Dr. Rachel Rigsby and Dr. Alison Moore, along with several Belmont students, attended the American Chemical Society National Meeting in San Francisco in March. Students Will Peters, Joe Morott and Will Proffitt presented research posters as part of the undergraduate program. Students Luke Starner, Loren Brown and Brandon Ladage presented a SAACS chapter activity poster.
Additionally, Belmont received an Honorable Mention Award for the activities of their local chapter of Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS) during the Undergraduate Awards Ceremony. More than 12,000 presentations were made by scientists from every corner of the profession, and the meeting was attended by more than 18,000 scientists.
Students Present Posters at American Chemical Society National Meeting
Psychology Department Receives Grant
The Department of Psychology is a partner with the Tennessee State University Department of Psychology on a grant awarded by the Association for Psychological Science titled “Psychology Instructors of Central Tennessee (PICT): Launching a Local Network of Psychology High School, Community College, and University Instructors of Psychology.” The grant project provides the formation and long-term maintenance of an active network of psychology instructors at all levels – high school through graduate education – in this region. It will forge an active network by coordinating the following: 1) an annual Psychology Instructors of Central Tennessee (PICT) Teaching of Psychology workshop; 2) a virtual bulletin board for PICT members to post relevant events, such as invited speakers, or other announcements, such as the need for adjuncts; and 3) a PICT website with links to all participating programs with an emphasis on facilitating communication of high schools with 2-year colleges, 2-year colleges with 4-year colleges and universities. Dr. Pete Giordano, chair of psychology, is designated as one of the project directors.
Belmont Hosts Tennessee Academy of Science Collegiate and High School Divisions
Belmont University’s School of Sciences is hosting the 2010 meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science (TAS) Middle Division Collegiate Meeting for Undergraduate Research on April 17. Last year more than 60 undergraduate students from nine different areas of study participated. The TAS meeting provides an excellent opportunity for students to experience communicating their findings to the larger scientific community.
Belmont University will also be hosting the 63rd annual meeting of the Tennessee Junior Academy of Science (TJAS) on April 16 in the Massey Boardroom. The TJAS is designed to further the cause of science education in Tennessee high schools by providing an annual program of scientific atmosphere and stimulation for capable students. All Tennessee high schools are invited to participate in the TJAS program leading up to the annual spring meeting. The program provides state-wide and national recognition for high school students’ investigative or research-type science projects. High school students, with the endorsement of their teachers, submit a report on their research project. The reports are then judged by a committee of two or more scientists in the field appropriate to the subject of the report. Students will then be invited to present their research paper at the annual TJAS meeting. The top two student writers will receive $500 each from the Tennessee Academy of Science, and other top students will receive $200 for each paper published in the TJAS Handbook. In addition, TAS will award $500 to each of the top two students to participate in the Annual Meeting of the American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS).
Social Work Students Win State-Wide Policy Contest
Students from the Social Welfare Policy & Services II class competed in the poster presentation contest at the Tennessee Legislature during the 2010 Social Work Day on the Hill. Their policy analysis, “Restorative Justice for Some,” won first prize. Congratulations to these students: Andrew Aichele, Michelle Barnett, Katie Czerwinski, Shauna Daniels, Amy Dunning, Stephanie Hall, Cheyenne Metzger, Tom Rigsby, Lindsay Sechser, Serena Sherrill, Emma Shouse and Courtney Weeks.
Scholten Elected Chair of Tennessee Social Work Educators Association
Dr. Lorraina Scholten, associate professor of social work was elected to serve as chairperson of the Tennessee Social Work Educators Association at their February 2010 meeting. The association is comprised of 14 member universities from across the state currently providing accredited social work education at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels.
The association operates as a collaboration with the Tennessee chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and the Tennessee Center for Child Welfare. The focus of the association is to improve quality of life by impacting the quality and scope of professional social work education in Tennessee. This is a three-year appointment.
Pinter Publishes Essay on Hope
Robbie Pinter (English) has an essay included in a new book titled Hope: It’s More Than Wishful Thinking, edited by Amy Lyles Wilson and published by Fresh Air. The essay, “Learning from the Landscape,” explores connections to the transcendent through daily-life activities. The book can be found on Amazon.com.
Murray Presents at College English Association Meeting
Douglas Murray (English) presented a talk titled “Katherine Lee Bates’s ‘America the Beautiful’ and American Myths of Cosmogenesis” at the College English Association meeting in San Antonio, Texas on March 25.
Bright Places in Top 12 at the American Forensics Association National Tournament
Belmont freshman Nicole Bright placed in the top 12 in “After Dinner Speaking” at the American Forensics Association’s (AFA) National Tournament this past weekend. This is only the second time that Belmont has competed in the AFA tournament, the most rigorous and competitive tournament in collegiate forensics. Nicole was one of only two students from Tennessee to place. Belmont had six students qualify in 16 events for AFA. To qualify, students had to make finals at three separate tournaments with their three top awards totaling no more than eight (thus, having three 3rd place awards would add up to nine and would not qualify one to compete at the AFA tournament). Two coaches and four students traveled to Eau Claire, Wisconsin for the four-day tournament. Participants included Jason Stahl, director of forensics, Ryan Greenawalt, assistant coach, Nicole Bright, Eric Schoen, Bethany Miller and Kate Tully. According to Stahl, “Merely qualifying for the AFA national tournament is difficult. Placing in the top 12 of the 140 top national competitors is a huge accomplishment and a first for Belmont University.”
Stahl Named ‘New Coach of the Year’ by the American Forensics Association
Jason Stahl, Belmont’s Director of Forensics, was named “New Coach of the Year” by the American Forensics Association (AFA) this past weekend. Stahl was nominated by his colleagues in the forensics community and recognized with the award at the AFA National Tournament. The criteria for the award include leadership in innovations in forensics as well as the quality of forensic education. According to Mary Vaughn, chair of the Communication Studies Department, “Jason has taken Belmont’s Speech & Debate program to an entirely new level! We dominate state debate, we won the 2010 Christian Nationals tournament, and now we’re being recognized by the most prestigious collegiate forensics organization in the country. This is high praise for Jason and for Belmont!”
Hodges Hamilton Presents at Composition Conference
Amy Hodges Hamilton (English) presented at the Conference on College Composition and Communication in March. Her talk was titled “Mixing it Up: Merging Personal and Social Rhetoric through Service-Learning.” Hamilton also was a co-coordinator for the Special Interest Group on Creative Nonfiction.
