A recent graduate of Belmont’s MBA program is quoted about how the MBA program at the Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business prepared her the business world, in a story in the Nashville Business Journal on a study that finds women entrepreneurs are often aggressive risk-takers.
Booming Belmont Works With Neigbors on Land Acquisition
Belmont University’s efforts to work with the neighborhood as it aquires neighboring properties for future growth is described by Nashville Business Journal in a story in this week’s edition, which reports that Belmont has spent $3.4 million to buy 16 neighboring properties in the past two years.
Belmont Praised in Congressional Record
Sen. Lamar Alexander praised Belmont University for its new literature course, The Poetics of Country Music, in remarks delivered in the U.S. Senate May 3, as reproduced here in the Congressional Record.
Book Signing: Dr. James Elliott
Dr. James Elliott, assistant professor of entertainment and music business at Belmont University, will join co-author Scott Roley for a booksigning Saturday, June 26, at Franklin Booksellers, for their new book, God’s Neighborhood, published recently by InterVarsity Press. Subtitled A Hopeful Journey in Racial Reconciliation & Community Renewal, the book shares how experiences with Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy helped Roley transition from a career as an up-and–coming contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter to a new career as a community leader and activist working in community development and renewal.
Featured: Dr. Don Cusic
Dr. Don Cusic, author and professor of music business at the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont University, will be featured on an upcoming edition of the Nashville Public Television show A Word on Words hosted by prominent Nashville journalist John Seigenthaler. Cusic and Seigenthaler discuss Cusic’s most recently published book, Baseball and Country Music. Air date for the program has not yet been set.
Published: Jeff Hunter
Jeff Hunter, general manager of Belmont’s Curb Event Center, has an article published in the June/July issue of Facilities Manager magazine about the care and feeding of student workers in university facilities such as the Curb.
On Tour: Dr. Jeffrey Coker
Dr. Jeffrey W. Coker, an assistant professor of history at Belmont University, spent two days in early June in the European nation of Montenegro (formerly part of Yugoslavia) giving series of public lectures in four Montenegrin towns about American society and values. The lectures covered various aspects of U.S. society from the historical perspective, ranging from democracy, the political system and history to popular culture and the U.S. role in the World. Dr. Coker’s visit was funded by the U.S. Consulate in Podgorica, Montenegro. You can see a more complete report with pictures at the Consulate’s web site.
Belmont In The News
Here’s a selection of recent stories mentioning Belmont University:
Our local scholar-athletes – editorial in The Tennessean, Nashville, Tenn., June 17
College athletic programs are too often seen through a narrow prism of only college football programs. They are too often measured only by wins and losses. But the huge majority of young people – men and women – who participate in college athletics have no inkling of pursuing a professional sports career. They play for the love of the games. They play for the physical and mental benefits. And they come away from the experience of college sports with stronger sense of self, a deeper appreciation of teamwork and a willingness to compete. In the case of Belmont, Lipscomb and Vanderbilt, they also come away with a excellent education and a degree. These universities are commended for the recognition they have received for excellence on the field and off.
Practice Makes Perfect – State Journal-Register, Springfield, Ill., June 17
And while he earned a music business degree at Belmont University in Nashville, internships with record labels helped him learn how to navigate the tumultuous country-music world. [Brad] Paisley’s 2003 album, “Mud on the Tires,” combines the different facets of his musical interests: the instrumental Western bebop of “Make A Mistake With Me” and “Spaghetti Western Swing”; the comedic country-pop of “Celebrity,” “The Cigar Song” and “That’s Love”; and the balladry of “Little Moments” and “Whiskey Lullaby,” the album’s two biggest singles.
Swimsuit tie opens pageant prelims – The Jackson (Tenn.) Sun, June 17
Miss Central Tennessee Emily Fitzpatrick won the talent competition while Miss Scenic City Ashley Brooks and Miss Spirit of Tennessee Cassie Stoffer tied in the swimsuit competition during Wednesday’s first night of preliminary competition at the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant. Talent winner Fitzpatrick overcame a case of strep throat and an inflamed right tonsil to perform her solo. “I’ve been practicing everyday with my song,” said Fitzpatrick, who is a musical theater major at Belmont University in Nashville.
Julie Roberts moves from label secretary to label darling – Biloxi, Miss., Sun-Herald, June 17
She moved to Nashville in 1999, graduated from Belmont University and got the job at Mercury. Roberts’ Cinderella story was the subject of a Country Music Television special, in which cameras followed her around for months as she made the transformation from secretary to country star.
Belmont, Lipscomb make it academic – Nashville City Paper, June 16
Tuesday, Belmont University learned it is the first team in conference history to capture the Atlantic Sun Conference Academic Champion Trophy for three consecutive years. Just down the road, Lipscomb University placed second to Belmont in its first year in the A-Sun. More than 71 percent of Belmont student-athletes carry a 3.0 grade point average; Lipscomb boasts just over 63 percent of its athletes with a 3.0 or higher. Lipscomb and Belmont were the only two schools in the 11-school conference to have 60 percent or more of their athletes qualify.
Ocean View native sets sights on Nashville – DelmarvaNow!, June 16
In the competitive music industry of Nashville, Tenn., a young woman from Ocean View named Beth Cayhall is determined to become a well-known country singer. The 23-year-old Belmont University graduate, better known locally as Beth Ann Hocker, has signed a contract with a Nashville production company — an opportunity that could lead to a deal with a major record label.
Miss Wheat Capital is now Miss Kansas – Wellington (Kansas) Daily News, June 14
[Megan] Bushell, a 2004 honor graduate of Wichita State University, will begin preparations immediately for the Miss America Pageant. Bushell earned two degrees, majoring in entrepreneurship and music business, in four years and is considering a masters in music business at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., following her year of service as Miss Kansas.
Paper Recognizes News of Belmont Athletes’ Academic Success
The Nashville City Paper notes the accomplishment of Belmont University in winning the Atlantic Sun Conference’s All-Academic Trophy for an unprecedented third year in a row. The story notes that Belmont has, for the third year in a row, also set a new conference record for the percentage of student-athletes with a GPA of 3.0 or better. You can read the university press release here.
Winning the A-Sun’s All-Academic trophy is just the latest feather in the cap for Belmont’s athletic programs, which boasts the second-highest graduation rate of any Division 1 NCAA program in Tennessee.
Belmont Wins A-Sun Academic Trophy Third Straight Year
71.4% of Belmont student athletes earn 3.0 GPA or better – a record
Belmont University has won the Atlantic Sun Conference’s All-Academic Trophy for the third year in a row – a conference first – and set a new A-Sun record with 71.4 percent of its students athletes earning a GPA of 3.0 or better, the university and A-Sun Conference announced today.
The All-Academic Trophy is an annual award given to the conference school with the greatest percentage of student-athletes receiving a 3.0 or higher at the end of the academic year. Last year, Belmont set a conference record with 69 percent of its student-athletes achieving or surpassing the 3.0 GPA mark.
“At Belmont, we are committed to having our student-athletes be students first – therefore, it is a tremendous honor for them to be recognized for their work in the classroom,” said university President Dr. Robert Fisher. “While other schools across the country are working to achieve academic success with their athletes, I’m thrilled it has always been the case with student-athletes at Belmont.”
Belmont’s success in the classroom was highlighted this season by three Academic All-American selections and the program’s third consecutive A-Sun Male Student-Athlete of the Year honor. Senior basketball standout Adam Mark won the conference’s top individual honor for a student-athlete for the second straight year while Wes Burtner, currently an account executive for the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, earned the award in 2001-02. Additionally, Candice Mitchell was also the recipient of the award for the 2001-02 year.
