HICKINGBOTHAM SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
Dear Friends of the HSB,
We want to celebrate some exciting news with you regarding Ouachita’s Hickingbotham School of Business. I am grateful to our faculty for the investment they make in our students’ lives every day, and I am proud of the successes of our students – both inside and outside of the classroom. Your support and engagement have helped us achieve new milestones while staying true to our mission of preparing students for lives of meaningful work.
The last couple of years have been marked by transition and celebration. We said farewell to beloved faculty members while welcoming new voices bringing fresh perspectives and industry expertise. We’ve watched our students claim victory at state competitions, welcomed a new class of 98 business majors and celebrated our first-ever MBA graduates.
As Arkansas’ only private AACSB-accredited business school, we remain committed to providing world-class business education on a personal scale. Our unique approach, which combines rigorous academics with faith-based values and direct access to business leaders, continues to set our graduates apart in the marketplace.
The pages ahead showcase the achievements of our students, the dedication of our faculty and the impact of your support. These stories and opportunities demonstrate how the Hickingbotham School of Business is more than an academic program — it’s a purposeful community dedicated to developing difference makers who will transform the business world for good.
Thank you for your continued investment in our mission, and thank you for making the time to read further. If you would like to connect with me, please feel free to call or email. I would love to hear from you!
Sincerely,
Bryan McKinney Dean, Hickingbotham School of Business
mckinneyb@obu.edu
870.245.5513
WELCOMING NEW FACULTY
We’re thrilled to welcome Taylor and Tori Beach, a husband-andwife team bringing complementary strengths to our school. Taylor serves as assistant professor of accounting, while Tori joins us as HSB’s special projects coordinator. Both are CPAs with Big Four and regional firm experience. Taylor brings tax expertise from a large regional firm, while Tori offers audit and campus recruiting insights from her Big Four background. They met as college students during a mission trip to Uganda, embodying the integration of faith and professional calling that defines Ouachita.
CONNECT US WITH SKILLED FACULTY
We’re actively seeking tenure-track faculty members in business analytics and finance. These strategic additions will strengthen our ability to prepare students while maintaining the personal attention that sets us apart. If you know of someone completing a PhD in one of those academic areas or someone with a distinguished record of service in one of those areas who is considering a career change, please have them contact us.
TO LEARN MORE, SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT obu.edu/mba
MBA PROGRAM: A HISTORIC LAUNCH
In Fall 2023, the Hickingbotham School of Business embarked on an exciting new path with the launch of our fully online Master of Business Administration program. Just one year later, we conferred our first MBA degrees to ten exceptional graduates on October 19, 2024.
What makes our MBA unique isn’t just the curriculum — it’s the purposeful integration of relationships, faith and business.
OUACHITA’S MBA AT A GLANCE:
• Summer orientation lets you meet your cohort and professors
• A Christ-centered framework with practical application for leaders
• 10 courses taken over 12 months, fully online
• Engaging & experienced faculty, including former Ouachita President Andy Westmoreland
• A retreat funded by HSB that creates bonds beyond the classroom (it’s optional, but no one wants to skip it!) — past trips include Jackson Hole and Santa Fe
“Ouachita’s MBA program gave me the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to real world experience. It allowed me to connect with likeminded people with diverse skillsets and build lasting relationships with faculty and professors. Most importantly, it encouraged me to view business through a biblical lens, so that my work and personal life would be aligned in Christ.”
- Mollie Eldridge ’19 MBA ’24
The inaugural Ouachita MBA cohort celebrates at Commencement with Frank D. Hickingbotham, who received an honorary MBA degree from the university.
CONTINUING AACSB EXCELLENCE
As the only private AACSB-accredited business school in Arkansas, we maintain the highest standards of business education. Our faculty combine academic credentials with practical experience, ensuring students receive both theoretical knowledge and applicable instruction. Our professors don’t just teach — they invest. Open office doors, personalized mentoring and genuine care for student success define the Hickingbotham experience
UNDERGRADUATE SUCCESS
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT OF FRANK D. HICKINGBOTHAM IS CONTAGIOUS – WE LOVE CELEBRATING OUR STUDENTS’ REMARKABLE SUCCESSES IN STATE AND NATIONAL COMPETITIONS
GOVERNOR’S CUP VICTORIES
At the 2025 Governor’s Cup, Ouachita seniors Joel Allen and Jake Norman claimed first place and $10,000 in the small business category with Retra, an innovative retractable gun sling for hunters and law enforcement. Mason Brotherton also competed as a finalist with HydroSling, a waterproof medical device supporting post-surgery shoulder rehabilitation. Both teams are moving forward with their businesses plans. Professor Andy Almand served as the faculty advisor to both teams and offered invaluable counsel along the way. This victory continues our tradition of excellence. In 2023, we swept the small business division, with Jillian Woodruff’s Waderbuddy taking first place and Madison Melcher’s Covered by Grace securing second. These students demonstrated how our learning culture, led by entrepreneurship program director Johan Eriksson, fosters real business innovation.
