Cody Williamson, a rising senior political science major from Fayetteville, Ark., was elected earlier this month by the student body as ����vlog����’ Student Government Association president for the 2024-25 academic year.

As a 24-year-old with a one-year-old child, Rowan, and a fiancé, Ashton Nickell, Williamson believes he can bring a new perspective as SGA president next year.

“Having a family gives me a deeper understanding of the challenges students face beyond the classroom,” Williamson said. “Being a parent while juggling school has given me better time-management skills, communication skills, and active listening skills. I’m definitely not your typical college student — the only bottles I’m popping are usually a warm Dr. Brown’s Baby Bottle for my child. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world and I’ve learned so much about inclusivity, empathy, and the importance of community through it.”

Williamson said he was honored and excited to represent the student body.

“I am looking forward to working with students and faculty to make the change they want to see,” he said. “My plans are to drive up student involvement and leave a lasting impact that will drive positive change for the University. I envision a campus where every student feels heard, valued, and empowered. I want to bridge gaps, break down barriers, and build a stronger campus community.”

Williamson served on the University’s Model UN team last year and is also a member of the Campus Activities Board. He also served an internship with the City of Clarksville’s Economic Development Office last year. He plans to attend law school following graduation.

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Established less than three years ago, the ����vlog����’ student-led Entrepreneurship Club is already making a big impact on campus.

The club recently was named “Organization of the Year” during the Leadership Banquet hosted by Student Engagement last week. The organization also won “Best All-Campus Event of the Year” and Vice President Carlissa Colebrook was named “Officer of the Year.”

The club is comprised of members, President Gustavo Alejandro Lugo Medrano, a sophomore from Diriamba, Nicaragua; Colebrook, a senior from Nassau, The Bahamas; Secretary Diana Jyham Fernandez, a junior from Guaimaca, Honduras; Treasurer Alexandra Melgar, a sophomore from Panama City, Panama; and Program Director Nataly Paulina Vindas Calderón, a freshman from Sabalito, Costa Rica.  The advisor is Dr. Christine Scott, associate professor of business.

Alumnus Devis Garces, who established the Entrepreneurship Club in 2020, returned to campus for the Leadership Banquet and was able to celebrate the club’s success with its current members.

The club’s mission statement reads, “We aim to be a diverse student-led club with passionate people about entrepreneurship and with a strong desire to undertake projects. We create activities to empower all our members with the set of strategies and procedures that helps them start their business.”

Vindas Calderón said the primary objective of the Entrepreneurship Club is to “cultivate a dynamic and supportive environment that nurtures an entrepreneurial mindset and fosters a sense of community among our members. By empowering aspiring entrepreneurs to pursue their innovative ideas and ventures, this club aims to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to transform their visions into successful startups.”

The club hosted several events throughout the year, including a speaker series that was named the best all-campus event of the year at the banquet. The series brought in such speakers as alumna Falon Brueckner, owner of Shine Yoga Studio, and Esperanza Massana, director of the Arkansas Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Division and a former Walton Scholar. Also taking part in the series were Jeff Amerine, founder of Startup Junkie Consulting, and Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

“By being part of the E-Club, members can gain skills and knowledge and have access to network opportunities that will help them to succeed in their entrepreneurial endeavors,” Vindas Calderón. “Through the community, networking opportunities, and resources offered by the organization, members can develop a deeper understanding of entrepreneurship and gain practical experience in applying these skills in real-world situations. All students, regardless of the major they are studying, can find helpful our activities if they are interested in entrepreneurship.”

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Several U of O students recently placed in the Arkansas Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) 2020 State Leadership Conference.

The conference was held online via Zoom on April 7.

Ozarks received five first-place finishes in the annual business competition.

The team of Guillermo Hernandez and Tanner Young won first in Hospitality Management and the team of Mayu Rivas and Ohany Roman (pictured) won first in Global Analysis & Decision Making. The Ozarks team of Isias Ortiz, Kenia Roa and Richard Rodriguez won first place in Economic Analysis & Decision Making and the team of Yallin Blackman, Melissa Brenes and Roses Brown won first in Business Sustainability. Ortiz also won first in Macroeconomics.

