Download a PDF of the Spring/Summer 2012 Issue

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University AdministrationRick Niece, Ph.D.PresidentSteve Edmisten, MAExecutive Vice President Daniel Taddie, Ph.D.ProvostJeff Scaccia, MBAChief Financial OfficerDarrell Williams, BSBusiness ManagerSherrie Arey, MS Dean of Residential and Campus Life

Production StaffLarry Isch, MS Director of University and Public RelationsEditorVinnie Tran, BAPublications CoordinatorDesign and Layout

Photo and editorial contributions by: Don Lee, Cara Flinn and Josh Peppas

For more information, please contact the: Office of University Advancement University of the Ozarks 415 N. College Avenue Clarksville, AR 72830-2880 (479) 979-1230; Fax (479) 979-1239 Website: www.ozarks.edu

University Directory(479) Area CodeAcademic Affairs 979-1431Admission 979-1227Advancement 979-1230Alumni Relations 979-1234Athletics 979-1483Business Office 979-1208Financial Aid 979-1221President’s Office 979-1242Public Relations 979-1433Registrar 979-1212Student Life 979-1321

The University of the Ozarks does not discrimi-nate on the basis of religion, gender, color, na-tional or ethnic origin, age, or physical handicap in the administration of its educational policies, programs or activities.

CONTENTSTodayA Magazine for University of the OzarksAlumni and Friends.

PRESIDENT NIECETO STEP DOWN IN 2013Search underway forcollege’s 25th president.

OZARKS OUTDOORSHELPING FRESHMENNew program focuses on helping students navigate outdoors, college life.

IN SEARCH OF LICHENS Unique biology classhas students scouringthe Ozarks.

PLANNED GIVINGNew on-line contenthelps ease charitable giving to Ozarks.

ROOMIES FROM AFARWhat happens when roommates from different countries and cultures get together? Often, it’s a life-changing event.

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THE JONES LEARNINGCENTER TURNS 40!For the past four decades the JLC has made an incredible impact.

LEADER FOR LIBERTYAlumnus leads the wayas U.S. Army officer.

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For four consecutive nights in February, the campus community as well as visitors from throughout the area were captivated by a large-scale production put on by the University Theatre Department. The University Cabaret, one of the largest and most ambitious productions in the history of the theatre department, utilized a variety of performances and performers to entertain and thrill sold-out audiences. See Story, Page 10

Volume 31 g Number 1Spring/Summer 2012

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2012 Graduation

Giving examples of people who “walked to the beat of a different drum-mer,” Commencement Speaker Dr. Brent Thomas ’91 told the members of the University of the Ozarks Class of 2012 not to be afraid to go outside the norm as they begin their life after col-lege. Thomas, chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Emporia (Kan.) State University, cited in-ventor Thomas Edi-son, children’s author Dr. Seuss and enter-tainer Elvis Presley as people who took their own paths to success. “They decided to do things a dif-ferent way and they were successful because of it,” Thomas said. “Dr. Seuss, for example, took a different approach to writing children’s books and his first book was rejected by 27 different pub-lishers. But he stayed true to what he be-lieved in. I encourage each of you to do that. Remember, if you walk in someone else’s tracks, you will never leave your own footprint.” Ozarks recognized 118 graduates from the Class of 2012 during its May 12 ceremony that was attended by more than 1,000 family and friends. Included

New graduate Taylor Jacks of Rowlette, Texas, is congratulated by his aunt, Sher-rie Arey, dean of residential and campus life at Ozarks. Jacks earned a bachelor’s of art degree in radio/television/video, ac-counting and marketing.

118 earn diplomas during ceremony

in the Class of 2012 were 15 graduates who received their diplomas during the Fall Commencement in December. Thomas, a native of nearby Den-ning, Ark., earned a degree in biology at Ozarks before going on to earn a mas-ter’s degree in biology from Southwest Missouri State University and a Ph.D. in biological sciences from Mississippi State University. “This is the place where the founda-tion of my success in academics began,” Thomas said. “I have many fond memo-ries of Ozarks, and it’s great to be back.” Alex Murcia, a management and marketing major from Costa Rica, who earned Summa Cum Laude honors, gave remarks on behalf of the senior class. “We have been blessed --- with this university, with a wonderful education, with great friends and with loving fami-lies,” Murcia said. “Over the past four years we’ve had trials and challenges, but we’ve been able to get through them with the help of others. Today, the pres-ent is ours, and it’s looking pretty awe-some.” David Rawhouser, chair of the uni-versity’s board of trustees, and Sociol-ogy professor Dr. Jesse Weiss also ad-dressed the graduates.

Chuong Do (left) and his sister, Phuong Do, both of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, pose for photos after receiving their diplo-mas.

Among those graduates who were recognized for earning Summa Cum Laude (3.85 grade point average or high-er) honors were: Grace Amador, Matt Arant, Josh Booth, Michelle Canada, Eric Chacon, Kimberly Corley, Andrea Dankert, Yoselin Delgado, Chuong Do, Brett Foster, Sabrina Goddard, Cinthya Grillo, Andrea Lagos, Monica Linares, Catherine Lopez, Lucia Luna, Shayla Morrow, Andrea Muffuletto, Alex Mur-cia, Scharla Paryzek, Dahania Pimentel, Brittany Puerto, Elisabeth Snoddy, Ash-ley Teague, Alison Villines, and April Young.

Zach Doty of Robinson, Texas, is surrounded by proud family members after graduating with a degree in strategic communication and marketing.

Thomas


University of the Ozarks Class of 2012Grace Amador, HondurasAmanda Anthony, Mira, LAMatthew Arant, Georgetown, TXNicole Ashley, West Memphis, ARGreyson Baugh, Maumelle, ARJoshua Booth, Elgin, TXKursty Boydston, Hartman, ARKendra Branson, Olathe, COCory Bridges, Clarksville, ARMichelle Canada, Scranton, AREric Carles, PanamaKayla Casey, Clarksville, ARNircia Cervantes, HondurasMatthew Chalfant, Charleston, ARAlexander Chandler, Little Rock, ARIván Chávez, GuatemalaTristan Cooper, Clarksville, ARKimberly Corley, Booneville, ARJonathan Cox, Commerce, TXZachary Cremer, Coal Hill, ARAndrea Dankert, Broken Arrow, OKYoselin Delgado, MexicoChuong Do, VietnamPhuong Do, VietnamZachary Doty, Robinson, TXChristopher Driedric, Little Rock, ARSilvana Duarte, NicaraguaLaura Duffey, Eau Claire, WIWesley Dunham, Weiner, ARSamuel Emerson, Mena, ARRichard Engelman, Fort Worth, TXBrett Foster, Hindsville, ARKaci Foster, Decatur, ARGinny Gardner, Little Rock, ARTadera Garland, Cowell, ARAlexander Glaub, Fayetteville, ARMorgan Goates, Dover, ARSabrina Goddard, Stroud, OKCinthya Grillo, NicaraguaRebecca Groff, Prattville, AL

Natalie Grove, Huntsville, AREthan Harbour, Booneville, ARAndrew Heim, Arlington, TXNicholas Hernandez, Clarksville, ARAlexa Holland, Lamar, ARTanner Holman, Mesquite, TXLogan Hornback, Arlington, TXLindsey Humphries, Irving, TXTaylor Jacks, Rowlette, TXJustin James, Hartman, ARColin Johnson, Lexington, KYLindsey Kellaway, The Colony, TXBrian Kenna, Rancho Palos Verdes, CAAndrea Lagos, HondurasPayton Lambe, Grand Prairie, TXAugust Laue, Springdale, ARJacob Lee, Pottsville, ARRobert Liddon IV, Memphis, TNMonica Linares, El SalvadorEvan Lipschitz, Little Rock, ARCatherine López, HondurasJuliana Luna, El SalvadorDamario Lyons, Wynne, ARLacey Mainer, Branch, ARBenjamin Martin, Hot Springs, ARKhairunisa Mat Sani, MalaysiaSamuel McFall, White Hall, ARKelsey Mefford, Clarksville, ARMegan Minniear, Clarksville, ARTravis Morgan, Ozark, ARShayla Morrow, Hartman, ARAndrea Muffuletto, Eudora, ARAlex Murcia, Costa RicaTravis Murnan, Tulsa, OKPatrick Otto, Knoxville, ARScharla Paryzek, Pea Ridge, ARMolly Patterson, Alma, ARAndreina Perez, VenezuelaLacey Phillips, Clarksville, ARDahania Pimentel, Mexico

Jeremy Provence, Mountainburg, ARMichael Prusator, Ochelata, OKBrittany Puerto, HondurasKayla Quertermous, Sullivan, MOShane Richardson, Omaha, ARChristian Ridings, El Dorado, ARLyda Rodriguez, PanamaEthan Rogers, Clarksville, ARLuis Roldán, MexicoJessica Root, Whitehouse, TXKirk Ross, Benton, ARSusan Rummel, Little Rock, ARColbey Russo, Dallardsville, TXGuido Salas, Houston, TXBrent Sanders, Jessieville, ARAnthony Santoro III, Sugar Land, TXCassie Saorrono, Stockton, CAMicah Scroggins, Oark, ARDristika Shrestha, NepalCharLee Sloan, Fayetteville, ARElizabeth Small, Van Buren, ARElisabeth Snoddy, Hot Springs, ARKelsey Stephens, Anna, TXEli Stone, Clarksville, ARAshley Teague, Lavaca, ARTerri Thomas, Fayetteville, ARCass Thompson, Santa Fe, NMNeil Thompson, Ovilla, TXEmily Towe, Cabot, ARAlison Villines, Kingston, ARBethany Walker, Ozark, ARRachel Watley, Sulphur Springs, TXRandon Webb, Pea Ridge, ARWilliam Wheless, Shreveport, LAKaitlyn Williams, Clarksville, ARDenise Wirth, Bentonville, ARApril Young, Deer, ARRey Zamorano, Clarksville, AR


Graduation photo album 2012


alumni.ozarks.edu/includes/images/albums/2012/Grad/fa11grad/index.html


CAMPUS NEWS

Dr. Rick D. Niece, the third longest serving president in University of the Ozarks history, has announced he plans to retire at the end of the 2012-2013 aca-demic year. Niece, who was named the univer-sity’s 24th president in 1997, will step down on June 30, 2013, after 16 years of dedicated service and leadership at the helm of the Clarksville campus. Only the presidencies of F.R. Earle (1858-1891) and Dr. Wiley Lin Hurie (1923-1949) lasted longer in the college’s 178-year history. “I have been blessed with a long, productive, and distinguished career in education,” Niece said. “Education is magical. I began my professional life as a high school English teacher, and I now complete it as a university presi-dent. Every position in between those career bookends has been meaningful. Throughout the years, I have never been heard to say, ‘I am going to work.’ I al-ways say, ‘I am going to school.’ The subtle, yet pronounced distinction be-tween the statements speaks volumes. Sherée and I are grateful to so many for so much. These years at Ozarks gave us more than we have given, taught us more than we have taught, and honored us more than we deserve.” The University has announced that its Board of Trustees has formed a search committee composed of trustees, alumni, faculty, staff and students to se-lect Niece’s successor. The committee, which is led by trustee Chris Allen of Clarksville, will review candidates and recommend finalists to the trustees. The committee hopes to have the finalists on campus by November and a new presi-dent chosen by January. Under Niece’s leadership, Ozarks has seen student enrollment increase 19 percent, the endowment grow by more than 200 percent, and the number of full-time faculty increase from 28 to 48. The university has also added several new

facilities, including four apartment-style residence halls, the Walker Hall teacher education and communications center, the Rogers Conference Center and the Mabee Student Fitness Center. David Rawhouser, chair of the Board of Trustees and an Ozarks alumnus, said Ozarks has reached new heights under Niece’s leadership. “Over the past dozen years, I have had the honor to work with Dr. Niece through the board of trustees,” Raw-houser said. “Maintaining a high quality college program in today’s ever chang-ing educational world is a challenge. Many positive changes have occurred on campus. Facilities have been built to meet the needs of today’s students, the campus has never looked more beauti-ful, our endowment has grown, tech-nology is growing to match that of the world around us, and the education re-ceived by a student today remains at the high standards established by our found-ers. Much of the credit for that must go to Dr. Niece’s leadership of a highly en-gaged, dynamic faculty and staff.” Niece’s tenure has been defined by unparalleled fund-raising success. The University has raised nearly $140 mil-lion over the past 15 years, including the completion of two major campaigns - the $60 million PRIDE & PROMISE Campaign in 2003 and the $40 million

PROMISE OF EXCELLENCE Cam-paign in 2011. Ozarks has also been ranked as a “top-tier” campus by U.S. News & World Report for 13 consecutive years and a “Best Value” by the maga-zine 12 times. “Ozarks is a more respected and vibrant institution of higher education because of Rick Niece,” said former Ozarks Board of Trustees Chair Judy Borck of Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. “Through his participatory form of lead-ership, everyone feels more a part of the University, especially the students.” Other campus improvements under Niece’s leadership include new building and campus map signs, the Smith-King Plaza, new campus entryway signage on College Avenue, the Broyles Flag Plaza, First Lady Park and additional campus parking. Niece and his wife, First Lady Sherée, have hosted more than 40,000 students, alumni, faculty, staff and Uni-versity friends in the President’s Home over the last 15 years in events that in-clude alumni gatherings, freshmen and senior dinners, movie nights, and Super Bowl and Pumpkin Carving parties. “Dr. Niece is among the most dy-namic, engaging leaders our state has seen,” said Rex Nelson, president of the Arkansas Independent Colleges & Universities. “I’m not talking about just the University of the Ozarks. I’m talk-ing about the entire state. All Arkansans benefited when this Ohio native came here in 1997. ”

Dr. Niece announces retirementFollow the search for U of O’s 25th

president at www.ozarks.edu

~Larry Isch


Dr. Niece announces retirementCAMPUS NEWS

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Number of assists dished out by Lacey Phillips for the Lady Eagles during the 2011-2012 season, breaking the school-record of 139 held by Missy Boroughs in 1993-94. Phillips, a 5-foot-9 senior forward from Clarksville, led the American Southwest Conference in assists per game (5.7), which ranked 10th in NCAA Division III.

Number of years in the past 24 years that the University’s Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) team has won its regional competition and advanced to the national competition. The University’s 2011-2012 SIFE team, which had 48 active members, implemented 28 projects in 11 differ-ent countries over the past year. More than 2,800 hours of community ser-vice that impacted more than 44,000 people were recorded by the student organization.

120 Number of U of O student-athletes, coaches and staff members who volunteered to work the 2012 Arkansas Area 4 Special Olympics Track & Field meet, held April 26 at Clarksville High School. With more than 400 participants, it was the largest Special Olympics meet ever hosted by Clarksville.

