Campus News - Bluffton University

Bluffton University news

More than 200 students make their way to Sommer Center for their Commencement ceremony.

Commencement 2023

More than 200 students received degrees on a beautiful Saturday morning. Commencement speaker Kathy (Gaines '78) Carr encouraged them to "Have faith in how far you can go."

Faculty received summer 2023 Bluffton University Research Center grants, which provide $2,000 and up to $300 for research-related expenses.

Dean's Reception

Faculty members were recently recognized at the annual Dean's Reception, an academic year-end event honoring faculty who have been awarded grants and other scholarly endeavors.

C. Henry Smith Scholars were among the students recognized at the Academic Awards Forum.

Academic excellence

Student scholars were recognized at the annual Academic Awards and Honors Forum.

Coach Burrow poses with outstanding senior athletes of the year, Haley Gill and Jack Towell.

Burrow philosophy

Coach Jimmy Burrow, aka "Joe Burrow's dad," shared his "Plan to Win" at the Athletic Awards Forum. Outstanding senior athletes and supporters of Bluffton athletics were also recognized.

Rev. Valerie Bridgman shared stories from her life including the integration of schools during her childhood and interacting with young gang members in Austin and Memphis.

Lifetime of activism

Rev. Valerie Bridgman looked back on her 50 years of experience as a peace activist during the annual Keeney Peace Lecture.

Civic Engagement

Styled like a conference, Civic Engagement Day sessions ranged from sociology students presenting about YikYak to interactive theatre workshops on conversations on race and gender.

Payton Stephens’ speech, “Finding Peace in Religious Conversations: The Free Exercise Clause and Public Schools,” was delivered to address issues of restraining religious conversations in schools.

Oratorical contest

Payton Stephens '22, a writing and communication and media double major from Lebanon, Ohio, was named the winner of the annual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest.

Pastor Georgia Metz, guest speaker for spring Spiritual Life Week, focused on the importance of really listening during Forum.

Let's Listen

Georgia Metz '13 returned to campus for spring semester's Spiritual Life Week. The theme, "Let's Listen," reflects conversations around the polarization of society and the ways technology shapes us.

New head men's basketball coach Seth Clark has experience as a DIII student-athlete, assistant coach and faculty member.

Welcome Coach Clark

Seth Clark, former assistant men's basketball coach at Manchester University, will serve as the next head men's basketball coach at Bluffton University.

Rae Carson has published 10 books and several short stories, but the obstacles she faced at the beginning of her career, remain. The difference now is she’s made peace with them.

Path to publication

New York Times Bestselling Author Rae Carson shared a few lessons she learned on her journey to becoming a full-time author during Bluffton University's 38th English Festival.

Destinations include Edinburgh, the Scottish Highlands, Glasgow, Belfast, Galway and Dublin!

Alumni travel

Join President Jane M. Wood and fellow travelers in Scotland and Ireland. Tour participants will visit small villages, enjoy the beautiful countryside and view seaside cliffs.

Lead President's Ambassadors for 2023-24

Ambassadors named

President's Ambassadors for 2023-24 have been named. They will receive professional development training and will engage with prospective students, alumni and donors.

Presidential Scholars

Logan Daugherty and Abbigail Martin, incoming students at Bluffton University, have been awarded the full-tuition Presidential Scholarship, valued at nearly $140,000 for four years.

Tickets are available now for performances on March 30, 31 and April 1.

'Quilters' musical

Through music, story and dance, the challenges and joys women faced on the North American frontier will be performed as the spring musical "Quilters."

Commencement speaker

Kathy (Gaines) Carr, a 1978 Bluffton graduate, long-time educator and community advocate, will address the 2023 graduating class during the May 6 Commencement ceremony.

“We’re not putting on rose colored glasses or airbrushing out the warts of this history in this class. We’re remembering the past as it was and there are lessons out there for us,” said Perry Bush

A look into the past

History students “put their fingers on the bones of Lima’s historic African American neighborhood” in Perry Bush’s Theory and Application class. “What they found is significant,” said Bush.

“My favorite thing about the trip was being able to learn the Greek language in a classroom setting and then using it out on the street right away.”

Cross-cultural

Immersed in new environments, participants experience diverse lifestyles, make new friendships and learn respect for other heritages all while meeting personal challenges which build character.

