Seven students at Williams Baptist College have been inducted into Alpha Chi, the national college honor scholarship society. The induction was held April 12 at WBC’s Academic Awards Banquet.

Alpha Chi admits members from all academic disciplines who are in the top 10 percent of their junior and senior classes. The honor society has local chapters at over 300 colleges and universities around the United States.

Inductees were: Rodney Duncan of Highland, Jonathan Guiltner of Melbourne, Rebekah Harmon of Jonesboro, Jessica Powell of Imboden, Drake Smelser of Walnut Ridge, Molly Walden of Marietta, Miss., and Steven Wood of Walnut Ridge.

Williams is a Christian, liberal arts university in Walnut Ridge, Ark. It will formally become Williams Baptist University in July.

Six psychology students at Williams Baptist College presented their research at the annual conference of the Southwest Psychological Association, held April 11 – 16 in Houston, Texas. All six of the students are seniors at WBC and are set to graduate at this year’s commencement exercises.

Allison Elkins presented, “Robbed of Trust: Pastors’ Kids and the Church.” She was entered in the Psi Chi Research Competition and received honorable mention consisting of a cash prize and certificate. ​Elkins is from Jonesboro. She is the daughter of Allen and Renee Elkins of Jonesboro.

Andrea Gayton presented, “Euphoric vs. Melancholic Life Stories: an LIWC Analysis.” She was also entered in the Psi Chi Research Competition and received honorable mention consisting of a cash prize and certificate. Gayton is from Batesville. She is the daughter of Noe and Miriam Gayton of Batesville.

Hannah Cates presented “Rape and Sexual Behaviors: The Shame Game.” Cates is from Conway. She is the daughter of Keith and Amanda Cates of Conway.

Madelyn Hawley presented, “Correlations Between Traits of the NEO-PI-3 and the HEXACO-PI.” Hawley is from Walnut Ridge. She is married to Morgan Hawley and is the daughter of Adam and Kristy Poe of Beebe.

Sierra Martinez presented, “Topics: Eating Dinner at The Table With Your Family and Depression.” Martinez is from Jonesboro. She is the daughter of Anthony and Jennifer Martinez of Jonesboro.

Kendall Davenport presented, “Ruminating and Gratitude: Incompatible Responses.” Davenport is from Brookland. She is the daughter of Kenneth and Tammy Davenport of Brookland.

Also making presentations were several WBC faculty members. Dr. Dennis Vowell, assistant professor of psychology, and Melinda Williams, assistant professor of speech, drama, and journalism, presented a research paper they co-authored titled “On Stage: An Interdisciplinary Study of Mental Illness In the Theater.”

Dr. Paul Rhoads, professor of psychology, also presented research titled, “Country Versus Pop: The Linguistic Differences Found using the LIWC.”

Williams students have been selected to present their studies at the SWPA conference for the past several years. The organization is comprised of psychology professionals and students from a seven-state area.

Williams is a Christian, liberal arts university in Walnut Ridge, Ark. It will formally become Williams Baptist University in July.

The Psychology Department at Williams Baptist College has inducted eleven students into the national Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society.  The ceremony was held on March 27.

New inductees are Alison Tubeyville of Portia, Andrea Gayton of Batesville, Clara Fortenberry of Jonesboro, Emily Hewitt of Henrico, Va., Hannah Cates of Conway, Lezlee Bennett of Pocahontas, Madelyn Hawley of Walnut Ridge, MaKenzie Free of Beebe, Molleigh Gray of North Little Rock, Rebekah Harmon of Jonesboro, and Scarlett James of Jonesboro.

Students selected for Psi Chi must be enrolled as a major or minor in a psychology program, have completed at least 9 credit hours of psychology coursework, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 as well as a minimum GPA of 3.0 average for psychology coursework.

Williams is a Christian, liberal arts university in Walnut Ridge, Ark.  It will become Williams Baptist University in July of 2018.

Williams Baptist College’s Phi Beta Lambda chapter recently traveled to the state leadership conference where they won a host of awards and had 15 business students qualify for nationals. The annual meeting was held in Little Rock on April 6-7.