Tuesday and Thursday classes will begin at 7:45 a.m. and the weekly chapel service will move to Wednesdays as part of a revamped class scheduling initiative that will take place beginning in August for the 2012 Fall Semester. The changes, implemented by the Office of Academic Affairs, were made primarily to give the campus community additional designated meeting times, ac-cording to Provost Dr. Daniel Taddie. The new schedule will have the weekly chapel service, Ozarks@Wor-ship, moving from 11 a.m. on Tuesdays to 11 a.m. on Wednesdays. Under the new schedule there will be designated open periods at 11 a.m. on Mondays and Fridays, meaning no classes will be scheduled during those times. Currently, 11 a.m. on Thursday is the only open period for campus meetings such as committee meetings, discussion groups, teaching forums and senate meetings. “This is something we’ve been thinking about and looking at for a few years because we’ve always had an aw-ful time trying to schedule committee meetings and other campus meetings,” Taddie said. “This is not only going to give faculty and staff extra time periods to meet, but it will give student organiza-

tions and groups another open period to have meetings. Instead of having meet-ings in the evenings, they may be able to move those to an open period.” The schedule changes will mean that the first classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays will begin at 7:45 a.m. Those classes will run until 9 a.m. The second class will run from 9:10 a.m. to 10:25 a.m. and the third class on Tuesdays and Thursdays will run from 10:35 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. All of the afternoon classes, as well as the Monday, Wednesday, Fri-day class times, will remain the same. Because of the changes, there will be 10 minutes between classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays instead of 15 minutes. “We are going to have the exact same number of class periods, so we’re not adding or losing any classes,” Taddie said. “The only real change is the time between classes, but we currently have 10 minutes between classes on Mon-days, Wednesdays and Fridays, so this change will actually make the schedule more consistent. Now there will be 10 minutes between classes every day.” Taddie said moving the start time of Tuesday and Thursday classes to 7:45 a.m. was necessary in order not to dis-turb the afternoon class schedules.

Class schedule changes announced

At least five graduates from the class of 2012 plan to attend law school in the fall. They include (from left) Cory Bridges (University of Arkansas), Emily Towe (Albany Law School), Ashley Teague (Southern Methodist University), Sam McFall (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) and Sam Emerson (Samford University).

Headed to Law Schools

Number of students from Ozarks who took part in a mission trip spon-sored by the student organization Alpha & Omega to Belize in late June. The group raised more than $9,000 to help provide ministry, food packages, text book repair and com-puter maintenance.


CAMPUS NEWS

Rev. Nancy Benson-Nicol is a fa-miliar sight here at U of O, with a smile for everyone and uplifting chapel ser-mons. But there is another side to the University Chaplain. She has spent the past three years authoring a detailed study guide for the General Epistles of the New Testament and has embarked on a series of trips throughout the sum-mer and into the fall to promote and hold workshops about the guide. “Dispatches to God’s Household: The General Epistles” will be published through Horizons magazine, a publica-tion of Presbyterian Women, which is an independent organization within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with more than 300,000 members. The magazine is published bi-monthly with, as Benson-Nicol put it, “a focus on various mission partnerships and theological musings of Presbyterian women throughout the country and the world.” Once a year, Horizons also publishes a Bible study, nine lessons covering a different book of

the Bible or a specific theme each year. “Dispatches to God’s Household: The General Epistles covers portions of scriptures from 1st and 2nd Peter, 1st through 3rd John, and Jude,” she ex-plained. “In it I used the overarching idea of ‘family’ as the lens through which to look at the nature of community as it’s addressed in those letters. That was the charge I was given by the Bible studies selection committee three years ago.” Benson-Nicol said she was encour-

aged to apply to author this latest study because of her prior publication credits. “I’d written other pieces,” she said, “including a few short articles for some publications, and a national liturgy pub-lished through Presbyterian Women.” Benson-Nicol’s 16 trips began in the spring and will continue through Sep-tember, with a few here and there after-ward. “In my visits I will acquaint the participants with the study, walk them through the lessons, and as much as I can offer insights, helpful hints, for them as they engage their circle with the Bible study. I’m really excited to meet the dif-ferent groups that are willing to study, to hear their insights and gauge their re-sponses, their personal beliefs and reli-gious beliefs that are embedded in that concept of ‘family.’ ” Those interested in the study guide may go to http://horizons.pcusa.org/bi-ble.htm for further information.

Thanks to a grant from the Arkansas Department of Education, the University of the Ozarks’ Pat Walker Teacher Edu-cation Program recently took on the task of helping improve ACT scores for area high school students. The University’s teacher education program was informed in November that it had received a $24,182 grant from ADE in a program to partner with school districts at Clarksville, Lamar, Westside and Scranton. The goal of the College and Career Readiness Planning Program (CCRPP) is to improve ACT scores of students from the four partner school districts. The ADE had previously used indi-vidual school districts to coordinate ACT training programs, but decided for 2012 to allow colleges and universities with-in the state to coordinate the programs. With encouragement from several lo-

Chaplain authors guide for Presbyterian Women

cal school districts, Ozarks submitted a proposal to ADE and was one of the colleges chosen to coordinate a training program. “We had the superintendents from Clarksville, Lamar, Scranton and West-side come to us and request us to be a training site,” said Dr. Glenda Ezell, chair of the University’s Walker Teacher Education Program and author of the grant proposal. “To have superintendents come and ask you to partner with them is a compliment to our teacher education program and to the entire University.” The training program at Ozarks was coordinated by Dr. Michael McManus, assistant professor of education. McMa-nus will also serve as a reading instructor in the program. U of O math instructor Stacy Key will also be one of the pro-gram’s instructors, and Lisa Thomas, office manager in education, will assist

with data collection. Other instructors will come from the four partner schools. Ezell said around 50 high school students from the four school districts took part in the training. The program culminated with the students taking the ACT on campus in June. “The program is completely free for the students, including lunch on cam-pus,” said Ezell. “Even the (ACT) test is paid for. The program is really set up to benefit the students who take advantage of it.”

~ Don Lee

Education Division sets sights on improving ACT scores


~ Don Lee

CAMPUS NEWS

This year’s incoming freshmen at U of O will have an exciting opportunity this summer to get out of the house and into the woods—and learn some valu-able skills at the same time. From July 15-21, Ozarks Outdoors will offer an intensive pre-orientation wilderness trip which will include rock climbing, canoe-ing, camping, hiking, and skills training in wilderness survival. The Ozarks Outdoors program, en-tering its second year, is the University’s outdoor recreation and education pro-gram. It combines outdoor and environ-mental experiences offered across aca-demics, student life, and administration. “This trip is for new students only,” said Director of Outdoor and Environ-mental Experiences Jamie Lewis Hedg-es. “Any incoming freshman can sign up for it. The cost of $150 covers all the gear, the programming, food, every-thing. All they have to do is bring appro-priate clothing.” Hedges said the entire reason and focus of the week-long trip is to teach

skills that students need to make the transition from high school to college; specifically, organization skills, planning skills, and goal-setting skills. “The week will start off that Sun-day when parents drop the students off at Base Camp, our headquarters,” said Hedges. “We’ll do some staging there, then leave early Monday and drive out to our destination. Our main goal that day will involve team-building. On Tuesday we’ll be canoeing, and the rock climbing will take place on Wednesday. During all that time we’ll be working on some basic outdoor skills, like how to start a fire, how to use a compass, how to read a map, that sort of thing.” The pinnacle of the trip will take place on Thursday and Friday. “We will have boxes with us that contain disor-ganized food, gear, a compass, a map, and whatever else the students will need to make some kind of backpacking trip between where we are and White Rock Mountain, which is to the north,” Hedges said. “So on those two days we’ll bring out those boxes, give them the map, give them the gear, give them the compass, and turn them loose. Where they go and

how far they go is totally up to them. We will just be there for safety purposes. This will give them the chance to work through what they’ve been learning, and afterward give us a chance to debrief them on their planning, goal setting, and organizing, the three focus points of the trip.” Hedges said his program staff has been personally calling all pre-registered freshmen since January to let them know about the program and the upcoming trip. “That project has really proven worthwhile, so we’re planning to con-tinue to do that,” Hedges said. “We had quite a few pre-admits express enthusi-asm for the event, so it’ll be terrific to see how many sign up. There is really a double focus in trips like this, both re-cruiting students to the university and program, and retaining those students once they get here. The skills we’ll teach on the trip will help them abundantly once school starts in the fall. Plus it’s an entry way into the Ozarks Outdoor pro-gram.”

Sister Helen Prejean, author of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated “Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States,” signs autographs following her lecture at Ozarks on Feb. 6. Sister Prejean visited Ozarks as part of the 2011-2012 Walton Arts & Ideas Series.

Author Visits Campus

~ Don Lee

Ozarks Outdoors sets wilderness outing for freshmen

Students cross a swinging foot bridge over the Mulberry River near Oark, Ark., during a recent winter hike organized by Ozarks Outdoors.


CAMPUS NEWS

In February the University Theatre presented one of its most ambitious pro-ductions in the program’s history, and judging from the long lines at the box of-fice and the rave reviews, it was a smash-ing hit. The University Cabaret: A Musical Variety, under the direction of Ozarks Theatre Professor Bruce B. Brown, played to sold-out audiences on four con-secutive nights. The show included ev-erything from ballet and modern dance, to musical solos and duets, to large-scale production numbers. The cast was just as diversified, ranging from students majoring in a myriad of disciplines, to faculty members and athletic coaches, to people from the community. “I wanted to create an event that would bring people to the theatre again,” Brown said. “I wanted something to ex-cite the campus and local community.” Brown said the idea of the Univer-sity Cabaret stemmed from a desire to do a musical. “I always love to work on musicals but teaching in a small program means we do not typically get the opportunity to do a large scale musical because of the sheer amount of people required on stage and behind the scenes,” he said. “But, I still wanted to do something with music; I had students who needed that experience. So, I decided that I would put out an open call for talent and see if I could actually put together a company of performers to do some big musical numbers. I invited not only the campus community, but also the local and sur-rounding communities as well. I real-ized during auditions that I had a very talented and eclectic group of individuals before me. I knew I could put together something that would not only give my majors experience working with musical theatre, but would also be a bridge to the community and the rest of the campus.” The production, held in the cozy Black Box Theatre in the Walton Fine

Arts Center, included comedy scenes, musical solos and duets, and scenes from large-scale productions such as “Okla-homa” and “Hair.” There was even an aerial dance and a glow-stick routine, “I tell people it was basically a talent show on steroids,” said Jacqueline Jur-cik, a senior theatre major from Russell-ville, Ark., who appeared in several of the event’s productions. “The neat thing about it was that it wasn’t just theatre majors, but students from all over. It was just a cool coming together of people to have fun and entertain.” Of the 24 people in the cast, only four were theatre majors. Brown said he knew from the early rehearsals that the Cabaret was something special. “After the first week of working with the main acting company, I knew we had the potential to have a really en-tertaining show,” he said. “The entire company was thrilled with the public in-terest in our production.” Brown said the entire company in-cluded 32 people, and the show utilized more than 100 costumes. He believes it was popular because of its variety and because the audience members could see that the cast was having fun.

“It was so much fun,” Brown said. “There were lots of big showy musical numbers with great costumes that made the audience feel good; there were small-er scenes that touched their hearts and caused them to laugh; there was beauti-ful dance in addition to emotional solo performances and a powerhouse duet. All parts of the cabaret from the perfor-mances, beautiful costumes and lighting, to the feats of acrobatics were exciting, thrilling, and dynamic. Having com-munity members from Clarksville and Russellville in the production as well as students, faculty and staff from all areas across campus—and even an alumnus of the theatre program—was a recipe for success.” The show did have its mishaps, in-cluding an opening-night miscue when two performers collided head-on in the dark during a change-over on stage. One had to be taken to the hospital as a pre-cautionary measure. “The other cast members covered for the missing performer” Brown said. “I don’t believe anyone in the audience even noticed. I was very proud of them.”

Cabaret showcases campus talents

Students perform a scene from “Oklahoma” during The University Cabaret: A Musical Variety, which sold out all four nights in February.

~Larry Isch


Cabaret showcases campus talents

South Korea

CAMPUS NEWS

Hurie Award U of O has entered into a student-exchange agreement with Hannam Uni-versity in Daejeon, South Korea, accord-ing to Ozarks Provost Dr. Daniel Taddie. The two universities are expected to begin exchanging students as early as the 2012 Fall Semes-ter. Like Ozarks, Hannam is a Presbyterian-affiliated uni-versity. Established in 1956 by American missionaries, Hannam has approximately 18,000 undergraduate stu-dents, 1,500 graduate stu-dents and 375 full-time fac-ulty members. The private university offers more than 2,000 courses per semester in its 49 departments. Daejeon, located in the center of South Korea, has a popu-lation of 1.5 million and is considered the science and technology capital of the country. According to Dr. Bill Eakin, profes-sor of philosophy and German and direc-tor of the Ozarks Abroad program, the agreement with Hannam was initiated through the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities. “They approached us to see if there was an interest, and it fell into place,” said Eakin. “The program will work for

our students similar to our current Irish-American Scholars Program.” Like in the Irish-American Scholars Program, students apply and are selected to study for a semester or a full year in

South Korea. The agreement will include fall-spring stu-dent study as well as summer program study. Students pay their regular tuition at their home university, and must pay for their travel, room and board in the country they are visiting. Eakin said one of the colleges at Hannam Uni-versity, The Linton Global College, emphasizes global communication and culture

and global business, as well as general education and language courses. All of the courses in the Linton Global College are taught in English. “It’s really a win-win situation for our students,” Taddie said of the agree-ment. “The students from Ozarks who travel to South Korea will have a won-derful opportunity to learn and experi-ence a new country and take a number of different courses that they wouldn’t be able to here. The students here will get the increased exposure of a diverse culture from the Korean students.”

Agreement reached with South Korean college

Sabrina Goddard, a biology major from Stroud, Okla., is the recipient of the Hurie Award as the outstanding mem-ber of the 2012 senior class at Ozarks. The award is named for Dr. Wiley Lin Hurie, who served as president of Ozarks from 1923 to 1949. Given by the faculty, it is the highest honor an Ozarks student can receive. The faculty members choose a graduate who has been an exemplary scholar, a campus leader, and a person of outstanding character. Goddard has excelled both in the classroom and on the basketball court since arriving at Ozarks in 2008. She has been named to the University’s academic honor roll each semester she has attended Ozarks and graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors. She is the historian of the Ozarks Biologi-cal Society, a member of the Tri Beta National Biological Honor Society and the Ozarks Alchemists. As a four-year starter and team captain on the women’s basketball team, Goddard fin-ished her career ranked sixth in points (1,350), seventh in rebounding (683) and recorded 197 blocked shots. She was a three-time all-conference per-former and was named the University’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2011 and 2012. She plans to attend medical school at the University of Oklahoma in the fall.

