Belmont University

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.

On Tuesday, April 18 the Thomas F. Cone Sr. Center for Entrepreneurship hosted the Business Plan Competition, a culmination of the entrepreneurship business pitch series for the 2022-2023 academic year. Six student entrepreneurs pitched their ideas to a panel of alumni judges for a chance to win first, second and third place money-awarding prizes for their currently active businesses.

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."

The Belmont University Speech and Debate Team successfully defended its title at the Tennessee Intercollegiate Forensics Association's statewide tournament, February 18-19. Held on Belmont's campus, this was the University's first time hosting the event in almost a decade. The team has brought home the title since 2019. Winning six different individual state titles, the team beat the second-place competition by almost 70 points.

Nine students within Belmont University's Watkins College of Art-Bella Pace, Bella Stern, Celine Sanderson, Ally Zylstra, Grace Swing, Caleigh Furyk, Sophie Elizondo, Zack Ford and Ella Virostek- received awards at the 58th Annual Nashville American Advertising Awards on February 25th, 2023. The event is designed to showcase the work of and bridge the gap between student and professional designers.

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 University's moot court teams traveled to Brooklyn, New York for the National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) sponsored by the American Bar Association on Feb. 16-17. The two Belmont teams competed against 32 teams from a range of schools nationwide including Wayne State, Pepperdine, Texas A&M and Seton Hall, among others. Of the two teams one was named the regional semifinalist team and the other was named the regional champion team.

Seven students represented the Edward C. Kennedy Center for Business Ethics at the Templeton Business Ethics Case Competition at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, Feb. 16-17. The Belmont team, made up of students Tessa Chew, Anna Olivier, Katie Beth Raines, Morgan Brady, Colson Kelly, Kyleigh Jehlicka and Kennedy Brady, won first place in the national competition among several notable universities including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Penn State and Georgetown University.

On Thursday, Feb. 16, senior sports administration major JaQobi Scantling received the Volunteer Friend Phoenix Award from the Nashville non-profit, Healing Arts Project, Inc. (HAPI), at its 13th Annual Phoenix Art Gala. HAPI provides opportunities for people in mental health and addiction recovery to promote healing, community awareness and inclusion. The organization provides free art classes taught by professional artists, art exhibitions, publication opportunities and outreach events in an effort to fill a gap in recovery and rehabilitation services. Scantling has volunteered with HAPI since 2019. What started as fulfilling his Bell Tower Scholar service requirement has transitioned into a rewarding experience that also allows him to exercise one of his passions- being an advocate for others.

The following students achieved the Dean's List at Belmont University for the Fall 2022 semester. Eligibility is based on a minimum course load of 12 hours (exclusive of audit and pass/fail courses this semester) and a quality grade point average of 3.5 with no grade below a C (inclusive of audit, pass/fail courses and zero-credit courses).

Belmont University congratulations members of the Belmont Oratorio and orchestra who performed in Belmont School of Music Professor Jeffrey Ames's masterwork, Requiem for Colour. Over 450 students from Belmont's Oratorio and orchestra performed to an audience of more than 1,200 people in the Fisher Center for Performing Arts. Requiem for Colour was a dynamic storytelling event which paid musical homage to the sufferers and saviors, the casualties and champions of Black American peoples in a requiem or mass for the dead.

Belmont University congratulations members of the Belmont Oratorio and orchestra who performed in Belmont School of Music Professor Jeffrey Ames's masterwork, Requiem for Colour. Over 450 students from Belmont's Oratorio and orchestra performed to an audience of more than 1,200 people in the Fisher Center for Performing Arts. Requiem for Colour was a dynamic storytelling event which paid musical homage to the sufferers and saviors, the casualties and champions of Black American peoples in a requiem or mass for the dead.

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 recently celebrated scholastic achievement with its annual Scholarship and Awards Day, an event held each spring to recognize top student talent.

Belmont University Athletics recently celebrated the Bruin Choice Awards recognizing the top achievers in the areas of completion, academics and community service.

Belmont students Katie Langan, an international business major, and DJ Needs, an economics and entrepreneurship double major, truly took the saying "From Here to Anywhere" to heart when their teams won gold medals at the University of Connecticut's Global Business Case Competition. Langan, who worked on a team of four called KJR Global Solutions, and Needs, who worked on a team of three called Mushbrains, put their business skills to the test when challenged to help solve real-world international business problems.

The Belmont Speech and Debate team won the state title in historic fashion at the Tennessee Intercollegiate Forensics Association (TIFA) state tournament held at Pellissippi State Community College on March 26-27. The team spent the weekend debating hot topic issues and using their voices to stand up for the disadvantaged. Some highlights include Kay Allen winning Top Speaker in the novice division and Luke Litz winning Second Place Speaker in the varsity division. Additionally, in individual events, senior Alex Jordan won Top Overall Speaker at the tournament with six other Belmont students placing in the Top Eight. In all twelve individual events offered at the tournament, Belmont University won seven "Top Novice" awards for first-year competitors and claimed the state championship in 10 of the 12 individual events. No other team in the history of the competition has won that many individual titles. In total, Belmont totaled 393 points throughout the course of the weekend, with the second highest ranking team only scoring 143 points overall.

