Education Commons^™

Dr. Rickey Rogers Named Ouachita's Vice President For Student Development, Felley Lawson, Ouachita News Bureau

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Dr. Rickey Rogers has been named vice president for student development at Ouachita Baptist University, effective June 1.

Rogers has served as dean of students and director of residence life at Ouachita since 2017. When he takes on his new role, he will succeed Dr. Wesley Kluck. Although Kluck is stepping down as vice president for student development, he will continue to serve Ouachita as university physician.

Ouachita Singers Selected To Perform During All-State Conference On Feb. 18, Abigail Blankenship, Ouachita News Bureau

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The Ouachita Singers from Ouachita Baptist University was selected to perform in Hot Springs, Ark., at the Arkansas All-State Conference on Friday, Feb. 18, at 8:30 p.m. in Hot Springs Convention Center Hall A.

The annual Arkansas All-State Conference recognizes the accomplishments of Arkansas high school students who are selected for an All-State Choir or Band and brings them together to perform.

“The Ouachita Singers were the only college choir selected in the state of Arkansas to perform at this conference,” said Dr. Joshua Brown, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities at Ouachita. “It is a tremendous …

Ouachita Chapter Of Sai To Host American Musicale Honors Recital On Feb. 18, Felley Lawson, Ouachita News Bureau

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The Ouachita Baptist University chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI) music fraternity will host its annual American Musicale Honors Recital on Friday, Feb. 18, from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall, 455 Campus Drive. The recital is free and open to the public.

“This is our third American Musicale Honors Recital; it is becoming an annual event,” said faculty sponsor Dr. Margaret Garrett, professor of music at Ouachita, adding that the recital gives students a place to promote and present music by American composers only. “Past performances have included spirituals, classical art songs, opera arias, …

Ouachita To Host Ceramics Exhibit By Logan Hunter And Hannah May, Ouachita News Bureau

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The Rosemary Gossett Adams Department of Art & Design in Ouachita Baptist University’s School of Fine Arts is hosting an exhibit of ceramics works by Arkansas artists Logan Hunter and Hannah May through Feb. 18 in the Adams Gallery of Moses-Provine Hall. The exhibit is part of Ouachita’s 2021-22 Guest Artist Series; it is free and open to the public.

Hunter and May met and began collaborating as studio art students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Since 2012, they have taught ceramics and helped establish community ceramics classes and spaces around the state. They work out of …

Ouachita's Dr. Jerusa Carvajal Gives Presentation At The Park School Of Baltimore, Julie Shands, Ouachita News Bureau

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Dr. Jerusa Carvajal, assistant professor of Spanish at Ouachita Baptist University, was a guest speaker during The Park School of Baltimore’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration in October. Hosted by the Spanish section of the school’s modern language department, Carvajal gave a cultural presentation on Ecuador, her homeland, and lectured on Latin American literature written by women.

Located in the Baltimore suburb of Brooklandville, Md., The Park School is a private day school for students in pre-K through grade 12. Carvajal’s background well-prepared her to play an important role in the school’s celebration, which was held to highlight and emphasize the …

Ouachita Announces Students Named To Fall 2021 Dean's List, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University has named 416 students to its Fall 2021 Dean’s List.

To be named to the Dean’s List, a student must compile a 3.5-3.9 grade point average and be classified as a full-time student, with a minimum of 12 academic hours and have no incomplete or failing grade for the semester.

A Degree Of Difference: Haylee Cook Among Ouachita's First Master's Cohort In Aba, Felley Lawson, Ouachita News Bureau

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A couple years out of college, Haylee Cook knew her calling. She just didn’t know what it was called. After Cook earned a degree in psychology from Henderson State University, she and her husband, Matthew, a 2014 Ouachita graduate, left Arkadelphia so that he could pursue family ministry at a church in Alabama. When the couple’s daughter, Leland, was born, “I had zero motivation for graduate school,” Cook said. “I wanted to be the best mom I could be, and support Matthew in his ministry.”

Ouachita Receives Initial Approval For 4-Year Bsn Program In Arkadelphia, Felley Lawson, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s Department of Nursing has been initially approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN) to begin recruiting and admitting students to its 4-year, residential Bachelor of Science in Nursing pre-licensure program option. The first cohort will start the program at the beginning of the Fall 2022 semester.

Prior to earning initial approval on Jan. 6, 2022, Ouachita’s program was granted pre-requisite approval by the ASBN on Sept. 9, 2021.

“Ouachita’s experienced faculty is well prepared to offer a high-quality, student-centered nursing education to help meet the demand for nurses,” said Dr. Brenda Trigg, director of nursing …

From The "Ouachitonian": Julianna Parsons, Angela Webb, Ouachita News Bureau

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Julianna Parsons, a freshman business entrepreneurship major from Celina, Texas, is Madame Pastry. Parsons has baked recreationally and professionally in her time as a baker and has drawn her inspiration from the sweeter things life has to offer.

From The "Ouachitonian": Dawson Bray, Madi Darr, Ouachita News Bureau

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Being in love with the music industry gave Dawson Bray, senior music industry major from Little Rock, the drive to succeed as a musician. Bray decided to spend his pandemic summer in Nashville, Tenn., as an intern at the music label SSM Nashville on Music Row.

From The "Ouachitonian": Hunter Swoboda, Caroline Johnson, Ouachita News Bureau

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TikTok took the world by storm in 2020 as a social media app that allows users to create and share fun videos. Each video can consist of dancing, comedy or anything in between. Hunter Swoboda, a junior political science and business double major from Bentonville, did not hesitate to jump on the TikTok bandwagon. When he first downloaded the app, Swoboda said, “It was just for fun. I wasn’t expecting to get a lot of followers or attention.”

From The "Ouachitonian": Levi Dade, Kathryn Totty, Ouachita News Bureau

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While on a mission to answer his questions about Christianity, Levi Dade, a sophomore Christian Studies and Spanish double major from Senatobia, Miss., started his podcast, Defending Christianity. Through his podcast, Dade’s goal was to answer common questions regarding the Christian faith.

From The "Ouachitonian": Wade Wilson, Anna Roussel, Ouachita News Bureau

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Wade Wilson, a Christian studies major from Springdale, was one of only two sophomores to be selected as a Tiger Tunes Rewind host. Prior to being selected, Wilson loved to sing and play guitar but did not have an outlet to do so. After seeing that sign-ups had opened for Tunes host, several friends encouraged him to take a chance. He decided to try out.

From The "Ouachitonian": Abbigale Sullins, Caroline Johnson, Ouachita News Bureau

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The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic left many students with ruined plans during the summer of 2020. For sophomore music and chemistry major Abbi Sullins from Benton, that was not the case. Sullins worked as a medical screener for the coronavirus at the Saline Memorial Hospital in her hometown of Benton. Sullins had a history at Saline Memorial as her mother Amy worked in the hospital for many years when Sullins was a child.

From The "Ouachitonian": Caroline Johnson, Sophia Talley, Ouachita News Bureau

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In the summer of 2020, the United States was a breeding center for historic riots and the battle grounds for a pandemic. While most citizens watched these historic happenings on the news, Caroline Johnson, a sophomore political science major from Springdale, interned in Washington, D.C., aiding the nation’s leaders in a time of crisis.

From The "Ouachitonian": Ben Blocker, Greg Bryant, Sean Mckinney And James Renshaw, Anna Roussel, Ouachita News Bureau

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While most people were stuck in quarantine for the summer, a few students opted to spend their time in the last frontier. Juniors Greg Bryant, James Renshaw, Ben Blocker and Sean McKinney spent nearly two months on salmon boats in Alaska. Just when they thought they would be having an uneventful time off, their plans changed within a matter of days.

From The "Ouachitonian": Drs. Mary Chung And Carlos Feller, Mackenzie Hall, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita music professors Mary Chung and Carlos Feller have been traveling the world together for 11 years sharing their love and passion for music by performing and educating others. At a young age, Chung and Feller both found music as their refuge. Chung moved to the Dominican Republic where she encountered a language and culture barrier; she retreated to music as her escape. This led her to enroll at a conservatory where she began to earnestly study music. Feller attended a technical school, a specialized high school, at the age of 15. At that mere age, Feller was living in …

From The "Ouachitonian": Rickey Rogers, Jr., Kathryn Totty, Ouachita News Bureau

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For Rickey Rogers Jr., a freshman communications and psychology double major from Arkadelphia, Ouachita has always been home. When Rogers was 10 years old, his family moved into O.C. Bailey Hall because of his father’s new position as the Tigers’ wide receiver coach and residence hall director.

