IMPORTANT NOTE: These are the archived stories for Belmont News & Achievements prior to June 26, 2023. To see current stories, click here.

Home Blog Page 558

Maymester Class Teaches the Science of Healthy Foods

Paul Chenoweth
-
0

Dr. Kim Daus, professor in the Chemistry and Physics Department, taught a Maymester class titled “Better Eating Through Chemistry.” The intent of the class was to use chemistry to help students understand the nature of food and cooking so that they could use it to intentionally improve recipes  and develop new recipes that were healthy and full of nutrients.

Daus had 23 students plus an assistant working in one large kitchen with one stove top and two ovens. Each week the class focused on a new cuisine: Week 1 – Southern (fried chicken and sides); Week 2 – Hispanic (tortilla-based entrees and salsas/guacamole); Week 3 – Local Food (student-friendly cuisine).

They started each week by sharing a meal the first day at a local restaurant, including Loveless Cafe, La Hacienda and Sloco’s/Burger Up. They then studied the chemistry of fats, proteins, carbohydrates and vegetables, did lab experiments that dealt with them, trialed recipe modifications in the lab and finished each week with each of the groups preparing their version of the meal.

In the last week the class visited Real Food Farms, Belmont’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), where students learned about their sustainable, organic practices, helped out with a few duties including mulching and setting up tomato cages and then took some of Daus’ CSA share to use in their last meal preparation.

Magruder and Robinson Co-Author Article

Paul Chenoweth
-
0

Dr. Robert Magruder, professor, and Dr. Steve Robinson, assistant professor, of the Chemistry and Physics Department at Belmont University, along with a Belmont alumna Catlin Smith, now a graduate student at Georgia Tech University, co-authored a paper that was recently published in the Applied Physics A – Materials Science & Processing Journal. The other co-authors were A. Meldrum, University of Alberta, and R.F. Haglund Jr., Vanderbilt University. This paper also made the list of New Papers of Key Interest.

The paper is titled “Fabricating a Dichroic Plasmonic Mirror in Fused Silica by Dual-Ion Implantation.”

Applied Physics A publishes experimental and theoretical investigations in applied physics as regular articles, rapid communications, and invited papers. The distinguished 30-member Board of Editors reflects the interdisciplinary approach of the journal and ensures the highest quality of peer review.

Public Relations Becomes an Academic Department

Paul Chenoweth
-
0

After eight years as a major in the Department of Media Studies, Public Relations (PR) is now an independent academic department in the College of Arts and Sciences. PR has enjoyed steady growth and success, now boasting almost 100 majors and almost 50 minors.

Dr. Bonnie Riechert served as program director since 2008 and now is the PR department chair. She is supported by a strong faculty that includes Susan Barnes and Kevin Trowbridge.

Belmont PR students are very competitive for internships, employment opportunities, and graduate schools. The Belmont Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) was chartered in 2005 and has received numerous national awards. In March, the Belmont chapter hosted the Region 5 PRSSA Conference, attracting students from 14 chapters and several states. The new department is positioned to grow in the program’s already strong reputation as one of the best places to study PR.

Four Davidson County Students Earn Belmont University Scholarships

Paul Chenoweth
-
0

Tuition scholarships awarded to students from Districts 17, 18 and 19

Four Davidson County high school graduates and incoming Belmont freshmen have received four-year scholarships to cover their tuition and fees at Belmont University. They join seven other Davidson County students who are continuing their enrollment as upperclassmen at Belmont and as recipients of the Rose Park and Community Outreach Scholarships.

(left to right) Councilwoman Sandra Moore, Cherish Woodard, Ebone Haymer, Dr. Bob Fisher, Octavia Nichols, Councilwoman Erica Gilmore

This fall Belmont will welcome Rose Park Scholarship recipients Ebone Haymer of Middle College High School, Octavia Nichols of Martin Luther King Magnet School and Cherish Woodard of East Magnet School as well as Community Outreach Scholarship recipient Cleonus Mitchell of Hillsboro High School.

In 2007, Belmont University committed to enhancing the Edgehill community through the renovation of E.S. Rose Park Sports Complex and the creation of the E.S. Rose Park Scholarship. Each year, the University awards two-full and one half tuition scholarships to graduating high school students permanently residing in Council Districts 17, 19 and parts of 18 that plan to enroll at Belmont University.

The Community Outreach Scholarship is given biennially to a student within the geographic boundaries of Natchez Trace, Woodmont, Interstates 65 and 440. The half-tuition scholarship is awarded for eight consecutive semesters.

Since both scholarships’ inceptions in 2007, the University has awarded some $544,902 to deserving Davidson County students.

