U N I V E R S I TY
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TODAY
GREYSTONE PREPARING TOMORROW’S MILITARY LEADERS
UNIVERSITY OF THE OZARKS
CONTENTS 2 Climate of Covid
4 Get to Know
14 Greystone Academy
University thrives amid Covid-19 pandemic
Dr. Yassine Dguidegue shares love of sociology
New military prep school preparing future leaders
The enthusiastic and mask-clad Homecoming 2020 student ambassadors included, (from left) Elvia Aracely Yax, Michael Walkine, Andrea Macario Berben, Jenay Jones, Ciara Boswell, Candace Rogers, Ben Stormes, Sade Seymour and Gloria Cizungu.
UNIVERSITY MISSION
TODAY AN ANNUAL MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF UNIVERSITY OF THE OZARKS VO LUME 3 9 /// FA L L 2 0 2 0
True to our Christian heritage, we prepare students from diverse religious, cultural, educational and economic backgrounds to live life fully. UNIVERSITY CORE VALUES
Growth, Honesty, Hospitality, Justice, Sabbath and Service UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION
Richard L. Dunsworth, J.D........ President Gloria Arcia.............................. Vice President for Finance and Administration Alyson Gill, Ph.D.. ..................... Provost Reggie Hill.. .............................. Vice President for Marketing and Enrollment Lori McBee............................... Vice President for Advancement
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20 Prof Smith
28 Scholar-Athlete
32 Alumni Profile
Daughter chronicles life of acclaimed science professor
Women’s softball standout inspired by great grandfather
PRODUCTION STAFF
UNIVERSITY DIRECTORY
Larry Isch, Editor Director of Public and Media Relations Phyllis Parsons Graphic Design and Brand Coordinator Vinnie Tran Graphic Design and Photography Coordinator
Admin Services........479-979-1208 Admission................479-979-1227 Advancement...........479-979-1230 Alumni Engagement.479-979-1234 Athletics...................479-979-1407 President’s Office.....479-979-1242 Public Relations........479-979-1433
PHOTO CREDITS
Vinnie Tran, Josh Peppas, Zach Thompson, Susan Smith Epperson
Alum David Echegoyen ’03 flourishing in business world
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Office of Alumni Engagement University of the Ozarks 415 N. College Avenue Clarksville, AR 72830-2880 Phone: 479-979-1234 E-mail: alumnioffice@ozarks.edu WEBSITE
www.ozarks.edu
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UNIVERSITY OF THE OZARKS
THRIVING IN THE
Age of Covid
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hen University of the Ozarks opened the 2019-2020 academic year with a Walton Arts & Ideas Series event titled, “Facing Adversity with Optimism and Resilience,” little did the campus community know how appropriate that message would become. The WAIS speaker was J.R. Martinez, an actor, best-selling author, motivational speaker, and wounded U.S. Army veteran, who spoke on campus in August 2019 about his life experiences in recovering and thriving after being severely injured from a roadside bomb in Iraq. “None of us knows what we’re capable of until we’re faced with a tough or unexpected challenge,” Martinez said. “Often this means having to adjust your dream or vision and sometimes even to create an entirely new goal. It can also mean getting through a tough time a week, day, hour or even minute at a time. By focusing on shorter term goals and keeping optimism, and even humor, at the forefront, your entire outlook and perspective can be transformed. We are all stronger and more resilient than we think. In facing challenges and recovering from setbacks, we have new opportunities to develop the unique gifts that have been given to us. It’s about being able to become more than what you can envision at the moment.” 2 /// TODAY, FA L L 2 0 2 0
In a short seven months after hearing that message, the Ozarks community was put to the ultimate challenge with the Covid-19 pandemic. The virus forced the University to transition to an all-online teaching and learning format in late March and led to the cancellation of numerous campus events, including the Spring 2020 Commencement ceremony. University President Richard Dunsworth credited what he called Ozarks’ “frontier grit” in helping the University navigate the unprecedented times of the pandemic. We remind people what it might have been like on the frontier when Ozarks was established,” Dunsworth said. “There were times on that frontier where it got very difficult and challenging, and that’s when people stepped up and made things happen. This University has 186 years of surviving and thriving through difficult times, so we know how to handle this.” Dunsworth said he was impressed with his faculty and staff and students in the transition from in-person classes to an all-online format last March following spring break. “When we learned there was going to be a problem, it took approximately 10 days to completely flip the way we deliver classes,” he said. “We took an extended spring break of 10 days
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Innovation Hub Joins Fight Against Covid-19
The Rawhouser Fitness Center was one of the facilities that was repurposed into a classroom to allow for physical distancing.
and on that next Monday we were up and running. Technology is a big part of that, infrastructure is a part of that and people’s determination to not quit and give up. We have also gotten great support from our alumni and friends as well as foundations that have allowed us to have this technology in place.” Dunsworth said when the pandemic hit that the first priority was in protecting the jobs of the faculty and staff. “We publically stated to our faculty and staff that we were committed to them and we let them know they would have a job,” Dunsworth said. “If our faculty and staff are worried about losing their jobs or being furloughed, they aren’t going to be 100 percent focused on our students, so we eliminated that concern right up front. I think that was a big key in making the transition work.” The University not only took steps in providing credit adjustments to students who moved off campus, they allowed approximately 100 mostly international students who couldn’t go home to remain on campus throughout the summer. The University also put together a task force for the repopulation of campus over the summer. The task force was led by Gloria Arcia, vice president of finance and administration. “Our main focus was in three areas,” Arcia said of the task force. “First, in every decision our focus was on the health and wellbeing of students, faculty, staff and visitors. Second, we were committed to maintaining the University’s high standard of excellence in all forms of academic instruction and activities. Third, we were committed to being flexible and innovative in the face of evolving circumstances.” Arcia’s team put together the extensive plan to reopen campus for the fall semester that included everything from repurposing facilities on campus for larger classroom spaces, to designating quarantine housing for students who test positive, to creating a contact tracing system for the campus community. “One of the greatest strengths of our University is the togetherness and supportive community that we have all come to rely on,” Arcia said. “We would not have been able to accomplish this monumental task of reopening campus without the help and support of everyone on campus. There were many unique and serious challenges, but through our collective spirit and teamwork we were able to work through these challenges and make a successful transition back to campus.” Classes
The University untilized its new Innovation Hub to help provide relief to local healthcare workers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Ethan Hefley, information technology network manager, led the University’s efforts in producing ear guards for masks on four 3-D printers in the Innovation Hub, established last year. The ear guards help healthcare workers who experience discomfort from extended use of protective masks. The ear guards were designed by Quinn Callander, a 12-year-old Canadian boy scout who was searching for a simple but effective device that would prevent the elastic bands on a mask from rubbing against the backs of people’s ears. Callander’s design, a wide plastic strap that goes around the back of the head, has notches so the wearer can loop the mask’s elastic straps around whichever notches are most comfortable, allowing them to adjust the tension while keeping the mask firmly in place. He made the design available for others to download from the open-source 3D printing community Thingiverse. Hefley said he printed about 200 ear guards during the summer and distributed them to healthcare providers in Clarksville. “I was looking for a way that we could utilize our 3-D printers in this effort to fight the coronavirus and I looked into masks, but that just wasn’t going to work,” Hefley said. “My wife saw (Callander’s) prototype on the internet and brought it to my attention. I felt like this would be a perfect way to utilize the 3-D printers to assist our healthcare workers.” Hefley said the four 3-D printers have the capability to produce a combined 20 ear guards every two and a half hours at a cost of about 35 cents each in material, a corn plastic filament. Hefley delivered ear guards to the Clarksville Medical Group, much to the delight of administrator Jeri Williams and the staff. “These ear guards will help tremendously for the nurses who are having to wear masks all day long on a daily basis,” Williams said. “Our personnel have no choice but to wear masks right now at all times and the constant rubbing has become a real problem. The ear guards are the perfect solution. We are extremely excited and appreciative to get these.”
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A part of the repopulation plan was additional training in technology for faculty during the summer. “I can’t say enough about how our faculty have responded to this challenge,” Dunsworth said. “They spent three weeks of their summer, in essence, back in school. We retained four technology specialists who trained our faculty in technology so that they would be prepared for anything. That’s been the mindset of our faculty, to be prepared for anything. I know they prefer face-to-face, but if they have to do some things on line, they’re ready to do it. That’s an example of that frontier grit.” Dr. Alyson Gill, University provost, also credited the faculty for their willingness to give up part of their summer for training. “This training will help them move their classes online more easily while not losing any pedagogical value with that transition,” Gill said. “This workshop had the added benefit of allowing faculty the space to think about course construction and how their courses could be modified to best suit students learning needs, whatever the modality. I am very proud of our faculty as they have stepped whole-heartedly into this space, and faculty are now able to move from online being a challenge to being a rich opportunity where we can better serve our students in that space when needed.” The training is paying off with more than half of the classes having some on-line element during the Fall 2020 Semester. At one point during the semester, 92 students from 10 states and nine countries were taking completely on-line courses from their hometowns. “At the end of the day, we’re a bricks and mortar, residential, relational, liberal arts college,” Dunsworth said. “But this pandemic has given us a chance to say, might there be very specific programs that we can offer that are without borders? Are there opportunities for us to do things differently when we’re beyond Covid? We’re starting to ask those questions. I think we’ll be an ever-changed institution.” Dunsworth also praised the diligence of students during the fall semester. The University stayed in single digits of positive tests for most of the first half of the semester. “When you walk around campus, you see students wearing
The University implemented physical distancing protocols in all public spaces, including th Borck Cafeteria.
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Mask-clad students continued their work in classes such as this biology laboratory.
their masks and you’ll see students in the cafeteria spacing out,” Dunsworth said. “Do they do it perfectly and 100 percent of the time, no, but they’re giving us what we’re asking of them. They’re giving us great effort and that’s allowed us to move ahead. We can manage the one or two positive cases at a time.” Enrollment Despite the pandemic and the campus being closed to visitors throughout the summer, the University had a slight increase in enrollment for the 2020 Fall Semester. A total of 836 students were enrolled at Ozarks as of Sept. 8, the official day of record for the semester. It marked the secondhighest enrollment in the University’s 186-year history, behind 2018’s record of 872 students, and 11 students more than the Fall 2019 Semester enrollment of 825. This year’s student body included 418 females and 418 males. A total of 341 students, or 41 percent, hail from Arkansas, including 102 from Johnson County. There are 173 students from the nearby Arkansas River Valley counties of Johnson, Pope, Conway, Franklin, Logan and Crawford. Thirty-two states are represented in the student body, with Arkansas (341), Texas (120), Oklahoma (36), Florida (10) and Missouri (9) leading the way. There are also a record 244 international students from 19 countries outside the United States. Reggie Hill, vice president for marketing and enrollment, credited the University community for a strong enrollment despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “This year was challenging for higher education as a whole,” Hill said. “Our success is testament to the hard work, dedication, and collective effort by our campus community. Covid-19’s impact on enrollment is evident and has taught us a lot about our institutional capability and our ability to adapt. Future success will be based on our ability to seamlessly synthesize recruitment and retention efforts. Both are necessary conditions for sustained enrollment growth.” The incoming class, which includes first-time freshmen and transfer students, is 240, one of the largest incoming classes in the University’s history and the same number as last year’s class. Tuition
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The University’s Board of Trustees in April voted to freeze tuition for the 2020-21 academic year amid the uncertainty brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. It was the sixth time in the last eight years that the University has not raised tuition. Since 2013, tuition at Ozarks has risen just five percent. Dunsworth said the Board took into consideration the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on students and their families in the decision to keep tuition flat. “Now, more than ever, our decisions need to be mission-driven and focused on accessibility and affordability,” Dunsworth said. “We understand that families are struggling and that there is a lot of uncertainty regarding the future. One of our primary goals has been to reduce the amount of debt for students through controlling the cost of tuition and allocating existing resources, including scholarships, grants and other financial assistance. Our efforts to control costs and improve quality are consistent with the mission and values of the University and are more paramount than ever.”
Dunsworth commended the University’s alumni and friends for their support of student scholarships, pointing out that the current Climb Higher Campaign has already raised more than $32 million in scholarship support. “Our alumni and friends continue to faithfully and generously support the mission of the University by financially supporting our students’ education,” Dunsworth said. There are approximately 200 privately funded scholarships available for Ozarks students from alumni and friends and the University awarded nearly $12 million in financial aid to Ozarks students in 2019-20. U of O’s tuition of $24,950 is more than 30 percent less than the national average of $36,880 for a private, fouryear university, according to The College Board’s Trends in College Pricing 2019. According to The College Board, the national average tuition increase was 3.4 percent for private nonprofit universities in 2019-20.
Math Majors Volunteer their Skills on Covid-19 Dashboard A trio of University of the Ozarks mathematics majors are volunteering their knowledge and skills to enhance the University’s public reporting of COVID-19 cases on campus. David Bondy, Juan de la Cruz and Nicolas Dunsworth have worked to improve the Covid-19 dashboard, located on the University’s website, ozarks.edu. The dashboard is updated each day at around noon by University administrators. Dunsworth, a senior mathematics major from Clarksville, said the three friends came up with the idea of offering their assistance after looking at the previous dashboard and talking with Gloria Arcia, vice president for finance and administration and the chair of the University’s Covid-19 task force. “The inspiration came out of seeing what the dashboard currently is and seeing the sheer amount of work the University has to get done to keep us all safe,” Dunsworth said. “I looked at the dashboard and figured that was the sort of thing that Juan, David, and I might have some fun working with, as well as being helpful in taking the load off of someone’s back. We spoke with Vice President Arcia, and it worked out from there.” Arcia said the students’ assistance on the dashboard has been much welcomed. “These three gentleman want to be part of the solution,” Arcia said. “They are taking the initiative to help by applying their acquired skills to improve on data visualization. It’s truly remarkable to see our students put their classroom training to work for the good of the University community.” de la Cruz, a junior mathematics and chemistry major and economics minor from Frontera, Tabasco, Mexico, said the primary goal is to make the dashboard more descriptive and informative. “When the team and I looked at the dashboard, only three numbers were shown: the number of total tests and the total number of positive and negative cases,” de la Cruz said. “Going through this information made us think that additional information and visualization tools were needed to speak to people more clearly about the current COVID-19 situation.”
The three friends have worked closely together in the past, most notably in representing Ozarks in state mathematics competitions. The three were part of an Ozarks team that finished second overall in in the 2020 Arkansas Undergraduate Mathematics Competition, held Feb. 29 at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. “Nicolas, Juan, and I have spent countless hours training for mathematics competitions since the spring of 2019,” said Bondy, a junior mathematics major from Dallas. “That training helped me develop a more passionate love of mathematics, and a curiosity to explore fields such as data analysis. The training also allowed us to learn about each other. Since then, we have worked together on various classes. Juan is my Jones Learning Center tutor for many of my mathematics courses. Nicolas and I worked together on various assignments during the summer. Our friendship was forged in training for mathematics competitions, and it has led us to seek other projects such as this.” Helping the campus community get through this pandemic is a motivating factor for all three students. “Improving the University dashboard is an important task as it means supporting our Ozarks community using the knowledge and skills that we have acquired during our college education at Ozarks,” de la Cruz said. “We’re just happy to be able to help the Ozarks community in our own small way.”
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UNIVERSITY OF THE OZARKS
Q&A
Q Get to Know DR. YASSINE DGUIDEGUE
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r. Yassine Dguidegue joined the University of the Ozarks faculty as assistant professor of sociology, in June of 2019. He completed his Ph.D. in rural sociology in 2019 from the University of Missouri at Columbia, where he also served as a graduate teaching and research assistant and the director of the university’s Deaton Scholars Program, a process-based peer mentorship program. A native of Morocco, Dguidegue’s academic interests include, society science and technology, African food security, rural community development, experiential learning education, policy analysis and intercultural communication. Before pursuing his Ph.D., Dguidegue worked as a teacher and program leader in experiential education programs in Vietnam and California. He also spent a year (2012-13) teaching at Heifer International in Perryville, Arkansas. Dguidegue earned his bachelor’s degree in language and pedagogy from The Faculty of Education in Rabat, Morocco, and a master’s degree in cross-cultural studies from the University of Mohammed the Fifth in Morocco. He has been actively involved in the Rural Sociological Society, the Borlaug Dialogues Program and Universities Fighting World Hunger program. He speaks four languages — Moroccan Arabic, English, classical Arabic and French — and is an avid soccer player and fan.
Describe how you first got interested in Sociology? At first, I did not have a particular interest in sociology, but I have always been passionate and dedicated to understanding social relations and intercultural differences. As is known, understanding social relations and intercultural differences belongs to various disciplines, among which is sociology. More importantly, major sociological works and thoughts come from thinkers who cannot be solely pigeonholed as sociologists since most of them come from diverse social sciences. The fact that sociology draws its research methods, theories, and paradigms from diverse disciplines appealed to me. This has made me realize that one does not need a PhD in sociology to be a sociological thinker. For this reason, I encourage my students who come from diverse majors or minors to identify one or few areas of sociology that correspond to their personal and professional goals. For instance, a student of natural sciences can combine his or her solid background in biology and his or her understanding of society and social relations to make science more inclusive and more equitably beneficial for all members of society.
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Why do you believe Sociology is an important part of a liberal arts education? Sociology seeks to embody the spirit of liberal arts college education: critical thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community building. For example, to demonstrate the importance of sociology, last semester I kept asking my community of students: What is the most important approach to mitigate the current pandemic? All students answered: social distancing. I would build on that and add that social distancing is essentially a social and cultural approach to mitigate and prevent the spread of the COVID-19. To implement social distancing, one needs sociological thinking to understand the cultural make-up of society so that they can tailor culturally appropriate messages to convince people to embrace social distancing as a preventive measure. This example shows how the examination and understanding of society is key to deploy scientific solutions in the most effective and inclusive manner. When the human and social dimensions are dismissed or ignored, chaos takes place.
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How do you believe your varied and multi-cultural background helps you in teaching and relating to students? I am grateful for the opportunities to interact with people from different cultural backgrounds. These opportunities have sparked my interest to learn about different ways of thinking and interacting. Thanks to my interaction with people of different cultural backgrounds, I have come up with my life motto: “People live in different realities and our first task is to bridge those realities.” This means that we should not always assume the existence of the so-called “common sense,” since what is common here can be strange somewhere else or even among us. In my classes I give examples of how the same practice can be condoned by one culture and reprimanded by another one. When I use the concept of “culture,” I do not refer to a national culture, for example the American culture, but rather I refer to national and international cultures, in the plural form. Let me give one example which I always like to share. In different cultural and sociological studies, there is a dominant narrative which portrays the US culture as individualistic. I was familiar with that narrative and the scholarly works behind it before I came to the US, but living my first year in Arkansas has completely reshuffled my cultural assumptions about the American culture or rather US cultures. I have been part of different events
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in Arkansas which challenge the stereotype that the US culture is individualistic. Take potluck as an example. Potluck, in my opinion, is the pinnacle of a collectivist culture as it symbolizes sharing (food) and trust (that the food is safe.) Now let us not forget that many potlucks, in fact most of them, are organized by people who do not know each other very well. It is therefore very fascinating to eat the food made by someone you do not know well. On a different note, I was very privileged to build strong and intimate knowledge of Arkansas thanks to running experiential learning activities. I used to share with my Arkansas kids that it is a blessing to have people wave at you and smile at you here though they do not know you. This type of cultural hospitality should not be taken for granted. The aforementioned mentioned intercultural experiences and others have helped me to interact with students from different cultural and national backgrounds. They have also inspired me to use them as examples to explain different sociological theories and concepts drawing from different international contexts.
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You’ve done extensive research relating to food insecurity in Africa and other parts of the world. What role does Sociology play in this issue? One of the major areas of sociology is social inequalities and social stratification. Sociology seeks to unravel the structural constraints which prevent people from accessing healthy and nutritious food. It is therefore imperative for sociological works to engage with policy-making and policy analysis. My dissertation work was within the area of agricultural innovation and food security. I looked at and critiqued scholarly works and policy briefs, which promote genetically modified crops in the African context. My humble contribution is basically examining the sociological assumptions behind the promotion of genetic engineering technology to address food insecurity. Another area of sociology which is related to food security is community building. Community building nurtures interdisciplinary collaboration and bridges differences. My work with students involves the organization of low/high challenge activities to demonstrate the dire situation of food insecurity locally and internationally. I have also joined initiatives working on alleviating food insecurity in Vietnam, Arkansas, and Missouri
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What role can Sociology play as students consider future vocations and professions? This is what I say at the beginning of each class: It would be of tremendous help to learn about my students’ professional and personal interests so that I can guide them to a relevant area of sociology that would support their goals. I always encourage my students to ask this question openly and sincerely: What the heck does this class/reading have to do with my professional and personal interests? This question is the most important one since it is critical to build interest and trigger motivation for learning. I also emphasize that sociological thinking helps to embody the spirit of the University mission of “living life fully.” For example, when we study social problems and their respective policies, I make sure to state that you do not need to be a policy maker to study these issues. Being aware of social problems and their respective policies make us fully engaged citizens who make fully informed decisions through voting, running for public office, and volunteering with civil society organizations.
