Photo Credit: Ashley Hylbert

Alumna Regina Stuve, who majored in marketing, will be heading a new Nashville office of New York-based marketing and public relations firm PFA Entertainment Media and Marketing. PFA already represents Nashville-based clients including country artist Keith Urban and Ryman Hospitality’s Opry City Stages. Additionally, Stuve will be bringing her current clients, country artist Jake Owen and author Farrell Mason.

Stuve said, “2018 brings  new chapter for me, an incredibly exciting opportunity to work with Paul to establish what I believe is a long overdue Nashville decision.” Her previous work experiences include Capitol Nashville, Universal Music Group and Sony. She has represented artists like Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley and Sugarland.

PFA founder and president Paul Freundlich said about Stuve, “Her unparalleled dedication and professionalism precede her reputation and her strategic approach to her craft will serve our clients most of all. I’m so proud to have someone with her experience running our new Nashville division.”

Dr. David Dark, assistant professor of religion and the arts, has been featured as a critic and author on the new Spotify mini-documentary “U2 in America.”  The documentary, which released on Dec. 1, 2017, chronicles the Irish rock band’s success in America and the making of their new album, “Songs of Experience.”

Dark discusses the band’s political activism and contributions, saying that Bono “has accomplished what no one else seemed to be able to accomplish using his own celebrity as currency.”

View the entire clip here.

Belmont College of Law alumna Alexa Spata (’17) has won the Tennessee Bar Association’s Law Student Volunteer of the Year award for her work with TALS (Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services), a local legal services organization and Belmont Law pro bono partner. The Law Student Volunteer of the Year award recognizes a Tennessee law school student who provides outstanding volunteer services “while working with an organization primarily engaged in providing legal representation to the indigent.” Executive director of TALS, Ann Pruitt, who nominated Spata for the award, wrote via email that “starting with her interview, it was clear that Alexa was committed to jumping into our mission and helping us deliver strong outcomes.” She said, “Alexa has been outstanding in every respect.”

Spata said that she intends to stay involved with pro bono work and advocates that other lawyers do the same. “I feel like we all should,” she said. “We should feel obligated to give back in any way we can, and I think the biggest thing is using our skills and our knowledge to just help people… I do think we have a duty to do what we can to give back… no matter what kind of law you actually practice.”

Dr. Joy Kimmons, associate professor in the M.Ed. program, was recently featured in Salama Ministry’s Newsletter as a Superstar Spotlight. Kimmons is partnering with Salama for the fourth consecutive year to bring her students to the ministry as tutors for the Ministry’s K-4 students.

Through this program, not only do the young students at Salama receive individualized tutoring, but Kimmons’ own class receive on-site classroom experience. Approximately 150 Belmont students have served more than 3,500 hours at Salama, and Kimmons has even created an internship for interested PR students.

According to the feature, Kimmons “brings a heart of compassion, a posture of humility, and a desire to listen to the needs of our students. She is a true champion for students ages six to sixty, and we could not be more grateful for her commitment to our ministry.”

Kimmons holds a B.A. and M.Ed. from Middle Tennessee State University and Ed.D. in educational leadership from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. She has taught courses in educational psychology, educational research, child development, middle school perspectives, educational tests and measurement and gifted education. Her current research interests include promising practices in teacher education, developing and sustaining learning communities and alternative licensure.

Keith Urban’s “Without You” was the song that carried music business major Ashley Sorensen to Belmont with just a guitar and a dream of one day becoming a country music star. Last week, Sorensen came one step closer to living that dream when Urban invited her up on stage where she joined him in performing that very song.

Urban played a spontaneous show at Exit/In last week where he announced plans for his upcoming Graffiti U tour. Sorensen was picked from the crowd to join Urban on stage and unveil the Nashville tour date. When Urban found out that she was a music business major at Belmont, he invited her to sing with him on a song of her choice. About “Without You,” Sorensen noted that the song was her favorite when she lived in California. “I used to plug in my earbuds and listen to that song on repeat, and just picture myself taking the next bus to Nashville… just me and my guitar.”

Urban also invited her to sing the song with him on Aug. 24 when he returns to Nashville for the Graffiti U tour. She wrote that one of her biggest dreams has been to perform in front of a live Nashville audience, “and Keith has blessed me with the opportunity to fulfill this dream…To say I’m ecstatic is an understatement!”  Although she doesn’t yet have all the details, Urban tweeted at her after the show, “Bring it!”

