Dr. Ruth Ford, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy, was recently certified as a master trainer for “A Matter of Balance,” a fall prevention program offered through Maine’s Health Partnership for Healthy Aging and the Tennessee Department of Public Health. As a master trainer, Dr. Ford can provide the two-day coach’s training, as well as an eight-week participant workshop for older adults. “A Matter of Balance” offers fall prevention strategies, exercise programs, assertiveness training, identification of personal habits that may lead to falls and home and community environmental assessments. This program is designed to empower older adults to be proactive in preventing falls. Dr. Ford intends to incorporate Occupational Therapy student learning activities, community outreach research and residency placements to expose the students to community-based programs that support healthy aging.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Visits Belmont to Discuss Piracy
Gov. Bredesen, U.S. Rep. Cooper, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean Join Conversation on Intellectual Property Protection
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke met with music industry representatives yesterday in Belmont’s Maddox Grand Atrium to discuss the Obama Administration’s commitment to global enforcement of laws against intellectual property piracy. Before the town hall event at Belmont, Locke was joined by Congressman Jim Cooper and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean for a tour of “Music Row.”
In addition to the nearly 100 Belmont students in attendance, Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher welcomed more than 300 music industry leaders and special guests to the forum, noting, “The topic today is critical to our students’ future as 2,000 of our students are connected to music.”
Secretary Locke said, “Belmont’s School of Music and Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business offer Americans some of the best education in the music industry so it’s appropriate we are having this discussion here… Copyright laws need to adjust to meet the challenges of the 21st century.”
As “America’s Music City,” Nashville is an important hub in the U.S. music industry and has been deeply hurt by the recent rise in online intellectual property piracy. According to recent statistics, only one in 20 songs downloaded from the internet is done so legally.
Songwriter Rob Crosby said, “I don’t know why they call it file sharing when it’s stealing pure and simple.”
With the advent of the Internet, consumers are spending less on recorded music in all formats, and total revenues for recorded music in the U.S. have dropped in recent years. The loss of revenue has injured the local economy, which supports thousands of jobs and a $4 billion industry annually. The Department of Commerce, supported by the expertise of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), serves as the chief advisor to President Obama on intellectual property issues. Led by Director David Kappos, the USPTO also has an ongoing enforcement effort that provides training for government and private sector officials all over the world.
Belmont Student Represents U.S. at World Youth Conference
Junior Joshua Conner represented the United States at the World Youth Conference in Monterrey, Mexico from Aug. 25 – 27. Conner is one of seven people in the U.S. delegation at the conference, which is co-sponsored by the United Nations.
According to a UN spokesperson, “The main objective of the WYC 2010 will be to create a declaration expressing the world’s youth voices on the conference’s eleven themes: poverty and exclusion, employment, education, technology and innovation, health, gender equality, security, social justice and human rights, sustainable development, international migration, citizen’s participation and global cooperation.”
In addition to his role at the conference, Conner currently serves as a member of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth. Governor Phil Bredesen appointed him to the commission which reviews and makes recommendations on legislation before the Tennessee House and Senate and also approves the distribution of federal grant funds related to juvenile justice and child welfare in Tennessee. The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth is an independent agency created by the Tennessee General Assembly. Its primary mission is to advocate for improvements in the quality of life for Tennessee children and families.
Conner was also a peer advocate at the Oasis Center for Youth and co-chair of the Tennessee Youth Advisory Council, a youth board that advocates for improved policies affecting juvenile justice, foster care and adoption.
Other Members of the U.S. Delegation to the World Youth Conference 2010 are:
• Alejandra Ceja, Chief of Staff for Martha J. Kanter, Undersecretary of Education, US Department of Education
• Frank Fuentes, Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
• Paul Kruchoski, Student, University of Cincinnati
• Erin Mazursky, Youth Advisor, U.S. Agency for International Development
• Bryan Samuels, Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
• Paula Uribe, Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State
• Scott Warren, Executive Director, Generation Citizen
DeVries Nominated to Accounting Study Team
Associate Professor of Accounting and Information Systems Del DeVries has been nominated to serve on the Pathways Commission study team to examine the future of higher education in accounting. The commission is a joint effort between the American Accounting Association and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The commission studies issues such as the shortage of qualified teachers with accounting doctorates, the need to revise the accounting curricula regularly in light of fast-paced business changes, university budget constraints and the need for training in specialized areas to meet professional demands. The Commission will hold its first meeting October 15 – 17 in Washington, D.C.
