Fifth annual gathering highlights the people and everyday acts of care that make Belmont feel like home
Belmont’s campus came together Oct. 28 for its fifth annual Day to Dream, a celebration of community, connection and this year’s theme, “Unleashing Hospitality with Love.” 
The day began with a faculty and staff brunch in the Fisher Center lobby, where employees shared a meal, heard colleagues reflect on hospitality and celebrated this year’s SOUL Award recipients before joining the campus-wide fall festivities.
The morning set the tone for the day, offering an invitation to pause, connect and celebrate the community they help create.
Making Room to Dream
President Dr. Greg Jones reflected on the celebration’s origins and its purpose amid the demands of an academic year. As schedules fill and attention turns toward finishing the semester, he encouraged employees to make room for renewal.
He illustrated that invitation with a story about a friend who regularly picked up trash while walking around a lake. Focused on that worthwhile task, the friend had failed to notice the rose bushes blooming along the way.
For Jones, Day to Dream offers a reminder to faculty and staff — who may similarly find themselves with their heads down — to recognize the beauty and possibility surrounding the work.
“We need to take time to lift our eyes, to dream, to imagine, to give thanks for everything that’s happening,” he said.
Hospitality in Practice
The morning also featured a panel discussion exploring what “Unleashing Hospitality with Love” looks like in everyday life at Belmont. Moderated by Hope Buckner, the conversation brought together a group of faculty and staff — Keith Chapman, Carmen Reese Foster, Luke LePage and Martha Ezell — to share how colleagues across campus create a sense of belonging through their work and relationships. 
Their examples were often simple: listening closely, greeting someone by name, helping a visitor find their destination or making intentional time for a colleague. Panelists also recognized employees whose kindness had shaped their own experiences, turning the discussion into a celebration of people throughout the University.
Foster, MSW program director and assistant professor of social work, described listening as essential to creating a welcoming environment.
“I think that we can’t get to belonging and welcoming if we don’t know what people’s needs are,” she said.
Ezell, a nursing faculty member and assistant dean for alumni and community relations, recalled entering a difficult year feeling depleted and confiding in former Dean Dr. Chris Algren. In the months that followed, Algren would quietly stop at her desk and place a hand on her shoulder.
“She didn’t even have to say anything,” Ezell said. “It was just her showing up and putting her hand on my shoulder to let me know she was with me, and I’ll never forget that.”
Together, the stories emphasized hospitality as a daily practice rooted in attention, service and care.
Recognizing Belmont’s SOUL
The brunch also honored two employees with SOUL Awards, which recognize significant, often unrecognized contributions from colleagues who champion hope, love, joy, humility and wisdom.
Dr. Erin Behnen, senior associate dean of academic innovation and effectiveness and professor of pharmacy practice in the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, received the faculty award. Recognized for leading through a period of significant transformation, Behnen was celebrated for her grace, wisdom, humility and commitment to uplifting others.
Jamie Zeller, assistant dean of students and director of fitness & recreation, received the staff award. His recognition highlighted his efforts to celebrate the unseen work of colleagues and cultivate a shared practice of gratitude within his division.
Additional faculty and staff nominated by their colleagues for this year’s SOUL Awards included:
- Martha Ezell
- Darcy Finch
- Laurie Gavilo-Lane
- Steve Guthrie
- Linda “Lynn” Jones
- Karen Bennett
- Maren Bishop
- Haley Charlton
- Amy Hardy
- Trisha Murphy
- Noah Nance
- Tim Stewart
- Lisa Weaver
SOUL Award Winners
Dr. Jeremy Fyke and Dr. D’Angelo Taylor present the SOUL Faculty Award to Dr. Edgar Diaz-Cruz on Dr. Erin Behnen's behalf.
Dr. Jeremy Fyke and Dr. D’Angelo Taylor present the SOUL Staff Award to Jamie Zeller.
A Campus Celebration
Following brunch, the celebration extended across campus with carnival activities, inflatables and seasonal experiences. Pumpkin Palooza brought pumpkin painting, firepits and s’mores to South Lawn, while campus offices, departments and student organizations welcomed children and families for community trick-or-treating.
Alumni were also invited to return, reconnect and share the festivities, with an evening mixer continuing the gathering.
From the morning’s stories to the afternoon’s opportunities for play, Day to Dream gave the Belmont community time to experience the hospitality it had gathered to celebrate.
