More than 100 students from Ouachita Baptist University were recently honored at the university’s 2016 Academic Awards Banquet. The event recognized various academic and leadership achievements of the students throughout the past academic year.
The annual banquet is sponsored by Ouachita’s Student Senate. Student Senate President Josh Rubin, a senior biology major from Dallas, Texas, presided over the event.
Griffin Peeples, a senior accounting and business administration/finance double major from North Little Rock, Ark., was awarded Ouachita’s highest academic honor as the university’s Overall Academic Achiever. He also was named top academic achiever in the Hickingbotham School of Business.
Top academic achievers in each of the other schools include: Elizabeth Peevy, a senior Christian studies/Christian missions major from Bryant, Ark., Pruet School of Christian Studies; Ashlyn Meece, a senior elementary education major from Mountain Home, Ark., Huckabee School of Education; Katelyn Smith, a senior art and education double major from Roe, Ark., School of Fine Arts; Anna Kumpuris, a senior mass communications, Spanish and Christian studies/Christian missions triple major from Little Rock, Ark., School of Humanities; Trevor Meece, a senior chemistry and biology double major from Mountain Home, Ark., Patterson School of Natural Sciences; and Sara “Cat” Williams, a senior psychology and biology double major from Roland, Ark., Sutton School of Social Sciences.
Ouachita’s Senior Outstanding Woman and Man, selected by faculty and staff, are Sara “Cat” Williams and Ben Lange-Smith, a senior psychology major from Harare, Zimbabwe.
Dr. Hal Bass, who was recently named professor emeritus of political science, was named by students as the Lavell Cole Most Inspirational Professor.
Other university awards include the Mrs. J.R. Grant Endowed Awards for freshman and senior female students and the Mrs. Betty Oliver Grant Endowed Awards for sophomore and junior female students. Recipients of these awards, respectively, include Kinzie Schmidt, a freshman graphic design major from Little Rock, Ark.; Rachel Wicker, a senior Christian studies/Christian missions and mass communications double major from Benton, Ark.; Hannah Bunch, a sophomore history major from Paragould, Ark.; and Stephanie Westberg, a junior elementary education major from Arkadelphia, Ark. The Rotary Club Service-Above-Self Award also was presented to Stephanie Westberg.
Individuals honored by the Carl Goodson Honors Program and Ouachita’s seven academic schools include:
CARL GOODSON HONORS PROGRAM
- Ben Elrod Scholar: Jodie Webb
- Carl Goodson Scholar: Kimberley Attaway
- Garrett Ham Scholars: Libby Hilliard
- Blue Ribbon Finishers: Tori Bateman, Jean Benecyo, Erin Cheshire, Kaitlyn Clark, Leslie Colbert, Jessica Hargis, Heidi Hughes, Adam Jones, Annie McMurray, Elizabeth Peevy, Lana Rose, Kathleen Suit and Sara “Cat” Williams
- Most Valuable Professor: Dr. Doug Nykolaishen, associate professor of Biblical studies
HICKINGBOTHAM SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
- Lera Kelly Outstanding Senior in Business Administration Award: Claudia Brizuela
- Margaret Wright Outstanding Senior in Accounting Award: Bonnie Magee
- Johnny Heflin Excellence in Leadership & Academics Award: Connor Van Hemert
- Outstanding Business Scholar Athlete: Jason Mechali
PRUET SCHOOL OF CHRISTIAN STUDIES
- Andrew & Harriet Grant Hall Sophomore Ministerial Award: Kristopher Torres and Ashley Sharpe
- Outstanding Student in Biblical Studies: Adam Jones
- Outstanding Student in Christian Ministries: Haylee Garland
- Outstanding Student in Christian Missions: Elizabeth Peevy
- Don Harbuck Award for Excellence in Philosophy: Michael Calhoun
- Preben Vang Award for Excellence in Christian Theological Studies: Adam Jones
- Elementary Hebrew Award: Micah Overstreet
- Old Testament Hebrew Award: Libby Hilliard
- Zondervan Elementary Greek Award: Kristopher Torres
- Robert Stagg New Testament Greek Award: Dylan Watson
- Outstanding Student at Ouachita Baptist University at New Life Church: Catherine Bumpers
HUCKABEE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
- Alice Searcy Award for Outstanding Freshman: Ciera Carpenter
- Outstanding Current Education Sophomores: Wesley Keener (Elementary), Hailey Thompson (Middle School) and Brittany Ratliff (Secondary)
- Sylvia Gates Webb Award: Katie Kapler
- Maude Wright Memorial Award: McKenzie Wells
- Phi Delta Kappa Teachers in Training: Audrey Rodriguez (Elementary), Katelyn Smith (K-12) and Jace Melby (Secondary)
- Charles Chambliss Distinguished Educator Award: Layne Castleman
- Bob Gravette Outstanding Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Teaching Award: Colleen Rose
