Ouachita Stories

Recognizing more than 100 academic and leadership achievements throughout the past year, Ouachita Baptist University’s 2013 Academic Awards Banquet honored students in each of the university’s seven academic schools.

Stacy Beck, a political science, history and French major from Sheridan, Ark., earned Ouachita’s highest academic honor as the university’s Overall Academic Achiever. She also was named the top academic achiever in the Sutton School of Social Sciences and received the Bob Riley Outstanding Graduate in Political Science Award.

Top academic achievers in each of the other schools include: Judith Brizuela, a senior psychology and business administration/management major from Cortes, Honduras, Hickingbotham School of Business; Anthony Emerson, a Christian studies/Biblical studies major from Sugar Land, Texas, Pruet School of Christian Studies; Rebecca Atkinson, an early childhood education major from Arkadelphia, Ark., Huckabee School of Education; Elyse Senteney, an instrumental music education major from Plano, Texas, School of Fine Arts; Devan Malone, a speech communication and mass communications major from Benton, Ark., School of Humanities; and Hollyn McCarty, a chemistry and biology major from Texarkana Ark., Patterson School of Natural Sciences.

Ouachita’s outstanding seniors, selected by faculty and staff, are Ryan James, a biology major from Benton, Ark., Senior Outstanding Man, and Bethany Swiontek, a musical theatre major from Colorado Springs, Colo., Senior Outstanding Woman.

Dr. Jess Kelly, assistant professor of biology, was named by students as the Lavell Cole Most Inspirational Professor.

Other university awards include the Mrs. J.R. Grant Endowed Awards for freshman and senior female students and the Betty Oliver Grant Endowed Awards for sophomore and junior female students. Recipients include Emily Harris, a freshman biology major from Benton, Ark.; Anna Sikes, a sophomore Christian studies/Biblical studies major from Greenbrier, Ark.; Brittney Jones, a junior business administration/finance and management major from Texarkana, Ark.; and Taylor Stanford, a senior chemistry major from White Hall, Ark.

The Rotary Club Service-Above-Self Award was presented to Hannah Pilcher, a Spanish major from Maumelle, Ark.

Individuals honored by the Carl Goodson Honors Program include:

Ben Elrod Scholar, Ally Lemos, an early childhood education major from Hanford, Calif.

Carl Goodson Scholar, Sarah Davis, a theatre arts and Christian studies/Biblical studies major from Bedford, Texas.

Honors Council Scholar, Kate Hopmann, a studio art major from Cypress, Texas.

Garrett Ham Scholar, Chris Redmon, a Christian studies/Biblical studies, Biblical languages and philosophy major from Little Rock, Ark.

Research Award Recipients, Danielle Moses, a history major from Texarkana, Ark.; Hunter Threadgill, a philosophy and psychology major from Cordova, Tenn.; and Katy Wood, an early childhood education major from Plano, Texas.

Most Valuable Professors, Dr. Maggie Garrett, assistant professor of music, and Dr. Sara Hubbard, assistant professor of chemistry.

The annual Academic Awards Banquet is sponsored by Ouachita’s Student Senate. Outgoing Senate President Justin Young, a junior business administration/management and finance major from Springdale, Ark., presided over the event. Ouachita President Rex Horne led the swearing in for new Student Senate President Lindsey Fowler, a junior political science and accounting major from Arkadelphia, Ark.

One new award presented this year was the Matt Turner Outstanding Junior Mass Communications Major Award presented in memory of Matt Turner, a 2003 OBU graduate who was a news anchor at KTHV-11 in Little Rock prior to his death in a vehicle accident last fall. The inaugural award was presented to McKenzie Cranford of Irving, Texas.

 

Other awards listed by academic schools include:

 

Hickingbotham School of Business

Dr. Lera Kelly Outstanding Senior in Business Administration Award: Jordan Snook

Margaret Wright Outstanding Senior in Accounting Award: Samantha Street

Johnny Heflin Excellence in Leadership & Academics Award: Daniel Johnson

Outstanding Business Scholar Athletes: Landon Flax and Svitlana Smirnova

 

Pruet School of Christian Studies

Andrew & Harriet Grant Hall Sophomore Ministerial Award: Blake Kutter and Sophie DeMuth

Outstanding Student in Biblical Studies: Anthony Emerson

Outstanding Student in Christian Ministries: Alexis Kamerman

Outstanding Student in Christian Missions: John Bacon

Don Harbuck Award for Excellence in Philosophy: Chris Redmon

Preben Vang Award for Excellence in Christian Theological Studies: John Bacon

Elementary Hebrew Award: Sarah Stiles

Old Testament Hebrew Award: Chris Redmon

Zondervan Elementary Greek Award: Chris Redmon

Robert Stagg New Testament Greek Award: Kyle Fischer

Outstanding Student in Latin: David Wray

 