You have done research in the area of intercultural communication. What role can this discipline play in the breaking down of racial and cultural barriers? I have worked on issues related to racism, interreligious conflicts, and immigration. I do not claim to be an expert on those fields and I do not plan to be so, but for sure I have been very dedicated to understanding them to fulfil my passion in learning about different cultures. My conclusion is that intercultural communication is indispensable to address the racial and cultural barriers. I would like to explain intercultural communication to my Ozarks students by suggesting a practical agenda that they can follow: visiting local churches, local museums, attending local council meetings, engaging with local non-governmental organizations, and visiting their local and international friends’ families. We have to acknowledge that it is unrealistic to assume intercultural communication as carefree, genuine intercultural communication implies struggle, discomfort, and conflicting values. Intercultural communication cannot take place unless we deem conflicts as opportunities to build mutual understanding and pluralistic views.
What is the one most important message or concept you hope your students grasp in taking a class in Sociology? The one most important message is: we need to keep in mind the original definition of the word “university” which refers to universal pursuit of knowledge and collaboration. We cannot embody the spirit of university unless we bridge our academic and professional disciplines through interdisciplinary thinking and practice. University of the Ozarks is a historical and special place, and I encourage myself and my community of students to take full advantage of being here by branching out to other disciplines and community members beyond our scopes of study. Expanding our community of learning is essential to maximize meaningful learning by linking our disciplines to grand inter/national needs and aspirations.It is always inspiring when I see my students treating each other as unique community members by learning from and collaborating with each other. We have a diverse national and international community of students, faculty and staff. We can travel on campus without having to fly to other places. So, let us enjoy traveling by connecting with each other while maintaining social distancing for now.
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NE W I N I ATI AT IV E T O EX PAND REAC H
Reimagined JLC Introduced
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n an effort to better serve all University of the Ozarks students, a reimagined Jones Learning Center has taken the lead in a campus-wide initiative to provide a broader-reaching support system for students in areas such as college success, academic advising and life skills. In the new model, which began the Fall 2020 Semester, the JLC is partnering with the Student Success Center (SSC) and the Office of Student Life to provide additional support, coaching and resources to the overall student population. As it has since it opened in 1971 as the first program of its kind in the nation, the JLC will continue its comprehensive program to assist students with documented learning disabilities, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or Autism Spectrum Disorder. “This new model is allowing us to broaden the reach of the wonderful resources of the Jones Learning Center to help improve the retention and success of all students,” said University President Richard Dunsworth. “The JLC staff is welltrained and well-versed in these types of college transition, academic and life skills training that are proven to help students thrive. We are excited about being able to offer these similar success coaching resources to the entire student population.” Under the new model, staff members of the JLC, SSC and Student Life serve as instructors, academic advisors and success coaches in Ozarks Experience, the University’s first-year, first-semester course aimed at helping freshmen transition to college. The JLC also now serves as the primary advising hub for all freshmen and undeclared students as they prepare for faculty advising. For juniors and seniors, the support would be more organic and informal and on an as-needed basis. Dody Pelts, director of the JLC, said the changes will create a team of “skilled and trained staff members that serve as the front-line for students and provide a significant level of contact, especially with first-year students,” 8 /// TODAY, FA L L 2 0 2 0
“This initiative will provide students with a team of professionals who will serve as a combination of proactive advisors, life coaches, mentors and guides to the Ozarks experience,” Pelts said. “Ten of our team members completed an intensive threemonth Master Coaching Academy over the fall and winter to hone life coaching and mentoring skills. We are excited to put this knowledge to use in order to enhance the overall educational experience for students at Ozarks.” Pelts said the initiative is going well, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. “We are lucky to be able to meet with students in the classroom safely, and that has been a positive for freshmen who are seeking connection in this time period,” Pelts said. “The relationships with instructors and success coaches have given freshmen a connection point to ask questions, find out information, etc. We’ve even help set up a few informal study groups among students who wanted to find others in the same class to study with.” Connie High, director of the Student Success Center, said she believes the enhanced “cross-departmental approach” to student support will also serve as a bridge for new students from their contact with the admission staff to the time they arrive on campus.
“This partnership will allow us to provide more services to more students with the common goal of student success,” High said. “It will also give new students someone who can help them begin to navigate the academic world before classes start and who can continue to help them throughout their time at Ozarks.” Pelts said some of the life and college success skills that could be emphasized include, time management, financial literacy, mental health awareness, cultural competency, motivation and perseverance. The restructuring will allow the JLC to offer its services to students with learning disabilities at a significant decrease from current costs. The price for the comprehensive Track 1 services for students in the JLC will decrease more than 40 percent to $12,000 a year, and the cost for students in the Track 2 program will decrease to $8,000 a year. “One of the main goals throughout this process was being able to provide the same quality of services to our JLC students as we always have but at a much reduced cost for our students and their parents,” Pelts said. “This model will allow us to do just that while also playing a larger role in the success of all students. It really is a winwin situation.”
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Henderson ’02 to lead Annual Giving, Alumni
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niversity of the Ozarks alumnus Brian W. Henderson was named the new director of annual giving and alumni engagement at the University in August, according to Lori McBee, vice president for advancement and alumni engagement. McBee also announced two promotions within the advancement office that will be effective July 1: Rebecca Lester will be the director of foundation relations and major gifts, and Mary Jane Spillers will serve as director of operations, data and research. A 2002 graduate of Ozarks, Henderson has worked in higher education since 2007 and has been at the University of Arkansas since 2013, where he served as the director of employer relations and student placement in the College of Engineering. “I am happy to have Brian joining our team,” McBee said. “He brings a great deal of experience in relationship building and stewardship of donors and alumni. Because Brian is an Ozarks graduate, he personally understands the value of the annual fund and will be a great leader in his role with donors and our alumni.” At Ozarks, Henderson will manage the day-to-day operations of all annual giving, athletic giving and alumni engagement initiatives, including donor research and identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship elements of the University’s
fundraising cycle. He will also oversee alumni engagement and programing. “I am thrilled to be joining the Ozarks family,” Henderson said. “I have a deep passion for the University of the Ozarks and the Clarksville community and feel this is a perfect place for my faith and work to mesh in showing God’s love to others. This opportunity is more than a just a job to me. My wife and all of her family are from Clarksville and I have numerous family ties to the area as well. I look forward to building new relationships with Ozarks alumni and, more importantly, I look forward
to connecting with alumni that I have lost contact with over the years. Ozarks is a special place and I look forward to working closely with our donors and alumni to make it even more special for future generations.” “I have more than 12 years of higher education experience and in my wildest dreams would have never thought returning to Ozarks would be a possibility. I am so thankful for this opportunity and look forward to advancing Ozarks’ mission and leading the annual fund and alumni engagement office.” Prior to joining UofA, Henderson was the director of Student Services for the College of Business at UA-Little Rock from 2009 to 2012. He also worked at Arkansas Tech University from 2007 to 2009 in several positions, including career development specialist/instructor and director of intramural sports and recreation. A native of Berryville, Ark., Henderson was a basketball standout at Ozarks, earning team MVP and team captain honors in 2002. After graduating from Ozarks, he went on to earn a master’s degree in health and human performance from Northwestern State University in Louisiana in 2004. Henderson and his wife, Jaye, have two sons, Hayes, 8, and Harris, 4. Jaye, a native of Clarksville and professor of nursing at University of Arkansas, recently accepted a new teaching position at Arkansas Tech University.
Ozarks Ranked No. 5 Overall in South by U.S. News Ozarks has been ranked in multiple categories in the latest U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings. In the 2021 edition of Best Colleges, released in September, U of O ranked in a tie for fifth overall among more than 80 regional colleges in the South — the 22nd consecutive year Ozarks has been ranked in the “top tier” among regional colleges in the South. Ozarks has been ranked among the top 10 in the 12-state South Region in each of the past 10 years. The overall rankings examine such criteria as academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student
selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving. The magazine’s annual late summer publication that analyzes institutions of higher education also had U of O ranked second in the “Best Value Schools” in the South, trailing only Kentucky State University. The value rankings evaluate the cost of attending a university relative to the quality of the institution and takes into account such things as the percentage of students receiving need-based financial aid and the average institutional aid those students receive. In addition, Ozarks was ranked third in the South Region in the category of “Most
Innovative,” a new ranking based on “making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities. The schools that received the most nominations for making promising changes on campus are listed here,” according to the publication. In the category of “Undergraduate Teaching,” for colleges that put a focus on undergraduate teaching, Ozarks was ranked ninth in the South. In the area of “Social Mobility,” Ozarks was ranked No. 27 in the South.
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University Launches Data Analytics
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niversity of the Ozarks has launched a new certification program in data analytics this past summer. The all-online program was developed in partnership with Podium Education in Austin, Texas, and will be available as creditcoursework for U of O students as well as a stand-alone certificate for the general public. There were 18 Ozarks students enrolled in a summer session data analytics boot camp to launch the program. The summer boot camp consists of a pair of three-credit courses – Introduction to Applied Analytics and Data Visualization with Tableau. The certificate program is 12 credits and can be completed over three semesters. The full program began during the 2020 Fall Semester. University Provost Dr. Alyson Gill said data analytics is a much-requested skill set from both students as well as prospective employers. “When we looked at regional market needs, we realized that there was a significant gap in training in data analytics—meaning that a significant number of posted positions listed data analytics as a preferred skill with no local or accessible program offering that training,” Gill said. “This program, which is for our current students and also as a stand-alone certificate for others outside the University, provides a ‘leg up’ in the job market. These skills are desirable for businesses as they lead to better understanding of their customers along with how to market to those customers.”
Gill said students can benefit from data analytics regardless of their major or professional interests and that they do not have to have a background in computer science or statistics. “This certificate provides numerous transferable skills, including problem-solving, project management and critical thinking,” Gill said. “At the same time, these skills extend across all academic disciplines, and, because of this multidisciplinary impact, it benefits everyone.” Gill said the University is exploring expanding the data analytics certificate program into a minor.
Dr. Poole Named Board Chair
Physical Plant Moves In-House
Sherilyn W. Poole of Park Forest, Ill., has been elected as chair of the University of the Ozarks’ Board of Trustees during the board’s annual fall meeting, held virtually on Oct. 2-3, 2020. Poole’s two-year term will begin Jan. 1, 2021. In addition, Susan Pinson of Edmond, Okla., was chosen as chair-elect and Peter Van Dyke of Munster, Ind., was selected as board secretary. Poole is retired from Governors State University in University Park, Ill., where she served as associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students from 2007 to 2012. She has broad and extensive experience in the areas of student life, student development, academic development, and teacher education. She currently serves as a consultant evaluator for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Poole holds an Ed.D. in educational administration and supervision from Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J.; a master’s degree in student personnel services from Montclair State College in Montclair, N.J.; and a bachelor’s degree in English education from Springfield College in Springfield, Mass. She works with the Career Development Ministry of the Trinity United Church of Christ, and serves as vice-chair of the Village of Park Forest Youth Commission.
The University moved its physical plant operations in-house during the summer and announced that Donny Frost (pictured) had been promoted to director of the physical plant and Jeremy Renfroe to assistant director of the physical plant. The physical plant operations have been under the direction of the National Management Resources of LaGrange, Ga., since June of 2016. Twenty-one staff members are employed in the physical plant, which includes maintenance, grounds and housekeeping operations. The department reports to Gloria Arcia, vice president for finance and administration. “We are grateful to the entire maintenance, grounds and housekeeping staff for their hard work in ensuring our campus is maintained, cleaned and sanitized as well as for their dedication to the University during these trying times,” Arcia said. “We believe this move will provide the University with better control, oversight and improved efficiencies in our physical plant operations. It will also lead to our physical plant staff having more sense of community and connection with the University.” Frost has served as interim director of the physical plant since early January and has worked at the University since 2013. Renfroe has worked at Ozarks since 2016.
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Senior Displays Entrepreneirial Spirit
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loria Cizungu has always had a fascination and love for cosmetics and, thanks to University of the Ozarks, she’s well on her way to turning that passion into a career. Cizungu is a senior business administration major from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country of about 84 million in Central Africa. The December 2020 graduate has already combined her love of cosmetics with an entrepreneurial spirit to launch her own cosmetics brand earlier this year. “I started doing makeup for people in 2016 back home, but I realized that it was so hard to get good products there and almost impossible if you were not wealthy,” Cizungu said. “I’ve always loved everything about cosmetics and I like looking good and having good makeup on. So in 2017, I started planning to have my own makeup brand.” Cizungu decided to tie her country’s highly diverse linguistic landscape into the naming of her business and cosmetics line. While French is the official language of the country, there are more than 200 living languages spoken in the country. Kituba, Swahili, Tshiluba and Lingala are the country’s four national languages. She calls her business Buzuri, which means “beauty” in Swahili. When she launched her first products this past December, she named the collection Elimu, which means “education” in Lingala, because, “I believe that people can be educated through makeup.” The collection was composed of lipsticks, each of them named in honor of Congo’s national languages, plus some of the North Kivu (one of Congo’s provinces) languages. “My favorite part of having my own brand is the education aspect of it,” Cizungu said. “I love it when I can explain what Buzuri means or I can tell people the meaning of my lipstick names. That makes me very happy because I feel like I’m sharing the pride of my country with them and helping to educate them about the languages of my country.” Ironically, it was language that was Cizungu’s biggest obstacle when she enrolled at Ozarks in January of 2017 after learning about the University from a family friend who was an alumnus. She studied English for only about three months at the Congo American Language Institute (CALI) before enrolling at Ozarks. “I thought I was a ready with my English, but I quickly realized that three months was not nearly enough,” she said. “The first few
months were the hardest of my life. I didn’t have any friends and if you didn’t speak French to me it was hard for me to talk to you. I had to Google everything. It was very painful, but I just started reading everything I could. I turned every one of my electronics to English and started doing everything — music, movies and books — all in English. I started making some friends and just continued to work on my English. It’s amazing how far I came.” A curriculum concentration on international business and its bevy of business classes have been especially inspiring to Cizungu as she contemplates ways to grow and expand her cosmetics brand. “I think about classes, such as my business communication class or my finance class, that have been so helpful in giving me skills and knowledge that I can use in my own business,” she said. Cizungu’s cosmetics are produced in Canada and then, with the help of an uncle, shipped to her to be branded. She hopes one day to produce her own makeup in Congo and have her own cosmetics line in all 26 provinces of Congo.“When I see people, especially Congolese, buying my makeup, I cannot describe my feeling,” she said. “It used to make me cry with happiness. My goal is to grow my makeup company back home and give my country access to high quality and affordable makeup.”
Professors Jones and Smith Honored for 40-Year Mark Two U of O faculty members were recognized with 40-Year Service Awards in May by the University. Karen Jones, professor of psychology; and Dr. Buddy Smith, professor of mathematics, have both marked their 40-year anniversaries at Ozarks. They will be honored with a certificate of appreciation as well as a gift from the University. The University Service Award recipients are typically recognized during the April Board of Trustees Awards Dinner. However, since the Covid-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of all campus events, the service awards were announced to the campus community through email and social media. TODAY, FA LL 2020 /// 11
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JAKE SAWYER ’20 was named in April as the 2020 Hurie Award recipient, selected by the faculty and given to the outstanding member of the senior class. The English and environmental studies major from Mena, Ark., was a Magna Cum Laude honors graduate who was a previous Project Poet winner and a founding member of the University’s writing club, the Wordsmiths. He has also been active in Ozarks Outdoors.
DR. WARREN SCONIERS, assistant professor of biology
at Ozarks, was the lead author on an article that was published in the May/June 2020 edition of Crop Science. The article is titled, “Pulsed Drought: The Effects of Varying Water Stress on Plant Physiology and Predicting Herbivore Response.” Crop Science, published bimonthly since 1961, is the official publication of the Crop Science Society of America.
RAMONA COGAN retired in May after 16 years as the office manager of the Marketing and Public Relations Office. Cogan, who joined Ozarks in July of 2004, coordinated and facilitated many of the University’s printing and communications projects over the past nearly two decades. Previously to joining Ozarks, she and her husband, Tom, owned and operated Sherwood Printing and Office Supplies in Clarksville.
LEROY GARDNER, head wrestling coach (left), and RICHARD DUNSWORTH, University president, (center) in January accepted the 2019 Pro Patria Award, presented by the Arkansas Committee of the Employer Support of the Guard and the Reserves (ESGR). The award recognized Ozarks’ commitment to support its employees who are in the National Guard and Reserves. Gardner is a Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves and nominated Ozarks for the award.
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EDITH OLIVIA GARRIDO ‘20, a chemistry major from
Cuauhtemoc, Mexico, was named the Outstanding Tutor of the Year for 2020 in the annual awards given by the Jones Learning Center and Student Support Services. The tutors were nominated by their peers and evaluated based on qualities such as knowledge of material, preparedness, empathy amd enthusiasm. Garrido was also Ozarks’ Outstanding Student in Chemsitry.
DR. CHRISTINE SCOTT, associate professor of business
and a 1995 Ozarks graduate, had a research paper published in the March 2020 edition of the peer-reviewed Global Journal of Economics and Finance. Scott’s paper, “Strategies to Implement Efficient Closing Cycles,” stems from research from her doctoral dissertation that she completed in 2019 in earning a doctorate in business administration (DBA) from Walden University.
The U of O team of JUAN FERNANDO DE LA CRUZ, NICOLAS DUNSWORTH, DAVID BONDY and RICHARD JAVIER RODRIGUEZ took second place in
the 2020 Arkansas Undergraduate Mathematics Competition (AUMC), held Feb. 29 at Henderson State University. It is the second consecutive top-two finish for an Ozarks team, after winning the state-wide competition last year. A record 10 Ozarks students competed in the event.
REGGIE HILL, vice president for marketing and enrollment at Ozarks, was selected by Arkansas Business magazine as a 40 Under 40 honoree for 2020. The award is given to men and women in Arkansas under the age 40 who have made significant impact in business, nonprofit or government. Under Hill’s leadership, enrollment at Ozarks has increased more than 40 percent over the past six years and has surpassed 800 students in each of the past three years.
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Greystone Prep School Academy Preparation, University Education
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ollowing her high school graduation in the spring, Ellery Doyna wasn’t ready to give up on her dream of attending the West Point Military Academy. That’s why she sought out the help of the Greystone Preparatory School. Greystone moved to University of the Ozarks over the summer after having been based at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas, for the past 16 years. The one-year program is a collegelevel academy preparatory school that prepares candidates for nomination, appointment and success at one of the five U.S. service academies: the Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.; the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md.; the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.; the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.; or the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, N.Y. Greystone is best known for its success with academy candidates who aspire to earn their nomination and appointment to one of the five federal service academies. For those seeking their academy appointments, the Greystone motto is “Academy Preparation, University Education,” which reflects its unique level of academy preparation. It is the only academy prep school in the nation affiliated with a four-year, fully accredited university. Over the course of the last 16 years, Greystone has helped nearly 500 young men and women to realize their dream of military service as academy trained and educated leaders of character.
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The prep school is led by David T. Bailey, a Naval Academy graduate, retired Navy commander and former academy instructor who established the program in 2004. Doyna, from Austin, Texas, is one of 15 students from 10 states who are a part of the first Greystone class at Ozarks this semester. Despite coming from a family with no military background and having older sisters who went the traditional college route and joined sororities, Doyna was hooked on the military life at a young age. “When I was 15, I went to a graduation at the Harlingen Marine Military Academy in Texas and I remember watching the cadets march out in cadence, in their pressed uniforms, and was amazed by their ability to work as a single unit,” she said. “In particular, this event sparked my interest in the military, specifically the leadership opportunities it offers. After this, I was hooked. I started reading every book written on our military to include tactics and histories that I could get my hands on, which led to my discovery of the federal service academies.” “I wanted to be a part of something that embodies ideas, traditions, and legacies that are much bigger than myself and what I hope to achieve as an individual. When I expressed these feelings to my parents and peers, they understood, respected, and supported my decision to prepare for a career in service. From then, my determination and desire have fueled my passion
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Greystone officials (top photo), including retired Navy Commander David Bailey and his wife , Brenda, (seated left) met with officials from the University and the Clarksville community in December of 2019 to finalize the move from Schreiner University. The first Greystone class at Ozarks (right photo) is comprised of 15 students from 10 states.
for attending West Point and serving my country in a leadership capacity.” Doyna said she waited too late to apply for the service academies in high school, but she still wanted to follow her dream of being a West Point cadet. “I never completed my application because I had a lot going on in my junior year in high school; most of it was self-doubt,” Donya said. “I would tell myself that I could never outcompete the other candidates and eventually believed it. It had always been my dream, and after maturing and pushing through that phase in my life, I decided that I had to give it at least my best shot. I knew that West Point is where I belong and where I will thrive. I would be foolish not to try and live my dreams, even if they seem impossible.” Doyna said she heard about Greystone through friends and was impressed with the program’s 88 percent success rate of getting its students into one of the five service academies. “Someone gave me Commander Bailey’s number and I called him,” Doyna said. “He told me about Greystone and I was sold. I put in my application the next day and started packing.” Benjamin Johnson of Jackson, Miss., was another one who wasn’t ready to give up on his dream of attending a service academy after he was turned down by the U.S. Naval Academy last spring. “I had two older friends from my high school who both applied to the Naval Academy, got denied and then went to Greystone,” Johnson said. “Both of them eventually received their appointments to the Naval Academy, so I knew the value of Greystone. It truly helped those two guys to become better leaders and better students and they ended up earning their appointments. When I got denied, I was willing to do whatever it took to get there and I knew Greystone was my best shot.”
