MiraVia is a non-profit organization that offers a safe haven for pregnant mothers and their children. They provide a home, meals, counseling, medical treatment, everything needed for baby, and even an opportunity to attend college at Belmont Abbey. The goal of MiraVia is to assist women to succeed in life and help set them up for that success while celebrating their pregnancy, their birth, their child, and their family.
Abbey Excellence
Mental Health Treatment in Correctional Institutions
In April 2023, Belmont Abbey College students participated in the 2nd Annual Undergraduate Research Conference. Click here for a complete list of participants.
Criminal Justice Major, Anna Li, presented her research on the topic, Mental Health Treatment in Correctional Institutions. See her full presentation below.
Dr. Matthew Siebert Receives the Adrian Award For Teaching Excellence
Belmont, N.C. (May 9, 2023) – On May 2, 2023, the 32nd Annual Academic Awards ceremony took place in the Haid Ballroom at Belmont Abbey College and Dr. Matthew Siebert was awarded the Adrian Award for Teaching Excellence. The Adrian Award for Teaching Excellence was established in 1984 with the support of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Adrian to acknowledge and reward outstanding teaching performance by faculty members at Belmont Abbey College.
Dr. Matthew Siebert, Chair of the Philosophy Department, was chosen as this year’s Adrian Award for Faculty Teaching Excellence winner. Travis Feezell, Provost at Belmont Abbey College, shares, “Dr. Siebert has been a wonderful presence on our campus as a scholar, teacher, and mentor since his arrival in 2016.” Dr. Siebert arrived at the Abbey in 2016, and has since led the Philosophy department that plays a key role in the formation of new priests for the Charlotte Diocese. The diocesan seminarians receive their Bachelor’s of Philosophy from Belmont Abbey College before going on to major seminary to complete their priestly formation. Under Siebert’s leadership, the philosophy department has grown and carries out the critical mission of forming priests and students as they seek to answer fundamental human questions rooted in Catholic intellectual tradition.
A true conveyor of the Benedictine hallmarks, Dr. Siebert brings a sense of clarity to complex texts and ideas because of his passion and energy for the great books and his desire and love for truth. Beloved by both students and faculty, a Belmont Abbey student shares, “[I’ve] taken several courses with him, and he is by far the most energetic and hilarious professor I’ve taken. He takes his work seriously and expects you to as well. If you need help or have questions, he is always more than glad to be available.”
In September of 2022, the U.S. News & World Report selected Belmont Abbey College as the Top Institution for Undergraduate Teaching in the U.S. Southern Region of colleges for the 2022-23 year. Belmont Abbey is a place where students can learn, seek, and thrive in an authentic and supportive environment guided by exceptional faculty who are experts in their fields and upstanding members of their communities.
In sharing why he believes Belmont Abbey College was ranked #1 in Undergraduate Teaching, Dr. Siebert explains, “When students come to my philosophy classes, I usually see someone who wants to understand life. I keep asking them the tough questions in class and guiding them in trying to answer the questions themselves. We’re part of a great tradition that’s continuing, and even if it’s neglected elsewhere, it’s continuing here, and we’re doing it out of love.” The outstanding faculty at Belmont Abbey College guide students to find truth in the classroom and give them the tools needed to succeed once they leave the Abbey. The faculty draw students into the great Benedictine tradition of Belmont Abbey and encourage them to pursue excellence and virtue in all that they do.
Undergraduate Research Conference
Author: Dr. Erin Jensen
Congrats to the 55 students that participated in the 2nd Annual Undergraduate Research Conference!
Students from almost all majors presented on their topics. From English to Political Philosophy to Biology to Sports Management to Economics to Computer Science to Education to Business and most of the other majors as well. Student demographics included freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
This event is scheduled to be held every year on Founder’s Day. We encourage everyone to participate next April.
