Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University recognized the academic achievements of students across the university at its 30th annual academic awards banquet April 30.

"We are extremely proud of the accomplishments represented by those who received awards," said Dr. Stan Poole, OBU vice president for academic affairs.

OBU President Rex M. Horne, Jr., commended the students, saying, "You all represent Ouachita so very well as young men and young women who are committed to academic and Christian excellence."

Lindsey Wright Forga, a senior mass communications and musical theatre major from Glenwood, Ark., was named the university's Overall Academic Achiever. She was also recognized as the Academic Achiever for the School of Fine Arts.

Jon Cole, a music major from Dallas, Texas, was honored as Senior Outstanding Man, and Amy York, a musical theatre major from Dallas, Texas, was honored as Senior Outstanding Woman. York was also recognized as the recipient of the Rotary Club Service-Above-Self Award and the Theta Alpha Phi Senior Award.

Dr. Kevin "Casey" Motl, assistant professor of history, was honored as Most Inspirational Professor, an award voted on annually by Ouachita's entire student body.

Each of Ouachita's seven schools chose a senior student as its top Academic Achiever. Andrew Curtis, a history major from Wickes, Ark., was honored by the W.H. Sutton School of Social Sciences; Curtis was also the recipient of the School's R. C. Daily Outstanding Senior Award. Labin Duke, a Biblical studies and Christian theology double-major from Arkadelphia, was honored by the Pruet School of Christian Studies; Duke was also named the Outstanding Student in Biblical Studies. Lucas Hawthorne, an accounting major from Scottsdale, Ariz., was honored by the Hickingbotham School of Business. Zane Henley, a biology major from Hot Springs, Ark., was honored by the J.D. Patterson School of Natural Sciences. Brittney Selvidge, a mass communications and speech communication double-major from Hot Springs, Ark., was honored by the School of Humanities. Allison Vire, an early childhood education major from Burleson, Texas, was honored by the Huckabee School of Education; Vire was also recognized as a Phi Delta Kappa Teacher in Training.

OBU President Emeritus Daniel R. Grant presented endowed awards in honor of his mother and wife. These annual awards recognize one female student from each class who best exemplifies Ouachita's twin ideals of academic and Christian excellence. The Mrs. J.R. Grant Endowed Awards are given in honor of the late Grace Sowers Grant, Ouachita's first lady from 1933 to 1949. They were awarded to freshman Sarah Glenn, a mass communications major from Little Rock, Ark., and to senior Judah Burk, a mass communications major from Hurst, Texas. Burk also received the William D. Downs, Jr., Outstanding Mass Communications Student Award. The Betty Oliver Grant Endowed Awards are given in honor of Dr. Grant's wife, who was first lady from 1970 to 1988. The recipients were sophomore Natasha May, a Christian missions major from Hardy, Ark., and junior Emily Jackson, an English major from Mesquite, Texas.

The Carl Goodson Honor Program also recognized outstanding students. Philip Williamson, a junior Christian theology, philosophy and political science triple-major from Batesville, Ark., was named the Ben Elrod Scholar, and Adam Wheat, a junior mass communications major from Ruston, La., was named the Carl Goodson Scholar. Williamson was also a Truman Scholarship Nominee by the School of Social Sciences.

The following students were recognized as Honors Council Scholars: Heather Baker, a senior musical theatre major from Cleburne, Texas; Haley Barron, a junior Biblical studies and Russian double-major from Flower Mound, Texas; Stephanie Beck, a sophomore French and Russian double-major from Sheridan, Ark.; Megan Gentry, a senior English and mass communications double-major from Alexander, Ark.; Kathryn Merrill, a junior communication sciences and disorders major from Keller, Texas; and J.L. West, a junior mass communications major from Bolivar, Mo. Beck also received the Outstanding Modern Foreign Language Award for French.

Other awards given by the Hickingbotham School of Business include:

Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants Award: Lindsay Hollingsworth
Dr. Lera Kelly Outstanding Senior in Business Administration Award: Sam Bushey
Margaret Wright Outstanding Senior in Accounting Award: Sarah Monroe and Candice Williams
Johnny Heflin Excellence in Leadership & Academics Award: Zach Wright and Lauren Pierce Denning

Other awards given by the Pruet School of Christian Studies include:

Andrew & Harriet Grant Hall Sophomore Ministerial Award: Caitlin McBride
Outstanding Student in Christian Ministries: Tara Cruse
Outstanding Student in Christian Missions: Kristen Pucik
Don Harbuck Award for Excellence in Philosophy: Joseph Taub
Preben Vang Award for Excellence in Christian Theological Studies: Cameron Magby, Abby Martin and Becca Woodall
Elementary Hebrew Award: Jennifer Dawson
Old Testament Hebrew Award: Rachel Swayne
Zondervan Elementary Greek Award: Jesse Pruett
Robert Stagg New Testament Greek Award: Stefanie Fisher

