Junior Commercial Music Major Travis Patton was the Senior Division Grand Prize Winner of the 2012 Eclectic String Festival. Travis also performed as the featured opener for Barrage, the internationally acclaimed performing string group. The concert and competition were part of the National Conference of American String Teachers Association held in Atlanta, Georgia. Daniel Pentecost, Belmont Class of 2010, is a member of Barrage.
Patton Wins Senior Division Grand Prize at Electric String Festival
Bursch Receives Outstanding Service Award from TPTA
Gail Bursch, associate professor of physical therapy, recently received the Outstanding Service Award from the Tennessee Physical Therapy Association (TPTA). The award recognizes dedication and hard work as demonstrated through extraordinary service, a distinctive role in the field of teaching, research or publishing, and outstanding contributions to the profession and health-related community organizations.
Dr. Baron Johnson, a physical therapist from Maryville, Tennessee who nominated Bursch for the award, commented on “the countless hours she has dedicated serving the profession of physical therapy and the Tennessee association.” He added that “her leadership example and dedication to the profession has influenced and challenged me to serve for many years.”
“This award recognizes the spirit of service we see each day in working with Gail,” said Dr. John Halle, associate dean in the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing and program chair of the Belmont University School of Physical Therapy. “We’re happy for her and celebrate with her in receiving this award.”
Professor Bursch is director of clinical education for the School of Physical Therapy. She has served at Belmont since the University initiated a graduate program in PT in 1997. Prior to coming to Belmont, Bursch was administrative director of Rehab Services at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville and started her professional career as a physical therapist at University of Kentucky Medical Center. She earned a Bachelor of Health Science in Physical Therapy and a Master of Science in Education from University of Kentucky. She is a licensed physical therapist and certified wound specialist and has supplemented her education with nearly 200 continuing education opportunities. She has been published with her research on Interrater Reliability of Diastasis Recti Abdominis Measurement, as well as with articles authored or coauthored in Volunteer Voice and Rehab Management. She has made dozens of professional presentations and is an active member of the PT profession.
Cordia Harrington Awarded Beta Gamma Sigma Medallion at Belmont University
Cordia Harrington, founder, CEO and president of The Bun Companies, was recently awarded the prestigious Beta Gamma Sigma Medallion for Entrepreneurship. In a ceremony held on campus yesterday, Dr. George Stevens, past president and current board member of Beta Gamma Sigma, made a personal visit to present Harrington with the honor during the annual Belmont University Center for Entrepreneurship Student Awards Banquet.
The Medallion for Entrepreneurship has been awarded annually by international honor society Beta Gamma Sigma since 1994. The award was established to recognize individuals and firms who contribute significantly to the vitality and strength of the economy, combining innovative business achievement with service to humanity. Mrs. Harrington, affectionately known as “The Bun Lady,” was nominated by Belmont University’s College of Business Administration (COBA). She is one of four recipients of the award this year. The other 2012 honorees are David Director, president of Connecticut Lighting Centers; John R. Post, founder and president of Post Precision Castings, Inc.; and Steve Weiss, chairman and CEO of Coachella Valley Angel Network.
James Viehland, executive director of Beta Gamma Sigma, said, “The selection committee was very impressed with her achievements as they were presented in the nomination and supporting materials.”
Dr. Pat Raines, dean of Belmont’s College of Business Administration, added, “Mrs. Harrington embodies the entrepreneurial spirit, and we are proud she has chosen to establish strong ties with the University and the College of Business Administration.”
BUSA Students Participate in Charity Event
The Tennessee Kidney Foundation (TNF) hosted its annual Kidney Kaper Gala on April 21 to celebrate kidney donors and recipients. This year’s gala included a silent auction, dancing and entertainment and honored the nine transplant centers across the state.
Belmont University’s Songwriting Association (BUSA) paired with transplant donors and recipients to hear their stories and write songs of inspiration, hope and courage. Headed up by students Chuck Callaghan and Bailey White, the nine-person team wrote and performed its songs at the gala.
BUSA student and leader of the group Bailey White enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about the individuals who have been impacted by organ donation and more importantly, to learn what she could do to help. “They taught me what an impact we can all have on someone’s life by doing something as simple as marking that organ donor box… they taught me perseverance and joy and to not take life for granted, to take in the small moments because they far outweigh the big ones,” she said.
The honorees of the gala felt the same way about the time the Belmont students spent taking their stories and writing songs that tell of the battles they’ve won and how important such a simple task is.
TNF’s Director of Development and Marketing and ’07 Belmont graduate Josie Hackworth said the relationship between the songwriters and honorees meant a lot to both groups. “The ability to share the story of giving life to another person is the most selfless act. The patients enjoyed talking to someone who was able to take all their feelings… and create a song that they will have forever. Anyone can give a plaque, but a song touches your heart,” she said.
Allison Gale Selected as First Paisley Scholar
This year distinguished alumnus and country superstar Brad Paisley established an endowed scholarship at Belmont to provide financial assistance for a deserving student with demonstrated need who is studying in the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.
A 1995 graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Paisley majored in music business at what was then the Mike Curb School of Music Business. During his Belmont career, Paisley himself benefitted from a scholarship supported by Vince Gill and has long been committed to “paying it forward” to another deserving student.
The Curb College scholarship committee recently selected junior Entertainment Industry Studies major Allison Gale as the 2012-13 award recipient, based on her GPA, financial need and involvement at the college, university and community levels.
