Ouachita launches graduate Dietetic Internship during pandemic

To say you started anything new in 2020 would, well, raise eyebrows – especially launching something as involved and hands-on as an academic program including clinical healthcare. But that’s exactly what Ouachita did during the 2020-2021 academic year, launching its first graduate programs in more than 20 years.

Equipping leaders

With its strong history of producing worship leaders who serve in well-known churches in Arkansas, Texas and beyond, Ouachita’s School of Performing Arts has been on the radar of local churches for decades.

Feed Arkadelphia Seeks to Address Hunger, Reduce Waste, Reach Hearts

As a senior in high school, Reanna Johnson first realized her passion for ending hunger through her volunteer work with a local food pantry.

Ouachita honors outstanding alumni during Homecoming festivities

Ten Ouachita Baptist University alumni received the university’s Alumni Milestone Award in conjunction with Ouachita’s Homecoming celebration Sept. 30-Oct. 2. Based on their professional achievements, community service and dedication to their alma mater, they were chosen by a committee of Ouachita faculty and staff and Ouachita President Ben Sells.

Ouachita's new M.S. progam in applied behavior analysis addresses critical needs

Establishing the first full master’s degree in applied behavior analysis (ABA) in Arkansas is a significant milestone for Ouachita as well as for families across the state. The university’s Master of Science degree in ABA officially launched in May and is designed to address a critical shortage of trained Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) throughout the region. Graduates will be equipped to provide therapy options to treat such issues as autism, dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Shepherd returns to Ouachita with goals for belonging: A Q&A with Dr. Lewis Shepherd

Dr. Lewis Shepherd returned to his alma mater in August as special assistant to the president. In an interview for the Winter 2021 Circle, Dr. Shepherd answers questions about his new role, conversations he is having with students and alumni of color and university goals for working toward a sense of belonging on campus.

Listening and leading toward biblical belonging

Ouachita’s progress in recent years reflects the input and ideas from listening to responses from two questions in regard to our future: “What shouldn’t change?” and “What should change?” A part of our listening includes hearing the voices of our students and alumni of color. Until we listen, we can’t understand how to make Ouachita a place where belonging is central to an outstanding educational experience.

Alumni Profile: Christa Neal ('08) Facilitating hope and healing

Seven years ago, Christa Neal was named executive director of the newly established Percy and Donna Malone Child Safety Center in Arkadelphia. There wasn’t a “center” to speak of at the time, just a vision of helping children who were victims of abuse or maltreatment in the area. Soon, a location would be found, Neal would grow funding and support and families would gain much needed services.

Tiger Tunes Rewind reimagines Tunes tradition despite pandemic

In August 2020, the Ouachita Student Foundation (OSF) announced that its flagship event, Tiger Tunes, would be adapted due to COVID-19 with the theme “Tunes REWIND” and showcase recordings of favorite shows from years past in a single virtual event instead of its usual live, three-night format.

Commencement 2020: A year of circumstance ends in celebration

Only days after typically bitter December weather, 213 Ouachita graduates walked under a beautiful cloudless blue sky on Benson-Williams Field at Cliff Harris Stadium to receive their diplomas. Saturday, Dec. 5, marked nearly seven months since the class of 2020’s original May commencement date, which was canceled due to COVID-19 last spring.

Turning from fear to hope

I had a front-row seat to Ouachita’s approach to pandemic planning as a member of several administrative groups on campus. I remember feeling fear, anxiety and discouragement starting in March 2020 at the challenge ahead of and all around us.

Rachel (Waggener) Pool ('07)

When Dr. Rachel Pool stepped onto Ouachita’s campus for Super Summer in high school, she fell in love. Not with a boy from another Arkansas town – she was in love with Ouachita.

The Johnson Family

When you think of Tigers for Life, the Johnson family may have set a record – six Ouachita graduates in eight years, and one more headed for the stage in 2023.

Kluck takes on his latest leadership challenge

Dr. Wesley Kluck did not have a restful 2020. As university physician and vice president for student development at Ouachita, he led the university’s health efforts in response to COVID-19, chairing Ouachita’s Health Monitoring and Action Team (HMAT).

Closing Thoughts: Progress in a pandemic

In the midst of a pandemic, Ouachita’s progress makes us an encouraging outlier in higher education. While total university enrollment in the country continues to decrease, Ouachita increases – our highest in 20 years. We’re also graduating students at our highest level in history plus a placement rate of 97%.

Editor's notes: "Navigating unprecedented times" and other clichés

As we chose the theme for this issue of the Ouachita Circle, no words seemed sufficient. Even words that were accurate and appropriate had lost their meaning, becoming clichés in our collective consciousness. However, what we have done in 2020 as a global society and here at Ouachita, was truly unprecedented – both for the challenges we faced and the triumphs big and small that we achieved along the way.

Faculty Profile: Ruth Plymale, holder of the J.D. Patterson Chair of Biology

Ask Dr. Ruth Plymale what she loves about Ouachita, and her answer is easy – the students! Born in Japan and growing up in Texas and Northwest Arkansas, Plymale arrived at Ouachita to teach biology in 2009 after earning degrees at the University of Arkansas and Penn State. Now Arkadelphia feels like home and her students like family.

Staff Profile: Rob Hewell, director of Online Learning Initiatives & professor of music

While many of us were home in March learning to bake homemade bread or binging Netflix, Dr. Rob Hewell was working swiftly with IT Services and other campus partners to shift every Ouachita student to remote learning. Hewell thrived not only assisting current students but also faculty and staff with moving courses to Zoom and Moodle while continuing his typical daily work with students in Ouachita’s online degree programs.

Adapting in an unprecedented, challenging, remarkable year

"2020: The Worst Year Ever,” declared the Dec. 14 Time magazine cover. Thinking in terms of “worst” primes us to dwell on all that went wrong this year. Thinking of the ways 2020 is unprecedented invites us to acknowledge the negatives but to be grateful, too, for the good in this very challenging year.

Tiger athletes dig in despite COVID-19 challenges

The sports world has been no stranger to the impact of COVID-19. Seasons have been postponed, shortened and canceled. Teams have been forced to alter the way they prepare and what they even prepare for. Athletes, coaches and entire teams have been quarantined. An ever-changing understanding of an invisible opponent has led to frustration both for those who just want to play and coach the games they love and for the diehard fans left with empty spaces in their hearts and their weekends.