Third Party Comments for Higher Learning CommissionUniversity of the Ozarks is seeking comments from the public about the University in preparation for its periodic evaluation by its regional accrediting agency. The University will host a visit Octo-ber 22-24, 2012, with a team representing the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. University of the Ozarks has been accredited by the Commission since 1965. The team will review the institution’s ongoing ability to meet the Commission’s Criteria for Accredita-tion. The public is invited to submit comments regarding the University to:

Public Comment on University of the OzarksThe Higher Learning Commission230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500Chicago, IL 60604-1411The public may also submit comments on the Commission’s web site at www.ncahlc.org

Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. Comments must be in writing.

All comments must be received by Sept. 22, 2012


CAMPUS NEWS

Athletic Standouts

Kaitlyn Williams, a defender from Clarks-ville, Ark., was a four-year starter for the Lady Eagles soccer program. The reliable defensive standout played in 72 matches in her career, with 68 starts. The strategic communication major was also a three-time Academic All-Conference performer and served as a student-worker on the University’s sports information staff as a writer and photographer.

A defensive standout in center field for the Eagles, the sure-handed and speedy Chris Driedric posted a remarkable .984 career fielding percentage as a four-year starter and had two seasons without an error. The Little Rock native finished his career ranked sixth in games played (145), fifth in at-bats (515), eighth in sto-len bases (18) and tenth in hits (149). He was a two-time all-conference selection.

Jeremy Provence capped a stellar cross country career at Ozarks by being named to the 2011 Capital One Academic All-District First team. The Mountainburg, Ark., native finished second at the 2011 American Southwest Conference Cham-pionships and 11th at the NCAA III Regional Championships. He set a school record in the 8K (25:54.19) and was a three-time ASC All-Academic honoree.

U of O has announced that Brian Hull has been named director of admis-sion and Reba Pridgin has been named interim director of development. Both changes became effective July 1. The announcements follow the re-cent resignations of Brandy Cox as di-rector of development and Chad Cox as director of admission to pursue other op-portunities. Hull has worked in the University’s Student Life Office since graduating from Ozarks in 2002. He most recently

Hull, Pridgin selected to lead university programsserved as director of student activities. He will continue to coach the Univer-sity’s cross country teams, which he has done since 2008. Hull earned a master’s degree in college student personnel from Arkansas Tech University in 2007. Pridgin, a 1981 Ozarks graduate, has served in numerous roles in the Ad-vancement Office since 2001, including director of alumni relations, develop-ment and planned giving. Brandy (Rhodes) Cox, a 1999 Ozarks graduate, will assume her new duties in

late July as senior director of develop-ment for university programs at Okla-homa State University. She started in the Advancement Office in 2005. Chad Cox, also a 1999 alumnus, has worked in the Admission Office since 2006. Also, the university recently an-nounced that Stacy Key, math instruc-tor and coordinator of academic assess-ment, will become chair of the Division of Sciences and Mathematics on Jan. 1. He will replace Dr. Frank Knight, who is going back to full-time teaching.


CAMPUS NEWS

When you take a look at the aca-demic programs at Ozarks, you’ll find a number of courses that are pretty unique. But there is one course that offers stu-dents a truly one-of-a-kind college expe-rience, at least for students in the state of Arkansas—BIO 4234, Lichenology. The lichenology course is an upper level applied botany course that investi-gates the anatomy, physiology, and tax-onomy of lichens. “This is the only li-chenology class in the state of Arkansas, and one of the few in the entire region,” said Dr. Doug Jeffries, who teaches the course. “Because lichens have very little commercial value (which is good for them) they don’t get a lot of exposure.” For those who don’t know what li-chens are, Jeffries offers this explanation. “Lichens are a composite organism,” he said, “which survive through a special type of symbiosis.” Symbiosis is a term that refers to an interaction between two organisms that live in close associa-tion, an interaction that normally offers a survival advantage to both organisms. “Lichens were the first symbiotic organ-isms discovered that were an association between a fungus and an algae,” he said. “The fungus and algae are actually dis-tinct species, but through the symbiotic relationship the fungus actually changes shape, and even the chemicals the lichen makes are unique.” Jeffries said that lichens are divided into three groups based on their shape and growth patterns. The foliose (leaf-like) lichens are commonly found grow-ing on tree trunks or on rocks. These are the flattened, often circular growths one might find adorning the facade of an old stone building, or on older gravestones. A second group, the fruticose (shrub-like) lichens, looks more like a plant. Common examples of fruticose lichens

in Arkansas are the reindeer moss found growing in rounded clumps in the forest, and old man’s beard, which resembles the Spanish moss found growing in the deep south. A third group of lichens, the crustose lichens, are found growing closely adhered to, or even inside, rocks. But while lichens are an interesting and unique group of organisms, Jeffries said the course wasn’t created just to teach students about lichens. “This class is a different kind of science class than all the other students take,” he said, “because it’s a taxonomy class. It gives them experience in that area, because taxonomy is so very differ-ent from experimental biology.” He said that this class teaches students a num-ber of skills and techniques that will be useful in later studies or even for those working in the field of wildlife biology, such as how to use taxonomic keys. Be-cause the class is a taxonomy class, it consists primarily of field and lab work, with very little lecture. The course is required for students majoring in biology on the ecology and wildlife biology track, but Jeffries said it is open to any student who has an inter-est in learning these special field and lab techniques, and who has completed the

prerequisites for the course. “I generally teach the class every two years,” he said. “The class is taught in the spring so we can do our field trips in January and February, because that’s when the lichens are active. Lichens are not like most plants. Most plants have an optimum temperature in the upper 60s or lower 70s. For lichens, the optimum temperature is about 50 degrees.” For these field trips, Jeffries takes the students to four or five different lo-cations to collect specimens. “Lichens like acid conditions,” he said, “so they like acid soils, and acid rocks. There are some rocky outcrops found in the forests where trees can’t grow and those are called ‘glades.’ Sand-stone glades are one of the best locations to find lichens.” While there are around 15,000 li-chen species found world-wide, Jeffries said that only two or three hundred are found in Arkansas. However, he is quick to point out that students don’t have to know any lichen species by sight in order to take the class, since the whole point is to teach them the identification techniques.”

Looking for LichensUnique Course examines little-known organisms

Students from Dr. Doug Jeffries’ Lichenology course search for lichens during a February field trip to the Ozark Mountains.

~Cara Flinn


Steve Edmisten, executive vice-president at University of the Ozarks, stepped back from his administrative duties on June 30, 2012. He has been named executive vice president emeri-tus and will continue to work with sup-porters of the University to maintain and build philanthropic support. In 15 years as the University’s chief advancement officer, Edmisten directed two comprehensive fundraising cam-paigns for Ozarks. Over that same pe-riod, nearly $140 million was committed to the University for endowments, schol-arships, faculty and staff positions, new and renovated buildings, and equipment. “What a privilege it has been to work with so many people who want to do good things for other people,” said Edmisten, who added, “I am really hap-py to be able to continue doing that.”

He said that another highlight of his career of leading the Advancement program was the ability to work with “a truly amazing team of people possessed of a tremendous can-do attitude.” U of O President Dr. Rick Niece

said Edmisten was the first person he hired when he was selected to lead the University in 1997. “I had not raised a dime as a uni-versity administrator and was nervous about my fund-raising potential,” Niece said. “I was greatly impressed—and re-lieved—by Steve’s knowledge, drive, and vision. I knew that he could teach me the finer points of fund-raising, and that he was the leader we needed for our fund-raising initiatives. The results speak for themselves.” Niece said the University surpassed all expectations through two comprehen-sive campaigns and 15 successful annual scholarship campaigns. “Much of our success at Ozarks is because of Steve Edmisten, and we owe him a great deal of gratitude,” Niece said.

University President Dr. Rick Niece (left) and First Lady Sherée (right) recently established the President’s Above and Beyond Award Endowment to help fund the annual award that recognizes service by an Ozarks employee that is “above what is expected and that is appreci-ated more than can be expressed.” The 2012 Above and Beyond Award went to Executive Vice President Steve Edmisten (center). Past recipients of the award are Dr. Doug Jeffries in 2010 and Bonnie Starkey in 2011.

President’sAbove and Beyond Award Endowment

Regions Bank recently donated $11,000 to the University of the Ozarks’ Annual Scholar-ship Fund. Those at the check presentation included (from left) Jared Wood, Regions Bank city president for Russellville and Clarksville; U of O President Dr. Rick Niece; U of O Executive Vice President Steve Edmisten; and Leonel Cantu, Regions Bank branch manager for Clarksville. Cantu, a 1999 graduate of Ozarks, was named man-ager of the Clarksville branch in March. He previously worked in the banking business in New York, Texas and Conway, Ark. The Annual Scholarship Fund supports student scholarships and campus operations at U of O. For more information on the Annual Scholarship Fund, please contact the Advancement Office at 479-979-1230.

Executive VP Edmisten to take on new role

What a privilege it has been to work with so many

people who want to do good things for other

people. I am really happy to be able to

continue doing that.

“

”Steve Edmisten


Your giving makes a difference everyday in the lives of Ozarks stu-dents, but did you know that your gift may make twice the impact? If you or your spouse work for a company with a matching gifts program, you may be able to double your support to Ozarks this year just by filling out a form. Since 1954, when Philip Reed, then chair of General Electric’s board of di-rectors, introduced the first matching gift program, corporate matches have provided billions of dollars to education and other nonprofits. A recent article from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) discussed how matching gift programs today are essential to many corporate cultures as a very democratic way of giving. These matching gift programs offer employees some control regarding which nonprof-its receive their corporation’s support.

Make your gift count ... Twice!

According to the Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) survey conducted each year, higher education institutions reported receiving over $141 million in corporate matching gifts in 2010. The VSE survey also reported the average matching gift was just over $500. At University of the Ozarks, we have received matching gifts ranging from $25 to $7,500 from various compa-nies with matching gift programs. These gifts may support the Annual Scholar-ship Fund or assist alumni and friends in setting up an endowed scholarship.

Here is a list of companies Universi-ty of the Ozarks received matching gifts from in the 2012 fiscal year:

Arkansas Best CorporationBank of America FoundationChevron Texaco Matching Grants ProgramConocoPhillips CompanyDeloitte FoundationEli Lilly and Company FoundationEntergy CorporationExxonMobil FoundationIBM International FoundationOccidental Petroleum Charitable FoundationPfizer Foundation Matching Gifts ProgramPrudential Foundation Matching Gifts ProgramRegions Financial Corporation FoundationState Farm Companies Foundation

To learn more about how you can participate, contact your employer about matching gift opportunities and call the University of the Ozarks’ Advancement Office at 479-979-1222.

Individuals who are interested in making charitable gifts to Ozarks now have access to an extensive library of online resources and tools to help them learn more about the types of gift options available and how different types of gifts may impact their estate and tax planning. The University’s Advancement Of-fice, in partnership with The Stelter Company, has added a comprehensive “planned giving” section to the univer-sity web site (www.ozarks.edu) which contains a wealth of information about charitable giving. In this new section, visitors will find content that explains the various types of gifts, with infor-mation about the advantages offered by each gift type. They will also have ac-cess to resources that will help answer many questions about charitable giving, including a number of eBrochures, in-depth articles about charitable giving, commonly used giving forms and IRS

New on-line presence makes planned giving easierpublications, along with links to other giving resources on the web. According to Reba Pridgin, Ozarks’ director of planned and major giving, the new content can help visitors see the many ways they can help make a differ-ence for Ozarks’ students. “I’ve talked to people who didn’t know that during their lifetime they could set up a scholarship with the cri-teria they want—to choose the type of student they want to help—but not have to fund that scholarship until they pass away,” Pridgin said. This type of giv-ing opportunity is just one of the op-tions Pridgin said people can learn about through the new web content. Pridgin said the site can also help people understand both the immediate and long-lasting impacts that a planned gift can have. “We recently set up a gift with a gentleman and his wife to fund a scholarship endowment that will come

from their estate.” Through this type of gift, Pridgin said that the couple was able to establish the terms of their gift. “Their intentions are on paper…we’ve already prepared a gift agreement that specifies that students that meet specific criteria have an opportunity to receive this scholarship,” she explained. To learn more about these new re-sources, visit the planned giving section on the web, at http://www.ozarks.edu/benefits4U or contact Reba Pridgin by email at [email protected] or by tele-phone at 479-979-1413.


Four years ago this August, I was getting ready to start a whole new chapter of my life. I was packing up my things and saying goodbye to my family and friends as I headed to University of the Ozarks to start my college education in a place where

I knew absolutely no one. Like many other freshmen, I had gone “pot-luck,” meaning that I had allowed the university to choose my room-mate. Little did I know that I would be paired with a girl from another country who would soon become not only my roommate but a best friend and sister as well.

By Andrea Dankert ’12

At Ozarks, students from Central America are routinely roomed with American students, often leading to an enriching and rewarding experience as the author, Andrea Dankert (far left), found out.


Through a series of extraordinary events, our friend-ship actually began in Panama City, Panama, the summer before our freshman year. At the last minute, I had accepted an internship position at a cultural arts center in a small town in Panama. I had never been to Panama before, but when the opportunity arose, I could not resist. While there, University of the Ozarks officials notified me that my roommate would be Lyda Rodriguez from Panama City, Panama. I was in shock. What were the odds that when I found out that I would have an international roommate that I would be staying less than two hours away from her house? Right away, I looked her up on Facebook, and just a few days later, we met for the first time. Over the next few weeks, Lyda introduced me to her friends and family and way of life. The bond that began that summer day continues today, even following our recent graduation from Ozarks. “I was uncertain of what to expect when coming to Ozarks. There were so many uncertainties about moving to a place that I had never been to before, but being able to meet Andrea and spend time with her really made me feel so much more comfortable about the whole transition,” said Lyda. Dr. Rickey Casey, the executive director of International Studies at Ozarks, is in charge of pairing the international students with their roommates. “In so many cases, the Central American and the American will make a bond that lasts a lifetime. They develop a really good friendship where they can give each other insight about each others’ cultures,” said Casey. Over time, many Ozarks students have had the chance to live with a student of another culture. This past fall, freshmen Brianny Chamorro and Megan Wallace became roommates. The two girls come from completely different backgrounds. Brianny is from Managua, Nicaragua, which is a city of more than two million inhabitants. Megan is from Malvern, a small town of less than 10,000 people in South Arkansas. Megan grew up on a cattle farm at home in Malvern, and Brianny is an amateur model in her native country, who has done both runway and print modeling. Despite their differences, they have become close friends over the course of the school year. Brianny described their first encounter as somewhat awkward. “I tried to give her a kiss on the cheek, because that’s how friends greet each other in Central America, but she wasn’t used to that, so I just pretended that I was trying to give her a hug.” Cultural mishaps like that are bound to hap-pen, but both girls are learning to embrace the differences and the awkward moments that can sometimes occur. For Megan and Brianny, every day presents the oppor-tunity to learn something new. “[Megan] is always trying to teach me how Americans communicate, their specific phrases and stuff,” said Brianny. For Megan, this experience has helped her to step outside of her comfort zone. “This opportu-nity has made me become more sociable,” she said.

