Winter Commencement to Honor 42 Graduates

Forty-two graduates will have degrees conferred upon them during OBU's Winter Commencement on Friday, Dec. 16. Dr. Todd Fisher will deliver the Commencement Address.

The graduating students, in academic regalia, will take their symbolic final walk into Raley Chapel's Potter Auditorium for the 2 p.m. ceremonies. Dr. David W. Whitlock, OBU president, will preside over the ceremonies.

Fisher, secretary of the OBU board of trustees, has served as senior pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Shawnee since 2003. Raised in Fort Worth, Texas, he earned a bachelor's degree from OBU in 1992. He earned a master's degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1996, and a doctorate from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2001.

He serves on the board of trustees for The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is moderator of Pott-Lincoln Baptist Association. He also teaches as an adjunct professor for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Jamy, have three children, Zachary, Carly and Anna.

Dr. Randall Adams, church outreach team leader for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, will bring greetings on behalf of the BGCO. The graduating class will be presented by Neal Ellis, president of the OBU Student Government Association and a junior from Midlothian, Texas, and Dr. Stan Norman, provost and executive vice president for campus life.

The program also includes special music presented by Courtney Bryant, a member of the Class of 2012 from Moore, Okla. The graduates will be inducted into the OBU Alumni Association by Lori Hagans, executive director of the OBU Alumni Association.

OBU faculty members traditionally line the sidewalk between the Geiger Center and Raley Chapel prior to Commencement, greeting graduates for their final "walk" on campus as students.

Candidates for bachelor's degrees from OBU's Paul Dickinson College of Business, with academic majors and hometowns, include Yi-Tseng Liu, finance, Taipei, Taiwan; Trevor S. Martin, management, Skiatook, Okla.; and Kathryn Erin McVey, international business, Golden, Colo.

From the Warren M. Angell College of Fine Arts, candidates for bachelor's degrees include Maria Yesenia Avila, art education P-12, Madill, Okla.; Bethany Amber Bruce, art education P-12, League City, Texas; Timothy Lane Castleberry, news and information, Sand Springs, Okla.; Kate Lauren Davenport, music, Oklahoma City; Ashley Patricia Kerr, art, Greenville, Calif.; Katelyn Rose Roberts, art, Guymon, Okla.; Gregory Mark Spena, church music, Weatherford, Okla.; and Bonnie Ann Whitehead, studio art, Weatherford, Texas.

Candidates for bachelor's degrees from OBU's College of Humanities and Sciences include Holli R. Baldwin, special education P-12, Oklahoma City; Molly Elizabeth Brown, anthropology, Jonesboro, Ark.; Christopher Kyle Craddock, health, physical education P-12, Ardmore, Okla.; Shondia Evano Drew, exercise and sports science: pre-allied health, Oklahoma City; Joshua Daniel Dutton, interdisciplinary: French/business administration, Shawnee; Blake D. Gallacher, leisure service management: sports and recreation management, San Diego, Calif.; Brandy M. Gibson, English secondary education, Shawnee; Jordan Elizabeth Godfrey, English, Tulsa, Okla.; Caralen Ashley Haymans, psychology: pre-counseling, Oklahoma City; Kalyn Michelle Hammock, psychology: pre-counseling, Gunter, Texas; Laura Jean McCulley, family and community service: family life, Maize, Kan.; Ashley Erin Neel, history/political science, Seminole, Okla.; Samantha Renee Ridder, psychology: pre-counseling, Spring, Texas; Alicia Marie Robertson, early childhood education, Shawnee; Sarah Elizabeth Shank, anthropology, Durango, Colo.; Sydney Marie Staggs, psychology: pre-counseling, Checotah, Okla.; and Daniel Glenn Woodall, sociology, Vinita, Okla.

From the James E. Hurley College of Science and Mathematics, candidates for bachelor's degrees include Ryan Wesley Whitlock, mathematics, secondary education, Shawnee; and Jonathan Patrick Wright, mathematics, Lindsay, Okla.

Candidates for bachelor's degrees from the Herschel H. Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry include Wesley J. Bates, Christian studies, Bethany, Okla.; Kayla Renea Denny, religion: Bible, Enid, Okla.; Roger Lynn Eccles, Christian studies, Bethany; Galend Kyle Hover, applied ministry: cross-cultural with orality certification, Wanette, Okla.; Nicholas Jay Johnson, applied ministry: youth, Lindsay, Okla.; Beverly Diann Maxwell, Christian studies, Oklahoma City; Kimberly D. May, applied ministry: children, Shawnee; Benjamin R. Moore, religion: Bible, Panhandle, Texas; Clay Alan Phillips, religion: Bible, Heavener, Okla.; Megan Brooke Shelby, religion: Bible, Texarkana, Texas; Jonathan Paul Sutmiller, Christian studies, Poteau, Okla.; and Ashley Elisabeth Wyatt, applied ministry: cross-cultural, Louisburg, Kan.

Students graduate with the scholastic predicate summa cum laude for maintaining at least a 3.95 grade point average. Those honored will receive academic hoods during the ceremony. Honorees include Ashley Erin Neel, Katelyn Rose Roberts and Bonnie Ann Whitehead.

Students who maintained at least at 3.70 GPA are designated magna cum laude. They include Molly Elizabeth Brown, Bethany Amber Bruce, Kayla Renea Denny, Kathryn Erin McVey and Ashley Elisabeth Wyatt.

Students who maintained at least a 3.40 GPA are designated cum laude. They include Kate Lauren Davenport, Jordan Elizabeth Godfrey, Kalyn Michelle Hammock, Laura Jean McCulley, Samantha Renee Ridder and Alicia Marie Robertson.

Seven graduating seniors will be recognized in Who's Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges. Who's Who is an annual honors program honoring our nation's leading college students. The program recognizes academic excellence, outstanding accomplishments and contributions to community and school. Those students include Maria Yesenia Avila-Salazar, Kayla Renea Denny, Jordan Elizabeth Godfrey, Kathryn Erin McVey, Ashley Erin Neel, Katelyn Rose Roberts and Ashley Elisabeth Wyatt.

Junior Class Marshals are the top-ranking junior men and women, based on overall grade point average, who serve as marshals for the Commencement ceremony. They include Emily Blackwell, Vanessa Brackett, Emily Buller, Kasey Chapman, Cara Cliburn, Molly Denny, Kallie Engle, Gavin Hart, Curtis Headrick, Mariah Miller, Carson Misner, Stephanie Penick, Caroline Reel, Kara Rhodes, Caleb Stogner, Tori Thomas and Laura Voth.