Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Fifth annual I Love Healthcare Event to be held at Mercy/SBU College of Nursing and Health Sciences


Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Office of Marketing and Communications
417-328-1803

BOLIVAR, Mo. – Mercy/SBU College of Nursing and Health Sciences will host the Fifth Annual I Love Healthcare Event Saturday, February 23, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Last year over 160 visitors of all ages and backgrounds, interested in pursuing an education leading to a career in nursing, attended the event.

Mercy College of Nursing and Health Sciences dean, Dr. Martha Baker says, I Love Healthcare Event is a College Fair and includes educational information on the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences program and Radiology at SBU. We know the acute shortage of nurses will continue to provide enormous and varied opportunities for nurses, however, job opportunities in the Health Science area are also growing. Mercy/SBU will be meeting the challenges of nursing through our Associate of Science in Nursing program. This program prepares you to work as a registered nurse. Following one’s graduation from the ASN program, Mercy/SBU also offers and Bachelor’s in Nursing. We want to encourage people who are interested in careers in nursing or other health care careers to come see the wonderful opportunities that are provided by Mercy College of Nursing and Health Sciences.”

Displays, information booths, and detailed information on nursing as a career, education requirements, and financial aid opportunities will be available. Faculty, staff, and current students will be on hand to give demonstrations, provide tours of the facility, and visit with prospective students individually and in group sessions.

To register for I Love Healthcare Event please contact the event coordinator, Stephanie Jones at sajones@sbuniv.edu or 417-820-2069 no later than Wednesday, February 20, 2013. A pizza luncheon will be served.

Mercy/SBU College of Nursing and Health Sciences is located at 4431 S. Fremont, Springfield, Missouri.


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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

Monday, October 29, 2012

SBU Driskill Gallery Presents Art Exhibit


Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Office of Marketing and Communications
417-328-1803

BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Driskill Gallery, located in the Jester Learning and Performance Center of Southwest Baptist University, presents “Pineridge Perspectives”, an exhibit by Kurt Caddy. Works include portraits of the Lakota people and their homes in the landscape of South Dakota.

Lakota inspired artwork captures some of the history of these great people. All artwork and photos are for sale and proceeds will be used to help the people of Pineridge.

The exhibit will run through November 16, and is free and open to the public. The Gallery hours are Monday thru Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.   

For more information contact Gallery Director Dianna Callahan, 328 1651.


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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

SBU Hosts Missouri Music Teachers Association State Auditions and Concert with Cliburn Gold Medalist Hoachen Zhang


Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Office of Marketing and Communications
417-328-1803

BOLIVAR, Mo. The Missouri Music Teachers Association will be holding its 2012 MMTA Honors Auditions on the campus of Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo. from Thursday, November 8 through Sunday, November 11. The state level of the Music Teachers National Association Competitions will also be held during this time. On Saturday, November 10, a free piano recital featuring 2009 Cliburn Gold Medalist Hoachen Zhang will be held in Pike Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.

The annual MMTA auditions feature some of Missouri’s top collegiate and pre-collegiate musicians. Pianists, vocalists, string players, and other instrumentalists receive ratings and winners are chosen in each competition category. These competitions reach many music students with over 500 participating at the state level this year.

The pre-collegiate auditions start at the district level, and students that receive a “I” rating advance to the state level. The level of playing is extremely high, and on Sunday, November 11 at 12:30 p.m. in Meyer Recital Hall, winners from the previous year will be featured in a free recital. The quality of these performances rival that found in any of the world’s top concert halls.

The state level of the MTNA national competitions are held concurrently with MMTA's honors auditions. Winners in the MTNA competition advance to the division level and may then advance to the national level. The national level will take place in Anaheim, California, and the winners receive prizes ranging from $1,000 in cash up to a Steinway piano.

On Saturday, November 10 at 7:30 p.m. in Pike Auditorium, Gold Medalist of the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Hoachen Zhang, will be performing a solo piano recital. Zhang will be performing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, Schumann's Carnaval, the Chopin Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise, a set of Debussy Preludes, and Balakirev's Islamey. The recital is free and tickets are not required.

 At 19 years old, Zhang is the youngest person to ever receive the Gold medal in this competition that the Chicago Tribune describes as "the most prestigious classical piano contest in the world." Scott Cantrell of the Dallas Morning News wrote that Zhang "demonstrated a musical maturity almost unimaginable in one so young." This concert is also supported by the Missouri Arts Council.

