Education 2013

The official magazine of the College of Education, Oklahoma State University

2013

A Desire to Help Jennifer Mayo is on a journey to improve people’s lives around the world

Measuring an Impact

Top Teacher Talks

Mwarumba Mwavita’s way to measure learning is getting attention

Oklahoma’s Teacher of the Year Elaine Hutchison discusses education

On The CoveR

Pursuing a Passion to Change the World

The official magazine of the College of Education, Oklahoma State University

2013

A Desire to Help

Jennifer Mayo is on a journey to help improve people’s lives around the world.

Jennifer Mayo is on a journey to improve people’s lives around the world.

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Portrait by Phil Shockley

Measuring an Impact

A Talk with an Oklahoma Teacher of the Year

Top Teacher Talks

Oklahoma’s Teacher of the Year Elaine Hutchison discusses education.

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Mwarumba Mwavita’s way to measure learning is getting attention.

Questions About Space Answered From There

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OSU alumna Elaine Hutchison discusses her role as the state’s education ambassador.

A Method to Measure Student Growth

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Stillwater students attend an OSU-hosted Q&A session with an astronaut on the International Space Station.

An assistant professor’s comprehensive model is having an impact on Oklahoma and gaining notice around the U.S.

Phil Shockley/UNIVERSITY MARKETING

OSU’s Aviation Students Are Flying High St udent s in t he Av iat ion and Space prog ram share how t heir internship ex periences helped prepare t hem for t heir careers. Page 20

18 Freshman Scholars 28 New Faculty Members 30 Top Seniors 32 News & Notes 36 In Memory

EDUCATION

MAGAZINE

Dr. Pamela “Sissi” Carroll

Ross A Maute

Christy Lang

P h oto g r a p h e r s

D e an , C o l l e g e o f ED u cat i on

C O E C o m m u n i cat i ons S p e c i a l i st

Dorothy L. Pugh E d i to r

A r t D i r e cto r

Phil Shockley Gary Lawson

Michael Baker Beverly Bryant

A ssoc i at e E d i to r S

CONTACT

COE MAGAZINE

335 Willard C o l l e g e o f E d u cat i on O k l a h o m a S tat e Un i v e r s i t y S t i l l wat e r , O K 7 4 0 7 8 - 4 0 3 3 coemagazine@okstate.edu

C O E M a g a z i n e i s a p u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e ­O k l a h o m a S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y C o l l e g e o f ­E d u c a t i o n . I t s p u r p o s e i s t o ­c o n n e c t t h i s c o l l e g e w i t h i t s m a n y s t a k e h o l d e r s , p r o v i d i n g i n f o r m a t i o n o n b o t h ­c a m p u s n e w s a n d p e r t i n e n t i s s u e s i n t h e f i e l d o f education. © Oklahoma State University 2013

When you join the OSU Alumni Association, a portion of your membership comes back to the college to fund programs such as homecoming and other alumni events. Contact the college for more information: 335 Willard Hall Stillwater, OK 74078-4033 (405) 744-8320. education.okstate.edu Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. Title IX of the Education Amendments and Oklahoma State University policy prohibit discrimination in the provision of services or benefits offered by the University based on gender. Any person (student, faculty or staff) who believes that discriminatory practices have been engaged in based upon gender may discuss their concerns and file informal or formal complaints of possible violations of Title IX with the OSU Title IX Coordinator, Mackenzie Wilfong, J.D., Director of Affirmative Action, 408 Whitehurst, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, (405) 744-5371 or (405) 744-5576 (fax). This publication, #3316, issued by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the Dean, College of Education, was printed by OSU Marketing, University Printing at a cost of $4,568/4m. 10/13. #4880

From the Dean’s Office

Hello from the OSU campus at Stillwater!

The 2012-2013 academic year was fast-paced in the College of Education. Our faculty and staff

focused on one guiding question: “Is what I am about to do going to improve the world for a child,

teen, adolescent, adult, family or the environment?” To answer that, we sought collaborations across programs, schools and the university to support areas that truly matter as we seek to fulfill the land-grant mission of OSU and the College of Education.

While we have been busy teach-

Our students cannot be that

We are pleased to shine a light

ing and generating a record number

involved without your support.

on the 2013 Oklahoma Teacher

of grant proposals, students have

We awarded 181 scholarships this

of the Year, Elaine Hutchison,

been representing us well within

academic year, thanks to the gener-

an OSU alumna.

the community. In 2012-2013,

osity of our COE donors.

255 of our prospective teachers

Do you know a

Like many other institutions, the

And speaking of those who teach, we eagerly welcomed eight new

and school psychology students

STEM areas (science, technology,

tenure-track faculty members this

worked in classrooms and schools

engineering, and mathematics) are

fall and began a faculty development

future Cowgirl

for approximately 170,000 hours

receiving a great deal of attention

program to support their success.

or Cowboy?

of public school-based experience.

in the College of Education and at

Our enrollments are strong

with us contact

In addition, 260 students spent

OSU. In this issue of Education, we

and our goals are set high, and

information for

2,780 hours engaged in tutoring

demonstrate how broadly we define

we welcome your insights, visits

Please share

any potential students. We

Stillwater children in the Carol

STEM to include literacy, aviation

and support. Thank you for your

will be glad

and Randall White Reading and

and the health and human perfor-

continuing interest in the College

Math Center on campus. And

mance areas, as well as science and

of Education at Oklahoma State

an academic

57 therapeutic recreation majors,

math. Please visit our new Center

University, where we are proud to

counselor,

featured in this issue of Education,

for Research on STEM Teaching

be “America’s Brightest Orange!”

spent many hours serving Stillwater

and Learning (CRSTL) at our COE

other activities

Public Schools and the OSU Child-

website to learn about more of

to help them

hood Development Center/RISE

our college’s STEM projects. And

to set up meetings with

tours of the campus or

explore majors in the College

program with warm-water therapy,

while at the website, visit the new

of Education.

while 41 athletic training students

Center for Educational Research

provided services to schools, clinics

and Evaluation (CERE), which is

and hospitals, and 17 interns in

earning a statewide reputation for

leisure and recreation management

helping school systems interpret

supported the Stillwater’s Parks and

standardized test score data and

Recreation Department and other

develop improvement plans, and

services. Meanwhile, 175 students

the Oklahoma Tourism and Recre-

enrolled in the professional pilot

ation Advisory Center (OTRAC),

program spent more than 7,500

which assists the state in determin-

hours in the air in our new Cessna

ing where our greatest natural

172s or the other planes at the OSU

assets are located.

