Jean-Pierre and Ternier, both 2020 Ozarks graduates from Haiti, were married in Northwest Arkansas on Dec. 7, and that’s just the start of a busy next few months for the couple.

Jean-Pierre is expected to complete his Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Oklahoma State University in May 2025. Ternier is expected to complete her Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Arkansas in August 2025. The couple will move to Montreal following their wedding where Jean-Pierre has an academic research position secured at the Université de Montréal.

“There’s certainly a lot going on for us right now, but we wouldn’t want it any other way,” Jean-Pierre said. “It’s an exciting time.”

Jean-Pierre earned a major in business administration with minors in sustainable agriculture, creative writing & thought and economics from Ozarks. He said he decided to pursue a Ph.D. in agricultural economics because of an incident that had a major impact on him and his family while growing up in Haiti.   

His family members were agricultural producers in Saint-Louis du Sud, a rural town in the southern department of Haiti. They raised livestock, including swine. In the early 1980s, an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Haiti forced many rural families, including his own, to leave their livelihoods behind.

“Following the ASF outbreak, the government implemented a nationwide swine depopulation campaign to limit the disease’s spread and many farmers received no compensation for their losses,” Jean-Pierre said. “This campaign led to disruptions, a large-scale rural exodus, and increased emigration to neighboring countries. This experience ignited my interest in understanding the economic impacts of animal diseases and inspired me to pursue a career dedicated to identifying solutions that protect communities from similar challenges.”

Jean-Pierre said his career goals are “to contribute to impactful research in animal health economics, with a focus on education, innovation, and cost-effective solutions for disease management, particularly in rural areas and developing countries where this intersection of livestock health and economic stability is often the most consequential to both producer and consumer well-being.”

Since his time at OSU, Jean-Pierre has been awarded the International Livestock Research Institute Ph.D. Research Fellow (2023-2024), the Williams Distinguished Graduate Fellow (2023), the Stoecker Family International Agricultural Economics Fellow (2023) and the Leonard F. Miller Distinguished Graduate Fellow in International Rural Development (2021-2022). The title of his Ph.D. dissertation is “Foot-and-Mouth Disease Management and Consequences on Rwanda’s Cattle Sector: A Multi-Model Approach Integrating Livestock Dynamics, Epidemiology and Economics Analysis.”

At the Université de Montréal, he will join the Plateforme AI-Agrosanté (PIAAS) where his research focus will be on “Economic and Health Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Livestock Disease Management and Incentives for Farmer Adoption.”

“The main goals of this research will be to understand the potential opportunity losses associated with on-farm AI non-adoption to prevent or control a potential disease spread; analyze the costs, benefits, and market impacts of AI adoption; and disseminate research findings through workshops and trainings to reduce the gap between scientific research and practical implementation within Quebec’s agri-food sector,” he said.

Jean-Pierre said the LENS curriculum at Ozarks helped guide him on his career course.

“Ozarks encouraged me to explore my strengths outside of my comfort zone, and the LENS program played an important role in shaping my career as an agricultural economist,” he said. “When I arrived at Ozarks, I was set on majoring in business administration, with an economics concentration, but the LENS program required me to select a minor in the natural sciences. On the advice of my advisor, Christine McCain, I chose sustainable agriculture. This decision helped me discover my passion for applying economic principles to the agricultural sector.”

Ternier, who earned majors in chemistry and biology at Ozarks, said her research centers around the metabolic and structural characterization of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) proteins. Her Ph.D. dissertation is titled, “Characterization of the Structure and Function of Recombinant FGF19.”

“My interest in biochemistry is sourced from the importance that plant-based remedies have in the Haitian society as compared to conventional methods,” she said. “I became particularly intrigued by how plants, often considered poisonous, can also serve as effective treatments for diseases. I first wanted a career in pharmacy, but my journey shifted upon attending my first college biochemistry class. My first week in this class was the moment I realized my desire for knowledge extended far beyond drug interactions; I wanted to understand the molecular mechanisms orchestrating our physiological responses.”

Ternier said her career goal is to make a “meaningful contribution to patient health within a clinical or pharmaceutical setting. I want to collaborate with medical professionals and conduct research that has a direct, positive impact on both patient care and clinical practices.”

She credited her Ozarks education for sparking her interest in research.

