Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s Office of Communications recently received four communications awards from the Arkansas chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. The awards were presented at IABC’s 2012 Bronze Quill Awards Ceremony held at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute in Little Rock.

The awards honor Ouachita Voices, the university’s commemorative 125^th anniversary history book; The Ouachita Circle alumni magazine; the “Discover the Ouachita Difference” promotional video; and the university’s 125^th anniversary logo.

“We are pleased that Ouachita’s communications efforts continue to be recognized by our professional peers on the state and national levels,” said Trennis Henderson, OBU vice president for communications. “It is especially gratifying for various elements of Ouachita’s 125^th anniversary celebration to be ranked among the top communications projects in Arkansas.”

According to the IABC, the organization “links communicators in a global network that supports the highest professional standards of quality and innovation in organizational communication.”

Among the recent awards, Ouachita received an Award of Excellence for the book, Ouachita Voices: Celebrating 125 Years of Academic & Christian Excellence. The 132-page coffee table book features more than 20 essays by prominent Ouachitonians as well as more than 175 historical and contemporary campus photographs.

“The book is excellent – there is no other word for it,” noted IABC judges. “This represents top-quality work and is truly a keepsake item. … The format is great and the content is interesting.”

Henderson served as editor of Ouachita Voices, and Brooke Zimny, assistant director of communications, served as assistant editor. The book, which was released on Ouachita’s 125^th anniversary Founders Day, was published in partnership with the Bookhouse Group of Atlanta, Ga.

Ouachita Voices previously was honored with a pair of national communications awards from Baptist Communicators Association and Higher Education Marketing. Ouachita Voices is available for purchase at the OBU Bookstore or online at www.obu.edu/125/ouachitavoices.

The Office of Communications staff also received three IABC Awards of Merit, including:

• The Ouachita Circle edited by Henderson and Zimny in partnership with the OBU Office of Alumni. The Circle has earned seven state and national awards from three professional organizations since its current design debuted in 2008. Affirming the publication design, the IABC judges wrote, “Content is great. … Covers are great.”


• “Discover the Ouachita Difference” video produced in partnership with Dean Film & Video of Memphis, Tenn., and the Office of Admissions Counseling. The nine-minute video features interviews with students, faculty and staff as well as campus scenes to highlight Ouachita’s commitment to academic, spiritual and personal growth among students. “Great videography!” wrote an IABC judge. “”I would encourage my own children to attend OBU.” The video, which also previously was honored by Baptist Communicators Association, can be viewed online at vimeo.com/35657689.


• 125^th anniversary logo designed by René Zimny, assistant director of OBU’s Grant Center for International Education. Ouachita’s 125^th Anniversary Steering Committee and Office of Communications commissioned Zimny, a 2008 Ouachita graduate with majors in graphic design and mass communications, to design the logo, which was featured throughout Ouachita’s 125^th anniversary celebration. The logo design, described by judges as “classic and simple,” also was honored by Baptist Communicators Association.

Ouachita Baptist University, a private liberal arts university in Arkadelphia, Ark., has served since 1886 as a Christ-centered learning community. With a current enrollment of 1,532 students, Ouachita is educating students from 29 states and more than 30 nations. For more information, visit www.obu.edu.