News

Kentucky Wesleyan College to host Graduate School Fair Oct. 24

Kentucky Wesleyan College will host a Graduate School Fair on campus on Tuesday, Oct. 24. The fair will be held in Rogers Hall inside the Winchester Community Center on from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

The fair will feature representation from a wide variety of healthcare related programs including physician’s assistant, physical therapy and pharmacy, as well as a number of business, accounting and other graduate programs.

The universities who have committed to attend include:

  • Bellarmine University
  • Brescia University
  • Campbellsville University
  • Cedarville University
  • Indiana Tech
  • Murray State University
  • Spalding University
  • Sullivan University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
  • University of Evansville
  • University of Kentucky College of Medicine – Bowling Green Campus
  • University of Louisville College of Business
  • University of Southern Indiana
  • University of the Cumberlands
  • Western Kentucky University

Kentucky Wesleyan College announces organizational changes for future sustainability

Kentucky Wesleyan College has announced a series of organizational changes to align itself for future stability. KWC administration helped guide the strategic and structural changes to align with enrollment trends and efficiencies for longer-term challenges.

Organizational changes are being made across the entirety of the campus including:

  • Elimination of positions, some of which are already vacant
  • Certain Athletic Programs (Read More Details Here)
  • Comprehensive review and adjustment of contractual partnerships
  • Adjusted projections related to enrollment (on-campus and online)

“During the course of our 165-year history, Kentucky Wesleyan College has adapted and adjusted to changing times with the incredible support of our alumni, friends and community partners,” said President Dr. Thomas Mitzel. “The impact this realignment and restructuring has on our KWC family members is what makes it incredibly difficult. However, it is necessary for the long-term sustainability of the College.”

Student Spotlight – Braxton Shelton ’24

“I chose KWC because of the small classes. I wanted to be known by name, not a number. I also chose KWC for the community aspect the campus held. One of my values is giving back to others what was given to me, and I liked how the campus fits right into that.

“What is special to me about KWC is how the school really treasures making sure that there is a community. You can walk across campus, and everyone will say hello and check in, which you would miss out on if you went to a bigger school. I am glad I chose to enroll here because I was able to be involved while playing a sport, which was a high priority for me.

Meet Dr. Derek McClellan, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Please join us in welcoming Dr. McClellan to KWC and enjoy reading about his life and career below. 

“I had an unconventional education growing up, as I spent most of my schooling years being homeschooled. I never truly felt invested in my education, which made my decision to pursue a college degree a complete surprise to almost everyone in my life. I enrolled as a psychology major in 2012 at Morehead State University, with very little prior knowledge of the subject. I quickly fell in love with the discipline, which motivated me to pursue a master’s degree in 2016, and eventually a doctoral degree in 2019. I completed my Ph.D. this past summer. As a first-generation student with no public high school experience, I feel I owe my current position to the love and support of many wonderful people.”

Career
“I wasn’t initially certain what I wanted to do in psychology, and it took a while for me to find my footing. I have dabbled in all sorts of research, ranging from research on human sexuality, implicit learning, visual perception and substance abuse, before finally finding my focus on studying cognition as it applies to education.”

Wesleyan Theatre Works to present “Frankenstein”

Wesleyan Theatre Works at Kentucky Wesleyan College will present “Frankenstein” by R.N. Sandberg on Sept. 28-30 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. in the Ralph Center. Set in the icy polar regions where scientist Victor Frankenstein has chased the creature he brought to life, this highly theatrical and emotional play traces Frankenstein’s path to the final confrontation with his intelligent, articulate, sensitive and powerfully violent child.

Director Jordan Blake Key ’18, who earned a degree in theatre, said, “It has been a privilege to return to my alma mater to make this piece of theatre. My first production as a director debuted on the very same stage seven years ago and to return to this space and work with the current students has been marvelous.”

Purchase Tickets

Key has an exciting vision for the production that has inspired the creativity of every artist involved. He says, “This rendition of “Frankenstein” is an avant-garde episodic interpretation much like a distorted dream. It reveals the classic tale in glimpses interspersed with frightening dream sequences that represent Victor Frankenstein’s psyche rather than a factual retelling of events. To further this idea, the design is inspired by the art of Alexa Meade who takes three dimensional sets and models and paints them to look like two dimensional pieces of art. This will allow the audience to immediately recognize that this is not a traditional interpretation of “Frankenstein,” but rather Victor Frankenstein’s nightmares.”