To watch the full clip, click here. Sorenson is called to the stage at approximately the 30:00 minute mark.

Belmont University, the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE), the USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee and NewsChannel 5 are partnering to host the first televised, statewide gubernatorial forum of the 2018 election. Focused exclusively on education, the forum is being broadcast live on NewsChannel 5. In addition, audiences can watch a livestream of the Forum at www.tennessean.com or www.newschannel5.com.

Belmont President Robert C. Fisher said the university is kicking off a year-long commitment to hosting events related to the 2018 governor’s race, and it’s appropriate the first forum is on education.

“We are eager to support efforts like this one that complement our mission to empower students to engage and transform the world,” Fisher said. “We are honored to be partnering with SCORE on events across our state to engage Tennessee’s gubernatorial candidates in this discussion that is vital to Tennessee’s future.”

Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, the founder and chairman of SCORE, noted, “As Tennesseans, we should be proud that our students and teachers have made our state the fastest improving in K-12 education, and that our state leaders have made Tennessee a national model in improving access to postsecondary opportunities.”

“Nothing could be more important than continuing this success by highlighting education as a top priority for our next governor,” Frist said. “We look forward to hosting a conversation with the candidates to hear how Tennessee’s next governor will help our students become best in the nation.”

The 2018 Curtain Call Award was presented to vocalist, songwriter, film and television composer and esteemed alumnus Brett McLaughlin (’09) on Monday night in Massey Concert Hall.  

In just eight years, McLaughlin has compiled a long list of accomplishments including composing songs for pop artists Daya, Troye Sivan, Selena Gomez, Andy Grammer, Hillary Duff and Capital Cities. He has won the ASCAP Pop Songwriting Award, the National Music Publishers Association Award and was included in Billboard’s 100 Best Pop Songs of 2016. In addition to songwriting credits, McLaughlin has expanded his reach into the film industry having scored the upcoming feature film “Sierra Burgess is a Loser.” He recently released his debut single “Mattress” under the name Leland.

The annual Curtain Call Award was created in 1995 to honor a School of Music alumni for achievement in the field of commercial music. Recent recipients have included Akil Thompson, Brandon Fraley, Geoff Koch and Danny Wells.

Belmont Alumni group Judah and the Lion have been nominated for two iHeart Radio awards, including Alternative Rock Artist of the Year and Best New Rock/Alternative Rock Artist. The group is heading up against bands like Cage the Elephant, Imagine Dragons and Kings of Leon.

Their newest music video “Going to Mars,” directed by Belmont alumnus Mathew DeLisi, is scheduled to be released soon, and the group will embark on their 2018 Going to Mars tour on Jan. 31. Their tour manager, Adam Davis, is also a Belmont alumnus.

This past weekend, Biology Department Chair and Associate Professor Dr. John Niedzwiecki and two Belmont Biology Honors students, Samantha Chu and Joanna Bellan, began collections for their thesis projects. The work is connected with a recently funded Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency grant that Niedzwiecki is the Co-Principal Investigator on with Dr. Carla Hurt at Tennessee Tech University.

The grant is titled “Conservation Genomics and Population Status of Streamside Salamanders (Ambystoma barbouri) in Tennessee.” The grant, which began January 1 and concludes June 30, 2019, provides $19,668 for the scope of this work. Several of Dr. Niedzwiecki’s previous biology and honors students have worked with this salamander in the past on undergraduate research projects.

Members of Belmont’s Women in Science Club recently hosted a baking night led by Dr. Kimberlee Entsminger, professor of chemistry in the College of Sciences and Mathematics. Members were able to make their own souffles while learning the chemistry behind the process.

As participants learned, beating eggs is all about science — and it’s physics and chemistry that make a souffle rise or fall. The first step in making an egg dish like a souffle is to separate the yolks from the whites, the fat from the protein. The yolk has fat and some protein, but the white is all protein, no fat. Beating egg whites relaxes the proteins by causing conformational changes. Sugar is then added to act as a “glue” that holds the egg white structure together in its relaxed state. When the egg mixture is baked at 350 degrees, air bubbles expand, making the souffle rise. The heat also causes the protein to stiffen, and along with the fat from the yolk, it forms a kind of scaffold that keeps the souffle from collapsing.

