The ����vlog����’ Board of Trustees presented its annual faculty and staff awards during the 2026 Trustees Awards Banquet, held April 24 in the Rogers Conference Center.

Among the recipients for 2026 were (pictured, from left) Dr. David Daily, Dr. Minami Nishioka, Dallas Brose, Terry Hatcher and Nichole Sherman.

Daily, professor of religion, and Nishioka, assistant professor of history, each received the Richard and Katherene Bagwell Outstanding Faculty Award.

Sherman, dean of students, was honored with the Alvin C. Broyles Outstanding Staff Award.

Hatcher, advancement services manager, received the Arnold G. Sims Outstanding Staff Award.

Brose, head athletic trainer, was presented with the 2025 Dr. Rick and Sheree Niece President’s Above and Beyond Outstanding Service Award.

Several other faculty and staff members received service awards during the dinner, including Albert Leding, Lauren Gentry, Aaron Brueckner, Jessica Baumgartner, Dr. Javier Taylor, Rev. Jeremy Wilhelmi and David DeGeus for 10 years; Charmaine Hutchinson for 15 years; Lisa Thomas for 20 years; Cara Flinn, Connie Booty, Dr. David Daily, and Lori McBee for 25 years; and Emmalee Morrow for 30 years.

Daily, Steve Edmisten, and Phyllis Parsons were also recognized for their respective retirements this year. 

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University of the of Ozarks later this week will honor three retiring faculty and staff members who dedicated a combined 90-plus years of service to the University.

(Pictured, from left) Steve Edmisten, Dr. David Daily and Phyllis Parsons have announced their retirements this academic year. They will be recognized at the University’s Board of Trustees Awards Banquet on Friday, April 24.

Edmisten retired in December as special assistant to the president after more than 30 years at the University. He first worked at the University from 1983-85 as director of public information. He returned to the University in 1997 as vice president for advancement. He was named executive vice president in 2004, a title he held until 2012 when he was named special assistant to the president.

Over the course of three decades in advancement leadership, Edmisten was instrumental in raising more than $130 million in gifts and growing the University’s endowment by over $60 million. Among his many accomplishments, Edmisten spearheaded several major campaigns, including the five-year, $40 million Promise of Excellence Campaign (completed in 2011) and the Pride & Promise Campaign, which raised more than $60 million.

In 2012, Edmisten was named the recipient of the Dr. Rick and Sheree Niece President’s Above & Beyond Award.

Daily, who will retire in June, joined the U of O faculty in August of 2000 as an assistant professor of religion. He was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor in 2006 before being promoted to full professor in 2013. He also served as the dean of humanities from 2019-2022.

Daily was selected for the University’s Bagwell Outstanding Faculty Award in both 2004 and 2009, and presented the keynote address at the Fall 2025 Commencement ceremony in December.

Parsons, who retired earlier this academic year, spent a total of 34 years working for the University in part-time and full-time roles.

She began in July of 1991 as secretary of the Ozarks Area Mission, before serving as a part-time publications assistant and graphic designer in the Office of Advancement from 1998-2015. In 2015, she became a full-time graphic designer and brand coordinator, a title she held until her retirement last fall.

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����vlog���� will recognize several employees later this month for 25 and 30-year milestone service awards.

Those being honored include, (pictured, top row from left) Cara Flinn, Connie Booty, Dr. David Daily, (bottom row, from left), Lori McBee and Emmalee Morrow.

Flinn, Booty, Daily and McBee are all celebrating their 25th year at Ozarks, while Morrow is celebrating her 30th year. They will be recognized during the annual Board of Trustees Awards Dinner on Friday, April 24.

Flinn serves as the director of institutional research and senior analyst. She began at Ozarks on March 15, 2001.

Booty is the University’s executive assistant, and her first day at Ozarks was July 16, 2001.

Daily serves as professor of religion. He has announced his retirement at the conclusion of the current semester.

McBee is the University’s vice president for advancement and alumni engagement.

Morrow, marketing and enrollment operations manager, worked at Ozarks from 1989 to 1998 and then was rehired in November of 2005. 

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����vlog���� is expected to confer degrees on 144 graduates during its 2026 Spring Commencement ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, May 16.

The graduation ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. on the campus mall in front of Robson Library. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to Mabee Gymnasium. The ceremony will also be livestreamed on the University’s YouTube page.