Kentucky Wesleyan College to celebrate Homecoming and Family Weekend 2023 presented by Owensboro Health Sept. 21-24

Kentucky Wesleyan College will celebrate Homecoming and Family Weekend presented by Owensboro Health on campus and throughout the Owensboro community the weekend of Sept. 21-24 surrounding the Panthers’ home football game versus Ohio Dominican on Saturday, Sept. 23. at 6 p.m.

Signature events for the weekend include:

  • A Taste of the Arts, presented by Wonder Boy Media, will kick off the weekend on Sept. 21. The sold-out event will feature live performances by KWC choir, theatre and band, exhibits from graphic design and radio students as well as delicious “tastes of Owensboro” and an art show by 2023 Outstanding Alumnus of the Arts K.O. Lewis ’08.
  • The Pillars Lecture Series on Saturday, Sept. 23, will include three TED Talk-inspired lectures by George Tinsley ’68, Jeff Jones and Dr. W.L. Magnuson.
  • The 3rd Annual Panther Pride 5K, presented by Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, on Sept. 23,  will offer a unique behind-the-scenes tour of Kentucky Wesleyan’s beautiful campus and a picturesque finish line in Steele Stadium (day-of registration will be available)
  • The Bash on the Front Lawn will return for its third year and feature live music by Brad Fleming ’98 and Soul N The Pocket, a variety of food trucks, free inflatables, bumper cars, games and more.
  • The 2023 Alumni Hall of Fame and Awards Celebration, presented by Independence Bank on Sept. 22, will honor the 2023 Alumni Award recipients with the induction of Dallas Thornton ’68 into the Alumni Hall of Fame.
  • The 2023 Athletic Hall of Fame Celebration on Sept. 23 will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Panther football in the modern era and induction of Jamie Duvall ’90, Brenda (Britt) Cason ’84, Stacey (Baxter) Bischoff ’97 and Jordan White ’12 into the Athletic Hall of Fame.

Kentucky Wesleyan College earns superior recognition from U.S. News and World Report

Kentucky Wesleyan College has again been recognized by U.S. News and World Report as One of the Best Regional Colleges in the South for 2024 at #22, the highest ranking in Kentucky and a gain in ranking by two positions from last year, and as one of the Top Performers in Social Mobility at #33 in the South.

‘The improvement of the college’s ranking is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of every member of the Kentucky Wesleyan community,” said Dr. Thomas Mitzel, president of KWC. “I am humbled to work with such a dedicated Panther family on campus and in the broader Owensboro region. We are not just an institution of higher learning, but a family of teachers/mentors/learners and devoted support groups all working together to ensure we give our students tools to be the best possible servant leaders of the coming generations. To be recognized for our efforts is rewarding.”

U.S. News evaluated nearly 1,900 U.S. four-year bachelor’s degree-granting institutions on as many as 19 measures for its 39th rankings edition. These statistics only pertain to measures reflecting academic quality and graduate outcomes – factors that are universally important to prospective students. Also important are considerations that vary person-to-person, like campus culture, strength in specific majors and financial aid offered. To account for this, U.S. News supplements its overall rankings with specialized subject and cost-oriented rankings, search tools and a detailed school directory. The Top Performers in Social Mobility indicator measures how well schools graduated students who received federal Pell Grants.

Kentucky Wesleyan was also recently recognized to the Princeton Review’s “2024 Best College Colleges: Region by Region” for the 20th consecutive year.

Kentucky Wesleyan to host A Taste of the Arts during Homecoming and Family Weekend 2023

Kentucky Wesleyan College is pleased to invite the public to the Second Annual “A Taste of the Arts” event as a kickoff to Homecoming and Family Weekend, presented by Owensboro Health.

A Taste of the Arts, presented by Wonder Boy Media, will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 21, at the Jack T. Wells Activity Center.

“Wonder Boy is thrilled to sponsor this event,” said Drew Hardesty, owner of Wonder Boy Media. “The arts are a crucial part of the Owensboro community, and we are grateful to help showcase the incredible arts programming that is happening at Kentucky Wesleyan College.”

The event will feature bite-sized performances from the College’s theatre, band and choir, tastes of local food and drink, exhibits by radio and graphic design students and an art show by 2023 Outstanding Alumnus of the Arts K.O. Lewis ’08.