Education Commons^™

Ouachita Achieves Top Graduation Rate Among All Colleges In Arkansas, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University has earned the honor of attaining the top university graduation rate in Arkansas, according to the latest data compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics. The report follows other recent recognitions, including Ouachita being ranked as the No. 1 private university in Arkansas by Niche.com.

Mary Pat Anthony To Be Honored Oct. 19 At Stepping Up For Ouachita, Trennis Henderson, Ouachita News Bureau

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Mary Pat Cook Anthony, a longtime educator who holds two degrees from Ouachita Baptist University, will be honored by her alma mater at Ouachita’s eighth annual Stepping Up for Ouachita luncheon. The event, which helps fund scholarships for female students at Ouachita, will be held Thursday, Oct. 19, at 11 a.m. at the Benton Event Center in Benton, Ark.

Ouachita To Host “Small Works On Paper” Exhibit Featuring Arkansas Artists Oct. 5-27, Bethany Lenards, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s Department of Visual Arts will host “Small Works on Paper,” an exhibit sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council, Oct. 5-27 in the Rosemary Gossett Adams Galleries in Moses-Provine Hall. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

More Than 800 Ouachita Students, Faculty And Staff ‘Serve Arkadelphia’ For Fall Tiger Serve Day, Sarah Davis, Ouachita News Bureau

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A total of 805 students, faculty and staff from Ouachita Baptist University served the community of Arkadelphia during Tiger Serve Day on Saturday, Sept. 23, including 27 volunteers who were involved in hurricane relief efforts in Houston, Texas. A total of 111 Tiger Serve Day projects were completed by 110 volunteer teams.

Ouachita Singers And Women’S Chorus Concert Set For Oct.10, Sarah Davis, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s Ouachita Singers and Women’s Chorus will present their annual fall concert on Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 7:30. The concert, which will be held in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall, will be free and open to the public.

Ouachita Announces $1 Million Gift; Trustees Authorize Berry Bible/Horne Center Project, Trennis Henderson, Ouachita News Bureau

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Hearing positive reports about Ouachita Baptist University’s recent enrollment and endowment growth, the university’s Board of Trustees addressed a variety of budget, personnel and facility-related issues during their quarterly board meeting held Sept. 21 on Ouachita’s Arkadelphia campus.

Citing Ouachita’s 17.9 percent growth in first-time freshman enrollment for the fall semester and an endowment increase of more than $7 million to a total of $108 million, Ouachita President Ben Sells told trustees, “We are stronger because of enrollment growth and endowment growth.”

Ouachita To Host World-Renowned Pianist Dr. Yoosun Kang In Concert Oct. 3, Rachel Bruton, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s Division of Music will host Dr. Yoosun Kang in a piano concert on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m. in McBeth Recital Hall. This concert is free and open to the public.

Dr. Kang, a native of South Korea, currently serves as a professor of music at Chung-Ang University in South Korea and teaches applied piano and piano literature. Dr. Kang earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Yonsei University in Seoul, Soth Korea; a Master of Music degree from Indiana University; and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Musi.Dr. Kang …

Ouachita To Host New York Classical Players In Concert Oct. 4th, Bethany Lenards, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s Division of Music will host the New York Classical Players (NYCP) on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 3 p.m. as part of its first-ever Arkansas tour. The chamber music concert, which will feature the string quartet from the NYCP, is free and open to the public and will be held in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall.

Ouachita Communications Staff Earns Three Prsa Arkansas Prism Awards, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s Office of Communications was honored with three Prism Awards at the 2017 ARcom Awards ceremony, held Thursday, Sept. 14, at the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub in North Little Rock. The team also was recognized as one of three finalists for Best in Show.

