Shred Event Saves Approximately 53 Trees

Brown Appointed Head of Physical Therapy Department

Dr. Renee Brown, professor of physical therapy, has been appointed as the new Physical Therapy Department Chairman as of June 1, according to Dr. Cathy Taylor, dean of the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing.

“We are indeed fortunate to have someone with Dr. Brown’s extensive academic preparation, and her notable teaching, clinical and administrative experience, assume this important position,” said Taylor. “I know you will join me in working to assure her a smooth transition and wish her the greatest success in this new leadership role.”

Brown takes the place of Dr. John Halle, who is returning to the classroom full-time.

Brown holds a B.S. in Physical Therapy from Daemen College in Amherst, N.Y.; the M.S. in Physical Therapy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Texas, Dallas. Prior to arriving at Belmont, she served in administrative roles at the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center, as acting chairman for the Ithaca College Physical Therapy Department and as interim chairman at the UT Southwestern Allied Health Sciences School, Department of Physical Therapy.

Since joining the Physical Therapy faculty at Belmont in 2005, Brown has served the University, the college and the department in an exemplary fashion. She is active in the American Physical Therapy Association at the national level, is experienced with academic accreditation requirements and is the out-going University institutional review board chairman. Additionally, she has led several medical mission trips, working to establish numerous partnerships in order to support these efforts and to make the experience more meaningful for both students and patients.

Hooper to Present at Computer Science Conference

Dr. Bill Hooper, professor of computer science, has been accepted to present his workshop titled “Easy as Pi: An Inexpensive Platform for Machine Language Instruction” at the 20th Annual Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges (CCSC) Midwest Conference.

The conference will be held Sept. 20-21, at The University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio. This two-day conference has refereed papers, invited speakers, tutorials, panels, workshops and discussions on computing science education issues in smaller colleges and departments.

The Consortium for Computing Sciences and Colleges (CCSC) is a non-profit organization focused on promoting quality computer-oriented curricula as well as effective use of computing in smaller institutions of higher learning which are typically non-research in orientation. It supports activities which assist faculty in making appropriate judgments concerning computing resources and educational applications of computer technology.

Students Host Environmental Science Fair

As part of the Environmental Science Capstone course taught by Dr. Darlene Panvini, students hosted an Environment Fair on the last day of classes. The students presented posters on a variety of topics including fracking, community gardens, tree ordinances, exotic pest plant management in state parks, land protection in Tennessee and global climate change. The Our Natural Environment (O.N.E.) club, Belmont’s Environmental Club, also hosted a bake sale and raised over $100 to donate to a local environmental organization.

Voight Honored as Educator of the Year

Danny Smith (left), awards chairman of TPTA and Alan Meade (right), vice president of TPTA, recognize Dr. Michael Voight as TPTA Educator of the Year.

Dr. Michael Voight, professor of physical therapy, recently was named Educator of the Year by the Tennessee Physical Therapy Association (TPTA).

Voight was nominated for this honor by a former student, Dr. Ashley Campbell.

“In his life, Dr. Voight has educated thousands of students and clinicians, and I am lucky to be among that group,” said Campbell,  “as a student, Dr. Voight guided, encouraged and challenged me to be the best.  He taught me by example what it means to be great, and to never be satisfied with good.  He never ceases to amaze me in his passion and dedication to the profession of physical therapy, especially the education of both future and current clinicians.”

Voight has taught orthopedics at Belmont since 1998, the year after the graduate program in physical therapy was initiated by the University. In addition to his full-time role as professor, Voight serves as editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, consults with a number of noted golf professionals for the Titleist Performance Institute on the prevention, evaluation and treatment of golf injuries, and lectures extensively at various conferences, symposiums, and congresses both nationally and internationally, having given over 600 professional presentations on a variety of orthopedic and sports medicine topics.

In years past Voight has worked or consulted with a number of professional sports organizations, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL), the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and various teams in Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Hockey League (NHL), and Major League Soccer (MLS).  Early in his career he became active within the United States Olympic Committee’s Sports Medicine Division. He has worked at the Olympic Training Center, Olympic Festivals, Pan Am Games, Olympic Games and has had the opportunity to travel to almost all of the different continents with various Olympic and national teams.