“Ozarks culture as a smaller community facilitates students and faculty interactions, which benefited my decision-making in terms of graduate program selections and preparations for success,” Ternier said. “Graduating from Ozarks with a double major in biology and chemistry gave me a diverse perspective. My background in biology gave me a better understanding of cellular processes and physiological systems, which is essential for my research on FGF19.”

Jean-Pierre and Ternier have known each other since their high school years in Haiti and began dating shortly before enrolling at Ozarks. They were married on Dec. 7 at Saint Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Rogers, Ark., before embarking on a honeymoon to the Florida keys.

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Former Walton International Scholarship recipient Laura Calderon returned to the ����vlog���� campus earlier this month for the first time since she graduated in 2015 and she had an important message to current Walton Scholars at Ozarks.

Calderon lives in her hometown of Guatemala City where she is a junior buyer for Cemaco, the largest retail company in Guatemala.  Her message to current Walton Scholars was to take advantage of their opportunity of a college education at Ozarks and then, following graduation, return to their respective countries to make a difference.

“I enjoyed visiting with the current Walton Scholars and seeing myself in them 10 years ago,” Calderon said. “I just tried to convey to them how important this opportunity is for them and how it can open so many doors. For a lot of them, they are the first in their families to go to college, so I just tried to inspire them to work hard and to be a part of breaking the cycle of a lack of education in their families. The education they are receiving is planting a seed that will one day blossom for them, their families and their countries.”

Calderon told the students that making a difference back home can be as simple as being the best professional they can be in their chosen profession.

“People sometimes think you have to do all these big things or donate a lot of money to make an impact, but it can really be as simple as focusing on your career and being professional and ethical in your field,” Calderon said. “You can inspire people by being a professional, having high standards and being a contributing citizen in the workplace. I see what other Walton Scholars are doing from my class and they are all making an impact in their countries by just being good at their jobs and doing things the right ways. That’s how generational change happens, a little at a time over a period of time. It happens when you’re not even trying.”

Calderon said she told the Walton Scholars to focus on what they came to Ozarks to do.

“Find out what you’re passionate about and then learn as much as you can in those areas,” Calderon said. “I told them being able to get an education in the United States will set them apart back home because they will have a different point of view on so many things. That’s a valuable trait and it will allow them to stand out above everyone else.”

Calderon, who got married in June of 2022 to Carlos Barillas, has quickly climbed the corporate ladder at Cemaco, starting as a category analyst six years ago and moving to a purchase analyst and then junior buyer. As a chemistry and management major at Ozarks, she said her unique academic background has bode her well in her career.

“Chemistry really challenged me in college, but the critical thinking and analytical skills that I learned from those classes have benefited me greatly,” she said. “I’ve been told that one of my strengths is that I have a good balance of analytical, communication and management skills, and I owe all of those to my professors and to the education I received at Ozarks.”

Calderon also praised Ozarks’ diverse student body in helping prepare her for a workplace made up of various personalities and cultures.

“Ozarks really taught me tolerance and understanding of different people,” she said. “There were so many people at Ozarks from different parts of the world and being able to be in that melting pot has helped me so much. I never would have thought back then how impactful that would be.”

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����vlog���� has received a grant for $28,000 for a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system to support faculty and student involvement in research.

The grant was made possible by the Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program and the National Institutes of Health National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The award is part of a consortium agreement between U of O and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

The lead professors on the proposal included Dr. Derek Warren, assistant professor of biology; Dr. Christie L. Sampson, assistant professor of biology; and Dr. Befrika S. Murdianti, associate professor of chemistry.

Warren said the liquid chromatography system will provide the University with access to similar resources of a much larger research institution. He said the equipment is a basic tool for many research areas in cell physiology and chemistry as well as basic metabolomics, and will fit in nicely in the University’s new Wilson Science Center, which opened last year.

“We are excited for the addition of a state of the art HPLC-UV system to the new Wilson Science Center,” Warren said. “Overall, the goal is to enhance our students’ competitiveness for graduate/professional programs and jobs post-graduation by improving access to on-campus research opportunities. Currently, we have plans to use the system in student research projects in the biology, chemistry, and heath science projects such as assessing microplastics contamination in aquatic ecosystems around Arkansas and characterizing how diet and environment alter gut microflora fermentation. The versatile system will be a great addition to Ozarks’ science programs and will be used by our students and faculty for years to come.”

