Barbara Ward, assistant professor in the department of mathematics and computer science, recently attended the 21st Annual Conference of the Eastern Regional Competency-Based Education Consortium (ERCBEC) in Myrtle Beach. Ward received full funding from the American Statistical Association to participate in the workshop “Improving the Value of a First Course in Statistics.” She also gave a presentation titled “Teaching a First Course in Statistics for Science Majors.”
Ward Attends Conference, Makes Presentation
Oglesby-Pitts Presents at the Greater Nashville Alliance of Black School Educators
Dr. Myron Oglesby-Pitts, assistant professor of education, recently presented at the Greater Nashville Alliance of Black School Educators (GNABSE) on “The ‘I’ Factor: Transferring Resilience to Organizational Leadership.” The “I” factors were identified in successful leaders who knew and understood that resilience in families could be replicated in their schools. Steven B. McCrary, President-Elect of the GNABSE, wrote the following about the presentation in a thank you letter to Dr. Oglesby-Pitt: “I want to thank you for participating in GNABSE’s Educational Forum. Your participation was a display of your support of our organization, your commitment to the community and to the children of Middle Tennessee. Your workshop for administrators went far beyond our themes, ‘Educating our Children to Become Tomorrow’s Leaders’ and has challenged us to meet the challenges of our youth head on.” Along with Dr. Oglesby-Pitts’ presentation, Dr. Jesse Register, director of Metropolitan Nashville Schools, also spoke.
Osborn Featured in a Local Art Show
Dr. Ginger Osborn, assistant professor of philosophy, has five works of art on display in a show in the “Art Gallery” meeting room of The University Club at 2402 Garland Avenue off 25th Avenue. The show runs from Nov. 12-Dec. 30; all of the works are in oil. The show also features the work of Osborn’s sister, Rebecca Marshall, as well as Gayle Levee, Gary English, and other notables. The name of the show is “Eclectic, too” in honor of the diverse styles and subjects the artists chose to exhibit. There is no admission charge. The best time to see the works is daily between 2-5 p.m., but visitors are encouraged to call ahead to be sure the room is not in use: 615-322-8564.
Watkins Participates in VSA Arts of Tennessee Awards Ceremony
Dr. Cynthia Watkins, associate professor of education, recently took part in the VSA Arts of Tennessee awards ceremony at Dollywood. The VSA Arts is an international non-profit organization founded in 1974 by Jean Kennedy Smith to create opportunities for people with disabilities to learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts. The Tennessee affiliate holds a statewide competition for any vocalist or musician under the age of 25 with any form of disability to compete. The top five contestants are invited to perform several pieces, live, on stage at Dollywood. Watkins is a member of the VSA Arts Tennessee board and assisted with the participants and the presentation of awards at Dollywood.
Acree Serves as National Science Foundation Mathematics Reviewer
Dr. Glenn Acree, professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, recently served as chair of a panel charged with reviewing grant proposals for the National Science Foundation. The NSF review panels met Nov. 4-6 in Arlington, Virginia. The grant applications were for the Scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program which seeks to increase the quality and number of undergraduates with majors in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
This fall the Belmont University School of Sciences is benefiting from its own S-STEM grant through which five entering freshman are receiving $10,000 scholarships. These scholarships are renewable for up to four years. Five additional Pathways Scholars will be added each year for the next 3 years, so that a total of 20 students in the sciences will be supported by the grant. Belmont has committed to sustaining this grant beyond the NSF funding period.
Belmont Student-Athletes Rank High on NCAA Report
Bruins Once Again Set the Pace in Graduation Success Rate Report
Belmont University student-athletes received high marks in the 2009 Graduation Success Rate (GSR) Report released Wednesday by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). By any means of comparison – to other Atlantic Sun member institutions, the NCAA national average or to the general Belmont student population – Bruin student-athletes stand tall.
