Begun in 1957, Olivet’s “O” Awards are presented by the Alumni Association as part of the Homecoming & Family Weekend activities.
David Graves ’75, recipient of the 2017 Ministerial “O” Award
Being called “pastor” and seeing lives transformed by God’s love and grace are highlights in the life of Dr. David Graves, an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene. Since 2009, he has served as a general superintendent and has had the opportunity to witness firsthand the work of God worldwide through the international church body.
From 2001 to 2006, Dr. Graves was director of Sunday School ministries for the Church of the Nazarene. As a pastor, he served churches in Olathe, Kansas; Cincinnati, Ohio; Nashville, Tennessee; Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; and Monroe, North Carolina.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Olivet, a M.Div. degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary and an honorary doctorate from Olivet. He is the author of three books and numerous articles.
While at Olivet, Dr. Graves played Tiger baseball, and his team won the conference championship. Friendships he made at Olivet continue to be a blessing in his life. The quality of the Olivet experience helped form him spiritually and mentally, influencing him to this day.
“Receiving the ‘O’ Award is one of the greatest honors of my life,” Dr. Graves says. “I am humbled and thankful. Olivet holds a special place in my heart. Wherever I go, I see the lasting impact Olivet has had on the Church of the Nazarene and on the world.”
Suzanne Bell ’98, recipient of the 2017 Lay “O” Award
Collaborating with top Russian space scientists is one of the many measures of professional success for Dr. Suzanne Bell. While recently traveling to do research in Moscow, she recalled her Russian history class with Dr. Bill Dean at Olivet.
Dr. Bell is a tenured professor of industrial and organizational psychology at DePaul University. In 2015, she and her collaborators were awarded a $1 million grant from NASA to create a predictive team composition model for long-distance space exploration (e.g., Mission to Mars). In 2016, she was named as one of the Top 10 Chicago Women in Science.
Media coverage of Dr. Bell’s research and expertise includes: Harvard Business Review, Live Science, Huffington Post, The Atlantic Monthly, BBC Insights Magazine, Discovery, Scientific American, Smithsonian Magazine, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, WTTW public television in Chicago and others.
Dr. Bell holds bachelor’s degrees in both psychology and history, as well as a business minor, from Olivet. She earned her Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in industrial and organizational psychology from Texas A&M University.
“This award means a lot to me, especially since Olivet has always been part of my journey,” Dr. Bell says. “Olivet did an incredible job of preparing me for graduate school and life. I am humbled and honored to be recognized by the Olivet community.”