Greystone Moves to Ozarks Bailey began looking for a new home for Greystone about a year ago when Schreiner’s increasing tuition costs began impacting the program’s enrollment. U of O was selected from an initial pool of more than 130 colleges and universities from around the country that met Greystone’s very high academic, athletic and facilities standards. “It’s a tremendous honor to be selected to join into a partnership with a prestigious program that has a long and proven track record of success in preparing young people to serve our nation in the academies and as commissioned officers,” said U of O President Richard Dunsworth. “Being selected by Greystone is a wonderful testament to the great work that our faculty, staff and board of trustees are doing in educating and preparing our students for their next steps. We look forward to helping Greystone continue its success of developing tomorrow’s military leaders.” Under the affiliation model, Greystoners are full-time U of O freshmen and can earn up to 38 transferrable college credits. All Ozarks courses are in sync with military academy first-year courses which enable many students to validate, or test out of, academy courses. This gives the Greystone students a significant advantage over other students entering the academies directly from high school or any other academy prep school, according to Bailey. The students are also enrolled in the University’s new ROTC program during their time at Ozarks. The program is operated out of the Cary-Wortz Residence Hall on campus, where the students live and where Bailey and his wife, Brenda, run the program. Brenda handles most of the administrative duties while the Commander handles the daily operations of the program. The Bailey’s daughter, Emily, a graduate of Texas A&M, also helps out with the program as she awaits her
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commission as a second lieutenant into the Army in the spring. The program is also supported by a board of directors, typically made up of retired military officers and community leaders. Bailey often has to be the program’s “hammer,” handling the discipline and making the tough decisions. However, unlike the prototypical drill sergeant, he rarely raises his voice. However, as he tells the parents on the day they drop their children off at Greystone, he will be demanding. “One of the first things I tell them is that we have a rule here: no touching. I will not be beating your child,” Bailey said. “But I tell them, I will push your child every day like they’ve never been pushed. I will expect more of them each day and they will be well beyond their comfort zone. That’s how we build leaders.” And, while the commander is pushing, Brenda Bailey is there to soften the hammer’s blow. “One of the first things that the alumni of Greystone told me was that Mrs. Bailey is the most amazing person you will ever meet, and I’ve found that to be true,” said Doyna. “She will do anything to help you. All of the Baileys are like a second family. Any problem you have, they’re going to pick you up off the ground and help you. Any problem I’ve had, they’ve said, yes, we’ve seen that before, and they know exactly what to do and how to fix it.” The new class of Greystone students moved into the residence halls on Aug. 1, a full three weeks before classes began at Ozarks. They spent the first few weeks before classes in intensive eight-hour-day sessions where they worked on their academy applications. Each student is required to apply to at least three of the academies and some apply to all five. “It can take between 20 and 50 hours to complete one application, so it can definitely be an overwhelming process,” Bailey said. “That’s why we spend the first three weeks, before classes start, working on them. The goal of those intense three weeks is to be 70-90 percent done with their applications before classes starts.” The students also begin working on securing nominations and references for the academies during the early fall. One way that they prepare for the rigorous nomination interviews with congressional representatives is through a process called Murder Boards, which are dress rehearsals. During these Murder Boards, students are evaluated by senior military volunteers on everything from their haircut, to the dimple in their tie to how well they make eye contact. They keep the list of practice questions relevant and current, based on what last year’s students were asked during their interviews. “We want them to be as prepared for the interviews as possible,” Bailey said. “We want them to get their mistakes out of the way so that they’re ready for the real thing.” Once classes begin, the students are immersed in the daily regiment of preparing their minds and bodies for acceptance and success in one of the service academies. It’s a recipe that has proven ultra-successful. Not only do almost 90 percent of the Greystone students earn an academy appointment, but an even more impressive 94 percent of those former Greystoners end up graduating from the academies. That’s a significant improvement over the approximately 80 percent graduation rate of all the academies. 16 /// TODAY, FA L L 2 0 2 0
Commander Bailey stresses time management and communication and expects Greystone students to give “110 percent, 100 percent of the time.”
“If we get a kid into one of the academies, there’s a good chance he or she will graduate and that’s why they like our students so much,” Bailey said. “Our Greystone students know what to expect, whether it’s academics, physical training or discipline, when they get to the academy, so there are no surprises. I’ve had some alumni tell me that it’s actually more difficult their first year at Greystone than their first year at the academy. That’s like a badge of honor because it tells me I’m doing my job. If they’re successful at Greystone, chances are they’ll be successful at the academy, because of the standard that we’ve created here.” Academics, Athletics and Leadership The three major service academies — West Point, Naval Academy and Air Force Academy — have about 1,200 open slots each year, with upwards of 18,000 young men and women vying for those few coveted positions. The smaller Coast Guard and Merchant Marine academies have about 350 annual positions with around 10,000 applications. “You’re talking about half a million dollars worth of education and training with the service academies,” Bailey said. “That’s why there’s 18,000 people applying for those 1,200 seats. It’s very cutthroat. That’s why you’ve got to get serious and put in the work and commitment that it takes.” Bailey has built the Greystone model around three primary components: academics, athletics and leadership. “That’s the whole thing about Greystone, and that’s what I talk to the kids about: What’s going to make you stand out from those other 18,000 applicants you are competing against,” Bailey said. “Do you have a 4.0 GPA? Are you the captain of the football team? Are you involved in your community or church in a leadership position? Those are the things that are going to separate you from your competition. Our goal is to help these students build up one or more of those areas.” Since a big part of acceptance into and success at the academies is based on academics, that takes center stage at Greystone. Last year’s Greystone class had a cumulative GPA
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Greystone students work on a group project in the Robson Library (top photo). Academics is a big part of the Greystone experience as the students are expected to devote much of their waking time to their classwork. Physical training (right photo) is also a big part of Greystone with students beginning the day at 5:45 a.m. with training.
of 3.96, a testament to the emphasis that the program places on academics. Students take 18 hours of classes throughout the week and have four hours of mandatory study time six evenings a week. They are expected to put in even more study time for each class, meaning a significant part of every waking hour is devoted to either class time or studying. “I’ve grown and learned so much about time management in just a couple of months here,” said Peter Carlson of Egan, Minn., whose first choice is the Coast Guard Academy. “I thought I was a pretty good student before I got here, but I’ve been pushed to achieve more than I thought I could.” In addition to their classwork, the students spend several hours a month in the summer and fall preparing and taking the ACT and SAT tests whenever they are offered in the area as they work to improve their scores, which can increase their chances of getting into an academy. They will end up taking the standardized tests up to seven or eight times while at Greystone. Physical training (PT) is also a big part of the Greystone experience. The students are fully engaged in PT drills — running, pushups, planks — by 5:45 a.m. each day. It is during PT that Bailey, who often leads the drills, likes to remind the students of one of his favorite mantras: “Give 110 percent, 100 percent of the time.” “During PT, when it gets really tough 5:30 a.m., I say to them, this is the 110 percent. This is the time you’ve got to give me everything you got,” Bailey said. “I tell them, right now your competition is sleeping and you’re getting ahead. This 110 percent, 100 percent of the time is what we’re looking for out of them. It’s not easy getting up at 5:30 a.m. each day, but the team is waiting for them, and that’s what it takes to get where they want to go.” The third component of the Greystone model, discipline, is built into the structure of the program, with two chains of command: administrative and operational. Bailey selects a class president and vice president as well as area leaders, such as athletic coordinators and academic coordinators. Everyone in the class has a leadership role in the structure.
Anthony Chambers, a 21-year-old from Denver, had hoped to get into West Point through a hockey scholarship, but after two years of playing junior hockey and not getting in, he decided to attempt the Greystone route. He was appointed class president by Bailey. “I was given a big leadership responsibility and I’ve been learning on the job,” Chambers said. “I’ve definitely learned a lot in a short time about how to lead people and how to serve them better. That’s one of the great things about this program; you’re going to be put in a leadership role and you’re going to make mistakes. It’s not easy leading a group of people, but it’s better to make those mistakes here than at West Point.” Part of the team leadership component is that each Greystone class creates their own honor code and standards of conduct policies early in the first semester that they will live with the rest of the year. This year’s class has directives such as no alcohol, no drugs and no dating classmates in its standards of conduct. “Where we’re going and what we want to be is significantly bigger than us and we kept that in mind as we were working on our honor code and standards of conduct,” said Doyna. “These are our dreams, but our dreams are going to affect the lives of other people. We’re going to serve in the military as leaders and we have to abide by a high standard because we have a group of men and women who are depending on us. Our standards of conduct are similar to the academies, so it will be an easier transition for us. We’re already living by those standards.” This year’s standards of conduct also has more unique guidelines, such as no discussion of politics when representing Greystone.
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“As we were writing this, everyone brought something to the table,” Doyna said. “One that was big for our group specifically was not talking about politics in any Greystone capacity. Some of us are very passionate about politics, but we know that it can be a very divisive subject, so we came to an agreement that when we’re representing Greystone, we don’t need to discuss politics. The honor code and standards of conduct are all about being honorable representatives of Greystone. We follow these standards so that we can be the best version of being honorable representatives of Greystone.” For Them Each student who goes through the program receives the Greystone coin, an iconic symbol of what the experience is all about. On one side of the coin are the emblems of the country’s military branches. On the other side of the coin is the Greystone logo that sits above a banner with the short, yet powerful phrase, “For Them.” Bailey explains that “For Them,” represents the Greystoners who have come before as well as the tens of thousands of other military members currently serving our country. “’Them’ are all those young men and women who, at this very moment, are in a trench somewhere, or on patrol, in an airplane, or on a submarine,” Bailey said. “They are at the point of the spear so that we can enjoy the freedoms that this country has. Everything that these students are doing here is for ‘them.’ In five very short years, these Greystone students will be leading ‘them,’ and that’s why they need to prepare every day by giving 110 percent, 100 percent of the time.” “Them” is also their fellow Greystone classmates. One of the first things they do on their first day on campus in August is clean the residence hall as a team before they move in. That’s the start of a quick and lasting bonding experience throughout the year for the class. This year’s class took it even a step further by all having their heads shaved on the first day. “These were strangers on day one, but I told them in orientation that you will become closer to this group than any friends you have at home and it will happen quickly,” Bailey said. “We set up an environment where they believe in each other and rely on each other. When we talk about the success of this program, it’s all about the success of the team. If one is suffering, the entire team is suffering. It’s usually a cryfest during Christmas break. These are people you’ve shared so much agony and joy with just to get to this point. The friends that they make here are lifelong friends.” Amar Rodgers of Conway, Ark., said he was surprised how quickly the class bonded. “It was amazing to see how quickly the team came together. It happened really fast,” Rodgers said. “The first day we were shaving our heads. It was an impromptu idea but it had a neat team-building affect. It just came about and people agreed to do it as a team. This is not an easy experience, but it’s good to know that you’re not in this alone. I know that with my fellow Greystoners, the journey there is going to be a fun one.” One example of how lasting the Greystone bond is happened in January when a former Greystone student died. At his funeral,
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The Greystone coin has program’s logo sandwiched between the all-encompassing phrases “Pursuing Excellence” and “For Them.”
held at the Naval Academy, all 43 of his Greystone classmates were there. “To see the other 43 students from his Greystone class lined up in the first two pews was pretty remarkable,” Bailey said. “The entire class was there because that was their team. That tells you how close-knit these students become.” Troy Erwin from Schertz, Texas, who is hoping to get into the Air Force Academy, said it isn’t lost on the students that they are competing against each other for an academy spot. “Even though we’re technically competing against each other, everyone here wants to see each other succeed,” Erwin said. “Yes, at the end of the day we’re all competing for the same spots, but it doesn’t feel like that. We’re all pushing each other and we’re all making sure we have our stuff done. There are times we’re not wanting to do something and that’s when our buddy next to you is pushing you. And, there are times you’re there for him. We’re all here together chasing the same thing.” Origins and Future of Greystone The idea of Greystone had been brewing in Bailey for nearly three decades before he established the program in 2004. Coming out of high school, he had been rejected by the U.S. Naval Academy and went to a prep school. He called it the worst year of his life. “I didn’t learn anything. I was basically there to practice the ACT and SAT scores,” Bailey said. “When I got to the Naval Academy, I realized how much of a waste that year had been. I think the seed for Greystone was planted then.” After serving on active duty for 26 years, including as an instructor at the Naval Academy, Bailey was ready to put his idea to work as he neared retirement in 2003. “It was Friday afternoon and I was with a fellow professor at a pub in Annapolis and he asked me what I wanted to do after retirement,” Bailey said. “That’s when I told him I wanted to start a prep school. I was tired of kids wasting a year of their lives and I was compelled to do something about it. That’s when I started
GR EYSTON E
Whether relaxing during rare free time in the Cary-Wortz Residence Hall (above photo) or honing their public speaking skills during an academic session (right), Greystone students are becoming an integral part of the Ozarks campus.
sketching the idea out on a napkin. It was the first time I had really put it in writing and started planning it out. I still have that napkin.” With humble origins in a basement office and finances and resources stretched thin, the program was in trouble before it had even begun. A last-second loan from a neighbor got the program started, but small classes of 5 and 4, respectively, in the first two years threatened to end it. However, in the third year, enrollment shot up to 11 and in subsequent years, as news of the students’ success spread, enrollment was as high as 50 students. “We had doors and opportunities that opened magically for us,” Bailey said. “I really believe this was a God thing. It was meant to happen. There have been so many instances where Greystone should have gone under but it didn’t.” Not only did it not go under, the program has thrived under the mechanism of structure, organization and oversight. It’s a structure that Bailey said eventually empowers the students to control their own destiny. “At the end of the day, what I’m doing is empowering them,” he said. “They are here to go to an academy and if they’re still waiting for some adult to make the decisions, it’s not going to bode well for them at the academy and certainly not going to do them well when they’re leading men and women. Our goal is that by December, about 70 percent of the program is in the hands of the students. They are the ones making the calls. Sure, they might screw up, but that’s where the learning comes in.” Bailey said he hopes to take the same Greystone mechanism and adapt it to a four-year program at Ozarks where those students received the same structured support and are simultaneously enrolled in programs such as ROTC, Navy Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program, United States Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class, Coast Guard Scholars Program, or Officer Candidate School.
This would potentially lead students to not only earning their bachelor’s degree, but ultimately a commission as an officer in the military. “We’ve done a great job engineering the program for students who want to specifically pursue an academy appointment, but there’s nothing saying we can’t take that same structure, organization and oversight, manipulate it, and re-engineer it now for Army ROTC or another military four-year program,” Bailey said. “Then we’ll have students who have gone through that same structure, organization and oversight. They are going to better academically and athletically and they will be better leaders. Once they leave here, they will be better prepared for success in whatever branch they choose.” Rodgers, who was turned down by the Air Force and Naval academies, said ultimately Greystone is all about helping him reach his full potential. “I chose Greystone because of its tremendous legacy of getting people into the academies,” he said. “I’m trusting in the vision and the process. I know the people here know what they’re doing, because they’ve been doing it successfully for years. I’m here to see how good I can get and how I respond to being put under stress on a daily basis. This program is definitely doing that. Ultimately, I want to know what excellence looks like in me and I believe this program will take me there. I can’t wait to see what I’m going to be like on the other side.” TODAY, FA LL 2020 /// 19
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REMEMBERING
Prof Smith By Susan Smith Epperson ’62
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R EMEMB ER IN G PR OF SMITH
For over a half a century, Dr. Thomas Latham “T.L.” Smith served University of the Ozarks as a widely respected science professor and mentor to hundreds of students. Known affectionately and reverently as “Prof Smith,” he was the epitome of excellence in education at Ozarks for 54 years — 1919 until his death in 1973. In addition to his duties of professor and instructor, Prof served the University as dean of men, academic dean, secret benefactor of economically disadvantaged students and as an advisor to no less than nine of the college’s presidents. Stories of him mounting his horse in the 1920s on recruiting trips through the rugged Ozark Mountains or leading young men in building the foundation for MacLean Hall are legendary and reflect his commitment to Ozarks and to helping young people achieve a college education. As a dedicated Christian, Prof Smith’s values were hard work, the pursuit of knowledge and an over-riding Christian compassion for his fellow man. It was often said that Prof’s happiest moments came knowing that his students were “making good” — not just making money, but making a good life. Here is his story as told by his daughter, Susan Smith Epperson ’62.
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ome things that come to my mind when I think of my dad: he was kind, he loved teaching and interacting with students, he loved science, and he loved The College of the Ozarks! Thomas Latham Smith was born in August of 1890 in the eastern crossroads of Key, Alabama, a town now replaced with a white pine forest of trees grown for paper. His father, John Lon Smith, was a blacksmith. His mother Rebecca died when he was 10. His stepmother was kind and good to him and his siblings, his brother George and sister Vivian. He also had a half-sister named Ruby. He rode a blind mule through the woods to school, until he learned as much as he could acquire there. Somehow he learned of the Berry School for boys in Rome, Georgia, and entered high school there around 1908. A formative influence in his life was Miss Martha Berry. Latham “Lath” went to her school where the boys raised all their food, built buildings, and studied the basics. For all his life, he always called her “Miss Berry.” Hers is a story in itself. Dad was a student during one of several visits that Theodore Roosevelt made to the Berry School, and he told me about the students welcoming him with an original song at the train station. He graduated from high school there in 1912. Miss Berry must have seen some potential in him. She recommended he take a year of prep school and then go to college. He took a year of study at the Mount Hermon academy (now Northfield Mount Hermon) in Massachusetts, which had been established by Dwight L. Moody. After his prep year, dad entered The College of Wooster, in Wooster, Ohio, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1917. He helped pay for his schooling by working as a waiter in one of the dormitory dining halls.
