As part of the ongoing Belmont Goes Green program, members of a peer-auditing committee will be on campus Sept. 25-27 to help assess and improve the university’s environmental efforts.
The Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA) launched an initiative with 30 of its member campuses to provide training and other resources to aid affiliated schools in their efforts to be good environmental stewards. An initial piece of the TICUA project was to create a formal relationship with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which led to the agreement for “peer-audits.” The peer-audit environmental component allows participating universities to voluntarily collaborate and help one another in assessing and improving their campuses. The two main objectives of this program are to identify non-compliant practices and to develop a culture to keep potential violations from re-occurring.
Belmont Goes Green was implemented at Belmont earlier this spring to encourage our community to create a more environmentally sustainable campus
Peer Audit Team to Assess Belmont’s ‘Green’ Status
Center for Entrepreneurship Brings Ephren Taylor to Campus
Ephren W. Taylor II, founder of Amoro Corporation, spoke Tuesday in the Maddox Grand Atrium as part of the Center for Entrepreneurship’s 2007 Moench Entrepreneurship Lecture Series.
At 24, Taylor is already recognized as one of America’s top young entrepreneurs and is the youngest African-American CEO of any publicly traded company. According to press materials, Taylor, who was described as “walking black history” by popular radio show host Tom Joyner, started his first business venture at age 12, when he began making videogames. By age 17, he built a multi-million dollar technology company: GoFerretGo.com.
Now at City Capital Corporation, Taylor oversees over $150 million in assets, serving a diverse client list ranging from Wall Street investors, top executives, professional athletes and even entertainment icons. He has an extensive background in startup firms and has helped start and fund seven companies, raising millions in investment capital.
Prior to his lecture last night, Belmont Vision interviewed Taylor. To read the full story, click here.
Webster Published in Pharmaceutical Journal
Dr. Andrew A. Webster, professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, started his first day in Belmont’s new School of Pharmacy with great news. His article “Isoniazid Release from Suppositories Compounded with Selected Bases” appeared in the Sept/Oct issue of International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding, which arrived Monday, Dr. Webster’s first day on campus. Written with collaborators from Samford University, the purpose of the study was to optimize the formulation of Isoniazid suppositories for use in the prevention of tuberculosis infections in infants.
Senior Participates in Chemical Sensor Research
Senior Chris Bowman participated this summer in “Research Experience for Undergraduates” (REU), a program supported through a National Science Foundation grant that takes place at over 50 different universities around the nation. Bowman, a senior majoring in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, worked for 10 weeks at the University of Cincinnati performing research on a way to improve chemical sensors, which are vital to detecting harmful agents in water. He will present the findings of his research at the National American Chemical Society Conference in New Orleans this spring before starting medical school in the fall.
Belmont Athletics Announces 2007 Hall of Fame Class
Belmont University Athletics announced Friday the names of its 2007 Belmont Athletic Hall of Fame induction class.
Al Allen (’96) was one of the most imposing and productive interior players in Belmont men’s basketball history. Despite playing just three seasons, Allen is one of only eight players in program history to score over 2,000 career points (2,030). Belmont went an astounding 95-20 during Allen’s career, including 37-2 in 1994-95. That season, Allen was named Second Team NAIA All-American and TCAC Co-Player of the Year as Belmont earned its first-ever No. 1 national ranking and a trip to the NAIA Final Four. His career field goal percentage of .669 is the highest in Bruin history, a mark that will likely stand the test of time.
Jaymie Moore Rankhorn (’98) will go down as one of the greatest volleyball players in Belmont history. An explosive yet versatile performer, Moore Rankhorn ranks first all-time in kills (1,622), hitting percentage (.325), aces (229) and digs (1,222). Her single season marks–562 kills in 1995 and .421 hitting percentage in 1994–have not been threatened since. Behind Moore Rankhorn’s play, Belmont won the TCAC regular season and tournament titles in 1995 before transitioning into NCAA Division-I play.