The students each have visited campus for a welcome dinner with previous scholarship recipients, faculty and staff as well as for photos with Metro Councilwomen Erica Gilmore and Sandra Moore as well as Belmont President Bob Fisher.

Belmont Students Complete Study Abroad to Geneva

Paul Chenoweth
-
0
Belmont students on the roof of the World Health Organization building.

Twelve students from Belmont recently spent three weeks in Geneva, Switzerland and the area around the city in a unique study abroad experience full of firsts. It was Belmont’s first study abroad to the city of Geneva, the first for a nursing clinical course, and the first for a shared educational experience with some students enrolled in community health nursing and others in a humanities course. The courses included a shared study of the book Frankenstein as Geneva is the setting for much of this classic’s action,  The students had a first-hand opportunity to explore the book from literary, philosophical, historical, psychological and public health points of view.  The courses were taught by Professor of English and French John Paine and Associate Professor of Nursing Ruby Dunlap.

The group visited the International Federation of the Red Cross, which focuses on humanitarian, disaster and health initiatives, where they listened to presentations on the health implications of safe water and sanitation, and on training and education in public health.  Later, the class spent a couple of hours at the World Health Organization, listening to presentations on the global efforts to reduce hospital acquired infections and on issues related to the global shortage of nurses and midwives.

The class visited Glace de Mer, the largest glacier in France.

The group learned that the Geneva of Jean Calvin’s time was a city of refugees, people fleeing persecution of one kind or another. Today, Geneva is a center of international cooperation, with headquarters for the United Nations and some of its divisions, as well as agencies such as the Red Cross and the International Council of Nurses.

The class visited many historical and cultural sites such as Chamonix, a village in the French Alps which sits in the valley below the “Glace de Mer,” the largest glacier in France. Other highlights included visits to Chillon Castle and the Lausanne Cathedral; a trip to CERN, Europe’s atomic particle accelerator, which provided the setting for our disaster response discussion; and the Museum of Natural History with an exhibit on malaria that provided the perfect opportunity for an onsite discussion of infectious disease and vulnerable populations.  The group learned that Geneva is a unique city in history, culture, and agencies which serve the interests of the global community.

 

Belmont Well Represented at TICUA Conferences

Paul Chenoweth
-
0

Belmont University hosted the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association’s Grant Writing Workshop on May 31. The workshop offered suggestions about grant writing and information about grants available from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) in the area of K-12 teacher professional development.

Mike Krause, Director of Academic Affairs at THEC outlined THEC’s next grant opportunity – Improving Teacher Quality, which will be released in July. David Sevier, Deputy Executive Director with Tennesse’s State Board of Education and Scott Eddins, Research Associate with the State Board shared their perspectives on grant writing as seasoned grant evaluators. Over 60 individuals from 15 TICUA institutions participated in the workshop.

Belmont’s Director of Technology Services Randall Reynolds also addressed lecture capture at the TICUA’s annual IT Retreat on May 18 .

Belmont is a member of the consortium, which serves 35 non-profit, regionally accredited institutions across the state.

Student Wins PECAN’s 2012 Arpeggio Award for Influence in the Arts for Youth

Paul Chenoweth
-
0

Belmont junior Ben Gallaher has earned the Progressive Education of Children in the Arts Network Inc.’s 2012 Arpeggio Award. The award recognizes “a celebrity who is a good mentor and sets a good example helping youth to create harmony in their lives through the arts.” The Pennsylvania-based non-profit organization, known as PECAN, will recognize Gallaher at its 15th annual Celebration of Children showcase on July 15 in Harrisburg, Pa.

“Ben Gallaher embodies the talent, character, and determination that young people can relate to and learn from. When our organization saw Ben’s new country music album on iTunes, and then watched his YouTube videos, we noticed not only amazing talent, but his Eagle Scout videos further impressed us. We saw the young people who supported him in building his church project, and we saw the fans relate to him when he performs,” said PECAN founder Shirley Nolt in a news release.

Gallaher is studying entertainment industry studies.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this award. My music path is probably a little different than most. I do not have formal music training, but I love to play guitar, write songs, and perform. I love to entertain and see fans respond to my music,” he said. “My message to young people is a message I’m still living: Never give up. What do musicians do when times get tough or things don’t go your way? You write a song about it, and that’s what I did. We all have talents and gifts, and young people can learn from people who have overcome the odds. If you believe in yourself, then you’ll make it!”

Click here to read more.