Warmest regards,

Dr. Pamela “Sissi” Carroll

Dean, OSU College of Education

COE Flight Center.

Contact Information

(405) 744-3373 • pamela.carroll@okstate.edu • education.okstate.edu

Portrait PHIL SHOCKLEY

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Elaine Hutchison was named the 2013 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year at a ceremony at the State Fair of Oklahoma last year.

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When you came back to campus to speak at the College of Education’s annual Celebration of Teaching, you talked about what a big moment that was. Why? Can you describe those feelings?

Q&A

Top Teacher OSU alumna named state’s Teacher of the Year photo Oklahoma State Department of Education

As the 2013 Oklahoma

Teacher of the Year, OSU alumna Elaine Hutchison

has spent the last year serving as the state’s ambassador of teaching, speaking to civic groups and educators across the state and beyond. Hutchison returned to Stillwater in April when she gave the keynote address at the College of Education’s Celebration of Teaching.

Hutchison earned her bachelor’s degree in secondary mathematics education from OSU in 1992. She teaches at Fairview High School and Chamberlain Middle School as well as at the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics Regional Center.

I grew up in a very small rural community where everyone knew each other. In communities like that, the school is oftentimes the nucleus of the community. When my high school had to consolidate in 1992, I suddenly realized that there were no more “Ames Wildcat” homecomings or basketball games to attend. That was difficult to accept when you have lived in a community your entire life, and your school is a huge part of your identity. Oklahoma State University has always felt like another home to me. No matter how much the campus grows, I still feel like the campus and the people are comforting and personable.

When you feel that special connection to a place, you somehow want to give back. You want to leave a legacy. As the 2013 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, I have very large shoes to fill. Sharing my passion for teaching and recruiting others as part of a purpose-driven mission is one of the ways that I feel that I can give back.

When I spoke at the Celebration of Teaching, all of those fond memories of my time here — the homecomings, Student Government Association, President’s Leadership Council, Eddie Sutton basketball — came flooding back to me. I didn’t want to suppress those feelings, but I

really wanted to take it all in that day and appreciate my love for my alma mater and my opportunity to give back at the same time.

Roughly how many presentations and events have you been involved with over the past year? What are some of your favorite experiences?

This past year, I have given approximately 35 presentations and have been involved with 31 in-state events and four national events.

This summer, I got to attend International Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., with the other state teachers of the year and 10 international teachers from all over the world. We performed pseudo space simulations and missions and were immersed in several STEM activities. I enjoyed that so much because it was informal. I got to be a student for the week, and I love to learn new information. There was an intense appreciation of culture, knowledge and all of the geeky things I love, so it was the trip of a lifetime for me.

In April, for National Education Week, I traveled to Washington, D.C., where I was recognized at the White House by President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. I am 43 years old and had never been to D.C., so you can imagine my awe. Being able to see history, art, architecture, museums, all of those “postcards” coming to life is a feeling I will never forget. continues

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You recently took Eskimo Joe’s teacher shirts to a national conference. How were they received?

When I traveled to International Space Camp, we were asked to bring token gifts from our state to share with the other participants. A huge thanks (goes) to Stan Clark of Eskimo Joe’s, who donated teacher shirts for all of the State Teachers of the Year and International teachers. These teachers loved the shirts, and I am sure that these shirts are now all over the world.

Eskimo Joe’s helped me show the generous spirit of Oklahomans, and I am grateful for their help in this endeavor. One of the Space Camp administrators was from Stillwater! He wanted me to pick up some Eskimo Joe’s bacon cheese fries to send to him as well. I have explained Stan Clark’s significant contributions to education and to OSU, and many of the teachers have investigated Eskimo Joe’s on Facebook as a result.

What does it mean to you to serve as Oklahoma’s education ambassador?

Serving as Oklahoma’s education ambassador means that I get to share my passion for teaching with teaching interns, and perhaps “reignite” that love for the classroom for all teachers through a positive message.

How do you encourage fellow teachers? What would you say to the general public about the teaching profession?

I think the most important message I can share with Oklahomans is that teaching is a profession that blesses you with many rewards beyond any paycheck we could ever receive. It allows you to build relationships,

Elaine Hutchison took shirts from Eskimo Joe’s as token gifts for other teachers during PHOTO PROVIDED

assist others in reaching their dreams, and know at the end of the day that what you do makes a difference. It is the one profession that makes all other professions possible. It is a profession that is not always easy, but is always worth it.

Additionally, I want Oklahomans to have faith in their teachers and schools. Our

her week at the International Space Camp.

universities are working very hard to develop their teacher preparation programs to ensure phenomenal teachers, but oftentimes they become discouraged by others outside the profession. Our teachers are working very hard to make our schools and future citizens strong. Teachers need to know more than anything else that people have faith in them and what they do. E

Oklahoma State University is attracting record support as the boldest highereducation campaign in Oklahoma state history continues. In a little more than five years, tens of thousands of alumni and friends have given to Branding Success: The Campaign for OSU.

discover your orange passion

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION Your support will impact countless students of all ages and extend OSU’s land-grant mission to make education available to all those who seek it.

STEM INITIATIVES | $5 MILLION

Producing educators in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects is a high priority for the College of Education. To enhance OSU students’ learning experiences, the College has an interdisciplinary emphasis to involve all academic colleges across the university.

As one of 18 universities in the STEMx Consortium – a nationwide group working together to elevate STEM subjects – OSU is encouraging students to take an interest in these increasingly technical fields.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: DENISE UNRUH Senior Director of Development Oklahoma State University Foundation 400 South Monroe | Stillwater, OK 74074 phone: 405.385.5663 | dunruh@OSUgiving.com

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Preparing for 21st-Century Classrooms Faculty members win grant for iPads to help students learn, teach When School of Teaching and Curriculum Leadership faculty members Adrienne Sanogo, Sheri Vasinda and Faryl Kander wrote a grant proposal seeking funds to purchase tablet computers to

use in their courses, they were focused on more than simply having the newest piece of technology.

