Two hundred and forty-six graduates will have degrees conferred upon them during Oklahoma Baptist University’s 98th Spring Commencement today. Dr. Tom Elliff, president of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, will deliver the Commencement Address.
Elliff also will be awarded an honorary doctor of divinity degree, presented by OBU President David W. Whitlock during the ceremony.
The graduating students will take their symbolic final walk across the campus as OBU students when they file into Raley Chapel’s Potter Auditorium for the 3 p.m. ceremonies. The students, in academic regalia, will proceed from the Geiger Center to the chapel, passing through rows of OBU faculty members before they reach the chapel’s east steps.
An overflow audience of more than 1,800 will witness the Commencement activities in Raley Chapel. Dr. Whitlock will preside over the ceremonies. The program will include a presentation of the graduating class by Amity Walker, president of the Class of 2012, from Shawnee.
Elliff serves as president of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. He previously served as the founder of Living in the Word Publications, a speaking, writing and conference ministry focused on the necessity of spiritual awakening. Elliff also served as the senior vice president for spiritual nurture and church relations of the IMB and as senior pastor of First Southern Baptist Church of Del City for 21 years.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from Ouachita Baptist University, a master’s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctorate from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served as the Southern Baptist Convention president in 1996-97 and in 1997-98. He is the author and contributing author of numerous books.
He and his wife, Jeannie, have four children: Beth Cox, Amy Jarboe, Sarah Mann and Dr. Jon Elliff. The Elliffs have 25 grandchildren.
In addition to the address from Elliff, the program includes greetings by Dr. Anthony Jordan, executive director/treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, and induction of the graduates into the OBU Alumni Association by Lori Hagans, executive director of the association.
OBU’s top three honors for faculty and staff members will be presented by Whitlock during the graduation exercises. They include the Distinguished Teaching Award, the Promising Teacher Award and the Meritorious Service Award.
Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from OBU’s Paul Dickinson College of Business, with academic majors and hometowns, include Ryan David Berry, management, Bixby; Kyle Brule, interdisciplinary: business/education, Chandler, Ariz.; Katie Marie Chadwick, finance, Shawnee; Paola Carvalho Costa, international business, Brasilia, Brazil; Brittany Kay Doak, international business/finance, Tulsa; Clay Oscar Dodgion, professional accountancy, Macomb, Okla.; Casady Mark Fletcher, finance, Seminole; Shane Michael Haff, interdisciplinary: computer science/biblical studies, Pryor; Chassie Marie Hamilton, marketing, McKinney, Texas; Candace Valera Holden, marketing, Saginaw, Texas; Lane Hogin Howard, management, Shawnee; Joshua David Kardatzke, marketing/management, Wichita, Kan.; Chase Duane Lindsey, finance, Oklahoma City; David P. B. Lindsey, international business, Oklahoma City; Caroline Josephine May, professional accountancy, Kennewick, Wash.; Clayton Hamilton Mullen, marketing/management, Wichita, Kan.; Jacqueline Jeanell Walter, interdisciplinary: computer science/sports ministry, Lawton, Okla.; and Cassandra Lynn Winker, management/finance, Allen, Texas.
Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from OBU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences include Charity Ann Adams, special education, P-12, Shawnee; Rachel Elizabeth Adamson,  psychology: pre-counseling, Stillwater; Sarah Elizabeth Allison, English, Siloam Springs, Ark.; Paul David Ammons, exercise physiology and wellness, Dallas, Texas; Courtney Michelle Anderson, elementary education, McKinney, Texas; Ashley Shirelle Ashton,  interdisciplinary: kinesiology and leisure studies, Elk Grove, Calif.; Abigail Lynne Basler, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Lawton; Brittany Rachele Beckett, psychology: pre-counseling, Mansfield, Texas; Jill Kathleen Betterton, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Shawnee; Hayden Warren Blessing, health, physical education and recreation, P-12, Pottsboro, Texas; Monica LeighAnn Bonilla, interdisciplinary: cross-cultural ministry/business administration/sociology, Sapulpa; Cara Rae Branson, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Shawnee; Rachelle Jolettia Briscoe, social studies, secondary education, Shawnee; Melissa Nicole Brown, early childhood education, Edmond; Benjamin Wayne Buchanan, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Shawnee; Joshua Bailey Bullock, history, Arlington, Texas; Amber Danielle Butler, anthropology, Katy, Texas; Rachel Joy Byars, elementary education, Beggs; Calvin W. Chapman, anthropology, Muskogee, Okla.; Rebecca Lauren Churchill, early childhood/elementary education, Claremore; Tanner Odell Clay, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Pottsboro, Texas; Ashley Nicole Clifton, health, physical education and recreation, P-12, Joshua, Texas; Kelsie Michelle Collins, early childhood/elementary education, Shawnee; Chelsie