The 2007 CMT Music Awards were held in the Curb Event Center at Belmont University Monday, April 16. This is the second year in the row Belmont hosted the live awards show. Winners of the 2007 awards included Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, Jack Ingram, Rascal Flatts and Sugarland. Roseanne Cash recognized Kris Kristofferson with the Johnny Cash Visionary Award.
Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Hank Williams, Jr., Carrie Underwood, Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley, Toby Keith and Martina McBride performed live during the telecast. Keith Urban performed live via satellite from Sydney, Australia.
Comedian Jeff Foxworthy hosted the CMT Music Awards for the third year in a row. He was joined on stage by presenters Barbara Mandrell, Big & Rich, Blake Shelton, Gretchen Wilson, Jason Aldean, NASCAR driver Jeff Burton, Belmont alum Josh Turner, Kellie Pickler, Lance Smith, LeAnn Rimes, Melissa Peterman, Miranda Lambert, Randy Owens of Alabama, Rodney Carrington, Ron White, Ross “the Intern” Mathews, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Taylor Kitsch and Taylor Swift.
For the second year in a row, CMT simulcast the awards live online at CMT.com and on CMT Radio, making the broadcast available to nearly 150 CMT radio affiliates. In addition, exclusive content can be seen on CMT.com and its broadband channel CMT Loaded, on CMT Mobile and on URGE, MTV Network’s digital music service. MHD: Music High Definition, MTV Networks’ high-definition channel, also simulcasted the 2007 CMT MUSIC AWARDS in HD. CMT will later bow the awards on its digital all-music channel, CMT Pure Country.
CMT will re-telecast the 2007 CMT Music Awards on Monday, April 16, at 10:30 p.m., ET/PT; Tuesday, April 17, at 2 p.m. and 9 p.m., ET/PT; Thursday, April 19, at 8 p.m., ET/PT; Friday, April 20, at 10 p.m., ET/PT; Saturday, April 21, at 4:30 p.m., ET/PT; Sunday, April 22, at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., ET/PT.
Belmont University Hosts CMT Music Awards Second Year In a Row
CSI: Belmont
Belmont University’s Department of Chemistry and Physics hosted a series of events April 9-13, 2007 entitled CSI: Belmont. Events included a presentation by a firearms analyst from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, a viewing of an episode of NUMB3RS with commentary from Dr. Miller and a viewing of an episode of CSI with commentary from Dr. Murphree.
College of Arts and Sciences Hosts Exploration Workshops
The College of Arts and Sciences hosted two “Exploration Workshops” for high school sophomores and juniors and Friday, April 13, 2007. The first, “Smuggled,” was an exploration in environmental studies, and the second, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” was an exploration in chemistry. Led by Belmont faculty and students, these half day, hands-on workshops provide an opportunity for middle Tennessee teachers to send up to five students with a keen interest in their subjects to take part in active learning, labs and group research.
Belmont PR Students Attend PRSSA National Assembly
Twelve students from Belmont University were among students from around the country attending the PRSSA National Assembly in Nashville March 22-25. Attending the March 22 reception were Belmont students (seated, from left) Ben Palos, Lisa Bates, Emily Telford, Fatima Karwandyar and Ashley Bearden with (standing, from left) Belmont faculty members Bonnie Riechert, APR, and Pam Parry, APR; Vicki Bagwell, APR, immediate past president of the Nashville PRSA chapter; Marcia Colburn, Nashville PRSA chapter president; and Susan Barnes, APR, Fellow PRSA, Nashville PRSA member. Other Belmont students attending the assembly included Brittany Adams, MacKenzie Fischer, Jess Reuter and Alyssa Stell.
Belmont University Hosts Mayoral Forum
Belmont University hosted a forum with the 2007 Nashville mayoral candidates Friday, April 13, in the Massey Concert Hall on the Belmont campus. The forum focused on issues impacting the higher education community in Nashville. Each candidate for mayor has named education his top priority in his campaign.
Nashville mayoral candidates David Briley, Bob Clement, Karl Dean, Buck Dozier, Kenneth Eaton and Howard Gentry answered questions concerning the impact of higher education in the city of Nashville. Harry Chapman, Director of Development for Major Gifts at Belmont, moderated the forum. Belmont students Henry Nichols, editor of Belmont’s student newspaper The Belmont Vision, and Lauren Williams, secretary of the Belmont James Madison Society, asked the candidates their questions.