Describing their work as “Changing the Landscaping

of Learning: New Times, New Tools, New Thinking,” the trio was more interested in the effects of using tablets in one-on-one tutoring as well as preparing OSU pre-service teachers to leverage technology to enhance teaching and student learning in future classrooms.

The proposal won a $48,000 grant from the OSU Center for Innovation and Economic Development as well as an additional $5,000 Transforming Educator Preparation grant from the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation, which deemed it an innovative preparation project.

With funding secured, iPads were purchased for students enrolled in the Literacy Assessment and Instruction and Teaching Math at the Intermediate Level courses. As part of the classes, OSU pre-service teachers provide math and reading tutoring each semester to roughly 100 K-8 students through the Randall and Carol White Reading and Mathematics Center in both Stillwater and Tulsa.

Beginning last spring, OSU students received an iPad to use throughout the semester as both an instructional tool in tutoring sessions and as a resource in their coursework.

“These new tools have so much potential in differentiating teaching and learning,” Vasinda

says. “At OSU, we want our preservice and in-service teachers to think critically about technology integration, carefully considering how to support their students’ learning goals and needs.”

The faculty introduced a framework for thinking about technology integration called TPACK (Mishra and Koehler, 2006). In this model, students consider their children’s content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge when deciding to use a technology tool.

“Teachers are also learners, particularly in this project,” Vasinda says. “This is an opportunity for OSU students to practice using emerging technologies in a thoughtful, purposeful and effective way.”

Faculty and pre-service teachers explored many applications to use in tutoring sessions during the initial semester of using iPads. For example, an app called Educreations, which records both voice and pen strokes at 30-minute intervals, was found to be highly effective. The OSU students use the information from the recordings to determine how their tutees understand and process math concepts. It also helps with assessment and making instructional decisions.

According to Sanogo, the students being tutored were better engaged with the iPads,

New iPads have made a difference for OSU pre-service teachers

compared with previous semesters when iPads were not used.

Sanogo says one tutor had a difficult time keeping her charge engaged.

“She recorded the session and sent it to me,” Sanogo says. “By listening to the session, I was able suggest strategies for [the pre-service teacher] to use when the student became off task.”

The feedback proved beneficial, and the sessions went smoothly after that. It was also helpful that tutors shared each child’s recording with their parents at an end-of-semester conference.

Utilizing iPads in the university course has increased collaboration. OSU students take pictures of their work to save to digital notebooks. In class, when a student shares a new invented strategy on the SMARTboard,

GARY LAWSON / university marketing

tutoring students through the Randall and Carol White Reading and Mathematics Center.

classmates use iPads to take pictures of the strategy for future reference.

“I am learning more efficient ways to teach mathematics and share mathematical thinking by using the iPad,” Sanogo says.

The learning and collaboration are ongoing. Sanogo, Vasinda and Kander continue to collect data to determine best practices in preparing high quality teachers for 21st-century classrooms. E

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Wonders of Water OSU students and their patients benefit in aquatic therapy lab

Students in the College of Education’s therapeutic recreation program are gaining invaluable, practical experience while making a difference in the lives of children and students with disabilities through the Warm Water Therapy Lab. Therapeutic recreation uses leisure activities to bring about a social, emotional or cognitive change in the individual and his or her quality of life. The warm water therapy course is offered each semester to give initial, hands-on experience and exposure to recreation therapy.

During weekly sessions for preschool children and Stillwater Public Schools middle, junior high and high school students,

An OSU student works with a young patient in the Warm Water Therapy Lab.

OSU students work one-on-one with clients at Total Health’s warm-water therapy pool.

The 24-foot, above-ground pool is 4 feet deep and heated to about 80 degrees. Jonette Passmore, a certified therapeutic recreation specialist, instructs the course. Passmore also holds an aquatic therapeutic exercise certification.

In the water, 50 to 90 percent of body weight is lost, making it possible for students to work longer and more focused without getting fatigued, Passmore notes.

“Studies show that 20 minutes in the warm water is about the same as an hour on land,” she says. “When we get the kids in for about 30-40 minutes, it’s like

they’ve done an hour to an hourand-a-half workout.”

Patients have varying diagnoses of physical or intellectual disabilities, and exercises and activities are tailored to meet patient’s developmental needs.

“We work with patients on upper and lower extremity strength, core, balance, socialization and ambulation. We incorporate cognitive activities. It’s also peer interaction,” Passmore says.

The therapeutic recreation bachelor’s degree includes extensive field experience. Students complete internships in clinical settings during both the junior and senior years. The warm water therapy lab offers the highly important initial, handson practical experience that can help a student determine if this is a career field he or she would like to pursue and better prepares them for internships.

The course is designed to model what health professionals are

doing in the field. OSU students are required to write notes about what they see. Patients are assigned to the same OSU student throughout the semester.

OSU students are creative in working with students. Abby Dankert, a therapeutic recreation major from Broken Arrow, Okla., was able to get one of her student clients to talk. “[One client] doesn’t like to speak. We invented a game where we put [adhesive] circles on the walls [of the pool] with words on them. I have her read them. She talked to me for 30 minutes,” Dankert says.

Rona Tracy’s daughter Willa began participating in warmwater therapy when she was 18 months old. Today, Willa is 5 years old, and Rona marvels at the progress she has made and how it affects her daily life.

“My daughter has Down syndrome and very low muscle tone. She wasn’t walking when we started [therapy]. It gave her a way to be mobile and increase muscle tone [helping her toward walking],” Tracy says. “It’s a great way for her to exercise and she doesn’t even know she’s doing it. She loves getting in the water and the attention from the [OSU] students.”

Many of the young children are able to participate in the program for four years and the progress over time is remarkable, Passmore says.

“We had a young man who had a brain injury at birth. He started

[the lab] when he was about 18 months old. He was not walking or pulling up; he was doing a little bit of scooting,” she says.

“Through the semester, we saw progress. He worked on pulling up. We worked on kicking and having him stand up on the steps. When you put somebody in the water, that simulates walking. Just the very first semester we had him in the lab, he started pulling up at school and started trying to walk. Now he walks by himself, and he’s learning to swim on his own.”

Dankert is excited to be part of the lab and the therapeutic recreation degree program.