The Ozarks team of Yessenia Alvarez, Laura Gochez and Yeimy Rodriguez took second place in Global Analysis & Decision Making, Juan De La Cruz was second in Programing Concepts, Valdini Eugene was second in Microeconomics and the team of Cristina Duran and Devis Garces took second in Marketing Analysis & Decision Making.

Xavier Ruiz finished third in Macroeconomics and Paul Bien Aime was third in Microeconomics.

“I was proud of how our students competed despite the fact that it was held online and that we did not get to compete in all of the categories,” said PBL Advisor Dr. Scott Sheinfeld, assistant professor of management.

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The ����vlog���� team of David Bondy, Juan Fernando de la Cruz, Nicolas Dunsworth and Richard Javier Rodriguez took home second place overall in the 2020 Arkansas Undergraduate Mathematics Competition, held Feb. 29 at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia.

It is the second consecutive year that a team from Ozarks has finished in the top two in the state-wide competition. Rodriguez and de la Cruz were part of Ozarks’ first-place team in last year’s event, the first U of O team to ever finish first overall in the AUMC.

A total of 10 teams from five universities competed in this year’s event, with Henderson State taking first place.

Also competing for Ozarks were, Jonathan Duffel, Nadine Karabaranga, Dakota Frits, Brilliant Pasipanodya, Misael Perez-Medina and Carlos Leon Beauregard.

Students competed in teams of 2-4 with no calculators, computers, books or notes available to them on the three-hour, 10-question test that emphasized problem-solving skills. Teams received 10 points for every correct answer and partial credit for incomplete but significant work.

The final results of the competition were not tabulated and confirmed until more than two weeks after the competition. The students learned of the results last week, according to the U of O team’s sponsor, Dr. Matt Myers, professor of mathematics. “All of our students competed with character and integrity and we are proud of the way they represented Ozarks,” Myers said.

“All of our students demonstrate a true passion for mathematics and they enjoyed the opportunity to test their skills against other top students from throughout the state.”

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University of the Ozarks alumna Taylor Plugge, who has served in the Office of Admission since 2013, will transition into the director of student engagement position in the Office of Student Affairs, effective July 1.

A 2013 graduate of Ozarks, Plugge has been the assistant director of admission since 2017. As director of student engagement, she will lead the areas of student activities, new student orientation programs and student organizations.

“I am excited to be joining student affairs and working with a talented group of colleagues to build a student engagement program that is dynamic and inclusive,” Plugge said. “My goal is to work with students, faculty and staff from across campus to create a vibrant student experience that contributes to student success, retention and to the University’s mission.”

Plugge replaces Bendex Stevenson, who was named director of campus recreation in May.

“Taylor is an outstanding addition to the student affairs team,” said Luke Morrill, dean of students. “She has spent her career at Ozarks directly impacting the undergraduate experience and developing meaningful connections with all the students she interacts with. As Taylor transitions into her new role, I have no doubt that she will bring the same student centered approach to developing a vibrant student engagement program.”

As part of the admission staff, Plugge played an integral role in helping the University set record enrollments in each of the past three years.

Plugge said one of her priorities in leading student engagement is to support the integration of the University’s growing international student population into the campus community.

“Ozarks has one of the most diverse small campuses in the region and that’s part of what makes this University special,” Plugge said. “Ozarks has a long history of embracing student diversity through values such as hospitality, justice and inclusion. I want to help continue that legacy through the student engagement office.”

A native of Hartman, Arkansas, Plugge graduated from Ozarks with cum laude honors while earning a degree in economics. As a student at Ozarks she worked in the University’s Advancement Office in a work-study capacity.

She and her fiancé, Aaron, have a 4-year-old daughter, Addison. Outside of work, Plugge enjoys hiking with her family, camping on the weekends, exploring the different state parks around Arkansas, and spending time on her family’s farm.

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����vlog���� is expected to welcome more than 500 alumni, friends and family members to campus for a variety of events and reunions during Homecoming 2018, scheduled for Oct. 25-28.