Most recently, Voight has worked with the Medical Commission for FIFA (the International governing body for soccer) and the Professional Golf Association (PGA).  He was selected in 2011 as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the most prestigious honor granted by the organization which recognizes those who have made lasting and significant advances in the science, education and practice of the profession of physical therapy.

Quidditch Club Looks to New Year

Bruins on Brooms, Belmont’s Quidditch club, has been recognized as a Division II Team by the International Quidditch Association (IQA). Next year, the group will have a fully-scheduled regular season within its conference which guarantees the players at least nine games. This year, due to scheduling problems, the team was only able to hold four official matches, which they were responsible for coordinating on their own. Next semester will mark the first time the IQA has put together an international conference-based regular schedule.

This year, the team was invited to participate in the Quidditch World Cup as a rookie team. The tournament took place on April 19 and 20 in Kissimmee, Florida. Unfortunately, due to financial restrictions, the team was unable to make the tournament. However, they are hopeful that next year they will be able to qualify through the regular season, as they will lose their rookie status.

Butera Designs New iPhone-Based Instrument

Dr. Mike Butera, a Belmont alumnus and adjunct instructor of sociology, has received widespread attention for his new instrument, the Artiphon INSTRUMENT 1. The instrument has been covered by TechCrunch, The Tennessean, PC Magazine and Engadget, among many others.

The wood-body instrument, which is hand-built in Tennessee, is powered by an iPhone and can simulate a number of different instruments. The ergonomically designed body allows for it to be held like a guitar, violin, mandolin or upright bass. It also includes a virtual fret board and strumming pad.

Speakers are built into the portable device, which is powered by a lithium ion battery. The device is compatible with most music software, including Garageband, Pro Tools and Traktor.

The instrument, Butera’s brainchild, has been in development for the past two years, and will finally be released this summer. Reservations for the first wave of shipments can be made exclusively at artiphon.com.

Physical Therapy Students Hosts Health Fair

Belmont doctor of physical therapy students hosted a two-hour health fair at East Cheatham Elementary on April 5. All 33 students in the class of 2014 were involved in the fair.

“The Health Fair is a win-win situation for East Cheatham Elementary students as well as Belmont students,”said East Cheatham Elementary teacher Lacritia Sanson. “Older students get to experience what it is like to teach others.  Younger students get great information on eight different subjects in a short amount of time.  I even overheard one of my elementary students saying to another student that she would like to go to college one day.  Thanks Belmont for you open doors to our community.”

Slay Published in Journal of Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association

Assistant Professor of Music Business Dr. Cheryl Slay was published in the Journal of Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA). Her article, “Slaying the Starving Artist Paradigm and Teaching Professionalism in the Entertainment Business: The Entertainment Law & Professionalism Clinical Project,” is composed of two distinct parts. The first attempts a definition of professionalism and addresses its importance in entertainment business education. The second portion outlines her clinic at Belmont University

Through the clinic, Slay endeavors to teach students elements of professionalism and also provide legal counsel to those who seek it. Participation in the clinic is voluntary for students, and it takes place each spring. Last year, a total of 10 students were served over the course of the clinic. Since the first clinic took place in 2009, over 40 students have been served. Last year, Slay incorporated Belmont’s College of Law into the program by allowing law students to observe and participate in the legal consultations.

Slay’s passion for the clinic, including the idea to develop it, came from her own participation in a similar legal clinic as a law student. “One of the defining moments of my tenure as a law student was participating as a student attorney in one of the law clinics offered by my alma mater,” she says in the end notes of her article for the MEIEA Journal.

Cornwall Quoted in Card Hub Article

Jeff Cornwall, director of Belmont’s entrepreneurship program, has been quoted in Card Hub’s recent article, “Ask the Experts: Should Small Business Owners Seek Venture Capital Financing?” The article asks a number of entrepreneurial experts two questions: why an entrepreneur should take venture capitalist money and why an entrepreneur shouldn’t take venture capitalist money. A number of CEOs opinions are also solicited for the article. Cornwall’s answers to the two questions are below.

