Ozarks Technical Community College’s Alpha Psi Tau Chapter has been named a 2019 REACH Chapter by Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for two-year colleges. The organization’s REACH Rewards Program recognizes Phi Theta Kappa chapters that excel in the area of membership development. As a result of the REACH award, OTC’s Alpha Psi Tau Chapter…
And cut! That’s a wrap for OTC’s third-annual film festival. In total, 28 teams competed under a tight deadline 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 submitted films in their entirety here. Keep scrolling for…
Charlie Smith is a man of many titles: veteran, groundwater scientist and geological engineer to name a few. A conservationist at heart, Charlie spends his days working as a hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey. He landed the job while a student at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, but he credits another institution…
When an unexpected divorce left Amberly Vernatti a single mother to three children, she knew a career change was in order. Her retail job wasn’t going to cut it anymore. She needed a new career, and fast. Amberly is now a surgical technologist at CoxHealth in Springfield. She spends her days bringing babies into the…
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) will recognize Dr. Joan Barrett, OTC’s vice chancellor for student affairs, with the Distinguished College Administrator Award during PTK Catalyst 2019, the society’s annual convention, held April 4-6 in Orlando, Florida. The Distinguished College Administrator Awards are presented to college vice presidents, deans, or directors serving at post-secondary institutions…
OTC selects BatesForum, a full-service design and technology firm, to provide architectural services for its Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) facility. The OTC Board of Trustees approved the proposal at its monthly board meeting held Feb. 11. Slated to open in 2022, the multi-million dollar building will serve as the regional hub for advanced manufacturing…
Loving Diversity Week is a celebration of OTC’s diverse college community. It’s an opportunity to have meaningful conversations about our human identities, experiences and interactions with one another. Help us celebrate the diversity we share on campus and in our community the week of Feb. 11-15. Check out the events happening at the Springfield campus…
OTC alumnus Nanchang Lamde’s fascination with motion pictures began at an early age. Once his daily chores were complete, Nanchang would run barefoot along the dusty roads of his small village in Nigeria to his neighbors’ house. Standing on his tiptoes, he would peer into the window to catch a glimpse of their television set.…
OTC student Javeon England is stepping into an important role this semester. The 20-year-old business and marketing major has been named the president of Brother 2 Brother (B2B), a “near-peer” mentoring program that strives to improve college retention and graduation rates among minority students. “We’re more of a family than a brotherhood,” Javeon said. “We…
Jim and Debby Baugh say there is nothing heroic about their support of the OTC Foundation. In fact, Jim says the real heroes are the students who pursue the life changing educational opportunities offered by the college. “It’s the men and women who overcome tremendous obstacles to get what was given to me at the…
Dr. Hal Higdon, chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College, received the Chief Executive Leadership Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District VI. The award is presented annually to an outstanding president, chancellor, head master or system head of a District VI CASE member institution. CASE supports alumni relations, communications, development, and…
Students and faculty at Ozarks Technical Community College will join others across the nation to celebrate SkillsUSA Week, Feb. 3-9, 2019. The annual celebration represents over 300,000 SkillsUSA members nationwide and promotes career and technical education (CTE). The week highlights the benefits of the SkillsUSA program in developing personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in…
Ozarks Technical Community College will host an open house for its Surgical Technology Program on Monday, Feb. 11. The come-and-go event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Surgical Technology Operating Room, located at the OTC Springfield Campus in Lincoln Hall, room 301. The open house will give prospective students and…
OTC officials and industry partners celebrated the grand opening of the MHC Diesel Technician Training Center today, Jan. 28 at the OTC Springfield Campus. The capital project was made possible through a $1 million matching grant from the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The additional $1 million was raised primarily through…
Fort Leonard Wood military personnel and their families will soon have access to more educational opportunities thanks to a new agreement with Ozarks Technical Community College. OTC and Fort Leonard Wood officials signed a memorandum of understanding today, Thursday, Jan. 24, which gives the college approval to teach courses at the Fort Leonard Wood military…
VIQTORY, an online information platform for military personnel returning to civilian life, has named Ozarks Technical Community College a Military Friendly School. OTC is one of only five community colleges in Missouri to receive the designation and the only community college in the state in the “large community college” classification. “As a military veteran myself,…
In 2018, the OTC Foundation awarded more than $362,000 in scholarships to 388 OTC students. This year, and with your help, the foundation is committed to increasing those numbers with a new (and delicious) program called Dine to Donate. The OTC Foundation has partnered with several local restaurants to provide an easy way for students,…
The new year is here and so is the start of the spring semester. If your new year’s resolution involves staying on top of your college game, keep reading for hacks to help you along the way. 1. Sync your OTC email to your phone. It’s the easiest way for you to keep up with…
Congratulations to our Fall 2018 Chancellor’s List and Dean’s List recipients! Students who complete 12 or more credit hours are eligible for the Chancellor’s List and Dean’s List. Recognition is based on the grade point average attained during a 12-credit-hour increment. The Dean’s List requires a GPA of 3.50 to 3.84, and the Chancellor’s List…
All Ozarks Technical Community College locations will be open on Saturday, Jan. 5 to help students prepare for the upcoming semester. Student Services staff will be available from 9 a.m. to noon to assist students with last-minute admissions, enrollment, advising and financial aid processes. Student Account Services staff will also be available during this time…
Thanks to a summer abroad, OTC instructor Tim Rogers teaches international business in a whole new light. The former stock broker spent six weeks teaching at the University of Shanghai in China. He said his experiences there enriched his teaching practices back in the United States. The experience Tim, an alumnus of the University of…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — Ozarks Technical Community College invites all Vatterott College students to explore options for continuing their education at OTC after the for-profit college abruptly closed all of its locations on December 17. Displaced Vatterott students may visit the OTC Student Services Department in the Information Commons building at OTC Springfield. College staff will be…
Taylor Fast can now add “commercial pilot” to his list of credentials. The Bolivar native was OTC’s first aviation student to pass his commercial pilot exam – just a year and a half after the program’s inception. “It was a little more than thrilling,” Taylor said. “The stakes were definitely high – knowing I could…
Today, Missouri’s Coordinating Board for Higher Education voted for budget recommendations that ranked OTC’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) as its number one capital funding priority for Fiscal Year 2020. The recommendation for $5 million of state funds to go toward the CAM was part of CBHE’s overall budget request of $55.8 million for workforce…
Liberty the service dog lives up to her name. The black Labrador belongs to U.S. Navy veteran Kerry Evans. The two were paired together through K9s For Camo. The local nonprofit organization trains dogs to help veterans mitigate the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, epilepsy and limited mobility. “I can’t imagine life without her,” Kerry…