Darla Courtney, special education/early childhood education, Mill Creek; Laura Elizabeth Davis, elementary education, Fayetteville, Ark.; Rayna Michelle Dawson, English, Denison, Texas; Hunter Jayce Hodges Denton, exercise physiology and wellness, Oklahoma City; Christina Marie De Rosa, elementary education, Claremont, N.H.; Betsy Carlene Dewey, sociology, Oklahoma City; Megan Nicole Dutton, family and community service: family life, Shawnee; and Derick Lamar Echols, interdisciplinary: kinesiology/leisure studies, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Others receiving bachelor’s degrees from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences are Victoria Erica Findley, special education, P-12, Bixby; Kelly Arielle Fink, sociology, Shawnee; Micah Jay Finley, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Broken Arrow; Jonathan Sierra Gelpi, sports and recreation management, Manati, Puerto Rico; Jordan Blake Gilbert, English, Chickasha; Heather Mary Margaret Goddard, early childhood/elementary education, Norman; Stephanie Faye Gresham, elementary education, Colcord, Okla.; Ethan Levi Groff, history, Henryetta; JoBeth Hamon, family and community service: family life, Midland, Texas; Rebekah Danea Harshberger, early childhood/elementary education, Meade, Kan.; Elizabeth Catherine Herman, anthropology, Shawnee; Amanda Michelle Hillemeyer, health, physical education and recreation, P-12, Piedmont; Brittany Michelle Hix, elementary education, Jenks, Okla.; Jacob Paul Hooten, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Seminole; Hannah Sartin-Hover, sociology, Bartlesville; Jacob Robert Kiebke, personal training/strength and conditioning, Enid; Lauren Micah Kinser, psychology: pre-counseling, Oklahoma City; Kyle Alan Kleeburg, social sciences education, secondary, Plano, Texas; Amanda M. Koszalka, English, secondary education, Independence, Kan.; Krista Kaye Law, special education/elementary education, Edmond; Russell Aaron Lindsey, psychology: pre-counseling, Purcell; Ciara Nicole Lomeli, elementary education, Shawnee; Molly Elizabeth Long, elementary education, Jenks; Anthony Luis Lopez, sports and recreation management, San Diego, Calif.; Lauren Ashley Loughridge, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Oklahoma City; Nadia Michelle Majed, exercise physiology and wellness, Broken Arrow; Kimberly Nicole Marshall, interdisciplinary: psychology/applied ministry/English, Shawnee; Molly Elizabeth McClure, political science, Norman; Leah Kristin Jamie McCurdy, psychology: pre-counseling, Lawton; Heath Ryan McKay, interdisciplinary: kinesiology/education, Kingfisher; Libby Grace Melton, psychology: pre-counseling, Shawnee; Zachary Douglas Melton, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Oklahoma City; Aleksandra Alex Miletic, psychology, Belegis, Serbia; KyLeigh L’Rue Mitchell, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Clinton; Whitney Erin Moore, family and community service: family life, Altus; and Katherine Grace Norris, multilingual communication, Bixby.
Also receiving bachelor’s degrees from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences are Kenechukwu Sunday Obi, interdisciplinary: business administration/leisure studies, Lima, Ohio; Amber Suesan O’Clair, psychology: pre-counseling, Shawnee; Kali Lauren Westmoreland Oldacre, English, secondary education, Holdenville, Okla.; Tracy Diane Opela, special education/elementary education, Prague; Jesus Humberto Orozco, interdisciplinary: kinesiology/business administration/leisure studies, San Bruno, Calif.; Katy Beth Palmer, health, physical education and recreation, Bowie, Texas; Nicholas Ian Pettit, personal training/strength and conditioning, Edmond; Savannah Schofield Petty, psychology: pre-counseling, Ardmore; Rachel Catherine Raney, psychology: pre-counseling, Tecumseh; Bridget Nyree Reynolds, exercise physiology and wellness, Midwest City; Keah Jean Robertson, elementary education, Cleveland; Vanessa Ann Rodriguez, interdisciplinary: Spanish/teaching English-as-a-Second-Language/cross-cultural ministry, Columbus, Kan.; Cory Christine Schweitzer, history, Los Lunas, N.M.; Katelynn Elizabeth Scottow, elementary/early childhood education, Plano, Texas; Gunnar Ray Sewell, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Holliday, Texas; Cassandra Michele Sharp, English, secondary education, Kansas City, Kan.; Reuel L. Shaver, history, Muldrow; Anna Elyse Skaggs, elementary education, Borger, Texas; Michelle Dawn Smothers, interdisciplinary: history/business/sociology, Shawnee; Megan Catherine Stingley, elementary education, Wellston; Courtney Nicole Stone, elementary education, McKinney, Texas; Elizabeth Grace Stripe, psychology, Santa Ana, Calif.; Dustin Edward Jewett Tenney, social studies, secondary education, Claremont, N.H.; Wynona Irene Tucker, psychology: pre-counseling, Noble; Alison Louise Tunnell, sports and recreation management, Oakhurst; Amity Merit Walker, history, Shawnee; Chad Allen Ward, anthropology, Cleveland; Anastasia Nicole White, English, secondary education, Mesquite, Texas; Paul Emmanuel Wilson, interdisciplinary: kinesiology/leisure studies, Norman; Karis Suzanne Windle, psychology: pre-counseling, Denison, Texas; Amanda Kaye Wood, exercise physiology and wellness, Shawnee; Hannah D’Anne Wright, history/political science, Wichita, Kan.; and Cody Wayne Yount, anthropology, Okay.
Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from the Herschel H. Hobbs College of  Theology and Ministry include Jered Stephen Bell, religion: Bible, Magnolia, Texas; Eric J. Bertolasio, applied ministry: youth, Oklahoma City; Samuel James Breen, religion: Bible, Pawley Island, S.C.; Taylor Lorraine Breen, religion: Bible, Phoenix, Ariz.; Janeth Avelina Carreon, orality studies/anthropology, Wynnewood; Jonathan David Chambers, interdisciplinary: cross-cultural/anthropology/worship art, Oklahoma City; George Everett Scott Croucher, applied ministry: children’s ministry, Jenks; Jeremiah W. Custar, applied ministry: youth, Ardmore; Katharine Elizabeth Denny, applied ministry: cross-cultural, Fort Worth, Texas; Clayton Scott Denton, applied ministry: youth, Shawnee; Jesse Dylan Everett, Christian studies, Laurel, Mont.; Leslie Anne Fort, religion: Bible, College Station, Texas; Carol Ann Fowler, Christian studies, Townsend, Mont.; Dalton Shane Funkhouser, religion: biblical languages, Hobart; Eric William Genheimer, philosophy, Mustang; Clay Allen Henderson, religion: Bible, Edmond; Samuel Travis Henderson, religion: Bible, Mesquite, Texas; Jared Scott Huckabee, philosophy, Rockwall, Texas; Jeremy Dale Johnson, religion: Bible, Shawnee; Johnny Ray Jones, Christian studies, Tulsa; Mary Elizabeth Jones, applied ministry: children’s ministry, Fletcher; Jeremy D. Lalli, applied ministry: pastoral, Krebs, Okla.; J. Logan Lambert, religion: Bible, Talala; James Adam Livingston, religion: Bible, Claremore; Brittnie Joan Loggins, cross-cultural ministry, Chickasha; Jessica Lee Lowery, applied ministry: children’s ministry, Chandler; Zac Malthaner religion: Bible, Norman; Brittany Michelle Mason, religion: biblical languages, Allen, Texas; Jared Andrew Maxey, applied ministry: youth, Broken Arrow; Timothy Michael O’Gwynn, religion: Bible, Shawnee; Cody Ryan O’Hara, religion: departmental, Tuttle; Jerry Don Owens, religion: Bible/psychology, Shawnee; Lewis Jovan Perez, religion: Bible, Rowlett, Texas; Michael Jay Power, religion: Bible, Ada; Daniel Milton Ray, religion: biblical languages, Chickasha; Lyndell Eugene Rice, Christian studies, Colbert; Ellen Michelle Richard, religion: biblical languages, Holdenville; Thomas James Schaffer, applied ministry: youth, Fairfax; Amy Elizabeth Singmaster, religion: Bible, Perry; Berthold Gotlieb Stumberg, Christian studies, Billings, Mont.; Thomas Charles Tipps, applied ministry: pastoral, Kinta; Cale Michael Trammell, philosophy; Casie Jane Trotter, philosophy, Owasso, Okla.; Jared Michael Walker, applied ministry: youth, Newalla; Devin John Warfield, religion: Bible, Enid; and Lester Lee Wynn Jr., applied ministry: youth, Shawnee.