Why an Entrepreneur Should Take VC Money: “Because the venture has a business model that takes a long time (at least a couple of years) to reach positive cash flow and that requires a large infusion of cash due to high capital and personnel budgets during early growth.”

Why an Entrepreneur Shouldn’t Take VC Money: “Entrepreneurs shouldn’t accept VC money just because they can! I have seen too many business models that are very promising that did not NEED VC money fail when they took the money even though they did not need it. They ended up flaming out while trying to grow too fast too quickly, while trying to satisfy the VC’s expectations.”

School of Science Students Conduct Summer Research Across the Country

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. Several School of Science students have been awarded these highly competitive internships for the summer.

• Victoria Lim, a junior with a double major in Chemistry and Mathematics, is a recipient of one of the 2013 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) Scholarships. Vickie will be interning with Croda, Inc. in Edison, N.J.  The 10-week program, with a stipend of $6300, will involve “working in a world-class product laboratory with Croda Applications and Product Claims scientists to formulate and evaluate the effectiveness of prototype personal care products containing Croda ingredients. The candidate will gain expertise in formulating skin care cosmetics and in hair care product claim methodologies such as scanning electron microscopy; measuring hair fiber tensile and hair fatigue strength; and analyzing dynamic mechanical colorimetry and calorimetry. Internship work will result in a future co-authorship in a personal care industry trade magazine.”

• Rebecca Newton, a graduating senior, Pathways scholar and Chemistry major and Mathematics minor, was selected to receive an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) fellowship. ORISE provides undergraduate participants with a better knowledge of their anticipated field of study. Participants conduct authentic research while networking with researchers and fellow students. Rebecca will do research work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga. during the summer of 2013. Her supervisor and mentor is Dr. Udeni Alwis in the Tobacco & Volatiles branch. Rebecca will be staying in intern housing at the Emory University campus. As part of the fellowship, Rebecca will receive a monthly stipend of $2,500.

• Marcella Noorman, a graduating senior with a Mathematics major and Physics minor, will be studying this summer in the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics (BSM) program, a study abroad program for undergraduates in mathematics. She will be taking mathematics and culture courses in English from Hungarian professors, while taking advantage of Hungary’s history of producing creative and world-renowned mathematicians. The instructors of BSM are members of Eötvös University, the Mathematical Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and Budapest University of Technology and Economics, the three institutions known for having educated more than half of Hungary’s highly acclaimed mathematicians.

• Annie Brunelle, a junior Honors Mathematics major, will be participating in a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) hosted by The Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University and funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Security Agency. Twenty students were chosen for the REU in Experimental Mathematics to work with mathematics faculty from Lyman Briggs College. Each student will receive a stipend of $3,200, housing, and a meal allowance. Travel money to the REU site and to make presentations at conferences will also be provided. Professors Dan Dougherty, Igor Nazarov, and Aklilu Zeleke will guide the student research. Annie anticipates to be studying “Random Walks on Spheres and Harmonic Functions“, however, the projects are assigned upon arrival to the program.

• Jackson Streeter, a senior Pathways scholar and Mathematics major, will attend a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Applied Mathematical Modeling at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisc. This program is funded by the National Science Foundation. The research project will last ten weeks and the students receive a $5,000 stipend as well as campus housing, a food stipend and paid travel. Jackson’s project of interest will be Natural Gas Forecasting and he will be working in the GasDay lab to determine how much natural gas customers of WE Energies will need each day for the next week, as well as help predict future usage.