In recent years, the University has combined its traditional alumni weekend with homecoming to make one larger campus-wide celebration. This year, family weekend will also be a part of Homecoming 2018.

“We combined the events a couple of years ago so that alumni and current students would have more opportunities for interaction and it’s worked out even better than we had anticipated,” said Lori McBee, vice president for advancement. “This year we have an added bonus of family weekend being a part of Homecoming, so it will be a great opportunity for our alumni, current students and their parents to take part in a large number of events we have scheduled.”

The weekend will include numerous family-friendly events, including a Raku pottery workshop on Friday, an alumni and friends fun run and walk on Saturday morning, soccer matches and a tailgate and family carnival on Saturday afternoon, a youth cheer camp on Saturday afternoon and the All Hallows Eve Concert on Saturday evening.

There will also be the annual Alumni Awards Ceremony on Friday evening in the Rogers Conference Center. This year’s recipients will include, Fidel Samour ’08 of Little Rock, Ark., with the Young Alumni Service Award; Maria Denise Duarte ’08 of Managua, Nicaragua, with the Young Alumni Achievement Award; Kent Cecil ’80 of Clarksville with the Alumni Achievement Award; Kaye (Bagsby) Person ’77 of Tuckerman, Ark., with the Alumni Merit Award; and the Jimmie ’53 and Laura Anne (Self) Thames ’52 family with the Alumni Legacy Award.

Other events throughout the weekend include, the alumni golf tournament on Friday morning, a bonfire on Friday evening, a Walton Arts & Ideas Series lecture by 3-D printing prosthetics advocate Jen Owen on Thursday evening, Yoga on the Mall on Saturday morning, a Fall Festival on the campus mall on Saturday evening, a Memorial Chapel Service on Sunday morning and various decade reunions.

“We’ve got more than 30 different events throughout the weekend for our alumni, students and families to enjoy,” McBee said. “This is by far the most events we’ve ever had for Homecoming weekend and we believe we have something everyone.”

Most of the events are open to the public and many do not have a cost for admission. For a complete schedule or to register, please visit or contact the Alumni Office at 979-1234.

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The ����vlog����’ Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) team captured a total of 20 top-five finishes at the 2018 PBL State Leadership Conference, held April 6-7 in Little Rock.

Awards

PBL members from U of O tallied two first-place awards, seven second-place finishes, four third-place awards and seven other top-five honors during the annual state-wide event that draws PBL chapters from universities and colleges throughout the state.

For Ozarks, the team of Jose Salinas, Franchesca Garcia, and Luis Robles took first place in the category of Global Analysis & Decision Making. In the category of Marketing Analysis & Decision Making, the Ozarks team of Falon Hanson, Katherinn Lopez, and Henry Marin also won first-place honors.

The University’s second-place finishers included Oscar Roldan in Entrepreneurship Concepts, K.C. Nkalari in Future Business Executive and Public Speaking, Gladis Alvarez in Human Resource Management, Laura Gochez in Management Concepts, Thibault Melchior in Marketing Concepts and the team of Lorenzo Bac and Maria Corea in Strategic Analysis & Decision Making.

The third-place finishers for Ozarks were Ohany Roman in Accounting Principles, Melchior in Macroeconomics, Marin in Client Services and Rowan Westheimer in Social Media Challenge.

Other students who placed in the top five were, Yailin Blackman, Melisa Brenes, Isaias Zapata, Ester Lopez and Ronald Flores.

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There are several events for the community that the University will be presenting this Halloween season.

Friday, October 27

The University will host a Safe Trick or Treat Night for children from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Rogers Conference Center. Both events are free and open to the public. The All Hallows Eve Concert will begin at 7 p.m. in the Munger-Wilson Chapel.

The Safe Trick or Treat Night is presented by the Residential Hall Association (RHA) and will include candy, books and interactive programming for children 12-and-under. Children are encouraged to wear their costumes and parents can accompany their children.