Warren said the HPLC system will allow U of O students to learn such research skills as “amino acid analysis, fatty acid extraction and profiling, and quantification of basic metabolites and environmental toxins.”

Sampson’s research interests include quantifying the spread and potential threat of microplastics in freshwater aquatic food webs.

“Chromatography plays a critical and diverse role in the study of microplastics,” Sampson said. “Allowing students access to the HPLC will help prepare those interested in the growing field of microplastic research. I plan to provide research opportunities to students replicating the studies I am conducting in northern Canada here in Arkansas, particularly microplastic sorption studies analyzing organic contaminant concentrations.”

The Arkansas INBRE is funded by a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences under the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The IDeA program was established for the purpose of broadening the geographic distribution of NIH funding for biomedical and behavioral research. Currently NIGMS supports INBRE programs in 23 states and Puerto Rico.

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Heath Spillers, who has taught science at Subiaco Academy since 2015, has been named the new science laboratory coordinator for the Wilson Science Center, effective June 1, 2022.

The science lab coordinator position manages the operations of the teaching and research laboratories and also teaches laboratory sections of science courses. Responsibilities also include, developing laboratory procedures, categorizing and storage of instruments, directing the maintenance of equipment, and ensuring compliance with federal regulations for hazardous waste disposal.

Spillers’ wife, Mary Jane, is the director of operations, data and research, and their two children, Emily and Ethan, are current students at U of O.

Spillers, who graduated with a BS in chemistry and a BSE in physical science from Arkansas Tech University, has also taught at Clarksville High School and in a previous stint at Subiaco Academy. In addition, he served as the chemistry department trainer at Arkansas Nuclear One in Russellville, Ark., from 2012 to 2015.

“My experiences have prepared me for this position at ����vlog����,” Spillers said. “While earning my BSE at Tech, I was hired as a biology lab instructor.  As an AP chemistry teacher for most of my 21 years of teaching, I have taken several weeklong courses sponsored by College Board.  I look forward to being involved in undergraduate research and other applied student experiences.  I understand the importance of being able to convey correct, standard laboratory procedures, and I require that all labs be conducted with utmost safety. Being the only chemistry teacher at Subiaco Academy means I have been totally responsible for the categorization and storage of materials and the maintenance of the equipment. My experiences and training at ANO have greatly enhanced my knowledge of hazardous materials and of hazardous waste disposal. I am prepared to teach laboratory sections of science courses and manage the operations of the laboratories.”

Spillers serves as a volunteer fireman and his interests include, craft brewing, ornithology, gardening, canoeing, fishing and hiking.

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When the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Pharmacy began notifying applicants last summer of their acceptance into the college’s incoming Class of Fall 2022, the first call they made was to Kerigan Bradshaw.

The ����vlog���� senior chemistry major from Bergman, Ark., learned she had been accepted into the UAMS pharmacy school last August, less than two months after applying.

“I distinctly remember getting the call from UAMS because they told me I was the first applicant they were extending an offer to,” Bradshaw said. “I couldn’t believe it; I was so happy. In that moment I knew all my hard work and stressful all-nighters were worth it.”

Bradshaw, who will graduate next month with Summa Cum Laude honors (3.85 GPA or higher), started out as a biology major at Ozarks, but quickly changed to chemistry, with minors in business administration, biology and American studies.

“After taking my first chemistry class, I fell in love with chemistry and found out it made me more desirable as a grad student applicant because there is far less chemistry students than biology,” she said. “I also knew from the beginning I wanted to own my own clinic or business, so I wanted to take as many business classes as I could.”

Bradshaw said she chose pharmacy over medical school after volunteering at a non-profit clinic in Branson, Mo., for several days last summer.

“I was shadowing a friend of my family who was a pharmacist at the clinic and I saw her interaction with the patients,” she said. “Her love for people shine throughout her day-to-day activities. I want to be able to help people, while incorporating my love for chemistry. “

Bradshaw, who was also accepted to the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy, called the application process “nerve-racking.”

