Between the spring and fall of 2022, Ozarks Technical Community College more than doubled the number of students receiving the Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant. Fast Track pays the tuition and fees for non-traditional students pursuing programs such as welding, nursing and teaching. In the fall of 2022, OTC had 111 students receiving Fast Track…
To meet the workforce needs of local plumbing companies, Ozarks Technical Community College will debut a plumbing program in 2024. To help cover the program’s startup costs, OTC received a $1.3 million grant from the Missouri Department of Economic Development for construction, equipment and scholarships. “OTC developed this program in conjunction with local plumbing companies,…
To help students prepare for the upcoming spring semester, all Ozarks Technical Community College locations will be open Saturday, Jan. 7, from 9 a.m. to noon. Student services staff will be available at each campus and center to assist students with last-minute admissions, enrollment, advising, financial aid and student accounts services. OTC’s spring semester begins on…
The Ozarks Technical Community College Jazz Band will make its concert debut on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. at Drury University’s Stone Chapel. The “Winter Joy” concert will also feature holiday favorites performed by the OTC choirs. The Jazz Band came into existence when Philip Forrester, an OTC music instructor, applied for and received…
The Missouri Community College Association (MCCA) honored Ozarks Technical Community College employees and donors at its 58th annual convention and tradeshow held in St. Louis from Nov. 29-Dec. 1. At the convention, MCCA recognized Emerson with its Award of Distinction, one of the highest awards MCCA bestows. In 2020, Emerson donated half-a-million dollars to the…
Ozarks Technical Community College is partnering with Arizona State University to provide students with a seamless transfer experience through the MyPath2ASU program. MyPath2ASU™ allows students to take the steps needed early in their college experience to successfully plan their transfer to ASU, ensuring a smooth transition process and student success. MyPath2ASU™ is a customized tool for transfer students from…
Trisha Tindall, a 2022 Ozarks Technical Community College graduate, was awarded a fellowship from the American Respiratory Care Foundation (ARCF) for research. Tindall’s project analyzing the efficacy of flow sensors on ventilators for neonatal patients earned the ARCF’s 2022 Vyaire Fellowship for Neonatal and Pediatric Therapists. “I was shocked when I received the email that…
Ozarks Technical Community College’s free Eagle Breakfast program helped students achieve better grades and persist in their courses during the 21-22 school year. Eagle Breakfast is a no-cost meal for any OTC student at all of the college’s locations. “It’s allowed me access to food in the morning when I normally didn’t eat breakfast,” said…
The Ozarks Technical Community College Richwood Valley Campus will host a 5K Run and Fall Festival on Saturday, October 8. The 5K Fun Run and Walk begins at 5:30 p.m. The Fall Festival kicks off at 6:30 p.m. The OTC Richwood Valley Campus is located north of Highway 14 between Nixa and Ozark. The Physical…
Ozarks Technical Community College’s Veterans Upward Bound program can now serve veterans in 15 Missouri counties. The U.S. Department of Education renewed OTC’s Federal TRIO Grant for an additional five years at $1.4 million. The initial grant in 2017 established a Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) program to assist Greene County veterans with their pursuit of postsecondary education. With…
Autumn Seely from Ozarks Technical Community College is one of 207 Phi Theta Kappa members named a 2022 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar and will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Seely graduated from Glendale High School in 2021 and is beginning her second year at OTC. The Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program helps new Phi…
The future of manufacturing and technical education in the state made its debut at Ozarks Technical Community College today, Monday, August 15. The college hosted the grand opening of the Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing (PMC). The PMC is the largest building project in OTC’s history. “We have people who want to go…
I write to you on the eve of a transformational event for the people of the Ozarks and the state of Missouri. Tomorrow, August 15, 2022, Ozarks Technical Community College will hold a grand opening for the new Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing. This state-of-the-art facility is a game changer for our economy,…
To help students prepare for the upcoming fall semester, all Ozarks Technical Community College locations will be open Saturday, Aug. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon. Student services staff will be available at all campuses and centers to assist students with last-minute admissions, enrollment, advising, financial aid and student accounts services needs. OTC’s fall semester begins on…
Inaugural recognition part of statewide effort to place dedicated advisors in rural high schools to help students develop and achieve strong plans for lifelong success A college and career advisor at Cape Central High School in Cape Girardeau has been named “Advisor of the Year” for her efforts to help high school students in rural…
MEDIA ADVISORY: August 1, 2022 WHAT: Grand opening event for the Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing WHEN: Monday, August 15, 10 a.m. WHERE: Ozarks Technical Community College Springfield Campus at the corner of National Avenue and Chestnut Expressway. WHO: OTC Chancellor Dr. Hal Higdon, Missouri Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, State Senator Lincoln Hough,…
Ozarks Technical Community College graduate Stevi Kay Berry is a recipient of the prestigious Purdy Emerging Leaders Scholarship for the 2022-2023 school year. Berry will use the $5,000 annual grant to pursue a bachelor’s degree in speech and theatre education at Missouri State University. Managed by the Missouri Scholarship and Loan Foundation, the Purdy Emerging…
Ozarks Technical Community College graduate Noah Duwe is a recipient of the prestigious Purdy Emerging Leaders Scholarship for the 2022-2023 school year. Duwe will use the $5,000 annual grant to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting at Missouri State University. Managed by the Missouri Scholarship and Loan Foundation, the Purdy Emerging Leaders Scholarship…
It may be easy for someone who has never suffered from addiction to ask, “Why would anyone start doing drugs? Just don’t start, and you’ll never get addicted.” As soon-to-be OTC graduate Denise Shirley can tell you, addiction isn’t about that first time but how each decision leads to another unfortunate decision. Denise’s substance use…
Ozarks Technical Community College received a $345,725 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for its new automation and robotics program, which will debut in August at the Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing (PMC). The grant is funded by the NSF’s Advanced Technological Education program, which focuses on training technicians in advanced technology…
When Ozarks Technical Community College dental hygiene student Sam Patel would give a patient an injection in the OTC Dental Clinic, his hands were always steady. His fellow dental hygiene students took notice. “They would ask me, ‘Why don’t your hands shake when you give an injection?’” Sam chuckled. “I would tell them I just…
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has approved Ozarks Technical Community College’s class “Orientation to the Teaching Profession” as substitute teacher training. Students who complete this introductory course for OTC’s new teacher education degree will be eligible to apply to become substitute teachers in the state of Missouri. “When the college revamped…
With the unemployment rate in Greene County at less than 2% and employers citing a lack of skilled workers as the most significant barrier to expanding employment, Ozarks Technical Community College will offer short-term training courses this summer. The training sessions in welding, heating and air (HVAC), masonry and construction range in length from six…
The Ozarks Technical Community College Foundation announced a six-figure contribution from the employee-owners of SRC Holdings Corporation for the SRC Quality Lab inside the Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing. “We want the move to Advanced Manufacturing to consider remanufacturing and its profound impact on sustainability,” said Jack Stack, SRC founder and CEO. “This…
The Ozarks Technical Community College Foundation announced a six-figure gift from the Gentry Family for the event space inside the Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing. The Jack & Ann Gentry Family Event Center is named for the Gentry Family’s late father and mother — the founders of Positronic, a Springfield manufacturing company. “My…