PBL, which is comprised of college business students, is the collegiate extension of the Future Business Leaders of America.

“”Everyone’s hard work for each event was rewarded by bringing home several awards and keeping the Williams PBL tradition alive, qualifying for nationals,” said senior Luke Carter, the chapter president.

To qualify for the National Leadership Conference, which will be held in Baltimore, Md., this June, students must win first, second or third place in state testing categories, or first or second place in presentation events.

Williams students winning first place awards were: Alec Scott and Allen Thompson (Business Decision Making); Ashton Kennedy, Bobby Hatfield and Zach Revier (Business Law); Davis Fetzer and Scott (Community Service Project); Oni Robertson and Betsy Ryan (Emerging Business Issues); Ryan (Local Chapter Annual Business Report); Noah Stoddard (Personal Finance); and Robertson and Ryan (Small Business Management Plan).

Students placing second were: Anna Gage and Bailey Eubanks (Business Stability); Grady Majors, Revier and Fetzer (Integrated Marketing Campaign); Stoddard (Organizational Behavior); and Conor Karwath, MaKenzie Moore and Luke Carter (Small Business Management Plan).

Third place finishers were: Dakota Dywer and Thompson (Business Presentation); and Kole Meador and Majors (Marketing Analysis and Decision Making).

Earning fourth place honors were: Meador (Accounting Principles); Carter (Contemporary Sports Issues); Andrew Taylor (Microeconomics); and Karwath (Sales Presentation).

Fifth place winners were: Hatfield (Justice Administration); and Georgia Mara (Marketing Concepts).

The Williams PBL group also earned Gold Chapter Status. In order to become a Gold Chapter, PBL chapters must meet certain expectations. WBC’s PBL participated in more events at the state competition, interacted with local FBLA chapters and business professionals, completed community service projects and raised money for charity to once again earn the golden status.

Williams is a Christian, liberal arts university in Walnut Ridge. It will officially become Williams Baptist University in July.

Williams Baptist College senior Erika Isbill has won the Arkansas Historical Association (AHA) 2018 Student Scholarship for the First Congressional District. The Jonesboro, Ark., native is a history major at Williams. She will will present her scholarly paper at the AHA’s annual conference in Fort Smith, Ark., on April 20.

“We in the Williams history department are very proud of Erika,” said Dr. Blake Perkins, chair of the department of history. “We are thrilled that her hard work has been recognized by the Arkansas Historical Association and are excited about the terrific opportunity she has to present her research at the AHA’s annual conference in Fort Smith.”

Isbill’s paper uses original documents preserved at the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives and examines the early nineteenth-century life of Peter Halderman, a white merchant in Northeast Arkansas. The paper highlights Halderman’s unique relationship with African Americans in the region during the tumultuous time of the the mid-1800s.

Isbill is the daughter of Eric and Marsha Isbill of Jonesboro.

Williams is a Christian, liberal arts university in Walnut Ridge. It will officially become Williams Baptist University in July.

Nine students have been presented with academic awards at Williams Baptist College. WBC faculty selected them for the awards based on their academic achievements in their respective fields.

Recipients of the 2018 Academic Awards were:
Business Award – Elizabeth Ryan of Harrison

Dr. Rosemary Weaver Elementary Education Award – Hannah Whitefoot of Atoka, Tenn.

English Award – Rebekah Harmon of Jonesboro

H.L. Waters Christian Ministries Award – Brandon Brigance of Gentry, Ark.

Health & Physical Education Award – Daniel Bates of Smithville

History Award – Erika Isbill of Jonesboro

Liberal Arts Award – Emily Hewitt of Henrico, Va.

Mid-Level Education Award – Elizabeth Scales of Imboden

Psychology Award – Allison Elkins of Jonesboro

The awards were presented at the Academic Awards Banquet held April 12. Williams is a liberal arts university in Walnut Ridge. It will formally become Williams Baptist University this summer.

