Dr. Ronnie Littlejohn, professor of philosophy and director of Asian Studies, published, “Three Paradigms for Studying Chinese Philosophy,” in the new volume Paradigm Shifts in Chinese Studies, edited by Shiping Hua, Calvin & Helen Lang, distinguished chair in Asian Studies, director of Asian Studies Program, and professor of Political Science respectively at The University of Louisville.
The essays in the book from a dozen scholars of varying disciplines offer a study of the change and continuity in paradigms in China studies, both inside and outside of China. In the last few years, the United States and China appeared to be moving in the direction of “de-coupling,” indicating that the engagement policy with China in the last four decade is ending. Old paradigms are shifting and new ones emerging.
Small, but mighty. A recent Reuters article based on an extensive research study notes that Belmont College of Law punches “above [its] weight when it comes to graduates passing the bar exam on their first try.”
Belmont College of Law is one of the 25 schools whose graduates perform better on the bar exam than predicted based on their Law School Admission Test scores and undergraduate grade-point averages, according to the recent study, “The Secret Sauce: Examining Law Schools that Overperform on the Bar Exam.” The study examined six years of first-time bar passage data to identify overperforming and underperforming schools. Then, the researchers surveyed the schools to identify approaches and programs that correlate to bar exam success.
Based on the research study, Belmont landed at No. 6 in the top “overperforming law schools” in the country, joining such institutions as Stanford University, USC, UCLA and University of Virginia in the Top 10.
Belmont Law announced last year it was one of three schools in the nation to have an ultimate bar passage rate of 100 percent for the graduating class of 2018, according to the American Bar Association. In 2019, the school finished sixth in the nation for its bar exam pass rate for first-time test takers according to the ABA, and last March, Belmont Law ranked fifth in the nation for female enrollment according to the 2020 annual report from Enjuris.
Read the full Reuters article, “These law schools’ grads crush the bar exam. It’s not who you think,” here, and the American Bar Association (ABA) Journal’s review of the study here.
This February, Belmont will celebrate Black History Month by hosting a variety of events, including several that highlight this year’s national theme of “Black Health and Wellness” as well as Belmont’s Black Student Association’s (BSA) theme “I’m Black And,” highlighting the deeper intersectionality of African-American culture. These events range from speakers who will discuss social issues surrounding the intersectionality of race in healthcare to showing movies about significant moments in black history.
Black Student Association President Ashley Sawyer said Black History Month is a wonderful opportunity to focus on the contributions that African Americans have made to improve society. “I am forever grateful for a time to honor the culture that cultivated me and am looking forward to using February as a moment to ensure that every Black life is honored, valued and appreciated in an optimal manner that extends past this brief period,” she said. “The upcoming events hosted by the Black Student Association reflect the inherent value that the Black experience holds, embodying the multifaceted beauty, sophistication and excellence of one of the world’s most unique creations.”
The celebration began on February 7 with a special night of worship with the Black Voices Movement in the Gabhart Chapel. Several chapels throughout the month will focus on issues within the black community and emphasize the importance of black history. The BSA choir will perform at several of the chapels, including a special chapel on February 14.
In addition to chapel events, a variety of speakers will be speaking across campus this month. On February 9 a conversation called “Don’t Touch My Hair” was held in Massey classroom 110. The BSA-sponsored event hosted a discussion on microaggressions against people of color/marginalized groups specifically at a predominantly white institution.
Several events will be held that focus on the theme of Black Health and Wellness, including “Vulnerability of Marginalized Groups in Climate Change” with Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd on February 21, the “Soul Cypher” mental health discussion with Belmont and Tennessee State University counseling on February 24 at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, and a Suicide Prevention & Stigmas in Mental Health panel discussion with Dr. Georgetta Harris Wyatt and Associate Dean of Students, Student Well-Being Angie Bryant on February 28.
To ignite conversations surrounding diversity and respect in the classroom, GPS will host “Creating a Safe and Respectful Environment for Students in the Classroom” on February 16 at 10 a.m. A panel of students from the Black Student Association, Best Buddies and the HOPE Council will explore how students can grow in their awareness of students’ experiences in the classroom, as well as discuss why it is important, and what it looks like to foster safe spaces for all students at Belmont.
Staff enjoying lunch from Black-owned Food Trucks on campus on February 11
During Homecoming week, a special alumni reunion will be held on February 26 at 10 a.m. in the JAAC Conference Room that gives black students and alumni a chance to reconnect and be updated on what is going on around and outside of Belmont.
The conversations held and celebration of black culture should continue beyond the confines of Black History Month. “We want the student body and beyond to know that black culture is to not only be tolerated but celebrated,” said BSA social media coordinator and senior music business major Marcus Knight. “And all year long, as well, not just during February or during Diversity Week. Black people are not a monolith; black people are educated, entrepreneurial, creative, multi-faceted in every way!”
