OLIVET NEWS Headlines From Campus and Beyond

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Olivet Receives Rankings in U.S. News2022 Best Colleges Report

Olivet has received rankings and recognition in five unique categories in the U.S. News & World Report 2022 Best Colleges Report — including a top 10 ranking as a Best Value School for Regional Universities in the Midwest.

Olivet has also been recognized among the Best Regional Universities in the Midwest, as a Top Performer on Social Mobility for Regional Universities Midwest, as a Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program and as a Best Undergraduate Engineering Program for national non-doctoral engineering programs. These rankings took into consideration various factors, including retention and graduation rates, faculty and financial resources, student excellence and alumni engagement.

For more than 30 years, the U.S. News rankings and advice have served as a valuable consumer reference. The annual report provides nearly 50 different types of numerical rankings and lists to help students narrow their college search. This third-party endorsement provides clarity for prospective students as they go through the college search process.

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MARK BALLOGG

Walker School of STEM Receives Engineering Education Award

Olivet Nazarene University was one of seven universities that received the $10,000 Engineering Education Award this spring from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).

Last summer, staff of Logan Nazarene Campground in Hocking Hills, Ohio, contacted the Walker School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics for help with campground improvements. Four Olivet students, including Hannah Taggart, Miles VanderKlok, Nathan Hart and Michael Hill, teamed up with associate professor Quentin S. Ragan to tackle the project as part of the required senior design course for engineering students. During the academic year, the team worked to develop a cost-effective and sound structural plan for a new cabin design that respected project constraints including size parameters, ADA compliance, capacity and plumbing needs.

“Before this, I had never gone through the full process of designing a building,” Nathan said. “It incorporated so much from many classes all in one project. This helped me get a much better understanding of what I have learned before in classes and gave me more insight in how a building is designed and constructed.”

This spring, following approval from the campground and Olivet faculty, the team submitted the completed cabin design to NCEES to be considered for the Engineering Education Award. In June, the team was informed that they received the $10,000 award, which will be used in the University’s Department of Engineering.

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Olivet Welcomes Jason Stephens, New VP for Student Development

Following an extensive nationwide search, this spring Olivet announced the appointment of Jason Stephens as the vice president for student development, effective Aug. 1, 2022. In this role, he will be responsible for providing leadership and oversight for all non-academic student activities, including athletics, community life, campus recreation, residential life, counseling and health services, multiethnic student services, and spiritual development. Jason is slated to complete a Ph.D. in educational leadership from Indiana State University. He holds a master’s degree in higher education from Geneva College and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Indiana Wesleyan University.

School of Education: $854K Early Childhood Consortium Grant

Olivet Nazarene University’s School of Education was recently approved for the Early Childhood Consortium Grant of $854,582 through the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE). The ECACE was created to address the shortage of qualified early childhood professionals in the state of Illinois. During the 2021–2022 academic year, seven early childhood education students at Olivet received the ECACE scholarship to attend the University for free. The grant money will now assist the University’s School of Education in converting its programs to an online format and in recruiting new traditional undergraduate and adult learners. This grant program provides upward mobility for a workforce that often faces economic barriers to accessing higher education. For more information about Olivet’s School of Education, visit Olivet.edu/Education.

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Hathaway Publishes Mathematical Devotional

Dr. Dale K. Hathaway, associate dean of the Walker School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and professor of mathematics, has authored a daily devotional book, Mathematical Devotionals (Kharis Publishing). Mathematical Devotionals serves as a guide to connect Christianity with mathematics through a year’s worth of inspirational prompts and meditations. Each devotional is self-contained, including Scripture verses and an image. The devotionals fall into four categories: the connection between mathematics and the Christian faith; short biographies of Christian mathematicians; quotes from mathematicians or related to mathematics; and the use of logical reasoning as a form of Christian apologetics. Mathematical Devotionals is available wherever books are sold.

LA Film Studies

Each year, Olivet Nazarene University students have the opportunity to study in Los Angeles for a semester s part of a Council for Christian Colleges and Universities GlobalEd program. Twelve Olivet students flew to the Hollywood Hills this spring. While in Los Angeles, students attend the Los Angeles Film Studies Center (LAFSC), where they are able to gain filmmaking experience and knowledge from professionals within the film industry. Students learn through classwork, on-the-job training, professional projects and class discussion, and they walk away with résumé credentials. “I will leave the semester having written a feature-length script and worked on several short films,” senior film major Kelli Neal said. “I will also have a writing credit and a directing credit on two separate festival-eligible short films.”

Read the full story at Olivet.edu/News.

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