The Prism Awards were presented by the Arkansas chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. PRSA Arkansas joined with the Arkansas chapter of International Association of Business Communicators and Ad Club Little Rock to host the inaugural ARcom Awards event, bringing together leading marketing and communications professionals from across the state. Roby Brock …

Ouachita To Present "The Secret Garden" Musical Sept. 28-Oct. 2, Addy Goodman, Ouachita News Bureau

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The Ouachita Baptist University Department of Theatre Arts will present “The Secret Garden, the Spring Version,” an adaptation of Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman’s original Broadway musical, in Verser Theatre on campus Sept. 28-Oct. 2.

The show will be a shortened version of the full length 1991 musical based on the 1911 children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The show tells the story of orphan Mary Lennox and her journey to renewal after finding a locked garden.

“This show is definitely a crowd pleaser,” said Dr. Scott Holsclaw, chair of Ouachita’s Division of Applied Arts and director of the show. …

Ouachita Baptist University To Host Fall Tiger Serve Day On Sept. 23, Katie Smith

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Ouachita Baptist University’s fall Tiger Serve Day will take be held, Saturday, Sept. 23. Students, faculty and staff will meet at the Ben M. Elrod Center for Community and Family at 8:30 a.m. for breakfast provided by Sodexo before dispersing to service projects all over the community.

Tiger Serve Day is a program coordinated by the Elrod Center each semester that encourages Ouachitonians to give back to the city of Arkadelphia. This year’s theme is “Serve Arkadelphia,” which aptly describes this program’s purpose.

Ouachita Students Honored, Published In Journal Of Essays, Sarah Davis, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s Department of Language and Literature honored students on Aug. 30 for having their essays chosen for publication in its annual Assayers journal.

Assayers 26 is the 2017-2018 edition of the journal. Students submit their essays to the Department of Language and Literature each year for a panel of judges to read and rank their work. The journal allows students to share their ideas, experiences and research with the university community. The journal is used as a teaching tool in writing classes at Ouachita, and winning writers receive cash awards.

Ouachita Cited As Top Private University In State, Ranked Among "Best For The Money" Nationally, Trennis Henderson, Ouachita News Bureau

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Earning recognition as the top private university in Arkansas as well as being listed nationally among “Best for the Money” universities, Ouachita Baptist University continues to be ranked among the nation’s top universities by Forbes magazine, U.S. News & World Report, USA Today/CollegeFactual.com and Niche.com.

This year’s state and national rankings for Ouachita include being:

• Ranked as the No. 1 private university in Arkansas by Niche.com. Ouachita also was cited as the top university in the state by Niche in several other categories, including best liberal arts college, best Christian college, best small college, best value and safest …

Ouachita Students Produce "The J.R. Eldridge Show", Addy Goodman, Ouachita News Bureau

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With the kick-off of the first Arkadelphia Badger football game Sept. 1, Ouachita Baptist University students entered their 23^rd season of producing the high school football coach’s show.

This year’s show is hosted by Caleb Byrd, a sophomore mass communications, Spanish and political science triple major from Little Rock, Ark., and produced by Kevin Barnard, a senior mass communications major from Hot Springs, Ark. The J.R. Eldridge Show features highlights from each Badger game until the end of their season.

Ouachita Marks 17.9 Percent Increase Among First-Time Freshmen For 2017, Trennis Henderson

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Welcoming 448 first-time freshmen to campus this fall – a 17.9 percent gain over the previous year’s incoming class – Ouachita Baptist University marked one of its largest year-to-year freshman class increases in recent history.

“The significant growth reflects a surge in middle-income families as well as stronger ACT and GPA scores, reflecting our commitments to affordability and excellence,” said President Ben Sells. “Students are attracted to Ouachita’s Christian liberal arts mission, personalized approach and high-impact learning that contribute to exceptional graduate school acceptance and job placement rates.”

Ouachita Professor Nathan Reyna Invited To National Science Foundation-Funded Mentor Program, Katie Smith, Ouachita News Bureau

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Dr. Nathan Reyna, Ouachita Baptist University’s associate professor of biology, has been selected to participate in the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) mentor program, CURE Net.

