Thanks to the good work by our Facilities Management Services team, campus roads and walkways have been cleared of Thursday morning’s snow and sleet. Given that, we will move forward with a normal schedule Friday, March 6, with classes and activities proceeding as planned. Everyone on campus is strongly encouraged to stay on the walkways that have been scraped of ice and snow. You may need to alter your “normal” pedestrian route and take only paths that have been cleared. Also, surface parking lots and open-air top floors of garages (Curb and Thrailkill) will remain closed.
As always, we know that weather and road conditions can vary greatly within our region, and we encourage students, faculty and staff to use individual discretion when making the decision to travel to campus in snow or icy weather.
Belmont’s Campus Open on Friday, March 6
STEM Education Luncheon Held on Campus
CSM Dean Dr. Thom Spence leads a tour of a Wedgewood Academic Center lab.
On Tuesday, Belmont’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, College of Sciences and Mathematics and the Middle Tennessee STEM Innovation Hub hosted a luncheon and discussion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in Middle Tennessee. Thirteen school superintendents, principals, headmasters and curriculum coordinators attended the luncheon from Middle Tennessee schools and school districts.
Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns and nearly a dozen Belmont faculty members also attended. Belmont University is moving aggressively forward in the area of STEM education, and this luncheon was an opportunity to network with Tennessee leaders in education. Time was spent brainstorming ways in which Belmont and the STEM Innovation Hub could better serve area districts, schools and students. After small group discussions, Dr. Mark Hogan, Belmont education department chair, facilitated a conversation with the whole group that produced several innovative and exciting ideas about how Belmont and the STEM Innovation Hub can be involved in STEM education in the region.
Pipeline Project Cited by U.S. Copyright Office in Report
The Pipeline Project 4.0, a music industry think-tank created by the Belmont University Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, was recently cited by the U.S. Copyright Office in a final report on copyright and music licensing policy, published Feb. 5.
The Pipeline team consisted of nine undergraduate Belmont students selected to consult with industry investors. Students Anthony Manker, Devin Dawson and Alex Marsh conducted a research study into copyright and music licensing reform. The study was sponsored by the Association of Independent Music Publishers and Fifth Third Music with Marc Driskill, executive director of AIMP Nashville, serving as industry advisor.
The Pipeline team interviewed executives from across the industry such as Vincent Candilora from ASCAP, Jody Williams from BMI, Troy Tomlinson from Sony/ATV, Steve Marks from the RIAA, Jay Rosenthal from the NMPA, Scott Sellwood from Google/YouTube, Colin Rushing from SoundExchange and others. Stakeholder groups included record labels, publishers, artists, songwriters, attorneys, economists, performing rights organizations, rights administrators, managers, broadcasters and digital music services.
Kennedy Named Curb College Distinguished Lecturer
Belmont alumnus and nationally acclaimed musician Gordon Kennedy was recently recognized as a Morris Family Mentor & Lecture Series and Curb College Distinguished Lecturer.
Son of the acclaimed Jerry Kennedy, Gordon Kennedy was raised in Nashville and attended Brentwood Academy. During his time at Belmont, Kennedy played guitar for several Reba McEntire projects including “Today All Over Again” and her first No. 1, “Can’t Even Get the Blues.” Kennedy was first nationally recognized when he won the Grammy for Song of the Year for Eric Clapton’s 1997 No. 1 hit, “Change the World,” co-written with Wayne Kirkpatrick and Tommy Sims. Kennedy’s songs have been cut by Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood and George Strait, among others. Kennedy served on the Board of Governors for the Nashville’s National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and currently serves on the Belmont University Advisory Board.
Kennedy has continually given to Belmont and its students for years. He has spoken at seminars, hosted events (including Belmont’s Homecoming concert, Homecoming in the Round), is an adjunct professor, a student mentor and recently received the Curb College’s Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence. Now, Gordon is the fifth and final recipient of the Distinguished Lecturer, an honor given to industry professionals who inspire others through their work in the entertainment and music industry.
During his presentation, Gordon focused on his upbringing and faith as a base of his musical career. He said his father surrounded their home with music, influencing him from the beginning. When asked how he has sustained a music career, he encouraged students to not be afraid of rejection, and insisted he never saw another option for a career–music was what he wanted. He also reminded students to be present in the moment, particularly at Belmont among fellow students. Kennedy has many relationships with people he met at Belmont, and if he had not been attentive, he would have never met those people. When asked how to get involved with the Belmont songwriting community, Kennedy urged all students to collaborate with each other. He discussed the influence of his faith on his music, personal life and long-term career.
Kennedy said, “I think about my life as a set of dominos behind me.” He stressed that each moment and person he has met along the way is a piece in the dominos line. If one wereremoved, the next would have never been reached – completely altering his path.