Megan has introduced Brianny to a number of U.S. cus-toms. “I went to her house over fall break. It was a weekend full of ‘firsts’—my first bonfire, my first s’mores, even a hayride,” said Brianny. She went on to describe their experi-ence as roommates as “better than I ever expected.” The two girls plan to stay together as roommates and friends. “This is the beginning of a lifelong friendship,” said Megan. Of the roommates who are together freshmen year, few last all four years together, but like Lyda and myself, Alex Murcia of Costa Rica and Ethan Harbour of Booneville, Ark., are an exception. “It’s been a real eye opener of different customs and traditions,” said Ethan. “I think both of us have become more understanding of other cultures just by experiencing them,” said Alex. Alex has spent numerous holidays with Ethan and his family in Booneville, and in the summer of 2011 Ethan went to Costa Rica to spend the summer with Alex. “I finally got to put real faces with people that I had spoken with on the phone and Skype, like Alex’s mom and sister. I finally got the chance to really meet them. Living under one roof as a family member instead of as a guest really made the trip worthwhile and seemed to make the time fly,” said Ethan. This has been a major learning experience for both. Besides teaching each other about their respective cultures and languages, both Alex and Ethan have learned much about themselves through rooming together for four years. “We were raised very differently. He’s an only child, and I was raised with five siblings. He had never had to share before in his life, and all of a sudden he had to share with me. It was difficult for him, but I had to learn my boundaries as well,” said Alex.

Roomies from AfarRoomies from Afar

Continued on Page 18

Carlos Bethancourt (center) of Panama was a roommate at Ozarks with Mark Smith (left) of North Little Rock, Ark., in the early 2000s and the two remain close today. Also pictured is Smith’s brother, Chad.


personalities and really just life in general,” said Lyda. Life with Lyda is always an adventure. We have our dis-agreements and misunderstandings, but at the end of the day, we still love each other. As diverse as we may be, there is no one else with whom I would have rather shared my college experience. Our freshman year, two cultures collided on that third floor of King Hall, and neither of us will ever be the same. Living with someone of another culture has been a life-changing experience, one that took time and effort to cul-tivate, but I would not change a thing. At University of the Ozarks, students spend four years studying a wide range of subjects, but for the students who take the time to learn about the other cultures around them, some of the most valuable learning experiences occur outside of the classroom through interactions with people from all over the world.

Roomies from AfarRoomies from Afar Ethan and Alex have made the most of their college ex-perience together. “We’ve gone on so many crazy road trips, just going here and there and everywhere around Arkansas,” said Ethan. “College is supposed to be about education, but it’s also about fun and adventure, and we’ve balanced that really well,” said Alex. Over the past four years, Alex said that he and Ethan have become “like brothers,” and they plan to continue their friendship for the rest of their lives. Some roommates are fortunate enough to have built a bond strong enough to last beyond graduation even when separated by thousands of miles. Carlos Bethancourt, a native of Panama, graduated from Ozarks in 2005. While at Ozarks, Carlos roomed with Jack Grimes and Mark Smith, both of whom he stays in contact with even today. “For four years, I shared with them, and sometimes their families, special moments such as birthdays, Thanksgiving breaks, Christmas, among others,” he said. Carlos continues to have an especially close relationship with Mark and his family, whom he considers a part of his own family. “It is so special to have them all as part of my life and the experiences that have built my personality and that I will cherish as memories,” said Carlos. I hope that Lyda and I will someday have similar stories. A lot has changed over the past four years, but I am glad to say that she and I have remained roommates and friends, there for each other every step of the way. “Over time we have helped teach each other all kinds of valuable life les-sons, not only about each other’s cultures, but about our

Andrea Dankert of Broken Arrow, Okla., and Lyda Rodriguez of Panama City, Panama, became fast friends despite their different backgrounds.

How American and international students become roommates Shortly after Dr. Rickey Casey became the director of the Walton International Scholarship Program (WISP) at Ozarks in 1987, one of the first things he did was meet with the WISP directors at Harding University and John Brown University to develop a set of guidelines for the new program. And, one of the first guidelines they implemented was that the Walton Scholars would be required to room with an American, at least for their first semester. “We felt like that requirement would help the Central American students improve their English quicker and also help them adapt to their new culture better,” Casey said. “It also would benefit the American student who was open to learning a new culture and meeting somebody from a different country.” The process goes like this: After being accepted at U of O, incoming freshmen from the United States are asked to complete a short questionnaire about their living and study habits. They are asked a number of questions regarding their sleeping schedules, music preferences, and cleaning tendencies, among other things. They are also asked whether or not they would be open to sharing a room with an international student. The applications of the American students who are interested in rooming with an international roommate are then sent to the International Office where they are matched with an international student based upon their responses to the questionnaires. Students are generally allowed to change roommates after one semester if things do not work out. “I’d say more than 70 percent of the Central Americans end up staying with American roommates all four years, and many of those form life-long friendships,” Casey said.


Dr. Elissa Heil, associate academic dean and professor of English and Spanish, has been selected to partici-pate in a year-long Senior Leadership Academy through the Council of Independent Colleges and the Ameri-can Academic Leadership Institute. Individuals chosen for the program are mid-level administrators in higher education who aspire to senior leader-ship positions in independent colleges and universities. Dr. Heil will partici-pate in a mentoring program, experi-ential learning projects and a series of readings and case studies.

Morgan O’Neil, a senior environmental studies major from Marion, Ill., was elected Student Government Association president for 2012-13 dur-ing campus elections held in April. In other SGA results, Mark Pearson was elected vice president, Rosa Daniela Ruiz was elected treasurer and Naima Lopez was chosen as secretary. Other positions decided in the elections included, Katie Kloepfer as Campus Activities Board president, Tess Montgomery as Residential Hall Association president and Clayton Crouch as Peer Judicial Board chair.

Elodie Adams, a senior education ma-jor from Belgium, attended the National Science Teachers Association’s (NSTA) national meeting in Indianapolis in March. Adams won a competitive grant to attend the conference by writing an essay on her teaching practicum experi-ence at Westside High School. NSTA is an organization that promotes the excel-lence and innovation in science teaching and learning.

Monica Frizzell, assistant registrar, graduated from the Leadership Johnson County Class of 2011-12 in May. The program, sponsored by the Johnson County-Clarksville Chamber of Com-merce, is a development program that has been designed to inform, motivate and challenge selected participants through education and interaction with community, county and state leaders.

During the Spring Board of Trust-ees meeting in April, several faculty members were promoted to the rank of professor, including Dr. Sean Coleman, professor of biology; Dr. Dave Daily, professor of religion; Dr. Glenda Ezell, chair and professor of education; and Dr. Steve Oatis, professor of history.

For the second time in five years, U of O head athletic trainer Chad Floyd was voted the American Southwest Confer-ence East Division Athletic Trainer of the Year. Floyd, along with the athletic training staff was honored on Dec. 12 during the annual ASC Athletic Trainers Meeting in Dallas. Floyd also won the award for the 2007-08 academic year. The ASC Athletic Training Staff of the Year award is presented by the Confer-ence following voting by the member-ship’s athletic training staffs.

Three long-time employees announced their retirement this summer. Janice Blackard (left photo) is retiring after 36 years as a library technician, Controller Linda White retired from the Business Office after 25 years and Jones Learn-ing Center Assistant Geanne Newman is retiring after 22 years.

The campus celebrated the 70th birthday of Library Technician Janice Blackard on March 26. Blackard retired in May after working in the University’s library for the past 36 years.

Several faculty and staff were honored during the annual Board of Trustees Awards Dinner, held April 27 in the Rogers Conference Center. Among those honored were (from left) Business Office Adminis-trative Assistant Heather Dickerson with the Sims Outstanding Support Staff Award; Assistant Professor of Health and Physical Education Dr. Brett Stone and Associate Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies Dr. Jesse Weiss, both winning the Bagwell Outstanding Faculty Awards; and Jeannett Willis, manager of safety, grounds and custodial, with the Broyles Outstand-ing Professional Staff Award.

University President Dr. Rick Niece’s book, Side-Yard Superhero, was chosen as the reading selection for the 2012 One Book, One Community program at the University of Arkansas Com-munity College in Morrilton during the spring. Side-Yard Superhero is the first volume by Niece in the Fanfare for a Hometown series. His second book, The Band Plays On, was released this sum-mer. Celebrating the soul of America’s heartland, The Band Plays On is Niece’s heartfelt tribute to friendship, commu-nity, and, most importantly, his father, Lewis Niece.

Ryan Smith, a sophomore English major from Springdale, Ark., was selected to serve as an Arkansas student representa-tive at the 220th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in early July in Pittsburgh.


For the past four decades, the Jones Learning Center has been helping students with learning disabilities realize their dreams.

When C.J. Netting ’02 came to Ozarks, he was unsure whether he could handle the academic rigors of college because of a learning disabil-ity. Ten years after graduating from Ozarks,

he has a master’s degree, a law degree and is working with drug addicted teens for the Juvenile Drug Court in Fort Worth, Texas. “Everything I’ve done since leaving Ozarks has been because of the foundation that I received at the Jones Learning Center,” Netting said. “I used the same skills I learned in the JLC to get through graduate school, law school and, hopefully, to further places I’ve yet to dream of.” Steve Sisk ’94 was 35 years old with dyslexia and thought he had no chances of a college education when he entered Ozarks in the late 1980s. Today, he is a successful and respect-ed teacher and assistant basketball coach who, this past season, helped Clarksville High School win its second consecutive boy’s state basketball championship and its fourth state title since Sisk has been a part of the program. “Finding Ozarks and

the Jones Learning Center changed my life,” Sisk said. “I was able to achieve my dream of becoming a coach, which I never thought was possible after graduating high school.” Lauren Black ’09 enrolled at Ozarks as a shy and timid student, ashamed of her learning disability. Today she is a confident and outgoing church youth director and high school swim coach in Texas. “Through the Jones Learning Center, I became more outgoing and comfortable with myself,” she said. “Now I tell kids about my learning disability and I try to encourage them that they can overcome anything.” The testimonials of Netting, Sisk and Black are just a few of the hundreds of success stories that have come out of the Jones Learning Center since it opened its doors in the fall of 1971 as the first college-affiliated program in the nation to help students with learning disabilities. The JLC celebrated its 40th anniversary during the past year, and an estimated 1,100 students have gone through the program since its inception.


The Jones Learning Center will begin a new program for high functioning students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Fall 2012 Semester. The new program will be called the Living and Learn-ing Community (LLC) and will include social and life skills training and support. The students will receive academic sup-port through the JLC. “The Living and Learning Community will provide a so-cial thinking approach to support students with autism spec-trum disorder on the U of O campus,” said JLC Director Julia Frost said. “The goal is for these students to have a success-ful transition to college.” University officials said they would like to have between 3-5 students enrolled in the LLC program for the first year. The University typically has between 60-80 students enrolled in its learning center, which opened in 1971 as the first of its kind in the nation. “Ozarks has the reputation for being on the cutting edge of higher education,” said University President Dr. Rick Niece. “We are a leader in historic firsts, including the Jones Learning Center, which was the first program in the country designed specifically for college students with learning dis-

New program to assist students with autism spectrum disorderabilities. Our new program for students with autistic spec-trum disorder is another example of our leadership and com-mitment to students with special needs. The growing number of young people diagnosed with ASD is alarming, and I am proud that we are stepping forward to help them.” Betty R. Stockton has been hired as coordinator of au-tism spectrum disorder services to oversee the new program. Stockton has served as the regional consultant for behavior interventions for the Arkansas Department of Education at the Crowley’s Ridge Education Co-Operative in Harrisburg, Ark., since 1986. “Betty has been at the forefront of working with students on the autism spectrum and with the counselors and teach-ers who work with these students,” said U of O Provost Dr. Daniel Taddie. One of the main aspects of the new program is a residen-tial life component for the first year. Students in the program will live in a designated residence hall during their freshman year and then move to more integrated housing during their sophomore year. Students in the program will meet daily with the LLC coordinator in their first year and weekly in future years for continued social and life skills work.

“To hear the stories of our alumni and how the JLC chang-es their lives is pretty amazing,” said Julia Frost, who has been the director of the JLC since 1995. “It has provided opportu-nities for them that they never would have had without the support of the JLC. Most of them could never have completed college without this type of comprehensive support, no matter how high their intelligence. As a result, many of them are now able to succeed in jobs that they love—jobs that emphasize their strengths and their passions. Without a college degree, many of them would never even have been considered for these positions.” Twenty years before the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act that required colleges to provide services for students with disabilities, Ozarks became a trendsetter in the nation by starting just such a program. The program came about under the leadership of then University President Dr. Don Davis and the vision of Dr. Ben D. Caudle, the late Tulsa dentist and Ozarks Board of Trustee member who championed its establishment. The Ben D. Caudle Learning Center first opened its doors on the third floor of Hurie Hall in the fall of 1971 with three students and a full-time staff of one. In 1989, the learning cen-ter moved from Hurie Hall to a new building, the Jones Learn-ing Center, built and maintained from donations by Springdale philanthropists Harvey and Bernice Jones. Today, a staff of 18 full-time members help more than 60 students with learning disabilities. And while there are close to 100 comprehensive learning centers in the country, Ozarks’ program is still considered among the best.

“Because Ozarks established the first program of its kind in the country for college students with learning disabilities and continues to provide comprehensive support and hope to col-lege students with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder, it is well-respected nationally,” Frost said. “National experts in the field often tell me that our program is the most comprehensive one in the country for these students. Parents and educators are impressed with the fact that we have so little turnover in staff so that the students know that once a connec-tion is made, that person will be with them until they graduate. This consistency and stability is impressive in an educational arena where programs come and go and change in other col-leges across the country.”

Alumni (from left) Kimberly Penick ’09, Courtney Taylor ’09 and Lissa Malcolm ’10 (right) visit with former coordinator Helen Hoeffer during the JLC’s 40th Anniversary celebration in April.


Ryan and Holly (McNair) Ev-ans’ story reads like a modern-

day fairy tale: They met at Ozarks as students in 1997, married in Munger Chapel in 2001, are raising two beautiful daughters and have suc-cessful, rewarding careers. The couple lives in Houston, Texas, where Ryan is a project manager for AliTek Consulting and Holly is a kindergarten teacher. De-spite having attention deficit disorder and struggling through high school, they both earned college degrees at Ozarks with the help of the Jones Learning Center. “We definitely owe a great deal of gratitude to the JLC and to Ozarks,” said Ryan, whose job it is to assist companies and countries with critical infrastructure security. Holly said knowing that she is making a difference in a child’s life is the most enjoyable part of her job. “There’s no greater feeling to watch a student who doesn’t know how to read or write progress throughout the school year and even-tually leave my class with the ability to do so,” she said. Said Ryan, “The JLC facilities and offerings are excellent and this is due in part to the entire JLC staff. It is hard to find a group that can encourage and support a student as much as the JLC team does. It was always nice to walk through the JLC doors and feel welcomed.”

