Alumnus and Curb College Computer Technician Chris Wilcoxson was recently profiled on the Wordcamp blog for his skills as a developer on WordPress. The full article can be read here.
Wilcoxson Profiled on Blog
Johnson Receives U.S. Public Health Service Award
Fourth-year student Mary-Martin Johnson, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., received the United States Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Practice Award at a ceremony in April. Johnson was presented the award by Dr. Chris Lamer, a clinical informaticist with the Indian Health Service.
The U.S. Public Health Service created the program to encourage student pharmacists to become active in public health issues. The annual award recognizes student pharmacists who have demonstrated a commitment to public health and public health practice across America.
Johnson was recognized for her work in the American Pharmaceutical Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) chapter within Belmont’s College of Pharmacy. She has served as operation heart chairwoman and patient care coordinator for the organization. Through her efforts sustainable contributions to organizations such as the Barren Plains Hispanic Ministry have been initiated in the last few years. The APhA-ASP chapter has provided migrant workers free blood glucose and blood pressure screenings as well as patient education regarding diabetes and hypertension. In addition, the APhA-ASP chapter provided influenza immunizations to the migrant workers. Additionally, as service chairwoman within the Class of 2015, she has worked with The Little Pantry That Could. The nonprofit organization that provides food and healthcare services to the homeless population in west Nashville. Without a doubt, Johnson embodies the mission of the United States Public Health Service. Through her efforts as a student pharmacist, numerous lives have been changed.
Belmont DECA Places at International Competition
Twenty-one Belmont business students received recognition and awards during the International Collegiate DECA competition last week in Washington, D.C. Thirty Belmont students participated in the conference that included almost 1,300 students from throughout North America. Professor Jeff Cornwall, Associate Professor Mark Schenkel and Program Coordinator Lisa Davis serve as Belmont DECA advisers. The following awards were given:
- Business to Business Marketing team: Finalist and Top 10, Cole Auville & Caroline D’Andrea
- Accounting: Top Exam Score, Matt Metsker
- Travel and Tourism: Top Role Play Score, Sam Dallas, Maggie Fincher and Blake Mankin; Finalist and Top 10, Maggie Fincher and Sam Dallas
- Marketing Management: Finalist and Top 10, Ben Matthews
- Business Research: Finalist and Top 10, Tanner Wall
- Project Management: Third Place International, Lauren Guenther
- Starting a Business: Third Place International, David Powell
- Sports and Entertainment Marketing team: Finalist and Top 10, Rachel Hawk and Jena Lavicka
- Entrepreneurship Challenge team: finalists: Cole Auville, Caroline D’Andrea, Jena Lavicka, Ben Matthews, David Powell, Alyssa Aloya, Octavia Nichols, Mason Foote, Elizabeth Rhyne, Levis Padron, Rachel Hawk, Matt Metsker, Kate Vogel, Grace McGaw, Ann Touchstone, Blake Mankin, Taylor Fish, Sam Dallas
Shin Shares U.S. Citizenship Test Prep Skills
Dr. Stephen Shin, assistant professor of sport science, recently shared his experiences and test preparation tips for the U.S. citizenship application with students in the English as a Second Language (ESL) class at the Nashville Korean United Methodist Church (NKUMC). Since September 2012, basic ESL classes have been offered every Saturday at NKUMC in Brentwood, Tenn. Shin became a U.S. citizen about a year ago by going through the entire documentation process and citizenship test. Based on his experience, he provided general information about the citizenship application process and test preparation tips to the students who want to apply for U.S. citizenship in the future. Most of the students are newly immigrated to the United States coming from non-English speaking countries and they want to be more active engaging members in American society by speaking more fluent English. They also expressed their wishes to become a U.S. citizen to get better opportunities and to contribute more to the society.
Belmont University Holds Spring Commencement Ceremonies May 3
Belmont University will hold its spring 2013 commencement ceremonies for graduate and undergraduate students on Saturday, May 3 in the Curb Event Center. Belmont celebrates the graduation of a total of 1,079 students. During the graduation ceremonies, 770 undergraduate, 85 master’s and 226 doctoral degrees will be conferred.
At 9:30 a.m. candidates from the College of Business Administration, Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business and College of Visual and Performing Arts will have their degrees conferred. At 2:30 p.m. candidates from the College of Arts and Sciences, Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences and Nursing, College of Pharmacy, University College and Interdisciplinary Programs and School of Religion will have their degrees conferred.
Tickets, which have been distributed to the graduating students, are required for guests wishing to attend either event. Dr. Robert C. Fisher, president of the University, will preside over the events and present the commencement address at both ceremonies. Watch the graduation ceremony live by visiting www.belmont.edu during the ceremony and clicking the watch live link.
Baccalaureate will take place at 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 2 in the Curb Event Center. Covering the topic “A Service of Ordination to Daily Work,” the worship service for graduates and their families will feature students from various disciplines sharing stories of how God is calling them to use lessons learned at Belmont to serve others.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito will speak at Belmont College of Law’s first graduation at 10 a.m. May 10 in the Curb Event Center. The college anticipates approximately 120 graduates from the three-year program. Since enrolling its charter class in 2011, Belmont’s College of Law is the first law school in Nashville to be accredited by the ABA since 1925.
Updated Monday, May 5: Video of both the morning and afternoon May 3 commencement ceremonies can now be seen here.