The Commencement keynote speaker will be Loscar “Los” Mejia ’01 of Columbus, Ohio. Mejia is the distribution director for lululemon’s East Coast Distribution Center in Columbus. He has been with lululemon since November 2022.

Mejia has nearly 25 years of experience in supply chain and operations. He began his career as an area manager in food distribution for Wal-Mart. He then spent time with various industry leaders such as Target, Martin-Brower, and Kohl’s in progressive leadership roles. Before joining lululemon, he spent 8 years as the director of distribution for The Container Store, where he led a team of 350 employees in a 1 million square foot automated facility.

He holds a BS in marketing and management from Ozarks, where he was a founding member of the 1997 men’s soccer team. He and his wife, Laura, have three children.

Perry Guidry, a finance major from Lafayette, La., was selected by the faculty and staff to represent the Class of 2026 by providing the senior’s welcome address.

Graduation Week will also include a Senior Dinner for graduates and faculty members at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 14. The keynote speaker for the dinner will be alumna CharLee Rogers ’12 , who owns Curran’s Abstract and Title in Clarksville with her husband, Ethan Rogers ’12.

A Baccalaureate service will be held in Munger-Wilson Chapel at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 15, followed by the Brick Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on the campus mall. Both of the events on May 15 are open to families of the graduates.

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����vlog���� employees (pictured, from left) Charmaine Hutchinson and Lisa Thomas will be recognized by the University later this month for milestone service awards.

This year marks Hutchison’s 15th year at the University and Thomas’ 20th year. They will be honored along with other service award recipients during the annual Board of Trustees Awards Dinner on Friday, April 24.

Hutchinson serves as the administrative assistant for the Student Success Center. She began at Ozarks on July 18, 2011.

Thomas, the recipient of the 2021 Arnold G. Sims Outstanding Staff Award, is the office manager for the athletic department. Her first day at Ozarks was Sept. 18, 2006.

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Seven ����vlog���� faculty and staff members will be recognized for 10-Year Service Awards by the University later this month.

(Pictured, top row, from left) Albert Leding, Lauren Gentry, Aaron Brueckner, Jessica Baumgartner, (bottom row, from left) Dr. Javier Taylor, Rev. Jeremy Wilhelmi and David DeGeus will each mark their 10-year anniversaries at Ozarks in 2026. They will be recognized during the annual Board of Trustees Awards Dinner on Friday, April 24.

Leding is the associate vice president for finance and administration and controller. A 1984 graduate of Ozarks, he started at the University on July 5, 2016.

Gentry is the assistant registrar and started on August 15, 2016.

Brueckner, a 2011 Ozarks graduate, is the head men’s soccer coach. His first day at Ozarks was April 12, 2016.

Baumgartner is the director of human resources and began on Feb. 1, 2016.

Taylor is an associate professor of mathematics. His first day at Ozarks was Aug. 15, 2016.

Wilhelmi is the University chaplain and began on Aug. 8, 2016.

DeGeus is the head coach for the Eagles’ men’s and women’s swimming and dive program. His first day at the University was Jan. 4, 2016.

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Heather Teague has joined ����vlog���� as the student account manager in the Office of Administrative Services (OAS). Her first day was Monday, Jan. 9.

Teague most recently worked at First Security Bank in Clarksville.

A native of North Carolina, she previously was the senior center coordinator/community manager for Blue Ridge Companies in Kernersville, N.C., and as a property manager and apartment manager in Grensboro, N.C. She also has experience as a college admissions consultant for Greensboro College in North Carolina and as a private writing instructor.

She has a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Greensboro College and a master’s degree in English and creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University.

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����vlog���� President Richard Dunsworth, J.D., has been elected vice chair of the Board of Trustees for the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) in Fort Smith, Ark. His two-year term began Jan. 1, 2026.

ACHE is a private, not-for-profit institution situated on more than 500 acres in Fort Smith. Since opening in 2017, the campus has experienced significant growth and now offers eight academic programs: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Medical Science, Doctor of Executive Leadership, Doctor of Public Health, Master of Science in Biomedicine, and Master of Public Health.

The ACHE Board of Trustees provides oversight of the institution’s management and operations, ensuring that the organization remains aligned with its mission and strategic objectives. Board members are nominated and elected at the annual meeting and serve staggered multi-year terms.