Belmont University Hires Associate Dean of Massey School
Belmont University has named Dr. Joe Alexander the associate dean and senior professor of performance excellence of the Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business, effective July 1, 2007. Alexander comes to Belmont from the University of Northern Colorado where he has served as dean of the Monfort College of Business since 2002.
Under Alexander, UNC’s business school won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2004, the only business school to earn that honor. The Baldrige Award is given annually to businesses and educational and health care organizations judged to be outstanding in seven key areas, including leadership and strategic planning.
Alexander will provide leadership for the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Accountancy (MACC) programs at the Massey School. He will develop and implement an aggressive enrollment growth strategy and manage the marketing and recruitment to support new program development. Alexander will hold the tenured rank of full professor and teach graduate-level courses in performance excellence.
“Dr. Joe Alexander is a national leader in the field of performance excellence and academic management,” Pat Raines, dean of the College of Business Administration at Belmont, said. “His passion for improving organizational efficiency will enhance the graduate programs that we offer at Belmont and add value to the service we provide to the Nashville business community. The prospect of Joe joining our community has everyone associated with The Massey Graduate School excited about the future.”
Belmont University Announces Recipient of First AT&T Real Yellow Pages in Public Relations
Ashley Bearden, a junior public relations major at Belmont University, has been selected as the first recipient of the AT&T Real Yellow Pages Scholarship in Public Relations. AT&T Advertising and Publishing is supporting Belmont University’s public relations program with a five-year scholarship commitment, which will be awarded each year to a deserving student who has demonstrated leadership, communications skills and scholarship in public relations. This scholarship is the first the company has awarded at Belmont University.
“I am thrilled to have received this scholarship,” Bearden said. “It’s such an honor for my work in and outside of the classroom to be recognized by my professors and AT&T. My family and I are very grateful to AT&T Advertising & Publishing for providing this scholarship to help fund my education at Belmont.”
A $2,500 prize will be presented annually in the spring, to the public relations major who demonstrates academic excellence, campus service, professionalism and is able to communicate effectively a response in essay form to the question, “What role should public relations play in corporate social responsibility?”
“Each year, the scholarship will recognize and reward a student who has demonstrated extraordinary communications skills in the area of public relations,” Chris Andrews, AT&T Real Yellow Pages division manager, said. “AT&T Advertising and Publishing is committed to supporting initiatives that provide students with the skills and knowledge they need in order to succeed in an ever-expanding global economy.”
The public relations program is in its third year at Belmont University and has more than 60 students. This will be the second scholarship awarded to students in that major.
“We now have two important corporations, Bridgestone Americas and AT&T, rewarding and encouraging the best communicators on Belmont University’s campus with scholarships,” Larry Hall, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said. “They are a great endorsement of Belmont’s program and a tremendous support for these students as they prepare for careers that will allow them to make important contributions to the communities in which they will live.”
Belmont Professor, Student Win State-Wide Service Award
Dr. John Gonas, assistant professor of business at Belmont University, and Joe Drake, a business major at Belmont, are recipients of the 2007 Harold Love Outstanding Community Service Award. This annual award is given to five faculty/staff recipients and five student recipients in Tennessee higher education institutions. The individuals selected to receive recognition represent the many dimensions of community service volunteer work, public service, charitable service and leadership roles in community organizations. They serve as ambassadors for community service among the many diverse higher educational communities in Tennessee. The award is named after the late Tennessee state representative Harold Love who was instrumental in passing legislation that created community service recognition programs for higher education students and faculty/staff at the campus level.
Gonas and Drake were nominated for their instrumental work with the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) program at Belmont that began during the 2005-06 academic year. Under the leadership of Gonas, adviser to Belmont’s SIFE team, students have worked to help social agencies and minority entrepreneurs develop sustainable business plans and products. The Belmont SIFE team has worked with Thistle Farms of the Magdalene Project, Mama Turney’s Pies and Conexion Americas. Belmont students have also taught financial literacy to young men participating in the 100 Kings program (a partnership between Belmont and 100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee) and to students from immigrant families through a program with Catholic Charities at a local high school. Students also participate in Voluntary Tax Income Assistance (VITA) to assist low-income and elderly taxpayers and the Mocha Club to promote awareness fo the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa.
Belmont University Announces School of Pharmacy
Belmont University announced today it will open a School of Pharmacy and will begin enrolling students in the program for the 2008-09 academic year. The pharmacy program will join Belmont’s nursing, social work, physical therapy and occupational therapy programs available in the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing.