Important Construction Update: North Garage Closed Beginning May 4
Significant 15th/Acklen congestion expected all summer
Students, faculty and staff who will be on campus this summer should be aware of the impact of ongoing construction as final touches are put on both the Wedgewood Academic Center and the new residence hall:
- North Garage Closed May 4-July 6—The North Garage (beneath Inman/McWhorter) and both alleys leading to the garage will be closed beginning Sunday night May 4 to allow for work on utility lines and the concrete entrance. Vehicles will not be able to enter or exit the North Garage. Please move your vehicle to another area before the closure.
- Significant Congestion on 15th and Acklen Avenues—Work on both Acklen roundabouts (at 15th and in front of Baskin Garage) will increase in May, June and July, and numerous vendors and delivery vehicles will be in the area as the Wedgewood Academic Center comes to completion. In addition, 15th Avenue (between Acklen and Wedgewood only) will be limited to one-lane traffic (south from Wedgewood) during June and July. Traffic leaving the north side of campus will be directed down Acklen to 12th when exiting. All of this will cause significant congestion in that area.
- Park in Curb Garage—Though the Baskin Garage will remain open, due to the significant road work and anticipated congestion, all employees, students and guests on campus this summer are strongly encouraged to park in the Curb Garage. Otherwise, if parking on the North end of campus, please anticipate experiencing frequent and sometimes lengthy delays.
- Noise Impact, Lawn Closure—Final work to connect the new Wedgewood Academic Center to both Inman and McWhorter will begin on May 5. Jackhammering will occur for approximately a week on the second floor of both buildings near the connection spots. In addition, geothermal bores and loop circuits will be installed on The Lawn this summer, and this process will also be fairly noisy and require the Lawn to be closed. The Lawn area is expected to reopen during the fall semester.
Additional work will also be ongoing in the Thrailkill Garage and the new residence hall. Event Services and Residence Life will communicate directly with summer groups impacted by that work. We recognize these projects can cause inconveniences with accessing campus, but we all excitedly await the openings this fall of our newest academic and residential buildings. Thank you again for your patience and understanding.
Education Faculty, Graduate Students Present at Conference
Associate Professor of Education Dr. Rachael Flynn-Hopper, Henna Jurca and Heidi Elbarky led a workshop, “Music in the Classroom: A Learning and Management Tool,” on the use of music to support the cognitive, physical and social-emotional development of children in early childhood and elementary classrooms. Participants learned how music sets the tone for the day and learning environment, how to use songs and technology to make music accessible and ways to incorporate it across the curriculum.
Heather Cain, graduate student in the reading specialist program, presented a session on the importance of developing phonemic awareness and phonics skills through the use of a phonics phone. Her session, “Phonics Phones,” allowed participants to make their own Phonics Phones, model and practice their use and generate ideas on how they could incorporate them in the classroom.
Spanish Students Learn to Cook ‘Cuisine of the Hispanic World’
This spring semester the students in SPA 2895 La Cocina del Mundo Hispano (“Cuisine of the Hispanic World”) studied the connections between culture and cuisine in Spanish speaking countries. They practiced Spanish vocabulary and grammar needed for a variety of culinary activities and read Like Water for Chocolate by the novelist Laura Esquivel and food-themed odes by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Putting theory to practice, their professor, Dr. David C. Julseth, arranged for a series of hands-on cooking workshops that were taught in Spanish by Hispanic chefs in a professional community kitchen located in the new Casa Azafrán Community Center. Here the students learned to make the recipes from the Mexican novel by Esquivel, as well as Salvadoran pususas, Peruvian ceviche and Colombian sancocho stew. Cassava (yuca) fries, chile rellenos and cooked plantains were some of the semester favorites!
Trowbridge Challenges Community to Consider Google Glass for Education
Dr. Kevin S. Trowbridge, assistant professor of public relations, challenged students and faculty at Union University as well as West Tennessee community leaders to consider how emerging technologies could change the way we see teaching and learning.
Trowbridge was invited to be the inaugural keynote speaker for an event series sponsored by the Thomas R. Rosebrough Center for Educational Practice at Union University on Thur., April 10, on Union’s campus in Jackson, Tenn. The presentation was titled “Learning #ThroughGlass: An Exploration of Google Glass for Education.”
“While the fundamentals of education remain steadfast, innovative educators are constantly monitoring the dynamic communication landscape for tools that may enhance their educational practice,” Trowbridge said. The presentation featured a demonstration of Google Glass and a discussion of the pedagogical implications of Glass in the learning space.
Trowbridge has been a Glass Explorer since late 2013 and has experimented with the wearable technology in courses he’s taught at Belmont during the spring semester. He is also collaborating with colleagues at other institutions on research projects associated with Google Glass.
In addition to the evening lecture, which was open to the public, Trowbridge was a guest in two educational technology classes at Union and was interviewed for a segment on “Jackson 24/7,” a daily news program produced by broadcast journalism students and aired on Jackson’s local cable television system.
Bisson Publishes Book
Dr. Douglas Bisson, professor of history, has published A history of England. The sixth edition of this two-volume textbook was released by Pearson Education in January 2014. The new edition is also available in a Chinese Simplified version. Professor Bisson is the sole active author of A history of England and has also published The Merchant Adventurers of England (University of Delaware Press).