Daree Pilkinton Merritt (’91) was a four-time All-TCAC selection in women’s basketball. A multi-faceted player, Pilkinton Merritt’s name floods the Belmont record book. She ranks first in career steals (404), second in career assists (574) and third in career three-point field goals (222). Pilkinton Merritt also set the single season standard for steals with 135 in 1990. Moreover, she is one of just five Bruins ever to score over 1,500 career points, ranking fifth all-time (1,645). Belmont went 105-26 over her four-year career.
The three honorees will be formally inducted as part of a banquet on Thurs., Oct. 4 at 6:30 pm in the Maddox Grand Atrium of the Curb Event Center. Tickets are $25 per person. For reservations, contact Debbie Chenoweth at (615) 460-6854.
The Belmont University Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1980 by Belmont University Athletics. The Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes and honors those individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the achievements and prestige of Belmont University and its intercollegiate athletic program. To be nominated, an individual must have completed his or her athletic eligibility at least seven years prior.
This story was also featured in Sunday’s Tennessean.
Steven Curtis Chapman Appears at Curb College/ASCAP Writers’ Night
Belmont University played host to Sparrow Records recording artist, Steven Curtis Chapman on Tuesday evening. Chapman was the guest writer at the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business ASCAP Writers’ Night Series, a year-long series that gives singer/songwriters at Belmont an opportunity to perform original material in front of a live audience and professionals from the industry.
Steven Curtis Chapman attended Belmont and was part of the Belmont Reasons during his collegiate experience. From the stage, Chapman shared how fellow alumnus Phil Naish heard him perform during his tenure at Belmont, recognized his talent and subsequently produced his first four projects. Chapman was signed to Sparrow Records in the 1980s, after the success of his song “Built to Last.” He has since sold more than nine million records worldwide and has won more Gospel Music Association Dove awards than any artist in history, as well as five Grammy awards.
Parry Appointed Co-Chair of Interest Group
Pam Parry, associate professor of journalism and Public Relations Program Director, was elected in August as the Research Co-Chair of the Small Programs Interest Group within the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. As co- chair, she will help direct the scholarly paper competition and develop panels for the organization’s annual conference in 2008.
Accounting Professors Receive Award
Associate professors of accounting Dr. Lee Warren and Dr. Marilyn Young have earned honorable mention status for the AICPA Bea Sanders Innovation in Teaching Award by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Professors Warren and Young were selected for the honor based on their submission, “Testing Critical Thinking Skills in Accounting Principles”—a case that outlines the Belmont College of Business Administration’s innovative Integrated Accounting Principles course. Both professors were heavily engaged in developing the new course that is now beginning to receive national attention for its novel pedagogical approaches. The course was first piloted during 2006-07, with the majority of class sections within COBA now offered within the revised format. Feedback from students has been very positive. The Bea Sanders recognition comes with an invitation for both professors to present at the national “Best Practices Session of the Colloquium on Change in Accounting Education,” held Oct. 5 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Belmont Staff/Alumni Prompt Media Coverage
This week Belmont’s president, a faculty member and an alumna received media coverage in a variety of different stories:
• Dr. Robert Fisher and his wife Judy were the subjects of an editorial in Saturday’s Tennessean. The article focused on the Fishers’ upcoming book release, Conversations with the Soon Departed: What Really Matters.
• Pat Raines, dean of the Massey Graduate School of Business, was recently quoted in an issue of Christian Science Monitor in a story on boosting salaries through education.
• Occupational Therapy graduate Jenny Owens (’06) was quoted in an AP article on Iraq soldiers’ struggles with traumatic brain injuries. Owens works in the rehabilitation institute at Vanderbilt Medical Center, where she treats several of these patients.
Cross Country Teams Ranked in Regional Polls
The Belmont men’s and women’s cross country teams were each ranked in the initial 2007 Division I Cross Country regional polls as released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Monday. Belmont men’s cross country is ranked fourth in the South Region poll, while the women’s cross country team is ranked ninth. Both Belmont teams are in action this coming weekend at the Vanderbilt Invitational.