“We’re really working with social and cognitive things. We really change the quality of life,” Dankert says. “It’s just a great opportunity and it’s awesome seeing the changes in our clients.”

CH R I S T Y L A N G

Check out the video on OState TV: bit.ly/1g77Rpc

PHIL SHOCKLEY / university marketing

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Sending Questions to Space

Space station astronaut piques — and satisfies — kids’ curiosity in NASA program at OSU If you could ask an astronaut anything, what would it be?

“Do you ever have fears or get nervous about being in space?”

“What do you like most about being an astronaut?”

“Do you believe NASA will create technology that will allow humans to explore outside our solar system?”

Stillwater Middle School sixth-graders asked those questions — and more — of Kevin Ford, commander of the Expedition 34 Mission for NASA. Ford was aboard the International Space Station; the students were at the Wes Watkins Center on the Stillwater campus.

The OSU College of Education and NASA Education Projects teamed up to facilitate the unforgettable experience for the students, known as a downlink, in November. NASA selected only six downlink partners during 2012. In Stillwater, more than 400 students participated.

In preparation for the event, OSU faculty worked closely with Stillwater administrators and science teachers to plan a meaningful event. As part of a course, about 40 OSU teacher education students taught lessons about mass and weight in science classes.

M o r e i n f o r m at i o n The downlink was streamed live at www.ostate.tv; more than 6,500 unique users visited the site during that time. The downlink program is archived, along with additional NASA educational content suitable for teachers to use in classrooms.

Watch on www.ostate.tv OSU’s longstanding relationship and important work with NASA: bit.ly/HdUzbL Watch the archive of the NASA downlink with Expedition 34: bit.ly/1hcTCOp Classroom Extra: Learn about astronauts and the International Space Station: bit.ly/1f1Qd2W

“The purpose [of the downlink] is to use the International Space Station as an educational tool for students,” says Steve Marks, coordinator of OSU’s NASA Education Projects.

“Hopefully, it gave students the chance to visualize what their future might be.”

In addition to the downlink, NASA education specialist Brian Hawkins spoke to the students, selecting a few to try on space suits and helmets and taste space food while on stage.

In all, students asked 16 questions, watching Ford intently as he answered them from space.

To conclude the downlink, he demonstrated zero gravity with a somersault, to the delight of a cheering audience.

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OSU senior follows her passion to help improve lives

Changing the World PORTRAIT BY PHIL SHOCKLEY

A senior majoring in health education and promotion at Oklahoma State University, Jennifer Mayo’s journey to improve impoverished lives has taken her from southeast Oklahoma to remote villages in India and Africa.

At age 12 in Sulphur, Okla., she began saving for a trip to India. Neither Jennifer nor her mom can remember exactly what sparked her interest, but she was serious enough to open a bank account for the purpose.

The Trip After her first two years of college at different universities in Oklahoma, Mayo decided it was time to make the trip in September 2011. She purchased an open-ended airplane ticket on a Monday and left Saturday without even a detailed plan of what she would be doing. Her focus was on helping in any way she could and learning in the process while sharing her Christian faith.

“I had always wanted to experience [India] and figure out what I wanted to do,” Mayo says.

When she arrived, Mayo was offered help getting acclimated from the Asian Rural Life Development Foundation before she set out on her own. Mayo lived in villages in the northeastern state of Assam, working on many things, including water, agricultural, educational, health and Bible translation projects.

“Whatever a village needed, I did.”

Despite restrictions (local custom allowed her to speak only to women) and limitations (no knowledge of the language), Mayo still found ways to help. For example, she led a group of women in one village in establishing a loan group. “[The women] didn’t know how to work for themselves or save money. We set up a loan group

where every woman put 50 cents into a pot. If a farmer needed a new net, [the women] were able to loan him the money he needed.”

Mayo lived in India until March 2012 before moving to Ghana for two months. There, she lived in a village accessible only by a two-hour ride. The conditions there were dismal.

“There were children dying of malaria. The water is bad, and there is no electricity. These people live in mud huts. They are the poorest of the poor and don’t have access to many things beyond the basics like fruit and vegetables,” Mayo says.

While overseas, she discovered her passion for health education. She learned about Oklahoma State University’s health education and promotion degree program in the College of Education and began taking courses online. She returned to the United States in April 2012 and moved to Stillwater that fall to continue working toward her degree.

The lack of access to such basic needs as clean water and health care, especially with the prevalence of disease, remained etched in her mind.

“When I got back, my mindset was constantly, ‘How can I change that?’”

Before long, she had an idea.

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The Idea During Mayo’s “Health Behavior Theory” class, taught by Chandra Story, a discussion centered on condom manufacturing and how condoms are marketed.

“I raised my hand and — I don’t know why I said it — but I asked, ‘Do they make reusable condoms?’ ” As some classmates chuckled, Story said she did not think so.

“She literally lit up as she started talking,” Crew says. “Her passion was evident.”

Mayo shared her idea about the reusable condom.

“The idea seemed innovative, and it sounded like something the Riata Center would be interested in,” Crew says.

Crew encouraged Mayo to check into the Riata Center for Entrepreneurship in the Spears School of Business at OSU. Riata supports entrepreneurship across disciplines at Oklahoma State.

Clockwise from upper left: The residents at Pearl House, a girls’ home in Africa that Jennifer Mayo helped establish, pose for the camera; children in an Indian village hang out by a water fountain; children pack a school in Ghana; a woman who lost her leg sits in Ghana.

Opposite page: Jennifer Mayo poses with one of the women she lived among in Ghana.

PHOTOs courtesy jennifer mayo

“The more I thought about it, I realized it’s actually a good idea,” Mayo says. “Some people don’t have access to getting a bulk number of condoms, and they are going to [prioritize other things] before contraceptive use.”

She did some online research and even called manufacturer Trojan, which confirmed that a reusable condom was not on the market. Still, the idea was set aside for awhile.

Later in the semester for a different class, Mayo asked Michelle Crew, the College of Education’s career services consultant, to review her résumé.

During their conversation, Crew asked her about her experiences abroad.

Mayo followed through and visited with Craig Watters, an entrepreneurship faculty member and the center’s interim director, during the spring of 2013.

“I pitched the idea to him, and he immediately loved it,” Mayo says.