Dr. Reyna will have the opportunity to serve as a mentor to other science professors in the country and teach them how to run course-embedded undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in their own institutions. This program mirrors several programs Ouachita’s J.D. Patterson School of Natural Sciences already sponsors, which is among the reasons Dr. Reyna was invited to participate.

Exhibit Featuring Works By Bierstadt, Kertesz, Moran Opens At Ouachita Sept. 1-27, Katie Smith, Tyler Rosenthal, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s Rosemary Adams Department of Visual Arts will host an exhibit featuring selections from the university’s permanent collection Sept. 1-27, including original works by prominent artists Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran. The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Rosemary Gossett Adams Galleries, located in Moses Provine Hall on Ouachita’s campus.

Ouachita Faculty And Staff Honored For Combined 575 Years Of Service, Ouachita News Bureau

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Gathering for Ouachita Baptist University’s annual Faculty/Staff Banquet, the university recently honored 29 faculty and staff members who have served a combined total of 575 years at Ouachita. Among the longtime faculty and staff members honored, Clark Kuyper and David Sharp were recognized for 35 years of service each.

“Congratulations to our 29 faculty and staff members who were honored for significant service milestones,” said Ouachita President Ben Sells. “Ouachita is known for its commitment to a love of God and a love of learning. Our dedicated faculty and staff are deeply involved in modeling and instilling those values as …

Ouachita To Host Faculty Showcase Recital Sept. 12, Sarah Davis, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s School of Fine Arts Division of Music will present its annual Faculty Showcase Recital on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7:30 p.m. The recital, which will be held in McBeth Recital Hall in Mabee Fine Arts Center on Ouachita’s campus, is free and open to the public.

Designed as a musical celebration in which faculty and collaborative pianists demonstrate their love for music and performance, the recital will feature faculty members from the three areas of Ouachita’s music program: instrumental, piano and voice.

Ouachita Senior Shelby Burchfield Honored At Summer Undergrad Research Symposium, Trennis Henderson, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University senior Shelby Burchfield, a biology major from Benton, Ark., was among students from central Arkansas who were recognized for their summer research projects at the recent Central Arkansas Undergraduate Research Symposium at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.

Burchfield, who was honored for her poster presentation about antibiotics, worked under the supervision of Dr. Ruth Plymale, associate professor of biology. Burchfield’s work was part of Ouachita’s Patterson Summer Research Program which provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to work one-on-one with faculty members on research projects at a level typically available only in …

Ouachita's Called 2 Ministry Retreat Attracts 150 Students And Leaders, Trennis Henderson, Ouachita News Bureau

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Helping equip the next generation of Christian ministers, Ouachita Baptist University recently hosted its inaugural Called 2 Ministry Retreat.

A total of 90 high school students interested in exploring a call to Christian ministry gathered for the July 28-29 retreat on Ouachita’s Arkadelphia campus. Participants included 52 high school students from across Arkansas as well as students from Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

Ouachita's Annual Spotlight On Arkadelphia Set For Aug. 22, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s annual Spotlight on Arkadelphia community and service fair is set for Tuesday, Aug. 22, the first day of the 2017 fall semester. It will be held from 8 to 9:30 p.m. on Heflin Plaza and the Student Village circle.

The annual event draws hundreds of Ouachita students, faculty and staff, providing area businesses, churches and organizations the opportunity to interact with the Ouachita community. It is hosted by Ouachita’s Elrod Center for Family and Community.

Ouachita Riley-Hickingbotham Library's Special Collections Earns National Award, Trennis Henderson

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The Arkansas Baptist History Collection of Ouachita Baptist University’s Riley-Hickingbotham Library Archives and Special Collections has been honored with the Baptist History and Heritage Society’s 2017 Davis C. Woolley Award for Outstanding Achievement in Assessing and Preserving Baptist History.