Board action taken

The Board of Trustees approved a new construction project and a grant for students, recognized retiring faculty and welcomed a new board member during its annual winter meeting.

Former female student athletes gathered in 2022 for a reunion with Coach Kim Fischer.

Fischer Press Box

Construction for the Coach Kim Fischer Softball Press Box will start in May 2023. Former student-athletes, fans and friends contributed toward the two-story building.

Dr. Jane Wood selected for year-long Presidential Renewal Program.

Sustain leadership

President Dr. Jane Wood was one of just 15 college presidents selected for The Council of Independent Colleges' Presidential Renewal Program.

Dr. Duane Stoltzfus, professor of communication at Goshen College, told stories of three conscientious objectors seeking US citizenship.

Citizenship for COs

Following World War I, prospective US citizens were asked: "Are you willing to take up arms in defense of country?" The impact of this question on pacifists was discussed at Forum.

Biblical study notes developed by Dr. Gerald Mast's Religious Communication class will be submitted for publication.

Not just an assignment

Students of Dr. Gerald Mast's Religious Communication class developed study notes to submit for possible inclusion in the Anabaptist Community Bible.

Bluffton Bread Company student advisory board members.

Student-run business

From developing and standardizing recipes to streamlining the online shopping cart, Bluffton University students are gaining hands-on learning experiences through the Bluffton Bread Company.

Students are prepared to successfully enter the workforce or pursue graduate nursing education after completion of their BSN.

Full accreditation

Bluffton's nursing program has been granted the full five-year accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the nation's leading accrediting agency for nursing programs.

New wood-fired kiln

Behind Sauder Visual Art Center, there is a newly built wood-fired kiln constructed by ceramics students and T.R. Steiner, adjunct professor of art. Bricks used in the kiln were repurposed.

A clinical educator schedules all supervised experiential learning experiences, including at the Blanchard Valley Hospital.

Bluffton is now offering a Master of Nutrition and Dietetics graduate degree for students interested in becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Complete requirements for the RDN exam in 12 months.

Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith gave three pieces of advice: no one is successful on their own, be a person of character and keep showing up.

Show up every day

Early circumstances did not deter future successes for Sharetta Smith, the mayor of Lima, Ohio. Smith spoke on her "Journey to Leadership" at the Presidential Leadership Forum.

A celebration of Coach Guy Neal's accomplishments will be held following the men's basketball game on Feb. 4.

Legacy coach retires

Men's Basketball Coach Guy Neal will retire at the end of his 34th season. The three-time conference Coach of the Year is the winningest coach in Bluffton men's basketball history.

Clayton Moore described his experiences as the first black police officer in Fostoria, Ohio, and his fight against racial discrimination within the department.

Why me?

During the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Forum, retired police sergeant Clayton Moore addressed a question people often ask themselves in times of trial.

Estée (Arend ’13) Hemphill, assistant director of service for the Cleveland Guardians, shared lessons from her career at Forum.

Those other duties

When Estée (Arend '13) Hemphill reflects on her rise through the Cleveland Guardians's front office, she places importance on words often overlooked in a job description: other duties as assigned.

A 2022 graduate of Miami University (Ohio) in interactive media studies, Brian Williams founded R6 and helped grow the Rainbow Six: Siege Esports community.

19th Varsity sport

Brian Williams will coach, recruit and manage the varsity co-ed Esports program starting in the 2023-24 academic year.

The play also features rich characters, complex family dynamics and range of human emotions.

Anne Frank

The story revolves around the confinement of eight people in a tight living space as Jewish families in Amsterdam are forced into hiding from the Nazis during World War II.

“What we’re doing right now is improv, and we still have the option of engaging the scene differently and building a future we don’t have to be scared of.”

"Let's Talk"

During Spiritual Life Week, Flack-Wetherald shared a message on forgiveness during Chapel which resonated with Deborah Yoder '23, an English major from Listowel, Ontario.

New scholarships

Two new scholarships, including the Dr. Perry Bush Scholarship funded by an anonymous donor, were approved during the Board of Trustees fall meeting.

“This program is designed for working teachers who are ready to transition out of a traditional classroom to working with students who need additional resources,” said Dr. Amy Mullins.

Master's degree

Classes are offered online or through Zoom videoconferencing. Once classes and the practicum are complete, program participants are eligible to take the Ohio Assessments for Educators.