An avid entertainment blogger with career aspirations to work behind the scenes in theater tour production and later in music production, Gale said, “I am beyond humbled to receive this scholarship. To have the award come from Brad Paisley is even more amazing; he is part of the reason I came to Belmont in the first place. For my sixteenth birthday I went to my first major concert: Brad Paisley. Later that year my family took a road trip during which I discovered my love for Nashville. Inspired by knowing Brad went to college there, we visited Belmont University. I made up my mind I would go, I loved everything from the Christian roots of the school to the beauty of the campus. Years of waitressing nights and community college classes in the mornings later, I realized my dreams by transferring into Belmont. I have been so blessed to be able to finally attend, and now to receive this scholarship will open up my world from working two jobs to investing time in skills for the future.”
Students, Faculty Hear Experts Discuss Changes in Acute Care
Earlier this week, more than 200 Belmont University health science students and faculty attended a panel discussion in Neely Dining Room on “Emerging Issues and Hot Topics in Acute Care” presented by health professionals from Community Health Systems and sponsored by the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing. The discussion provided students with information about practice changes and new career paths that are developing because of the changes occurring nationally in acute care.
“This was an exceptional opportunity for our students to ask questions and interact with practicing healthcare professionals to learn about the workplace they will soon enter,” said Dr. Cathy Taylor, Dean of the College of Health Sciences.
NPR Quotes Professor Mary Vaughn on Impact of Social Media
Mary Vaughn, professor of communication studies and associate dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in an April 26 story by NPR, which is titled, “What We Have Here: A Failure to Communicate.” Vaughn, whose expertise includes interpersonal communication, researches and teaches how social media have altered interpersonal communication in an increasingly digital age. The full story is available at this link: http://www.npr.org/2012/04/26/151351550/what-we-have-here-a-failure-to-communicate?sc=emaf
Residence Life Shadow Program Fosters Cross-Campus Mentoring
For the second year, Belmont’s Office of Residence Life conducted a Residence Director Shadowing Program for all RDs on campus. The program, which occurs once per semester, gives participants the opportunity to spend a day working alongside other professionals among the Belmont community, allowing the RDs to explore areas as diverse as Athletics, Human Resources, Event Planning, Communications, Career Services and more.
Residence Life Director Anthony Donovan is proud of the program and the relationships it fosters among his RDs and campus partners. He said, “Great professionals paired with great aspiring young professionals makes for a great idea.”
The 13 residence directors have the chance to rank what areas on campus most interest them and after a matching process, are assigned a Belmont staff member to shadow. Once the shadow days are completed, participants write a follow-up reflection that is compiled into a book, and all directors, along with their campus partners, come together for a celebratory lunch to share what knowledge or perspective they gained from the experience.
Director of Organizational Development Deborah Baruzzini (Human Resources) has been grateful to participate in the mentorship program, noting that she has forged helpful bonds with the professionals she has been paired with. “When I was growing professionally, I had two fabulous mentors to whom I could go with any kind of question comfortably. I hope to provide that kind of support through this program and haven’t been disappointed yet with my two colleagues.”
The RD Baruzzini was paired with this semester, Sarah Norton, agrees. Norton is grateful for the professional development the program offers on campus and said she has learned many things that she will transfer with her to her job in Residence Life. “It gives us a way to see the work of professionals in anything from organization development like Deborah, to dining services, to athletics — how we can learn from each other and how are departments are interrelated, since we’re serving the same students,” Norton said.
Alumna Organizes 30 Day National Nonprofit Tour
Belmont alumna Morgan Caldwell (’11) will leave New Jersey on May 1 to begin a 30-day tour with One Simple Wish, a nonprofit committed to serving children in foster care.
The tour, known as 30-30-30 seeks to raise awareness of the positive strides being made in the foster care system and to highlight what the public can do to get involved by completing 30 wishes in 30 cities in 30 days. In each city the team will visit at least one agency or organization, create a short film and grant one wish for a foster child associated with that organization.
On May 7, the tour will be in Nashville celebrating AGAPE’s Jamal, a high school senior and his upcoming graduation. The crew will also be granting Jamal’s wish–books for his first semester of college.
Caldwell said she is excited to use the tour as a way to continue the organization’s work to change the way Americans view the system and teach people of ways to get involved and touch children’s lives in special ways.
“One Simple Wish doesn’t exist to change or fix the foster care system, but I believe that it does give hope to the kids we reach – that someone, somewhere cared,” she said.
Professor Accepted into TN-SCORE ROA Summer Program
Chemistry and Physics Assistant Professor Stephen Robinson has been accepted into TN-SCORE ROA’s summer program. Selected to work with Thrust 3 (Nanostructures for Enhancing Energy Efficiency) under the guidance of Sandra Rosenthal and Kirill Bolotin, Robinson will receive a stipend and start-up grant to be used at Belmont.
Working collaboratively with follow chemists, biologists, physicists and engineers, Robinson will have the opportunity to solve problems and advance scientific understanding using specialized equipment and resources.
Robinson said he is excited about the continued collaboration possibilities this opportunity will bring for Belmont and its students.
“I’m proud to have the chance to help out with the ‘big picture’ goals of the program: energy efficiency and independence. I think these are just two of the many problems the world faces that will be solved with science, math, and engineering,” he said.