“The applications were long, and I had an interview for every pharmacy school I applied to,” she said. “One interview was over Zoom and another I had to go to the school for. It was exciting, but I was definitely nervous. The Ozarks professors helped me a lot. I talked to both of my chemistry professors about my career options and about how to find what careers were available for me. They both wrote letters of application for me. I know if I did not have their help, I would not have gotten in.”

In addition to starring in the classroom, Bradshaw was a standout on the women’s basketball team at Ozarks. The 5-foot-6 guard finished her career with 822 points and 60 three-pointers and ranks among the top 25 in program history in career assists with 184. She earned All-American Southwest Conference (ASC) Third-Team Honors following her senior year after being All-ASC Honorable Mention selections as both a sophomore and junior.

She said juggling athletics and academics was not an easy task.

“Not only are you mentally drained, but you’re physically drained from practice and several workouts throughout the day,” she said. “I found the key to success for being a successful student-athlete is having good time-management. Sometimes it means instead of hanging out with friends you go to the library and study. Sometimes it means not going out on the weekends and staying at home to take care of your homework. It’s all about sorting out the priorities in your life and putting school first. I missed a lot of class because of traveling so I had to make sure I was always on top of my work. I never did things last minute and I learned to do my homework on the bus, which is one of the greatest skills I acquired. I also used basketball as my outlet. When I had a long day and was stressed out from all the schoolwork that had been piling up, I used basketball to take my mind off school. I took out my frustrations on the court and that helped to fuel my skills and build up my level of success in the sport. When I needed a study break, I went to the gym and got shots up. Success is a mindset. I wanted to be successful in both areas, so I made it happen.”

Despite the jam-packed schedule, she will leave Ozarks with numerous good memories.

“My favorite Ozarks memories include all the all-nighters, late-night waffle house runs, and then still having 6 a.m. practices the next day,” she said. “I don’t know how I did it, but I’m so glad that I did and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Bradshaw said she is amazed how much she has grown as a student and as a person during her time at Ozarks.

“Not only have I expanded my knowledge, but I have learned so much about myself,” she said. “I’ve learned what people and what things I need in my life and what things I am better off without. I’ve learned how to make new friends and truly invest in other people. Ozarks has opened my eyes to all the opportunities life has to offer, including introducing me to so many amazing people. I have become more open-minded, more appreciative of what I have, and most importantly I have been prepared to go out into the world and make a difference. I can’t wait for my next journey and see what the next step has to offer.”

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Several ����vlog���� science programs will benefit from the addition of two new pieces of equipment this semester, thanks to a pair of shared instrumentation grants.

The grants, which totaled more than $52,000, are from the Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). The grants will be used to purchase a metabolic cart as well as a microviscometer.

The grant for the Quark CPET metabolic cart was spearheaded by Assistant Professor of Health Science Dr. Piroska Boros (pictured above) in collaboration with Drs. Steven Machek and Derek Warren.  The metabolic cart is a research-grade equipment that measures cardiorespiratory function, and indirectly the energy requirements, during exercise on a treadmill or on an exercise bike.

“This equipment will enhance several biomedical research projects at the University in the health science, biology, and physical education departments,” said Boros. “The main research component is studying cardiorespiratory fitness as a predictor of endurance performance as well as a clinical marker of chronic diseases. A metabolic cart is a basic tool for many research areas in health science, being fairly ubiquitous in exercise science and physiology laboratory settings.”

Boros said that the metabolic cart will aid in instruction in both laboratory and classroom settings in a variety of classes and areas.

“The metabolic cart can be used to demonstrate exercise response in introductory anatomy and physiology classes,” she said. “Our more advanced health science and biology classes will be able to use the metabolic cart to measure cardiorespiratory fitness from a wide variety of test protocols. Due to the variety of potential applications, we see the use of the metabolic cart expanding to additional programs. We foresee the physical education and athletic coaching programs using it for upper-level classes, such as physical activity and public health, and measurement and evaluation as well.”

Boros added that the metabolic cart will fit in nicely with the additional laboratory spaces in the new Wilson Science Center, scheduled to open early this semester.

