Pam Parry, associate professor of journalism, will present research at the annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 9. She will present a paper titled: “Media Convergence in the Classroom: A National Survey of How Mass Communication Academics Are Confronting a New Paradigm.”
Riechert Named to PRSA Committee
Bonnie Riechert, assistant professor of public relations, was named to the Strategic Development Committee of the Nashville Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). PRSA president Marcia Colburn of Caterpillar Financial Services Corp. appointed the committee, which is responsible for developing the chapter’s strategic plan for 2007-2010. Other committee members are Tom Adkinson, BOHAN Advertising/Marketing; Stacy Brewer, Gray Public Relations ; Vicki Bagwell, Western Kentucky University; Julie Davis, CBRL Group Inc.; Heather Macdonald, Dye, Van Mol & Lawrence PR; Sherry Kast, Comptroller of the Treasury, State of Tennessee; Debbie McGraw, KraftCPAs; and Trey Campbell, Southwestern Co.
Alumna Signs Songwriting Deal
Belmont University graduate, Molly Reed (’07) has signed an exclusive songwriting agreement with THIS Music. THIS Music is a Warner Chappell Music joint venture owned by Tim Nichols, Connie Harrington and Rusty Gaston. The THIS Music roster also includes Nichols and Harrington, Ben Hayslip, Jay O’Shea and Annie Roboff.
Carolina Rain Featured on Nashville Music & More
Country artists “Carolina Rain” came back to the Belmont University campus to give a tour of the group’s roots for a new episode of Nashville Music & More. The piece airs this Saturday, July 21 at 6:30 p.m. CST on the local NBC affiliate, WSMV Channel 4. Belmont is where Carolina Rain’s Rhean Boyer, Marvin Evatt and Jeremy Baxter first came together while working in campus security. Their first songwriting collaboration, “Carolina Rain,” named the group. Carolina Rain is currently touring in support of their debut album, Weather The Storm. For additional information, visit www.carolinarain.net.
Alumnus Receives National Fraternity Honor
Belmont alumnus Michael Lummus has been selected as the recipient of the 2007 William H. Shilelder award given annually by the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. The award is given to a graduating senior nominated by his local Board of Governors or his local chapter. This award is distinguished by the amount of commitment to scholarship, campus involvement and leadership dedicated to the local chapter. Lummus was president of the Phi Kappa Tau colony at Belmont for two years, and when the chapter was chartered, he became Zeta Alpha’s first president. He graduated from Belmont in May 2007 with a degree in Music Business.
Rolston Awarded Research Grant
Clyde Rolston, Assistant Professor of Music Business, received a research grant from The Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA). MEIEA recently awarded its first two research grants in the history of the organization, and Rolston is involved with both research projects.
The Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA®) is an international organization that was formed in 1979 to bring together educators with leaders of the music and entertainment industries. The primary goal of MEIEA® is to facilitate an exchange of information between educators and practitioners in order to prepare students for careers in the music and entertainment industries. For more on MEIEA, click here.
Riechert to Speak at TARC
Dr. Bonnie Riechert, assistant professor of communication studies and PRSSA faculty adviser, will speak Friday, July 13, at the annual conference of the Tennessee Advancement Resources Council (TARC) at the Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville. Riechert will discuss the topic, “Ten Essential Skills in Today’s Workplace.” TARC includes alumni, development and public relations professionals working for education in Tennessee at every level. The organization was established in 1973 to promote both professional and educational excellence in the schools, colleges and universities of Tennessee. Keynote speaker will be John Seigenthaler, founder of the First Amendment Center.
Belmont PR Students Work for First Amendment Center
Twenty-six public relations students conducted a nationwide telephone survey on behalf of the First Amendment Center in Nashville. As part of a class project, the students called random-digit-dial telephone numbers from across the United States, surveying Americans’ views of the First Amendment implications of social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. The survey results were published June 4 on the First Amendment Web site and all students were listed as researchers on the document. The research analysis, written by PR Professor Pam Parry, can be accessed by clicking here.
Alumna Receives Role on Broadway Tour
Belmont alumna Erica Cantrell received a part in the Broadway Tour of Ring of Fire, the story of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. The tour begins in October and can be seen in cities throughout the United States and Canada. Erica is a graduate of the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Murphree Quoted in Tennessean
Dr. Steven Murphree, Professor of Biology, was quoted in the Tennessean on July 5 in an article on fireflies. To read the article, click here.