• David Strength, a senior majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics, will be participating in the 2013 Summer Program for Interdisciplinary Research and Education (SPIRE) in Emerging Interface Technologies. SPIRE-EIT is a 10 week research experience for undergraduates program that combines classroom training with hands-on research projects. Iowa State University‘s Virtual Reality Applications Center (VRAC) and Human Computer Interaction (HCI) program are the hosts for this program. The SPIRE-EIT undergrads will form research teams, each team is led by a VRAC|HCI faculty member and assigned a graduate student mentor. Over the course of the summer, SPIRE-EIT undergrads will create new technological solutions to challenges in human computer interaction and present their results at a year-end symposium. Interns will conduct research in the field of Human Computer Interaction while learning and implementing a number of technologies including computer graphics, modeling and painting software, and virtual reality equipment. Students selected to participate in the program will receive housing, a meal plan and a stipend of $5,000 for the summer.

• Angela Gaetano, a junior Pathways scholar and Mathematics major, will be participating in the 2013 summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). It is a 10-week program at Ohio Wesleyan University and is funded by the National Science Foundation. The topic she will be researching with Dr. Scott Linder is Sampling Distribution of Regression Statistics with Data Subjected to Type II Censoring. The participants receive a  $4,800 stipend, a food allowance, free housing, and travel funds.

• Alice Curtis, a junior majoring in Mathematics, will be participating in The Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics (SIBS) funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and NationalCenter for Research Resources (NCRR).  The program held at the University of South Florida, Tampa, is designed to stimulate undergraduate students’ interests in pursuing a graduate program in Biostatistics. Biostatistics is a growing field that has become indispensable in advancing medicine and improving health. Yet nation-wide there is a critical shortage of biostatisticians with postgraduate-level training.  It also exposes the students to exciting career opportunities in health-related fields. Tuition, lodging, food and traveling expenses are all paid for by the program and participants can earn college credit.

Lyons Presents Essays

English Instructor Lacey Lyons’ essay “The Beginning of Empathy: Teaching Asperger’s to College Writers” was presented at the Greater Chattanooga Aspies’ annual conference in April. Lyons will also present at the Vanderbilt University Kennedy Center’s MegaConference on Disabilities, along with blogger Leisa Hammett and Courtney Taylor, associate director of communications and dissemination at Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.

Chemistry Students Volunteer at Drug Take-Back Event

On April 27, Belmont students Gerald Offei-Nkansah, Huner Aradini, Phillip Cook and Emily Locke and Chemistry Professor Kimberlee Daus participated in the Dickson County Drug Take-Back event. Taking place on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, the event was coordinated by Vanderbilt University and the Dickson Police Department. Working alongside faculty and students from Vanderbilt University and Lipscomb University, Belmont students and faculty cataloged and counted more than 50 pounds of medication. The National Drug Take-Back Day, set by the Drug Enforcement Agency, provides a service to community through safe and responsible disposal of unused medication. Additionally, these events help to educate the public about the potential of drug abuse associated with these medications.

Education Department Honors PENCIL Partner, Overton High School

Dr. Rachael Flynn-Hopper, associate professor and PENCIL Foundation coordinator for the Department of Education, and Cynthia Warner, from the office of the College of Arts and Sciences, served breakfast to faculty and staff at John Overton Comprehensive High School. The week is Teacher Appreciation Week across the nation and Belmont University’s Department of Education honors the faculty and staff annually with a breakfast of bagels, coffee and orange juice during this important week. The department recognizes the contributions of the faculty and staff at Overton High School and values the partnerships that have developed through practicum, student teaching and intern placements over the years.

Belmont’s chapter of the Student Tennessee Education Association (STEA) also made a donation to the school library to buy cameras for teachers, staff and students to use to support learning and development

Alumna Earns Xavier’s Magis Award

Belmont alumna Kate Loftus Riley, head of school at Holy Trinity Montessori School, will be awarded the Xavier University Magis Award on May 11 at the Xavier University Commencement in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Magis Award recognizes a Xavier undergraduate alumnus,  who has achieved a high degree of excellence and embodies Jesuit morals and ethical values in her life within 15 years of graduation. Riley, a Nashville native,  earned her Master of Arts in Teaching Special Education from Belmont University, where she later served as adjunct professor, internship coordinator and field consultant.  Click here for more information about Riley and Holy Trinity Montessori.