Ryan ’01 and Holly (McnaiR) ’98 Evans

dR. JoHn MilwEE ’97aManda stang ’08

There’s an adage that says music can heal the mind, body and soul,

and Amanda Stang has made it her life’s calling to prove it. Stang, who graduated with a degree in music from Ozarks before earning a degree in music therapy from the University of the Pacific in California, is currently in a six-month music therapy internship at the San Antonio State Hospital. She works with patients ranging from adoles-cents to adults to Geriatrics. “I lead both therapeutic mu-sic therapy treatment sessions and simple music sing-alongs,” she said. “Music is my first love; plus I love interacting, developing meaningful relationships and helping people. I love getting to know my clients and experiencing the challenge of design-ing effective therapeutic treatments to help in their healing and stabiliz-ing process using the power of music therapy. It’s an absolutely incred-ible field and I leave sessions with a smile on my face and my head in the clouds. I truly experience such an amazing sense of bliss after working with my clients. Being able to observe and experience real changes in people first-hand is absolutely incredible.” Of the JLC, Stang said, “I believe Ozarks is one of the most academical-ly challenging schools in the South, and I don’t know if I would have made it without the JLC. The guid-ance I received was amazing.”

As a staff psychologist at the VA Hospital in North Little Rock,

Dr. John Milwee considers it an honor and privilege to work with this country’s war veterans. “First and foremost I enjoy the diverse population that comprises the patient base of the VA system,” Mil-wee said. “Veterans are a heteroge-neous set from many different walks of life. It is a privilege and pleasure to serve our veterans. I have learned a lot about the sacrifices that military personnel make, both as combatants and peacetime soldiers.” Milwee, also a medical school faculty member who trains psychia-try residents in cognitive behavioral therapy, mainly works with the out-patient population in the VA Hospi-tal’s Mental Health Clinic. After graduating from Ozarks, he went on to earn his doctorate in clinical psychology at the Philadel-phia College of Osteopathic Medi-cine in 2006. Milwee credits the JLC for giving him the skills and confi-dence to succeed in his post-graduate studies. “The JLC taught me the skills necessary to be a successful student, and it’s a skill-set that has also prov-en invaluable to me in areas outside of academia,” he said. “Specifically, the JLC encouraged the development of attention skills, organization and prioritization of assignments, and identification of obstacles.”


cHRistiE (caMpbEll) HaliJan ’00

JaMEs wilboRn ’90

As a licensed certified social worker, Christie (Campbell)

Halijan works with children in foster care who have emotional, mental or behavioral issues. “I enjoy working with extremely challenging children to help them realize their potential and reach their goals,” said Halijan, who is a clini-cal coordinator for the Centers for Youth and Families in Jacksonville, Ark. “I enjoy watching them grow and improve with positive support and encouragement. I like knowing that I have made even the smallest differ-ence in their lives.” Halijan completes assessments, identifies treatment recommendations, and develops and provides individual-ized treatment for each child. Halijan earned a marketing degree from Ozarks before finding her passion in social work and going on to get a master’s degree in social work from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. She said the JLC paved the way for the success she has achieved in her career. “I believe that my path in life would have been much different without the JLC,” she said. “I learned great study habits and organizational skills that continue to help me on a daily basis. The support and encour-agement that I received from JLC was priceless in helping me identify and reach my goals.”

pEnn tHoMas ’83

Penn Thomas went from a struggling college student to a

successful business owner and certi-fied public accountant, thanks to the Jones Learning Center. Thomas has owned and oper-ated a CPA firm in Corpus Christi, Texas, for the past 20 years. His firm provides income tax preparation for businesses and individuals as well as IRS examinations and bookkeeping services. He is also a broker between buyers and sellers of businesses. “I enjoy helping people with their financial responsibilities,” said Thomas. “It’s a great feeling to know that when you go to work in the morning, you’re going to spend the day helping people.” In the 1990s Thomas served on the University’s Board of Trustees, becoming one of the first former JLC students to receive that honor. He credits the JLC for helping achieve many of his professional and per-sonal goals. “The JLC gave me the tools to turn my lemons into lemonade,” Thomas said. “The coordinators coached me through each class at Ozarks and I wouldn’t have made it without them. They taught me how to organize and manage my time—skills that I still utilize today. The JLC provided me with the oppor-tunity to pursue a higher education despite my learning disability.”

When James Wilborn shows up in the morning for work in

his job as assistant superintendent of Lake Ouachita State Park in south Ar-kansas, he has no idea what his duties might be that day. And, he wouldn’t want it any other way. “Some days I’m a plumber, some days I’m an accountant, and other days I might be a firefighter or police officer. Sometimes I’m all of these things in a single day,” said Wilborn. “I love the diversity.” Wilborn began working part time with the state department of parks and tourism as a student at Ozarks and soon discovered it was his calling. He served as a park interpreter for 16 years before being promoted. He has been at Lake Ouachita since 2008. As an assistant park superintendent, he helps oversee park operations.” “I oversee work schedules, major construction projects, and general personnel issues and reports,” Wil-born said. “But I occasionally get out and do normal ranger duties: patrol-ling campgrounds, search and rescue, fire management, all the cool things you think of when you think of a park ranger. I absolutely love what I do.” Wilborn was able to achieve his dream of a career in the park service thanks to the help of the JLC. “Without the assistance of the Learning Center, I would not have been able to attend college and later go on to a successful career,” he said.


Lt. Col. Jeffery Howard ’93 commands a U.S. Army squadronof more than 500 soldiers on the

frontlines of the War in Afghanistan

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jeffery Howard ’93 is currently serving in Afghanistan, his fourth deployment to a war zone since 9-11. As commander in the 4th Squadron, 73rd Calvary Regiment in the 82nd Airborne’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, Howard has more than 500 troops under his command. A native of Clarksville, Howard’s almost 20-year military career has had him serving at Army stations in Fort Knox, Ky; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Polk, La.; Shreveport, La.; Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; and Fort Bragg, N.C. He met his wife, Donita (Willis) ’93, at Ozarks and they were married in Munger Chapel on July 20, 1991. They have three sons: Ryan, 13, Garrett, 10, and Carson, 6. Before his most recent deployment in Febru-ary, he took time to talk about his military career, his time at Ozarks and the traits of strong leadership.

Your father, Morgan Howard, was a retired Air Force non-commissioned officer. How did your military career get started? I got started in the military through Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) at U of O. I had been interested in the military since my last year of high school. My dad convinced me to attend a minimum of one year of college. I entered Ozarks in the Fall of 1989 and ROTC was one of my classes. With ROTC I met students who were serious about college but also training for the Army while rock climbing and rappelling. Through ROTC, I went to Airborne School in the summer of 1990. I later earned a ROTC scholarship and completed my bachelor’s degree at Ozarks and received my commission into the Army through University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

Describe your duties and general responsibilities as a squadron commander of 4th Squadron, 73rd Calvary Regiment in the 82nd Airborne.

It is an honor to lead such quality individuals. It is always great to walk into a gas station and be greeted by soldiers within my squadron. My gener-al duties and responsibilities as the commander are varied and sometimes difficult to communicate. I have several quality officers and noncommissioned officers whom I work closely with to train and prepare the troopers for real world mis-sions. In addition, I strive to know as many of the soldiers as possible and to meet their familie,s encouraging them to be involved and strive for excellence. I mentor young officers and strive to inspire them to mentor those soldiers who work for them.

On Nov. 4, 2010, in a Change of Command Cere- mony at Fort Bragg, you took command of the 4th Squadron. What was that experience like?

I was inspired and awed that I would be serving with and leading the paratroopers standing on the parade field. I was both honored and humbled to become part of such an incredible unit. I am still amazed at God’s generosity to me as I remember the day and try to communicate the experience. As I watched the paratroopers march with my wife, sons, mom, dad, mother-in-law, brother, sister-in-law, niece, pastor, and many friends behind me, I was excited to begin what I had dreamed of for many years. At the completion of the ceremony, I stood with my wife and



three sons greeting soldiers and family members who had attended. It was amazing to stand with my family in the rain and have so many shake our hands, welcome us, congratulate us, and wish us well. So often, we are tempted to minimize ceremonies because of the many demands placed upon us; yet, I hope to never forget how proud I was to be a small part of history that day. My sons were given unit coins and my wife was given flowers as the unit recognized that they too would be an integral part of the 4-73 Cavalry Family. I was grateful for the presence of my parents, Donita’s mom, and my brother and his family. They helped with the Change of Command Reception as they had done twice at the troop level in Louisiana. They blessed me and so many others as they too seemed part of a snapshot within my dream. The day was full of ceremony, tradition, family, friends, and patriotism.

What is a typical day like during a deployment period?

A typical day down-range is challenging for many reasons. There are times of long hours, focused planning, and execution of missions. Sometimes those missions are chaotic, physically and mentally challeng-ing with lives at risk. Other times the long hours of focus are on political relationships and building goodwill. The big-gest difference with being a soldier and leader down-range versus other times is that there is truly no time to be off-duty. Although there will be times of camaraderie with meals and activities, challenge can come at any time and the unit must be ready. The last two deployments I was fortunate to work closely with my commander. First at the squadron level as the squadron executive officer and then at the brigade level as the brigade executive officer was good training for this

upcoming challenge. I saw first-hand the devotion required from the commander. This deployment holds a lot more personal responsibility for me. As the squadron commander, I will be involved both in combat planning and execution and also in political relationship building. I believe that ev-ery soldier and soldier’s family deserves a commander who cares for them, encouraging and challenging them to grow professionally and personally. I also believe that the success within Afghanistan is directly dependent on partnering with the Afghan people and helping the country to govern and protect itself. Therefore, it is imperative that I stay focused on our unit’s missions and inspire other leaders to keep sol-diers at every level at their best.

What do you enjoy the most about a military career? What do you enjoy the least?

I have enjoyed most of the last 18 years in the military. I enjoy the opportunity to have great adventures like jumping from airplanes and shooting some pretty amazing weapons. In addition, travel-ing to parts of the world and helping to make things better for people is great. For example, while previously in Iraq, I was privileged to help with a burn clinic that helped local people. The Army has also given me multiple opportunities to further my education. I am grateful that I have completed my master’s degree. Additionally, the training in leadership and planning is consistently challenging and rewarding. The aspect of the military that I enjoy the least is time away from my family. I also miss the ability to put down roots and build solid traditions with my wife and kids in the location of my choice. I appreciate the time and energy that both my parents and Donita’s parents spend to maintain close rela-tionships with my boys; yet, I wish we could all spend more time together.

Jeffery and Donita met in a freshmen orientation class at Ozarks, were married July 20, 1991, in Munger Chapel and both gradu-ated from Ozarks in 1993. They have three sons, Ryan, Garrett and Carson.

Lt. Col. Jeffery Howard (right) talks with visitors during his recent deployment to Iraq.


What would you say are the most important characteristics of leadership and why?

I believe the most import characteristic of being a leader is the ability to build a solid team and be a team player. Leaders foster team-work and cama-raderie with all of those that they work with and for. Leaders need to discourage too much competition among those who work for them as this will discourage teamwork. I would encourage them to compete as a team for excellence. People are vital to the success of any task. Treating people as a vital resource instead of a commodity is key.

What are some of your favorite memories of your time at Ozarks? Some of my favorite memories of my time at Ozarks include spending time with friends like Brian and Becky Evans and Donita. I also enjoyed working as a tour guide for potential Learning Center stu-dents through the work study program. I enjoyed the chal-lenging coursework with professors like Mr. Robert Wofford, Dr. French, and the Hiltons. Being challenged to learn about new subjects and discuss it with others has proven to have been training ground for working with leaders from diverse backgrounds and ideology in the Army. I also enjoyed vari-ous cultural activities while at Ozarks through art shows, theatre performances, choir performances, etc. This caused me to be more open to other cultures and their values.

How do you believe Ozarks helped prepare you for your career successes?

Ozarks helped prepare me in many ways. First, I learned that having quality people on the team is important. I don’t have to be the expert in every area; rather, I need to invite others who excel in areas where I am not as strong to be a key part of the team. Success is not made by one person alone. Being able to work with diverse people is imperative. Professors at Ozarks challenged me to think in new ways and consider information from different perspectives. In addition, through various courses and a lot of time I developed the ability to communicate through writing. More than anything, Ozarks helped teach me the value of learning and the necessity of continuously challenging my-self. Through professors, mentors, friends, and coursework I learned I could reach for my dreams. My time at Ozarks was very rewarding. I entered college in 1989 unfocused, unsure of what I wanted professionally and personally. I graduated in 1993 with honors, focused and energized to enter the Army as an officer. In many ways, college was a launching pad.

What advice would you give to current college students in preparing for their careers?

Learn as much as possible about being a critical thinker. At the end of the day the ability to think and a person’s attitude is what will be important. Everything else can be learned, but what you bring to the table is attitude. Having a winning attitude as a team player sounds easy, but when the chips are down and times are tough this will be tested and the person with moral courage and intestinal fortitude will be the person I want on my team. I would encourage every university student to find a career that challenges them, energizes them, and makes them want to go to work every day.

How important has it been in your career to have a supportive wife and family?

I met my wife, Donita, during freshmen orientation at Ozarks. She was a sophomore and a student orientation leader and I was an entering freshman. I switched groups so that I was in her group to get to know her better. She and I had a history class together, and by Thanksgiving we had begun to study together some and she attended the ROTC Military Ball with me. The Ball was our first official date. ... Donita works every day to keep our family healthy and to help wives and families of soldiers. Her contributions to our family are enormous. Without her constant love and support, my story would be much differ-ent over the last several years. She has home schooled our sons, enabling me to spend more time with them and provide a consistent education environment for them. She maintains our home, providing a place to rest and reenergize for the demands of the job. She entertains and plans events, helping family members feel welcome and realize their importance to the unit. She attends meetings and training to better com-municate the opportunities available for soldiers’ spouses and their children. We have been married now for twenty years; I am blessed to have someone who cares so much for people both within her biological family and for all she meets.

Howard, shown visiting with Iraqi leaders, said relationship-building is a big part of his responsi-bilities as a commander in the U.S. Army.



Alumni Golf TournamentScheduled for Oct. 26 The Alumni Association will be hosting a fall golf tournament at the Clarksville Country Club on Friday, Oct. 26, 2012. Online registration will be available, and be sure to watch your mailbox for registration information. For more information, please contact the Alumni Office 479-979-1234 or [email protected].