Classes Cancelled Today, Thurs., March 5
Given the current road and campus conditions, all classes will be cancelled today, Thursday, March 5, 2015, and scheduled campus activities will be postponed. Many University offices will also be closed, except those essential to the safety and welfare of on campus residents. Employees in those areas should report to campus.
Facilities Management Services is working to clear sidewalks and building entrances, but everyone on campus is encouraged to please be cautious and stay on the walkways that have been cleared. In addition, surface parking lots and open-air top floors of garages will be closed today to allow crews to remove last night’s snow and ice, and any vehicle or pedestrian travel on Bernard Avenue is strongly discouraged. Everyone is encouraged to take caution with any travel or outdoor activities today.
Nursing Faculty Published in ‘Nursing Clinics of North America’ Journal
College of Health Sciences Simulation Director Dr. Beth Hallmark and School of Nursing Professor Dr. Lynne Shores recently published a review article entitled “Safe Patient Handling and Mobility” in the peer-reviewed journal “Nursing Clinics of North America.” The article was co-written by Dr. Patricia Mechan, a physical therapy clinical consultant with Guldmann, Inc..
The article highlights educational, practice, policy and legislative efforts needed to reduce the problem of work-related injury in health care, emphasizing the interprofessional perspective.
Belmont’s Simulation Center contains ceiling lifts and other state of the art lift equipment used to educate students in the most advanced, safe handling techniques.
Belmont Enactus Works with Local Organization, Makes Jewelry from Guitar Strings
Strings for Hope (S4H), an organization created by White Bluff resident Laura Wilson in 2011, collects discarded guitar strings to create unique jewelry through the artful work of women at Nashville’s Next Door, a housing and rehabilitation facility for women in transition. Funds raised through jewelry sales are donated to local food distribution centers to alleviate hunger in the greater Nashville area.
Wilson was struck with the idea behind S4H when her daughter returned from a friend’s house, saying the family was eating only two meals a day due to lack of financial resources. Paired with Wilson’s realization that her husband, a guitar player, was frequently discarding broken strings, the idea to create something that could sustain the need for food in her community was born.
In an effort to improve S4H, Wilson sought out Belmont Enactus, an organization centered around equipping social entrepreneurial ventures with environmentally sustainable business models to ignite economic and social change. S4H was a natural fit for Enactus, as Project Manager Graham Spencer-Orrell said Enactus is intentional in vetting organizations before creating a partnership. “The key things we look for are passion, possibility and the potential for sustainability,” he said. “S4H exceeded our standards in all of these areas… and is a great example of a triple bottom line of people, planet and profit.”
McDowell Wins Burnside Review Book Award
English Professor Dr. Gary McDowell’s third manuscript of poems, “Mysteries in a World that Thinks There Are None,” won the 2014 Burnside Review Book Award and will be published next spring.
Burnside Review is a small-press publisher, located in Portland, Oregon that publishes their journal every 9-12 months, as well as two full-length books of poetry and two chapbooks through their yearly contests. They also nominate their titles for all major post-publication awards.
To learn more about Burnside and this award, click here.
Alumni Group Judah and the Lion Perform on ‘Late Night with David Letterman’
Alumni bluegrass group Judah and the Lion performed on “Late Night with David Letterman” on Friday, Jan 20 for the program’s final season. The group performed “Kickin’ Da Leaves” from their first full-length album, “Kids These Days.”
“It was a crazy moment that really made you reflect and be thankful for everyone who has believed in you and supported you up to this point. It’s a moment, and then it’s gone. On to the next moment now!” said music business alumnus Judah Akers.
The group consists of Akers and former music students Nate Zuercher and Brian Macdonald. Click here to visit the group’s website.
To watch the group’s performance, click here.
Belmont Hosts Homecoming 2015, Calls Bruins Back Home
Saturday’s young alumni social wrapped up last week’s 2015 Homecoming Events for Belmont University as the Belmont family celebrated another successful year for Bruins everywhere.
With a focus on “coming home,” the week’s festivities included a homecoming concert featuring prominent Belmont alumni and friends, a pep rally and bonfire, a spirit walk and tower tailgate, an alumni social with special guest William Paul Young, a “Back to Blvd” celebration at Belmont Blvd. restaurants, a double header featuring both the men’s and women’s basketball teams and a canned food drive benefiting Nashville’s Second Harvest Food Bank, among others. The university’s annual Homecoming celebration includes a reunion for Tower Society members, Belmont alumni who graduated more than 50 years ago.
With a focus on celebrating’s Belmont desire to be “Nashville’s University,” the canned food drive was a staple part of this year’s Homecoming events. Faculty, staff, students and alumni were challenged to donate 1,000 canned food items to the local organization. The drive ran throughout the month of February and culminated at Saturday’s events. With more than 2,400 canned food items totaling more than 2,800 lbs., the Belmont family far exceeded its initial goal.
