400-plus net degrees at SBU graduation
June 6, 2006
BOLIVAR–The Southwest Baptist University (SBU) spring commencement took place May 20 at the Merrill Burnidge Memorial Forum on the Bolivar campus.
More than 400 undergraduate and graduate students received their degrees during the ceremony. The commencement address was given by guest speaker Carolyn G. Bishop, president of the Consortium for Global Education. Bishop has more than 20 years of experience with international public and private schools, government ministries and foreign education institutions. She earned a Ph.D. in educational administration and leadership from Emory University. Bishop became the International Director for the Consortium for Global Education (CGE) in 1997 and was elected president of CGE in 2002.
Before joining CGE, Bishop taught undergraduate and graduate level students in teaching methods at Emory University and supervised 50 student teachers in Atlanta area schools. Also, from 1991-1996, she was an education consultant for Global Partners based in London where she provided educational project assistance in developing countries coordinating student and faculty exchanges in 30 countries.
Bishop is the recipient of numerous awards including the Olympic Service Medal from the Republic of Korea and the Educational Honors Award from Dohuk University in Iraq. She also was selected senior fellow at the Institute for International Studies at Union University.
Besides recognizing the graduates, the 2006 Orien B. Hendrex Distinguished Teacher Award and the 2006 Life Beautiful Awards were presented during the ceremony. (See story below.)
Three retiring SBU faculty members and one staff member were recognized during the commencement ceremony. Born in Jackson, Miss., Billie Lang completed her bachelor’s in zoology at Mississippi College in 1965. In 1967 and 1970, respectively, she earned her master of science and her Ph.D. in biology from the University of Mississippi in Oxford.
Before coming to SBU in 1990, Lang had a distinguished career in academics with faculty appointments at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and the University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington. She currently holds the rank of professor of biology at SBU, and serves in the university’s department of biology where she is active in teaching, sponsoring undergraduate research, and serving as advisor to SBU’s medical technology program and pre-health careers committee.
Lang is an active member of University Heights Baptist Church, Springfield and is active in the Woman’s Missionary Union. Lang, and her late husband, Roy, have a daughter, Leslie Donegan.
Lynn Penticuff, associate professor of music, joined the faculty of Southwest Baptist University in 1975. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music education and a master’s degree in music from Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg. Penticuff also completed some courses toward a doctoral degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
During his teaching career at SBU, Penticuff taught applied voice, preparing students for senior recitals and a variety of classes including music education, music literature, vocal pedagogy and concert choir. Prior to his employment at SBU, he taught on the secondary level in Carpentersville, Ill., and at Rockhurst College in Kansas City. He and his wife, Karen, have two children. The Penticuffs attend First Baptist Church, Bolivar.
A native of Lockwood, Carl Huser received an associate’s degree from Southwest Baptist College in 1962 and was awarded the student Life Beautiful Award at his graduation. He earned a bachelor of science degree in education from Missouri State University (formerly Southwest Missouri State University) in 1964, and a master’s of science degree in 1966 from the University of Minnesota. Also, he earned a doctorate degree from the University of Missouri in 1983.
Huser has been a faculty member in the department of biology at SBU since 1966. Currently holding the rank of senior professor, Huser’s past service to the department includes department chair, appointment as the department’s Faculty Senate representative, and a variety of college and university-wide committee assignments spanning four decades of service. In 2002, Huser was a recipient of SBU’s Life Service Award. He is a member of First Baptist Church, Bolivar. He and his wife, Carol (SBU class of ’75), have two children.
Marjorie Ann Brown began working at SBU in 1986 as a part-time employee. Since 1988, she has worked full time in the registrar’s office; however, Brown has been a member of the university family since 1969 when she and her family moved to Bolivar so her husband could join the faculty at SBU. In 2000, Ann was the recipient of the SBU Staff Life Beautiful Award.
The Browns attend First Baptist Church, Bolivar, where she has taught the four-year old Sunday school class for 29 years.