Johnny Dillard ’70, president of Central Research, Inc., in Lowell, Ark., has been selected to participate in the AT&T Operations Hand Salute pro-gram, a national 12-month education and mentoring program for service-disabled veteran owned business leaders and CEOs. In addition, Central Re-search, Inc., was named the winner of the Veteran Small Business Champion for Arkansas in 2012 by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Ronnie Coots ’72 of Batesville, Ark., retired this summer after a 40-year career in education. Ronnie most re-cently served as director of business and information for the Batesville School District. He earned a master’s degree in education from Arkansas State Univer-sity and received his administrator’s license in 1976. He served as principal at Batesville High School from 1986 until 2004 when he moved to the district office. His wife, Connie (Lovelady) ’72, retired last year after a 39-year ca-reer in education. “Forty years is a long time to do anything,” Ronnie said. “I’ve always worked on a 12-month contract, so I’ve never really taken a vacation. I’m looking forward to working around

the house and perhaps doing some traveling. We’re in the early stages of talking about a cruise to Alaska, maybe this year or next.” The Coots have two children, Amy and Ike. Cleda (Jamieson) Curtis-Neal ’74 recently had her artwork exhibited at Campbellsville University. An accom-plished portrait artist, Cleda has lived and traveled extensively in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, where she has executed many commissioned portraits. In 1988 she be-came internationally known through the publication of her instructional book, Portrait Painting Simplified. After receiving a degree in art from Ozarks, she attended graduate school at Portland State University in Portland, Ore. She then studied with many portrait painters around the country, including Daniel Greene and John Howard Sanden. Through her studies in museums, uni-versities and private workshops taught by the nation’s leading artists, Cleda has become a well-known teacher.

Jeanie (Wiesner) O’Brien ’83 was inducted into the Harrison (Ark.) High School Goblins Hall of Fame in Janu-ary. Jeanie was a standout track and basketball athlete for HHS. Yvonne (Rinke) Case ’85 was hired in November as the Division of County Operations training manager for the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Her responsibilities include the development and coordination of training programs for more than 1,600 employees in 83 DHS county offices. Yvonne, who has an MBA from the University of Central Arkansas, most recently served as Franklin County administrator. She has worked for the state of Arkansas since 1987. She and her husband, Jerry, have four children. Mida (Figliulo) Milligan ’85 is living in Rowlett, Texas, where she is the principal at Kimberlin Academy for Excellence, a K-5 gifted and tal-

The award winners at the annual Alumni Weekend Awards Banquet included (front row, from left) Loyce Ann (Bean) Brooke (Alumni Merit Award) ’75 , Susan Edens ’92 (Faculty Enrichment Award), Dr. Heather McFarland (Faculty Enrichment Award), Sharon (Jones) Bean ’78 (Alumni Merit Award), Kerri Hughes ’04 (Young Alumni Ser-vice Award), Levada (Mathis) Qualls ’55 (Citation of Appreciation), (back row, from left) Paul Hiemke ’02 (Young Alumni Service Award), Arvid Bean ’78 (Alumni Merit Award), Jerry Glidewell ’79 (Alumni Achievement Award) and Ann Patterson ’75 (Alumni Achievement Award).


Whether it’s in the areas of sub-stance addiction, mental health prob-lems, childhood issues or disabilities, Ann Patterson has helped improve the lives of thousands of Arkansans over the past three decades. Patterson, a 1975 graduate who received the Alumni Association’s Achievement Award during Alumni Weekend in April, has been an educa-tor, senior administrator and public pol-icy advocate in Arkansas in the areas of early childhood, behavioral health, dis-abilities, health care and mental health care for more than 30 years. Last year she was named director of the Arkansas Access to Recovery program, which followed a 10-year stint as state director of Arkansas Head Start. She has also led mental health care agencies, hospice programs and health care programs throughout the state during her career. She received the Alumni Achieve-ment Award for years of dedicated ser-vice in her profession. “I am truly honored to be receiving

Ann Patterson ’75 is presented the 2012 Alumni Achievement Award by Alumni Association President Gary Rollins ’78.

this award,” said Patterson, who earned a degree in business administration at Ozarks and who is a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. “It means a great deal to me to be recog-nized by the Alumni Association, know-ing that I am following in the footsteps of so many prestigious alumni who have been honored over time.” In her position as director of Arkan-sas Access to Recovery, Patterson over-sees a staff of six professional staff and a provider network of approximately 100, including care coordinators and direct service treatment and recovery support providers. Over one-third of the provid-ers are faith-based organizations. “A major goal of mine is to expand and enhance non-traditional recovery support services for persons struggling with addiction disorders, with a focus on families with children, pregnant women and returning veterans,” she said. Patterson, the daughter of long-time college business manager J.T. Patterson, said she basically grew up on the Ozarks campus.

“I have fond memories of my un-dergraduate time at Ozarks, from Phi Beta Lambda events, to playing domi-noes with the senior citizens through Released Time in Community Service, from the great dances we enjoyed, to the basketball games, and memorable times with the Hole in the Wall Gang,” she said. “I also treasure so many mem-ories of growing up on campus.”

Patterson ’75 honored for her work helping others

ented elementary magnet school. Mida, who earned a doctorate in educational administration, and her husband have two sons, Chad and Coleman, and a daughter-in-law, Elise. Karen (Vance) Hammond ’88 recently published her first book titled, Shoe Marks, which is described as para-normal fiction inspired by true events. Karen and her family live in Houston, Texas, where she is busy writing other novels. More information on her books can be found at karenvancehammond.com. On her web site, she credits Ozarks, the Jones Learning Center and her JLC counselors for her success. “I owe my reading and writing abilities to the ones that helped me. Never a day

goes by that I don’t think about Julie Jones, James McCain, Georgina Schott, Helen Hoeffer, Diana McCormick and Betty Robinson and the University of the Ozarks.” Dr. Evelinn Borrayo ’93, a profes-sor of psychology at the University of Colorado at Denver, was recently appointed to direct the Latino Research and Policy Center (LRPC) at the Colo-rado School of Public Health. Liz Esch ’93 is the director of special events at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks in Fayetteville, Ark., a position she has held since 2010. Willroy Grant ’93 is the peace-building coordinator for collaboration at World Vision International, one of the

largest international relief and develop-ment non-governmental organizations in the world. Based in Costa Rica, Will-roy has, since 1995, worked in Latin America as a family conflict mediator, counselor, consultant, and trainer on conflict resolution issues. He recently was a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank and for the Foun-dation for Peace and Democracy as a senior conflict resolution trainer on pro-tected land issues in Costa Rica. Willroy earned a master’s degree in conflict transformation from Eastern Mennonite University. Steve Sisk ’94 has been an assistant basketball coach for Clarksville High School since 1994. He helped lead the



Johnny Robinson ’97 (right) who has served as ARAMARK Food Services Director at Ozarks since 2004, was recognized at a reception in March for his years of service to Ozarks. Robin-son recently took a similar position at Henderson State University in Arkadel-phia, Ark. Robinson had worked in the cafeteria since he was a student in the mid-1990s. Among those who praised Robinson was Darrell Williams ’76 (left), business manager at Ozarks.

Whitson Retires

Dr. Caroline Whitson, who spent 22 years at Ozarks as a professor and administrator, retired as president of Columbia College in South Carolina on July 1. Whitson held numerous positions at Ozarks, including provost, before leaving in 2001 to become the 17th president at Columbia College.

Panthers to their second consecutive state basketball championship in 2012. He also helped coach the 1997 and 1998 state champion teams. Sam Tyler ’97 led the El Dorado (Ark.) High School baseball team to a 24-6 record and the Class 6A state championship in May. Tyler, who coached previously at Greers Ferry (Ark.) Westside, is in his first year as the head baseball coach at El Dorado. Jeff Inness ’98 and Lisa Gruben-Inness ’93 recently moved to Clar-skville from Alma, Ark. Lisa is in her second year as the office manager for the Jones Learning Center after 20 years in the performing arts industry. Jeff is enjoying his new job with the UA Fruit Research Station near Clarksville. Travis Acord ’01 and his wife, Jennifer, are living near St. Louis, where they recently hosted the second annual Driving for the Upside of Downs golf tournament. The Acords started the golf tournament in 2011 to benefit

parents who are expecting a child with Down Syndrome. The Acord’s daugh-ter, Kylee, was diagnosed with Down Syndrome before her birth in 2008. “Kylee has positively touched the lives of so many, and has changed commonly held perceptions of those with special needs,” Travis said. “It is our goal to raise money and awareness to help educate those parents expecting a child with Downs and to help those with special needs.” Last year’s tournament raised $18,000 for the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis. Eric Hipp ’01 was named the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrator’s (AAEA) Middle Level Assistant Principal of the Year in April. Hipp has served as assistant principal at J.O. Kelly Middle School in Springdale, Ark., for the past five years. Holly Houser ’02 was honored in Little Rock on March 9 with the National Association of Interpreters Re-gion IV Multi-Media Award. Presented by the Arkansas Museum Association, the award is given to the creator of the exhibit selected as the best in a museum in Arkansas. Holly is an historical park interpreter at the Prairie Grove Battle-field in Prairie Grove, Ark. She said the award-winning exhibit took two years to create—one year of design work and one year of construction. Michael Sparkes ’03 is stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, where he is an Ordnance Army Officer. He and his wife, Kristine, have a 2-year-old daugh-ter, Paisley. He writes, “I could not be

where I am today without my valuable marketing degree from Ozarks. I use those skills and knowledge on a daily basis in the Army.” Megan (Martin) St. Peters ’04 is an assistant professor of psychology at Ferrum College in Vermont. Megan earned her Ph.D. from Northern Illinois University. Amanda Alders ’05 recently de-fended her dissertation in the art therapy Ph.D. program at Florida State Univer-sity. Amanda has been hired on as the clinical art therapist for the Miami Dade County Public Schools in Florida. Katy Crane ’05 is a licensed psy-chological examiner for Vista Health in Barling, Ark. As part of her duties, she is the mental health counselor for the Paris (Ark.) School District. Vincent France ’07 and Monica (Rios) France ’07 are living in Little Rock, Ark., with Sophia and Anna. Vin-cent works as an attorney for Rainwa-


School named in honor of Sosebee ’60The Johnson County (Ark.) Westside School District in May dedicated its new elementary school in honor of the late David Sosebee ’60, a long-time teacher and principal in the school district. Sosebee began his teaching career in 1961 as a sixth grade teacher for Coal Hill, Ark., before moving to nearby Hartman in 1966. In 1981 he was named principal of Hart-man High School and took over as elementary school principal at the newly formed Westside consolidated school district from 1983 until his retirement in 1993. The David Sosebee Ele-mentary School will house fourth through sixth grades. Sosebee died in 1996.

University of the OzarksAlumni

ter Holt and Sexton. He specializes in social security law and personal injury law. Sophia was born Sept. 27, 2011, and Anna turned 4 in December. Tabitha (Reed) Leeds ’07 and her husband, A.J., recently adopted two children, Nicholas and Cheyanne. The Leeds live in Brooklyn Park, Minn. Curt Dixon ’08 was recently named the head coach of the Brazos Valley Bombers, a summer baseball team in Texas made up of college all-stars. Dixon is also the pitching coach at Eastern Oklahoma State University. Taylor Emanuelson ’08 mar-ried Nathan Rogers on July 7, 2012, in Siloam Springs, Ark. Taylor is a market-ing specialist at Arvest Bank. Kate Schoenhals ’08 recently graduated from The College of Veteri-nary Medicine at Oregon State Univer-sity. She also recently co-authored an academic paper, Flaxseed Supplemen-tation Decreases Methanogenic Gene Abundance in the Rumen of Dairy Cows. Joel Chan ’09 and Anna (Yong) Chan ’10 are living in Pittsburgh, Penn., where Joel is in graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing a graduate degree in psychology. He recently participated in an invited sym-

posium in the Netherlands on research methods for studying creativity in engi-neering design. He also had a research paper accepted for publication in the journal Memory and Cognition, on the problem solving processes of scientists and engineers on the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission. Carmen Chinchilla ’09 and Josué Gutierrez ’09 were married June 23, 2012. Carmen is working as the director of development for Hillside Health Care International in Little Rock, Ark. Joey Curtis ’09 led the Waldron

(Ark.) High School boys’ basketball team to the state playoffs in his first season as the head coach. Curtis was promoted to head coach after serving as an assistant coach and head junior high coach the past two years. Jeff Earnshaw ’09 is living in the Dallas area where he works for Clear Channel Communications as a radio producer and board operator in the fifth largest radio market in the U.S. Ashley Senter ’09 is living in Clarksville where she works as a tech-nology services field representative for Hewlett-Packard. She works closely with Wal-Mart, providing knowledge and detail on their services contracts. In 2011 she was named Technology Services Sales Rep of the Year. Candice Patterson ’10 married Mark Martin on June 16, 2012. Pablo Rivera ’10 has been admit-

50-Year Club

Members of the University’s 50-Year Club pose for a group photo following the 50-Year Luncheon, held in April during Alumni Weekend 2012.


Levada Qualls (center) visits with former students Judith (Vandennieuwenhof) Owens ’73 (left) and Loretta (Figliulo) Salazar ’78 during Alumni Weekend.

Levada Qualls honored for service Levada (Mathis) Qualls ’55, who taught physical education and health and nutrition classes at Ozarks for 34 years, was honored by the Alumni As-sociation with a special citation of ap-preciation during Alumni Weekend 2012 in April. Qualls, who retired in 1996, was lauded for her teaching and mentoring efforts as well as her role in promoting women’s sports. “As a powerful cham-pion for women’s athletics, you helped pave the way for equality in collegiate sports—at Ozarks and beyond,” the ci-tation read. “Your trend-setting efforts with the Women’s Recreation Associa-tion and the women’s basketball pro-gram have ensured your legacy on this campus.” Qualls’ husband, Lonnie, is also an alumnus of Ozarks as well as a long-time coach and instructor at the Uni-versity. “When Lonnie and I were first asked to come back to Ozarks as facul-ty, The Board of National Missions of the Presbyterian Church was the main supporter of the college, and we were listed as missionaries,” she said. “The main focus was to provide a Christian education for students who would not be able to get a college degree any oth-er way. It was such a rewarding job to see those first generation graduates go on to careers in professions that liter-

ally were world changers. We truly felt we were doing God’s work.” She said she was blessed to have found a profession that was as reward-ing and fulfilling as being an educator. “There is no greater blessing in life than to find a profession you love and people you love to share it with,” she said. “The rewards of teaching come from observing the successes of your students. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of students that I have loved watching grow into such wonder-ful productive members of society.”

ted to the University of Queensland in Australia where he will pursue a mas-ter’s degree in strategic project manage-ment. Sean Atkins ’11 was recently awarded the Vanderbilt Univer-sity Chancellor’s Scholarship, worth $110,000, to attend Vanderbilt Law School in the fall. Atkins credits his professors at Ozarks in helping him land the prestigious award. “One of the main things that made my application stand out was having a great resume,” Atkins said. “And the reason mine was so strong was that I worked closely with my professors at Ozarks to get it that way. Dr. Stewart Dippel, Dr. Gilbert Parks, Dr. David Strain, and Dr. Jesse Weiss, among others, contributed to my knowledge in the classroom, but they also helped me get the real experience that you need to build a strong resume.” Katie Clinton ’11 married Evan Kersey on Dec. 3, 2011, in Subiaco, Ark. Katie works at the Dayspring Be-havioral Health Service in Lamar, Ark. Lori Langman ’11 married Allan

Sleeper on Oct. 9, 2011, in San Anto-nio, Texas. The couple is living in San Antonio, where Lori is a lab technician for Southwest Research Institute. J.P. Teoh ’11 has been accepted into the Ph.D. program in biomedicine at Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta, Ga. Zach Doty ’12 is working in Hous-ton, Texas, as a search engine optimiza-tion (SEO) specialist for Forthea, an

internet marketing company. Scott Frederickson ’11 is enrolled in the physical therapy tech program at Texas Health School in Houston. Payton Lambe ’12 is living in Grand Prairie, Texas, where he is train-ing to become an EMT and firefighter. Scharla Paryzek ’12 was awarded a Graduate Teaching Scholarship from the University of Kansas. Scharla plans to pursue a master’s degree in history.