The national award honors the work of Dr. Wendy Richter, Ouachita professor and archivist, and her staff who coordinated the Special Collections project. The award was announced recently at the annual conference of the Baptist History and Heritage Society, hosted by First Baptist Church of Augusta, Ga., in partnership with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia.

“It is indeed an honor …

Ouachita Trustees Adopt 201718 Budget, Five-Year Enrollment Goals, Office Of Communications & Marketing

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Hearing positive reports about a projected increase in fall enrollment and significant growth in fundraising, Ouachita Baptist University’s Board of Trustees also adopted a 2017-18 budget and approved five-year enrollment goals during their June 8 summer meeting on campus.

Noting that “we’re continuing to think about the future of Ouachita,” President Ben Sells emphasized that “growing and strengthening the university – dreaming a larger dream for Ouachita – requires considerable work by faculty, staff and trustees and significant support by alumni and friends.”

Ouachita Professor Detri Brech Named To Endowed Chair By University Trustees, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University trustees addressed a number of personnel-related actions during their summer board meeting June 8 on Ouachita’s Arkadelphia campus, including naming a professor to an endowed chair and approving several faculty and staff positions.

Trustees named Dr. Detri Brech, professor of dietetics in the Patterson School of Natural Sciences, to the Charles S. and Elma Grey Goodwin Holt Chair of Dietetics and Pre-Medical Studies. The endowed chair was established in 1987 through a generous bequest from the estate of Dr. Charles S. Holt, a 1930 Ouachita graduate. Dr. Brech, who has taught at Ouachita since 2000, is a …

Ouachita Students Named To Spring 2017 Dean's List, Ouachita News Bureau

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More than 320 students at Ouachita Baptist University were named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2017 semester. The students will receive a certificate of recognition from Ouachita and will be included in the “National Dean’s List” for 2016-17.

Ouachita Students Named To Spring 2017 President's List, Ouachita News Bureau

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Approximately 300 students at Ouachita Baptist University were named to the President’s List for the spring 2017 semester.

To be named to the President’s List, a student must compile a 4.0 grade point average and be classified as a full-time student, with a minimum of 12 academic hours.

Ouachita Office Of Communication Earns Five National Awards From Baptist Communicators Association, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s Office of Communications staff earned five national awards, including a pair of first place honors in marketing and design, during Baptist Communicators Association’s 2017 Wilmer C. Fields Awards Competition. The winners were announced at an awards banquet held in conjunction with BCA’s annual workshop in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Baptist Communicators Association is the professional development organization of professional communicators serving at Baptist universities, mission boards, state conventions, newspapers, children’s homes and related ministry organizations. The annual awards competition “is designed to encourage professional excellence among association members and to recognize those members who have done exemplary work,” …

Ouachita Honors 293 Graduates At 130th Spring Commencement, Brooke Zimny, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University celebrated 293 graduates during its 130^th spring commencement on Saturday, May 13, with university officials conferring Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, Bachelor of Fine Arts and Associate of Arts degrees. Dr. Ben Sells, Ouachita president, presided over the annual commencement exercises.

“Class of 2017, congratulations!” Dr. Sells said in his commencement address. “You completed a rigorous liberal arts program. You studied with talented faculty and worked alongside committed staff. You served your classmates, your campus, your community. … You worked hard. You had fun. You made lifelong friends. …

Ouachita To Host Called 2 Ministry Retreat For High School Students On July 28-29, Ouachita News Bureau

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Have you sensed a call to Christian ministry? Are you interested in learning more about diverse ministry opportunities?

Ouachita Baptist University is hosting a Called 2 Ministry Retreat on Friday and Saturday, July 28-29 on Ouachita’s Arkadelphia campus. The unique two-day retreat is designed for high school students who sense God has called them into some area of vocational ministry or are interested in exploring the various areas of ministry available in today’s world.

The two-day retreat is co-sponsored by Ouachita, The Prestonwood Network, Cross Church School of Ministry and the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. Keynote speakers include Jarrett Stephens, …