Division of Language and Literature Names Wood Outstanding Senior, Announces Award and Scholarship Winners

May 18, 2020

Jonathan Wood has been named the 2019-20 Outstanding Senior in the Division of Language and Literature. The Division is part of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at OBU.

Awards for outstanding seniors in all Colleges and Divisions are typically presented during a special awards chapel at the conclusion of the spring semester. With the awards chapel event not being held this year due to the University’s move to distance learning, these students are instead being recognized through an announcement via the University website and social media channels.

The awards for outstanding seniors in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences are selected based on scholarship, leadership, work ethic, campus involvement and community involvement.

Dr. Jonathan Callis, assistant professor of English, has observed Wood’s outstanding qualities first hand.

“Since I met Jonathan Wood three years ago, I've been consistently impressed with his intellectual curiosity, particularly his desire to read anything you recommend. In literature classes, Jonathan always has a question to kick-start discussion or a provocative comment to stir up debate. Whether it's pursuing an ambitious honors thesis on Milton and Melville or just hanging around after class to chat about books and movies, Jonathan models the Christian intellectual life for students at OBU.”

Wood is graduating summa cum laude with college honors. He is earning a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Bible.

The Division of Language and Literature also announced additional awards winners and scholarship winners for the upcoming academic year.

Award winners include Nicholas Stark, Spanish minor, and Carrington Morris, Spanish minor, J.N. Owens Language Award; Julianne Ford, Shakespeare Award; and Camden Andrews, Spanish major, Robert O. Laessig Memorial Scholar.

Students who received scholarships include Emma Busby, Spanish major, Rosemarie Lones Scholarship; Madelyn Peck, multilingual communication major, Dr. Gary Chancellor Memorial Scholarship; Callie Jackson, Spanish major, Amelia Virginia Gonzalez Henry Scholarship; Frances Claire Mynatt, Alma and May Young Scholarship; Madison Stone, Mitchell English Scholarship; Sarah Spivey, The Dr. Katherine Rader Scholarship; Lydia Sharpe, Washichek Scholarship in English; Morgan Jackson, Arthur I. and Margaret Weddell Brandon Scholarship; and Tyler Smothers, Lewis and Susan Russell Memorial Scholarship in English.