Belmont University | FYI


January 11, 2008

ACHIEVERS


Musical Theatre Alumni in Touring Shows to Appear Locally
Musical Theatre graduate Mat deGuzman ('06) is appearing in the touring show of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," which is playing seven shows Jan. 9-13 at TPAC. In addition, the last two days of May will find Tiffini Dodson, a 2004 Musical Theatre graduate, in town with the touring show of "Jesus Christ Superstar" in the role of Mary Magdalene. The performances will be part of TPAC's Broadway Specials series.

Senior Chosen as Kentucky Derby Festival Princess
Senior Kathryn (Katie) Elizabeth Allen of Louisville was recently chosen by the Kentucky Derby Festival as one of five Princesses who will serve during the 2008 Kentucky Derby Festival. One of the five Princesses will be crowned the Derby Festival Queen randomly by a spin-of-the-wheel at the annual Fillies’ Derby Ball on April 18. Each woman receives a $2,000 scholarship and will act as an ambassador for the 2008 Derby Festival, attending nearly 70 events over a three-week period. Allen is majoring in management and is a Phi Mu Presidential Award Recipient, a member of the dean’s list since 2004 and a Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital intern.

Volman Appears on New Richie Furay Recording
Former Turtles member Mark Volman, who serves as a CEMB assistant professor and Program Coordinator of Entertainment Industry Studies, recently contributed to a new recording by Richie Furay, founding member of country rock bands Buffalo Springfield, Poco and the Souther-Hillman-Furay band. The new CD, The Heartbeat of Love, was recorded in Nashville and is currently available on Furay's Web site or Amazon.com. Other all-stars who contributed to the CD include Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Nashville bassist Michael Rhodes, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Jeff Hanna, Timothy Schmit, sax player Jim Horn, Kenny Loggins, Sam Bush, Al Perkins and others.

Sturgis Interviewed on Work on Tolkien
Dr. Amy H. Sturgis, a Belmont Interdisciplinary Studies adjunct faculty member, was interviewed on Woodland Star Net Radio on Jan. 6 on "An afternoon of wandering with Frodo and Dr. Amy Sturgis through Mirkwood Forest," a conversation regarding Sturgis' work on Tolkien. Sturgis is an author, speaker and scholar of Native American Studies and Science Fiction/Fantasy Studies. Her newest book, Tecumseh: A Biography, will be available from Greenwood Press in Spring 2008. Sturgis lives in Granite Falls, N.C. with her husband, Dr. Larry M. Hall, who is Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College at Lenoir-Rhyne College and the former Dean of Belmont's College of Arts and Sciences.


    For more stories from the Achievers Archive, click here.