Beta Alpha Psi Chapter Receives Recognition, Students Present at Annual Conference in California
Belmont’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, an international honorary organization for all undergraduate and graduate accounting, finance and information systems majors, was recognized as a “Distinguished Chapter” at the 2010 Annual Conference for Beta Alpha Psi in San Jose, Calif. on Aug. 6. According to the Board of Directors of Beta Alpha Psi, the chapter has “far exceeded the minimum requirements of Beta Alpha Psi and has excelled in the areas of academics, professionalism and leadership.”
BAP president Ruchi Kapadia and vice president Rachel McNabb presented their Innovative Career Networking project in the Best Practices Competition at the conference. Their presentation highlighted activities at Belmont University that help students connect with future employers and learn about professional work opportunities. In addition to presenting, Kapadia, McNabb and Faculty Advisor Dr. Del DeVries attended professional workshops and lectures on international accounting issues. The theme of the conference was “Ethics, Integrity and Independence of Mind.”
Rolston Published in MEIEA Journal
Dr. Clyde Rolston, associate professor and chair of the music business programs, was recently notified that he has had an article accepted in the MEIEA Journal (www.meiea.org). The name of the article is “Can the Madness Be Monetized? Music Piracy and an Exploratory Survey of Consumers” and it was co-written with Storm Gloor of the University of Colorado at Denver. This is Rolston’s third article for this publication.
Belmont’s Phi Kappa Tau Chapter Receives Awards
Phi Kappa Tau’s Zeta Alpha chapter at Belmont recently received numerous awards at the Fraternity’s 59th National Convention in Denver, Colo.
• Academic Excellence
• Administrative Excellence
• Community Service Award (more than 20 hours per man)
• Roland Maxwell Scroll (one of the top four chapters in the Fraternity)
• Philanthropy Award
As one of the top four chapters in the Fraternity, Zeta Alpha chapter is included in Phi Kappa Tau’s Founders Four for the 2009-10 academic year. Top chapters meet Maxwell expectations within the Borradaile Challenge, the Fraternity’s standards program.
Founded in 1906 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Phi Kappa Tau is a collegiate fraternity that fosters three core ideals within its membership: learning, leading and serving. Currently, the Fraternity has 85 active groups – 77 chapters and 8 colonies, or student organizations in the final stages of being installed as a chartered chapter.
Belmont Alum Unveils First Electric Vehicle Charging Structure in the Southeast
Jim Greene, Belmont alumnus and president of Richland, LLC manufacturing company, recently unveiled a new green parking structure, the first of its kind in the Southeast. The structure, which is basically a carport with a roof made of solar panels, serves as a charging station for electric vehicles and will generate electricity for the area.
The carport, located in the parking lot of Richland LLC in Pulaski, has enough space for 12 cars and the 20 KW solar cell system will produce more than $500 worth of electricity per month— enough to power up to four homes.
Belmont Names Two New Residence Halls
Surrounded by members of Belmont University’s Class of 2014, today Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher announced the names of the campus’ two new freshmen residence halls at an afternoon ribbon cutting ceremony. Adjoined by a central lobby, one hall is being named Patton Hall, in honor of longtime Trustee Carolyn Patton, while the other residence will be called Bear House, reflecting the site of a bear house that was located on Adelicia Acklen’s original property. Together, the six-story halls provide an additional 103,000 square feet of residence space for more than 400 Belmont freshmen.
“Belmont University continues to grow at a remarkable rate, with early enrollment numbers for the coming semester looking strong once again,” Fisher said. “It’s important that Belmont remains student-centered, placing our students’ needs first even as we experience significant enrollment increases. These new halls guarantee that Belmont will provide a unique and innovative space to welcome incoming classes into the heart of campus.”
Carolyn Patton, a 1958 alumna and current member of Belmont’s Board of Trustees, and her husband Clem are responsible for an endowed, merit-based scholarship that provides full tuition for four years to a student with an ACT of 29 who possesses strong leadership potential.
Mrs. Patton said, “Belmont has certainly grown since [I attended], but I am proud of the way it has held on to those qualities that I enjoyed in its early days. Clem and I believe that our country, and indeed the world, needs students in higher education to graduate not with just head knowledge but with the moral and spiritual foundation to become the wise and compassionate people that are so needed in the world of business, ministry, science and, especially, in day-to-day family and home life. We believe Belmont provides this foundation, and we want to help accomplish these goals.”