Members of the Class of 1962 received their 50-Year pins during Alumni Weekend by University President Dr. Rick Niece and First Lady Sherée Niece (right). Those who attended the event from the Class of 1962 included (front row) John Rotten-berry, (back row, from left) Joe Dorman, Mary (Head) Dorman, Ed Laster and Susan (Smith) Epperson.

Class of 1962 Inducted into 50-Year Club


Rex Yerby Ruth Steuart Young

Verna (Harris) Pennington ’31 Verna (Harris) Pennington ’31 of Clarksville died May 30, 2012, at the age of 103. She was a retired teacher.

Florence (Smith) Norris ’35 Florence (Smith) Norris ’35 of Searcy, Ark., died March 7, 2012, at the age of 97. She was a retired teacher.

Louise (Poynor) Spanke ’36 Louise (Poynor) Spanke ’36 of Clarksville passed away on Jan. 14, 2012, at the age of 96. A long-time resident of Whea-ton, Ill., she was an historian.

Erla (Hardgrave) Everitt ’41 Erla (Hardgrave) Everitt ’41 of Tucson, Ariz., died July 7, 2012, at the age of 93. She was a retired school teacher.

Maggie Jewel (Wright) Holtz ’45 Maggie Jewel (Wright) Holtz ’45 of Fort Worth, Texas, died Feb. 21, 2012, at the age of 89. She was a former music teacher.

Irene (Walton) Keeling ’45 Irene (Walton) Keeling ’45 of Daphne, Ala., died Sept. 16, 2011, at the age of 88. She was a homemaker.

Wilbur Davenport ’47Wilbur Davenport ’47 of Pryor, Okla., passed away on Dec. 12, 2011, at the age of 90. He was a veteran of World War II.

Ruth (Steuart) Young ’48 Ruth (Steuart) Young ’48 of Conway, Ark., died March 6, 2012, at the age of 86. She was a retired educator and the 1966 recipient of the university’s Alumni Merit Award.

Mildred E. (Phillips) Seawright ’49Mildred E. (Phillips) Seawright ’49 of Phoenix, Ariz., died July 10, 2011, at the age of 83. She was a retired teacher.

Dr. Kermit Smith ’49 Dr. Kermit Smith ’49 of Pulaski, Tenn., passed away on Feb. 12, 2012, at the age of 90. He served as a coach, instructor and athletic director at Martin Methodist College in Tennes-see from 1950 to 1986. He is a member of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and the Martin Methodist College Sports Hall of Fame.

Jimmie Wade Dewberry ’50 Jimmie Wade Dewberry ’50 of Oark, Ark., died May 14, 2012, at the age of 83. He was a retired college instructor and administrator.

Pauline (Morris) Dickerson ’50Pauline (Morris) Dickerson ’50 of Clarksville died Oct. 13, 2011, at the age of 87. She was a retired teacher.

Leon “Lonnie” Hardgrave ’50 Leon “Lonnie” Hardgrave ’50 of Riverside, Calif., died March 28, 2012, at the age of 86. He was a retired teacher, coach and principal in Arkansas, New Mexico and California.

John E. Howell ’50 John E. Howell ’50 of Clarksville died March 3, 2012, at the age of 86. He was a World War II veteran and a retired barber.

Dr. William “Bill” Arthur Jones ’50 Dr. William “Bill” Arthur Jones ’50 of Batesville, Ark., died Nov. 8, 2011, at the age of 84. A veteran of World War II, he was a retired pharmacist who ran City Drug Store in Bates-ville until he was 70.

Kermit Edwin James ’52 Kermit Edwin James ’52 of Harlingen, Texas, died Jan. 8, 2012, at the age of 85. He was retired from the Department of Defense.

Clinton G.B. Carr ’56 Clinton G.B. Carr ’56 of Lyons, Neb., died March 12, 2012, at the age of 79. He was a retired teacher and administrator.

James Donald Mooney ’57 James Donald Mooney ’57 of Searcy, Ark., died Nov. 20, 2011, at the age of 76. He was a gospel musician and minister of music.

Rex Yerby ’57Rex Yerby ’57 of Van Buren, Ark., died on Feb. 4, 2012, at the age of 80. He was a Korean War veteran and served as a high school coach, athletic director and administrator for 30 years. He is a member of the Ozarks Sports Hall of Fame.

Norma Lou (Timmons) Young ’57 Norma Lou (Timmons) Young ’57 of Clarksville died May 1, 2012, at the age of 77. She was a retired employee of Okla-homa Tire and Supply Company and Young’s Furniture.

James H. Willis ’58James H. Willis ’58 of Russellville, Ark., died Dec. 13, 2011, at the age of 79. He was a college professor.

Dr. Kermit Smith


Pennington passes away at 103

Ozarks lost one of its oldest known living alumni on May 30, 2012, when Verna (Harris) Pennington ’31 of Clarks-ville passed away. Verna celebrated her 103rd birthday on April 2 with a gathering of family and friends. Verna taught school for 40 years before retiring in 1973. Her late husband, John P. Pennington, was a 1930 Ozarks gradu-ate. Verna is shown recently with her two sons, Johnny (right), a 1966 Ozarks graduate who is a retired phar-maceutical sales representative, and Don, a 1968 Ozarks graduate who is a retired family physician and church organist. The picture on the right is from the 1930 Aerie yearbook and shows Verna as “Miss Ozarks.” Memorials made to the University in honor of Verna will be published in the Fall/Winter edition of the Today magazine.

Charlie Spoonhour

Peggy Anita (North) Mason ’59 Peggy Anita (North) Mason ’59 of Clarksville died March 1, 2012, at the age of 74. She was employed by ThermoTile for 37 years and served as Sunday School teacher and church pianist.

James “Dutch” Houston ’60 James “Dutch” Houston ’60 of Clarksville, Ark., died Nov. 20, 2011, at the age of 72. He was a U.S. Navy veteran and long-time mechanic and service manager at Whitson-Morgan Motor Company.

Joe J. Oberste ’61 Joe J. Oberste ’61 of Clarksville died April 5, 2012, at the age of 73. He was a retired member of the National Guard and a long-time U.S. Postal Service employee.

Ellis Presley ’61Ellis Presley ’61 of Lumberton, Texas, died on Feb. 2, 2012, at the age of 71. He was a retired instructor and navigator for the U.S. Air Force.

Charlie Spoonhour ’61 Charlie Spoonhour ’61 of Las Vegas, Nev., died Feb. 1, 2012, at the age of 72. He was a long-time college men’s basketball coach, compiling a career record of 373-202 at Missouri State University (1983-1992), Saint Louis University (1992-1999) and University of Nevada-Las Vegas (2001-2004). He is a member of the Ozarks Sports Hall of Fame.

Roy Howard Mosher ’65 Roy Howard Mosher ’65 of Van Buren, Ark., died Feb. 27, 2012, at the age of 68. He was a retired manager for Bell South in Atlanta.

Linda Joyce (Davis) Haltom ’73Linda Joyce (Davis) Haltom ’73 of Russellville, Ark., died March 14, 2012, at the age of 63. She was a long-time teacher at Lamar, Ark.

Miriam Anne “Missie” (Raymond) Mattax ’73 Miriam Anne “Missie” (Raymond) Mattax ’73 of Little Rock died Dec. 7, 2011, at the age of 60. She worked in elementary education for 35 years.

Garry Lee “Coach” Metcalf ’73 Garry Lee “Coach” Metcalf ’73 of Texarkana, Ark., died Dec. 11, 2011, at the age of 60. He was a coach, teacher and educa-tor for 37 years.

Phillip Bennett ’77 Phillip Bennett ’77 of Greenwood, Ark., died May 22, 2012, at the age of 55. He was a retired employee at Whirlpool in Fort Smith, Ark.

Johanna (Brown) Kenner ’78 Johanna (Brown) Kenner ’78 of Knoxville, Ark., died Feb. 18, 2012, at the age of 55. She was a teacher and principal in the Lamar (Ark.) Public Schools for 34 years.

Sally Mae (Bradley) Ladd ’79 Sally Mae (Bradley) Ladd ’79 of Lamar, Ark., died June 11, 2012, at the age of 89. She was a retired Assemblies of God minister and elementary school teacher.

Nola E. (Nally) Titsworth ’81 Nola E. (Nally) Titsworth ’81 of Fort Smith, Ark., died May 1, 2012, at the age of 76. She was a retired teacher.

Jerry Breedlove ’85 Jerry Breedlove ’85 of Clarksville died Sept. 4, 2011, at the age of 60. He was a retired supervisor at Hanes Brand.

Ray Donald Hatchett ’96Ray Donald Hatchett ’96 of Clarksville died Nov. 9, 2011, at the age of 68. He was a retired injection molder.

Linda Haltom Garry Lee Metcalf




Find Our MagazinesON THE WEBLook for archived copies of the University of the Ozarks’ alumni magazine, Today, at: http//www.ozarks.edu/newsevents/todaymag

Mark Your CalendarAugust 9: Austin, Texas August 12: Arlington, TexasSept. 20: Fort Smith, Ark.Sept. 30: Springdale, Ark. Oct. 14: Alumni Baseball & Softball Games (U of O campus)Oct. 16: Little Rock, Ark.Oct. 20: Alumni Basketball Games (U of O Campus)Oct. 26 Alumni Association Golf Tournament (Clarksville Country Club)Dec. 6: Tulsa, Okla. Feb. 9: Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (U of O campus)April 18-20: Alumni Weekend 2013 (U of O campus)April 20: Alumni Soccer Matches (U of O campus)April 20: Tribute Dinner for the Nieces (U of O campus)

Alumni NotesClass of 1973 Reunion Plans are in the works for a 40-year reunion for the Class of 1973 during Alumni Weekend 2013, scheduled for April 18-20 in Clarksville. For more information on the reunion, please contact Gary Hickox ’73 at [email protected] or the U of O Alumni Office at 479-979-1234. Sports Hall of Fame Nominations Nominations are currently being accepted for inclusion into the Ozarks Sports Hall of Fame. The deadline to submit a nomination is August of 2012. The next induction ceremony will be held on Feb. 9, 2013. Nominations can be sent to Sports Information Director Josh Peppas at [email protected]. Phonathon During the months of July and August, phones will be ringing from Maine to Alaska as the annual Ozarks Phona-thon takes place. The callers want to make sure your informa-tion in our database is correct as well as give you an opportu-nity to make your gift to the Annual Scholarship Fund (ASF). Three out of four Ozarks students depend on the ASF to help achieve their educational dreams. So when the phone rings—answer the call and take the opportunity to make a difference for an Ozarks student.

For more information on these or other events, please contact the University of the Ozarks Alumni Office at 479-979-1234 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Upcoming events for alumni & friends


Sept. 20, 2011 through May 15, 2012

Gearldean Andreas Arvid Bean ’78 and Sharon Jones Bean ’78 State Farm Companies FoundationCharles Angell Mary Ellen Waychoff ’78Deborah Batson ’86 Lee Batson Jane and Brent Cater Raymond Bean and Lorena Bean ’41 Arvid Bean ’78 and Sharon Jones Bean ’78 State Farm Companies FoundationDonald Blackburn ’56 and Wanda Brundage Blackburn ’54 Evelyn Peters Kelly ’55John E. Bock ’49 W. C. JettonBob Bolding Rick and Sherée NieceEdna Ralston Bowman ’28 Leonard and Annemarie Ralston Vanguard Charitable EndowmentJames T. Brian James Murray ’75 and Debra MurraySelby Brown ’49 Verna Brown Kness ’43Larry Burnham ’57 Harold Johnson ’60 and Rachel JohnsonJoe Dan Calvin Elizabeth GarrettMarian Riddell Cargile ’64 John W. Cargile ’61Matthew Carroll Robert and Leslie CarrollBetty Emery Carter ’52 Georgia White Johnston ’53 and O.G. JohnstonElmo H. Cater Jane and Brent CaterWillie M. Cater Jane and Brent Cater

Ben Caudle Betty CaudleJoan Chapman Dawn J. M. ScarboroughEarl and Xenya Coats Thomas Richardson ’69 and Linda Richardson ’61Frank Cole ’50 Bill Ballard ’56 and Juanita Ballard Arvid Bean ’78 and Sharon Jones Bean ’78 Henry and Donna Hayden State Farm Companies FoundationJohn Barnes Coleman Sean and Jennifer ColemanHarlan and Bertha Conger Nancy and Ronald BatemanAudrey Penrod Core ’45 Berta Steele Ownbey ’50Ruth Martin Dillaha Bill and Kody Eakin Larry and Cindy Isch Rick and Sherée Niece David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Pridgin ’81 Dawn J. M. ScarboroughHelen Turner Donaldson Claude Donaldson ’60 Hilda TurnerLewis Dunn ’64 Daugherty & Lowe James Hatchett ’64 and Johnatha Needham Hatchett ’65 Joyce Mack Michael Shannon McBee ’89 and Lori McBee Hilda TurnerKermit Eggensperger ’41 Maxine Manuel Eggensperger ’41Elizabeth Eisenmayer ’00 John Frost ’89 and Julia Frost Edith McChesneyBeatrice Elkins Judy Elkins Janelle Flake Helen Rader Fulton ’40 Katherine Rader Garrett ’39 Melissa Goodner James ’00 Rick and Sherée Niece