“I am deeply honored to serve as vice chair of the ACHE Board of Trustees,” Dunsworth said. “Arkansas Colleges of Health Education plays a transformational role in strengthening healthcare access, professional leadership, and economic development throughout our region. The institution has quickly become a cornerstone for advancing health education in western Arkansas and beyond. We are especially proud that many ����vlog���� graduates have continued their academic and professional journeys at ACHE, and I look forward to strengthening the partnership between our institutions as we work together to serve our communities.”

In addition to its academic programs, ACHE is home to the Research Institute Health & Wellness Center (RIHWC), a 317,000-square-foot facility offering health and wellness initiatives such as exercise classes, ceramics, a teaching kitchen, and art galleries. The center also features a 90,000-square-foot biomedical research laboratory that supports innovation and discovery in the health sciences.

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A pair of recent ����vlog���� graduates have joined the University in January as new staff members.

Raegan Swafford, a Spring 2025 graduate, has been named the writing specialist in the Jones Learning Center. Her first day was Jan. 12.

Asa Mawoko, who graduated last month during the Fall 2025 Commencement has been named a staff accountant in the Office of Administrative Services. He will begin on Jan. 19.

Swafford, from Van Buren, Ark., graduated with majors in English and Psychology and with Summa Cum Laude honors. She was selected as the University 2025 Hurie Award recipient, given to the outstanding member of the senior class. She was named the Outstanding Student in English in 2025 and in 2023 won the University’s Project Poet competition.

“I’m excited to join the Jones Learning Center as a writing specialist because it allows me to support students as they develop confidence in their academic voices,” Swafford said. “The JLC’s emphasis on individualized learning and student success strongly aligns with my own passion for collaborative, student-centered education.”

Swafford called her time at Ozarks “deeply rewarding.”

“The close-knit campus community and supportive faculty helped shape my academic growth and encouraged me to pursue meaningful opportunities,” she said. 

Outside of work, Swafford enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, and volunteering at her church in Van Buren. “I value activities that allow me to recharge creatively and stay connected to my community,” she said. 

Mawoko, a native of Zimbabwe, earned a degree in accounting from Ozarks with Summa Cum Laude honors.

He was named the Outstanding Student in Accounting in 2025 and was actively involved in the University’s music program as a baritone soloist and a bass. He also served as a student tutor, an Ozarks Experience mentor, and as a data intern for the International Student Program.

“Joining ����vlog���� full-time is both an honor and a full-circle moment for me,” Mawoko said. “This institution provided the education I dreamed of from a young age, and it feels only right to give back to a place that invested so deeply in my growth. Experiencing Ozarks from both a student and staff perspective is meaningful—what I did not learn as a student, I now have the opportunity to learn as a professional, guided by the same people who believed in me, supported me, and helped shape who I am today.”

Mowoko said his experience as a student at Ozarks was “a journey of self-discovery filled with challenges, growth, and meaningful moments—from demanding exams and late nights in the library to conversations at Starbucks, rainy walks across campus, sunny lake days with Ozarks Outdoors, and reflective moments in the chapel pews. Along the way, I formed friendships—some that lasted days, months, others years, and others that will last a lifetime. Each experience played a role in writing my Ozarks story.”

Outside of work, Mawoko is an avid soccer enthusiast with a strong passion for music, “particularly singing and listening across a wide range of genres.” He has also recently taken up hiking.

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Classes for the Spring 2026 Semester at ����vlog���� will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

Residential housing will open on Sunday, Jan 18, for students to move in for the semester.

There will be no classes on Monday, Jan. 19, as the University observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day. However, University offices will be open on Jan. 19.

Spring Break is scheduled for March 23-27 and the final day of classes will be May 6.

The Spring 2025 Commencement ceremony is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 16.

New students can register for the Spring 2026 Semester by contacting the Office of Admission at 479-979-1227 or emailing admission@ozarks.edu.

Important Dates Spring 2026 Semester:

Jan. 18: Spring housing opens for move-in

Jan. 20: Classes begin

Jan. 26: Last day to register

Feb. 2: Last Day to Drop a class without a “W”

March 13: Mid-Term (grades due)

March 23-27: Spring Break (no classes, offices open)

April 3: Good Friday Holiday (offices closed, no classes)

April 7: Last day to withdraw from a class

April 6-17: Student Self-Registration

May 6: Last day of classes

May 7: Study Day

May 8-13: Final exams (spring housing closes on last exam day)

May 15: Baccalaureate and Senior Brick Ceremony

May 16:  Commencement ceremony (on campus mall)

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