Belmont University

Belmont senior Alisa Osborne has found a way to expertly intertwine her major and her advocacy as a member of the University's forensics team. Now a decorated speaker in a multitude of events, Osborne will showcase her skills on the national stage as she was named to the American Forensic Association's "All-American Team", an honor bestowed to only nine speech and debate students in the nation.

Belmont University student Kayley Tigges is tired of hearing the response, "Well it's good to have a back-up plan," after sharing with someone that she is a psychology and songwriting double major. The junior does not look at one major as the best possible outcome and the other as a safety net, but rather both as pursuits of something she loves and is unwilling to compromise on.

Six Gibson guitars were given to Belmont students who have demonstrated remarkable dedication and talent within the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business and the College of Music and Performing Arts in honor of the six Belmont alumni Grammy nominees.

Belmont University recently launched a new project to showcase its wealth of artistry on campus in the form of a new YouTube channel, "Belmont Tracks." Modeled after NPR's renowned "Tiny Desk" series, the first season of "Belmont Tracks" series will feature 12 intimate and authentic performances of talented student artists in a fresh and engaging way. Student songwriters and singers as well as media studies and audio engineering students participated.

Senior Politics and Public Law student Keidron Turner was selected among 175 college students nationwide for the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge's (ALL IN) second annual Student Voting Honor Roll. ALL IN empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. Campuses that join the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge complete a set of action items to institutionalize nonpartisan civic learning, political engagement and voter participation on their campus.

More than 72 student leaders, staff and faculty members were recognized for their leadership and service at the 2023 Belmont Student Leadership Awards (BSLA), hosted by the Division of Student Formation on April 12. The event's "Everyday Champions" theme was inspired by the university's focus on being radical champions for all. The BSLA Committee shared, "the theme emphasizes our culture where every student can be a leader and we can all be champions. Leaders don't need a formal title or particular status to have a positive impact on the world. Everyday champions show up, use their voice and lead with character, purpose, wisdom and a transformational mindset." Each Belmont academic college, office and department highlighted the efforts and accomplishments of undergraduate and graduate students, along with select employee recognitions.

More than 72 student leaders, staff and faculty members were recognized for their leadership and service at the 2023 Belmont Student Leadership Awards (BSLA), hosted by the Division of Student Formation on April 12. The event's "Everyday Champions" theme was inspired by the university's focus on being radical champions for all. The BSLA Committee shared, "the theme emphasizes our culture where every student can be a leader and we can all be champions. Leaders don't need a formal title or particular status to have a positive impact on the world. Everyday champions show up, use their voice and lead with character, purpose, wisdom and a transformational mindset." Each Belmont academic college, office and department highlighted the efforts and accomplishments of undergraduate and graduate students, along with select employee recognitions.

More than 72 student leaders, staff and faculty members were recognized for their leadership and service at the 2023 Belmont Student Leadership Awards (BSLA), hosted by the Division of Student Formation on April 12. The event's "Everyday Champions" theme was inspired by the university's focus on being radical champions for all. The BSLA Committee shared, "the theme emphasizes our culture where every student can be a leader and we can all be champions. Leaders don't need a formal title or particular status to have a positive impact on the world. Everyday champions show up, use their voice and lead with character, purpose, wisdom and a transformational mindset." Each Belmont academic college, office and department highlighted the efforts and accomplishments of undergraduate and graduate students, along with select employee recognitions. Ten students were presented with the Bruin Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Division for Student Formation. The award recognizes junior and senior students who have exemplified Belmont's aspirational aims by consistently engaging in campus life and demonstrating outstanding service to the campus community through significant participation in campus leadership.

More than 72 student leaders, staff and faculty members were recognized for their leadership and service at the 2023 Belmont Student Leadership Awards (BSLA), hosted by the Division of Student Formation on April 12. The event's "Everyday Champions" theme was inspired by the university's focus on being radical champions for all. The BSLA Committee shared, "the theme emphasizes our culture where every student can be a leader and we can all be champions. Leaders don't need a formal title or particular status to have a positive impact on the world. Everyday champions show up, use their voice and lead with character, purpose, wisdom and a transformational mindset." Each Belmont academic college, office and department highlighted the efforts and accomplishments of undergraduate and graduate students, along with select employee recognitions.

More than 72 student leaders, staff and faculty members were recognized for their leadership and service at the 2023 Belmont Student Leadership Awards (BSLA), hosted by the Division of Student Formation on April 12. The event's "Everyday Champions" theme was inspired by the university's focus on being radical champions for all. The BSLA Committee shared, "the theme emphasizes our culture where every student can be a leader and we can all be champions. Leaders don't need a formal title or particular status to have a positive impact on the world. Everyday champions show up, use their voice and lead with character, purpose, wisdom and a transformational mindset." Each Belmont academic college, office and department highlighted the efforts and accomplishments of undergraduate and graduate students, along with select employee recognitions.

