Symposium featured over 560 presentations and over 1,000 student presenters
Belmont hosted its inaugural SPARK Symposium on April 16, transforming campus into a celebration of student work and achievement. Instead of traditional classes being held, the day was dedicated to students showcasing projects they worked on over the academic year in the areas of Scholarship, Performance, Art, Research and Knowledge.
Previously known as the Belmont Undergraduate Research Symposium (BURS), the event was expanded to SPARK to better serve an increased demand for student presentations, attendance and discipline variety of the years.
Record-Shattering Participation
In its inaugural showing, SPARK featured 566 presentations — more than double that of previous record set by BURS in 2024 — and 1,086 student presenters. All 13 colleges were represented by presenters as opposed to only nine the previous year at BURS.
SPARK consisted of 303 short form oral presentations, 10 long form oral sessions, 150 poster presentations, 19 performances and 84 galleries sessions in total.
"I have always appreciated the strength of academics at Belmont, and SPARK demonstrated how much our community pours into each other,” said Dr. Beth Bowman, assistant dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics and head organizer of SPARK. “By holding this campus-wide symposium on a day without classes, we could see how much students and faculty wanted to attend this celebration of student work, and the Belmont community showed up. SPARK felt like an extension of the combination of academic rigor and genuine community support that is in our soul."
Lunch was catered for students, faculty and staff while the Belmont Rock Ensemble performed on the South Lawn — one of many examples of the interdisciplinary nature of Belmont’s education on display throughout the day.
“Being a college student and having the opportunity to present three times in one day is something that is so magical,” said junior biology major Sydnee Floyd. “SPARK let me present on different things that I was passionate about — science and service. It was even more incredible because my faculty mentors, my friends and my family could come to support and celebrate my research.”
I am thankful for this life-changing opportunity of sharing my dreams and passions with others, and I am blessed to have been a part of it.
Scott Hamilton — Be Undefeated
Olympic gold medalist and four-time U.S. figure skating champion Scott Hamilton delivered the SPARK keynote address, sponsored by the AWC Family Foundation.
Hamilton’s speech, titled “Be Undefeated,” encouraged those in attendance to lean into what they are passionate about and what inspires them despite inevitable hardships.
He not only spoke about tribulations he faced throughout his skating career, but about his battles with cancer, a brain tumor, his mother’s death from cancer and how he chose to combat those setbacks in life.
“You’re going to lose some skirmishes, maybe some battles, but it doesn’t end until you take your last breath — every one of you are undefeated in some shape or form because you’re still here and you have gotten through whatever is in your past,” said Hamilton.”
Step into your dreams and aspirations with confidence and joy, because the only thing that can take away our joy is us. Joy is the lack of dream and suffering.
Expanding a Legacy
The tremendous success of SPARK 2025 represents significant growth from previous years' BURS events, both in terms of student participation and attendance.
By incorporating creative and performance-based work into the symposium’s legacy rooted in research, Belmont has created a platform that truly represents the diverse talents and academic pursuits of its student body.
The 2025 Inaugural SPARK Symposium is made possible by generous support from:
- The Donald B Ramage BURS Fund
- Provost Dr. David Gregory
- O'More College of Architecture & Design
- Jack C. Massey College of Business
- Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing
- College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
- Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business
- Office of Alumni Engagement
- Andrea Waitt Carlton Family Foundation Lecture Series
- Kern Family Foundation
Learn More
Learn more about the SPARK Symposium.