President and Founder of Women in Science Crystal Lemus said, “While I have taken several biology, chemistry and biochemistry based courses and learned the ins and outs of proteins and fats, I never knew that it could be so applicable in the kitchen. Their truly is a scientific art to cooking and baking process.”

Belmont artists were recently recognized in this year’s First Night Awards, which pay tribute to Nashville’s most outstanding personalities and productions.

Jo Lynn Burks and Anna Perry, in the School of Music, took home the awards for Outstanding Musical Direction and Outstanding Choreography for their parts in Belmont University Musical Theater’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Jaclynn Jutting, assistant professor for the Department of Theatre & Dance and head of Belmont’s B.F.A. Directing Program, won outstanding Director of a Play for her direction of “The Amish Project,” produced by Actors Bridge Ensemble and Belmont University Theater.

The College of Health Sciences and Nursing recently hosted Visiting Professor Dr. Amanda Phelan, associate professor and associate dean for global engagement for the School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems at the University College Dublin (UCD). Phelan also serves as the co-director for the National Centre for the Protection of Older People at UCD.

While on campus, Phelan presented on nursing education, health care and public health systems in the Republic of Ireland. She met with students and faculty interested in international collaboration and scholarship and discussed special challenges associated with the Republic’s aging population, as well as her own research in the area of elder abuse and protection.

Phelan provided an overview of Sláintecare, a newly proposed model of care for Irish citizens.  Said to be a radical transformation from traditional models, Sláintecare is designed to shift care out of hospitals and into the primary care, community setting.

Phelan will be working with Belmont students participating in the upcoming Public Health and Public Health Nursing Maymester trip.

A group of 34 Occupational Therapy Doctoral students from Belmont University met at Permobil, leader in the rehabilitation power wheelchair industry, to collaborate with representatives and students and faculty members from Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering to adapt ride–on cars for children with mobility impairment and their families. The event, hosted by Associate Professor of OT Dr. Teresa Plummer through the organization Go Baby Go, showcased the importance of self-initiated mobility in early development and the need for greater mobility options for children living for disabilities.

Volunteers were divided into teams, each team serving the unique needs of one pediatric client. Ride–on cars were rewired to eliminate the use of the foot pedal and were outfitted with a big red “GO” button in the center of the steering wheel. The plastic seats were redesigned and furnished with necessary head and lateral supports using foam, PVC pipe and other materials. Each client left with a one-of-a-kind car and a big smile.

Participant and Belmont OT student Madeline Harcrow said, “This experience proved beneficial to my education and future as a clinician. All are deserving of play, joy, self-expression, companionship and new learning, and I love that this truth drives the work of our profession. The energy in the room was undeniable and unwavering – evidence of a job well done by all.”

For a video from the event, click here.

Professor of Mathematics and Computer Sciences Dr. Daniel Biles had a research article, “Lower bounds for the first zero for nonlinear second order differential equations,” accepted for publication by the Journal of Differential Equations and Applications on January 25. The Journal of Difference Equations and Applications is a world-leading Journal publishing state-of-the-art papers which significantly contribute to the theory and applications of difference equations or discrete dynamical systems.

Dr. Gideon Park, a Faculty Fellow in the Belmont Fellows Program, recently received a grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, which is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and located at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

The grant, “Faculty Initiatives Promoting Racial/ Ethnic Diversity at Belmont University,” seeks to more fully express Belmont’s identity as a Christian university by creating an inclusive culture for minority faculty, staff and students of color. To accomplish this goal, a Diversity Lunch Series was launched with support from Tola Pokrywka in the College of Theology and Christian Ministry. This series will enable faculty from different colleges and departments to share a meal, build community and brainstorm faculty diversity initiatives for 2018-19.

The Diversity Lunch Series is also supported with generous funding from the Provost’s Office and are hosted by the Faculty Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee.

The first lunch took place on January 29 with Sarah Shin and was a success with 50 people in attendance. Shin is associate national director of evangelism for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and author of Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming our Ethnic Journey. Dr. Todd Lake, VP of spiritual development, writes: “Belmont’s commitment to being a multi-racial, multi-ethnic Christian community of learning and service is enriched by hearing from author/ practitioners like Sarah Shin, who model how the best of Christian thinking and practice can help us become what God is calling us to be.”