Watters and Mayo visited with representatives of OSU’s School of Materials Science and Engineering on the Tulsa campus, which offers educational training opportunities for master’s and doctoral degrees. Mayo became the first undergraduate in the Riata Fellows Program, a universitywide entrepreneurship initiative.

The team of engineers working on the material includes Ranji Vaidyanathan, the Varnadow Professor of Materials and Science and Engineering,

post-doctoral fellow Krishna Bastola and undergraduate Trisha Buck.

The objective is to create a condom that is good for around 100 uses. It would have to be boiled for around 20 minutes after each use, but it would not require a special cleaner. In late August, engineers completed the first round of nearly a dozen prototypes of material for the reusable condom, producing some promising possibilities. Engineers believe the material may have other uses as well.

The group is navigating through the patent process for both the idea and the material.

“The focus is on people without access,” Mayo says. “It’s not for novelty purposes; it’s for disease prevention.”

Mayo has established a limited liability company called Pearl Health, named for Pearl House, a girls’ home in Africa that Mayo helped establish. In addition to reusable condoms, Pearl Health is working to create reusable catheters, gloves and other health products for developing countries.

The Future Though there is a lot of work still to be done, the project’s momentum continues to build. The National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance tabbed Mayo as one of just 22 University Innovation Fellows from across the country. The program says it “supports the next generation of innovators striving to improve the lives of underserved populations in developing countries worldwide.”

“All I know is I’m trying something and people are on board. We are meeting a need for somebody. I have a huge bucket list, even if this doesn’t work out,” she explains.

Mayo, who avidly watches TED talks, was excited to be afforded the opportunity to share her project and message during the TEDx OStateU event in October 2013.

Mayo is set to finish her coursework in the spring 2014 semester and will do a full-time internship before graduating this summer.

“The health education and promotion program has really helped me,” Mayo says. “The faculty [members] have been great about incorporating international perspectives [into discussions and curriculum].”

Mayo is clear that she prefers village life and plans to go back after graduating.

“What I really hope to do is encourage people to think outside of our American, Oklahoma box. I want people to go and see for themselves. Seeing it in person is different. It’s life-changing.” E

S ee i t Visit OState.tv to watch Jennifer Mayo’s presentation at TEDx OStateU in October 2013.

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Bike Friendly

Keith Reed’s passion for two wheels spills over to boost Stillwater

In an ideal world, Keith Reed would pursue a master’s degree in bicycling.

Reed, a resident of Perkins, Okla., and a longtime employee of Oklahoma State University, is passionate about cycling and the difference it has made in his life over the last 10 years.

“It has been life-changing for me,” Reed says. “It has been important not only to my physical health, but also for my mental and spiritual well-being.

The more I do, the more necessary it becomes for me.”

During the summer of 2011, Reed pursued the lofty goal of biking across North America.

The journey began at Acadia Park in Bar Harbor, Maine, and concluded 66 days and 4,138 miles later in Cannon Beach, Ore. Along a route he planned, Reed, Gena Wollenberg, an OSU doctoral student in nutritional sciences, and Anna Kinder visited 13 states, a Canadian

province and numerous monuments and parks.

“The experience was amazing.

We met and interacted with so many people. We were treated so well, invited to stay in the homes of strangers,” Reed says.

“Even though I was a passionate bicyclist before the cross country ride, the trip really helped me understand the potential for bicycling to enrich lives.”

Reed, who has a bachelor’s degree from OSU and serves

as the horticulture educator with the Cooperative Extension Service for Payne County, soon had an opportunity to make an impact for bicyclists in his own community.

Kevin Mussett, a longtime Stillwater bicycling advocate, approached Lowell Caneday, OSU Regents Professor in leisure studies, to ask for assistance in securing bicycle-friendly status for Stillwater. Caneday was quick to make the connection to Reed, who is pursuing a master’s degree in the College of Education’s leisure studies program.

As part of his creative component, Reed compiled an application on behalf of the city of Stillwater to the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Community program.

The program “is a tool for states, communities, business and

universities to make bicycling a real transportation and recreation option for all people.”

A number of factors gelled to move Stillwater forward as a bicycle-friendly community.

While Reed was responsible for compiling the 88-question application, he is quick to point out that the process required the support of city and university officials, including Stillwater Mayor John Bartley and city transportation director Jason Peek, among others. The process led to the formation of the Stillwater Bicycle Committee.

The League of American Bicyclists awarded Stillwater “Bicycle Friendly CommunityBronze Level” status in the fall of 2012. Stillwater is only the third city in Oklahoma and one of 259 nationally to achieve the designation.

Many positive steps continue to happen. OrangeRide, a new bicycle rental program, is now available at OSU, and a campus bicycle committee has formed at OSU as well. The city also re-striped the roadway on Hall of Fame Avenue near Boone Pickens Stadium to include bicycle lanes.

Reed is slated to complete his master’s in May 2014. Though it will not be in bicycle, the degree is allowing him to focus on an area he is most passionate about in bicycling.

“The majority of the coursework I have chosen has a significant application to bicycling, much more than I ever imagined when I began the degree,” Reed says.

His work has affected the Stillwater community and bicyclists for years to come.

“The BFC project was the perfect opportunity for me to do a small part to give residents of this area a better chance to experience the power of a bicycle,” Reed explains.

C h r i st y Lang

PHOTOs courtesy keith reed

Maine provided the starting point for Keith Reed’s trek across on America on his bicycle (inset). Photos include the starting point of Acadia National Park (top left), Lewiston, Maine, (above) and an early sunrise along the Maine coast (right).

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Clockwise from left, Macy Gleason, Matthew Chamberlin, Kelsie Patterson and Gabby Bair all received OSU scholarships for their freshman year.

Introducing Freshman Scholars

The College of Education emphasizes recruiting bright and talented high school students to pursue their degrees and dreams at OSU. The Thomas J. Smith Freshman Recruitment Scholarship, established in 2011 by Jill and Jeff Hough, has given the college another tool to reward and entice outstanding students and future leaders who plan to pursue a COE major.