As Williams Baptist College becomes Williams Baptist University, one of its most prominent buildings will also take on a new name. The historic, World War II era chapel at Williams is to be named for longtime professor and administrator Dr. Kenneth Startup.

Startup is retiring after 35 years at Williams, where he served as history professor and academic dean before rounding out his tenure as the interim president. The university’s Board of Trustees recently voted to name the chapel in his honor.

“It is an understatement when I say how grateful I am to have my name associated with this historic structure. It is a humbling recognition, something I could never have imagined,” Startup commented.

The chapel dates back to the Walnut Ridge Army Flying School, which became the site of the Williams campus after World War II. In recent years, the structure had been dubbed the Old Chapel.

“Over the years, I’ve developed a deep, profound appreciation for the dramatic and inspiring history of Williams. The Old Chapel has been at the very heart of much of that story. And, of course, the history of the Old Chapel stretches back to days of the flying school and reminds us of that extraordinary generation,” Startup said.

Startup was a popular and passionate professor of history at Williams, known especially for his Civil War classes. He also wrote the official history of the university, “The Splendid Work,” in 1991.

“It seems only appropriate that the man who wrote the definitive history of this institution is now firmly established in its history himself. Dr. Startup’s legacy as a riveting professor and a steadfast administrator merits the recognition of generations still to come at Williams, and this beautiful, historic chapel is a very fitting place to bear his name,” said Dr. Stan Norman, president of Williams.

The Startup Chapel will be officially dedicated at WBU in coming months.

Williams is a liberal arts university in Walnut Ridge. It will formally become Williams Baptist University this summer.

The Board of Trustees at Williams Baptist College voted to approve three new academic programs, as well as adopting the university’s 2018-19 budget on Friday, April 6. The board, meeting in regular session on the Walnut Ridge campus, also welcomed the new president of Williams, Dr. Stan Norman.

With the board’s action, Williams will offer its second master’s degree, the Master of Science in Education (MSE), and it will add bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and marketing. All the degrees will be launched this year.

The MSE will be offered fully online and will be available to those who have a bachelor’s degree in education and wish to further their education, according to Dr. Brad Baine, academic dean.

“The Master of Science in Education at Williams is an ideal program for someone who has earned a BSE and wishes to learn and develop new best practices in the teaching profession. The course work for the MSE at Williams was developed by experienced educators with proven success in P-12 classrooms,” Baine said.

Williams launched its first graduate degree, the Master of Arts in Teaching, last year.

Williams will also add two new bachelor’s degree majors for its on-campus students. Starting this fall, students can earn a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice or a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. The two additions bring the total number of undergraduate majors at WBC to 27.

Baine noted that the marketing degree will be one of three majors offered in the field of business at Williams, along with business administration and finance. “The BS in Marketing degree will provide students a solid preparation in advertising, sales and social media marketing, providing them with the skills and knowledge for many meaningful career opportunities,” he said.

The dean said that Williams offers an online criminal justice program for professionals already working in law enforcement, and there was strong interest for an on-campus degree plan for traditional students.

“Students with an interest in the field of criminal justice would benefit from the new BS in Criminal Justice degree by being introduced to the many disciplines found throughout the field. Students graduating from the new program will be prepared to enter the field of criminal justice at any level of government, local, state or federal,” Baine said.

Norman, who assumed duties as president last week, noted, “These new programs position Williams to serve students in three growing fields, providing them with the outstanding Christian educational experience for which WBU has come to be known. The board of trustees affirmed the fine work done in developing these programs by their respective departments, and we are truly excited to see these degrees launch later this year.”

The board also approved the university’s budget for the 2018-19 school year. Williams will operate with a budget of just under $13.6 million, which is a slight increase over last year.

“This is a budget that allows Williams to continue growing in key areas, while also reflecting good stewardship of our resources. It also shows that Williams continues to make a sizable economic impact on our community and region,” Norman said.

The Williams Board of Trustees is composed of 24 members from across the state, appointed by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. It meets in regular session three times each year.

Williams is a liberal arts university in Walnut Ridge. It will formally become Williams Baptist University this summer.