Huckabee School of Education

Alice Searcy Award: Josh Cartwright

Outstanding Current Education Sophomores: Ashley Randels and Chris Hogan

Sylvia Gates Webb Award: Kelly Strickland

Maude Wright Memorial Award: Jessica Stanley

Phi Delta Kappa Teachers in Training: Rebecca Atkinson, Deborah Caldwell and Whitley Martin

Charles Chambliss Distinguished Educator Award: Hannah Ramsey

Bob Gravette Outstanding Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Teaching Award: Jillian Jeffcoat

Tona Wright Outstanding Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Fitness Award: Jasper “Buddy” Harrell

Outstanding Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Recreation Award: Clayton Case and Kristen James

 

School of Fine Arts

Francie Phelan Outstanding Senior-Graphic Design: Nicole McPhate

Francie Phelan Outstanding Senior- Studio Art: Rebekah Poyner

Raybon-Berry Outstanding Freshman Art and Design Major: Melanie Herring

Russell Shad Memorial Art Award for Outstanding Junior: Jeff Sharp

Theatre Arts Outstanding Student Award-Freshman: Aaron Pinion

Theta Alpha Phi Senior Award: Heather White

Theta Alpha Phi Outstanding Service: Amanda Murray

Phi Mu Alpha Collegiate Award: Sean Nance

Phi Mu Alpha Scholarship Award: John Tneoh

Sigma Alpha Iota College Honor Award: Bekah Anthony

Sigma Alpha Iota Scholarship Award: Rachel Harris

The Presser Scholar: Caitlin Secrest

Rachel Fuller Scholarship: Joshua Wayne

James Harrison Scholarship: Stephen Curry

Friends of Fine Arts Scholars: Art, Myca Nutt; Instrumental, Chelsea Villanueva; Piano, Courtney Stanage; Theatre, Blaine Surber; Voice, Joshua Wayne

 

School of Humanities


Outstanding Senior English Major: Jessica Lamb

Outstanding Junior Louise Searcy Bennett Scholarship Award: Anna Wakeling

Outstanding Sophomore Herman Sandford Scholarship Award: Marissa Thornberry

Rogers Department of Communications Publications Awards: Ouachitonian, Mauri Sparks;

Signal/Online, Tanner Ward; Photo Lab, Nicole McPhate; Video Production, Rachel Gilmer

Bill & Vera Downs Outstanding Sophomore Mass Communications Student Award: Hannah Dean

William D. Downs Outstanding Mass Communications Graduate Award: Nicole McPhate

Outstanding Modern Foreign Language Awards: Russian, Jason Curlin; Spanish, Ryan Strebeck

Roy Buckelew Outstanding Speech Major Award: Devon Malone

 

Patterson School of Natural Sciences          

Outstanding Freshman Biology Award: Trevor Meece

Richard H. Brown Biology Award: Megan Scarbrough

Outstanding Senior in Biology Award: Caroline Gill

Outstanding Dietetics & Nutrition Award: Amberly Green and Aubree Fry

Freshman Chemistry Award: Trevor Meece

Ethel & Nell Mondy and E.A. Provine Scholar: Tim Horton

Outstanding Graduate in Chemistry: Hollyn McCarty

Harvey Research Award: Ryan James

Outstanding Senior Mathematics Major: Allison Frizzell

Outstanding Senior Mathematics Education Major: Kailen Johnson

Outstanding Senior Computer Science Major: Nathan Huff

Rowland Memorial Awards in Mathematics & Computer Science: Joanna Curtis, Josh Esgar, Adam Oakes, Ben Schleiff, Michelle Wasmund and Elizabeth White

Rowland Memorial Award in Physics: Tim Horton

Hannah Joy Sullivan Scholarship: Mallory Burroughs

Becky Horne Scholarship in Pre-Nursing: Katie Carroll and Mike Russell

 

Sutton School of Social Sciences

Everett Slavens Award to Outstanding Sophomore: Kevin Jackson

Lavell Cole Award to Outstanding Future Teacher: Danielle Wilson

Fran Coulter Award to Outstanding Junior: Lacey Johnson

Phi Alpha Theta Award for Outstanding Research Paper: Shelbie Reed

R. C. Daily Award to Outstanding Senior: Jacob Way

Truman Scholarship Nominee: Lindsey Fowler

Bob Riley Outstanding Graduate in Political Science Award: Stacy Beck

Curtis Echols Lion’s Club Scholarship: Chandler Powell

Psychology Faculty Award: Tracey Mardis and Holly Wray

Zeitgeist Award: Hunter Threadgill

Weldon Vogt Outstanding Psychology Senior Award: Judith Brizuela

Outstanding Graduating Senior Sociology Award: Julian LaDay