Don Pennington ’68 Dawn J. M. Scarborough Ron and Kerry Dillaha TaylorMitchell and Esther Epperson Susan Smith Epperson ’62 and Jon EppersonH. Ray Evans ’44 Janice McMannisLaVerne Walton Evans ’44 Janice McMannisJeanne Figliulo Sammy Manning ’71 and Virginia Figliulo Manning ’74Marge Figliulo Barbara Beery Deloitte Foundation Anna Figliulo Dunker ’87 and Curt Dunker Mary Figliulo Maura Figliulo Howerton ’80 and Bradley Howerton Sammy Manning ’71 and Virginia Figliulo Manning ’74 Mida Figliulo Milligan ’85 and Billy Milligan Lonnie Qualls ’55 and Levada Mathis Qualls ’55 Loretta Figliulo Salazar ’78 and Felix Salazar Jim Forkner ’54 Michael Zoller ’77 and Janice Forkner Zoller ’78Noah Flaude Gammill ’21 and Myrtle V. Kolb Gammill ’23 James Gammill Tom Gammill Lyn Gammill WalkerGeorge Washington and Elizabeth Dennis Garrett Elizabeth GarrettLeonard Jefferson and Elizabeth Dunnivan Garrett Elizabeth GarrettWesley and Elizabeth Cobb Garrett Elizabeth Garrett



William Cobb and Lucinda Dennis Garrett Elizabeth GarrettWilliam Cobb and Martha Jane Lemons Garrett Elizabeth GarrettWilson Madison and Katurah Dennis Garrett Elizabeth GarrettMarlon Gatling James Murray ’75 and Debra MurrayMarta Gonzalez Fred Romo ’68 and Andrea Anderson Romo ’68Ann Davidson Goza ’69 Angela Wheeler Spencer ’98 and Shawn SpencerSarah Carlin Graves ’85 Shari CaywoodRoland Green ’50 Elaine Burton Green ’51 Bill Holder ’52 and Jane Wilson Holder ’55 Ruben Johnson, Sr. ’52 and Charlotte Newsom Johnson ’52Linda Davis Haltom ’73 Michael Shannon McBee ’89 and Lori McBeeLonnie Hardgrave ’50 James M. Kolb, Jr. John Warren ’45 and Anna Jane Taylor Warren ’71Catherine Black High Elissa HeilO. D. Hightower ’49 W. C. JettonRichard “Dick” Holmes ’53 Armeda Evans Holmes ’68Maggie Jewell Holtz ’45 Delane Angelini Charlene McMillan Watson ’44Robert Hudson ’69 Mary Lou Hyde ’75Marie Hervy Ingram ’33 Mira Ann Ingram Leister ’63 and Marvin C. Leister, Jr.Barbara J. Jetton W. C. JettonDon Johnson Arvid Bean ’78 and Sharon Jones Bean ’78

State Farm Companies FoundationDickie Jones ’72 Pamela Shrigley Jones ’71 Faye Williams Raible ’72 and Gary Raible William Shrigley, Jr. ’69Betty Jo Julian Dawn J. M. ScarboroughLawrence Wayne Kauffeld Sylvia Kauffeld Kinnear ’66Fred A. and Ophelia Jacobs Kauffeld Sylvia Kauffeld Kinnear ’66 Wanda Kauffeld Shively ’54Irene Walton Keeling ’45 Janice McMannisJennie Lucinda Kennedy Keith Kennedy TrustBurley King ’40 Billie Burnett King ’40W. E. King, Sr. Roger Bost ’43 and Kathryn King Bost ’43James Koontz Susan Smith Epperson ’62 and Jon EppersonShelli Stewart Lamberson John Frost ’89 and Julia Frost Tina and Bryan McCain Debbie Stallings Mooney ’82 and Charles Mooney Dody and Jeremy PeltsBessie Langdon Cara Rowbotham Flinn ’85Herman Lienhart James Murray ’75 and Debra MurrayShe Ze and Chen Wei Lu Joseph Baker ’69 and Marge BakerWilliam Lytle Susan Smith Epperson ’62 and Jon EppersonJo Maugh Sammy Manning ’71 and Virginia Figliulo Manning ’74Ruth Bost May ’51 Roger Bost ’43 and Kathryn King Bost ’43 Margaret Bost Douglass ’41Mackie McElree Charlene McMillan Watson ’44Helen Marie Smith Moncrief ’35 Linda MoncriefMark Moorer Lonnie Qualls ’55 and Levada Mathis Qualls ’55Robert C. Mullaly Rick and Sherée NieceLena Lucas Murphy ’28 Don Pennington ’68Bonnie Nichols Jordan Bill and Kody Eakin

Larry and Cindy Isch Michael Shannon McBee ’89 and Lori McBee Rick and Sherée Niece David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Pridgin ’81Florence Smith Norris ’35 Linda MoncriefHelen Louise Overbey Rick and Sherée NieceTommy E. Owens ’70 Robert Gibson ’76 and Glenda Gibson Glenda Dennis Owens ’71 and Steve OwensEdward Myron Parker Tommy and Judy ParkerJ. T. Patterson ’38 and Lucile Sanders Patterson Don Pennington ’68J. T. Patterson ’38 Paul DuVall ’62Tom Douthit Patterson ’57 Clarksville High School Class of 1953 Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Rick and Sherée Niece Sue Patterson Pine ’57 and Bob Pine Gaye Strong Taylor ’53Philip Pittman ’41 and Susie Maude Pittman ’39 Don Pennington ’68Susie Maude Pittman ’39 Beta Sigma PhiNancy S. Plunkett James Murray ’75 and Debra MurrayImogene Ragon William Ragon, Jr. ’53 and Marnette RagonMichael A. Rail ’80 Georgia White Johnston ’53 and O.G. Johnston Mary Sue Phillips Powers ’60 and Jimmy PowersF. Willard Ralston ’29 Leonard and Annemarie Ralston Vanguard Charitable EndowmentLily Hulse Ralston ’29 Leonard and Annemarie Ralston Vanguard Charitable EndowmentVerna Rawhouser Arvid Bean ’78 and Sharon Jones Bean ’78 State Farm Companies FoundationMaddox Cruz Redman Scott and Michelle LovingJay Rosenthal Elissa HeilDavid Scarborough ’49 Cynthia and C.A. KuykendallMildred Phillips Seawright ’49 Ruth Wyatt Kaundart ’50


Donald Sevier Rick and Sherée NieceWilliam Shipman ’50 Beth ShipmanT.L. and Lois Smith Susan Smith Epperson ’62 and Jon EppersonWilma Stokes Smith ’54 John Rotenberry ’62 and Arlie Stokes Rotenberry ’61Louise Poynor Spanke ’36 Don Pennington ’68 Sue Patterson Pine ’57 and Bob Pine Dawn J. M. Scarborough O.D. and Irene Spanke Treadway, Louise Spanke Kihm and Mary Spanke DonnellCurtis Lee Spence Dody and Jeremy Pelts Lance Spence ’91 and Virginia Spence Luann SpenceBettie Beasley Stephenson ’48 Wayma Workman Rowe ’49James Struthers Arvid Bean ’78 and Sharon Jones Bean ’78 Lori McBee and Shannon McBee ’89 Dawn J. M. Scarborough Barbara Sherer Harve Taylor, III and Loyce Ann Bean Taylor ’72Cecil L. Suitt Jane and Brent CaterEuna Lowe Suitt Jane and Brent CaterMary Agnes Taggart Fischer Sammy Manning ’71 and Virginia Figliulo Manning ’74John Talley ’43 Sarah C. TalleyWiltz Talton Nancy and Ronald BatemanNancy Tamuty ’59 Donald L. TamutyAshley Thomas Dawn J. M. ScarboroughJake Tull ’10 Timothy W. Grooms Jack and Patricia Overholt John and Martha TullMary Opal Turner Claude Donaldson ’60 Hilda TurnerMarjean Van Eman E. K. Van EmanEvelyn Wallick Connie and Michael Booty James and Ann Bruning Bill and Kody Eakin

Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Sue Frueauff Helen Rader Fulton ’40 Katherine Rader Garrett ’39 Elissa Heil Michael Shannon McBee ’89 and Lori McBee William Rail ’52 and Maxine Phillips Rail ’52 Dawn J. M. Scarborough Wayne Workman ’44 and Betty Bush WorkmanGlenn Warren Rick and Sherée NieceB.J. Webb ’63 Sylvia Kauffeld Kinnear ’66Dennis D. Wheeler, Sr. Angela Wheeler Spencer ’98 and Shawn SpencerGuy and Freda Kauffeld Willett ’52 Sylvia Kauffeld Kinnear ’66Virginia Laster Williams ’43 Bruce H. Williams ’43 and Tracy Williams James Willis ’58 Wilson and Barbara Pearson William and Cecilia Rothert Almeta Blackard Yerby ’53 Georgia White Johnston ’53 and O.G. JohnstonRex Yerby ’57 Anna Blackard Dorman ’58 Jerry Duncan ’58 and Dorothy Boyd Duncan ’58 Fritz Ehren ’53 and Juanita Blackard Ehren ’71 Bill Holder ’52 and Jane Wilson Holder ’55 Ruben Johnson, Sr. ’52 and Charlotte Newsom Johnson ’52 Rick and Sherée Niece Delores Blackard Wagoner ’56Ruth Steuart Young ’48 David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Pridgin ’81

The Advancement Team Steve and Dorinda EdmistenMark Anis ’00 Mohammed and Elizabeth Anis ExxonMobil FoundationSherrie Arey Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Kim Myrick and Daniel Hinkle Jeff and Amy Scaccia ’09

Darrell Williams ’76 and Debbie Tipton Williams ’81John Eugene Armstrong ’59 John T. Armstrong TrustKursty Boydston ’12 David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Pridgin ’81 Carolyn WalkerCatherine Rogers Bumpers ’47 Dawn J. M. ScarboroughKayla Casey ’12 Rickey Casey ’79 and Lisa Casey ’10 David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Pridgin ’81 Carolyn WalkerAndrea Dankert ’12 Larry and Cindy Isch Carolyn WalkerYoselin Arlette Delgado Alvarez ’12 Mike and Fran SmithPhuong Do ’12 Carolyn WalkerSteve and Dorinda Edmisten Dawn J. M. Scarborough Daniel and Ann Taddie Carolyn WalkerSteve Edmisten Sherrie Arey Kimberly and Reynold Behrend Doug and Marty Black James and Ann Bruning Jane and Brent Cater Chad Cox ’98 and Brandy Rhodes Cox ’99 Sue Frueauff John and Sally King Kim Myrick and Daniel Hinkle Larry and Cindy Isch Susan and Kent Pinson David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Pridgin ’81 William Rail ’52 and Maxine Phillips Rail ’52 David Rawhouser ’69 and Jill Rawhouser Jeff and Amy Scaccia ’09 Dawn J. M. Scarborough Ron and Kerry Dillaha Taylor Denton Tumbleson ’74 and Jane Tumbleson Carolyn Walker Darrell Williams ’76 and Debbie Tipton Williams ’81Fritz Ehren ’53 and Juanita Blackard Ehren ’71 Bill Ballard ’56 and Juanita Ballard


Sept. 20, 2011 through May 15, 2012


Faculty and Academic Staff Daniel and Ann TaddieHelen Rader Fulton ’40 Richard and Barbara FultonBo Funderburk ’00 and Kelly Bennet Funderburk ’05 Deborah SissonAlexander Glaub ’12 Carolyn WalkerDanny and Brenda Hale Dawn J. M. ScarboroughEthan Harbour ’12 Carolyn WalkerElissa Heil Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Kim Myrick and Daniel Hinkle Jeff and Amy Scaccia ’09 Carolyn Walker Darrell Williams ’76 and Debbie Tipton Williams ’81William Lee Holder ’52 and Jane Wilson Holder ’55 Bill Ballard ’56 and Juanita BallardChandlor Hughes Scott and Michelle LovingTaylor Jacks ’12 Carolyn WalkerJohn and Sally King Advancement TeamCatherine Yamileth Lopez Madrid ’12 Mike and Fran SmithJuliana Luna Reyes ’12 Mike and Fran SmithSamuel McFall ’12 Carolyn WalkerMegan Lashay Minniear ’12 Ed Harris, II ’75 and Wilma Kimbrell Harris ’06 Carolyn WalkerWesley Moody Mira Ann Ingram Leister ’63 and Marvin C. Leister, Jr.Alex Murcia ’12 Carolyn WalkerKim Myrick and Danny Hinkle Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Daniel and Ann TaddieKim Myrick Sherrie Arey Cara Rowbotham Flinn ’85 Darrell Williams ’76 and Debbie Tipton Williams ’81Rick and Sherée Niece Bill Alexander ’55 and Linda Alexander Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Larry and Cindy Isch Daniel and Ann Taddie Carolyn Walker

Michael Zoller ’77 and Janice Forkner Zoller ’78Rick Niece Sherrie Arey Kim Myrick and Daniel Hinkle Jeff and Amy Scaccia ’09 Darrell Williams ’76 and Debbie Tipton Williams ’81Molly Beth Patterson ’11 Mary PattersonVerna Harris Pennington ’31 Don Pennington ’68 John Pennington, Jr. ’66 and Jan Pennington Ron and Kerry Dillaha TaylorLacey Phillips ’12 David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Pridgin ’81David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Geels Pridgin ’81 Hilda TurnerDavid Ross ’60 and Claudine Ross’ 50th Anniversary David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Pridgin ’81Kirk Ross ’11 David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Pridgin ’81Jeff and Amy Scaccia ’09 Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Larry and Cindy Isch Daniel and Ann TaddieJeff Scaccia Sherrie Arey Kim Myrick and Daniel Hinkle Darrell Williams ’76 and Debbie Tipton Williams ’81Dawn J. M. Scarborough Harmony Presbyterian ChurchRyan Skelly ’07 and Callie Williams Skelly ’07 James and Virginia SkellyEdward Smith Rick and Sherée NieceAmanda Stang ’08 Gerrie GallegosStudent Life Daniel and Ann TaddieDaniel and Ann Taddie Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Carolyn WalkerDaniel Taddie Sherrie Arey Kim Myrick and Daniel Hinkle Jeff and Amy Scaccia ’09 Darrell Williams ’76 and Debbie Tipton Williams ’81Eleanor Thomas’ 95th Birthday Dawn J. M. Scarborough

Emily Towe ’12 Carolyn WalkerDelores Wagoner ’56 Dawn J. M. ScarboroughBethany Walker ’12 Carolyn WalkerDarrell Williams ’76 and Debbie Tipton Williams ’81 Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Daniel and Ann TaddieDarrell Williams ’76 Sherrie Arey Kim Myrick and Daniel Hinkle Jeff and Amy Scaccia ’09Kaitlyn Williams ’12 Darrell Williams ’76 and Debbie Tipton Williams ’81Robert Wofford ’79 Carolyn WalkerAnn Woolley Dawn J. M. Scarborough



Documents

Download a PDF of the Spring/Summer 2012 Issue