Gabby Bair, Matthew Chamberlin and Macy Gleason all received the Smith scholarship. Kelsie Patterson is a Nationl Merit Scholar. A peek at their thoughts, hopes and dreams:

Gabby Bair

Matthew Chamberlin

Elementary education • First-generation college student Tulsa • Jenks High School

Elementary education and special education Springfield, Mo. • Kickapoo High School

On choosing OSU …

“Once I saw the passion that these professors and advisers have for teaching and preparing educators, the decision was easy — I knew OSU was the place where I belonged.”

On receiving the Thomas J. Smith Recruitment Scholarship …

“I had already decided to come to OSU when I received the scholarship, but it was such an encouragement to me to know that I had people who were supporting me outside of my family. The day I found out that I was going to get this financial assistance to help me reach my goal made me realize that OSU really wanted me to be a part of its family.”

On her favorite part about being a freshman at OSU …

“My favorite part is the desire to learn that everyone seems to have. When I sit in the classroom, the students want to be there; they want to succeed. That changes the environment of the whole classroom for the better.”

On choosing OSU …

“I chose the College of Education at OSU because of all the schools I looked at, I knew Oklahoma State University would give me the greatest chance to reach my full potential as a teacher.”

On receiving the Thomas J. Smith Recruitment Scholarship …

“Receiving the scholarship strongly influenced my decision to come to OSU because it showed me that the College of Education had confidence in my abilities. Knowing the university trusted me meant the world to my confidence.”

On his favorite part of being a freshman at OSU …

“In my short time at Oklahoma State University, getting involved in activities such as flag football and church to complement my class schedule has been beyond wonderful.”

Macy Gleason Secondary science education Mannford, Okla. • Mannford High School

On choosing OSU…

“First, I was drawn to the College of Education because of the personnel who work there. People like [academic counselor] Leslie Evans, [prospective student services coordinator] Becky Wilber and [associate dean for undergraduate studies] Dr. Robert Davis made the decision process as enjoyable and smooth as possible. … They made me feel like a valued member of their college before I ever joined the OSU family.

“Furthermore, I chose OSU because it is a world-class university with great credentials. … To me, college was not just about getting a degree, but also about gaining experiences that will grow me as a person.”

On receiving the Thomas J. Smith Freshman Recruitment Scholarship …

“Receiving the Thomas J. Smith Freshman Recruitment Scholarship definitely influenced my decision to attend OSU. Undoubtedly, this scholarship helped my family and me out in a huge way financially.”

On her favorite part of being a freshman at OSU…

“My time at OSU so far has been more enjoyable than I could ever imagine. My favorite would probably have to be meeting such quality people. From students to staff members to faculty, the people at this great university have made my experience incredible.”

Kelsie Patterson National Merit Scholar Secondary education, mathematics Flower Mound, Texas Flower Mound High School

On choosing OSU:

“I visited multiple schools when I first began the college-finding process, and at that point, OSU was probably third on my list out of only three. … However, as I spent more time in Stillwater and with College of Education administrators, I fell more and more in love with the university and with the program. … Nowhere else did the dean of the college stop by simply to introduce herself while I was in town.

Nowhere else could we laugh and joke while discussing my options. Nowhere else were people so loving, caring and willing to find their students the best road possible in order to help them succeed.”

How did receiving the National Merit Scholarship influence your decision to come to OSU?

“While I was in love with the campus before I knew for sure about the final scholarship offer, I would be lying if I said that it had no impact on the matter. With a sister in college and another in high school, scholarships were essential to my decision. … The National Merit Scholarship is a blessing to me and my family that I am thankful for every day.”

On her favorite part of being a freshman at OSU:

“My favorite part has to be the camaraderie of everyone here. … Here at OSU, we’re just one big family, and that’s something that I would never give up for anything.”

On choosing to pursue education as a major and career:

T o d o n ate Every day, donors affect the lives of students on the OSU campus. Because donors alleviate some of the financial burden of college, students have time to study and interact with professors and fellow students. They can study abroad and accept internships. And even before students realize the vast impact of scholarships on their lives, they know someone believes in them, supports them, encourages them and welcomes them into the OSU family. You can choose to be in that role for an OSU student by starting a scholarship in the College of Education. Contact Denise Unruh at the OSU Foundation at 405-385-5663 or dunruh@osugiving.com.

[After telling questioners her major:] “I got responses of how I’m too smart to just be a teacher, or that that profession did not make enough money to be worth it. …

What is wrong with having people who are intelligent as educators? Aren’t those the people we should want teaching our children? Teaching, helping and serving others are all things that I am passionate about.”

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Flying High

Aviation internships help prepare students for career opportunities

Invaluable practical and internship programs are a hallmark of College of Education programs, and the aviation and space program is no exception.

It has built strong connections with many industry leaders, resulting in placement of its students in internships with those companies.

“We strongly support and encourage student internships,”

says assistant professor Chad Depperschmidt, who coordinates the undergraduate aviation and space program. “Internships offer an exceptional opportunity for students to expand their knowledge, gain professional experience and to network within the industry. The aviation program has longstanding relationships with local, state, national and international

Stefan Ralston

Stefan Ralston was fascinated by flight as a child — and his interest didn’t dissipate as he grew up.

“Recent growth in corporate and manufacturing segments [of the aviation] industry and the prevalence of aerospace investment in Oklahoma validated my decision to study aviation,” he says.

Ralston completed a Bachelor of Science in aerospace administration and operations with an option in aviation management in May. While at OSU, Ralston won an international internship with Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg,

stefan ralston won an internship with Lufthansa Technik in Germany.

PHOTO PROVIDED

companies and organizations, which have provided excellent pipelines for aviation students to gain experience and professional employment.”

Three aviation students have agreed to share their experiences in preparing themselves for careers through their internships.

Shasta Sheets spent the spring of 2013 as a full-time intern in marketing at the Tulsa International Airport.

Germany, which offered him an opportunity to develop his German language skills.

During the summer of 2011, Ralston worked in the corporate aircraft division, where he was able to gain a wide range of experience. He developed monthly controlling reports and generated diagrams, protocols and standards in English and German.

Ralston analyzed global economic currency trends concerning business aviation. He collaborated with international subsidiaries and in the process, met representatives from Germany, Switzerland and the U.S. “The internship definitely enhanced my German language skills and my ability to work in a global setting,” Ralston says.

“I learned to better define my career goals within a vast aerospace industry.”