Smith taught artillery at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in the U.S. Army during World War I Working as a draftsman on ship hulls during the first World War, he overheard someone in the shop comment about “why an able-bodied young man like that isn’t in the army.” He promptly quit that job and enlisted in the army. With a college degree, he was soon a captain and found himself at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, teaching artillery. His unit was about to ship out to Europe when the war ended in 1919. After his time in the army, he went to Miss Berry’s school (now Berry College) and also to Wooster to try to figure out what to
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do next. At one of the visits, he was told there was another small Presbyterian college in Arkansas that was looking for a science teacher. He applied, and went to Ozarks at the beginning of the school year in 1919. As he was most likely the only science teacher, he taught many courses other than biology, including geology. Following the example of Miss Berry, who had ridden her horse into the mountains near Rome, Georgia, to reach the mountain children who had a thirst for learning but few resources, some summers found him riding on horseback into the Ozark Mountains. He would visit with families and recruit students who had the desire to learn, but nowhere to pursue that desire. He took a bare minimum in his saddle bags, and after sleeping in a boy’s bed that featured bed bugs at one home, he stopped to bathe and wash his clothes in a creek somewhere out of sight of the family. Realizing his own need for further education, Latham (now answering to Tom) began studies at the University of Chicago, completing a master’s degree in biology in 1927. With the arrival of a student on campus named Lois Aarant, Tom’s life would soon move forward in a new way. Lois probably heard about Ozarks from a cousin who had been there in 1896 to learn more theology. She, all three of her sisters, Laura Lee, Bennie, and Erdyce, and their brother, Hugh, attended Ozarks during the 1920s. Lois graduated in 1926. Because of their mutual interest in Christian missions and such organizations on campus, she had become acquainted with Tom Smith on the faculty. Their romance, which was realized during Lois’ senior year, was kept secret as student-faculty liaisons were not allowed. After her graduation, with a degree in English, Lois taught for a year at the Cane Hill School, which still used one of the buildings that had housed Arkansas Cumberland College before its move to Clarksville. During the summer of 1927, Prof worked with a group of students to pour the foundation for the new boys’ dorm, MacLean Hall. In September of 1927, Tom and Lois were married in the living room of her parents’ home in Chidester, Arkansas. Dr. Wiley Lin Hurie, who had counseled with them before the wedding, conducted the service. Both Tom and Lois had planned to enter foreign missions, but Dr. Hurie convinced them both that there was indeed a mission right there in the Ozarks. Realizing the importance of a further degree, Tom studied at Columbia University in New York City, during which time Lois worked as a secretary in the department of child development at Columbia. In 1904 Thomas Hunt Morgan had established a “fly room” at Columbia to study the genetics of Drosophila melanogaster. The tiny fly that you may see hovering around the bananas in your fruit bowl has played a crucial role in our understanding of inheritance. The discoveries in Morgan’s laboratory about the role of chromosomes in inheritance earned him the 1933 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Tom spent many hours in that same “fly room” in the early 1930s. One of his friends and colleagues there was a Russian immigrant, Theodosius Dobzhansky, who contributed greatly to our understanding of inheritance/genetics through his continuing studies of the fruit fly. Years later, Dobzhansky wrote an article in the American Biology
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Smith often mounted a horse to recruit students throughout the rugged Ozark Mountains Teacher magazine with the oft-quoted title: “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution,” which discussed the interrelatedness of all life on earth. Mrs. Marie MacLean provided funds for the boys’ dormitory which has just recently undergone complete renovation and is also on the National Historical Registry. In the early 1930s, Dr. Hurie introduced Lois and Tom to Mrs. MacLean who lived in upstate New York. They became friends, and Mrs. MacLean would sometimes take them to concerts at Carnegie Hall, something they certainly could not have afforded otherwise. My parents also enjoyed church attendance in Manhattan, and frequently heard Reinhold (“Reiny”) Niebuhr and Harry Emerson Fosdick preach from the pulpits of Union Seminary and Riverside Church, respectively. During some of those New York summers, Prof taught at the Cold Spring Harbor Research Laboratory on Long Island. He would take all his fruit fly stocks with him to continue his research with genetic crosses and careful counting and record–keeping of the progeny. One day in late August he hired a man with a truck to take these stocks back to the main campus in the city, cautioning him to deliver the flies early in the morning before it got too hot, since they are especially sensitive to heat. Well, that driver went to visit a friend and left his truck parked in the hot sun all day. All the stocks died! These fly strains represented at least two years of breeding and meticulous tracking of the crosses and offspring. Numbers and ratios of generations with certain genetic traits are crucial in the study of inheritance. I am amazed at his perseverance. He switched to a different insect and resumed similar genetic studies on the wax moth, Galleria mellonella. These critters eat honeycomb and are much hardier in different temperatures. He was most happy with this new organism! He completed his Ph.D. at Columbia in 1937. Decades
R EMEMB ER IN G PR OF SMITH
SUSAN SMITH EPPERSON ’62
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Prof Smith met Lois Aarant when she was a student at Ozarks in the 1920s. They were married in September of 1927.
later in his continued research on these same moths at Ozarks, I recall various generous beekeepers near Clarksville giving him honeycomb for his wax moths. Yearning for children after 12 years of marriage, Lois and Tom adopted my brother, Thomas David, in November of 1938. They drove to Kansas where he was born five weeks earlier. Prof was invited to present a paper at the Seventh International Congress of Genetics in Edinburgh, Scotland in August 1939. He and Lois sailed to Scotland for the Congress, leaving my brother with Lois’ parents and sisters in Chidester, Arkansas. While they were in Scotland, the Germans began sinking commercial and passenger ships in the Atlantic, so the Congress was cut short. I recall mother telling me of helping women sew blackout curtains while they waited for a ship to return to the United States. They were finally able to secure passage back to New York within a month or so. Daughter Margaret Susan (that’s me!) was born in May, 1941, much to their delight. We lived across Johnson Street from the back of the Chapel, where there is now a parking lot. Dad bought a small house there when he was still a bachelor in the early 1920s. When I was six years old, I remember the addition of the upstairs with two dormer windows facing the street. Much of the carpentry
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I was educated in the fine public schools of Clarksville with many caring teachers. Because of Prof’s cancer, it was mutually decided that I would skip my senior year of high school and go on to college. My husband loves to tell people that I never graduated from high school. It is true I have no high school diploma, but I do have a bachelor’s degree in biology from Ozarks and a Master of Science degree in Zoology from the University of Illinois. After graduate school, I was hired to teach 10th grade biology at Little Rock Central High School, where a few years earlier President Eisenhower had called out the National Guard to escort the “Little Rock Nine” into the building for racial integration. I applied for work in Little Rock since my husband-to-be was stationed as a Titan II launch control officer at Little Rock Air Force Base. Jon and I were married in June 1965. In the fall of 1965, I was approached by a fellow teacher at Central asking if I would be interested in taking part in a lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of Arkansas’ antievolution law which had been adopted by vote in the aftermath of the famous Scopes trial in Tennessee in 1925. The Arkansas Education Association, whose Executive Secretary, Forrest Rozzell, was a graduate of Ozarks, hoped to get this antiquated law removed from the Arkansas law books. After some trepidation, I signed on as the plaintiff, a biology teacher under threat of the law. Judge Murray O. Reed decided in our favor, so for a little over a year, teaching human evolution was legal in Arkansas. In June of 1967, the Arkansas Supreme Court handed down a per curiam opinion reversing Judge Reed’s decision. This opened the door for an appeal by the AEA to the U.S. Supreme Court. The hearing was in October 1968, and the unanimous decision in our favor was given in November 1968. Three of the justices gave concurring opinions. After some hubbub following the decision, I mostly returned to being a stay-at-home mom to our son, Mark, who was 7 months old at the time. Our daughter Elaine was born in 1970. Jon’s next assignment was to teach mathematics at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and aside from a couple of assignments, we have mostly lived in Colorado even since. Following the family tradition, after my children were of school age, I taught biology and nursing chemistry at the Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs. Later I taught biology and chemistry at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. As I stated when I retired from UCCS in 2016, it has been my joy and privilege to work with students and help them understand these subjects. I was honored to be named Instructor Emeritus after my retirement. Over the years, I have been asked to share my story of the evolution case. I am grateful that the door is always open for me to share my Christian faith, and try to make clear that faith and science are not in conflict. I think it is so important for young people and anyone, for that matter, to know they do not have to toss out their faith if they want to be a biologist, and do not have to give up on a dream of being a scientist if they want to follow their faith.
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work was done by a master carpenter, Mr. Steuart, father of longtime beloved biology teacher and friend at Ozarks, Ruby Steuart Reynolds. I would sometimes go over to meet dad as he walked home at end of day. I also remember following behind him as he mowed the grass with his push lawnmower. I loved the smell of the fresh cut grass. I also remember his sharpening the blades on that mower with a file. Dad was very handy with many things. Now and then he’d get a call from one of the single ladies on the faculty with a stopped up toilet, and he would gather up tools, go over, and do whatever repair was needed. When my family and I were in Clarksville after he died, the pastor recounted to us a comment from someone who said, “Well, I guess all the toilets in heaven are working now!” Dad’s office was on the third floor of the old science building, which is where Walker Hall now stands. Occasionally, if Prof was working at night, the campus night watchman and custodian, Mr. Zelgar Pitts, would see his light and go up to visit about the college, sharing his concerns and suggestions about ways to improve things at the college. After “Uncle” Zelgar died, Prof wrote a letter to his widow telling about how helpful those visits had been. Not long after I was born, mother and dad noticed that David, now a toddler, often fell more than one would expect. They took him to several clinics and the diagnosis was always the same: Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disease in which the muscles slowly deteriorate to fat tissue resulting in death by about age 21. David always knew that he was adopted, and once he could understand, knew that he had a degenerative muscle disease. In later years, when children would ask him why he was in that “chair,” he would clearly tell them he had a muscle disease that made it impossible to walk. He would tell them that scientists are working on a cure, but I think he really knew that there was no cure coming along soon. When my own son was about two years old, I remember looking at him and thinking how devastating it would be to hear such a diagnosis. I marvel that my parents did not cater to David’s disability and raised him in a most positive
Among the student clubs and organizations that Prof Smith championed was a coed shooting club in the 1920s.
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Prof Smith rides a bike in front of the former Science Hall with his children, Susan (sitting in back) and David.
way. My mind is filled with wonderful stories of David, who also attended Ozarks. One of David’s loves was the game of chess. He read books of chess strategy and often taught neighborhood kids to play. When the unofficial chess championship was held in MacLean Hall, the declared winner was told, “You have to go play David Smith before you can call yourself the campus champ!” Following the predicted course of the disease, David died in March of 1960, when he was not quite 22 years old. Daddy, mother, and I grieved greatly for him. Mother would tell me that she wished she could find David’s mother – it had been a closed adoption – so she could let her know what a fine person he was. My dad pursued many varied interests over the years. He helped develop the Pharmacy School, maintained a science club, was the faculty sponsor for a coed campus shooting club, took part in theater productions, and was always willing to help students with their academic questions. He was skilled at drawing and artistic design, and rendered detailed images of biological structures as part of his research and teaching. After some research, Prof built a collection of wooden crosses from different traditions and cultures, and he would sometimes present a Lenten program in the Chapel about the origins of these various crosses. For some years, he also taught the college student Sunday School class at the Presbyterian church down the hill on College Avenue. As a part of FDR’s New Deal, Prof taught at a CCC camp in Conway, Arkansas. When, over a Christmas break in the 1950s , Dean Vivian T. Smith and his wife were killed in an automobile accident, the college asked Prof to stand in as Dean. I remember his grieving for Dean Smith whom he had come to love and trust after only a short time at the College. Even as Prof took on the tasks of Dean, he always kept at least one course to teach, usually the large introductory biology class for all freshmen. He wanted to meet the
R EMEMB ER IN G PR OF SMITH
new students on campus. In more than one case, his love of the subject and his enthusiasm would lead a student to change his or her major to biology. Students were often welcomed into our home. When I met Dr. Wayne Workman at a board of trustees meeting at Mount Magazine in February of 2010, he remembered going for waffle breakfasts at my folks’ on Sunday morning before church. He recalled my mother retreating to the kitchen to prepare a second batch of waffle batter. I remember as a young child seeing the students clustered tightly around our cherry dining table with my dad cooking the waffles there on a side table in front of them. I also remember picnics in the back yard at commencement time in May, a time when alumni would return to campus. There would be a large and joyful and noisy group! Sometime around 1954 or so, Prof was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He made trips to Sparks Hospital in Fort Smith for regular checkups. Around this time, Lois decided to make herself more employable, studying and earning a master’s degree in library science. She was hired as the librarian at Clarksville High School, a position she held for some 11 years. Like Prof, she too was enthusiastic about her work. She had always loved books, so this was an ideal job for her. She taught her student helpers in the filing of books using the Dewey Decimal system. She also taught them to repair books that were damaged or over worn. Mr. John Bock, Principal of the High School at that time, highly valued her work. He saw to it that she received funding most summers to attend library workshops around the country. After a year or two on the job, she organized book fairs that were held in the Clarksville High School gymnasium. Students and teachers from all schools in the area, including the African-American schools, segregated at the time, were invited to come. She often would invite a prize winning author to come to the school to speak about his or her book. These visitors were often overnight guests at our home. These visits often led to long continuing friendships. As Dad’s cancer checkups continued, I remember getting calls to the effect, “The doctor said come back in a month, in six months, in a year,” as they made progress in defeating this cancer which was contained in the bladder and never metastasized! It was always joyful news when the times for the follow up appointments would be further and further apart. Finally my dad was declared essentially free of this cancer. He had been quite diligent in following the doctor’s orders. Prof officially retired in 1958 but continued to teach, so I was fortunate to study under him for several courses, as I too changed my major to biology. From him, I took that beginning course for entering freshmen, later histology (study of tissues), embryology, and the very enjoyable geology course with field trips to some notable geologic sites in Arkansas. I think he was still teaching one course, microbiology, when he died in 1973. I had married and moved away, but I remember that the Tyson chicken plant wanted certain of their workers to study microbiology, and so he was teaching that course. He was also still riding his bicycle until his sudden death in March of 1973. His cause of death was possibly
Prof Smith and Lois Aarant were married for a total of 46 years, from 1927 until his passing in 1973.
an issue with his heart after a bout with the flu that winter and a severe cough. He and mother (1902–1996) and my brother David are all buried at the Oakland cemetery west of Clarksville where the entrance sign was designed by my father. The eulogy at Prof’s service at the Presbyterian Church was given by then president of the college, his good friend, Dr. Don Davis. My dad was a warm and encouraging presence throughout my life. After he died, the outpouring of affection and fond memories related to me by decades of students and other faculty have made it clear to me that he was loved and respected by many. After Prof’s death in March of 1973, Lois continued to live in the house on Johnson Street and continued to work with groups who raised funds for the college. It was our privilege to have her come live with us in Colorado in1992 when she was 90 years old. As she and Prof and I all wanted, the house and property were given to the college. Mother enjoyed seeing more of her grandchildren here and going to church with us where our son Mark would often solo with the choir. She was sure to point out to whoever was sitting near, “That’s my grandson!” She was a solid cheerleader for all of us, and so very proud of her grandchildren. I have received a wonderful legacy of completely unconditional love and solid upbringing in the Christian faith. I have been greatly blessed!
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CAMPAIGN SURPASSES $67 MILLION
Science Remains Top Priority
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ven though the goal in the Climb Higher Campaign has been surpassed by more than $12 million, University officials are extending the campaign deadline another 3½ months to take advantage of a challange grant by the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation of Tulsa, Okla., for the expansion and renovation of the science center. As of mid-October, the University had raised more than $67 million in the Climb Higher Campaign for its top three priorities — scholarships, science facilities and athletic facilities. The campaign, with an original goal of $55 million, kicked off in 2014 and was scheduled to end on Dec. 31, 2020. However, the University is extending the campaign to April 14, 2021, in order to raise additional donations to meet the Mabee Foundation’s $2 million challange grant. The University is about $1.7 million away from its target of $16.6 million. The grant challenge will be gifted only if the target is fully met. The complete renovation and addition to the science center will cost $18.6 million, which would be the largest total for a capital construction project in the University’s 186-year history. The new science center will be named the Thomas and Frances Wilson Science Center, in honor of Frances Wilson’s lead gift to the project. The Tulsa native honored her late husband by supporting the University in various ways over the years, including the renovation of the Munger-Wilson Memorial Chapel and the adjacent Wilson Family Plaza in 2016. Lori McBee, vice president for advancement and alumni engagement, praised the support of the University’s alumni and friends in the Climb Higher Campaign.
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“University of the Ozarks continues to be blessed with many loving and generous alumni and friends,” McBee said. “Yes, we have surpassed our $55 million goal for the campaign, but we are marching on a little longer so that we have the science center funding completed by April 2021. We are so close to seeing this initiative fully funded. Ozarks continues to be an amazing place.” The renovation and additions to the science center will add 18,000 square feet to the current facility for the University’s natural and health science programs, including biology, environmental sciences, chemistry, health sciences, physics and psychology. The complete renovation to the existing building, which was built in 1969, will include state-of-art classrooms and laboratories as well as new dedicated research areas. The new science program will be named the Smith-Broyles Science Program in honor of alumnus and former trustee Dr. Alvin C. Broyles and long-time Ozarks science professor Dr. T.L. “Prof” Smith. The University is also raising money from alumni and friends to name a laboratory in memory of former biology professor, Dr. Doug Jeffries, who died in 2018. Jeffries shared his love of science as a beloved professor at Ozarks from 1991 to 2017. There are also other naming opportunities available for classrooms, laboratories and offices. For more information on supporting the Dr. Jeffries Laboratory fund or any of the other naming opportunities, please contact either Hunter Jackson at hjackson@ozarks.edu or Dawn J.M. Dvoracek at ddvoracek@ ozarks.edu.
PH ILA N TH R OPY /// N EW S
Waltons Honor Niece With Gift to Ozarks
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he Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation has made a $525,000 gift to Ozarks in honor of the University’s longtime former president and foundation board member, Dr. Rick D. Niece. Niece was president of Ozarks for 16 years – from 1997 to 2013 – and served as a director on the Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation (WFCSF) from 1997 to 2019. Niece and his wife, Sherée, are retired and living in Hot Springs Village. In its December board meeting, the foundation approved the gift to the University to honor Niece’s 22 years of service to the foundation and to “preserve the lasting impact that he has made for hundreds of students from the U.S. and around the world.” A majority of the gift – $500,000 – will go into the Dr. Rick and Sherée Niece Endowment for Student Enrichment fund, which provides competitive grants to students in support of their research, creative projects, and professional preparation through internships and study abroad. The remaining $25,000 will be invested in the Lewis H. and Dortha J. Geyer Niece Scholarship Endowment Fund, named in honor of Niece’s parents and provided for students majoring in performing arts and communications. Jim Walton, past chairman of the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, said, “Dr. Niece’s vision, generosity and sense of service made a lasting impact for the University, our state and the field of education, as well as for our family. He and my mother, Helen Walton, worked closely and shared a commitment to creating access to opportunity through education for students in Arkansas and across the world.” Under Niece’s leadership, Ozarks saw student enrollment increase by 20 percent, the endowment grow by more than 200 percent, and the number of full-time faculty increase from 28 to 48. The University also raised nearly $150 million during Niece’s tenure and added several new facilities, including four apartmentstyle residence halls, the Walker Hall teacher education and communications center, the Rogers Conference Center and the Mabee Student Fitness Center. Niece was named president emeritus by the University in 2013. “We are excited and humbled that the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation would choose to honor Dr. Niece’s service in this special way,” said Ozarks President Richard Dunsworth. “He and Sherée certainly left an indelible mark on Ozarks through their work, and these gifts to the endowments they established will build on their efforts to change students’ lives for generations to come.” Niece, who was vice president of the WFCSF for several years, said it was an honor to serve on the board of a foundation whose mission includes the support of higher education. “I have served on a number of boards during my lifetime, and the 22 years as a member and vice president of the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation were the most memorable and rewarding,” Niece said. “The foundation’s generosity has done so much for so many. I am especially proud of our generous gifts to several Arkansas universities for academic programs and student needs.”
”Sherée and I are extremely grateful to the Walton Family for touching our lives, once again, in such a moving and significant manner.” —Dr. Rick Niece The Nieces established three endowed programs at Ozarks, including the two endowments that will benefit from the Walton gift. “Sherée and I are eternally grateful to the Walton family and the foundation for touching our lives, once again, in such a moving and significant manner,” Niece said. “Our association with the Waltons is an honor beyond compare.” The foundation was established by the family of Walmart founder Sam Walton and his wife, Helen Walton, who had an 80year association with Ozarks. That connection started when she was a child and her family would host members of the college’s choir when they performed at her local Presbyterian Church in Claremore, OK. Helen Walton was first elected to the University’s Board of Trustees in 1975 and was elected honorary lifetime chair of the board in 1985. Niece gave the eulogy at Helen Walton’s funeral in 2007. “Mrs. Walton was an amazing woman and about as common a lady as you’ll ever meet,” Niece said in his eulogy. “I feel sadness now, but knowing that her influence will continue to touch generation after generation of students is a good feeling.” Niece was named the University’s 24th president in July of 1997. Only former presidents F.R. Earle (1858-1891) and Dr. Wiley Lin Hurie (1923-1949) served longer tenures than Niece. TODAY, FA LL 2020 /// 27
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WORDS TO LIVE BY “God
never quits, so we should never quit.”