Alumnus Harry Allen has been named to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta as one of three new council members of its Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council (CDIAC).
The CDIAC focuses on community banking and provides input on the economy, lending conditions and other issues. Each Federal Reserve District has established a CDIAC to include views of community depository institutions in the policymaking process.
As the Nashville Business Journal notes, Allen is a fixture in the local business community, “helping former Mayor David Briley boost performance at Metro Nashville Public Schools’ neediest institutions and acting as the president of the Rotary Club of Nashville in 2019.” He also co-founded Studio Bank in Nashville in 2018, which according to NBJ was “one of the most competitive eras in Nashville banking history. Since then, Studio has grown its assets to north of $500 million, while raking in $411.8 million in deposits.”
In addition to co-founder, Allen is chief relationship officer at Studio Bank. He graduated from Belmont with a bachelor’s and a master’s, both in business administration. He also is a trustee and chair of Belmont University’s endowment committee, and he serves on the board of directors for the Nashville Public Education Foundation and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
Allen joins two additional new members to the Atlanta council: John Hirabayashi, president and CEO of Community First Credit Union in Jacksonville, Florida, as well as Robert James II, president and CEO of Carver Financial Corporation and executive vice president of its subsidiary, Carver State Bank in Savannah, Georgia.
The new council members will serve a three-year term ending in 2025.
Julia Keefe, a Belmont graduate with a degree in Business Administration in Music Business, will serve as head of A&R at Edgehill Music Publishing.
Keefe joins the publishing group with a wealth of experience from her previous post as creative director at Altadena, a publishing, label and artist development company formed by renowned multi-genre hitmaker, busbee.
Born and raised in Nashville, Keefe began her professional career while still in school at Belmont. From intern to creative coordinator to creative director, Keefe spent three years working for Altadena in various roles with artists such as Carly Pearce, Ryan Griffin, Lindsey Lomis, Carter Faith, Riley Roth and many more between Nashville and Los Angeles.
“We are so excited to welcome such an experienced professional to our team,” said Edgehill CEO and Founder Josh Joseph. “As a Nashville native, Julia demonstrates every day that working within the music industry is her blood. With her extensive professional experience and fresh perspective, Julia has already contributed so much to shape the future of our publishing company.”
Alongside leading A&R efforts, Keefe is strategizing new creative projects for Edgehill writers in Nashville and Los Angeles.
“As a family-owned business, Edgehill takes pride in not only hiring the best of the best, but providing our roster with a support system that enables them to grow to their full potential,” said Edgehill COO and Founder Tara Joseph. “With her versatile creative background, there is truly no one better than Julia to have by our writers’ side for every step of the way.”
In addition to Edgehill’s current roster, the company recently formed a joint venture with newly-relaunched Boom, led by Joe Fisher, Keith Urban and Shaina Botwin, and signed Erin Kinsey. Keefe will work directly with Boom’s team on Erin Kinsey’s project.
Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) Academy Machine Learning Foundations is a cloud-based environment centered around artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning concepts. Belmont’s College of Pharmacy Healthcare Informatics team members Phuong Truong and Karen Le partnered with Amazon by accepting an invitation to enroll in its learning and certification academy. This partnership was a result of past and present Belmont pharmacy informatics teams’ successes involving Amazon AI and predictive analytics, led by Dr. Anthony Blash.
“It’s becoming more evident that health care initiatives to improve patient outcomes are driven by data. Machine learning, artificial intelligence—it all sounds abstract, but here at Belmont University College of Pharmacy, we are having conversations and project successes centered around what the future of health care looks like,” said Le. “This experience allowed us to explore Amazon analytics, AI and machine learning at a deeper level.”
The Healthcare Informatics team at Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy collaborates with interested organizations to provide competent graduate student healthcare informaticians. These collaborations also benefit the Learning Health System as companies work with future pharmacists on projects that identify new or expanded healthcare informatics services in the pharmacy profession.
The Belmont Story Review (BSR) is turning a new page…a new homepage. The Belmont Story Review revealed their rebranded website and logo on February 1. The student and faculty-run national literary journal recently received a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission which allowed them to create a solid brand for their publication.
Editor of the BSR Sara Wigal, assistant professor of cinema, television and media and director of publishing, began working on the grant in 2020 and was funded in 2021. That summer, she recruited the help of two professional designers as well as the co-managing editors of the BSR, students Tiffany Alexander and Laura Huie, to bring the rebrand to life.
Going into the rebranding process, the team didn’t have much to work with. The BSR never had an official logo and the original website was plain and outdated. Together, the team envisioned the future of the BSR and what it would take to get them there.
