Famed author and speaker Sheryl WuDunn spoke to students, faculty and staff about the growing global wealth gap and the solutions for bringing about change around the world during a campus-theme convocation event held in Neely Dining Room on Wednesday.
WuDuun is the first Asian-American Pulitzer Prize winner and is the co-author with her husband Nicholas D. Kristof of two best-selling books, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide and A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity. The latter work investigates the art and science of giving by determining the most successful local and global aid initiatives, evaluating the efficiency and impact of these charities and fundraising approaches. She currently works with entrepreneurs in new media, technology and social enterprise at a small investment banking boutique in New York City.
During this convocation, WuDunn discussed individuals and organizations that are making a difference both locally and globally in income inequality and other human rights issues. She explained that no individual can single-handedly solve all the world’s problems, but there are many solutions that can bring about change and a number of ways the public can get involved and support these notable organizations.
WuDunn mentioned Charity Water, a non-profit organization that strives to provide clean and safe drinking water to every person in the world, as one of the most entrepreneurial organizations making strides to equalize the quality of life for everyone around the world. The organization ensures that 100 percent of their donations go directly to the field to fund water projects.
The Birthday Project allows individuals to campaign for their birthdays and pledge all of their gifts to Charity Water. WuDunn told the story of nine-year-old Rachel Beckwith who participated in this project, but passed away before she could complete it. Word spread around the world, and Beckwith raised more than $1.2 million to help build wells in Africa.
In addition, WuDunn cited statistics about the global income inequality explaining that the richest 85 people on earth have more wealth that the bottom half of humanity. While she explained that these statistics are important to understanding the severity of the situation, the real solution is improving education and the environment in which these impoverished individuals live.
“Poverty is more than inequality. It’s more than numbers and money. Poverty is about the terrible ecosystems that surround these individuals. It’s about lack of opportunity,” WuDunn said.
WuDunn discussed that research in education and childhood development has shown that through education, it is possible to break the cycle of poverty and improve not only these children’s futures but the lives of their families as well. She explained that strength of character and the ability to delay gratification for a larger reward is the formative factor for success with impoverished children and what will lead to their escape from poverty. She refers to this practice as “grit.”
“Grit is 80 percent of success. It is what is making the next leaders of these communities, and it can be instilled around the world through educational practices.”
At the end of her presentation, WuDunn offered practical advice to students, faculty and staff on how best to donate and get involved and how they will personally benefit from being effective global citizens.
“Are you going to get engaged or continue to be a bystander?” WuDunn asked the audience. “I challenge you to get involved.”
Joyce Searcy, director of community relations, received the 2014 Amiga of the Year Award at the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Business and Community Awards. The presentation took place at the program culminating Hispanic Heritage Month. The award recognizes Belmont University as well as Searcy’s efforts and dedication in support of the Hispanic Chamber. Searcy is the first woman to receive the award.
Dr. Darlene Panvini, professor and chair of the biology department, and Dr. Lauren Lunsford, associate professor of literacy in the education department and associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, were recently awarded a Tennessee Higher Education Commission grant for their proposal “Cooking and Gardening: Strengthening Middle School Math Competencies Across the Disciplines.” Related Belmont faculty who are working on the project include: Dr. Sally Barton-Arwood and Kate McGowan (education), Dr. Kim Daus (chemistry), Dr. Ryan Fox (mathematics) and Dr. Bonnie Smith Whitehouse (English). The grant will fund a week-long institute for teachers during the summer of 2015 as well as books, a cooking kit, a gardening kit and ongoing support during the fall semester.
On Sept. 27, Belmont graduate and undergraduate students and chemistry Professor Dr. Kimberlee Daus participated in the Dickson County Drug Take-Back event. This event was held on 
Belmont’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America scored significant acclaim this week with numerous national awards at the parent organization’s national conference, held Oct. 10-14 in Washington, D.C.
Belmont University and Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) announced today that the Middle Tennessee STEM Innovation Hub will be moving to Belmont’s campus, effective immediately, providing a centralized location to support the region’s educational advancement in the academic disciplines of the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). More than 18 percent (or 125,230) of the region’s jobs require STEM skills, and positions are anticipated to continue to grow at a fast pace in STEM industries throughout Middle Tennessee. Further development of STEM programs—along with partnerships among higher education, K-12, nonprofits and businesses—will be crucial to national and regional economic stability and growth in the coming years.
Professor of Biblical Studies Dr. Mark McEntire recently had his essay, “Locating Memory between Story and History,” appear in Marginalia Review of Books, a channel of the Los Angeles Review of Books. The essay is available 
Belmont University’s Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business is an outstanding business school, according to education services company The Princeton Review. The company features the school in the new 2015 edition of its annual guidebook, “The Best 296 Business Schools.”
Dr. Steve Murphree, professor of biology and entomologist, has been out in the community recently talking about insects. On Oct. 4 Murphree gave table presentations about “Insects and Disease in the Civil War” at the Civil War Surgeon display of Tom and Nancy Wood in Pioneer Village as part of the Granville, Tennessee Fall Festival event. In late September, he offered an “Insects and Disease in the Civil War” table presentation for elementary school children at The Historic Sam Davis Home and Plantation’s Heritage Days event. On Sept. 13, he led a Tennessee Naturalist Program workshop at Owl’s Hill Nature Center. The session was titled “World of Invertebrates: Pollinators, Predators, Pests and Parasitoids,” and the participants learned about the characteristics and life cycles of insects, the identification of insects using keys, methods of collecting and observing insects and other arthropods, identifying other arthropods (spiders, isopods, mites, etc.), and the ecological roles of arthropods.