Belmont University | FYI


February 27, 2009

ACHIEVERS


PT Students, Faculty, Alumni Present and Receive Recognition at National Conference
Recently several of the Belmont University School of Physical Therapy faculty, alumni and students attended the annual American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) in Las Vegas. ResearchEffectsCellPhone.JPGPhysical therapy graduate student Tara McDonough Domkowski (‘11) and undergraduate alumna ('08) presented a poster they co-authored with Dr. Nancy Darr, Dr. Steven Murphree and Barbara Ward in the Neurobiology – Balance and Falls section titled, "The effects of cellular phone conversations on the gait characteristics in young adults."

Dr. Nancy Darr, associate professor of physical therapy, presented a platform presentation of research titled, "Pediatric Balance Scale Performance in Children who are Developing Typically and in Children with Mild Developmental Delay." This was a multi-site study involving faculty members from Belmont, Daemen College and The State University of New York Upstate Medical Center.

Also presenting at CSM was Dr. John Halle, associate dean and professor of physical therapy, along with Dr. David Greathouse, a former associate dean of the School of Physical Therapy who presented “Peripheral Mononeuropathies in the Lower Extremities: An Anatomical, Clinical and Electrophysiological Review.”

Dr. Cathy Hinton is also an associate professor of physical therapy and currently serves as a member of the APTA Ethics and Judicial Committee. She presented "Dialogues on Doing the Right Thing: What Ethical Codes are all about - an Update on Proposed Revision to APTA Core Ethics Documents.”

Belmont PT alumnus John DeWitt ('01) received the 2009 Sports Physical Therapy Section New Horizon Award, which goes to an individual who has shown great potential to be a future leader in the field in their first seven years of practice. Alumnae Amy Grigg Gross ('02) and Dawn Straub (‘04) received their Orthopedic Certification Specialties (OCS).

Homecoming, Fitness Day Receive Local Media Attention
Quote.jpgIn addition to an overview of Homecoming 2009 events in Sunday's Tennessean, several campus events this week caught the attention of local media. The "Quote" project by Belmont alumni, along with Monday's convocation event to support that project (pictured right), was the subject of a lengthy interview on WPLN, Nashville's local public radio. Click here to listen to the story, which is featured on the station's home page. Fitness Day also received coverage as FOX-17 sent a crew out to cover the Polar Bear 5K live on the station's morning show. Click here to view the story. Finally, Belmont's own Paul Chenoweth conducted an interview with alumna Margaret Elliott, whose artwork is a part of the "Art from Anywhere" Alumni Art Exhibit that is currently in the LCVA gallery. Click here to watch the interview.

Wicke Named to Academic All-America Team
BelPittWickeDSC_2417.jpgMen’s basketball senior Andy Wicke (Hendersonville, Tenn.) added to his lengthy and distinguished list of accolades Wednesday, as he was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America University Division Men’s Basketball Third Team. “Andy has been a tremendous representative of our basketball program and Belmont University,” Belmont head coach Rick Byrd said. “This is an honor well deserved and celebrates Andy’s sacrifice and dedication to perform at a high level on the court and in the classroom.”

One of only seven players in all of college basketball this season with the opportunity to earn a fourth consecutive automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, Wicke has been a leader on and off the court for the Bruin program. The 6-2 guard received Academic All-District honors earlier this month and is one of 10 finalists for the prestigious Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Wicke is also a four-time member of the Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team. Click here for more on this story.

Biology Students Present Research at National Neuroscience Meeting
BioNeuroMtg.JPGStudents and faculty from the Department of Biology attended the 38th annual National Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington D.C. Over 31,000 attendees from around the world gathered to present and share ideas. The students, who all presented the results of their undergraduate research conducted at Belmont, were Sachin Amin, Jeanna Bardin, Jackie Hunter, Christina Inman, Roshni Patel and Taylor Walter. The student projects investigated various aspects of behavior of zebrafish and C. elegans, both model systems for the study of neurobiology. Dr. Lori McGrew and Dr. Robert Grammer accompanied the students on the trip and also directed their research.

Pharmacy Faculty, Students Start 2009 with Conferences
TSSP004.jpgFive Belmont University pharmacy students took part in the inaugural meeting of the Tennessee Society of Student Pharmacists (TSSP) on Sat., Feb. 21. Azieb Abebe, Lindsay Archer, Cassidy Domagalla, David Jones, and Zac Renfro represented Belmont as members of the Belmont TSSP chapter. In addition to participating in this year’s program, this team was able to help shape the development of this statewide organization and its future programming efforts, as well as introducing Belmont’s pharmacy program to pharmacy students enrolled in the other four Tennessee pharmacy programs.

