Campus Talk: Ouachita Baptist University Names Interim President

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OUACHITA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY NAMES INTERIM PRESIDENT
Dr. Charles Wright, professor emeritus of music and retired dean of Ouachita Baptist University’s School of Fine Arts, has been named interim president of the private university, according to Jay Heflin, chair of the university’s Board of Trustees.

Wright will serve in the interim role following the completion of Dr. Rex Horne’s tenure as president at the end of July. Dr. Horne, who has served since 2006 as Ouachita’s 15th president, recently announced his resignation to become executive director of Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities.

Dr. Wright, who retired in 2004 following a 40-year career at Ouachita, returned to the university staff in 2013 as a development officer. He holds three degrees from Ouachita: a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech and drama, a Bachelor of Music Education degree in choral music and a Master of Music Education degree in choral music. He also holds a Doctor of Education degree in music education from the University of North Texas.

HARRISON EDUCATOR HONORED AS RURAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
The Arkansas Rural Education Association and the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas have chosen Harrison High School math instructor Tammye Stahler as the 2015 Arkansas Rural Teacher of the Year.

Stahler, a 25-year veteran educator, has taught exclusively at rural schools, including Mena Public Schools, Rich Mountain Community College, Harrison High School and North Arkansas Community College. She holds an Associate of General Studies degree from Rich Mountain Community College, a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Henderson State University, and a Master of Arts in education from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo.

A recipient of the Mathematical Association of America’s Outstanding Teacher in 2015, Stalher said she believes the nurturing from the rural school environment and its community allows students to have a higher confidence in themselves and the initiative to give back to others and their communities.

The Rural Teacher of the Year Award winner is selected based on the quality and depth of answers to questions in the following categories: professional biography, educational history, professional development, community involvement, teaching philosophy, education issues and the teaching profession.

MORE WEALTH LEADS TO BETTER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, FED REPORT SAYS
New research by the St. Louis Federal Reserve’s Center for Household Financial Stability shows that there’s a strong correlation between education and money. More of the former often leads to more of the latter, the report concludes. Federal Reserve researchers and economists Williams Emmons, Bryan Noeth and Ray Boshara present the findings of their paper, “The Role of Education,” here.

FULBRIGHT COLLEGE TO LAUNCH ITS FIRST TWO ONLINE DEGREE PROGRAMS IN FALL
The J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas will offer its first bachelor’s and master’s degree programs this fall delivered completely online. Students can apply for admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies program or the Master of Arts in Secondary Mathematics program, which is designed for licensed secondary teachers.

The launch of the programs is the latest development in the plan to expand and enhance distance and online education from the University of Arkansas. These two programs join more than 30 others offered by UA completely or primarily online. To earn a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, a student must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours, including the university’s core course requirements and courses required for the interdisciplinary studies major. Transfer students or those with prior college credit may be eligible to complete the degree online.

Interdisciplinary studies majors have the option of following one of two tracks. The first allows a student to select three thematically linked minors, and the second allows a student to work with an adviser to select courses from different programs. To learn more, click here.

PULASKI ACADEMY RECEIVES PERMANENT $2 MILLION ENDOWMENT FROM COLORADO PHILANTHROPIC FOUNDATION
The Malone Family Foundation recently selected Pulaski Academy as the recipient of a $2 million permanent endowment to provide support to highly capable students of financial need in grades 7-12.

The Englewood, Colo.-based foundation was established in 1997 by philanthropist Dr. John C. Malone, the chairman of Liberty Media and former CEO of Tele-Communications Inc. The objective of the foundation has been to improve access to quality education, particularly at the secondary level, for gifted students who lack the financial resources to best develop their talents. There are 50 Malone Scholars Schools in 43 states throughout the U.S.

Independent secondary schools are selected by the foundation on the basis of their academic caliber; the quality of their staff; excellent accommodations for gifted and talented students; attention to the individual student’s needs, interests, and talents; financial strength and stability; a commitment to financial aid; and an economically, culturally, ethnically, and socially diverse population. Pulaski Academy, a private college prep school in west Little Rock, has been receiving annual assistance from the Foundation to support Malone Scholars since 2011.