The other new residence hall provides a unique opportunity to revisit Belmont’s legendary history. When construction began on the new halls last summer, remnants of Adelicia Acklen’s original Bear House and Bowling Alley/Billiards Building were uncovered. Tucked beneath layers of asphalt, these two structures went unnoticed for nearly 100 years, providing those who knew of them little more than mystery as to their exact location and design.
Belmont Celebrates Grand Opening of McWhorter Hall
New 90,000 square foot, state-of-the-art academic building houses Schools of Pharmacy and Physical Therapy, Department of Psychological Science
Belmont University celebrated the grand opening of the new 90,000 square foot McWhorter Hall at a ribbon cutting event held on campus this morning. The state-of-the-art academic building houses the Schools of Pharmacy and Physical Therapy, as well as the Department of Psychological Science.
McWhorter Hall is being named in honor of Belmont Trustee Emeritus and Chairman of Clayton Associates, Clayton McWhorter, and his brother, the late pharmacist Fred McWhorter. Both men dedicated their careers to the healthcare field, making a difference in the lives of countless individuals and championing healthcare reform. In addition to his longtime relationship with the University and his work on the School of Pharmacy’s initial Study Team and External Advisory Committee, Clayton is also providing a major leadership gift in support of Belmont’s new academic building.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “This building is a model, 21st century academic facility that will provide the perfect space and environment where our students and faculty can intersect in service to help meet the medical needs of our community and our world. We are honored to have the McWhorter name on the building, knowing that it will endow this space with a legacy of compassionate, professional care for others that our students will be equipped to emulate.”
Clayton McWhorter added, “My brother Fred practiced pharmacy like it should be practiced and stayed true to his profession for more than 50 years, loving every minute of it. I believe he would be honored to have this building bear the McWhorter name, but I’m even more hopeful that the student pharmacists and other health care specialists learning within these walls will look to my brother as a premier model of their profession.”
Pharmacy Care Center, Health Services Center, Drug Information Center and Pharmacy Labs
Designed by Earl Swensson Associates with construction by R.C. Mathews, McWhorter Hall continues the innovation for which Belmont University has become known. The facility will emphasize integrated, “hands on” experiential learning components including a licensed, state-of-the-art Pharmacy Care Center which will provide services to students, faculty and staff while also serving as a training site for student pharmacists. This first floor “living laboratory,” which is located adjacent to Belmont’s expanded Health Services center, will help student pharmacists learn every aspect of opening and running a retail pharmacy business. Clients of the pharmacy will be offered personal service in a managed care environment.
The second floor of McWhorter Hall also offers numerous spaces to serve pharmacy students’ needs. In the pharmacy lab, student pharmacists will be making various pharmaceutical products (ointments, powders, creams, etc.), while the Drug Information Center serves the faculty and student pharmacists with a state-of-the-art area to search, assimilate, and transfer information to health care providers that is up to date and patient specific. The center also provides educational programs for post graduate pharmacists from area hospitals. Pharmacy faculty laboratories in the building provide over 5,500 square feet for discovery, innovation and education. Faculty will immediately begin work on projects providing safer, better pharmaceuticals and insight and treatment approaches for various central nervous system diseases, human cell malformations and cancers, therapies for the eye, and improved formulations for pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Phil Johnston, dean of the School of Pharmacy, said, “This new facility is a dream come true for Belmont University, our faculty and for our student pharmacists. It is a privilege to work in this environment and with these bright young professional people. Here, we are able to provide a top notch educational program that prepares student pharmacists to succeed in the world of pharmacy.”
Additional Lab Spaces for Interdisciplinary Education
Also housed within McWhorter Hall are a variety of laboratory spaces dedicated to permitting research and educating future occupational therapists (OT) and physical therapists (PT). Specifically, the first floor is a joint OT/PT Health and Wellness Lab that contains state-of-the art research equipment that spans balance assessment, strength (torque) evaluation, driving simulation, virtual reality exercise activities, work simulation and whole body vibration. The second floor is a joint Human Performance Lab I, with work hardening equipment and the facilities needed to teach a variety of hands-on classes. The third floor contains the Human Performance Lab II, a joint lab space designed for instruction and hands-on evaluation and treatment activities.