Ficzere Published in Annals of Pharmacotherapy

Paul Chenoweth
-
0

Assistant Professor Cathy Ficzere, of the Department of Pharmaceutical, Social & Administrative Sciences, has published “Curriculum and Instructional Methods for Drug Information, Literature Evaluation and Biostatistics: Survey of US Pharmacy Schools” in The Annals of Pharmacotherapy. Ficzere and her team evaluated the state of drug information education in current pharmacy curricula using the specific recommendations regarding drug information education established by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Drug Information Practice and Research Network. Their results show an increased focus on evidence-based medicine, medication safety and informatics.

Belmont Helps Paint ‘A Brush with Kindness’

Paul Chenoweth
-
0

For the second consecutive year, Belmont University partnered with area churches, businesses and Habitat for Humanity to renovate the home of someone in need.

Belmont Church, Greater Christ Temple, John Wesley United Methodist Church, Kayne Avenue Missionary Baptist Church, Mount Gilead Missionary Baptist Church, Southside Community Church, Tabernacle of Glory Baptist Church, Fifth Third Bank, Energizer and baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. contributed to the project. Belmont University donated $7,500 to the project and plans to have its students renovate another house in South Nashville in the fall.

Together volunteers from the organizations renovated the East Nashville home of William Montgomery over four days, adding new siding, caulking holes, sealing the home against water, removing peeling paint, painting the house blue with beige columns, working on landscaping and fencing and replacing wood framing. They celebrated the project’s completion with a block party on June 2 and a home dedication on June 3.

Montgomery said his home was falling apart, and because he has suffered a heart attack and stroke and lives on a fixed income, he was unable to make repairs or even keep brush from overgrowing. Although unable to assist with renovations, Montgomery served refreshments to volunteers and offered words of encouragement.

“It was a blessing from the Lord. I was sitting on the porch one day, and Eric from Habitat from Humanity came by and said, ‘You look like you could use some help,” said Montgomery, who has lived in his house on Eastmoreland Street for 15 years. “I appreciate them helping me because I have been very depressed and all of the sponsors, churches and Habitat for Humanity have given me a blessing. They even gave me an American flag for the porch. Now people have been coming by all week and asking if this is the same house.”

A Brush with Kindness is a beautification and revitalization program for low-income and elderly homeowners. In 2011, dozens of Belmont students, faculty and staff volunteered their labor in repairing and restoring the properties, working on exterior maintenance and revitalization on the four homes located in the Edgehill community. The program serves homeowners who struggle with maintenance and helps them reclaim their homes with pride and dignity. Improvements are made at no cost to the homeowners.

“A Brush with Kindness is a program designed to help existing homeowners with low income who couldn’t otherwise make repairs necessary to their home – to provide a good, safe and healthy home environment,” Habitat For Humanity Chief Operating Officer Ralph Knauss told WSMV.

Belmont University Announces New Program in Motion Pictures

Paul Chenoweth
-
0

Belmont University announced today the opening of a new undergraduate degree program in motion pictures, the study of cinematography, screenwriting, film production, etc. The curriculum for this interdisciplinary studies program is being developed under the expertise of Will Akers, Belmont’s new assistant professor and chair of the program. Motion Pictures classes will begin in fall 2013.

In addition to having 25 years experience as a screenwriter, Akers’ background includes 19 years of teaching at Vanderbilt University in film studies, theater and communication studies. He is also the author of an industry-standard text, Your Screenplay Sucks!, 100 Ways To Make It Great. A Nashville native, graduate of Vanderbilt, with a master’s degree in cinema production from the University of Southern California, Akers is a fixture in the Nashville film community. He has had three feature films produced from his screenplays and wrote for the network television series “Strange Luck,” “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” and “Eerie, Indiana.”

The new program intends to encompass all areas of the modern motion picture world. “Today motion pictures can be found in all kinds of media including television, cell phones and computers; it’s not simply film-in-a-theater anymore,” Akers said. “Belmont’s new program will capitalize on the growing diversity of motion pictures, teaching students all aspects of the craft from script development, through production, to marketing and distribution. We’ll combine our classroom curriculum with the hands-on experiential learning that is a consistently distinguishing factor of a Belmont education.”

Belmont Provost Thomas Burns added, “This new undergraduate major is a natural extension of Belmont’s strong liberal arts curriculum and our commitment to high-quality professional programs related to the management and development of the entertainment industry. Moreover, motion pictures will prepare students to succeed in a dynamic marketplace that is currently experiencing immense development and growth.”

Continue
1...557558559...860Page 558 of 860
Belmont University Logo | News & Media

CONTACT US

University Marketing and Communications
615-460-6650
communication@belmont.edu

FOLLOW US