Music Education Students Help Middle School Violin Players

Belmont University music education majors Shelby Nichols, Ruby Chandler, Lacy Thurman and Elyse Burke engaged in a service-learning project partnering Technique and Literature for the Violin II with Moves & Grooves, a  Nashville After Zone Alliance (NAZA) program at Croft Middle School. NAZA is a network of established after school providers, each serving middle school students in a different geographic zone and with their own particular focus and mission. Students who participate in Moves & Grooves explore learning through the arts. Belmont’s instrumental music education majors prepared the Moves & Grooves middle school participants for a violin ensemble performance on April 20 for the Mayor’s Awards Ceremony at the Amazing Race and Showcase at Hadley Park Community Center.

Rose Park, Belmont Publish ‘Edgehill’s Best’ Amid Changes

For the fourth consecutive year, Rose Park Magnet Middle School students worked with Belmont students and instructors in the University’s journalism lab to produce its annual newspaper Edgehill’s Best.

On May 2, the seventh and eighth grade students worked in Belmont’s journalism lab to write their articles with the help of several Belmont students.

This year marked a special transition for the partnership between the middle school and the University. Journalism Instructor Linda Quigley, who has led the partnership since its birth, will retire at the end of the month. She passed the ink to Belmont alumnus Skip Anderson (’94), managing editor the Williamson Herald in Franklin, Tenn. Media studies Chairman Thom Storey asked Anderson to help in the one-day journalism boot camp.

“It is an opportunity to give back to the community,” said Anderson, who studied journalism at Belmont, “and to be there for a project for students because Belmont was invested in me when I was investing in my education, and I have a tremendous respect for that.”

The Rose Park students, hand selected by their teachers, tutorials from Belmont Vision newspaper adviser and journalism instructor Quigley to learn how to develop story ideas, interview sources and write leads.

Edgehill’s Best is a free newspaper with 5,000 circulation that is intended for residents of the Edgehill community. In addition, it is distributed to Metro Council members, on Belmont’s campus, in local churches, restaurants and community centers throughout the summer. Stories cover topics such as school sports, students’ community service projects and nonprofit service providers in the Edgehill area.

Nursing Alumni Maintain Perfect Pass Rate

Walker Presents at Information Literacy Conference

Claire Walker, research and instruction librarian in Bunch Library, was a co-presenter at the LOEX Conference held in Nashville from May 2-4. This national conference is focused on Information Literacy and Library Instruction. The session titled “Picture This: Instruction Librarians Promoting Academic Integrity” presented the results of a comparative ethnographic study about academic integrity (AI), conducted on two campuses – Belmont and The American University in Cairo. Using a method called photovoice, researchers were able to develop “snapshots” of the two AI environments and cultivate larger theories about university students and Academic Integrity, which can be used to design information literacy sessions.

Maszaros Presents at Tennessee Library Association Conference

Unit Head for Library Systems and Collection Management Sue Maszaros, who works in the Bunch Library, was a co-presenter for a session at the Tennessee Library Association conference held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, April 25-26.  This statewide library and information science conference focused on “Outside of the Box” thinking related to library services and user access to resources.  Maszaros helped lead the session titled “RDA Demystified: Resource Description and Access for Non-Catalogers,” which discussed the new cataloging standard, Resource Description and Access, and its application within libraries. Designed for the digital world, Resource Description and Access (RDA) provides a flexible and extensible framework for recording metadata and is intended to replace the current cataloging standard, AACR2, now used in libraries. The Library of Congress made the transition to the new RDA standard in March 2013, and Bunch Library plans to begin implementation of this standard within the year.  Maszaros collaborated on this presentation with colleague Margaret Brown, catalog librarian at Williamson County Public Library.

