New and newly appointed leaders build on three years of growth in education, research and community care
Three years after the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS) was established, Belmont’s seven health and human sciences disciplines are finding new ways to work together. The college has founded an interdisciplinary center, launched new graduate programs and brought care directly into Nashville communities. As CPHS enters its next phase, newly appointed and continuing leaders are building on that momentum and exploring new opportunities for impact.
The work reflects CPHS’s mission to advance health and human potential through teaching, research, practice and service. For the leaders helping guide the college forward, that means creating new opportunities for students, strengthening collaboration among faculty and expanding Belmont’s impact in the community. 
Preparing Students to Lead
Dr. Edgar Diaz-Cruz has spent more than 15 years teaching pharmacy students at Belmont. As assistant dean for student and professional affairs, he now helps guide their experience from recruitment through graduation and into their careers.
His priority is helping students put what they learn into action. That includes strengthening involvement in student pharmacy organizations, where students can pursue professional development, advocacy and community engagement.
“We’re not here to save communities. We’re here to work alongside communities and learn from them,” Diaz-Cruz said.
Assistant Dean Jason Smith brings another perspective to student success. Before joining Belmont, he spent 12 years in Metro Nashville Public Schools and 15 years at Tennessee State University. At CPHS, he teaches exercise science courses while exploring ways to support recruitment, retention and student formation.
A longtime coach, Smith is taking recruitment conversations beyond traditional settings and into high school sporting events, creating opportunities to meet prospective students and their families together. He is also developing an idea for interdisciplinary student experiences in senior living communities, beginning with a potential small-scale collaboration among CPHS programs.
The focus on student success comes during a period of academic growth for the college. CPHS launched a Master of Social Work program in fall 2025, the year after Belmont celebrated 50 years of social work education. A post-professional occupational therapy doctorate also welcomed its first cohort in 2025, creating a new pathway for practicing occupational therapists interested in leadership, teaching and advanced practice.
Connecting Research and Community Care
Collaboration is also driving the college’s research and community engagement efforts. Established in 2023, the Center for Abundance, Resilience, Excellence and Spirituality (CARES) serves as a hub for interdisciplinary work across CPHS’s seven disciplines. One visible result is the Flourish Mobile Clinic, launched in 2025 to expand access to care in Nashville communities while giving Belmont students hands-on experience serving alongside health professionals.
Dr. Suzanne Greenwalt, senior associate dean for research and community partnerships, sees opportunities to build on that work. A Belmont physical therapy faculty member since 2013 and former program chair, she hopes to connect more faculty with research collaborators and community partners while continuing her own teaching and mentorship.
“What are their dreams and their goals, and how do we connect them to the right people to help make those a reality?” Greenwalt said of CPHS faculty and staff.
Another collaboration extends the college’s expertise into Nashville’s entertainment industry. Launched through a $3 million gift from the Country Music Association, the Center for Mental Health in Entertainment brings together CPHS and the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business to support artists, creatives and entertainment professionals through research, education and resources tailored to their work.
CMA Endowed Chair and Executive Director Debbie Carroll leads the center’s work. With more than 30 years of experience in entertainment and mental health, she hopes the partnership will give CPHS faculty and students new ways to work with the industry while helping prepare clinicians to understand its distinct pressures.
“I’m most excited about what we can create together that couldn’t be created within either college alone,” Carroll said.
Dr. Dorothy Wallis, a Belmont social work alumna who returned as the center’s director of research, is working to better understand mental health needs across the industry, including among people whose work happens behind the scenes. She plans to build on early focus groups and study how mental health education for music business students serves them after graduation.
“It’s cool to see a snapshot of what’s going on right now, but how can we impact change in three years?” Wallis said.
Turning Support Into Opportunity
Supporting these efforts requires not only faculty expertise and community partnerships, but also philanthropic investment.
Alex Murray, director of development for the health sciences, joined the CPHS team after fundraising roles in health care and community organizations. He works with faculty to identify opportunities that align donor interests with the college’s priorities, from student scholarships to community-based initiatives.
For Murray, successful fundraising is about more than securing a gift. He wants supporters to see the tangible difference their investment can make in students’ lives and in the communities CPHS serves.
“I’m really excited for this next year... seeing CPHS grow, seeing Belmont continue to grow philanthropically, and what that’s going to do for the students,” Murray said.
Looking Ahead
From new programs and the Flourish Mobile Clinic to emerging research in entertainment mental health, CPHS’s growth has created more ways for its disciplines to learn from one another and serve the community. Its leaders see the next chapter as a chance to deepen those connections and give more students and faculty a role in shaping what comes next.
“We have the potential to do anything,” Greenwalt said.
Learn more about the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences