2023 Otterbein University Commencement Program, Otterbein University

Commencement

Program for the 2023 Otterbein University commencement ceremony.

2023 Baccalaureate Commencement Otterbein University Program, Otterbein University

Commencement

Program for the 2023 Baccalaureate Commencement Service.

2023 Nurse Anesthesia Graduation Awards Ceremony Program, Otterbein University

Commencement

Program for the 2023 Otterbein University Nurse Anesthesia Graduation Awards Ceremony.

An Increase In Alumni Giving, Sarah Moss

The Voice

No abstract provided.

Gomez Receives Cccu's Young Alumni Award, Sarah Moss

The Voice

No abstract provided.

Sara (Wheeler) Mcdaniel '98 (Renovation Takes Root), Jon Merryman

Press Releases

If you’ve ever wondered why Minden, La., is called “the friendliest city in the South,” one visit with Sara McDaniel ’98 explains it all. She is genuine, friendly, humble and kind – much like others you’ll meet in this sweet, Southern town.

After teaching elementary students in Texas for 10 years, McDaniel shifted to a career that supported teachers through educational sales and consulting. During this time, she went through a difficult divorce, struggling with what was next.

After feeling the Lord leading her to return home to Louisiana in 2014, McDaniel set her sights on restoring a cottage built …

Ann (Owen) Chami '83 (Caring Builds Connection), Felley Lawson, Office Of Communications & Marketing

Press Releases

It’s often been said that you can’t kid a kidder. Ann Chami ’83 would say that you can’t kid a kid.

“Children have the unique ability to discern how adults feel about them,” said Chami, a veteran educator who serves as head of lower school at Little Rock Christian Academy. “If they know you genuinely care for them and love them, they will do anything for you.”

Chami earned a Bachelor of Science in Education degree in early childhood education from Ouachita in 1983 and spent the next 20 years teaching first, second or third grade before becoming an …

Chris Babb '99 (Instructor Of Communications And Director Of Sports Media Productions), Anna Roussel, Office Of Communications & Marketing

Press Releases

As a senior communications major at Ouachita, Chris Babb ’99 sat across the desk from his advisor, Dr. Bill Downs, and told him he might want to teach. He was not sure what was pulling him in that direction but knew his future job also would involve sports.

“Dr. Downs told me, ‘Don’t do that. Go out in the world and get some experience, and then in 20 years if something comes available, you’ll have experience and you can teach,’” Babb said. “That was in the spring of 1999. In the spring of 2019, exactly 20 years later, was when …

Honoring Firsts (Green-Blevins Rotunda Dedication To Ouachita's First African American Graduates), Felley Lawson, Office Of Communications & Marketing

Press Releases

Carolyn Jean Green and the late Gustine Blevins, who in 1966 became the first African American graduates in Ouachita’s history, were celebrated Nov. 12 when the Green-Blevins Rotunda was dedicated in their honor.

The community-wide service and reception brought a standing-room-only crowd of students, faculty, staff and visitors to the refurbished rotunda in McClellan Hall at 10 a.m. for a program featuring guest speakers Green and Dr. LaJuan Martin, Blevins’ son.

“I have felt like I’m truly coming home,” said Green, the first Black student to live in a Ouachita dorm and pledge a social club, options she didn’t have …

2023 Otterbein Honors Convocation Program, Otterbein University

Commencement

Program for the 2023 academic honors convocation.

Ouachita To House One Of The First Two University-Based Locations Of Tacos 4 Life, Felley Lawson, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

Ouachita Baptist University will be one of the first two colleges to welcome Tacos 4 Life to its campus when the Arkansas-based restaurant chain launches an outlet in Ouachita’s Evans Student Center in Fall 2023.

The addition of a Tacos 4 Life venue reflects the university’s momentum in enhancing the student experience at Ouachita, where 98% of undergraduates live in one of nine residence halls or six apartment complexes and source most of their meals on campus. A remodel of Evans Food Court in the student center will make space for Tacos 4 Life to be located next to Chick-fil-A; …

Ouachita Alumni Further Technology In Schools With Apptegy, Kaitlyn Stoddard, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

Ouachita Baptist University has sustained momentum in equipping students for postgraduate success, consistently reporting career outcomes rates that far exceed the national average. Graduates are pursuing opportunities in a variety of fields, including technology. For example, five alumni working at Apptegy, an education software company in Little Rock, Ark., are developing software for K-12 school marketing. Their contributions include software engineering, designing user-friendly interfaces and ensuring client success with Apptegy products.

March 2023 Bulldog Alumni & Friends News, Kari Jones, Garrett King

Bulldog Alumni & Friends News

Alumni Philip (04) and Heather Busey (07) recently donated an original piece of artwork to SWOSU. The art was created by Choctaw Master Artist, D.G. Smalling of Oklahoma City.

Winter 2023, Southwestern Oklahoma State University Office Of Institutional Advancement And Alumni

Echoes from the Hill

From the President

Dear Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) alumni, emeriti, & friends –

I hope that this issue of Echoes From The Hill finds you and yours well. Here on the SWOSU Hilltop we are reflecting on a year of enrollment growth and significant accomplishments. We are looking forward to reaching new heights in the year ahead.

In these pages you will be able to learn about many great things happening here at SWOSU! This past summer we broke ground on the Jerry & Margaret Hodge Center for Pharmacy & Rural Health. This was the first groundbreaking for an …

Summer 2023, Southwestern Oklahoma State University Office Of Institutional Advancement And Alumni

Echoes from the Hill

From the President

Dear Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) alumni, emeriti, & friends –

I hope that this issue of Echoes From The Hill finds you and yours well. Here on the SWOSU Hilltop our students and faculty are engaged in Summer Semester coursework and our dedicated staff are preparing for the Fall Semester which begins in August.

We are so proud of our Distinguished Alumnae, Dr. Henrietta Mann, who, among many other honors, recently received the National Humanities Medal in a special White House ceremony. You can learn about the ongoing work of this incredible academician and leader in …

Gtf Global Tracer Survey 2022 (Year 7) - Survey Instrument Items, Australia Awards Global Tracer Facility

Australia Awards Global Tracer Facility

This survey instrument for the Year 7 Global Tracer Facility (GTF) Global Tracer Survey 2022 outlines the survey sections, area of focus, type of question and response options. The questions in the survey relate to the Australian development scholarship/fellowship which participants have previously completed.

Recent Community College Alumni: Increasing Donors Through Communication And Engagement, Beverly Loraine Rufty

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Due to ongoing financial cuts and budget restraints, community colleges have turned to alumni association fundraising to support their mission and advance their institution. Fundraising for any organization is challenging, but community college alumni institutions have a more difficult time than their university counterparts in recruiting alumni donor support. Community college alumni associations must maintain effective communication to successfully engage recent alumni and build relationships with potential donors. The purpose of this study was to analyze the literature and data collection using a convergent mixed methods design to address the lack of financial support from recent community college alumni. This …

A Lifelong Network: Perceptions And Experiences Of First-Generation Alums After Graduation, Allison Toney

Theses and Dissertations

As first-generation students transition to college graduates, the question lies in whether institutions of higher education are continuing to provide opportunities for them as alums. As a result of first-generation college students being the first in their family to attend college, students may enter college not knowing what to expect. But institutions have evolved to provide services, resources and opportunities that support their success while enrolled. Upon graduation, the process of transitioning out of college can be a challenging time for students as they seek post-graduation success. Some institutions offer support and resources tailored specifically to first-generation graduates or graduates …

Pipe(R) Dreams Become A Reality, Sarah Moss

The Voice

No abstract provided.

Blom's Life Takes New Trajectory, Mike Billeter

The Voice

No abstract provided.

Honoring Vets Through Flights, Sarah Moss

The Voice

No abstract provided.

Pacific Magazine 2022, University Of The Pacific

Pacific Magazine and Pacific Review

No abstract provided.

Jacob Keith Watson ('11) (Captivating Audiences On Broadway And Beyond, Kiki Schleiff Cherry, Office Of Communications & Marketing

Press Releases

Actor, singer, Broadway performer and Ouachita graduate Jacob Keith Watson fell in love with the university while attending Super Summer camp on campus as a teenager. He was drawn by the discovery that the school had a musical theatre major—the only one in Arkansas at the time.

"One thing that was important to me was experience," Watson said. "I could do the operas, I could do the Shakespeare, I could do the contemporary plays, I could do the musicals." He was also able to stage-manage and design lighting and sound, which helped him become a "whole theatre artist," he said.

Matthew Shepherd ('98) (Pursuing People-First Politics), Jon Merryman, Office Of Communications & Marketing

Press Releases

There are a few things that seem to be in Matthew Shepherd's DNA—politics, law, Arkansas and Ouachita. He is a fifth-generation Ouachitonian, a family legacy starting with his great-great-grandfather, who attended Ouachita in the 1890s. It was his father's career that exposed him to the possibilities in the legal field, and he became an elected official somewhat unexpectedly.

"Growing up with my father as an attorney and later a judge—and my mother being a U.S. history teacher—law and politics were subjects I grew up around," Shepherd said. He earned a B.A. in history and political science from Ouachita in 1998 …

Holly (Burris) Kyzer ('00) (Director Of Dietetic Internship Program And Assistant Professor Of Dietetics), Jon Merryman, Office Of Communications & Marketing

Press Releases

Growing up around Ouachita's campus, Holly Kyzer knew Ouachita was going to be an integral part of her life, but she never guessed she would be a faculty member, much less an instrumental part of re-launching graduate programs at the university.

She earned her bachelor's degree from Ouachita in biology, with the goal of serving the community as a doctor. When she discovered the sight of blood was a problem for her, she recalibrated her career plans to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

Ouachita To Present "A Service Of Lessons And Carols" On Dec. 6, Kaelin Clay, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

Ouachita Baptist University’s Division of Music will present its 24th annual “A Service of Lessons and Carols” on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in McBeth Recital Hall. The service is free and open to the public.

A Service of Lessons and Carols features Advent scripture reading alternated with Christmas carols, inviting audience members to explore and celebrate Jesus’ birth and sing along to familiar songs.

The Ouachita Singers, featured choral ensemble for the evening, is directed by Dr. Joshua Brown, director of choral activities at Ouachita.

Ouachita Presents 30th Annual Festival Of Christmas On Dec. 2-3, Kaitlyn Stoddard, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

Ouachita Baptist University’s School of Fine Arts will present its 30th annual holiday program, A Festival of Christmas, on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 2–3, in Jones Performing Art Center.

The Friday performance begins at 7:30 p.m., and the Saturday show starts at 2:30 p.m.

“We are so excited to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of Festival of Christmas and Jones Performing Arts Center,” said Dr. Joshua Brown, co-director of the performance and director of choral activities at Ouachita. “This year we will have cookies and hot chocolate with Santa one hour prior to each performance, as well as an alumni …

Ouachita's Ian Cosh Receives Honorary Doctorate From Liverpool Hope University, Kaitlyn Stoddard, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

Ian Cosh, vice president emeritus for community and international engagement at Ouachita Baptist University, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Education degree from Liverpool (England) Hope University in July 2022 at the university’s graduation ceremony in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Gerald Pillay, vice chancellor and rector of Hope, notified Cosh at the end of the Spring 2021 semester that he was to receive the degree in recognition of his contributions to international education and support of Hope over many years. Cosh said he was “blown away by the honor because it was totally unexpected and one of the greatest honors …

Outstanding Alumni Honored During Ouachita's Homecoming Festivities Oct. 8, Felley Lawson, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

Five Ouachita Baptist University graduates received the university’s Alumni Milestone Award on Saturday, Oct. 8. Based on their professional achievements, community service and dedication to their alma mater, the honorees were selected by a committee of Ouachita faculty and staff and Dr. Ben Sells, Ouachita president.

“Exemplary graduates are nominated every year for the Alumni Milestone Award,” Sells said. “Our goal is to select inductees who, by the way they live their lives, represent our amazing alumni and demonstrate the qualities that make Ouachita, Ouachita.”

Scholarship Endowed At Ouachita To Honor David Sharp, Julie Shands, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

An endowed athletic scholarship has been established at Ouachita Baptist University in honor of David Sharp, the university’s director of athletics, and his more than four decades of service to Ouachita.

“I’m not sure there’s a better feeling than being recognized by your teammates, peers, colleagues, fellow alumni and friends,” said Sharp. “I am so honored that all these people had a part in establishing this endowed scholarship. It’s quite humbling, and it’s good to know that we’ll be able to assist future Ouachita football players in pursuing their dream of playing college football and earning a college degree.”