- Tona Wright Outstanding Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Fitness Award: Brandon Smith and Peter Daniel
- Outstanding Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Pre-Professional Studies Award: Vitor de Oliveira
- Outstanding Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Recreation & Sports Ministry Award: Natalie Kral Ramsey
SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS
- Francie Phelan Outstanding Senior – Graphic Design: Perri Adcock
- Francie Phelan Outstanding Senior – Studio Art: Treslyn Shipley
- Raybon-Berry Outstanding Freshman Visual Arts Major: Carrie Hill
- Russell Shad Memorial Art Award for Outstanding Junior: Courtney Gibson
- Theatre Arts Outstanding Student Award – Freshman: Olivia Witcher
- Alpha Psi Omega Senior Award: Kathleen Suit and Stacy Hawking
- Alpha Psi Omega Outstanding Service: Bethany Gere
- Raouf J. Halaby Art Award: Tricia Griffin
- Sigma Alpha Iota College Honor Award: Erin Cheshire
- Sigma Alpha Iota Scholarship Award: Victoria Bateman
- The Presser Scholar: Emily Weeden
- Rachel Fuller Scholarship: Courtney Kelley
- James Harrison Scholarship: Margaret Geoffrion
- Friends of Fine Arts Scholar – Art: Tricia Griffin
- Friends of Fine Arts Scholar – Instrumental: Blake Turner
- Friends of Fine Arts Scholar – Piano: Zhanxiu Lu
- Friends of Fine Arts Scholar – Theatre: Nadalie Gill
- Friends of Fine Arts Scholar – Voice: Esther Atkinson
SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES
- Outstanding Senior English Major: Abby Thomas
- Outstanding Junior Louise Searcy Bennett Scholarship Award: Shelby Spears
- Outstanding Sophomore Herman Sandford Scholarship Award: Victoria Anderson
- The Sharpest Speer Award: Shelby Spears
- Outstanding Senior Spanish Major: Lizzie Hall
- Outstanding Junior Spanish Major: Hannah Hart
- Outstanding Sophomore Spanish Major: Hannah Rogers
- El Tigre Award: Sarah Bolin
- Outstanding Student in Latin: Libby Hilliard
- Communications Publication Award – Ouachitonian: Amber Easterly and Robert DeSoto
- Communications Publication Award – The Signal: Dixon Land
- Communications Publication Award – The Online Signal: Anna Kumpuris
- Communications Publication Award – Photo Lab: Grace Finley
- Communications Publication Award – Video Production: Matthew Ablon
- Bill & Vera Downs Outstanding Sophomore Mass Communications Student Award: Sara Davis
- Matt Turner Outstanding Junior Mass Communications Major Award: Evan Wheatley
- William D. Downs Outstanding Mass Communications Graduate Award: Brandon Smith
- Roy Buckelew Outstanding Speech Major Award: Emily Rankin
PATTERSON SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES
- Outstanding Freshman Biology Award: Morgan Lynch
- Richard H. Brown Biology Award: Katie Dreher
- Outstanding Senior in Biology Award: Rebekah Davis
- Outstanding Dietetics & Nutrition Award: Emily Tual and Gary Fortney
- Freshman Chemistry Award: Mary Beth Jones
- Ethel & Nell Mondy and E.A. Provine Scholar: Jace Bradshaw
- Outstanding Graduate in Chemistry: Trevor Meece
- Harvey Research Award: Logan Bond, Jace Bradshaw and Trevor Meece
- Rowland Memorial Award, Outstanding Senior in Mathematics: Keith McLeod
- Rowland Memorial Award, Outstanding Senior in Computer Science: Nathan Hill
- Rowland Memorial Award, Academic Excellence in Mathematics: Emily Alderson
- Rowland Memorial Award, Academic Excellence in Math Education: Luke Dawson
- Rowland Memorial Award, Academic Excellence in Computer Science: Logan Bond
- Rowland Memorial Award, Academic Excellence in Physics: Crystal Brown
- Mathematics Ambassador Award: Kaylee Harper
- Hannah Joy Sullivan Award: Kaitlyn Thomas
SUTTON SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
- Everett Slavens Award to Outstanding Sophomore: Cassie Young
- Lavell Cole Award to Outstanding Future Teacher: Grace Hevron
- Fran Coulter Award to Outstanding Junior: Jessica Saunders
- C. Daily Award to Outstanding Senior: Abby Thomas
- Phi Alpha Theta Award for Outstanding Research Paper: Bridget Hosey
- Bob Riley Outstanding Graduate in Political Science Award: Sam Cushman
- Curtis Echols Lions Club Scholarship: Caleb Smoke
- Psychology Faculty Award: Taylor Lockhart and Lindsay Swafford
- Zeitgeist Award: Leslie Colbert
- Weldon Vogt Outstanding Psychology Senior Award: Stoni Butler, AlleaBelle Gongola and Sara “Cat” Williams
- Outstanding Junior Sociology Award: Jonathan Dixon
- Outstanding Senior Sociology Award: Hannah Osborne
Photo above: Griffin Peeples, at left, was named top Academic Achiever at Ouachita’s recent Academic Awards Banquet. Sara “Cat” Williams and Ben Lange-Smith were recognized as Outstanding Senior Woman and Man, respectively. Photo by Grace Finley.
