Thanks to a $4,500 grant from one of the oldest service clubs in the nation ─ Sertoma Inc. ─ OTC students who are deaf or hard of hearing can access a new technological device on campus that will help them easily communicate with staff, students and instructors. The device, called an UbiDuo, is a communication tool…
With a constant bright smile and happy demeanor, Ozarks Technical Community College student Andrew Kirkpatrick exudes optimism. He understands the value of his OTC education and what it will mean for him in the future. “Like the saying goes at OTC, ‘Start here, go anywhere.’ It’s so true and I found that out very quickly.…
Representatives from Ozarks Technical Community College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year college students, returned from the organization’s 99th annual international convention with several awards in hand. Held this year in Nashville, Tenn., April 6-8, the convention drew delegates from approximately 1,300 Phi Theta Kappa chapters. At the event, OTC’s…
Meet James Ackerman, OTC communication instructor and Speech Communication Center director. This fitness guru/Harry Potter fanatic/Zoolander fan will be serving up your favorite Starbucks drinks on Monday, April 17 from 11 a.m. to noon. When you stop by for your favorite drink on Monday, be sure to grab a photo with Mr. Ackerman and post…
A group of OTC instructors and students received honors from the Missouri Community College Association at its annual Phi Theta Kappa and Excellence in Teaching Awards Luncheon, held this spring in Columbia, Mo. Every year, MCCA presents the following awards to outstanding community college instructors and students from across the state: Excellence in Teaching Awards…
The OTC Fine Arts department will present the musical comedy “Julie Bunny Must Die!” on Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 23 at 2:30 p.m. Performances will be held at the OTC Springfield Campus in Lincoln Hall, room 211. General admission tickets are free and can be reserved…
Students representing the various technical programs of Ozarks Technical Community College brought home 47 medals from the SkillsUSA state competition, held recently on the campus of State Technical College of Missouri in Linn, Mo. Approximately 90 OTC students participated the event, where thousands of technical education students from across the state competed in a variety of categories…
Keshia Guffey is attending OTC intent on becoming a social worker to help those with substance-use disorders. It’s a topic close to Keshia’s heart because she lived the life of an addict for a number of years. An Ozark High School graduate, Keshia later became addicted to opioids for two years after she started using…
Sarah Buxton, a second-year student at Ozarks Technical Community College, was chosen as a 2017 Newman Civic Fellow. The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes and supports community-committed students who have demonstrated an investment in finding solutions for challenges facing communities throughout the country. Newman Civic Fellows are nominated by college and university presidents and chancellors to acknowledge motivation…
Meet Dr. Zachary Zweigle, OTC social sciences department chair and history instructor. In addition to his teaching duties, student advising, departmental leadership and curriculum design, Dr. Zweigle will serve up your favorite Starbucks drinks on Wednesday, April 5 from 10 to 11 a.m. Fun fact: Dr. Zweigle was an actual Starbucks barista back in the day, and…
Rick Hughlett, founder and president of Rick’s Automotive, will be the recipient of the 2017 Excellence in Business award to be presented by Ozarks Technical Community College on Thursday, April 20. The award ceremony will be held from 7:30–9 a.m. at the White River Conference Center in Springfield. The event will feature an exclusive conversation…
Ozarks Technical Community College will dive into collegiate sports with the launch a Division II skydiving team in the fall of 2017. College officials unveiled their plans to the National Junior College Athletic Association today, Saturday, April 1. The new skydiving team, called the OTC Screamin’ Eagles, will compete at the regional and state level…
I would like to share a story with you about a young man from a low-income, single-parent home; a young man who was the first person in his family to graduate college; a young man who worked 30-50 hours a week in addition to being a full-time student. This extraordinary young man also came to college…
Melanie Johnston has enjoyed the best of times as a student at OTC after suffering the worst of times in an abusive marriage. Melanie is now an honors student and vice president of publicity and outreach for the college’s Honors Program. She also works as a tutor at the Carol Jones Writing Center, which suits her…
When it came to cooking, James L. Johnson, Jr. always felt he was missing the recipe to success. Granted, he’d built lucrative careers for himself in the trucking industry and restaurant business, but James knew he could do more to reach his full potential. He needed a high school diploma. Today, James can proudly say…
The National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) honored Ozarks Technical Community College’s Department of Communications and Marketing with two gold Paragon Awards at its national conference, held March 27-29 in Charleston, SC. This is the first time OTC has received honors from NCMPR at the national level. OTC’s Communications and Marketing team won…
Actress, producer and writer Dana Powell will give the commencement address at Ozarks Technical Community College’s graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 18 at 6 p.m. The event will be held at JQH Arena on the Missouri State University campus. In addition to all graduates and their families, the public is invited to attend. Powell, a…
OTC’s academic department is on a mission to spread kindness and happiness across the OTC System. A recent study by John Gottman found that for every negative feeling or occurrence, five positive — or happy — feelings can help replace the negative. Bishop’s Bunch is challenging you to pay it forward by sharing five happy things (today, this week, this month…
Meet Dr. Tracy McGrady, OTC provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. Dr. McGrady handles all things academic-related at OTC, and she’ll be serving up your favorite Starbucks drinks on Tuesday, March 28 from 10-11 a.m. In other words, Tuesday is the perfect day to grab some Starbucks and chat with Dr. McGrady. Be sure to grab a…
Representatives from Ozarks Technical Community College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, recently returned from the organization’s annual Missouri Regional Convention with several awards in hand. The students and advisors of the college’s chapter were honored with 17 awards and three regional officer positions during the event, held in…
A group of OTC surgical technology students won first place in the 2017 Missouri Association of Surgical Technologists Scrub Bowl competition. The event was held earlier this month at the annual Missouri Association of Surgical Technologists conference. The jeopardy-like competition prepares surgical technology students to take their certification exam upon graduation. We would like to…
Sarah Tindell looks to the sky for her future career path, and she will soon take off in that direction with the help of OTC’s new aviation program. Sarah, 16, is expected to be one of the first students to enroll in OTC’s aviation-focused associate degree program starting in the fall. The degree is being…
Ozarks Technical Community College’s Career Services will host a job fair on Wednesday, March 29 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the OTC Springfield Campus in Lincoln Hall, room 211. The event is free and open to the public. The job fair is designed for both career-minded individuals and those seeking seasonal or part-time…
Local professionals who are interested in becoming part-time instructors for Ozarks Technical Community College can learn more about teaching opportunities on Saturday, April 1 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Adjunct Faculty Career Fair at the OTC Springfield Campus, Jared Family Atrium. The college is recruiting general education and technical instructors to teach part…
And cut — that’s a wrap for OTC’s first-ever film festival. Nineteen teams competed for 48 hours straight to create a 5-minute film. The catch? Each film had to contain a set of creative elements that included specific visual cues, props, lines of dialogue and music. You can view the films in their entirety here. Keep scrolling for the complete list…