Those words on Sydney Key’s left forearm, etched in her great grandfather’s handwriting, is a daily reminder of perseverance for the University of the Ozarks senior softball standout. “The tattoo has been in inspiration to me because, for one, it is just a reminder that my great grandpa is always with me, even though he isn’t here physically,” Key said. “I can just look down and be reminded of him. Another reason is the words. I am not a quitter anyway, but most things in life aren’t easy. When I look down and read those words, it helps remind me that God is with me every step of the way; that he would never quit, so why should I if I am trying to be an example and live my life the way he did.” Key, a health science and psychology double-major from Lamar, Ark., got the tattoo about a year after her great grandfather, Donald Sims, passed away in December of 2017. “I never thought of myself as having a tattoo, but that changed after he passed away,” Key said. “We were very close and when he died, we were going through their house and I found his Bible and immediately fell in love. I was alone in the room and was amazed about how much time and work he had put into it. There were tons of notes and markings. I was excited and took it to my great grandma and she told me that I could have it; he would’ve want me to. The more I looked at his Bible, the more I realized that I wanted to do something to help me remember him. Then it hit me; I should get something in his handwriting. I spent months and months looking for the perfect thing he had written, and I finally found it.” Key’s never-quit attitude has helped her shine on the softball diamond for the past four years for the Eagles. The 5-foot-8 catcher/third baseman has started since her freshman season. With 119 career games played and career stats of 74 hits, 39 RBIs, 16 doubles, and 6 home runs, she will most likely end up in the program’s all-time top 10 in several offensive categories. Ironically, it’s not stats or on-the-field accomplishments that Eagle Softball Coach Denise Godwin mentions first when asked about Key. “Syd is a very hard-working, dedicated softball player who puts her team’s needs before her own,” Godwin said. “She is a great teammate and someone who brings a lightness and positivity to the team. Syd is the go-to person when someone needs
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“This honestly took a lot of thinking and figuring things out,” she said. “Initially, this past summer, I intended on going to graduate school, but with me needing surgery and COVID-19, plans changed. Once I sat down and thought about it and knowing that I was in for a long rehab, it made sense to come back and actually get a senior season.” Key, whose family owns Fat Dawgz restaurant in Clarksville, said being raised by a single mother and working almost daily at the family restaurant have helped shape her.
a pick-me-up, and most of the time all she needs to do is smile and that will make someone feel better.” Godwin said Key’s knowledge of the game and the way she carries herself makes her a natural team leader. “One of Sydney’s strengths is her knowledge of the game, especially from behind the plate,” Godwin said. “She can read a batter and know how to attack their weaknesses. Another strength of hers is the relationships she builds with our pitchers. She is very attentive to their technique and can pick out when something isn’t right. I would describe Sydney as a silent leader. While she may not be the loudest on the field, she leads by example. The way she carries herself and the way she serves her teammates speak loudly.” Despite playing with a lingering hip injury last season, she was off to her best start ever --- batting .361 and slugging .528 --- before her senior season was cut short abruptly after 14 games because of the Covid-19 pandemic. “I had prepared myself all year, knowing it was my last season,” Key said. “When the season was ripped away, it honestly broke my heart. I didn’t get the chance to break some records that I was on track for and it was just so surreal that it was taken away. When we were first told, it was all so hard to process. After it processed, I just felt empty. I felt like I didn’t know who I was anymore because all I had known was to be an athlete. I knew that being labeled as an athlete wasn’t the only thing I had going for me, but in that moment that’s what it felt like. I felt lost, hurt, and broken.” When the NCAA decided to allow last year’s seniors an option for another season, Key said she gave it plenty of thought before deciding to come back for the 2021 season. She said she made the decision based on having to have hip surgery during the summer and needing additional pre-requisites for graduate school.
“Growing up with just my mom taught me hard work and that I do not need to depend on anyone,” she said. “I was taught independence at a very young age. If I want something done, then I need to find a way and not be dependent on someone else. Growing up with my mom taught me a lot of things, things that I would never change. Working at Fat Dawgz has really pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me with communication skills. I am naturally a shy person, but when it comes to working in the restaurant business there is no room for shyness. You have to be personable, friendly and display great hospitality. I have learned that you always treat people the same no matter what kind of vibe they give off, because you never know what kind of things they’ve been going through or what kind of day they’ve had.” A two-time selection on the American Southwest Conference AllAcademic Team, Key is proud of how she has juggled the demands of work, athletics and academics. She plans to pursue a career in athletic training. “You just have to stay on top of things like workload and assignments,” she said. “The other would be building good relationships with your professors. They can become your best friend or worst enemy when being a student-athlete.” Her decision to be an athletic trainer was an easy one. “I absolutely love helping people, and I love being around sports, so it is a win-win,” she said. “When I started brainstorming about what I would like to do with my future, there was never a time that I thought that sports wouldn’t be involved in some way.” Having played softball almost since the time she could walk, Key said she wants to make the most of her second chance at a senior collegiate season. She hopes to stay involved in the sport in the future, either though athletic training or through coaching and providing private lessons. “It has been a fun and eventful 18 years of being a competitive softball player, but I know it’s coming to an end soon,” Key said. “I’ve begun preparing myself to be done with the competitive part of softball. My heart will never be ready for it to be over, but I know I can’t play the sport forever. I will never be completely away from the softball, though, which will help a lot. I have been giving private lessons and that will keep me involved. Helping kids grow and improve themselves is what coaching the game is all about. When I see something click with someone I’ve been working with, it is just an amazing feeling and a huge accomplishment.”
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EAGLES ATHLETICS
Ito Tost Breaks Top 25 in Final National Rankings
Rankin is National Qualifier Edwards Named to Google in Cross Country, Wrestling Academic All-District Team
Ozarks tennis standout Angelo Ito Tost was ranked the No. 24 NCAA Division III men’s singles player in the final 2020 spring national ranking by Oracle and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). The junior is the first U of O tennis player in program history to earn a national ranking in the final season rankings. Ito Tost, a native of Brazil, posted a combined fall and spring record of 13-2 in singles play. He is the only player from the American Southwest Conference to receive a final national ranking. He finished the 2019-2020 season ranked fifth in the West Region. “We are very proud of Angelo and his leadership for us,” said head coach Ryan Spencer. “He has an extremely solid game all the way around. He knows how to stay calm and compete throughout the whole match. We are looking forward to what he will continue to do.” In the fall, he became the first player in program history to be nationally ranked in singles, earning a No. 17 spot. In the fall, he was one win away at the Southwest ITA Regional from receiving an automatic bid to the ITA Cup. He also received the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s NCAA Divisioon III West Region Player to Watch Award in May. Ito Tost was also named the University’s coSpring Athlete of the Year.
Nathan Rankin, a junior member of the cross country and wrestling team, in 2019-2020 became the first athlete from Ozarks to qualify for the NCAA III national championships in both cross country and wrestling. In cross country, Rankin won his second ASC individual title and was a member of the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region Team. Additionally, he was named ASC Runner of the Week four times and repeated as an AllConference runner. He owns the program 8K record with a 25:14.2. In wrestling, he was named the program’s first All-American. Rankin won the Southeast Conference individual 125-pound title and was named the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. He owned a 25-4 overall record and was ranked nationally by D3Wrestle.com. A native of Plano, Texas, he is a three-time all-conference cross country runner and three-time all-conference Wrestler. He owns the school record with 79 career wrestling wins. In his career, he has qualified for NCAA III Nationals in Cross Country and Wrestling twice. In the classroom, Rankin has been a member of the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, NWCA All-Academic Team and ASC All-Academic Team.
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Eagles baseball standout Chase Edwards was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District First Team for the second time in as many seasons during the spring. Edwards, a 2020 May graduate from Chandler, Ariz., earned All-District honors last season and then went on to earn a spot on the national Second Team. The designated hitter batted .333 with four home runs and 20 RBI in a shortened 2020 season. Edwards also recorded five doubles and owned a .632 slugging percentage. At the conclusion of the 2020 season, the 6-foot-1 Edwards led the American Southwest Conference in RBIs. Edwards, who swings the bat lefthanded, produced five multiple-hit games and drove in three or more RBI four times in 2020. He is a career .370 hitter and ranks among Ozarks career top-5 in batting, slugging percentage (.588), on-base percentage (.453) and home runs (19). He totaled 103 career RBI. A business administration major, he is a member of the ASC All-Academic Team, Dean’s List and a two-time all-conference performer. In 2019, he earned First Team All-Conference, D3Baseball.com All-Region Second Team and ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Second Team. The Google Cloud Academic AllDistrict Baseball Team honors the nation’s top student-athletes for their performances on the field and in the classroom.
OZAR K S /// ATH LETIC S
Athletic Program Adds Women’s Wrestling
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he University launched its newest sports—women’s wrestling— beginning the 2020-21 academic year. The program will be a club sport for the 2020-21 year and will move to an NCAA
20Wom2en0’s-W2rest0lin2g 1 Montrell Spriggens
Ayanna Hunter Stephanie Trevino
Ayanna Hunter
Takiera Steen Janell Collins
Division III varsity intercollegiate program starting in the fall of 2021, according to Athletics Director Jimmy Clark. The new team will expand Ozarks’ varsity sports offerings to 21 intercollegiate programs. The University has offered men’s wrestling since 2014. The current men’s wrestling head coach, LeRoy Gardner, will also lead the women’s program. The University plans to hire an additional assistant coach to assist with the new program. “Women’s wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in this country in both college and high school and we’re excited about offering this opportunity for women who want to compete on the collegiate level,” Clark said. “We’ve been considering adding it for a couple of years and with our men’s wrestling program thriving, we felt it was the right time to add it. We’ve got the facilities and infrastructure in place, so it just seemed like a natural fit.”
In 2019, the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) sanctioned women’s high school wrestling in Arkansas, becoming the 18th state to have the sport at the high school level. Nationally, there were 2,980 high school sponsoring teams and 21,124 girls wrestling at the high school level in 2018-19, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations. That’s up 5,000 from 2017 In addition, women’s wrestling was voted in January as an Emerging Sport in NCAA Division III, a giant step toward it becoming an NCAA sanctioned championship-level sport in the near future. There are approximately 65 colleges and universities nationwide who sponsor NAIA or NCAA women’s wrestling programs. It has been an Olympic sport since 2004. The Ozarks program enrolled six female wrestlers in the fall of 2020 and the team will go through a limited schedule in the spring as a club sport.
E OZARKS
OF TH UNIVERSITY
#EagleUp
Men’s Soccer Team Shines in 2019 Season
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he Eagles men’s soccer team advanced to the semifinals of the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament in 2019 before dropping a heart-breaking 2-1 match to topseeded and eventual tournament champion Texas Dallas. The Eagles, who had just one senior on the roster, finished the season with a record of 11-6-2. Advancing to the ASC tournament for the 17th time in program history and the fourth straight season under head coach Aaron Brueckner, the fifth-seeded Eagles knocked off No. 4 seed Hardin Simmons in the quarterfinal round by virtue of a 5-4 penalty kick advantage. Following the season, the conference honored the Eagles with two Freshman of the Year awards and seven all-conference honors. Forward Charleus Emmanuel Ritch, a native of Haiti who led the conference with 63 shots and finished fifth in goals with seven, was named the Offensive Freshman
of the Year. Alain Claude, who helped the Eagles post four shutouts, was named co-Defensive Freshman of the Year. Ritch earned a spot on the All-ASC First Team, while Claude was named second team. The Eagles had three other players on the All-ASC First Team: sophomore midfielder Richard Souffrant, sophomore
midfielder Drew Mott and junior goalkeeper Logan Valestin. Additionally, junior defender Juan Cano was named to the All-ASC Second Team and sophomore defender Truman Hensley was named to the third team. The Eagles’ 2020 season was pushed back to the spring 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. TODAY, FA LL 2020 /// 31
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Since graduating from Ozarks in 2003, David Echegoyen has been a rising star in the corporate world by championing a customer-first approach and emphasizing a healthy workfamily balance. His latestest venture is leading the new subscription service Walmart+.
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ALU MN I /// FEATU R E
Q & A WITH DAVID ECHEGOYEN ‘03
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aised in El Salvador at a time of civil and political unrest to a family of working class immigrants, J. David Echegoyen enrolled at Ozarks in 1999 with a plan to study political science and pursue a career in politics. All that changed after Ech, as he is known to family and friends, took a consumer behavior class and realized that he could make a positive difference through marketing and business. After graduating with honors from Ozarks in 2003 with majors in business administration and marketing, Ech began an impressive trajectory as an executive leader and manager in areas such as marketing, business model innovation and growth development for a variety of companies. He spent 10 years at the Northwest Arkansas marketing, advertising and e-commerce firm of Saatchi and Saatchi, starting as an intern and working his way up to vice president. He then went on to serve as chief customer officer for Jet, an e-commerce and retail startup that was purchased by Walmart in 2016. He currently serves as Vice President and General Manager - Membership at Walmart, where he led the company’s newest venture, Walmart+, a membership program unveiled in 2020 that combines in-store and online benefits for its customers. Ech and his wife, Ana Carolina (Saldivar), a 2004 Ozarks graduate from Mexico City, have been married since June 4, 2005, and they have two young boys, Mateo and Lucas.
Q BRIEFLY DESCRIBE WHAT YOU’VE DONE EDUCATIONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY SINCE LEAVING OZARKS? I spent over a decade in the marketing and advertising industry working on amazing brands and living in multiple cities around the world. After that I went to the startup world for five years, raising capital from venture & private equity to build a diversified e-commerce, media and private brands business. This ultimately led me to join Walmart via their Jet.com acquisition. During this time I was also able to advance my academic learning through Harvard’s case study based executive education. We’ve had the opportunity to live in Northwest Arkansas, New York City, twice, and Mexico City. We have also spent time for specific projects in Paris, London and Seoul. WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AS VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER - MEMBERSHIP AT WALMART? I am privileged to lead the team responsible for the development, growth, health and economics of Walmart+, our membership program. Our team oversees the product roadmap, benefits, partnerships, data science, analytics, finance, marketing, and monetization. There are hundreds of people working on Walmart+ across multiple functions.
AS THE LEADER WHO OVERSEES WALMART+, DESCRIBE HOW THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS IMPACTED YOUR AREA AND THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE? Our customer feels what a lot of us feel right now: uncertainty, frustration and stress. And, they are looking for ways to save money, as economic uncertainty continues. They are also being proactive about using digital tools to manage more and more of their needs. This intensified our focus on how we could continue to save our customers time and money with a suite of services that they could control from the palm of their hand, the result of which is now Walmart+. More than ever before, companies have to focus on solving a seemingly ever-changing set of customer challenges
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and needs. This has created an opportunity for real transformation to take hold in organizations and for customers to accelerate the adoption of new ways to shop, eat, educate, etc. The critical piece is to do this while continuing to build trust.
IN YOUR OPINION, HOW WILL THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CHANGE MARKETING IN THE LONG-TERM? Customers are making shopping decisions based on a company’s responses to current events. Building our brand and effectively telling our story has never been more important. So, in all our communications we’ll need to be intentional and clear about our positions and actions, not only on the pandemic but also in areas such as racial justice, sustainability and climate change, those topics that are top of mind for us as a nation. Companies can no longer simply go on marketing their product’s benefits and superiority claims, and expect the loyalty that they used to garner.
AS A MANAGER AND LEADER, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES YOU USE TO INSPIRE AND LEAD? First, I believe in leading with transparency, empathy and vulnerability. Second, you must empower a lot and expect a lot. Great people rise up to new heights when they have ownership and accountability. And, finally you must believe in, foster and celebrate diversity. If your team looks and thinks like you, it will continue to yield more of what you already have.
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YOUR WORK HAS RANGED FROM LAUNCHING NEW PRODUCTS AND REDISGNING STORE FORMATS TO CREATING GO-TO MARKETING STRATEGIES IN DEVELOPING NATIONS. WHAT HAVE YOU ENJOYED THE MOST? What I enjoyed the most was, unequivocally, the people; learning about how different we can seem on the surface to then realize how we all have the same deeply seeded needs and that we all respond to age-old human truths. It has been wonderful to be able to experience different cultures, both country and company cultures, industries and business models. We are blessed as a family to have had opportunities we’ve had.
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YOU STARTED AS AN INTERN AT SAATCHI & SAATCHI AND EVENTUALLY BECAME VICE PREIDENT OF A GLOBAL BUSINESS UNIT. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? I think there was a multitude of factors, primarily having people above me who believed I was worth investing in. That opened up doors and created exposure, which led to wins and failures, all of which carried a great deal of learning. Eventually, this led to a more intentional journey of understanding and developing the talent God had gifted me and fine-tuning how I could use these, hopefully, for His Glory, in the professional world.
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WHAT GENERAL ADVICE OR TIPS REGARDING MARKETING WOULD YOU GIVE TO A SMALL NEW BUSINESS? Serve your customers in a unique way and truly do this, without fooling yourself that you are doing it when you are actually just looking for revenue or profits. Then find out why they love you and do more of that. Marketing should help others realize you want to do the same for them. Then they will reward you with their dollars.
DO YOU HAVE A PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL MANTRA THAT YOU TRY TO LIVE BY? Be grateful: God loves us more than we’ll ever comprehend. Be curious: Life is so rich. Be humble: Don’t think less of yourself, think more of others. Be hopeful: The best is yet to come. DESCRIBE GROWING UP IN EL SALVADOR AND HOW THAT MOLDED YOUR LIFE AND CAREER? I look back and in my mind I recall an unremarkably “normal” childhood, with a stable family, great older siblings, access to education and a wonderful church community. If I analyze it though, I realize that my limited awareness at the time coded as “normal” the fact that I grew up in a period of turmoil and in the middle of a civil war, which left the country with a significant human, social and economic toll. I now know I saw real poverty, real need and the consequences of aggregated power which prevented social mobility. Growing up in El Salvador planted a seed that now helps me understand that we all play a role in achieving social justice. It made me realize talent is born everywhere, but opportunity is not. So we need to advocate for those who lack opportunities, and that, ultimately, we all have plenty to be thankful for if we are reading this article.
HOW DID YOU END UP AT UNIVERSITY OF THE OZARKS? My brother, Julio, had been a Walton Scholar at John Brown University in the early 1990s and he, and my parents, insisted I interview and apply for a presidential scholarship with Dr. Rickey Casey at Ozarks when he was scheduled to come to El Salvador.
The rest is history. Today, I have such a great deal of gratitude for Julio, who was the commencement speaker at our Ozarks graduation in 2003, and also for Dr. Casey, who was a parent, mentor, counselor and friend for hundreds of us at Ozarks. So much of my life would have turned out differently if it wasn’t for them.
LOOKING BACK, HOW DID OZARKS IMPACT YOUR LIFE? First of all and most importantly, I met Ana, my wife, and a cadre of life-long friends. Ozarks also helped me realize that I had so many self-imposed limitations, that the world was much bigger than I ever imagined. It also made me realize that our values – how we do things, not only what we do – really mattered. HOW DO YOU JUGGLE A HIGH-STRESS JOB AND FAMILY? The secret is simply putting family first. This comes with the understanding that quality time is not achieved without quantity time and that our biggest responsibility starts at home. Thankfully, I have a wonderful wife who helps remind me of this. I have not done this perfectly, but I strive to do so every day.
HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR WIFE ANA? The first time I saw her was at the registration line at Ozarks. She was, and continues to be, strikingly beautiful, opinionated, strong-willed and brilliant. Later on, I would find out she would also become a wonderful mother, wife and life partner. So much of whom I’ve become and whatever I’ve been able to achieve has been because of her input, honesty and push for all of us to get more out of life. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOU AND ANA’S PHILANTHROPIC AREAS OF INTEREST AND WHY? Development, as we are both living proof of the outcome when there is access to those. Equally, we are passionate about restorative community transformation. We believe in helping support the systems and organizations that address financial insecurity, housing instability and lack of opportunity. As part of that, Ana serves on the board of Excellerate Foundation, which creates tangible, lasting change in the systems that shape the lives of those affected by this. WHAT HOBBIES DO YOU HAVE OUTSIDE OF WORK? We enjoy spending time with family and friends. And doing the things that foster lifelong memorable moments which usually include travel, food, and live music. TODAY, FA LL 2020 /// 35
UNIVERSITY OF THE OZARKS
ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS The University of the Ozarks Alumni Association recognized nine of the University’s distinguished graduates with its prestigious alumni honors during the Ozarks Awards Ceremony, which was via Zoom on Oct. 10, as part of Homecoming 2020. Achievement Award
Achievement Award
FRANQUA BEDELL ’99
HERMAN HOUSTON ’73
Francqua Bedell, affectionately known as “Coach Q” to his peers and colleagues, was named the head women’s basketball coach at Odessa College in July. Prior to taking over at Odessa College, Bedell was the head coach at Tallahassee Community College from 2013-2019. His TCC team won the NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship in 2018. He was named the Spalding NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball National Coach of the Year after the 2017-18 season. He has also coached at Virginia Commonwealth, Missouri State, Mississippi State University, Southeastern Illinois College, Southeast Missouri State University and Hardin-Simmons University. Bedell is married to Crystal Ness, and they have a son, Amir, who was born in February 2020.
Achievement Award
A business graduate of Ozarks, Houston serves as the county judge of Johnson County, Arkansas, a position he was elected to in 2014. Previously to serving in public office, Houston was co-owner and worked for a grocery business in Clarksville for 43 years. He was also a member of the Johnson County Quorum Court for 32 years. Houston is past president of both the Johnson County Peach Festival and the Johnson County Fair Board and served as president of the Clarksville-Johnson County Chamber of Commerce for two different terms. He is currently a member of the Clarksville Lions Club and serves on the board of directors of First Security Bank. Herman and his wife, Jane, live in the Woodland Community, where they own a cattle farm. They have six children, 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Achievement Award
SUSAN EDENS ’92 CHRISTEL THOMPSON ’93
A communication graduate from Ozarks, Edens returned to work at Ozarks in 1997 as an admission counselor, eventually becoming assistant director of admission. In 2002 she became the University’s first director of broadcasting and took on teaching duties in a couple of classes, which quickly became several classes. While balancing the management and engineering duties of director of broadcasting and teaching a full load of classes, she discovered her calling. She earned a master’s degree in multimedia arts in journalism from Arkansas Tech University in 2008 and currently serves as an associate professor of practice in communication at U of O. She previously worked in radio in Fort Smith, Ark.