Biology Students Recognized for Research Presentations

Announcements were recently made regarding the student research poster awards from the 122nd annual meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Sciences held November 2012. This annual meeting of scientists in Tennessee was held at Vanderbilt University and celebrated the Centennial Anniversary of the organization. Five students in the Department of Biology were recognized for their excellence in presenting their research posters in three sections, competing against graduate and undergraduate students from other Tennessee universities. In addition to a certificate, students receive a year’s membership to the Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The awardees and their research collaborators are:

Cell and Molecular Biology: 1st place – Fatin Jweinat (Dr. Robert Grammer); 2nd place – Lacey Dunkley (Dr. Robert Grammer); 3rd place – Rachel Garland (Dr. Nick Ragsdale)

Microbiology: 3rd place – Shea Harrison (Dr. Jennifer Thomas)

Botany: 2nd place  - Emma Ghulam Jan (Dr. Darlene Panvini)

School of Science Students Win Awards at TAS Annual Meeting

Belmont’s School of Sciences hosted this year’s Tennessee Academy of Science (TAS) Middle Division Collegiate Annual Meeting on April 6.  Dr. Duane Hatch, assistant professor of chemistry, coordinated the event. There were 40 undergraduate presenters from Belmont, Tennessee State University, Fisk University and Austin Peay State University.  There were seven different sessions including chemistry, zoology, cellular/microbiology, botany/ecology, engineering/computer science, mathematics and psychology.

The following Belmont students won awards:
Math: Marcella Noorman, 1st place
Cellular/Microbiology: Fatin Jweinat, 1st place; Lacey Dunkley, 2nd place 
Zoology: Lauren Land, 1st place; Breanna Poore, 2nd place; Anna Beth Jones, 3rd place      
Botany/Ecology: Parth Majmudar, 1st place; Jessica Braden, 2nd place; Rachel Chandler, 3rd place      

Several School of Science faculty served as judges/moderators – from Biology, Darlene Panvini, John Niedzwiecki, Chris Barton, Steve Murphree, Robert Grammer, and Roger Jackson; from Chemistry & Physics, Davon Ferrara and Justin Stace; from Mathematics & Computer Science, Danny Biles; from Psychological Science, Linda Jones.

The Tennessee Academy of Science seeks to promote scientific research and the diffusion of knowledge concerning science; to secure communication between persons engaged in scientific work, especially in Tennessee; to assist by investigation and discussion in developing and making known the material, educational, and other resource and riches of the state; to arrange and prepare for publication such reports of investigations and discussions as they further the aims and objectives of the Academy.

Parry Receives Fellowship

Pam Parry, chair of the communication studies department, received a fellowship April 24 from the University of Southern Mississippi, where she is a doctoral candidate. The university gave her the Arthur J. Kaul Memorial Fellowship for a media history doctoral student who is nearing completion of her degree. Parry anticipates graduating from Southern Mississippi in December.

Alumni Teach Foreign Languages at Nashville Community Education

Belmont alumni Warren Ray and Jessica Spradlin (’12) served as foreign language instructors at Nashville Community Education, a city department dedicated to adult education in the community, this year. Ray taught Spanish, and Spradlin taught Italian. Their work was the result of a new partnership with the Belmont University Department of Foreign Languages. Nashville Community Education worked with Belmont Foreign Language Department Chair David Julseth to link it with Ray and Spradlin. Click here to read more.

Student Earns Critical Language Scholarship

Belmont University student Deya Maldas has been awarded  a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study the language of Bangla in Bangladesh this summer.

Maldas is one of approximately 610 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students who received a scholarship from the U.S. Department of State’s CLS Program in 2013. CLS participants will spend seven to ten weeks in intensive language institutes this summer in one of 13 countries to study Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Indonesian, Japanese, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish, or Urdu.

The CLS Program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. It provides fully-funded, group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences.  CLS Program participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers.

Consistent with the U.S. Department of State’s goals to increase diversity among international educational exchange program participants, the CLS Program actively recruits in states and regions of the United States that have been historically under-represented in international exchange and encourages students from diverse backgrounds and academic majors to apply. The CLS Program also promotes diversity in the independent review process, and includes readers and panelists from 44 states and 160 institutions, including land-grant public universities, liberal arts colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Ivy League institutions, and community colleges.  In 2013, 255 professionals, including critical language faculty, area studies specialists, international education professionals, and fellowship advisors, participated in the selection process for the CLS Program.