Belmont sophomore Paul Macedonia recently won the Volunteer of the Year award from Rocketown, a downtown Nashville ministry to high risk youth founded by Belmont Board of Trustees member and longtime musician Michael W. Smith. A project manager for Belmont’s Enactus team, Macedonia and other Enactus students have spent the past year volunteering more than 400 hours at Rocketown building relationships with youth ages 8-22 who attend the programs at the club. Through their efforts, the team is now in the beginning stages of creating a unique social enterprise that would involve financial literacy education opportunities for the youth as well as create a sustainable revenue source for the venue. A native of Pittsburgh, Penn., Macedonia is pursuing a double major in music business and social entrepreneurship.
Macedonia Named Rocketown Volunteer of the Year
Belmont, Tennessee World Affairs Council Hosts Screening of Human Trafficking Documentary
Belmont University’s Interdisciplinary Studies and Global Education and the College of Business Administration Center for International Business hosted on Monday the Tennessee World Affairs Council’s screening of “Not My Life,” a documentary on human trafficking written, directed and produced by Academy Award nominee Robert Bilheime.
More than 80 people attended the event held in the Massey Performing Arts Center, including Belmont students, students from area colleges, members of the public and area agencies who work to stop human trafficking. “Not My Life” is the first film comprehensively to depict the cruel and dehumanizing practices of global human trafficking and modern slavery. The screening was part of a nationwide program sponsored by the World Affairs Councils of America and made possible by a grant from Carlson & The Carlson Family Foundation.
Filmed on five continents, in a dozen countries, Not My Life features more than 50 interviews with trafficking victims and their advocates in government, law enforcement, civil society, and the private sector. It includes the stories of 10 year-old girls raped in truck stops in the United States and brothels in India, street beggars in Africa, and domestic servants in Washington, D. C. to take viewers into a world that is difficult to imagine, let alone accept.
Belmont Equestrian Club Wins Big at Maryville College Horse Show
The Belmont University Equestrian Club participated in the Maryville College Horse Show on Oct. 26-27 in Knoxville, Tenn. Competing in the South Region IHSA Zone 5, Region 1, not only did every member place, the team also brought home two first place ribbons.
- Julie Anderson placed second in Novice Equitation Over Fences
- Morgan Wilters placed first in Advanced Walk Trot Canter on Sunday and third on Saturday
- Maria Martino placed first in Beginner Walk Trot Canter on Sunday and second on Saturday
- Allison Harpole placed third in Beginner Walk Trot Canter on Sunday
“It’s nice that all of the other universities in the area are starting to recognize Belmont as having a good equestrian program,” said founding member Julie Anderson, “We’ve been trying to be very active with other university coaches and students to get the word out.”
The year-old team has already grown to have 15 members and works in collaboration with the Vanderbilt Equestrian Team, having recently hosted a team-building dinner of almost 40 people.
The next show for the Belmont team will be in February at Middle Tennessee State University.
LeBleu-Founded Chapter Earns Women’s Business Award
The 2013 National Association of Women MBAs’ Board of Directors recognized outstanding members and chapters throughout the annual national conference and career fair in Boston in early October. The Nashville Professional Chapter, founded in 2011 by College of Business Administration Director of Career Development Lori LeBleu and initially sponsored by The Massey Graduate School of Business was selected as the Professional Chapter of the Year for the continuous contribution and support of the organization and active engagement on the national and local levels. The chapter’s sold-out women’s leadership conference, “THRIVE” also hosted by The Massey School this summer doubled the chapter’s membership.
The National Association of Women MBAs is a not-for-profit association for women MBAs and business professionals. Through student and professional chapters throughout the United States, the organization is dedicated to empowering female business professionals, to assisting women into leadership positions in business, and to enhancing the diversity of the workforce. The Nashville Professional chapter supports the local student chapters and provides networking connections and professional development for Nashville area women MBAs.
Boyle, Davis Present at Tennessee Philosophical Association Meeting
Philosophy Professor Noel Boyle presented a paper called “Against Popularization” at the 45th annual meeting of the Tennessee Philosophical Association on Oct. 26. This paper explores the difficulties of writing when combining narrative and reflection. The paper considers two serious barriers to successful popular philosophical writing. First, labeled the Wittgensteinian Problem, is that professional philosophy deals with pseudo-problems that don’t speak to the problems and concerns of ordinary people. Second, labeled the Socratic Problem, is that ordinary people are too shallow and ignorant to engage genuine philosophy. In the end, Boyle suggests these problems reflect a dual crisis of our discipline and our culture. (image -Noel_Boyle.jpg)
Dr. Andy Davis, assistant professor of philosophy, discussed his recent published work on Hegel in the “Author Meets Critics” special session of the Tennessee Philosophical Association meeting. Invitations are extended to scholars who have published significant work in their fields. Davis’ recent work opens up new possibilities for reading G.W.F. Hegel’s Science of Logic by exploring an ontology of activities as distinct from an ontology of things.
