Honors Program awards seven student grants

Ouachita’s Carl Goodson Honors Program recently hosted its annual awards reception, “The Black and White,” for current and prospective members of the honors program as well as faculty and staff. Ally Lemos was named this year’s Ben Elrod Scholar, and other research and travel grants were also awarded.

The event also serves as an induction for new members of the honors program.

“As an organization, we strive to support academics all over campus, but our focus is on the students, and we would love to welcome any student who qualifies,” said Dr. Barbara Pemberton, assistant professor of Christian missions and director of the honors program.

The event itself, coordinated with the help of honor society Alpha Tau, is a jazzy semi-formal affair, “designed as a great place to mingle with other honors members and the faculty that make the program possible … while providing an outlet for great conversations about academics,” said Alex Nelson, a junior business administration and finance major from Frisco, Texas.

It is an event where “the honors leadership toasts the polish of academic achievement,” said Dr. Amy Sonheim, professor of English and former director of the honors program. “This reception captures both the joie de vivre and also thrill of wholehearted learning by announcing the research grants for that year.”

Five different research and travel grants were awarded to seven students to be used this summer.

Ally Lemos, a junior early childhood education major from Hanford, Calif., was named the Ben Elrod Scholar. Lemos will use her grant to travel to England and Scotland with Ouachita’s Michael D. Huckabee School of Education to observe the different levels of schooling, research how the educational system uses movement and physical activity to enhance learning in early education and meet teachers and students from different backgrounds.

“Our educational system in the United States was based upon the educational system of our motherland, England,” Lemos said. “The grant will allow me to see in what areas we have improved or digressed since the start of our country.”

Sarah Davis, a junior Christian studies and theatre arts double major from Bedford, Texas, was named the Carl Goodson Scholar. Davis has applied for the Apprenticeship Program with the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey at the Drew University campus. This grant will afford her the “experience to make connections and learn how to branch out into the professional world of acting,” Davis said.

Chris Redmon, a junior Biblical studies, Biblical languages and philosophy triple major from Little Rock, Ark., was named the Garrett Ham Scholar. With the award, he has already been able to buy 35 scholarly books to build his library and write his honors thesis.

Katie Hopmann, a junior studio art major from Cypress, Texas, was named the Honors Council Scholar. With a goal of writing and illustrating a children’s book for her honors thesis, Hopmann will use her grant to visit seven museums, including the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, in Massachusetts.

Three students were awarded Honors Research Grants.

Danielle Moses, a senior history major from Texarkana, Ark., has applied for a paid internship with the Junior Fellows Program at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. She will use her grant to pay for travel costs and plans to pursue a career in archival and curatorial work upon graduation.

Hunter Threadgill, a junior philosophy and psychology double major from Cordova, Tenn., will use his research grant to attend the annual meeting of the Southwestern Social Science Association in New Orleans, La. He will present research on Facebook and identity that he co-authored with faculty mentor Dr. Guyla Davis, OBU assistant professor of psychology.

Katy Wood, a junior early childhood education major from Plano, Texas, will travel to Liverpool, England, to talk one-on-one with teachers about reading, comparing the standards used in the United Kingdom with common course state standards across the U.S. This research grant will enable her to get a Tier 4 student visa, a requirement to enter British classrooms as a researcher.

For more information about the honors program, visit www.obu.edu/honors or contact Dr. Barbara Pemberton at pembertonb@obu.edu or (870) 245-5541.

Recipients included (L-R): Danielle Moses, Chris Redmon, Sarah Davis, Katy Wood, Ally Lemos & Katie Hopmann (not pictured: Hunter Threadgill). OBU photo by Jason Pullano.