bright.”
A full-time student at Belmont, Maddox keeps herself busy with two jobs and volunteer work at church, Cross Point Community, where she mentors a group of high school girls. Maddox said she is looking forward to graduation, planned for December 2016, so she can make a larger impact on her community and serve her patients holistically. “With my degree, I will not only help people in need, but I hope to speak with patients I encounter about challenges they are not only facing physically, but emotionally and financially,” Maddox said. “In the nursing practice, I want to be able to share my story with everyone and tell them that no matter what the circumstances their story contains, you can achieve your dreams as long as you have the ambition to accomplish them.”
For more information on F.A. Davis’s scholarship opportunities, click here.
Nashville’s two final mayoral candidates, Megan Barry and David Fox, found themselves on a Belmont University stage one last time for the third and final Nashforward debate on Wednesday, August 19.
Presented by Belmont University and The Tennessean, with broadcast sponsor WSMV-TV, the city’s premier mayoral debate series included a traditional style debate held on May 21 and a second, town hall debate held on June 18. The final debate, attended by more than 350 community members, was between Barry and Fox, the two candidates vying for Metro’s open mayoral position.
With a number of topics top-of-mind including municipal services and ordinances, education, diversity and tourism, co-moderators David Plazas, opinion engagement editor at the Tennessean, and Demetria Kalodimos, WSMV-TV anchorperson, asked questions of both candidates pertaining to these issues and others. Like the two debates prior, a ‘lightning round’ included lighter questions designed to showcase candidates’ personalities.
The event was broadcast live, in its entirety, on WSMV-TV.
In an article titled “Nurses Take Lead Role in Treating Depression Among Diabetic Patients” on nurse.com, Belmont Associate Professor of Nursing Jamie Adam was interviewed and quoted about depression in diabetic patients due to her recent work on the topic.
Adam provides information on factors that contribute to depression occurrences including poor health, chronic illness, socioeconomic status and unemployment.
Belmont Professor of Education Sally Barton-Arwood recently published an articletitled “The Role of Mentors in Developing and Implementing High-Quality Field-Based Placements” in Intervention in School and Clinic, a national education journal. The article discussed how university teacher preparation programs can design and deliver comprehensive training for school-based mentors to better support pre-service teachers’ delivery of effective instructional practices.
Allison Storrow, a Belmont University junior and nursing major, was recently awarded one of five Promise of Nursing Scholarships from The Foundation of the National Student Nurses’ Association (FNSNA). Overall, 15 students from three states received the award sponsored by Johnson & Johnson’s Campaign for Nursing’s Future. Since 2002, the campaign has raised more than $18 million for undergraduate student nursing scholarships, faculty fellowships and nursing school grants.
The 15 recipients were selected by a scholarship selection committee, made up of faculty and students, who reviewed the hundreds of submitted scholarship applications. For more information on the FNSNA and its scholarship opportunities, 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.
Belmont Associate Professor of Biology Dr. John Niedzwiecki led the Adventure Science Center’s 
Belmont Professor of Education Sally Barton-Arwood recently published an article titled “The Role of Mentors in Developing and Implementing High-Quality Field-Based Placements” in Intervention in School and Clinic, a national education journal. The article discussed how university teacher preparation programs can design and deliver comprehensive training for school-based mentors to better support pre-service teachers’ delivery of effective instructional practices.