Environment Club Members Volunteer at Ghouls at Grassmere
On Oct. 21, eight students from Belmont’s Environment and Conservation Organization (ECO) volunteered at the Nashville Zoo’s Ghouls at Grassmere event. The students worked the game booths including basketball, skee ball, slingshots and a high striker. It was a cold but very fun time for the ECO members. This annual Nashville Zoo fundraiser is a community favorite with exciting Halloween activities for children and families.
Students Take Part in Many Activities for National Chemistry Week
National Chemistry Week, Oct. 20-26, was celebrated on the Belmont campus with events sponsored by students and faculty associated with the Student Members of the American Chemical Society (SMACS) club. Dr. Alison Moore and Dr. Rachel Rigsby are the club faculty advisors. The activities included: Hey, Look at this Awesome Science! convocation that focused on science in everyday life; Pin the Element on the Periodic Table activity and celebration of Mole Day, with a cupcake giveaway; Words with Elements activity, using atomic symbols to spell words; and a club Fall Cookout and Pumpkin Carving at Moore’s house.
National Chemistry Week is an annual event that encourages chemists and chemistry enthusiasts to build awareness of chemistry at the local level and promote the value of chemistry in everyday life. Mole Dole is celebrated every Oct. 23 from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. in commemoration of Avogadro’s Number, according to the National Mole Day Foundation Inc. website. What’s Avogadro’s Number? It is 6.02 x 1023, a basic measuring unit in chemistry discovered by the 18th century chemist Amadeo Avogadro. This explains the time and day it is celebrated: 6:02 10/23. For the nongeeky, nonsciencey types out there, a mole is a number used in chemistry quite a bit. It is used to measure the number of atoms or molecules in a sample, and it equals 6.02 x 1023—a pretty hefty number. It was a fun, geeky week for all.
Julseth Honored with Tennessee Foreign Language Teaching Association Award
The Tennessee Foreign Language Teaching Association has awarded the Jacqueline Elliot Award for Service in Foreign Language Higher Education to Dr. David Julseth, professor of foreign languages. Julseth has taught Spanish at Belmont since 1992. A member of the Tennessee Foreign Language Teaching Association (TFLTA) since 1992, Julseth has also served as a board member (2001-2004) and as president (2011). Throughout his career, Julseth has earned the respect and admiration of students and colleagues, and inspired more than a few students who later became colleagues. The many letters written in support of his nomination consistently acknowledge his enthusiasm and encouragement.
“Stop worrying about making mistakes,” one nominator recalls him saying. “Enjoy the language, don’t be afraid of it.”
For a remarkable career that shows no signs of stopping, for his pioneering work in service-learning and his inimitable enthusiasm in the classroom, and for the countless students he continues to inspire, Julseth is a most deserving and distinguished 3oth recipient of the Jacqueline Elliott Award for Service in Foreign Language Higher Education. The TFLTA is an organization for all foreign language educators in the state of Tennessee with the goal to promote and to advocate for foreign language education in the state, and to provide assistance and resources to those teaching foreign languages at all levels.
Trowbridge Presents on Social Media, Earns Top Public Relations Research Paper Award
Dr. Kevin S. Trowbridge, assistant professor of public relations, was a featured speaker at the second annual Social Media for Teaching & Learning conference hosted by Pearson Learning Solutions. The event was held Oct. 18 at the Museum of Science in Boston, Mass.
Trowbridge was invited to speak at this professional development event after he was interviewed last spring and profiled by Pearson in a case study of best practices for innovative teaching. His presentation was titled “Embrace the Shift for SoMe Teaching & Learning: Using Social Networks to Engage Students in the Classroom and Beyond.”
Trowbridge was also recognized by the Public Relations Society of America’s Educators Academy with the Betsy Plank Research Award during the society’s recent annual meeting. Trowbridge conducted the research and wrote the paper, titled “Organization-Public Relationships in the Digital Age: Measuring the Effects of Social Media Engagement,” during his final term as a doctoral student. The project contributed to his dissertation research, which examined the effects of social media on public relations, which was successfully defended in April 2013.
Trowbridge presented his paper and received the award during the 2013 PRSA International Conference held Oct. 26-29, 2013, in Philadelphia, Penn. The paper will be published along with nine other research papers in the proceedings from the conference.
Also during the conference, Trowbridge co-presented in the pedagogical poster session with Dr. Christie Kleinmann, associate professor of communication arts at Lee University. Their work, titled “Teaching the Value and Practical Applications of Research to Undergraduate Public Relations Students,” was featured in the session that showcased best practices in education and provided examples of successful educational approaches in public relations. A précis of their work will also be published in the conference’s proceedings.
Donna Gwaltney Completes Doctorate
Senior Human Resources Generalist Donna Gwaltney successfully defended her doctoral dissertation Oct. 25. She will be awarded her Doctor of Philosophy degree from Eastern University during the institution’s Dec. 14 commencement exercises in St. Davids, Penn. Her dissertation explored high performance human resource practices, organizational culture and staff turnover within higher education.
