Education Commons^™

Ouachita Announces Another Increase For Spring '24 Enrollment, Felley Lawson, Office Of Communications & Marketing

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Ouachita Baptist University has reported its highest spring enrollment in more than 40 years with a total Spring 2024 headcount of 1,722.

The university has sustained momentum in student recruitment and retention, maintaining steady growth with a total enrollment surge of 20% since 2016 in contrast to reports of declining enrollment in colleges and universities nationwide.

Ouachita's Fall 2023 Enrollment Highest In 57 Years, Felley Lawson, Office Of Communications & Marketing

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Ouachita Baptist University has reported its highest enrollment in 57 years, with a Fall 2023 headcount of 1,815.

Since 2016, the university has sustained momentum that’s reflected in a 20% increase in total enrollment and a 14% growth in undergraduate enrollment. Residential undergraduate enrollment now numbers 1,581. There are 81 students enrolled in Ouachita’s six graduate programs this fall, more than doubling the number who enrolled when graduate programs were reintroduced in 2020 through the university’s expanding catalog.

Naturi Harris And Marcus Mcgahee Receive Ouachita's Annie Abrams Living Legacy Award, Addie Woods, Office Of Communications & Marketing

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Ouachita Baptist University students Naturi Harris and Marcus McGahee have been named the recipients of the 2023 Annie Abrams Living Legacy Award for Black student leaders. They both will receive $2,500.

Established in 2020, the scholarship honors the legacy of civil rights activist and Arkadelphia native Annie Abrams of Little Rock, Ark., and recognizes students who have demonstrated leadership and service within Ouachita’s Multicultural Organization Reaching Equality (MORE), living out the university’s mission to live lives of meaningful work.

Madison Melcher Wins $5,000 In Annual Ouachita Business Plan Competition, Addie Woods, Office Of Communications & Marketing

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Ouachita Baptist University’s Hickingbotham School of Business hosted its 13th annual Business Plan Competition in December. Madison Melcher, a senior business administration major from Rockwall, Texas, placed first in the competition with her business plan, Covered by Grace, and received a $5,000 cash prize. Melcher was advised by Johan Eriksson, visiting instructor of business administration and director of entrepreneurship programs.

Megan Foshee Selected For National League For Nursing Leadership Program, Addie Woods, Office Of Communications & Marketing

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Megan Foshee, assistant professor and coordinator of the nursing simulation lab in Ouachita Baptist University’s Department of Nursing, has been selected for the National League for Nursing’s 2023 Leadership Development Program for Simulation Educators. The year-long initiative is part of the NLN Leadership Institute.

The simulation leadership development initiative is designed for experienced nurse educators in the simulation field who want to have a leadership role in simulation.

Foshee is one of 15 education simulationists chosen to participate this year in the program, which cultivates leadership skills in nurse educators who have already gained experience at work in the field. …

Three Ouachita Seniors Intern For U.S. Sen. John Boozman, Addie Woods, Ouachita News Bureau

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Three students from Ouachita Baptist University completed a five-week congressional internship for U.S. Sen. John Boozman this summer. Noah Sanders, a senior political science and Christian studies double major from Little Rock, Ark., and Sarah Spakes, a senior political science and public history double major from Benton, Ark., interned in Boozman’s Washington, D.C., office while Kathryn Totty, a senior political science and communications & media double major from Camden, Ark., interned in Boozman’s El Dorado office.

Hartsell Awarded Mid-America Regional Emmy For Battle Of The Ravine Video Essay, Kaitlyn Stoddard, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University junior Chase Hartsell was awarded a Regional EMMYⓇ for his video essay about the Ouachita-Henderson State University football rivalry Battle of the Ravine, titled “A November Morn.” The award was presented to him by the Mid-America chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) at the 46th annual Regional EMMYⓇ Gala on Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch in St. Louis, Mo.

According to John Paul, chair of the NATAS Mid-America education committee, the Mid-America chapter honors high school and college students with awards called crystal pillars that …

Ouachita Theatre Department Presents Musical By Senior Sammy Campione From Feb. 16-21, Felley Lawson, Ouachita News Bureau

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The Department of Theatre Arts at Ouachita Baptist University will present “Tanglewood,” a musical written and directed by senior Sammy Campione, from Feb. 16-21 in Verser Theatre, 409 Ouachita Street. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 16-17; Saturday, Feb. 19; and Monday, Feb. 21. A matinee is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 20, at 2:30 p.m.

“Tanglewood” was selected for the department’s annual Muse Project, which allows students majoring in theatre, musical theatre or theatre education to create works based on what most inspires them and then bring those works to the stage.

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

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Ouachita Baptist University received prerequisite approval last week from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing to establish a 4-year, residential pre-licensure program offering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

“It is an historic time for Ouachita and our nursing students,” said Dr. Brenda Trigg, director of nursing in Ouachita’s Patterson School of Natural Sciences. “Offering a 4-year residential BSN program will allow students to experience Ouachita’s student-focused culture, study with experienced, qualified faculty and prepare for a career that will serve patients in the state, region and beyond.”