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Thompson, an English and secondary education major at Ozarks, has served as principal of Clarksville Elementary School since 2012. The Lamar, Ark., native earned a master’s degree in education leadership from Harding University in 2006. She taught English and speech for 14 years before moving into administration. She is a life member of the child welfare service organization Junior Auxiliary and also served eight years on the Clarksville Connected Utility commission. She and her husband, Greg, have been married for 32 years and they have two grown children.
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Young Alumni Achievement Award
Alumni Merit Award
AMY WALLACE ’17
CYNTHIA LANPHEAR ’87
Wallace, who graduated from Ozarks as an English major and political science minor, serves as the branch manager for the Johnson County Public Library. At Ozarks, she was a residential assistant for King/Smith Residence Halls, a tutor for the Jones Learning Center, a Career Services Ambassador, and member of the Chamber Singers, tennis and cross country teams. After graduating from Ozarks, she went on to earn a master’s degree in library and information science. She and her husband, Tyler, reside in Clarksville.
Lanphear, who earned a degree in business administration from Ozarks in 1987, first began working at what was then College of the Ozarks in 1979 as the alumni secretary in the newly created Alumni Office. In 1980, she transferred to the Raymond Munger Memorial Chapel and worked for the chaplain’s office. All the while she was working, she was taking classes in an effort to complete her degree. After graduating from Ozarks, she taught at Arkansas Valley Vocational Technical School (ATU-Ozark) and Westark Community College (UA-Fort Smith) before starting her own teaching/training company, Applied Technologies, Inc. In 2000 she started teaching part-time at U of O and in 2004 she accepted a full-time position as a faculty member in the Division of Business. She taught business, management, and marketing until she retired from teaching in 2017. She has worked in the family corporation, Custom Automated Manufacturing, Inc., an engineering and manufacturing company, since 2014. She and her husband, Chris, have been married almost 44 years and they have two daughters, Christa and Cortney, who are both Ozarks graduates.
Young Alumni Service Award
SHANICE GUZMAN ’19 A former Walton Scholar and first generation college graduate, Guzman has been recently employed as a cash & revenue coordinator at the Belize Sugar Industries Limited in Belize City. Working alongside her close-knit team, she is responsible for the revenue and aids in the movement of sugar locally and to different countries across the world. An economics and sociology major, Guzman was actively involved in leadership roles across various student organizations on campus and also enjoyed volunteering in the Clarksville community. Upon returning to Belize, she has had a keen interest in giving back to her home country, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic by aiding the Ministry of Human Development with food assistance to the Belizean public, and by supporting local sellers.
Alumni Merit Award
KARLA BOLANOS ’94 A former Walton Scholar, Bolanos works at the American Embassy in San Salvador, where she has served in a variety of areas, including consular, management, logistics and administrative. For the past 28 years she has coordinated the recruiting efforts for the Walton International Scholarship Program for Ozarks in El Salvador. She has also volunteered her time as an ambassador for the University through recruiting and alumni efforts. She is married to another Ozarks graduate, Walter Bolanos Rodriguz ’95. and they have a son, Alejandro.
Alumni Merit Award
BRUCE WILLIAMS ’43 Williams, who turned 100 in August, is a long-time supporter of Ozarks, dating back to the 1950s. Originally from Sharon Hill, Penn., he left his home to attend what was then College of the Ozarks in September 1939. Almost 80 years later, Williams fondly remembers arriving at Ozarks. This is where he met his wife of 68 years, Virginia Lou Laster Williams. They had two daughters, Jan and Ginger. After graduating from Ozarks, Williams spent three years in the Navy, serving as a Line Officer during World War II. They left the Navy to attend Princeton Seminary and he was ordained in February 1949 as a Presbyterian minister. Williams was called to serve as Pastor for Buckingham Presbyterian Church in Berlin, Maryland. The Williams stayed at Buckingham for five years before they returned to the Navy in November 1952. For the next 23 years, Williams served as a Navy chaplain. In addition to his time in World War II, Williams served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars while Virginia raised their two girls. After the death of his beloved Virginia, he married the Rev. Tracy Julian Williams. They continue their ministry in local Presbyterian churches.
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UNIVERSITY OF THE OZARKS
Donor Award WINNERS University of the Ozarks’ Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement presented its philanthropy and friend awards for Homecoming 2020 during the virtual Ozarks Awards Ceremony on October 10. Community Champion Award DORIS BIRD
A River Valley entrepreneur, business owner and long-time supporter of Ozarks, Bird has been in the hospitality business for 45 years. She was presented with an honorary doctorate of commercial science degree by the University in 2012 and she and her family established the Huie Bird Memorial Scholarship at Ozarks in 2010 in memory of her late husband. The Birds have owned and operated nearly a dozen hotels and numerous other businesses since they moved to Johnson County in 1970. Bird’s husband of 55 years, Huie, died in June 2010. Shortly before his passing, the couple was honored with the ClarksvilleJohnson County Chamber of Commerce’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.
Emerging Philanthropist Award DR. AMANDA (ALDERS) PIKE ’05
A 2005 graduate of Ozarks, Dr. Amanda (Alders) Pike is a board-certified art therapist, professional educator, certified educational leader and past president of the Florida Art Therapy Association. In 2018 she gave a presentation on art therapy at the University as part of the Walton Arts & Ideas Series. As a business owner, Pike established a private practice which grew into a tri-county staffing company. Pike has also served as a curriculum content manager within higher education, providing quality assurance for online programs. She currently owns a two-acre permaculture farm in Jupiter, Fla., where she grows fruit trees and flowers with her family and homeschools her son.
Alumni Legcy Award DR. BILL EDDINGTON ’55 and CHARLOTTE EDDINGTON ’56
High school sweethearts who celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in September, Bill and Charlotte (Felkins) Eddington are Ozarks graduates who are enjoying retirement in Paragould, Ark. Bill was an otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) specialist in Jonesboro, Ark., from 1969 until his retirement in 2000. After graduating from medical school, he served in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a commander. He is a former chief of staff at Saint Bernard’s Hospital in Jonesboro, president of the Craighead County Medical Society and president of United Cerebral Palsy of Northeast Arkansas. Charlotte helped Bill establish his medical practice in Northeast Arkansas and was active in volunteer and service projects throughout the region.
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Pay it Forward Champions RAY HOBBS ’77 and DEBRA (SOARD) HOBBS ’77
Both 1977 graduates of Ozarks, Ray and Debra (Soard) Hobbs of Rogers, Ark., are long-time supporters of the University. A native of Clarksville, Ray previously served on the University’s Board of Trustees from 2004-2006. He retired as the president, CEO and chairman at Daisy Outdoor Products in Fayetteville and is a former senior vice president for merchandising of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. He worked for Wal-Mart for 24 years as well as a merchandising consultant for firms like Hanna’s Candle Co. in Fayetteville and Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Mo. Debra earned a degree in science composite from Ozarks before going on to earn a master’s degree in couseling education from the University of Arkansas. She is a former school counselor/teacher and small business owner. She served as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, representing District 94, from 2009 to 2015.
Pay It Forward Champions ELEANOR THOMAS
Eleanor Niffeneggar Thomas of Searcy, Ark., who turns 104 in December, has been a supporter and champion of Ozarks for more than 30 years. She and her late husband, Ashley, established an endowed legacy scholarship to assist music majors, enhance campus security and provide the campus community with the carillon in the historic Munger-Wilson Memorial Chapel. The Thomases have been champions of higher education in Arkansas for more than six decades. Born of Swiss parents in 1917, Eleanor spent her entire childhood in South Haven, Michigan, where her parents owned and operated a large fruit orchard. Her parents valued hard work and education, a trait that Eleanor said has served her throughout her life.
Pay It Forward Champions DR. HELEN MCELREE ’47
A 1947 graduate of Ozarks. Dr. Helen McElree of Fayetteville, Ark., is an honorary lifetime member of the University’s Board of Trustees. McElree served as a professor of biology at Emporia State University in Kansas from 1961-1992. She has served on the U of O board since the early 1990s. In 2016, she established the Dr. Helen McElree Faculty Enrichment Endowment at the University to support faculty scholarly and creative activities. In 2006, the University’s alumni association awarded McElree the Alumni Legacy Award for a “lifetime of unselfishly giving of her resources to support Ozarks, and in 1992 she received the Alumni Association’s Achievement Award for her professional accomplishments. McElree was named the recipient of the Ruth Schillinger Award at Emporia State University in 1997 and was elected as the first president of the new faculty senate in 1968.
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HOMECOMING 2019
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DR. ERIC STEINMILLER ’02, (from left) AB BLOCKER ’70, PAULETTE NIEUWENHOF FREEMAN ‘80, DR. KENDALL WAGNER ’06, and BO THOMAS ‘14 were the recipients of the 2019 Alumni Awards. Blocker won the Merit award, Freeman and Thomas the Achievement Awards and Steinmiller and Wagner won the Emerging Philanthropist Awards.
Six new members were elected to the University’s Sports Hall of Fame during the Ozarks Awards Ceremony. The Class of 2019 included (from left) MANDI (CARTER) KOCH ‘07, ROBBY
FINNELL ‘08, RONNIE COOKSON ‘66, BILL BALLARD ‘56, OLIVIA (FISHER) BICKFORD ‘09 AND CHUCK DANIEL ‘71, who passed away in 2008 and was represented by
his son.
University President RICHARD DUNSWORTH (left) poses with MARY ANN (CHANDLER) STILLINGS ‘65 and HAL STILLINGS ‘63 following the Ozarks Remebers ceremony in Munger-Wilson Chapel. The annual ceremony honors those alumni who have passed away in the last year.
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A Look Back
Among those alumni who helped run the 2019 Alumni Golf Tournament were (from left) SHANNON (CARLISLE)
HUGGINS ‘91, HUNTER JACKSON ‘03 AND ELIZABETH (THAMES) ALLCON ‘91. The winner was KYLE HELMS ‘86 and his nephew, Quintin. More than 30
golfers competed in the tournament.
Seatte artist DYLAN EAKIN ’13 (right) visits with SCARLETT (WINFREY) MORRIS ‘86 and DAVID MORRIS ‘83 of Springdale, Ark., during Eakin’s Homecoming art show in the Walton Fine Arts Center. A photoreaslistic protrait artist, Eakin’s show was titled, “The Machines Are Taking Our Jobs So I’ll Take One of Theirs.”
ALEX GOSSETT ‘08 and his wife, DR. JESSALYN HALSTED ‘08, of Rogers, Ark., reiminisced about their time as Ozarks students during a campus visit on Homecoming 2019. They also brought their young son, Ellis, to campus for the first time.
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CLASSNOTES RON MARVEL ‘65 was inducted into the 2020 Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in March. From 1980-2004, Marvel built a legacy at the University of Central Arkansas, leading the Sugar Bears basketball team to a 489-207 record — marking Marvel the winningest women’s coach in Arkansas college basketball history. “Being named to the hall of fame is pretty unreal,” Marvel said. “I was just a small-town kid from Coal Hill, Arkansas., who wanted to be a coach. I never dreamed of being in the hall of fame one day, so it’s a great honor and a major surprise to me.” Marvel landed his first coaching job in Magazine, AR, and also coached at Cedarville, AR, and Fountain Lake, AR, before being hired at UCA. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
JIM STARBIRD ‘71 and SARA (NEAL) STARBIRD ’70 of Van Buren, AR, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June 2020. The Starbirds married while attending Ozarks. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DEBRA (BARTLETT) WOFFORD ’77 of Ozark, AR, retired as chair and instructor in Arkansas Tech University-Ozark’s business technology program in June. Wofford
taught at the institution for 41 years and has taught a total of 43 years. She is a past winner of the ATU-Ozark Faculty Award of Excellence and has been recognized as the top postsecondary business teacher in Arkansas and the region. Her husband, Robert Wofford ’79, is a professor of economics at U of O. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
YUKO (YAMAZAKI) PARKS ’85 retired in January 2020 after 30 years with ABB/ Baldor. She started as a quality assurance tech and moved to design engineering as a designer. She and her husband, Mike, have been married for 35 years and live in Knoxville, AR. The couple have two children, two grandchildren and enjoy their retirement travelling, hiking and kayaking. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ANTHONY CANTON ’90 and ANGIE RICHARDSON ’90 were married in March 2020. Anthony serves as department head of communication and journalism and director of broadcasting at Arkansas Tech University and Angie works for the Clarksville school district. The Cantons reside in Clarksville. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
RUBEN ALEMAN ’94 (left) was sworn in as the new president of the National Administration of Aqueducts and Sewers of El Salvador by that country’s president, Nayib Bukele, in September. The position oversees all drinking water and drainage systems in the country and is equiivlant to a president’s cabinet position. Aleman has served as an environmental expert with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the past 15 years. 40 /// TODAY, FA L L 2 0 2 0
SHIRLEY A. FREEMAN ‘90 of Lamar, AR, retired in June after 27 years as a full-time instructor at the Johnson County Adult Education Center operated by Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus. Freeman taught adult basic education, English as a second language (ESL) and GED classes. She previously served as director of the center. Most recently, Freeman served as the program’s learning disabilities and ESL coordinator. She has served on the board of directors for the River Valley Adult Learning Alliance and the River Valley Literacy Council. Freeman and her husband, Jack, are the parents of three grown children. They have six grandchildren and three great grandchildren. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
RICK ARMSTRONG ’00 is living in Seattle, WA, where he is a senior product marketing manager for Amazon Web Services (AWS) – Game Tech. Armstrong spent over a decade in the San Francisco, CA, tech scene in marketing roles across the games, mobile, and advertising industries. Most notably, he spent four years at Unity Technologies, one of the leading platforms for creating real-time 3D content. After graduating from Ozarks, Armstrong went on to earn an MBA from the University of Central Arkansas. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CHRISTIE (SHUFFIELD) SHOULDERS ’02 returned to her alma mater in August when she joined the Ozarks faculty as an instructor of mathematics. She has taught on the high school level in Arkansas and Texas for the past 18 years, including most recently at North Forney High School in Texas. The former U of O women’s basketball standout has also coached girls basketball.
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ERIC HIPP ’01, principal at Ruth Hale Barker Middle School in Bentonville, AR, received the Arkansas Association of Middle Level Administrators (AAMLA) 2020 Administrator of the Year. “Eric not only inspires his teachers to provide high quality academic instruction, he is responsible for leading a culture that promotes development of the whole child to include civic engagement, social and emotional health, and career development, said Debbie Jones, superintendent of the Bentonville School District. Hipp previously taught at Clarksville middle school and was an assistant principal in Springdale, AR, and for Bentonville High School. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
RYAN KOERDT ’02 was named the new girls head basketball coach at Russellville (AR) High School in May. He previously coached boys basketball at White County (AR) Central High School. Koerdt, who has master’s degree from the University of Arkansas at Monticello, got his first coaching job at Emerson (AR) High School. He led the White County Central boys team to a state-tournament appearance during the 2016-17 season, when the team finished 34-5. It was the first time any team for White County Central had made it to a state tournament.
LAUREN (O’PRY) MCDONALD ’02 was featured in the El Dorado News in May 2020. McDonald is a chief forensic chemist at the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory in Little Rock. McDonald said she entered Ozarks planning to pursue a career in coaching but it was a chemistry class that changed her career trajectory. “Coming from a sports background, entering college I initially planned to become a math teacher and coach basketball,” she said. “My freshman chemistry instructor really turned me onto chemistry, and I loved it. I realized during my first couple of years in college that teaching was a true calling, and I didn’t feel the call. So, I declared chemistry as my major and vowed to figure the rest out later.” McDonald went on to earn a master’s degree in chemistry from Southeast Missouri State University, where she “was exposed to multiple forensic disciplines and fell in love with the drug chemistry portion.” McDonald married her husband Alex in 2011. As for McDonald’s future, she said she’s already found her dream job. “I would love to remain a leader in our laboratory
until retirement, working to continue to grow our agency and its future leaders,” she said. “It’s hard to believe I’ve already worked there for 15 years.” ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
JUAN PABLO VIVAR ’04 lives in Mexico City where he works as a senior consultant at the Dubai-based Amarante Consulting, a firm that offers advisory projects to a variety of public and private institutions in digital transformation and digital financial services. Except for a year completing an MBA in finance in the United Kingdom, Vivar has lived in Mexico City since 2011. Vivar and his wife, Alejandra Leon, have been married since 2015. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BRETT WOOD ’10 and AMBER NICOLE WOOD ‘18 of Clarksville, AR, welcomed their second child, Elijah Drake, to the family on July 3, 2020. Elijah joins big sister Sophie. Brett is a mortgage loan officer for Union Home Mortgage Corp. in Russellville, AR.
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Class of 1969 Joins 50-Year Club
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ALEX MURCIA ’12 and DEREANA (PFEIFFER) MURCIA ’12 added to their family over the summer with the adoption of Phoenix, Swaney, Zoe and Archie. The Murcias live in Rogers, Ark., where Alex is a senior manager at ForgeRock and Dereana is marketing communications manager at Channel Impact for Cisco.
Several members of the Class of 1969 were on hand during Homecoming 2019 as the class was inducted into the University’s 50-Year Club. Among the class members present included (seated, from left) SUSAN (SYNDER) HURLEY, JUDITH (VANDENNIEUWANHOF) OWENS, DR. CATHY (SEKOWSKI) CALDWELL, (back row, from left) CARL MASHBURN, BRENDA KAY (WHEELER) DUBOIS, TOM RICHARDSON, BLAINE CALDWELL, DAVID RAWHOUSER and NATHEN MEFFORD.
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ARTURO PEREZ ‘11 took a new position in September 2020 as a player representative at Independent Sports & Entertainment (ISE) Baseball in Chicago. Perez previously served as senior coordinator of minor league and Latin American operations for the Chicago White Sox major league baseball team. After graduating from Ozarks, he earned a master’s degree in sports administration from St. Thomas University in Miami, FL. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TERRI THOMAS ’12 was hired at Hendrix College in Conway, AR, in December 2019 as the assistant director for academic success. Thomas, who previously worked for AmeriCorps, earned a master’s degree in higher education administration from Florida State University in 2017. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NICK BRILL ‘14 and JORDYN (FERRELL) BRILL ‘14 of Rogers, AR, welcomed a baby boy, Banks Nixon, to the family on April 10, 2020. He joins older brother Baker in the family. Nick is a teacher and coach at Rogers Heritage High School and Jordyn is an occupational therapist at Regional Therapy Services, Inc. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MAX HILGENDORF ’14 was named the director of parks and recreation for the city of Clarksville, AR, in September. Hilgendorf had worked for the Little Rock Marathon since 2015. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
STEPHEN HOUSERMAN ‘16 was named the new director of economic development for Clarksville in February of 2020. He previously worked as the director of communications for the Republican Party of Arkansas. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FRANCES ADAMS ’17 was named the recycling education coordinator for the city of Plano, TX, in October 2020. She has worked for the city in various areas since 2019. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
JOSH FERRELL ’17 married Ashton Sitkowski on Nov. 29, 2019, in Pottsville, AR. Ferrell serves as the head boys basketball coach at Caddo Hills (AR) High School. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BRYANNA MOLTZ ’17 is working as an athletic trainer for Christian Brothers University in Memphis, TN. Moltz earned a master’s degree in athletic training in 2019. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NICOLE (JUSTICE) ENGLAND ’18 was named the director of student life at U of O in October. She previously worked in the University’s Office of Admission as the international program and global outreach manager since July 2019. She recently completed a master’s degree in international relations from Queen Mary University of London. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SPENCE JEAN BAPTISTE ’19 is pursuing an MBA at the University of Saint Mary in Kansas City, MO. He also works parttime as an academic success coach and graduate assistant at the University. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
REBECCA MCCARRON ’19 is pursuing a doctorate in occupational therapy at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR. Gaetane Ternier ’20 is pursuing a Ph.D. in biochemistry and working as a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas. The Haiti native graduated with honors in the spring with majors in chemistry and biology. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
REBECCA WILLEMS ‘20 was hired as an admission counselor at U of O in April 2020. She worked in the Office of Admission as a student-worker since her freshman year.