MANAGING MILLIONS: THE ARY FUND LEGACY
Our senior finance students don’t just study investments: they manage a $5.5+ million portfolio through the Eddie and Phyllis Ary Student Investment Fund. The fund began with an $8,000 contribution in 2000 and has grown through both investment returns and the Board of Trustees’ confidence. Recently, the university Board of Trustees authorized the transfer of an additional $2 million from the university’s endowment into the Ary Fund – a testament to the confidence the Board has in the Ary Fund team. Alumni from the Ary Fund team have gone on to positions at Ameriprise, Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Merrill Lynch and other leading financial firms.
The Ary Fund student leaders, along with their faculty leader Dr. Chris Brune, attend the Quinnipiac Global Asset Management Education Forum in New York City each year, which is the largest student-managed fund conference in the world. Our team, competing against schools with average enrollments over 20,000, has won national awards on multiple occasions.
THE FOUR-YEAR EXPERIENCE: BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Our signature Four-Year Experience ensures every student gains real-world exposure throughout their time on campus. Each year, business students are invited to spend four days visiting businesses in metropolitan areas. There are far too many experiences to describe, but these trips help create an intersection between the theory of business and the real world of business. We’ve seen how Tyson makes chicken, how Braum’s makes ice cream, how Hobby Lobby prices their jewelry and how the Dallas Cowboys market the world’s most valuable sports team.
We are excited to announce that a donor has generously funded our first ever international business trip, which is scheduled for May 2026. With stops in Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Brussels and London, this trip promises to be the experience of a lifetime for both students and faculty.
BUSINESS WITH A MISSION
Our “Bissions” initiative, combining business and missions, has already completed six successful trips to Honduras, with a seventh scheduled for Spring 2026. Students build homes, play soccer with local kids, lead church services and practice street evangelism while applying business principles to serve communities in need.
This unique blend of faith and business reflects our core belief that business can and must be a force for good in the world. Whether managing milliondollar portfolios or developing innovative products, our students learn to lead with integrity, creativity and purpose.
FACULTY EXCELLENCE
HONORING FAITHFUL SERVICE
Professors Jim Files and Jeanie Curry retired at the conclusion of the 2024-25 academic year, and Professor Jim Rothwell will retire at the end of the current academic year. They’ve given 102 years of cumulative service to students at Ouachita. We will miss them, but we are excited to see how these three will continue making a difference in their retirement years.
IN MEMORY OF PHIL RICE, 1939-2025
Dr. Phil Rice, professor emeritus of business administration and founding dean of the Hickingbotham School of Business, passed away on February 8, 2025. Phil was a blessing to the thousands of students who knew him and to the faculty members who served alongside him. Though he stepped aside from his dean responsibilities in 2008, he never retired. He continued serving his beloved school until the very end – attending faculty meetings and assisting with the accreditation and assessment efforts of the school, building on the foundation he laid as founding dean.
PARTNER WITH US IN MAKING AN IMPACT
YOUR SUPPORT TRANSFORMS LIVES
The impactful stories told in these pages happen because of you — alumni, friends and partners who believe in our students, faculty and mission. As we look to the future, we invite you to join us in several meaningful ways:
RECRUIT FUTURE LEADERS
Do you know a high school student with business potential or a professional ready for our MBA program? Share their information with us. Your recommendation could change the trajectory of someone’s life.
OPEN DOORS FOR OUR STUDENTS
Your company’s internship or entry-level position could launch a student’s career. Our students have integrity, relevant knowledge and are ready to contribute from day one. Let us connect you with exceptional talent for summer internships or full-time positions.
I NVEST IN TOMORROW’S LEADERS
Financial gifts directly impact student success through scholarships, program development and experiential learning opportunities. Whether supporting the Four-Year Experience, mission trips or student competitions, your generosity creates opportunities that change lives. Every partnership — whether recruiting students, mentoring graduates or providing financial support — helps us fulfill our mission of preparing business leaders who excel professionally while serving faithfully.
READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Contact Bryan McKinney at mckinneyb@obu.edu
Together, we’re not just building successful careers; we’re developing servant leaders who we believe will transform the business world.
HICKINGBOTHAM SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
410 Ouachita St. • Box 3792
Arkadelphia, Arkansas 71998-0001
HICKINGBOTHAM SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT A GLANCE
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
B.A. in Accounting I B.A. in Finance I B.A. in Business Administration
Emphases : Entrepreneurship, Management, Marketing, Sport Management
GRADUATE PROGRAM
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
12-month, fully online program // Designed for working professionals
// A Christ-centered experience with strong faculty connections
DISTINCTIONS
• Arkansas’ only private AACSB-accredited business school
• 100% of new students receive a merit-based scholarship
• Student-faculty ratio: 14:1
• $5 million+ student-managed investment fund
• 100% of students participate in experiential learning
• Annual mission trips combining business and ministry
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23