Eight social work students accompanied professors Dr. Lorraina Scholten and Debbie Simpler to the Baccalaureate Program Director’s annual meeting in Destin, Florida. This was the 25th anniversary conference for the undergraduate social work program meeting, and this year’s theme was “Honoring our Past, Celebrating our Present and Affirming our Future.” More than 800 people from all over the country attended, including Belmont students Stephanie Gregory, Elizabeth Kearse, Alicia McDonald, Alison Peak, Sara Rosenbaum, Lizzie Simpson, Jimmy Smith and January Utermahlen.
Social Work Students Attend National Conference
Rick Byrd Named Finalist for National Coaching Honor
Belmont University head men’s basketball coach Rick Byrd has been named one of 10 finalists for the inaugural Skip Prosser Man of the Year award. The Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award will be given annually to a Division I head coach who best represents the high standards of the coaching profession: Winning with integrity. The award is named in memory of former Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser who passed away suddenly on July 26, 2007.
The ten finalists were selected from a group of 20 semi-finalists compiled by the 21-member selection panel of coaches, administrators and basketball journalists. In addition to Byrd, the 10 finalists include Mike Brey (Notre Dame), Seth Greenberg (Virginia Tech), Frank Haith (Miami), Trent Johnson (Stanford), Bob McKillop (Davidson), Sean Miller (Xavier), Matt Painter (Purdue), Bo Ryan (Wisconsin) and Gary Waters (Cleveland State). Established by CollegeInsider.com and the Prosser family, the award will be presented at the 2008 Final Four in San Antonio.
Byrd, who with 541 career victories is one of 16 active Division-I men’s basketball coaches with 500 or more career victories, was named Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year Mar. 4. This season, the Knoxville, Tenn. native directed the Bruins to their third consecutive Atlantic Sun Championship – becoming the first program in league history in earn three straight bids to the NCAA Tournament. A 2004 NAIA Hall of Fame inductee for his service in leading the Bruin program, Byrd also received the Dr. James Naismith National Sportsmanship Award in 1994.
Massey Graduate Students Experience Business in Madrid
Students from the Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business at Belmont University, along with Assistant Professor of Marketing and International Business Dr. Jeffrey Overby, recently traveled to Madrid, Spain as part of the requirements for the M.B.A. degree.
While in Madrid, students met with representatives from Deloitte Madrid, who discussed the Spanish economy and other issues related to doing business in Spain. One surprise presenter from Deloitte Madrid turned out to be Belmont alumnus Rodrigo Mota (‘01), a current manager with the firm, who began his presentation by stating he is evidence that Belmont’s slogan, “From Here to Anywhere,” is both accurate and inspirational. Another notable visit included Club Atlético de Madrid, one of the most successful football clubs in Spanish League history. Mr. Miguel Arjona, Retail and Licensing Director, hosted the group to a stadium tour and an interactive discussion.
Overby said, “My hope is to have students return from international field study trips and study abroad trips as changed people, people intrigued, tolerant and respectful of other nationalities and cultures. Also, I believe such experiences help create skilled employees with a broader view of the marketplace and the workplace.”
King Appointed Teaching Center Assistant Director
Dr. Merrie King, Associate Professor of Education, will serve as Assistant Director of the Belmont Teaching Center beginning in August 2008. Since coming to Belmont in 2001, King’s outstanding teaching and dedication have been recognized in the form of several awards including Chaney Distinguished Professor (2005-2006), Peabody Outstanding Educator (2005) and Robert E. Simmons Distinguished Lecturer (Spring 2008). In addition to serving as a Teaching Center Advisory Board member (2003-2006), she has participated in many Teaching Center activities including workshops, lunch discussions and summer reading groups as well as led several faculty retreats sponsored or cosponsored by the Teaching Center.
Pharmacy Faculty Publish Tennessean Editorial
An editorial written by Drs. Phil Johnston and Sal Giorgianni from the School of Pharmacy recently appeared in The Tennessean. The article, which can be read here, provided warning signs for prescription drug abuse.
Belmont Connections Appear in The Tennessee Conservationist
Two articles in the March/April 2008 edition of The Tennessee Conservationist magazine feature Belmont connections. Dr. Steve Murphree, professor of Biology, wrote an article titled “Managing Mosquitoes.” In addition, Jill Neblett, a biology major at Belmont, was featured in the article “Trail Work, Exotic Plant Removal and More Mark Tennessee Youth Conservation Corps First Year.” Jill was a Tennessee Youth Conservation Corps team leader and did work at Montgomery Bell State Park this past summer.
Belmont to Host Gulf-South Summit on Service Learning
More than 400 faculty, students, and community partners from higher education institutions throughout the south and east will gather March 13-15 at Loews Vanderbilt Plaza for the sixth annual Gulf-South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement in Higher Education. Hosted by Belmont University, the Summit will feature workshops and addresses by national leaders in service-learning. In addition, participants can select from over 110 presentations offered over three days on a wide range of programs and issues related to service-learning. Participants are expected from 33 states, representing over 150 different educational and community institutions.