Ouachita To Build 144-Bed Student Apartment Complex For Fall 2022, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University will break ground on a 144-bed, $12.6 million student apartment complex this month, with plans for it to be open for the Fall 2022 semester.

The apartments are phase two of Project Foresight, an initiative the university launched three years ago. Project Foresight encompasses eight acres and 30 properties on the southwest edge of campus, including many that were vacant and seriously deteriorated.

Phase one of Project Foresight included leasing land to alumni-owned Pediatrics Plus, a children’s specialty healthcare clinic. The company built an $8 million facility adjacent to Ouachita’s campus that opened in January 2021. It …

Ouachita Graduate Named Alpha Chi H.Y. Benedict Fellowship Fourth Alternate, Mandy Halbert, Ouachita News Bureau

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Alpha Chi National College Honor Society named Sidney Salyers of Sugar Land, Texas, the $3,000 H.Y. Benedict Fellowship fourth alternate at the Alpha Chi National Convention in April. Salyers graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication sciences and disorders from Ouachita Baptist University in May.

The H.Y. Benedict Fellowship is awarded to nominees for their first year of graduate study at any institution. Nominees must complete their undergraduate degree in the year of their application for the fellowship and must enroll in a full-time graduate or professional program for the following semester. Applicants for the …

Ouachita Announces Students Named To Spring 2020 Dean's List, Rachel Moreno, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University has named more than 400 students to its Spring 2020 Dean’s List.

To be named to the Dean’s List, a student must compile at least a 3.5 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.

Ouachita Baptist University, a private liberal arts university in Arkadelphia, Ark., is entering its 134^th year as a Christ-centered learning community. It is ranked the No. 1 “Best Value” college in Arkansas by Niche.com and the No. 2 “Regional College in the …

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 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.

Caroline Dunlap Wins Ouachita's 2017 Virginia Queen Piano Competition, Kacy Earnest Spears, Ouachita News Bureau

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Caroline Dunlap, a senior from Little Rock, Ark., won Ouachita Baptist University’s recent Virginia Queen Piano Competition.

A piano performance major and student of Dr. Adam Haas, visiting assistant professor of music, Dunlap earned $500 for her winning performances of “Prelude in D major, Op. 23 No. 4” by Sergei Rachmaninoff and “Sonatine, Animé” by Maurice Ravel.

“The Rachmaninoff ‘Prelude in D major’ was, by far, my favorite piece this semester, and I was excited to be able to share it with people during the competition,” said Dunlap, who averaged three to six hours of practice a day throughout most …

Joy Estes Wins Ouachita's 2017 Student Juried Art Exhibit, Sarah Davis, Ouachita News Bureau

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Joy Estes, a freshman studio art major from Morrilton, Ark., won Ouachita Baptist University’s 2017 Student Juried Art Exhibit, which was sponsored by the OBU Art Club. The exhibit was on display April 17-26 in Ouachita’s Hammons Gallery.

Ouachita Singers And Women's Chorus Concert Set For May 2, Haley Wilkerson, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s annual Ouachita Singers and Women’s Chorus spring concert will be held on Tuesday, May 2, at 7:30 p.m. in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall on the Ouachita campus. The concert is free and open to the public. Ouachita Singers, fresh off their spring break concert tour in Italy, is Ouachita’s premier choral ensemble and is directed by Dr. Gary Gerber, dean of OBU’s School of Fine Arts. “At each concert, the choirs present a variety of choral music performed in an excellent way,” Dr. Gerber noted. He encourages “those who love music and enjoy hearing …

Ouachita To Present Prism Instrumental Concert April 25, Hannah Hines, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s annual PRISM instrumental concert will be presented Tuesday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Jones Performing Arts Center on the Ouachita campus.

The annual PRISM concert features a variety of ensembles from Ouachita’s Division of Music. The collaborative program includes all instrumental faculty as well as most of the instrumental ensembles on campus. However, this is not just a typical band concert.

Ouachita To Host Tiger Steel Percussion Concert May 1, Haley Wilkerson, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University will host Tiger Steel, the university’s steel drum ensemble, in concert in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall on Monday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.

“Steel band music makes people smile, which is one of the most powerful reasons to perform music,” said Dr. Ryan Lewis, OBU associate professor of music and director of the ensemble.

Kelley And Weeden To Present Senior Recital At Ouachita April 21, Sarah Davis, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University will host Courtney Kelley and Emily Weeden in their senior recital Friday, April 21, at 11 a.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.

Ouachita Seniors Torres And Whytock To Present Exhibits April 18 Through May 3, Katie Smith, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s Department of Visual Arts will host senior art exhibits by Valeria Torres, a graphic design and psychology double major from Arkadelphia, Ark., and Jan Whytock, a studio art major from Charlottetown, Canada, April 18 through May 3 in Rosemary Gossett Adams Gallery in Moses-Provine Hall. The exhibits are free and open to the public. A reception will be held April 18 at 6 p.m. in the gallery.