“We wanted a sleek, professional design,” said Wigal. “The funding gave us a vehicle to upgrade our website which we will continue to use and to have a fresh design.”
The BSR is deserving of a new, sleek digital space to showcase their excellent work. The BSR has received a significant amount of attention from anthology publishers nationwide. The journal’s fourth volume was named a notable issue in “Best American Essays 2020.” Additionally, one of the essays published in the journal was reprinted in an anthology containing best nonfiction essays.
This rebrand comes just in time as the BSR prepares to launch the seventh volume of their magazine. Visit the new and improved BSR website here to find out more about the magazine and how to contribute.
Do you ever wonder who is responsible for creating music festival posters? There’s no need to guess who created the design for this year’s official Tin Pan South event. Watkins College of Art freshman Charlie Hartrich is the mastermind behind the poster for the popular annual songwriter’s festival held in Nashville.
The opportunity to create the poster first arose in Hartrich’s Illustration I class when his professor, Dan Brawner, assigned a project to the class. “Brawner is a real working illustrator and has many connections with people throughout the illustration world and just the Nashville area,” said Hartrich. “Part of this project was that we would work with the organizers of the Tin Pan South festival, and if they liked one of our designs they would possibly use it for the real festival.”
After a month of hard work, Hartrich designed a poster that caught the eye of the Tin Pan South organizers.
“When designing this poster I really wanted to focus on Songwriting more so than simply music or Nashville. I was inspired by the idea that songwriters across America are all part of this festival and I think that is what music is mostly about: bringing people together and encouraging empathy,” said Hartrich. “Music and the city are a part of one another here, so I also wanted to mix the two together and that drove most of the subject choices. But lastly, my main inspiration for my work was music itself. As a musician, music can be such a crazy, otherworldly thing and I tried to convey how expressive it can be in the poster although nothing beats the real thing.”
Read more about the Tin Pan South festival and Hartrich’s design here.
It may have been sunny, but Belmont’s SAPB (Student Activities Planning Board) wouldn’t let the weather get in the way of their inaugural ‘Welcome Back Winter Fest.’
On January 27, Belmont’s Hitch Parking Lot was transformed into a winter wonderland, headlined by an ice rink, handcrafted Belmont-themed ice sculptures, snow machines, a photo booth and activities provided by various campus partners, including BUCS, GPS and University Ministries.
SAPB Advisor Chase Corey said the skating rink was the focal point of the event. “Who expected to see an ice skating rink on campus? We were ecstatic when we got confirmation that we could bring it to campus,” he said. “We had over two-hundred students lace ‘em up and skate throughout the day.”
This was the first installment in what SAPB hopes will be an annual event. “We want Winter Fest to be something students circle on the calendar every year. We’re grateful for so many of our campus partners’ involvement and hope they aid us in making this event into one that grows in size and grandeur year-over-year,” Corey added.
SAPB is involved in the planning of dozens of campus events, including Throwback Prom, Pumpkinpalooza and the end of year Block Party. The group is led and operated by Belmont students under the supervision of Laurel Hildner.
Erin Castle, graduate assistant in the Belmont Office of Leadership Development (BOLD), was recently selected to attend the NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar, a prestigious experience where 300 students from across the nation gathered to strengthen their professional network and leadership skills to prepare them for personal and professional success.
“I am really excited to grow as a professional. There is always more to learn. As a beginner in the field, I am looking forward to the professional knowledge I will gain from this experience,” said Castle.
After attending the conference, she added, “While the experience was virtual, it was incredibly interactive and high energy! They frequently put us in breakout groups to encourage conversation and relationship building. Everyone participating was so excited to be there.”
Castle is no stranger to NCAA athletics. An Iowa native and alumna of the University of Iowa, she graduated in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies with minors in Sport Management, Human Relations and Event Planning. Castle served as a leader on the gymnastics team, helping them break records and win the Big 10 Championship in 2021. Not only is she stepping onto a larger stage in the NCAA, but she also earned a scholarship to participate in a professional development program with the Uncommon Sports Group (USG) this semester.
Castle was one of 13 students selected to participate in the 8-week training program to enhance her faith, service and leadership skills within the sports industry. The training program is followed by an Impact Weekend in New York City where she will connect and learn from leaders across the industry. The focus of the Uncommon Sports Group is to create character-driven leaders in the sports industry and prepare them for the challenges and triumphs they will face in that field. “I am looking forward to being surrounded by a community of like-minded individuals who work in sports,” shared Castle. “I will be able to build relationships with other emerging leaders through this process.”
The Belmont community is excited to see how these unique experiences will prepare Castle for her future career. For now, she diligently works to provide leadership development for Belmont student leaders through BOLD. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Sports Administration at Belmont and is planning to graduate in May 2023.