Ralston notes that he often used his internship experience in class discussions and related the course material to his summer abroad.

Currently, Ralston is part of a yearlong work and study abroad program as part of a professional student exchange in Germany.

Shasta Sheets

Shasta Sheets grew up near an airport and fell in love with aviation at an early age. At OSU, she majored in aviation management, graduating in December 2012. She is now pursuing a master’s degree in aviation and space and an aviation security certificate while working at DeBee Gilchrist, an aviation law firm in Oklahoma City.

During the spring of 2013, Sheets had a fulltime internship at the Tulsa International Airport with the Tulsa Airport Authority’s marketing division, which has been a strong

PHOTO PROVIDED

supporter of OSU’s aviation and space program.

Sheets helped with customer service issues such as check-in at ticket counters during peak hours. She also compiled marketing research for air service and business development, and she introduced school groups to airport operations by leading guided tours. Sheets’ duties also included event planning, media communications, the airport volunteer program and conducting and tabulating customer surveys for passenger feedback. continues

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“I really learned how to be comfortable and confident in a professional office environment, as well as how an airport works and all of the manpower and many different jobs it takes to make an airport operational,” she says.

Sheets says the opportunity to network has opened her eyes to new career plans: Meeting a Federal Air Marshal Service employee sparked her interest in working for that agency.

“My coursework and experience definitely prepared me for my internship. It was neat to take what I have learned at OSU and put it into action in an airport.”

PHOTO PROVIDED

Heather Rivera Aviation runs in Heather Rivera’s blood. Her grandfather is a pilot, and her brother is an aircraft mechanic.

“The first time my grandfather took me up in his plane, it was love at first flight,” Rivera says.

Rivera majored in aviation management and obtained a private-pilot certificate before graduating in May 2013. She was selected as one of the College of Education’s Top 12 Seniors.

During the spring of 2013, Rivera worked with Southwest Airlines as a flight operations safety intern.

At Southwest, Rivera worked closely with the voluntary safety programs and created educational materials for pilots. One of her favorite and most valuable experiences was a business trip to Seattle to discuss plans for a new airplane with Southwest pilots.

Heather Rivera turned her internship with Southwest Airlines into a full-time position after graduation.

“The internship was completely unforgettable,” Rivera says. “I met so many wonderful people that taught me so much about how Southwest Airlines operates and succeeds.

The company is truly made of the best people.”

Rivera earned an offer for a full-time position upon graduation and is now a crew scheduler with Southwest. E

An elementary school in Pennsylvania sent 62 boxes of new and gently used books to areas in Oklahoma that were hit by tornadoes in May. PHOTO PROVIDED

Reaching Out to Help Pennsylvania school sends boxes and boxes of books to Oklahoma

Teachers and students at South Lebanon Elementary School in Lebanon, Pa., wanted to help when they saw the devastation left behind by the tornadoes that tore through Oklahoma in May. Not knowing exactly what to do, teacher and enrichment facilitator at South Lebanon Elementary John Mohn contacted the College of Education Outreach office at Oklahoma State University.

He was unsure what kind of reaction he would get.

“As it turned out,” Mohn says, “I could not have asked for a better response.”

Mohn and his colleagues and students at the Pennsylvania elementary school collected new and gently used books. The books were originally earmarked for schools in Moore, but having reached capacity on book donations, Moore recommended Little Axe. More than 50 families in the Little Axe area lost homes or sustained major damage.

In July, 62 boxes of books, weighing 2,496 pounds were delivered from Pennsylvania to Stillwater free of charge by R&L Carriers.

A few weeks later, staff from the College of Education drove the books to Little Axe for the final delivery.

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A Model for Student Growth Educator’s method of measurement makes an impact on school district — and more STORY BY Christy Lang / college of education

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Gary Lawson / university marketing

A research model designed by Mwarumba Mwavita is making a significant impact on one Oklahoma school district and gaining notice across the state and around the country.

Mwavita, an assistant professor in the Research, Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics (REMS) program and director of the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation, developed a comprehensive model for mapping student achievement growth. His unique, big-picture approach tracks student growth in a single school year and considers a variety of factors that can influence student achievement.

Mwavita has worked closely with administrators, teachers and students in the Western Heights School District, an independent school district west of Oklahoma City, over the last four years, implementing the model and analyzing the data to better understand challenges and find effective solutions.

“Most studies have been working only on mapping students’ growth from year to year, [comparing] different students,” Mwavita says.

“For instance, a third-grade student in one school year is compared to third-grade students in the next class. The same students are not tracked over time.”

As part of Mwavita’s model, students are pretested at the beginning of a school year, given a medium test in the winter and finally a third test in the spring. The test is standardized, computerized and adaptive to individual ability. It has been aligned with Oklahoma’s Priority Academic Student Skills (PASS) test but can easily transition to the state’s new Common Core Standards.

The test is also diagnostic, revealing if a group of students does not understand a concept.

“It helps enhance instruction, indicating what teachers should focus on,” Mwavita says.

“This assessment model is data-based, but goes well beyond the normal testing program,” says OSU Regents Professor Dale Fuqua, also a professor in the REMS program. “It provides timely feedback to both students and teachers.”

The immediate feedback motivates students, helps them track progress and set goals. It is also valuable for parents.

“Parents are well served by having immediate results several times a year to inform their participation in decision-making and use of interventions with students,” Fuqua says.

In the sophisticated system, all of the data gathered is recorded and accessible electronically continues

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“A beauty of the model is that you can see it is more accurate and fair for teachers. You can see growth even if [students] aren’t achieving at the average.

Teachers are not ‘graded’ in the same way for students who only spend two months of the year in their class. It truly looks at the impact the teacher has on the student in the time they teach them.”

— Mwarumba Mwavita

Mwarumba Mwavita has also helped out on a project to determine how to open the world of science to children who have autism.

by teachers and administrators. It has led to a culture where Western Heights depends on data for decision-making, and it has proven powerful for teachers.

More and more, discussion about education centers on evaluating teachers for effectiveness.

Mwavita has seen strong buy-in from Western Heights’ teachers and students.

“We’re big believers in adaptive testing,” says Western Heights Superintendent Joe Kitchens. “We absolutely believe that it’s critical to know who students are when determining whether a teacher is successful or not.”