For more information, please visit MMTA's website at www.missourimta.org. Directions, maps, and parking information may be found on the website. You may also contact Dr. Robert Carney, Assistant Professor of Music at Southwest Baptist University, at 417.328.1644 or rcarney@sbuniv.edu.

The Missouri Music Teachers Association, founded in 1895, is a professional non-profit organization of over 500 independent and collegiate music teachers, college students, and performing artists. MMTA is affiliated with the Music Teachers National Association.


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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.


Thursday, October 18, 2012

SBU and BHS Jazz Ensembles in Joint Concert


Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Office of Marketing and Communications
417-328-1803

BOLIVAR, Mo. – Southwest Baptist University Jazz Ensemble and the Bolivar High School Jazz Band will be featured in concert under the direction of Steve McClard and Dr. Jeffery Waters on Tuesday, October 30. These 17-piece ensembles are dedicated to being the voice of American jazz in their respective campus communities, and will join forces to feature student performers in a program which includes the wide variety of styles associated with today’s big-band jazz ensemble.

The BHS program includes Kris Berg's funk tune "Tastes like Chicken" and Gordon Goodwin's "High Maintenance," as well as "Ballad for Zoe" by Tim Fisher and an arrangement of the Michael Jackson hit "Thriller" by Paul Murtha.

The SBU program features Dean Sorenson’s “Rain Delay” and Matt Harris’s fiery “Mambo de Memo,” as well as an arrangement of one of Frank Sinatra’s perennial favorites, “Come Fly with Me.” The SBU program also includes unique jazz arrangements of the familiar hymn-tunes “Amazing Grace” and “Just a Closer Walk with Thee.”      

“Jazz ensembles like to explore a mix of jazz styles and repertoire on a concert, and these two groups are no exception.  Swing, Latin, ballads, funk--there's a little something for everyone” Waters stated.  The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Pike Auditorium on the SBU campus, admission is free, and the public is invited.

For more information contact: Dr. Jeffery L. Waters, department of music,jwaters@SBUniv.edu , 417-328-1632

  
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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

SBU Presents Fall Chorale Concert


Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Office of Marketing and Communications
417-328-1803

BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Chorale of Southwest Baptist University will present its fall concert on Thursday, November 1 in Pike Auditorium. The 7:30 p.m. performance is free and open to the public.

Under the direction of Dr. James R. Tarrant, director of choral studies and professor of music, the selectively auditioned choir will present a varied program of a cappella works ranging from Hans Leo Hassler’s “Verbum caro factum est” to the “Agnus Dei: Phoenix” by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo. The Chorale will also perform pieces in Creole and Swahili.

This fall, the Chorale will perform for churches and high schools in Liberty and Springfield, Mo. In the past decade, the Chorale has performed at the Missouri Music Educators Association state convention, the Missouri Baptist Convention, and numerous churches and high schools across the state. Since 2005, the Chorale has also performed in cathedrals and other historic venues in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany including a rare performance in the “Singers Room” in the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria.



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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.


SBU Hosts Annual Meet the Author Series


Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Office of Marketing and Communications
417-328-1803

BOLIVAR, Mo. – SBU University Libraries are hosting the annual Meet the Author Series event on November 8 at 7:00 p.m. in the Harriett K. Hutchens Library. The Hutchens Library is located in the Jester Learning and Performance Center at the Bolivar campus of SBU.

Shari Y.S. Hadley, MSW, LCSW will share her book “From the Cauldron to the Cross: My Journey from Wiccan to Christian.” An alumna of SBU, Shari converted to Christianity after her husband died in a tragic car accident. Her story is not one of instantaneous healing, but rather a journey with Christ, which in the end broke the powers of darkness that bound her.

The evening will begin with refreshments and music by the Clarinet Quartet, followed by an author presentation and book signing. This event is open to the University and Bolivar communities. Admission and parking are free. 

If you have any questions, please contact Bethany Messersmith via phone at (417) 328-1626 or via e-mail at bmessersmith@sbuniv.edu.

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

SBU Student Receives Library Student Assistant Award

Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Office of Marketing and Communications
417-328-1803

BOLIVAR, Mo. – The SBU University Libraries has announced that Ryan Pilcher of Willow Springs, Mo., was honored as the Outstanding Student Assistant of the Month for September 2012.