Other awards given by the Huckabee School of Education include:

Alice Searcy Award: Natalie Gregory
Kappa Delta Pi Award: Rebekah McMillan
Sylvia Gates Webb Award: Cami Jones
Maude Wright Memorial Award: Jillian Vire
Phi Delta Kappa Teacher in Training: Jeremy Hall
Charles Chambliss Distinguished Educator Awards: Kayla Sears & Dru Danielson
Outstanding Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Award-Woman: Kayla Hulsey
Outstanding Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Award-Man: Christopher McAlpine

Other awards given by the School of Fine Arts include:

Francie Phelan Outstanding Senior-Graphic Design: Brittany Cosh McClain
Francie Phelan Outstanding Senior- Studio Art: Caleb Case
Raybon-Berry Outstanding Freshman Art and Design Major: Sarah Waymire
Russell Shad Memorial Art Award for Outstanding Junior: Melissa Edwards
Theatre Arts Outstanding Student Award-Freshman: Moriah Patterson
Theta Alpha Phi Senior Award: Valerie Martinka
Phi Mu Alpha Collegiate Award: Kyle Huey
Phi Mu Alpha Scholastic Award: Jeremy Hall
Sigma Alpha Iota College Honor Award: Abby Adams
Sigma Alpha Iota Scholastic Award: Rebecca Seago
The Presser Scholar: Holly Koder
Rachel Fuller Scholarship: Angela Gillis
James Harrison Scholarship: Beth Ann Shrader
Friends of Fine Arts Scholar for Art: Emilie Gill
Friends of Fine Arts Scholar for Instrumental: Alissa Hill
Friends of Fine Arts Scholar for Piano: Natalie Carroll
Friends of Fine Arts Scholar for Theatre: Katie Wilhite
Friends of Fine Arts Scholar for Voice: Elizabeth Hipp 

Other awards given by the School of Humanities include:

Outstanding Senior English Major Award: Anna McKenzie, MollyThrogmorton and JulieAnne Bowen
Outstanding Junior English Major Award: Sarah Stark
Outstanding Sophomore English Major Award: Sarah Greeson
Bill & Vera Downs Mass Communications Outstanding Sophomore Scholarship: Callie Phelps
Outstanding Modern Foreign Language Award for French: Stephanie Beck
Outstanding Modern Foreign Language Award for Russian: Felicia Arnold
Outstanding Modern Foreign Language Award for Spanish: Kristen Cordell
Roy Buckelew Outstanding Speech Communication Student: Andrew Pyle               

Other awards given by the J.D. Patterson School of Natural Sciences include:

Richard H. Brown Biology Award: Nolan West
Outstanding Freshman Biology Award: Matt Pope
Outstanding Senior in Biology Award: John Sims
Outstanding Dietetics & Nutrition Award: Bekah Stuart Cumba
Ethel & Nell Mondy and E.A. Provine Scholar: Dax Demaree
Freshman Chemistry Award: Dustyn Barnette
Outstanding Graduates in Chemistry: Adam Massey and Abby Brumley
Harvey Research Award: Emily Evans
Rowland Memorial Awards in Mathematics & Computer Science: Brooke Belcher, Rachel Griffith, Stephen Jones, Trent Schmidt, Elisee Habimana, J.K. Slyby, Josh Stewart, Rebecca Wright and Amy Steeger
Rowland Memorial Award in Physics: Barry McCaskill
Hannah Joy Sullivan Scholarship for a rising senior pre-medical student: Victoria Adams 

Other awards given by the School of Social Sciences include:

Everett Slavens History Award: Katie Patterson
Lavell Cole Award: Candace Veacht
Fran Coulter Phi Alpha Theta Excellence in History Award: Brooke Baker
Phi Alpha Theta Award: Josh Christensen
Bob Riley Outstanding Graduate in Political Science Award: Casey Bushman
Truman Scholarship Nominee: Andrew Ford
Curtis Echols Lion's Club Scholarship: Leslie Reynolds
Psychology Faculty Award: Amy Guiomard and Jessica Hensarling
Michael D. Murphy Disciplinary Zeitgeist Award: Hayley Nolan
Weldon Vogt Outstanding Psychology Senior Awards: Sara Terlecki
Outstanding Graduating Senior Sociology Award: Katie Fisher
Distinguished Graduating Senior Sociology Award: Nichole Gauthier

By Brooke Showalter