The following students achieved the Dean's List at Belmont University for the Spring 2022 semester. Eligibility is based on a minimum course load of 12 hours (exclusive of audit and pass/fail courses this semester) and a quality grade point average of 3.5 with no grade below a C (inclusive of audit, pass/fail courses and zero-credit courses).

Belmont students make up half of the cohort for the 2022 fellowship, a year-long program for 10 college students from across Tennessee that equips fellows to advocate for change by connecting their personal experiences to concrete data, policies and practices related to college access. Belmont students who were selected for the fellowship include sophomore biology and chemistry major Autumn Grimsley, sophomore data science major Miracle Awonuga, senior elementary education major Riquera Smith, junior biochemistry and molecular biology major Soziema Dauda and junior social work and photography major Vianney Muniz.

Nine Belmont students were recently recognized with a Student ADDY Award through one of the top local competitions for student advertising design in the nation. The awards are hosted by the American Advertising Federation Nashville (AAFN) and the Nashville Student Advertising Awards. The students who took home five gold and nine silver awards include Sebastian Lara, Mackenzie Smith, Caitlin Cooney, Margaret Owens, Carrie Neville, Abraham Mast, Kayla Monis, Caitlyn Swartwood and Ambrose Vargason.

Junior Songwriting major Maura Streppa was recently selected as one of six finalists in the 2022 Tennessee Songwriters Week Showcase. As one of the finalists, Streppa had the opportunity to play at the historic Bluebird Cafe on March 20. In order to be one of the finalists, Streppa competed against 100 other performers in front of local music industry professionals. Read more about Streppa's accomplishment here.

Mark Wardlaw, an economics minor in the Jack C. Massey College of Business, recently attended and presented a paper titled "Wage Differentials Across Degree Fields and Levels of Education for Immigrants vs. Natives" at the Issues in Political Economy (IPE) 29th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference in Economics. The conference was held in New York February 25 - 26. The conference brings together undergraduates from across the country to present and share their research with peers. Students presenting at the IPE also serve as discussants. Using data from the American Community Survey over an 11-year period (2009-2019), the research rigorously examines the extent of any wage differentials between natives and immigrants living in the United States. After controlling for a wide range of relevant factors informed by theory, the findings indicate that, overall, natives earn more than immigrants, with the differences in wages decreasing with increasing education levels. An important finding is that immigrants with STEM degrees earn more than their native counterpart. The findings of this study offer some insights into the wide variation in wages between natives and immigrants across various spectrums. There are important policy implications which can guide policymakers and regulators in their approach to immigration reforms. Early contributions to the research came from fellow students Dawson Flint, Keita Suzuki, Sean Cleaver and Lauren Dansbury during a course in labor economics taught by Dr. Colin Cannonier, who served as research advisor and also in attendance at this conference.

Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society, celebrates students who are serving as circle (chapter) presidents. Students who serve as circle presidents are leaders amongst leaders. Members of ODK must be sophomores, juniors, seniors, or graduate/professional students in the top 35% of their class and embrace the Society's ideals. They also must demonstrate leadership experience in at least one of the five pillars of campus life celebrated by ODK: academics and research, athletics, service to campus and community, communications, and creative and performing arts. Fewer than five percent of students on a campus are invited to join each year.

The following students achieved the Dean's List at Belmont University for the Fall 2021 semester. Eligibility is based on a minimum course load of 12 hours (exclusive of audit and pass/fail courses this semester) and a quality grade point average of 3.5 with no grade below a C (inclusive of audit, pass/fail courses and zero-credit courses).

The following people recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Lauryn Hedges, a Belmont songwriting student who uses the stage name "Lauryn Marie", recently won the American Songwriter 2nd Annual Song Contest for a song she submitted as part of Belmont's Commercial Songwriting II course. For her first place award, Lauryn will receive a $10,000 prize, career consultation with Atlantic Records' SVP of A&R, a feature in American Songwriter Magazine, a publishing deal opportunity, promotion and global distribution of her song and a lifetime American Songwriter membership. Lauryn's song, "Walk," which she wrote and performed, took First Place in this year's contest. Lauryn's song was first named as one of the contest's Top 50 last week-the winning entries were announced on Dec. 15.

Psychological Science Professor Dr. Timothy Schoenfeld published an article with neuroscience major Chance Swanson in Biomolecules. The article, entitled "A runner's high for new neurons? Potential role for endorphins in exercise effects on adult neurogenesis" extensively reviewed current literature to understand how endorphins, often credited for the infamous "runner's high," may instead be helpful in promoting the creation of new neurons in the brain. These new neurons are thought to contribute to learning, memory and positive mood states, all things that exercise enhances.