“We plan to use the new health science laboratory as a community outreach laboratory where we can offer various exercise testing and individual-based recommendations to University athletics, students, faculty, and staff, and eventually for the larger Clarksville community,” Boros said. “The addition of the metabolic cart will allow us to add an important cardiorespiratory function measure to our list of services that has the potential to open room for undergraduate research opportunities as well as for our students to gain more practical skills in the field of health science. Gaining practical skills in administering tests with the metabolic cart will aid students to become more well-rounded scientists, as well as exceedingly more competitive amidst job and graduate school applications via the acquisition of critical evaluation skillsets.”

Dr. Radwan Al Faouri, assistant professor of physics, was the lead professor on the grant for the Lovis 2000 M Microviscometer. He said the instrument can measure the dynamic and relative viscosity of different solutions with a high degree of accuracy, versatility, and time-saving features. He added that the microviscometer can be used in biology, chemistry, health science and physics classes.

“It is used in many pharmaceutical, biological and chemical applications,” Al Faouri said. “It is used to measure the viscosity of pharmaceutical and medical products such as nasal sprays, ear drops, blood plasma and biological liquids, infusion liquids and contrast media, microcrystalline cellulose, protein solutions and DNA. It is also used to measure the viscosity of chemical products such as polymer solutions, printer inks, solvents, acids, and bases. After getting the essential training on using the microviscometer, Ozarks students will be ready to apply this knowledge in a wider range of research.”

The primary goal of the Arkansas INBRE is to expand biomedical research capacity in the state.

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����vlog���� will hold a dedication ceremony for the new Thomas and Frances Wilson Science Center on Saturday, April 9.

The event will begin at 4 p.m. in front of the new $18.4 million facility on campus. The ceremony is open to alumni and friends of the University and will include refreshments and tours of the building.

Those interested in attending should RSVP to pcogan@ozarks.edu. For those who cannot attend, the dedication ceremony will be livestreamed on the University’s Facebook Page.

The Wilson Science Center is the single largest capital construction project in University history. Construction began on the facility in January of 2021 and the building will open this month for Spring 2022 Semester classes.

The science center project includes a complete renovation of the previous 29,000-square-foot facility, which was built in 1969, as well as an 18,000-square-foot addition on the west side.

The Wilson Science Center will house the University’s natural and health science programs, including biology, environmental sciences, chemistry, health sciences, physics and psychology. It includes state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories as well as dedicated research areas.

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Manning, a chemistry major from Memphis, Tenn., will graduate with Magna Cum Laude honors this month. She will then head to the University of Mississippi where she received a full scholarship and stipend to pursue a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical science with a concentration in medicinal chemistry.

Manning said she has been interested in science as long as she can remember.

“Since I was a child, I always asked my mom to sign me up for science fairs and go to science museums,” Manning said, “As a third-grader I would ask my mom in-depth questions about how cells work and she always laughed and said, ‘I don’t know baby, you should find out as you grow older.’ Well, here I am a decade and a half later, trying to explain to her how cells work.”

It was an eighth grade physical science class that propelled Manning toward a career in the sciences.

“My teacher at the time was hard on our class and she really pushed us to excel,” she said. “She made us learn the entire periodic table and balanced so many chemical equations. After eighth grade, I was inducted into the STEM program in high school. The program started over the summer at the University of Memphis for seven weeks where we learned medical assistant techniques, built underwater rovers and became CPR certified. I enjoyed learning and competing in STEM events and this soon became my passion.”

Manning said she hopes to “show others that pursuing a degree in STEM is not impossible and it is okay to strive for things outside the norm.”

“You shouldn’t give up on your dreams just because it’s hard,” she said. “African American women have often been considered to be a less-educated group among minorities. I want to help change that, be the one percent in the statistics and show others that they can do it too.”

Manning plans to work in the pharmaceutical industry with an eye on helping her community.

“I want to learn more about my community, understand the problems in education and health and make a difference,” Manning said. “With my STEM degree, I want to create an environment in which people can trust medicine and I want to help fight debilitating diseases.” 

With a quartet of minors in business administration, philosophy, psychology and mathematics, Manning said she put some serious thought into what disciplines to study in Ozarks’ wide-ranging LENS curriculum.