“Belmont has made a commitment to the allied health sciences in this community,” Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said. “With our existing physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing and social work programs, we are filling great needs in Nashville – the health care capital – for educating the next generation of highly qualified health care professionals in a variety of disciplines. We are excited to add pharmacy to our growing list of offerings.”
The School of Pharmacy at Belmont will be a four-year, graduate program with a foundation in clinical and practical learning. By opening a School of Pharmacy, Belmont will help alleviate a growing problem state and nationwide – a shortage of pharmacy positions projected to call for 1,060 new pharmacy positions needed in Tennessee and over 157,000 nationwide.
“Belmont’s program will build on a long and rich tradition of cross-disciplinary collaboration and nurturing community and industry relationships to create a program that will prepare its students with the diversity of skills that will enable them to meet these varied challenges,” Belmont Provost Dr. Dan McAlexander said. ‘More than 30 years ago, when Belmont established its nationally preeminent program in music business, enterprising faculty members and university leaders saw a music industry in deep need of business professionals to help lead it. That kind of entrepreneurial thinking and action, that kind of cross-community partnership building, has become the hallmark of a Belmont education. These elements have inspired our efforts in the development of all of our health care programs. We look forward to working with the community and the industry in this new endeavor.”
Belmont’s School of Pharmacy will follow a cutting-edge model of educating pharmacists for the 21st century. Belmont will collaborate extensively with area hospitals and retail pharmacies to allow students opportunities to gain knowledge in every aspect of the pharmaceutical industry from the scientific and medical to the marketing of the ever-expanding industry. Belmont has received letters of support for its School of Pharmacy from area hospitals and medical centers, including Summit, Skyline, Southern Hills, Centennial, St. Thomas, Baptist, Vanderbilt and Williamson County. The regional managers of pharmacy at Walgreen’s, CVS, Eckerd, Kroger, Publix, Walmart and K-mart have also lent their support to the School of Pharmacy at Belmont.
“Belmont is well suited and situated to add a school of pharmacy to its academic offerings,” Clayton McWhorter, a Belmont trustee, former pharmacist and chairman of Clayton Associates, said. “Middle Tennessee is the ideal place for the best clinical training any student could dream of having. Belmont, because of its academic and faith-based offerings and structure, has the opportunity to start a pharmacy program that will create pharmacists of the future. As we deal more and more with new drug therapies, the importance of the role of the pharmacist to ensure the appropriate use of these powerful medications will escalate.”
In addition to serving traditional roles of pharmacists, the professionals of the future will need to be prepared:
* To assume co-equal partnership roles with doctors and other health care professionals in the assignment, management and evaluation of medication and drug regimens for patients
* To analyze trends in patterns of medication use and in pharmacoeconomics for managed care corporations and insurance providers
* To lead new developments in pharmacy informatics in an increasingly technology driven environment
* To manage businesses and to lead people.
This model mirrors Belmont’s initiatives to educate students with collaborative, entrepreneurial programs and to strengthen community relationships and partnerships that benefit both Belmont students and greater Nashville simultaneously.
“With over 80 million baby boomers not only in growing need of health care but retiring from the health care industry, there are huge demands for health care professionals that we have to meet somehow,” Jack Bovender, CEO of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), said. “Belmont has a history of stepping in to fill needs and we look forward to continuing our partnership in this new endeavor.”
Click here to watch a video of today’s event.
Justin Hare Receives National Academic Honor
Belmont University junior Justin Hare added to his impressive scholastic resume over the weekend as he was named to the fifth annual Division I-AAA Athletic Directors Association Scholar-Athlete Team.
The Cleveland, Tenn., native, who was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Second Team last month, is one of just 11 student-athletes in NCAA Division-I men’s basketball to be recognized. Moreover, Hare is one of just three honorees to have played in this year’s NCAA Tournament, joining Anthony Tolliver of Creighton University and Sean Mallon of Gonzaga University.
Hare sports a 3.85 GPA in his major of exercise science and health promotion.
Third on the Bruins’ career scoring list (NCAA era) with 1,275 points, Hare will return for his senior season as First Team All-Atlantic Sun and a two-time Atlantic Sun Tournament MVP.
Each of the nominees was required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been an integral part of their respective team’s success. A special Review Committee of Division I-AAA athletics directors was responsible for selecting the winners.
A complete list of award winners can be viewed at www.nacda.com.