Three Ouachita Science Students Present Research At Regional Conference, Katie Smith, Ouachita News Bureau

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Three students from Ouachita Baptist University’s J.D. Patterson School of Natural Sciences presented research at the Midsouth Computational and Bioinformatics Society (MCBIOS) conference March 23-25 in Little Rock. Logan Clay, a sophomore biology and psychology double major from Benton, Ark.; Jake Edmondson, a junior biomedical studies from Benton, Ark.; and Nolan Games, a junior biology and computer science major from North Little Rock, Ark., each made poster presentations at the conference. Games also was selected to give an oral presentation.

The MCBIOS is a regional meeting where research faculty, graduate and undergraduate students from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas …

Ouachita To Host Jennifer Bray And Courtney Gibson In Student Art Exhibits April 7-12, Katie Smith, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s School of Fine Arts will host seniors Jennifer Bray, a graphic design major from Little Rock, Ark., and Courtney Gibson, a graphic design major from Dermott, Ark., in their senior art exhibits. Both exhibits will be on display April 7-12 in Moses-Provine Hall’s Rosemary Gossett Adams Gallery on Ouachita’s campus. Opening receptions will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, in the gallery.

Student Juried Art Exhibit On Display At Ouachita April 17-25, Sarah Davis, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University’s Hammons Gallery in Mabee Fine Arts Center will feature the OBU Art Club’s annual Student Juried Art Exhibit from Monday, April 17, through Tuesday, April 25. The exhibit is free and open to the public, and winners will be announced at a reception Monday, April 17, at 7 p.m. in the gallery.

“The exhibit was started as a way for students – art majors or not – to have their work professionally judged and displayed,” said former Art Club President Chad Satchell, a junior graphic design major from Frisco, Texas.

Ouachita Students Brunson, Garcia, Holtzclaw And Terry To Present Recitals On April 7, Sarah Davis, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University will host Jessie Brunson, Gideon Garcia, Mackenzie Holtzclaw and Lauren Terry in student recitals on Friday, April 7. Garcia’s recital will be held at 11 a.m. and Brunson, Holtzclaw and Terry’s recitals will be held at 2 p.m. in Ouachita’s McBeth Recital Hall in Mabee Fine Arts Center. Admission is free and open to the public.

For immediate release

Ouachita students Brunson, Garcia, Holtzclaw and Terry to present recitals on April 7

By Sarah Davis

March 31, 2017

For more information, contact OBU’s news bureau at newsbureau@obu.edu or (870) 245-5208

ARKADELPHIA, Ark.—Ouachita Baptist University will host Jessie …

Ouachita To Host Percussion Ensemble In Concert April 10, Haley Wilkerson, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University will host the OBU Percussion Ensemble in concert on Monday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will be held in McBeth Recital Hall in Mabee Fine Arts Center on Ouachita’s campus.

The OBU Percussion Ensemble will perform four pieces, each adapted to highlight Ouachita’s percussion students and alternating between drum-based pieces and keyboard-based pieces. The ensemble is directed by Dr. Ryan Lewis, associate professor of percussion.

Ouachita Students Elliff And Saunders To Present Sophomore Recitals March 17, Katie Smith, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University will host Jessica Elliff and Hannah Saunders in their sophomore recitals on Friday, March 17. The recitals will be held at 11 a.m. in Ouachita’s McBeth Recital Hall in Mabee Fine Arts Center. Admission is free and open to the public.

Ouachita Seniors Fender, Hutcheson And Sanders To Present Recitals March 14, Sarah Davis, Ouachita News Bureau

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Hannah Fender, Lauren Hutcheson and Bret Sanders will present their senior music theatre recitals on Tuesday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m. The recital, which will be in Ouachita Baptist University’s McBeth Recital Hall in Mabee Fine Arts Center, is free and open to the public.

Lizzie Shelby To Present Senior Vocal Recital March 16 At Ouachit, Katie Smith, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University will host Lizzie Shelby in her senior vocal recital on Thursday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m. The recital will be held in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall on Ouachita’s campus, and admission is free and open to the public.

Shelby is a senior vocal performance major from McKinney, Texas. She has also been named a state and regional finalist in the National Association of Teachers of Singing auditions and has performed in the Arkansas Intercollegiate Choir.

Finley, Osborn And Scott To Present Sophomore Recitals At Ouachita March 10, Katie Smith, Ouachita News Bureau

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Ouachita Baptist University will host Michaela Finley, Kenzie Osborn and Scotty Scott as they present their sophomore recitals on Friday, March 10, at 11 a.m. The recitals will be held in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall on Ouachita’s campus, and admission is free and open to the public.

Finley, from Cedarville, Ark.; Osborn, from Rockwall, Texas; and Scott, from Russellville, Ark., are all musical theatre majors. Each recital will include selections from various theatre productions.