The University Libraries’ faculty and staff established the monthly award to recognize outstanding employment characteristics such as dependability, quality of work, motivation, attitude, and cooperation.  Pilcher, a student assistant in the Technical Services department, received an award letter from Dr. Edward W. Walton, Dean of the University Libraries, a certificate of recognition, and a gift.

The University Libraries employs 28 part-time student assistants through the University’s work-study program. Pilcher is a Business Administration Management Major in SBU’s College of Business and Computer Science.

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.



Thursday, October 4, 2012

SBU Announced New Ambassadors for 2012-13


Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Sharina Smith, Office of Marketing & Communications
417-328-1803 / ssmith@sbuniv.edu

BOLIVAR, Mo. – Southwest Baptist University has selected five students to serve as ambassadors for the 2012-2013 academic year.

The following SBU Ambassadors are the official student representatives of SBU President Dr. C. Pat Taylor and his wife Judy:

--Sophomore Ellen Fjellman, daughter of Jeffrey and Gegetta Fjellman, is a computer science major from St. Joseph, Mo.
--Senior Jennifer Martin, daughter of Scott and Brenda Barton, is a Christian ministry and administration major from Houston, Mo
--Sophomore Leanna Patton, daughter of Guy and Sandy Patton, is chemistry major from Fenton, Mo.
--Junior Haley Wech, daughter of Mike and Lori Wech, is an elementary education major from Nixa, Mo.
--Senior Jordan Taylor, son of Brad and Kim Taylor, is a marketing and economics/finance major from Greenfield, Mo.

SBU Ambassadors are chosen after an interview process that includes information on how the person relates to different personality types, social adaptability and a willingness to serve. 

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

SBU Dean of University Libraries Defends Dissertation

Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Sharina Smith, Office of Marketing and Communications
417-328-1803 / ssmith@sbuniv.edu

Dr. Edward Walton
BOLIVAR, Mo. – Southwest Baptist University announced that Dr. Edward Walton, dean of University Libraries, has successfully defended his Doctor of Education dissertation from Union University.​

The title of Dr. Walton’s dissertation is “Factors Affecting the Adoption of Electronic Books by Undergraduate Students in a Small, Midwestern, Liberal Arts University.”

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

Monday, October 1, 2012

SBU Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Transitions to Enactus USA


Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Sharina Smith, Office of Marketing and Communications
417-328-1803 / ssmith@sbuniv.edu

BOLIVAR, MO – Sharina Smith, SBU’s senior director of marketing and communications, has accepted a position as Vice President of Marketing for Enactus USA in Springfield, Mo. Enactus is the new name for SIFE, which announced its rebranding on September 30 in Washington, DC.

Sharina Smith
Dr. Stephanie Miller, SBU’s vice president for enrollment management said, “I appreciate the work that Sharina has done with promoting SBU, especially through the SBU Life magazine and her support of the admissions marketing.” 

Smith has served in SBU’s office of marketing and communications since 2006. Prior to joining the SBU staff, Smith served on the administrative team of Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Springfield, Mo.

SBU President Dr. C. Pat Taylor said, “I certainly have enjoyed working with Sharina during the past seven years. Under her leadership, SBU has received numerous awards for outstanding publications, and SBU Life has gained recognition as a leading alumni magazine. I will miss working with Sharina and all of us at SBU wish her the very best in her new position."

Smith said of her transition, “I am very grateful I have had the privilege to work with the outstanding faculty, staff, and students at SBU. While I am sad to leave, I am so excited to have the opportunity to work closer to my home in Springfield for an organization about which I am passionate. Working at SBU with the SIFE team has been one of the joys of my career. I look forward to being part of the rebranding of SIFE and sharing the mission of Enactus in the USA.

“I am particularly grateful to Dr. Stephanie Miller and President Pat Taylor for their encouragement and support while at SBU and through the process leading to this new opportunity. I value their mentorship as servant leaders, and I am blessed by their friendship.”

During Smith’s nearly seven-year tenure at SBU, the office of marketing and communications has received numerous national awards for marketing publications. In addition, Smith has served on the board of directors and as a volunteer for the Bolivar Area Chamber of Commerce.

Smith’s last day at SBU is Oct. 5, and she will assume the vice presidency position at Enactus USA on Oct. 8.

“I will particularly miss my SBU colleagues in Enrollment Management,” said Smith. “We have worked hard together, and I am proud of the success we have had in securing record and near-record enrollment during a difficult economic period. I value each of you for your friendship and dedication to SBU’s mission.”

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.