From the Warren M. Angell College of Fine Arts, candidates for bachelor’s degrees include Anita H. Barfield, music, Shawnee; Ashlyn Nicole Basinger, art education, P-12, Cushing; Marissa Anne Boswell, art, Loveland, Colo.; Courtney Jordan Bryant, voice performance, Moore; Fernando José de Oliveira Castro, music, Vila Velha, Brazil; Ryan Caleb Churchill, graphic design, Claremore; Amelia Helen Coates, applied communication, Seminole; Caylee Machelle Coover, strategic communication, Henryville, Pa.; Sarah Elizabeth Doretti, electronic media production, Santa Ana, Calif.; Joy Meredith Fait, theatre, Arvada, Colo.; Lexi Taylor Faught, graphic design, Edmond; Theresa Rene Garcia, strategic communication, College Station, Texas; Anastacia Q. Griffith, strategic communication, Plano, Texas; Cylie Janiece Hall, theatre, Norman; Andrew Lee Harper, musical arts: voice, Olympia, Wash.; Kathryn Elizabeth Hunter, musical arts: voice, Owasso; Nataley Laura Johnson, art, Tulsa; Jennifer Lauren Elizabeth Juliano, graphic design, Enid; Brenden Ryan Laughlin, piano performance with pedagogy emphasis, Albuquerque, N.M.; Jonathan Andrew Livingston, musical arts: worship arts, Bixby; Stephanie Gayle Marchbanks, music education: vocal P-12, Overland Park, Kan.; Lauren Hope McHaney, interdisciplinary: music/philosophy/teaching English-as-a-Second-Language, Mansfield, Texas; Lauren Raney Miller, art, Oklahoma City; Aaron Charles Morvan, graphic design, Shawnee; Sean William Muzljakovich, musical arts: worship arts, Bartlesville; Nicholas Coleman Oxford, electronic media production, Arvada, Colo.; Mark Andrew Palomino, graphic design, Benbrook, Texas; Kristen Erin Parham, graphic design, Lawton; Charles Thomas Porter, applied communication, Owasso; Lynna Beth Rollow, applied communication, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Alyssa Lindsay Scattergood, graphic design, Wittman, Ariz.; Kali Nicole Schmidt, strategic communication, Chickasha; Lucas Ryan Simmons, art, Weleetka; Laura Catherine Simma, applied communication, Perkins; Mallory Nicole Simpson, graphic design, Ankeny, Iowa; Janna Joy Smith, electronic media production, Seminole; Kristina Marie Smith, strategic communication, Petaluma, Calif.; Stephanie DeAnn Smith, theatre, Shawnee; Joshua Angel Tabuena, strategic communication, Pasadena, Calif.; Yonah Eric Two Bears, music, Okmulgee; Jessica Julianne Wambolt, strategic communication, Frederick; and Cordell Weathersbee II, strategic communication, Allen, Texas.
Students receiving bachelor’s degrees from the James E. Hurley College of Science and Mathematics include Sara Elizabeth Branson, mathematics education, secondary, Shawnee; Jordan Lou Bruce, biology, League City, Texas; Kaitlen Jae Cooley, biology, Washington; Nathan Christopher Ellis, biology, Sapulpa; Caio Barbalho de Franca, biology, Natal, Brazil; Robert William Kellington, natural science, Oklahoma City; Andrea Lea Kellogg, biology, Shawnee; Joshua Thomas Kelly, mathematics, De Leon, Texas; Casandra Louisa, biology, McAllen, Texas; Audrey Grace McGowen, natural science, Oklahoma City; Aaron William Partridge, mathematics education, secondary, Tulsa; Adam Todd Sanders, science education, secondary, Checotah; Bradley Albert Schuessler, biology, Valley Center, Kan.; and Kirsten Nicole Stukey, biology, Broken Arrow.
From the College of Nursing, candidates for the bachelor of science degree in nursing include Sarah Elizabeth Barnett, Oklahoma City; Matthew S. Bates, Shawnee; Bethany L. Burke, Dallas, Ore.; Amy Rae Courtney, Piedmont; Ryan R. Cox, Sand Springs; Jennifer Nichole Dickerson, Marlow; Aubrie Lane Dolliver, Prairie Village, Kan.; Constance Marie Evans, Houston, Texas; Emily Beth Fitzgerald, Tulsa; Luke Fogarty, Midwest City; Robyn Dawn Gaunder, Newalla; Julie Lizbeth Griffin, Tulsa; Jennifer M. Jupin, Moore; Shiloh Marie Layn, Kingfisher; Jamie L. Lee, Midwest City; Ashley Ruth Leonard, Whittier, Calif.; Amanda Renae Loewen, Wichita, Kan.; Cheri LeAnne Lowry, Tecumseh; Jacquelyne Therese Pahl, Plano, Texas; Courtney E. Richart, Moore; Lexie Faye Searles, Chouteau; Jordon L. Sexton, Midwest City; Chase D. Sprinkle, Grand Prairie, Texas; Victor M. Tackett, Coffeyville, Kan.; Margo M. Thomason, Tulsa; Jennifer Diane Tiger, Shawnee; Lauren Nicole Whitlow, Bentonville, Ark.; and Brittany Danielle Willson, Shawnee.