Shin’s visit to campus included a chapel talk and ethnicity-awareness workshop for students. After attending the Saturday workshop, first year student Baylee Johnson commented: “I am glad I was able to attend. Ideas were brought to our attention about trying to become aware of ourselves and differences between others. Sarah talked about how there is beauty in every culture and how we should ‘commit to justice and commit to Jesus throughout our personal journey.’”

The faculty discussion was moderated by Dr. Mona Ivey-Soto, committee co-chair and assistant professor of education. Dr. Bryce Sullivan, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, attended the event and applauded the work of the committee: “The luncheon conversation with Sarah Shin hosted by the Faculty Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee was superb. Not only were Sarah’s ideas about ethnic identities and transformation enlightening, but the discussions with faculty colleagues created an opportunity to learn from others who are passionate about improving our community.”

Dr. Lakisha Simmons, committee chair and associate professor of management information systems, invites all Belmont faculty to participate. “The Faculty Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee aims to be, and empowers others to be, agents of change for inclusivity, diversity and equity at Belmont University. After a successful luncheon with Sarah Shin, we hope to continue the momentum with three more faculty conversations.”

Additional events include conversations February 9 with Dr. Larycia Hawkins, March 14 with Dr. David I. Smith co-sponsored by the Teaching Center, and a final event on April 3 with Dean Emilie Townes co-sponsored by the College of Theology and Christian Ministry. Space is limited so please RSVP to gideon.park@belmont.edu.

Cheryl Carr, associate dean of the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, has been selected for the Board of Directors for Creatives’ Day, a nonprofit support organization for creatives in Tennessee that provides community and economic support to artists, poets, storytellers, makers and musicians living and working in Nashville and surrounding counties. The organization’s partners include the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Mayor’s Office of Housing. Prior to her selection to the Board of Directors, Carr served on the Creatives’ Day Board of Advisors.

A group of Belmont students, accompanied by a few recent alumni, Professor of Physics Dr. Scott Hawley and Professor of Mathematics Dr. Glenn Acree, participated in the third annual Hack-MT event last weekend. Hosted at MTSU, the event gathered over 250 students and 40 professional mentors from the developer community of Middle Tennessee to invent new web platforms, mobile apps and electronic gadgets. Students worked the entire weekend, some through the night, to prepare their presentations for Sunday’s exposition.

Many tech organizations were represented by their best and brightest developers on the lookout for talented students. The Belmont students in attendance included Ben Miner, Nick Chouard, Callie Deas, Tito Ebiwonjumi, Hannah Wright, John Ottenlips, Braden Carei, Daniel Gray, Sebastian Alegre and Aaron Itzkovitch. This weekend was an excellent opportunity for them to learn new things, practice their coding and programming skills and interact with students, faculty and industry professionals from across Middle Tennessee.

Dr. Montgomery Williams, associate professor of pharmacy practice, Dr. Shaefer Spires, assistant professor with Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Heather Spilburg, M.Ed., continuing education coordinator in the College of Pharmacy, developed and planned the Second Annual Middle Tennessee Antimicrobial Stewardship Symposium held in Belmont’s Janet Ayers Conference Room on Friday, January 26.

The symposium was attended by more than 100 healthcare professionals from multiple disciplines including pharmacists, physicians, nurses and those involved with infection prevention and patient safety and quality. Several alumni, preceptors and Belmont faculty were in attendance, as well. Williams said, “It is enlivening to be able to host an event where healthcare professionals can come together to discuss an issue that they are passionate about and leave feeling invigorated to make changes to improve patient care. Our vision of creating a forum for stewardship personnel to share challenges and ideas has grown into a regional event that attracts like-minded professionals to learn from each other as well as our panel speakers. As a Belmont faculty, it is a privilege to host this event at our College and further connect the school to the practice of pharmacy in our area.”

Morning sessions featured a lineup of experts in antimicrobial stewardship. These included Christopher Evans, PharmD, BCPS, HAI Pharmacist, Tennessee Department of Health Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Program, George Nelson, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Libby Dodds Ashley, PharmD, MHS, FCCP, BCPS(AQ-ID), instructor, Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Duke University, Duke Antimicrobial Stewardship Outreach Network (DASON). The morning’s keynote speaker was CAPT Arjun Srinivasan, MD, associate director, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who gave an update on national activities regarding antimicrobial stewardship.