The two-pronged report contained both Federal graduation rates, which are based solely on freshman scholarship student-athletes enrolling between 1999 and 2002, and a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) that takes into account transfers in and out of the institution for the same time period. Both surveys are based on the student-athletes having six years to graduate from the time of their initial enrollment.
Five Belmont programs – baseball, men’s basketball, men’s tennis, women’s golf and women’s tennis – not only ranked among the nation’s best but paced the Atlantic Sun Conference in GSR within their respective sports. Four had perfect scores of 100 for the reported cohort. Click here for more on this story.
Ethics Bowl Team to Compete in National Championship
Belmont’s Ethics Bowl team finished in the top tier of the Mid-Central Regional Competition last weekend and will represent Belmont at the Ethics Bowl National Championship in Cincinnati next March. In addition to the Belmont team, teams from Indiana University, The University of Kentucky and Wright State University will represent the Mid-Central Region in the national competition. The Belmont team finished the competition ahead of eleven other teams, including those from The University of Michigan, DePauw University, Butler University, Marian University, Taylor University and Univ of Southern Indiana.
The College of Business Administration’s Ethics Bowl team is coached by Jennifer Wilgus, Harold Fogelberg and Harry Hollis. The student team members, pictured left to right, include Stas Ghiletchi, Sammi Parks, Lindsey Ricker, Susan Harbison, Kathleen Bond, Nick Calderwood, Eric Deems.
Prospective Students Gather for College of Law’s First Information Session
Prospective students of Belmont’s College of Law gathered at an information session Wednesday evening that included an opportunity to meet the College’s founding dean, Jeff Kinsler. The session was met with outstanding enthusiasm, attracting nearly 120 attendees who expressed serious interest in the College of Law. The strength of this early response is promising for the College’s success as the first new Middle Tennessee law school in nearly a century.
Dean Jeff Kinsler served as Dean of Appalachian School of Law during a period of significant growth and is currently a professor of law and senior scholar at Elon University in North Carolina. Kinsler graduated first in his class from Valparaiso University School of Law in 1989 and obtained a master of laws degree from Yale University in 1996. Kinsler will be joining the preparations for the fall 2011 opening of the College of Law next spring. The College will enroll 350 students when at peak capacity.
School of Nursing Hosts Simulation Conference
Nearly 150 educators and hospital administrators from Tennessee and various other states attended the second annual Tennessee Nursing Simulation Conference at Belmont University last weekend. The conference was presented by Belmont’s School of Nursing and The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee through a grant from the Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future – a collaborative initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Northwest Health Foundation.
The conference theme was Education and Practice: Working Together to Improve Patient Outcomes and included over 40 sessions which covered all aspects of medical simulation. The conference was designed to provide a comprehensive overview of simulation technology and resources and to build communication networks for educators in Tennessee. Conference faculty included nationally renowned experts on simulation technology in healthcare education and training from such institutions as Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt Medical Center, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital, Fort Sanders Regional Hospital, Austin Peay State University, Maury Regional Medical Center, Union University, University of Kentucky School of Nursing, Tennessee Center for Nursing and Belmont University.
Belmont’s Gordon E. Inman Center and Healthcare Simulation Center provided excellent facilities for the conference, with comfortable meeting rooms and state-of-the-art laboratories and simulation mannequins. The Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences and Nursing is a Laerdal Center of Educational Excellence for simulation, one of only 12 such centers designated in the United States. Also featured were demonstrations by several companies, including Laerdal, METI, Elsevier, Pocket Nurse, and Kyoto Kagaku, all which specialize in the latest simulation equipment and accessories.
Sport Science Instructor Writes Article for Nashville Lifestyles
Dr. Tiffany Watson Breeding, adjunct professor of Sport Science, will be writing a monthly article for Nashville Lifestyles magazine. Dr. Watson Breeding is a performance enhancement consultant for Focus Fitness and has a private practice, The MindBody Doctor.
In the articles, Watson Breeding will discuss health, wellness, fitness and more. This month’s column offers advice and motivation for developing routines to stay healthy through the holiday season. Click here to view the article.