| Presenter | Research Topic |
|---|---|
| Christopher Ahern | Individual Difference in Responses to Racist Humor |
| Megan Baker | The Benefits of Peer Tutors and Students |
| Eunjae Benson | The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children with Autism |
| Sarah Blankenship | Raising Teachers’ Salaries |
| Hailey Boda | On Higher Dimensions |
| Paige D’Agostin | The Influence of Age and Political Ideology on the Justifiability of the Death Penalty |
| Christopher Duarte | Promoting Equity in Compensation Across all Collegiate Sports |
| William Duffy | Concealed Carry and Economic Success |
| Renzo Fassioli | The Effect of Crime Victimhood and Attendance of Religious Services on American’s Views of the Justifiability of the Death Penalty |
| Jada Foster | Football Team Proposal |
| Ruby Foster | Football Team Proposal |
| John (Patrick) Gallagher | The Advantages of Philosophy and Liberal Arts in Business |
| Isabela Gallardo | Human Impact on Marine Life |
| Michelle Guppy | The Type of Colorectal Screening Effect on Death Rate per State |
| Robert Hill | Russian Military Logistical Shortcomings and Failure to Modernize |
| Tucker Hoeniges | Higher Education: Counting the Costs, Maximizing the Benefits |
| Sarah Holley | The Role of Phonological and Visual Processing Deficiencies in Developmental Dyslexia |
| Trevor Humphries | The Power of a Search: Staying Safe on World Wide Web |
| Mariah Jones | Child Maltreatment and Adult Criminality |
| Amanda Johnson | The Role of Attachment in Treating Partner-Violent Men |
| Adonis Johnson | Edge Coloring Disjoint Edges on Geometric Complete Graphs |
| Kendra Kerr | Belmont Abbey New Parking Ideas |
| Anthony Klein | ‘The Prodigal Son: The Sequel; An Exploration of the Devious Townsfolk in “My Kinsman, Major Molineux” |
| Jackson Korta | Concussion Prevention |
| Peyton Lilley | Belmont Abbey Football Team Proposal |
| Seve Leoni | The Impact of Positive Coaching |
| Rorisang Lesenyego | Computers are an Important Part of the Society |
| Anna Li | Mental Health Treatment in Correctional Institutions |
| Youthan Love | With an Increase in Age, and Perceptions of Corruption in the Country, Does it Tend to Cause People to Favor Private Ownership Over Government Ownership of Businesses |
| Marissa Rose Maldonado | Riding the Edge of Cinematic Forecasting |
| Filumena Martin | Sleep Patterns in Children |
| Maura Martin | How Does Education Affect Women’s Odds of Being Married and Having Children? |
| Patrick Martin | The Geometry of the Attractors of a Family of Iterated Function Systems |
| Jamie Nunez | Invertebrate Diversity on the Belmont Abbey |
| Rachel Price | The Negative Impact of Traumatic Brain Injuries on Cognition and Implications for Quality of Life |
| Michael Shelton | Simplexity of the n-cube |
| Gregory Pakaluk | How Income and Religiosity Affect the Number of Children Parents Choose to Have |
| Timothy Shar | Convex ‘Fair’ Partitions of Convex Polygons |
| Timothy Sica | How Does Religion and Religiosity effect Political Ideology on a left-right scale |
| Caroline Stein | Edgar Allan Poe & Shakespearean Gothic |
| James Steele | Belmont Abbey Parking Lot Problems |
| Madison Teachman | Prevention of Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma |
| Danashia Tucker | The Benefits of Peer Tutors and Students |
| Lex Van den Bergh | Small Business |
| Shiyonna Wallace | Invertebrate Diversity on the Belmont Abbey Campus |
| Jonas Walton | Desire or Talent? How Genetics Shape the Physical Abilities of Professional Cyclists |
| Gary Williams | Are Electric Cars Beneficial for the Environment? |
| Will Wolfe | Food Options in Café |
| Robin Wiley | Internship Experience at Shutterfly, INC |
| David Wilson | Digestive in-vitro Amylase Activity Assay |
| Aslan Alp Wondergem | Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury and its Effects on Male Athletes |
This article was originally posted in the Spring of 2023, Issue 3 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue here.
Strengthening Abbey Athletics
Belmont Abbey College Vice President and Director of Athletics Stephen Miss has announced the transition into new roles for current Associate Athletic Directors Justin Bates and Gabrielle Reppell. Bates, Associate Athletic Director of Internal Operations and Reppell, Associate Athletic Director of External Operations will switch roles in order to continue building upon the growth and success of the athletic department.
For the past seven years, Bates has led the charge on facilities and operations and will now have the opportunity to expand upon his professional development as he pursues his ultimate goal of becoming an athletic director at the collegiate level. After a year and a half of learning and deepening her understanding of outreach and fundraising, Reppell will shift into a role that will more clearly align with her previous experience in athletics.
“The reassignment of Justin Bates’ and Gabrielle Reppell’s duties exemplifies the WIN, WIN, WIN creative solutions we look to identify and implement here at The Abbey,” Miss stated. “Justin is provided an opportunity to expand his skillset and, thereby, become even more of an asset than he already has proven himself to be – a WIN. Gabby will return to overseeing an area in which she possesses expertise and dexterity gained at previous stops along her career path and for which she exhibits tremendous passion – a WIN. Our Culture will be reinvigorated and our Department will be more efficient and productive – (BIG) WIN! I am excited to continue to work alongside Justin and Gabby as they both continue to grow professionally and to mature into becoming two of the finest Athletics Administrators in the country.”
In their new respective roles, Bates will oversee marketing, promotions, sponsorship, and donor cultivation. Reppell will now turn her attention to creating an extraordinary experience for the student-athletes, coaches, fans and guests while overseeing the maintenance and development of facilities.
Bates and Reppel were interviewed by Collegiate Sports Connect highlighting this transition.