The Gulf-South Summit is one of the leading national conferences on service-learning, and one of the few actively to include community leaders, students and faculty. Service-learning is one of the leading ways that colleges get their students involved in communities, and that universities and communities forge relationships. In a service-learning class, students engage with the community on projects that meet community needs and are related to the class subject. For example, environmental science students may work with a community garden, or business students with financial literacy programs, or English students with tutoring elementary students.
Marcia McDonald, Associate Provost at Belmont University and Chair of the Executive Committee for the Gulf-South Summit, said, “Service-learning is central to Belmont’s vision, and to the vision of many universities in the Nashville area, for a meaningful university education. Service-learning can be a life-transforming experience for students; it can also be a challenging experience for educators and community partners. The Summit is designed to bring together all the parties in a service-learning program and enable them to exchange best practices, innovative ideas and to learn about new initiatives on the national landscape.”
Grammy-Nominated Engineer Shares Expertise
Alumnus and Grammy-nominated engineer/producer Jeff Balding (’82) shared his expertise with Belmont’s AES (Audio Engineering Society) student chapter recently by staging a Mix Session in the campus’ Robert E. Mulloy Studio A. Balding mixed “This Time Last Year,” a track provided by CEMB senior student Garrett Miller, who recently completed an internship and landed an assistant engineer position at Starstruck Studio. Balding has worked with a wide gamut of artists spanning all genres of music: Shania Twain, Michael Bolton, Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Amy Grant, LeAnn Rimes, Rascal Flatts, Brooks & Dunn and Reba McEntire to name a few. He also continues to serve on the CEMB Advisory Board and has found time to become a CEMB adjunct this semester, teaching a class in the business of becoming a successful recording engineer.
Grammy-Winning Composer Joan Tower Visits Belmont
The Belmont University School of Music honored 2008 Grammy-winning composer Joan Tower on Mon., March 10. Hailed as “one of the most successful woman composers of all time” in The New Yorker, Tower’s visit included a morning lecture as well as an evening performance of her works by Belmont Camerata Musicale in celebration of her 70th birthday.
At 10 a.m., Tower presented a lecture in Massey Concert Hall, titled “Choreographing Sound,” in which she discussed her life as a composer, her approach and process in creating music, and presented samples of her music. In the evening, Tower joined the resident chamber ensemble in Belmont Heights Baptist Church for a performance of “Tres Lent” for cello and piano. Other works on the program included “Petroushkates for piano, strings and winds; “DNA” for percussion ensemble; “Wings” for solo saxophone; and a new piano trio, “For Daniel.”
Belmont School of Music Faculty members Daniel Lochrie (clarinet), Keith Nicholas (cello) and Robert Marler (piano)were joined by guest Erik Gratton (flute) for the concert. The four musicians played on the Nashville Symphony Orchestra’s recording Joan Tower: Made in America, which won two 2008 Grammys, Best Classical Album and Best Orchestral Performance. Tower’s work, Made in America, also won a Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition. Also performing were Camerata regulars Kris Elsberry (piano), Celeste Myall and Elisabeth Small (violin), guest saxophonist Philip Barham and the Belmont Percussion Ensemble directed by Chris Norton.
Marc Broussard Provides ‘Insider’s View’ of Music Business
Recording artist Marc Broussard shared his music business experiences with students at Wednesday’s Insider’s View seminar in a packed Massey Performing Arts Center. A major point of discussion revolved around Broussard’s innovative new deal with Atlantic Records and what it indicates about changes in label-artist relations.
Hosted by Director of Development and Major Gifts Harry Chapman, the event opened with a viewing of Broussard’s video for hit single “Home,” from his 2004 major label debut on Island Records, Carencro. Broussard, who was accompanied by manager Ross duPre of New York’s Brick Wall Management, noted that his new label deal on Atlantic, a 360 deal, reflects current trends in the music business as Atlantic is invested in every aspect of his career. In fact, the company paid Broussard in advance for three years of touring under the agreement that they will receive 27 percent of the income generated by touring and merchandise.
“I have no idea if this new model is going to work,” Broussard said, acknowledging the risks all parties are taking in a changing music industry climate. “If you can do something other than music and live with it, then do it because this is not an easy business.”
A Louisiana born singer/songwriter, Broussard grew up playing with his father, renowned guitarist Ted Broussard, and singing in the Catholic University church choir. Broussard’s recent Must Be the Water EP is available on iTunes now, and the title track was featured in TV and movie trailer commercials for this year’s NBA All Stars Game. Broussard is currently recording a new album at Ocean Way Studios that is due out this summer. Along with his busy musical career, Broussard has been active in helping raise funds to both help residents of his beloved New Orleans and to restore the city to its pre-Katrina glory. For more information, visit www.marcbroussard.com.