During the afternoon, participants attended workshop sessions led by pharmacists, physicians and nurses, allowing them the opportunity to discuss topics in a small group format. Some of these topics included joint commission requirements, molecular susceptibility, procalcitonin, and nursing involvement in antimicrobial stewardship. Healthcare facilities across the nation are recognizing the benefit of developing and maintaining evidence-based antimicrobial stewardship programs because of their ability to improve patient safety and lower adverse outcomes such as Clostridium difficile and infections from antimicrobial resistant bacteria.  This symposium brought together key stakeholders and practitioners to learn about this topic and discuss ways to work together as a medical community to improve appropriate antimicrobial use and mitigate these risks.

Spires said of the event, “The 2^nd Annual Middle Tennessee Antimicrobial Stewardship (AS) symposium was an astounding success. Our vision was to bring respective leaders in AS from hospitals across the state (and beyond) who are on the front lines practicing AS together, for networking, collaboration and to hear nationally and internationally recognized experts.  Our registration almost doubled from last year and included leaders from three other states including Tennessee. We were honored with informative talks and captivated by the CDC’s CAPT. Arjun Srinivasan as our keynote speaker.”

The College of Pharmacy plans to continue the Symposium as an annual event.

Nadielka Bishop, Coordinator of Supplemental Instruction for Bridges to Belmont, along with Comfort Okpala, a professor at North Carolina A&T and C. Dean Campbell, assistant dean for academic services at North Carolina A&T, wrote the chapter “Staying in Focus: Research Self-efficacy and Mentoring Among HBCU Professional Doctorates” in the book “Professional Education at Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Past Trends and Outcomes” edited by Tiffany Fountain Boykin, Adriel A. Hilton and Robert T. Palmer.

The book was released winter of 2017.

In a continued tradition of community outreach and educational events, the College of Sciences and Mathematics (CSM) at Belmont University hosted a number of high school laboratory and science-based experiences for area students. The CSM faculty and staff are dedicated to introducing high school students to advanced laboratory techniques and the inter-connectivity found between the sciences, business, social sciences and the humanities. More than 200 students participated in the lectures, laboratory exercises and expositions throughout 2017. These STEM centered activities are slated for continuation in 2018 as high school students are given the opportunity to explore new, faculty-led laboratory exercises and take on the challenges of hypothesis-driven research.

One event hosted 45 A.P. Chemistry students from three different area high schools in an interactive lecture on titration led by event organizer Dr. Danielle Garrett, assistant professor of chemistry education. The program also held a high school psychology camp thanks to Dr. Linda Jones’s senior capstone project. Jones, chair of the department of psychological science, led 20 A.P. Psychology students in week-long projects involving psychological experimentation techniques and statistical analysis. These students then designed their capstone project, which is required for graduation from Metro Nashville schools, with these tools in mind. Currently, all 20 students are utilizing borrowed equipment to run experimental subjects in their own high schools. Jones and her colleagues engage students monthly and the high school partners will present their findings at the Belmont Undergraduate Research Symposium in April.

Additionally, Dr. Lori McGrew, biology professor, hosted alumnus and Davidson Academy science teacher Jim Garrett in her neuropharmacology research lab. Garrett and two of his current students utilized Danio rerio (zebrafish) to investigate learning and memory. With the students’ help, Davidson Academy plans to establish their own zebrafish colony. The work completed by Garrett and his students will also facilitate collaborative data collection between Davidson Academy and Belmont.

Perhaps the biggest event of the semester was the “Celebrating the Women of Physical Science” outreach event for high school students, coordinated by the chemistry department and the Physics STEM Committee. The event provided a tour of the chemistry and physics labs, a hands-on chemistry activity, a physics demo and presentation, a talk on “The Legacy of Marie Curie” and a keynote address titled, “With the Right Shoes You Can Do Anything.” Fifty high school students from 15 schools in Middle Tennessee attended.

But the semester’s events were not exclusive to Metro high schoolers. Dr. Steve Murphree, biology professor, coordinates free laboratory experiences for the home-schooled community of Middle Tennessee and conducted two programs in 2017. In November, home-schooled children were able to investigate animal behavior during the program titled, “Explorations in Animal Behavior – Betta Fish.”  In December, students were able to compare human anatomy to that of cartilaginous fish in an exercises titled, “Shark Anatomy.”  In October, a group of 150 middle school students from Lead Academy Middle School toured Belmont’s science labs.