“My major and minors all complement each other quite well,” Manning said, “I chose mathematics as a minor because chemistry includes math and I have always been good at it, so why not make chemistry easier by having a mathematics background. I agreed to take up psychology because my goal is to make drug molecules that can better serve our community; therefore, this minor will help me understand and learn about the behavior of the people. Throughout history, most scientists and mathematicians are also philosophers because of the ability to think critically and also create self-awareness. This minor helps me understand problems from the past and relate them to current events. A goal and dream of mine is to start a pharmaceutical company after working in the industry and, with my business administration degree, I would not be lost on where and how to start a business.”

Manning said the most impactful class she has had at Ozarks was an Ethics, Religion and Culture course taught by Dr. Eric Dickman, assistant professor of philosophy.

“He brought me a lot of awareness about social, political-relational and medical-individual models,” Manning said. “This taught me that some mental health and physical health issues are society-related. This will help me become a better chemist by knowing that everything cannot be fixed by medicine alone.”

Manning said her time at Ozarks also helped instill in her other valuable lessons outside the classroom.

“Coming into Ozarks, I did not want any friends or distractions. I only wanted to focus on my work and getting prepared for the next level,” she said. “I was very anti-social. However, over the years Ozarks has led to me having some wonderful friendships with classmates and professors. Ozarks has also changed me by helping me understand other points of view and why they believe what they believe. Ozarks helped me connect and understand my spiritual health as well by learning about other religions and deepen my faith through what God called me to do. This helps me strive for the impossible and challenge myself and understand that God is there with me every step of the way. And, even If I fail, I learn what I did wrong and push myself to not make the same mistake.”

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“I used to be a person who was very timid, quiet, anxious, and stayed very close to a group of people. I was afraid to meet new people and talk,” she said. “Before Ozarks, I would be uncomfortable to put myself into a conversation or start one. Since I’ve been at Ozarks, I’ve grown to make what was uncomfortable, comfortable. Now I find myself going down the sidewalk and having a conversation with anyone. The community at Ozarks has allowed me to build the confidence in who I am and with that, I’ve become socially more active and outgoing.”

Originally from Elgin, Ill., Oudomvilay grew up in Paris, Ark. She will graduate with honors from Ozarks in May with a biology major and minors in business administration, chemistry, English and health science. Her next stop following graduation is the University of West Virginia, where she will pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences with an emphasis in exercise physiology.

Calling herself a driven person, Oudomvilay said she is inspired daily by her father, whose family escaped communism in Laos when he was six years old and whose family arrived in the U.S. with only five dollars.

“His childhood consisted of living in a one-bedroom apartment in New York, sleeping on cardboard and sharing it with his single mother and two of his siblings, who he took care of while she worked three jobs,” Oudomvilay said. “The opportunities that my father had growing up weren’t there for him. A rough childhood and life is an understatement to describe my father’s upbringing. However, my father persevered and worked hard to continue to provide for our family. The purpose of my studies all leads back to my family’s upbringing in America.  I’ve always been driven to do everything I could to make my family proud and to take care of them.”

Oudomvilay, who was accepted into all three graduate schools she applied to, said a number of classes and experiences at Ozarks put her on track to continuing her education.

“I was conflicted in pursuing grad school, but Dr. Frank Knight, my advisor, introduced me to research during my first and second year here at Ozarks with his armadillos,” she said. “Then in 2019, I was able to take the lead in a project that Dr. Knight advised … I remained on the pre-medical track because I knew I wanted to pursue a graduate program within the biomedical field. However, I did not know what would fit my interests. I started a job with Coach Suzanna Gardner as an assistant in the Strength and Conditioning program. I found myself fascinated by how we can structure exercise to improve physical performance in athletes. Coach Gardner allowed me to see first-hand and taught me full engagement of form and the motion of physical activities. Personally, exercise has positively impacted me, and I was sure I wanted to tie both research and exercise together. It wasn’t until I took Dr. Chris Skinner’s drug education class last semester that I expressed my concerns in picking a program that would fit me. Dr. Skinner, who completed his master’s in exercise physiology, gave me information about the program, and it guided me in that direction.

I’m hoping to pursue a career in both academia and research. By educating others and remaining active within the research field, I hope to influence, guide and help students develop their future paths in scientific knowledge like the professors and instructors did here at ����vlog����.”

Interestingly, it wasn’t a STEM class that made the biggest impact on Oudomvilay; it was a contemporary short fiction class taught by Dr. Edward Ardeneaux.