From The "Ouachitonian": Riley Carson, Mackenzie Hall, Ouachita News Bureau

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What seemed like the flu for senior Riley Carson, a worship arts major from Springdale, turned into several nights of hospital stays throughout Spring 2020. In late February 2020, Carson went home for several weeks because of what he thought was the flu. After a trip to the emergency room and a negative test result for the flu, Carson was told he could return to Ouachita. However, Carson’s stay on campus did not last long.

From The "Ouachitonian": Kiyia Floyd, Mallory Wallace, Ouachita News Bureau

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One of the most common questions Ouachita students were asked was, “How did you end up at Ouachita?” Every story is unique. Some have family roots that run deep; others chose Ouachita because it “felt like home.” Regardless of the reason, there was a point in each student’s life that made the decision to further their education at Ouachita Baptist University. For Kiyia Floyd, a junior business major from Jacksonville, her decision to transfer to Ouachita came as a result of smaller moments that stuck with her over time.

From The "Ouachitonian": Allyson Oliver, Gracen Goudy, Ouachita News Bureau

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With the unknowns that carried into the summer, junior political science and psychology major Allyson Oliver from Conway wondered if the internship she had in place would carry through. She had the privilege to intern in the public affairs office of Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. Fortunately, Oliver’s experience was only delayed a month due to the pandemic and was virtual only a portion of the time.

From The "Ouachitonian": Hannah Pilcher, Madi Darr, Ouachita News Bureau

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Hannah Pilcher, the resident director of Frances Crawford Hall, found a unique opportunity for ministry within her job in the freshman girls’ dorm. Pilcher is originally from Little Rock and has spent the past eight years pouring into the lives of freshmen girls and resident assistants, as a student and as an RD. Her time at Ouachita inspired Pilcher to build relationships with others that directly parallels her experience as a student.

From The "Ouachitonian": Eric Phillips, Mallory Wallace, Ouachita News Bureau

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Emily Watson’s family owns Joyhouse Coffee Company, a premium Haitian coffee company dedicated to providing joy with every cup of coffee. Being a part of such a special exchange represents everything Watson loves.

From The "Ouachitonian": Emily Watson, Emily Barton, Ouachita News Bureau

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One family’s dream to help a country that they do not even live in has encouraged their daughter to lead a life in the same servant-hearted way. Emily Watson’s family owns Joyhouse Coffee Company, a premium Haitian coffee company dedicated to providing joy with every cup of coffee. Being a part of such a special exchange represents everything Watson loves.

From The "Ouachitonian": Dr. Wesley Kluck, Madison Cresswell, Ouachita News Bureau

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After moving back to Arkadelphia, his hometown and town of his alma mater, following his time in medical school and residency, Dr. Wesley Kluck was asked what his dream job was while playing a newlywed game at church. “My answer was always to work at Ouachita Baptist University,” said Kluck.

From The "Ouachitonian": Elizabeth And Madeline Steely, Julia Shands, Ouachita News Bureau

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Most Ouachita students have several different roommates for four years during their time in Arkadelphia, but for twin sisters Elizabeth and Madeline Steely, having a roommate is all they have ever known. The Steely twins have shared a room together for as long as they can remember, and that tradition continued throughout their years at Ouachita.

From The "Ouachitonian": Kirsten Swanson, Mackenzie Hall, Ouachita News Bureau

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As high school graduation grew near for Kirsten Swanson, a dietetics and nutrition major from Canyon Lake, Texas, she struggled to make a college decision. After realizing she was unsure of what she wanted to do career-wise, Swanson decided to take the year off and started her journey for what would become a seven-year gap period.

From The "Ouachitonian": Saboot Esho, Mackenzie Hall, Ouachita News Bureau

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Sabaoot Esho, an international student from Erbil, Iraq, made a 6,841-mile trip to small-town Arkadelphia to attend college at Ouachita Baptist University at the mere age of 17. Before moving to America, Esho had only seen Ouachita’s campus through a computer screen. From her first steps on campus, Esho immediately felt welcomed and seemed at home.

From The "Ouachitonian": Lindsey Crowder, Julia Shands, Ouachita News Bureau

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Learning how to overcome challenges is a skill that some acquire throughout a lifetime. However, for Lindsey Crowder, a senior psychology major from Bentonville, understanding how to face adversity became a way of life at the age of two.

From The "Ouachitonian": Sam Conine, Sophia Talley, Ouachita News Bureau

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Many students spent quarantine with their eyes glued to the screen, but Sam Conine, a freshman business entrepreneurship major from Little Rock, was on the other side of the camera. Over the summer, Conine wrote, produced, directed and starred in “AEGIS,” the film of his dreams.