A Magical Collaboration CARL RAMSEY ’80 and KATHY (QUALLS) RAMSEY ’83 of Lamar, AR, celebrated Carl’s induction into the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in October of 2020. As a girls’ basketball coach at Lamar, Carl Ramsey compiled a record of 660-227 from 1980 to 2009, and won two state championships. He also coached women’s basketball at Ozarks before retiring in 2018. Kathy Ramsey retired from a 37-year teaching career during the summer. She taught fourth through sixth grade mathematics and was named the Johnson County Educator of the Year for Lamar in 2020 by the ClarksvilleJohnson County Chamber of Commerce. The Ramseys’ two children, KELSEY (RAMSEY) COWAN ‘13 and KEATON RAMSEY ‘17, are also Ozarks graduates. 42 /// TODAY, FA L L 2 0 2 0
Retired U of O Dean of Education turned magician DR. CHUCK LARSON of Clarksville has teamed up with JAMEE BARHAM ‘20 to present numerous magic and illusion shows and routines throughout the region over the past several years. Larson, who taught at Ozarks from 1971-87, first began using magic in some of his education classes to help get his students “hooked on learning.” Barham, a music major and theatre minor from Claremore, OK, began assisting Larson three years ago and has performed with him in numerous venues, including Branson, MO, and Eureka Springs, AR. The two were scheduled to perform a show at U of O last May before it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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DR. MEGAN MINNIEAR-CORRONS, M.D., ’12 recently joined Mercy Hospital as a family medicine physician at the new Mercy Clinic Primary Care in Clarksville. A graduate of University of Arkansas for Medicial Services, Minniear-Connors is a Clarksville native. She and her husband, Nathanial, reside in Clarksville. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DR. JOSUÉ GUTIÉRREZ, M.D., ’09 was named the “Young Physician of the Year” by the Nebraska Medical Association in September. This award is given to a physican under the age of 40 who “consistently achieves high standards in medicine and is looked upon as a role model by his or her peers.” Gutierrez is a family practice physician, owner of Saline Medical Specialties in Crete, Neb., and owner of Innovative Clinical Solutions, LLC, a managed services organization providing independent physicians with private practice resources. He is married to CARMEN CHINCHILLA ‘09.
When Geoshan Lee graduated from Ozarks this past May, he continued a family legacy that began approximately 40 years ago when his parents met as students on the Ozarks campus. Lee, from Penang, Malaysia, graduated with a communications degree and minors in marketing and theatre. His parents, George Lee and Naomi Paranjothy, met as Ozarks students in the early 1980s, both graduating with business administration degrees in 1985. Married since 1990, the Lees live in in Penang, where they’ve established impressive careers in public relations, event management and software development. Lee said even though his parents were both from the same city and attended the same church in Malaysia, they didn’t meet until arriving at Ozarks. “It’s strange that they had to travel all the way here to meet each other,” Lee said. “They both love Ozarks and have very fond memories of their time here, especially having made some lifelong friends. They’re pretty happy and proud that I’m an Ozarks graduate as well.” Growing up on the east coast of Malaysia and later in Penang, Lee and his two brothers would often hear about the University from his parents. Lee decided to attend Ozarks as a transfer student in 2018 after visiting campus with his parents and meeting with the professors in the communications program. “I have always enjoyed taking photos and making videos, so communications was an easy choice,” Lee said. “At a young age, my father introduced me to photography and he has always encouraged me to improve myself. Once I saw the facilities at Ozarks and visited with the professors, I knew this was the place where I should be.” The University’s LENS program forced Lee to think outside the box in choosing his minors, something he is grateful for. “I chose marketing as a minor because I enjoy marketing and the concepts behind it, and it is a great skill set to have,” he said. “The reason I chose theatre as my other minor is because of the LENS program. When I came to the U of O, I was new to the world of theatre, and I was afraid that I would not be able to fit in. I probably wouldn’t have taken theatre if it weren’t for LENS, but I’m glad I did. The environment
Geoshan Lee (above) majored in communications at Ozarks, where his parents, George and Naomi (right) met in the early 1980s.
was very welcoming and being a part of it has helped me understand the process of theatre, the collaboration and cooperation needed to produce a good show.” Lee said Ozarks has put him on a career trajectory that has him excited. “I want to be great in the field of filmmaking and photography and I believe my professors here have helped me down that path,” Lee said. “I was able to gain new experiences and better knowledge in these areas and I’m excited about what the future holds.” Lee said one of the highlights of his time at Ozarks was working on a documentary with award-winning Northwest Arkansas filmmaker Larry Foley called, “Indians, Outlaws, Marshals & the Hangin’ Judge,” that is scheduled to be released this year. Several students had the opportunity to help out with the production through connections with Ozarks Professor Susan Edens. Lee said he plans to continue his formal education in photography and filmmaking and that he hopes his own children might one day attend his alma mater. “I am proud to have kept this legacy of my parents at Ozarks and I hope to pass it to my children one day,” Lee said. “I will forever be grateful for my parents meeting here and having an opportunity to attend here.” TODAY, FA LL 2020 /// 43
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WEDDINGS Casie Zapf ’21 married Kaleb Ballard ’22 on June 12, 2020, at Strawberry Bluff in Clarksville. The Ballards live in Clarksville, where both are students at Ozarks.
Maggie Miller ’19 married Kyle Whitley on Sept. 21, 2019, at Bell Gable in Fayetteville, Ark. The Whitleys live in Conway, Ark.
Kanisha Eckart ’16 and Zackary Payne ’16 were married on May 25, 2019, in Fayetteville, Ark. The couple lives in Farmington, Ark., where she is a teaching artist and planning to attend occupational therapy graduate program and where he works for the U.S. Census. 44 /// TODAY, FA L L 2 0 2 0
Clint McHenry ’08 married Tess Daughtery on July 22, 2020, in Naples, Fla. The couple lives in Tulsa, Okla.
Kara Wilbanks ’14 married Nate Stanton on June 20, 2020, at Cooper Chapel in Bella Vista, AR. The Stantons live in Searcy, AR, where Kara is pursuing a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Harding University.
Laura Hoffman ’10 and Joey Hughes ‘10 were married on Nov. 23, 2019, at Sleepy Hollow Barn in Clarksville. Joey’s son, Chandlor, served as best man. The Hughes live in Clarksville.
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Tyler Mosby ’17 and Amy Wallace ’17 were married on Sept. 21, 2020, at the Riverpoint Overlook in Clarksville. The couple lives in Clarksville, where Tyler is director of residential life at U of O and Amy is branch manager at the Johnson County Public Library.
Aaron England ’16 married Nicole Justice Carrion ’18 on March 27, 2020, in the Chapel at Walnut Grove in Prairie Grove, Ark. The Englands live in Clarkville, where Nicole is director of student life at U of O.
Andrew Cannon ’20 and Lauren Fox ’20 were married on July 4, 2020, in Jenkins, Mo. The Cannons live in Clarksville, where she is a teacher at Clarksville High School and he is a teacher at Subiaco Academy.
Pablo Rivera ’10 and Juliana Luna Reyes ’12 were married on Nov. 10, 2019, in Ataco, El Salvador.
David Estrada ’17 married Amanda Paz ’17 on June 27, 2020, in Columbia, Mo. Also in the wedding party were U of O alumni Darious Parrish ’17 and Kelley Criss ’17. The Estrada Paz family lives in Columbia, where Amanda is pursuing a Ph.D. in biochemistry and David is pursuing a master’s degree in public affairs.
Alix Tiegs ’16 and Libby Nepivoda’16 were married on June 12, 2019, in Galveston, Texas. The Tiegs live in Magnolia, Ark., where Alix teaches television production and Libby teaches English.
Annie Rogers ’19 and Matt Samaniego ’18 were married on Nov. 16, 2019, in Oologah, OK. The couple lives in Siloam Springs, Ark, where Annie teaches second grade and Matt works at J.B. Hunt.
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MEMORIAM Margaret Louise (Bost) Douglass ’41 of Tulsa, OK, died on Dec. 12, 2019. Margaret (Adams) Jones ’41 of Denison, TX, died on April 7, 2020, at the age of 102. She served as an X-Ray technician for many years and was a resident of Denison for 65 years. Dr. Wylie Wayne Workman ’44 of Springdale, AR, died Feb. 20, 2020, at the age of 98. He served as a naval officer in the Pacific in World War II and practiced family medicine and women’s health in Blytheville, AR, from 1952-1988. His passion for obstetric health led him to establish and sponsor a Certified Nurse Midwife Program for Mississippi County, which served the county for over 30 years. Following his retirement from private practice, Workman moved to Little Rock to continue practicing medicine, teaching surgical techniques and training faculty, students and residents at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, John C. McClellan Veterans Hospital, and Arkansas Department of Health. Wayma Sue (Workman) Rowe ’49 of Hot Springs, AR, died on May 6, 2020, at the age of 92. She and her late husband, Pancho Rowe ’50, raised two children and she was an active member of the Hot Springs community for many years. Dr. Robert “Bob” Stumbaugh, Jr., ’49 of Lubbock, TX, died Oct. 24, 2019, at the age of 91. A U.S. Army veteran, Stumbaugh was a retired pharmacist and owned Stumbaugh Drug in Lubbock for 40 years. Dr. John T. Douglas ’50 of Jonesboro, AR, died April 7, 2020, at the age of 91. He was a veteran of the Korean War and was the owner and pharmacist of Douglas Medical Pharmacy in Jonesboro. He was past president of the Arkansas Pharmacist Association, and executive director of the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy. 46 /// TODAY, FA L L 2 0 2 0
Dorothy Jean “Dot” (Carlisle) Kelly ’51 of Tulsa, OK, died on July 19, 2020, at the age of 91. She was a long-time educator in Tulsa schools. Rev. Fred Lay Bates, Jr. ’52 of Kerrville, TX, died Sept. 13, 2020, at the age of 91. He was a former pharmacist and director of sales for Eli Lilly & Company. He was ordained in 1987 and served several churches in a 30-year second career. Col. William “Bill” L. Holder ’52 of Fort Smith, AR, died Nov. 18, 2019, at the age of 89. He was a retired colonel who served almost 30 years as a hospital administrator in the U.S. Air Force. Mary Ellen (Bricker) Young ’52 of Dallas, TX, died Jan. 20, 2020, at the age of 89. She taught music for many years in Wellston and Vinita, OK, and also worked for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for more than 25 years. During retirement, she was a passionate volunteer at Integris Southwest Medical Center. Jessie Marie (Ehren) Peek ’53 of Knoxville, TN, died on Feb. 29, 2020, at the age of 87. A native of Booneville, AR, Peek was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Herbert Peek, Jr. William Alfred “Bill” Ragon, Jr. ’53 of Bryant, AR, died Feb. 20, 2020, at the age of 96. He served in the U.S. Army in World War II and worked for 30 years with the Arkansas Employment Security Division. He was a member of Toastmasters, United Commercial Travelers and a dedicated 60year member of the American Legion. The Rev. Dr. Jerry Lee Rice ’53 of Rogers, AR, died on Aug. 29, 2020, at the age of 89. He was a pastor at several Indiana churches before joining the U.S. Air Force as a chaplain in 1960. He served as a Presbyterian chaplain at 11 locations including the U.S. Air Force Academy; Wiesbaden, Germany; and
Okinawa, Japan; and Alaska. He retired from the Air Force in 1984 having achieved the rank of colonel. His military decorations include several Meritorious Service Medals and the Legion of Merit. Rice’s first position after his military career was dean of the Chapel at the University of the Ozarks. He was later a pastor at churches in Colorado Springs, CO; Plano, TX; Enid, OK; and Rogers. Patricia (Farnsworth) Yoder ’53 of Penney Farms, FL, died on Dec. 21, 2019, at the age of 88. She was an elementary school teacher for more than 30 years in Louisiana and Pennsylvania. Gaye (Strong) Taylor ’53 of Clarksville died on Juy 19, 2020, at the age of 85. She was a dedicated educator who enjoyed visiting with her students years later, a member of P.E.O. playing bridge, entertaining and talking about her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Robert “Bob” Eddington ’54 of Blue Springs, Mo., died Oct. 22, 2019, at the age of 88. He was a retired teacher, coach and administrator in Lincoln, AR; Camden, AR; and Blue Springs and also served in the U.S. Army. Thomas E. Crovella ’55 of Conway, AR, died Aug. 27, 2020, at the age of 88. A U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War, he was a teacher and coach for 38 years for Fort Smith Public Schools at Darby Junior High School and Northside High School. James “Pete” Waldo ’56 of Branson, MO, died Feb. 2, 2020, at the age of 85. He was an educator for 33 years, coaching basketball and teaching PE and health in the FergusonFlorissant School District in St. Louis, MO. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Carolyn (Johnson) Waldon ’58.
ALU MNI /// IN MEMOR IA M
Joseph “Joe” Robert Jacobs, Sr. ’57 of Alexander, AR, died on Sept. 29, 2020, at the age of 84. He served in the U.S. Navy and also spent 21 years with the Arkansas State Police, retiring in 1987 as a lieutenant. He also worked as a registered nurse for the Veterans Hospital in North Little Rock. Homer Anthony “Tony” Langston Jr., ’59 of Olympia, WA, died on Sept. 12, 2019, at the age of 82. A native of Coal Hill, AR, he was a retired teacher and attorney and served in the U.S. Naval Reserves. Mary Kathleen “Kathy” (Rhoades) McCaffrey ’59 of Columbia, MO, died on Aug. 6, 2020, at the age of 82. She was a junior high school teacher and worked at the American College Testing (ACT) for many years. Windell Marcus Riddell, Jr ’59 died in October of 2019. Jim Clay ’60 of Paris, AR, died Oct. 12, 2019, at the age of 82. James Charles “Jim” Wyatt ’61 of Fort Smith, AR, died on April 22, 2020, at the age of 80. He was a long-time basketball and football coach and teacher in Arkansas and served 16 years as athletic director at UA-Fort Smith. He was a long-time member of West-Ark Church of Christ in Fort Smith.
Dr. Ralph Clingan ’63 of Bloomfield, N.J., died on May 4, 2020, at the age of 79. He earned his Ph.D. in Biblical Theology from Drew University and served as a minister in Scotland, Oklahoma, New York and various churches in New Jersey and Wisconsin. He also taught at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta as well as an adjunct professor in colleges in New Jersey and New York areas. He was the author of two books, one of which was translated into Korean. Dorothy (Armstrong) Jacobs ’64 of Paris, AR, died Feb. 2, 2020, at the age of 80. She worked as an elementary school teacher at Lamar from 1964-73 and at Paris from 1973-97. Carolyn Sue (Patten) Williams ’64 of Morrilton, AR, died Nov. 15, 2019, at the age of 76. A former educator, she taught in Fort Smith, AR; Marianna, AR; and Morrilton. She also worked as a grant writer for the city of Morrilton. James C. McNeal ’65 of Little Rock died on Aug. 5, 2020, at the age of 75. He had a 40-plus years successful career in computer technology working in IT departments at Commercial National Bank, Alcoa Aluminum Company of
America and CADC, where he served as supervisor of technology. He is survived by his wife of almost 49 years, Marie A. McNeal ’70. Dr. Jack Patterson ’65 of Clarksville, AR, died on Sept. 12, 2020, at the age of 77. Following medical school and a residency, he returned to Clarksville in 1973 and established Clarksville Medical Group with a couple of other partners where he worked for more than 40 years. He worked the last five years in JRMC rehab as its medical director and then after retirement from Clarksville Medical Group, worked with Hospice as a medical director for the region for 4-5 years before finally completely retiring. He was a pioneer in practices pertaining to methods of obstetrical delivery methods and fathers in the delivery room. He delivered countless babies during his career at CMG. He was a former cross country coach at Ozarks and served on the University’s Board of Trustees for many years. James Earl Chesser ’66 of Clarksville died on Aug. 12, 2020, at the age of 76. He worked as an independent boat sales representative for Xpress Boats for 30+ years and retired in 2006. Evelyn Dell Moyer ’66 of Oklahoma City, OK, died Oct. 20, 2019, at the age of 75. She was a retired school teacher.
Dr. Heaven Oliver-Kozup ’00 The University lost a beloved member of its community on May 17, 2020, with the passing of Dr. Heaven Anticlea Oliver-Kozup ‘00 of Clarksville at the age of 44. Oliver-Kozup was an instructor of bioogy and health science at Ozarks as well as a 2000 graduate. After graduating from Ozarks, she went on to earn a Ph.D. in microbial pathogenesis from West Virginia University and taught at several colleges before joining Ozarks in 2019.
Roger Dale Hatley ’68 of McEwen, TN, died on Sept. 8, 2019. Richard Alyn Kamp ’68 of Russellville, AR, died Oct. 25, 2019, at the age of 76. He was a teacher at Johnson County Westside for 32 years and also was a former instructor of phyiscal education at University of the Ozarks. Dr. James P. “Doc” Robertson ’70 of Ozark, AR, died Feb. 17, 2020, at the age of 70. After completing dental school at the University of Tennessee in Memphis, he practiced dentistry in Ozark for 31 years.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 48
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Robert Joseph “Bobby” Gunn ’71 of Lamar, AR, died on Sept. 21, 2019, at the age of 71. He was a founding member of the University’s Hole in the Wall Gang and he coached Johnson County youth for over 40 years. Julia (Lee) Landry ’71 of Rogers, AR, died Jan. 28, 2020, at the age of 71. She was a retired teacher and member of the Rogers Noon Kiwanis. Marcia H. (Sharp) Cooper ’72 of Kansas City, MO, died on July 24, 2020, at the age of 70. After earning a master’s degree in library science from Central State University in Oklahoma, she worked for schools in the Kansas City area for 40 years. Jimmy Don “Scooby” Benton ’74 of Bethune, SC, died on March 1, 2020, at the age of 67. He was a retired diesel mechanic and a member of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. Rev. Charles “Chock” Battiest ’75 of Hugo, OK, died on May 18, 2020, at the age of 76. He was a marine and army veteran of the Vietnam War. He was a minister and long-time educator in mathematics, boxing and football with the Bureau of Indian Education, Chilocco Indian School, Newkirk, OK, and Concho Indian School, El Reno, OK.
Alice Ora (Holloway) Jackson ’75 of Coal Hill, AR, died on Sept. 4, 2020, at the age of 77. She was a member of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles 3455 and past state Madame President. Helen (Fox) Beatty ’78 of Glasgow, KY, died on April 5, 2020, at the age of 89. She was a psychiatric nurse for many years in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Lisa Ann (Park) Martin ’85 of Clarksville died on July 1, 2020, at the age of 57. She was an English teacher at Scranton (AR) Junior High School for 21 years, was a member of First Baptist Church in Clarksville and an avid photographer. Mark Christopher Farrell ’87 of Denison, TX, died on April 24, 2020, at the age of 55. He was the long-time news director for K-Ten News in Denison. Janet (Laster) Vire ’87 of Clarksville, died Dec. 16, 2019, at the age of 75. She taught elementary school in Paris, AR, for 18 years and supported her husband’s Southern Baptist ministry. Dr. Christina “Tina” Gail Minden ’89 of Little Rock died on July 18, 2020, at the age of 53. She worked as a clinical pharmacist at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare
Former Chair Doug Black Dies The University mourned the death of former Board of Trustee Chairman John Douglas “Doug” Black of Magnolia, AR, on Jan. 6, 2020, at the age of 68. He was a devoted father, husband, grandfather and brother who adored his family and was a strident and tireless champion for Ozarks and its students. He had a lifelong career as a petroleum landman in the oil and gas business. Black became very involved with U of O when he joined the board in 2010 and served two terms as chairman of the board. He felt a great sense of accomplishment for the things he and others that served with him achieved during their involvement with the University. 48 /// TODAY, FA L L 2 0 2 0
System and, with her husband Bruno, owned and operated Dolce Vita Italian Ristorante in Hot Springs Village, AR. Mary Glenda (Cowell) Johnson ’93 of Russellville, AR, died on May 27, 2020, at the age of 67. She was a caregiver and of the Baptist faith. Lisa Faye Turpin ’92 of Lamar, AR, died Nov. 25, 2019, at the age of 61. She was a school teacher and member of the praise and worship team at Hedgeway Church in Lamar. Brad Aaron Graddy ’94 of Conway, AR, died on March 6, 2020, at the age of 47. He worked for several oil and gas companies as director of right of way acquisitions and also worked as a commercial driver. Greg Burris Kirk ’94 of Roundaway, MS, died Dec. 21, 2019, at the age of 51. He was an employee at Jantran, Inc. of Rosedale, MS. Sergio Aleman ’95 of San Jose, Costa Rica, died in August 2020 at the age of 51. A former Walton Scholar at Ozarks, he worked in sales and marketing in San Jose. Teyah Ashley Green ’16 of Sherwood, AR, died on Sept. 9, 2019, at the age of 24. An elementary education major, she was a teacher in Jacksonville, AR. Paula Drue Wills of Norphlet, AR, died on Jan. 28, 2020, at the age of 80. She was a former executive administrative assistant to the president at Ozarks in the 1990s. The Rev. Dr. F. Hollingsworth “Holly” Mitchell of Dallas, TX, died on Aug. 17, 2019, at the age of 86. He taught humanities and religion at Ozarks for 20 years. Richard “Dick” Daniel of Rogers, AR, died on March 27, 2020, at the age of 93. He was a retired engineer and a former member of the U of O Board of Trustees.