Indicating in the close of another academic year, Scholarship and Awards Day 2023 honored the outstanding work and accomplishments of Belmont students on Wednesday, April 12 in the Massey Performing Arts Center. Each year, awards are presented to faculty and students who have exhibited honorable dedication to scholarly achievement and service. "It's a great joy for us to gather as a community because part of what marks Belmont is our connection to each other," President Greg Jones said in a welcome. "We come together to recognize one another, to support and encourage one another."

Riding the high of their sweeping win at the Tennessee Intercollegiate Forensics Association's statewide tournament in February, Belmont University's Speech and Debate team triumphed at the Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Speech and Debate Tournament in Philadelphia, March 15-19.

Belmont's 2022 Belmont Student Leadership Awards' (BSLA) theme was "Lights Up for Leadership," which celebrated the service, leadership and achievement of members of the campus community.

Belmont University College of Health Sciences and Nursing Dean and Professor Dr. Cathy Taylor and Belmont public health students Genevieve Delano and Deviyani Bajpai conducted online research and interviews to make recommendations to the Chronic Disease Prevention Task Force for the State of Tennessee. Their recommendation to allow local authorization to limit tobacco smoking and vaping in public spaces was passed into legislation by the 112th General Assembly.

The Belmont University Chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America and its members received seven national awards at the society's 2021 International Conference.

Recent Belmont University graduate and Brentwood, Tennessee resident Khadija Ali Amghaiab was recently awarded a Fulbright grant to Germany to partake in the English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) program there. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is an international exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board that provides competitive grants to graduating seniors and graduate students to serve as cultural ambassadors of the United States abroad.

Recent Belmont University graduate and Woodbury, Minnesota resident Erin Sanislo was recently awarded a Fulbright program grant for overseas teaching to the Canary Islands region of Spain. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is an international exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government that provides competitive grants to graduating seniors and graduate students to serve as cultural ambassadors of the United States abroad.

Third year honors neuroscience student Crystal Lemus was recently awarded a travel grant by the National Science Foundation/Department of Energy Office of Science and presented her physics research at the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA.

Senior Honors corporate communications major Erin Sanislo recently presented her thesis, "The Making of the Modern Pilgrim," to discuss her journey on the Camino de Santiago in Spain.

A group of five senior Belmont students recently traveled to Washington, D.C., with Biology Professor Dr. Lori McGrew, to attend and present at the The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Conference. SfNas 47th annual meeting, "Neuroscience 2017," is the world's largest neuroscience conference for scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. More than 30,000 colleagues from more than 80 countries gathered at the world's largest marketplace of ideas and tools for global neuroscience.

Belmont biology students Samantha Chu and Joanna Bellan recently began collections for their thesis projects alongside Biology Department Chair and Associate Professor Dr. John Niedzwiecki and two Belmont Biology Honors students, Samantha Chu and Joanna 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.

Spanish and nursing double major Chanel Thomas recently returned from Valladolid, Spain where she completed courses in Spanish language & culture and Spanish for health care. While there, she participated in lessons on medical terminology, the Spanish health care system, patient assessment, emergency management, basic nursing skills, and patient interventions - all in Spanish.

Caroline George always knew she loved to tell stories. Now, as a senior public relations and publishing double major at Belmont, she is the published author of three young adult novels. Her most recent, "The Vestige," released in July. George said, "stories have been my passion since I was a toddler. Before I could hold a pencil, I told my mom stories, she'd write them down and let me illustrate the pages. In middle school, I made it a goal to be published by my sixteenth birthday." And publish she did.

Belmont Honors student and classical guitar major Cameron Welke recently published a post about his semester abroad at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. In the post, Welke reflects on the meanings of traditions and community through his first experience at a Scottish ceilidh (kay-lee), a social event featuring Scottish or Irish folk music and singing, traditional dancing and storytelling.

Senior Kyle Minardi originally thought his "From Here to Anywhere" plan would land him in divinity school in the future, but now the Nashville native believes his ministry will occur in a different field entirely: law.

A group of Belmont students hit the road this summer for the ultimate musical experience. Joining their professor, musical legend and co-founding member of The Turtles Mark Volman, students experienced life on the road during the East Coast, 15-show run of the Happy Together Tour. Created as a summer course, the 10 participating students spent time in their "classroom" for nearly three weeks this summer-a tour bus, hotel rooms, stages and countless green rooms. Starting in Biloxi, Mississippi, the group followed the tour through Florida and back up to Virginia, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania before ending in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire.

Belmont University's Office of Student Engagement and Leadership Development recently recognized significant student achievement by hosting its Divisional Awards Ceremony. Students were honored for their exemplification of Belmont's Community Commitments, involvment in campus life, service to the Belmont community, participation in campus leadership, potential for leadership development, contribution to the Greek community and more.