“The class itself was heavily dependent on discussions that were led by the students,” she said. “Dr. Ardeneaux’s teaching style was much different than the other professors I’ve had. He allowed us to teach one another by giving our thoughts on the assigned reading where we would work together as a class to fully understand the many perspectives that we had about one piece of text. His approach allowed me to become more communicative and collaborative in discussions. By discussing the stories with my peers, and learning from their perspectives, this class allowed me to merge important skills such as critical thinking to understand a piece of literature or work. Critical thinking in this class influenced originality within my discussion. I wasn’t limited to what I could say about what I was reading. The course was never stagnant. The perspectives of the stories we discussed with one another made me realize that perspectives in literature are just as evolutionary and ever-changing as the very science I’m passionate about. His class allowed me to critically think about humanity and the connection to the social environment. It was the class that gave me the holistic understanding and value of the LENS program at Ozarks.”

Oudomvilay said she and her roommate of almost two years at Ozarks, Vivien Wambugu, inspired and encouraged each other during their time at Ozarks.

“Vivien and I are polar-opposites, but we connected with the way we approach our studies and how we value our family,” Oudomvilay said. “Both of us have immigrant parents, so the value of education and opportunity has been instilled into us at an early age. Vivien and I have always talked about what we would want to do to make our families proud and impact those around us in the best way possible. We stay up countless nights doing homework, studying and preparing for our classes. Whenever one of us was struggling with anything, the other would pick the other up.”

They also helped each other in the all-important application process for graduate school admission.

“We spent a course of two weeks of late nights perfecting our applications and reading each other’s statements, resumes and practicing interview questions,” she said. “I think Vivien and I stayed up for two days writing and going back and forth from one another’s bedrooms critiquing each other’s applications. We kept each other up and motivated.. I don’t think I could have gone through with my application without her. I trusted her because she knew how I felt. There was a sense of comfort knowing that I had someone going through the same thing.  Vivien and I were always together when we found out about our interviews and acceptances. She and I were the first to know about each other’s acceptances. The hard work and the encouragement we gave one another paid off. I know that without Vivien’s encouragement, I wouldn’t have made it this far. Because she was there going through the same thing, I knew I couldn’t let her down.”

As a first-generation college student, Oudomvilay said she knew Ozarks was the place for her on her first visit to campus.

“As soon as I stepped on campus, I found myself completely shocked because it wasn’t what I expected,” she said. “The student ambassadors that led my tour were welcoming and took the time to get to know me. My first impression of Ozarks was a personable experience where I felt like I belonged. I stayed and committed my four years here because of the community. The students, staff and faculty could not match what I would get at a different university. The community at Ozarks has allowed me to find the confidence in who I am and I owe it to this community to get me to where I am at. I am forever grateful for my time at Ozarks.”

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Construction began this week on the ����vlog����’ new $18.1 million science center, the largest single capital construction project in University history.

The Thomas and Frances Wilson Science Center is expected to be completed by next January, in time for the Spring 2022 Semester.

The project includes a complete renovation of the current 29,000-square-foot facility, which was built in 1969, as well as an 18,000-square-foot addition on the west side of the current building.

����vlog���� President Richard Dunsworth helped kick off the construction phase of the project on Monday during a brief building demo ceremony. Dunsworth operated a trackhoe and began the demolition of the guest cottages on the west side of the science center.

“It’s exciting to know that in about 12 months ����vlog���� students will be utilizing the new state-of-art classrooms, laboratories and dedicated research areas,” Dunsworth said. “This science center will be instrumental in developing the careers of students, of any major, by connecting and learning through top-quality science programs and facilities. This facility will enable Ozarks to play a role in meeting the environmental and health demands of our society while advancing the career opportunities of our graduates.”

The Wilson Science Center will house the University’s natural and health science programs, including biology, environmental sciences, chemistry, health sciences, physics and psychology.

Kinco Constructors of Springdale, Ark., is handling the construction of the project. While construction is ongoing, science classes will be held in other classrooms throughout the campus over the next two semesters.

The renovation and addition to the science facility is part of the University’s current Climb Higher Campaign that recently surpassed the $70 million mark, significantly exceeding the campaign’s initial goal of $55 million. The campaign will conclude on April 14, 2021.

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