MEMORIALS /// H ON OR A R IA
MEMORIALS AND HONORARIA Adam and Katie Bohl Robert Bohl ’58 and Judy Capshaw Bohl ’61 Mary Millar Boyer Dawn J. M. Dvoracek and *Frank Schull Donald Brent ’70 and Beverly Brent ’70 Charles and Dorothy Angell Lonnie Qualls ’55 and Mary Ellen Waychoff ’78 Levada Mathis Qualls ’55 Bettye Masterson Aydelott ’55 Hugh Brewer, Jr. Nell Cox Griffin ’55 Martha Rice Brewer Katherene Bagwell Catherine L. Bumpers ’47 Bagwell Foundation Wayne Workman ’44 and Betty Workman Richard F. Bagwell Marian Riddell Cargile ’57 Bagwell Foundation John W. Cargile ’61 Ray Basinger ’54 Jimmy Clay, II ’60 Bill Alexander ’55 and Linda Alexander Roy Horne ’57 Thomas Batie ’66 Ralph Clingan, Ph.D. ’63 William Rail ’52 and Dawn J. M. Dvoracek and *Frank Schull Maxine Phillips Rail ’52 John Barnes Coleman Karen Newton Bean ’74 Sean and Jennifer Coleman Terry Wade ’71 John Coppic ’49 Doug Black Alice M. Coppic Catherine Allen James Herbert (Herb) Daily Chris and Martha Allen Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Arvid Bean ’78 and R. Louis Dewett ’57 Sharon Jones Bean ’78 Mary Holloway Dewett ’58 Greg and Deidra Bennett Nadine Dunker Mike Blair and Kathy Blair Sammy Manning ’71 and Judy Borck Virginia Figliulo Manning ’74 Judy Alexander Boreham Kody Eakin James and Ann Bruning Amy Anderson ’97 Cypress Energy Corporation Robert (Bob) Eddington ’54 Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Bill Alexander ’55 and Linda Alexander Equitas Energy Partners, LLC William Eddington ’55 and Tom Fallin Charlotte Felkins Eddington ’56 Paul and Rebecca Gannaway Roy Horne ’57 Larry and Cindy Isch Relf Efurd, II ’53 Don and Cathy Kendrick Martha Dollar Efurd ’56 Don and Cindy Key Mitchell S. and Esther H. Epperson R. W. and Pat Leech Susan Smith Epperson ’62 and Donna Leslie Jon Epperson David Rawhouser ’69 and Jill Rawhouser Evelyn Esposito George and Janet Redfearn Sammy Manning ’71 and Bill Rex Virginia Figliulo Manning ’74 Jack and Vicki Richards Marge Figliulo Jeffrey Scaccia and Amy Scaccia ’09 Maura Figliulo Howerton ’80 and Arnold Schulberg Bradley Howerton Wayne and Glenda Seabaugh Gerald H. Fisher ’49 Nannette Smith L. D. Horn ’52 Ruth Ann Smith Gene and Lynda Stephenson Dudley Talbot Melba Cole Fisher ’46 Harve Taylor, III and Wayne Workman ’44 and Loyce Ann Bean Taylor ’72 Betty Bush Workman Peter Van Dyke ’87 and Jim Forkner ’54 Heleine Van Dyke Ed Harrington ’56 and Steve Whitehead Janet Graf Harrington ’58 Robbie G. Blakemore Sarah Carlin Graves ’85 Martha Hess Amy K. Graves David Pridgin ’71 and Robert (Bobby) Gunn ’71 Reba Geels Pridgin ’81 Ann Patterson ’75 and Max Snowden Myrtis Watson Blocker ’69 David Pridgin ’71 and A. B. Blocker, II ’70 and Cherry Blocker Reba Geels Pridgin ’81
Aug. 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020
MEMORIALS
Bobbie Head Hamill ’66 Sylvia Kauffeld Kinnear ’66 Iva Roulston Hardin Scott and Michelle Loving James Harmon Callie Harmon Daniels ’89 and Kurtis Daniels Louise Hayes ’52 Donnie and Karla Harkreader Bessie Joyce Lamb Higgs ’49 Donna Higgs Jones Dylan Hill ’15 Duane and Sharon Birdsong Brian and Lisa Shipp Edward Turley Joe W. Hoing Anonymous Arvid Bean ’78 and Sharon Jones Bean ’78 Mr. and Mrs. Chris Burlew Trillian ’99 Chisholm Trail Communities Foundation Susan Edens ’92 Angela Elizandro Howard ’97 and Scott Howard Larry and Cindy Isch Pat Farmer Gabriela Franco Fernández ’01 John Frost ’89 and Julia Frost Paula Glasgow Donnie and Karla Harkreader Mary Inez Henson Jason Jordan ’98 and Jennifer Ewing Jordan ’01 Cole and Carol Martin Tina and Bryan McCain Maggie Manning McConville ’02 and Jason McConnville George Pittenger ’91 and Loraine Pittenger Andrea Frost Price ’99 and Michael Price ’99 David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Geels Pridgin ’81 Blake Rexroat ’06 and Lauren Dunn Rexroat Jeffrey Scaccia and Amy Scaccia ’09 Debbie and Ronnie Siebenmorgen Jennifer Speer ’99 and Ryan Speer Kimberly Spicer ’98 Fred Starkey ’68 and Bonnie Renfrow Starkey ’68 State Farm Companies Foundation Gene and Lynda Stephenson Betty and Wes Stockton Daniel and Ann Taddie Margaret Krohn Taverner ’70 and Richard Taverner ’65 Harve Taylor, III and Loyce Ann Bean Taylor ’72 Linda White ’95 CONTINUED ON PAGE 50 TODAY, FA LL 2020 /// 49
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William (Bill) Lee Holder ’52 Gloria Allgood Christopher Bartley Peter and Joan Bellisario Carol Blankinship Richard Boyett Kay Breeden Matt Brown Jerry Duncan ’58 and Dorothy Boyd Duncan ’58 Anonymous Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Robert Epperson Preston Evans Rebecca Evans Janice Evans Hail ’73 and James Hail Donnie and Karla Harkreader Jerry Holder Robert Holder Wayne Holder Annie Johnson Bettye LaBorn Mira Ann Ingram Leister ’63 and Marvin C. Leister, Jr. Jamie and Robin Looney Gayle and Susan Mason Vernon McDaniel ’55 Albert and Janna Newton Valerie Oliver Kay Pope William Rail ’52 and Maxine Phillips Rail ’52 Dawn J. M. Dvoracek and *Frank Schull Erin Staples Debra Wilson Flora Eustice Horne ’54 Charles Horne Foy Howard ’57 Ed Harrington ’56 and Janet Graf Harrington ’58 Dorothy Armstrong Jacobs ’64 Betty Maples Doug Jeffries David and Teri Daily Tammy and Neal Harrington Gene and Lynda Stephenson David Michael Johnson ’68 Phyllis Johnson Jones ’63 Earle King Johnson Paula Glasgow Linda R. Johnson ’65 Donald Johnston Norma M. Johnson Paula Glasgow Dickie Jones ’72 Pamela Shrigley Jones ’71 Faye Williams Raible ’72 and Gary Raible Richard A. Kamp ’68 Leroy Douglas ’60 and Sue Douglas Lawrence and Ethelda Kauffeld Sylvia Kauffeld Kinnear ’66 Fred A. and Ophelia Jacobs Kauffeld Sylvia Kauffeld Kinnear ’66 Carolyn June Kimbrell Anonymous Levon Bean ’59 Connie and Michael Booty 50 /// TODAY, FA L L 2 0 2 0
Jeffrey Scaccia and Amy Scaccia ’09 David and Sharon Senn Debbie and Ronnie Siebenmorgen Kimberly Spicer ’98 Harve Taylor, III and Loyce Ann Bean Taylor ’72 Pat King ’81 Nell Cox Griffin ’55 W. Ernest King, Jr. ’41 and Maribeth King Alice King Kutz and Kurt Kutz Greg Burris Kirk ’94 Jennifer Lynn ’96 Denton Tumbleson ’74 and Jane Tumbleson Shelli Stewart Lamberson Debbie Stallings Mooney ’82 Julia L. Landry Rogers Noon Kiwanis Club Robert Storey ’72 and Sue Holden Storey ’74 Enoch “Buzz” LaPointe ’65 James Lynn ’64 and Erma Lynn Tommy V. Lester ’63 Mira Ann Ingram Leister ’63 and Marvin C. Leister, Jr. William P. Lytle James Lynn ’64 and Erma Lynn Dallas Maples ’59 Betty Maples Joe Marler ’60 Joyce Wilson Marler ’59 Nolan Marr Kimberly Spicer ’98 Holly Mitchell Robert K. Bennett Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Tommy E. Owens ’70 Glenda Dennis Owens ’71 and Steve Owens Edward Myron Parker Tommy and Judy Parker J. T. Patterson ’38 and Lucile Sanders Patterson Beth Patterson Duvall ’65 James Lynn ’64 and Erma Lynn Ann Patterson ’75 and Max Snowden Baker Peebles ’52 L. D. Horn ’52 Jack Phillips ’50 William Eddington ’55 and Charlotte Felkins Eddington ’56 Martha Jo Pittenger George Pittenger ’91 and Loraine Pittenger Susie Maude Pittman ’39 Anonymous Don Pennington ’68 Carolyn Morgan Qualls ’66 James Murray ’75 and Debra Murray Michael A. Rail ’80 Sue Rail Wilkerson ’82 and Danny Wilkerson Ruby Steuart Reynolds ’48 Cara Rowbotham Flinn ’85 Mira Ann Ingram Leister ’63 and Marvin C. Leister, Jr. James Lynn ’64 and Erma Lynn Gene and Lynda Stephenson
Marcus Riddell ’59 Roy Horne ’57 James “Doc” Robertson ’70 David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Geels Pridgin ’81 Wayma Sue Workman Rowe ’49 Dawn J. M. Dvoracek and *Frank Schull Felipe Salazar Sammy Manning ’71 and Virginia Figliulo Manning ’74 Frank M. Schull, Jr. Anonymous Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Diane Cater Gaspar Nell Cox Griffin ’55 Donnie and Karla Harkreader Bill Holder ’52 and Jane Holder ’55 Larry and Cindy Isch Rebecca and John Lester George and Betty Overbey Edna Elkins Patterson ’67 and John Patterson Don Pennington ’68 Sue Patterson Pine ’57 and Bob Pine David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Geels Pridgin ’81 Harve Taylor, III and Loyce Ann Bean Taylor ’72 United Presbyterian Women Bruce H. Williams ’43 and Tracy Williams Don Shula Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Edward V. Smith, III Gene and Lynda Stephenson T.L. and Lois Smith Susan Smith Epperson ’62 and Jon Epperson Curtis Lee Spence Lance Spence ’91 and Virginia Spence Robert Dennis Spurlock ’65 Carl Miller ’64 and Madge Miller Duane Steele William Eddington ’55 and Charlotte Felkins Eddington ’56 Charles Swearingen Sammy Manning ’71 and Virginia Figliulo Manning ’74 John Talley ’43 Sarah C. Talley Laura Anne Self Thames Shannon Carlisle Huggins ’91 and Bryan Huggins Jerry Allen Trowbridge ’66 Ethan Harbour ’12 Jake Tull ’10 David and Selena Overholt Jack and Patricia Overholt Steve Quattlebaum Mary Ellen Richards John and Martha Tull Betsy Tull Landers Sue Tull Delores Wagoner ’56 Lonnie Qualls ’55 and Levada Mathis Qualls ’55
MEMORIALS /// H ON OR A R IA
Harley Wagoner Lonnie Qualls ’55 and Levada Mathis Qualls ’55 Jerry Wagoner ’58 Lonnie Qualls ’55 and Levada Mathis Qualls ’55 Mitchell Wagoner Lonnie Qualls ’55 and Levada Mathis Qualls ’55 Anna Jane Cline Warren ’71 and John Warren ’45 Mitzi Carol Link B.J. Webb ’63 Sylvia Kauffeld Kinnear ’66 Don Gene White Sylvia Kauffeld Kinnear ’66 Guy and Freda Kauffeld Willett ’52 Sylvia Kauffeld Kinnear ’66 Deborah D. Williams Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Bryan Tipton Carolyn Tipton Darrell Williams ’76 Nathan Williams ’07 and Randa Williams Paula Wills Gene and Lynda Stephenson Wayne Workman ’44 Marisol Angelini Arvid Bean ’78 and Sharon Jones Bean ’78 Mary Bell and Tom Little Larry and Nancy Bittle Blytheville Men’s Alumni Group Elizabeth Burnett Allen Bush Lynda Cross Kitty Dindo Steve and Dorinda Edmisten James Ethier Andrew and Melissa Everett James and Karen Everett David and Patricia Feilke Tom Ferriter M. T. and Tanda Francis The Durls (Barb, Margie, Carolyn, Sandra, and Carla) Deborah Gibbins Larry and Laurel Greenwood Lowell and Kathryn Grisham John and Kim Harville Ruth Henderson Henry, Nancy Henry Jones, and Don Henry Larry and Cindy Isch Rhonda Jordan Jodi Kahn Jim and Melanie Kennedy Hugh and Brenda Kincaid Patrick Lockwood-Taylor Paul and Judith Moody Carolyn R. Moseley, Mr. & Mrs. Mark Moseley, and Dr. & Mrs. Robert A. Porter Dale and Pat Nicholson Scott and Jayme Nicholson David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Geels Pridgin ’81
Liz Rainwater and Chris Tompkins David Rawhouser ’69 and Jill Rawhouser Mary Ann Rose Richard Searer Kevin and Melissa Snow Charles and Brooke Tappan Harve Taylor, III and Loyce Ann Bean Taylor ’72 Russ and Rebecca Tiller James Webb ’70 and Jane Webb Ronnie and Camille Wheeler Leslie Witt Ronald Workman John Wyatt ’59 Bill Crowder ’56 Patricia Farnsworth Yoder ’53 Jane Wilson Holder ’55
Aug. 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020
HONORARIA Bill Alexander ’55 and Linda Alexander Ray and Orvalene Holbrook Matthew Arant Samuel and Teresa Arant Bill Aydelott ’53 Vernon McDaniel ’55 Bill Ballard ’56 Bill Crowder ’56 Edward Blazek ’65 James Lynn ’64 and Erma Lynn Ramona Cogan Larry and Cindy Isch Sean Coleman Larry and Cindy Isch Krista Denné Ruth Walton Garrett Donnell Hugh and Pat Donnell Brenda Wheeler DuBois ’69 Angela Wheeler Spencer ’98 and Shawn Spencer Beth Patterson Duvall ’65 Ann Patterson ’75 and Max Snowden William Eddington ’55 and Charlotte Felkins Eddington ’56 Bill Crowder ’56 Kirsten Endicott Carol Myers Claude Eubanks, II ’56 Bill Crowder ’56 Chad Floyd Donald Kessler ’70 Betty Curtis Hardin ’58 John and Chris May Brett Hays ’06 Harold and Pam Hays Jane Wilson Holder ’55 Roberta Holder Bettye LaBorn Glendon Jenkins ’13 Cara Rowbotham Flinn ’85
Caroline Keller ’18 Durwood and Janie Keller David King ’54 Vernon McDaniel ’55 John King Steve and Dorinda Edmisten Ann Patterson ’75 Beth Patterson Duvall ’65 Jack Patterson ’65 Beth Patterson Duvall ’65 Ann Patterson ’75 and Max Snowden Reba Geels Pridgin ’81 Anonymous R. L. and Nancy Qualls James Murray ’75 and Debra Murray Dawn J. M. Schull Dvoracek Janet and Lovel Benge John W. Cargile ’61 Sergio Carrasco ’98 and Nelly Carrasco Lorraine Darnell ’56 Ibrahim and Margaret Eker Sarah Eklund ’16 and Erik Eklund Sherri Meadors Paulette Nieuwenhof Freeman ’80 and James Freeman Doug and Susan Pfeifler Monica Price Ryan Skelly ’07 and Callie Williams Skelly ’07 James and Virginia Skelly Wirt and Torpy Skinner Thomas and Linda Skinner Mike and Fran Smith Carlos Bethancourt ’05 Charles Sonnier, Jr. ’93 Robert C Guidry Sr Charitable Trust Angela Wheeler Spencer ’98 Darrel Wheeler ’75 and Sharon Wheeler Eleanor Thomas Dawn J. M. Dvoracek and *Frank Schull Joe & Barb Tropansky Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church Darrel Wheeler, Jr. ’75 Angela Wheeler Spencer ’98 and Shawn Spencer Sharon Goza Wheeler Angela Wheeler Spencer ’98 and Shawn Spencer James Wyatt ’61 Bill Crowder ’56 William (Bill) Wyatt ’66 Bill Crowder ’56
If you would like to make an Honoraria or Memorial in recognition of a loved one to the University of the Ozarks Annual Fund, please contact the Advancement Office at 479-979-1230.
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A FINAL WORD FROM DR. WILLIAM EAKIN
TO LIVE WITH FINE-NESS AND BEAUTY [Editor’s Note: Dr. William Eakin, professor of philosophy and German, retired in June after teaching at Ozarks for nearly 30 years. Dr. Eakin joined the Ozarks faculty in 1991 as an adjunct professor and became a full professor in 2009. He was the recipient of the University’s Bagwell Outstanding Faculty Award in 2003 and 2020. He was granted professor emeritus status in May of 2020.] Three or four decades ago I worked as an assistant director at another college bringing in lecture programs. As a part of that, I brought in Alexander Nehamas, one of the more important scholars of Friedrich Nietzsche, who’d just written a book called “Nietzsche: Life as Literature.” He argued that Nietzsche thinks we create ourselves through the way we live—whether we are resentful or life-affirming. We create ourselves and can do that beautifully, gracefully, with a kind of finesse, as if we are writing ourselves as a sort of literary character. Literature—and I mean fiction but I also mean religion, philosophy, the sciences, the arts, academia—is not separate from life. Writings, books and schooling are viable parts of us that can deepen us. A lot of us, if we are not too scared, gravitate to pockets of deep experience and meaning. We encounter them when we are walking in a forest or along a beach at the ruins of a Greek temple on the Aegean Sea or watching whales in the Pacific off the Northwest coast. But we can find them in books, too: Victor Hugo’s Les Miserable or the Brothers Karamazov. Goethe’s Faust or Dante. I chose to study philosophy precisely because I find horizons broadened and life deepened in writings that come out of the lives of Plato, Heidegger, Derrida, Foucault, the Buddhists, Medieval theologians, mystics, Greeks and Romans like Plotinus and Marcus Aurelius. When I was a freshman, I was invited to take an honors course called the “Views of Man.” We read a whole book each week through the whole year: Plato, Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, Machiavelli, Karl Marx. And each week with each book a new world, a new paradigm, new ideas that literally constructed the world view of their time opened out and opened me. Don’t think a good freshman course can’t transform you, can’t help you write yourself deeply as your own character. For those authors and books and the teachers that got me to them, I am thankful. And I invite my students to that kind of thankfulness, too. Aristotle—and he is quite distant from Nietzsche—wrote a book that places ethics in habit: what kind of habits should we hone to achieve excellence? He included things like honesty and courage as virtues. But also things like wittiness. This means: what potential is there in us that can actualized, to make us what we really are? And not just in any way but with a quality Aristotle calls “kalos”— a Greek word for “fine” and “beautiful.” To live ethically well is to live with that fine-ness and beauty. I can’t help but think, pray and know that at University of the Ozarks, we have student-scholars who share community with Nietzsche, Aristotle, Augustine, the Buddha, a community for learning and teaching each other to live finely, to create ourselves as real characters with grace, honesty, intelligence, compassion… and beauty. I am thankful for that. Dr. William Eakin Professor Emeritus
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LEAVE YOUR LEGACY And Pave the Way for Current and Future Students By purchasing a personalized brick in the Alumni Plaza for yourself or a classmate, you’re not only leaving a legacy at Ozarks, but you’re also helping support current students through the Ozarks Annual Fund (OAF). With your gift of $300 or more to OAF, you can add your name or the name of a friend or loved one to the Alumni Plaza. This is a wonderful way for you to honor or memorialize a friend or loved one who attended Ozarks.
LEAVE YOUR LEGACY And Pave the Way for Current and Future Students By purchasing a personalized brick in the Alumni Plaza for yourself or a classmate, you’re not only leaving a legacy at Ozarks, but you’re also helping support current students through the Ozarks Annual Fund (OAF). With your gift of $300 or more to OAF, you can add your name or the name of a friend or loved one to the Alumni Plaza. This is a wonderful way for you to honor or memorialize a friend or loved one who attended Ozarks.
Day of Giving DECEMBER 1, 2020
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One Day. One Gift. One Ozarks. ozarks.edu/support/ways-to-support/give/