Meanwhile, numerous faculty from the School of Pharmacy began the year attending and speaking at various conferences. Dean Phil Johnston attended the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Interim Meeting and Dean’s Retreat in Washington, D.C. Associate Dean Eric Hobson attended the Tennessee Pharmacist Association Interim Meeting and presented the association with an update of Belmont’s pharmacy program development and successes. Hobson was also a featured speaker at the Tennessee Society of Student Pharmacy meeting where he presented a session “Portfolios for Professional Success.”

Dr. Salvatore Giorgianni was the expert guest on the 96.2 WMIX morning show with Anna Marie Ritter discussing “Complimentary Medicine Use for the Management of Cold and Flu.”

Finally, Dr. Andrew Webster was the keynote speaker to a joint meeting of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Pre-pharmacy Scholars Association and the Student Chapter of the American Chemical Society, speaking about “Careers in Pharmacy.” Webster was also recently appointed to the Metro Nashville Public Health Department Emergency Preparedness Team. The appointment involves regional oversight of the Strategic National Stockpile services, with emphasis on receiving, shipping and storage of pharmaceuticals intended for first responder utilization during a catastrophic event.

Psychology Students Present Research at Southeastern Psychological Association
PSYatSEPA.jpgEleven psychology majors attended and presented research at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) in New Orleans on Feb. 18-21. The students were Meredith Graves, Drue Williamson, Anna Claire Bowen, Jamie Vickstrom, Luke Lancaster, Jessica Heacock, Irieon Walker, Chloe Williams, Hannah Benneyworth, Sammie Brown and Rachael Haney. Psychology faculty who attended were Drs. William Bailey, Lynn Jones, Pete Giordano and Lonnie Yandell. All faculty sponsored at least one student research project, including Dr. Michael Sullivan who was unable to attend the conference.

LeBleu Interviewed on WSMV
Lori LeBleu, director of career planning & placement in the College of Business Administration, was interviewed by WSMV's Mark Stewart for a story that aired Monday evening on the current job market in Middle Tennessee. Click here to watch the interview.

Basso Wins Country Music Showcase
jennabasso.jpgOn Sat., Feb. 21 the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business celebrated the annual Country Showcase with special guest host, Great American Country personality Nan Kelley. This year’s showcase featured student talents The Westbound Rangers, W.C. Marion, Cassidy Lynn, Steven Darden and Jenna Basso. Credits for this years’ performers include the hit television show “American Idol,” GAC, CMT’s “Can You Duet” and the Grand Ole Opry stage. “I sing in hopes of achieving a lifelong dream: taking a place in the spotlight among the leading ladies of country music,” said Jenna Basso, this year’s Country showcase winner.

Basso joins the lineup for the annual Best of the Best Showcase on April 25 at 7 p.m. in the Curb Event Center. She will perform alongside Stephen Whitfield, Future and The Strangers—winners of the Christian, Urban/Pop and Rock Showcases respectively, as well as the six winners of the ASCAP Writers’ Night Series. Continuing a tradition of recognizing music industry greats who are also dedicated to the educational process, the Curb College will name Donna Hilley as the first recipient of the Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence at the 2009 Best of the Best Showcase.

Raines Participates in NewsChannel 5's 'Open Line' Show
Dr. Pat Raines, dean of the College of Business Administration, joined NewsChannel 5's Nick Beres for a conversation on the recently passed economic stimulus package. Click here to watch the interview. On the Open Line video line, click on the “More” tab and then “Morning Line.” Then choose "Morning Line: Economic Stimulus Plan."

Smith Editorial Published in Tennessean
Dr. Bonnie Smith, associate professor of English, recently published an editorial in The Tennessean titled, "Cuts could have devastating effect on adult learners." Click here to read the article.

Parry Named Liaison to Journalism Commission
jour1103parry.jpgPam Parry, associate professor of journalism, has been named a national officer of the Small Programs Interest Group of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. In 2009-2010, she will be the liaison to the AEJMC Commission on the Status of Minorities. This is the second year she has served as an officer of the group. Last year, she was the SPIG research co-chair.





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