The All Hallows Eve Concert will feature University organist and pianist Dr. Sharon Gorman as well as the Chamber Singers, under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Ledger. Pianist Bethany Qualls and Professor of English Dr. David Strain will also accompany the performance. The program will include selections from Beauty and the Beast, Jurassic Park, Tangled, 101 Dalmatians, Wonder Woman, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Star Wards and Phantom of the Opera.  The concert is child-friendly and audience members are invited and encouraged to come in costume.

Friday – Sunday, October 27-29

The Campus Activities Board will present a Stephen King-themed Haunted House for middle school-aged children and older as well as adults. It is not recommended for young children. Admission to the Haunted House is $5 or free with an Ozarks ID. Proceeds will be donated to the Ozarks Annual Fund.

The Haunted House will be held in Voorhees Hall on Johnson Street.
Friday – 8-11 p.m.
Saturday – 7-11 p.m.
Sunday – 6-10 p.m.

For more information on any of these events, please contact the University’s Office of Marketing and Public Relations at 979-1433.

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Former University of Maryland All-American and NBA player Adrian Branch will speak at ����vlog���� at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 17, in the Rogers Conference Center.

The event is sponsored by the University’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) as well as the athletic program. It is open to the public and there is no cost for admission.

Branch was a two-time honorable mention All-American at Maryland and finished as the program’s third all-time leading scorer. He went on to play three seasons in the NBA, including on the 1987 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.

He has served in the ministry and as a television sports analyst since retiring from his playing career.

Branch will speak on how taking life one day at a time in faith has assured him of being a “world champion.”

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Rotaract is a Rotary-sponsored university club for young men and women ages 18 to 30. A group of seven students from the organization traveled with advisor Cindy Lanphear, assistant professor of practice management and business, to El Salvador during the University’s spring break, from March 17-25.

The group joined with local Rotary clubs in San Salvador to take part in several volunteer projects, including assisting in a Habitat for Humanity International project and providing shoes and backpacks filled with school supplies to rural children.

The funding for the trip and projects were secured through a Rotaract swim meet fund-raiser as well as through donations from area Rotary clubs in Clarksville, Russellville and Dardanelle. The Rotaract group, which had about 28 students in the organization this academic year, also received an Alumni Enrichment Award from the U of O Alumni Association.

Selena Haunty, a student from Belton, Mo., and president of Rotaract, said the mission trip was one she will never forget.

“I think I learned for the first time what it really means to serve others,” said Haunty. “To see people from these different Rotary organizations come together and make a difference was amazing. It had a big impact on me.”

In the Habitat for Humanity project, the students worked with limited tools to help dig a foundation and build the flooring and walls on a residential home.

A group from the University’s Rotaract chapter recently took part in a mission trip to El Salvador, where they worked on a Habitat for Humanity International project.

“It felt great to work hard as a team and watch the difference you were making,” said senior Meghan Mansur. “We actually met and saw the people who were going to be living in the house, which made it even more special.”

The projects with the school children also made an impact on the U of O students.

“You saw things like one teacher for two different grades and even classes where the older children were teaching the younger ones because some of the teachers were absent,” said Ederlee Gomez of Clarksville. “We also saw really young children walking to school by themselves, something you’d never see in the United States. To know that we were able to provide shoes and school supplies to the children was very satisfying.”

The students stayed with local host families, which enrichened the experience.

“To live with the families and eat the local foods added to the total experience,” said senior Doug Rye. “It made me realize that in some ways the world is bigger than what I’d thought, but it also made me realize that people are the same in a lot of ways, no matter where they live.”

While in El Salvador, the Rotaract group had dinner with several Ozarks alumni.

The students also has an opportunity to meet and interact with Rotarians from El Salvador as well as Ozarks alumni living in the area.

“There were team-building events and cookouts with the other Rotarians, which was a great bonding and networking experience,” said Meghan. “It was also great to meet alumni and share our connections.”

Lanphear said the mission trip to El Salvador epitomized what Rotaract and U of O are all about.

“Part of Rotaract’s mission is taking part in international trips and exchanges and to serve others, which is also a part of this University’s mission,” Lanphear said. “Experiences like these make students more aware and appreciative of what we have here and it makes them realize that they can make a difference for people who are less fortunate. They have an increased awareness of what they can do in this world.”

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