Teachers are trained on how to read the data.

They have instant access to the data, allowing them to immediately respond by designing instruction to meet students’ needs.

“A teacher has these students for one year,” Mwavita says. “Within that one year, you can evaluate a teacher’s effectiveness [with] that test after controlling for other variables such as initial ability, parental involvement, whether they are in special education classes or have free and reduced [price] lunch status. If you put all of them into the model and what will remain is not explained by all

Center for Educational Research and Evaluation The Center for Educational Research and Evaluation (CERE) is a self-supporting center that

of these other variables, we can use that residual effect to predict the teaching impact.”

Western Heights had battled mobility, with students entering and exiting the district throughout the year. This drove the decision to test students at the beginning of the year on all the content that will be covered. It helps teachers know where their students initially stand academically.

“Dr. Mwavita has been so critical in helping us understand how to look at this data in a proactive way, to use it in a proactive way,” Kitchens explains.

Another element of this model is creating and supporting Professional Learning Communities.

The communities meet outside the normal school day and formalize an opportunity to share information among teachers, learn more about students and identify how their needs can be met in the classroom and beyond. Teachers are compensated for their time and work. “[Mwavita] has a great way with teachers,” Kitchens says. “His ability to interact with them in regard to what they see and what action they may take, I think, may be the most important thing of all. He has a unique capacity to put people at ease and to have an open discussion about what the real issues are and what can be done on behalf of students.”

Mwavita came to Oklahoma State University from Kenya to pursue a doctorate in educational psychology, specializing in REMS. After completing his Ph.D. in 2005, he accepted a visiting assistant professor position at OSU. He has also served as Western Heights’ director of school improvement and instructional research and continues to support the district while working at OSU. His research interests are focused on mapping student achievement growth and improving student performance and teacher education.

His work has been noticed nationally. He communicates regularly with the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics and has been asked to present at

provides methodological expertise professional development workin research, evaluation, statistics shops, showcasing the work and psychometrics to support the with Western Heights in terms research, teaching and outreach of growth modeling and changmissions of Oklahoma State University with a major focus on supporting the culture of the school. ing programs and initiatives that “It is not one size fits all, but benefit Oklahoma residents. the principles of the model will CERE supports faculty and student work across school districts,” research on campus by offering Mwavita says. “Each school consultation, tutoring and profesmay have its own unique chalsional development services, lenges, and the model will take and external grant and contract that into account.” evaluation.

For instance, if a district has CERE also offers leadership in many high-achieving students, effective evaluation and accountability models for K-12 education, the model can help determine and support through in-service and how best to challenge them to professional development for teachcontinue to accelerate and motiers and school leaders in Oklahoma. vate learning.

CERE also works with business, “A beauty of the model is that industry and government sectors to you can see it is more accurate provide evaluation services. and fair for teachers,” Mwavita Mwarumba Mwavita serves says. “You can see growth even as the CERE director and all REMS if [students] aren’t achieving at faculty, along with graduate assistants, share in the center’s work. the average. Teachers are not ‘graded’ in the same way for For more information or to request assistance, contact students who only spend two Mwavita at 405-744-8929, months of the year in their class. mwarumba.mwavita@okstate.edu It truly looks at the impact the or at his office at 311 Willard Hall. teacher has on the student in the time they teach them.”

The work is a strong example of the university’s land-grant mission being carried out. Currently, Mwavita and his colleagues at OSU have continuing conversations with other school districts in the state as well as Oklahoma’s State Department of Education.

“There is passion for making a difference in [the schools] in the state. Our job is to be resourceful to all stakeholders,” Mwavita says. “How can we best serve the citizens of Oklahoma and be efficient in making a difference in our schools?”

That’s the question that guides the work.

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Jason DeFreitas

Tonya Hammer

Assistant professor, exercise physiology

Assistant professor, counseling (OSU-Tulsa)

School of Applied Health and Educational Psychology

School of Applied Health and Educational Psychology

Ph.D., University of Oklahoma Formerly at OU

Jason DeFreitas has a unique set of research skills that will be beneficial in student mentorship. He has a clear research agenda in muscular function and neuromuscular adaptations during training with the ability to provide immediate productivity and successfully disseminate his work. His research matches well with the current activities in the program’s exercise science lab.

Ph.D., St. Mary’s University Formerly assistant professor in counseling, University of HoustonClear Lake

Tonya Hammer brings considerable teaching experience to the counseling psychology program and has an established record of publications and presentations. She has a strong interest in service and research collaboration and a commitment to social justice perspectives and activities consistent with other faculty in the program.

Jennifer Job

Jam Khojasteh

Assistant professor, curriculum studies

Assistant professor, REMS (OSU-Tulsa)

School of Teaching and Curriculum Leadership

School of Educational Studies

Ph.D., University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Ph.D., University of Arkansas-Fayetteville

Formerly at UNC

Jennifer Job is highly accomplished and has demonstrated scholarly activities in several publications and has shown leadership in her field through a journal editorship and in professional associations. Her experience and background lend breadth and depth to an already strong curriculum studies program.

Formerly research assistant for the National Office on Research on Measurement and Evaluation Systems at University of Arkansas-Fayetteville

Jam Khojasteh will further strengthen the research, evaluation, measurement and statistics program. He has already demonstrated a collaborative spirit by contributing to an OSU-OU research team through the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation. A specialist in education statistics and experimental design, he has served in the Office of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education and the National Office for Research on Measurement and Evaluation Systems.

Mwarumba Mwavita

Shanedra Nowell

Assistant professor, REMS

Assistant professor, secondary social studies

School of Education Studies Ph.D., Oklahoma State University

School of Teaching and Curriculum Leadership Ph.D., Oklahoma State University Formerly a visiting assistant professor at OSU in 2012-13

Mwarumba Mwavita has an exceptional blend of strengths in evaluation methods and experience handling school issues. He is a leader in school assessment and evaluation at a time when teachers, principals and parents need someone who is well versed in the research and theories to translate them in a consumable way.

Chandra Story

Shanedra Nowell integrates her classroom experience with university teaching methods, using technology to prepare students for teaching adolescents in today’s world.

She has a strong interest in examining contemporary issues with students and colleagues and demonstrates interdisciplinary strength through successful work with the OSU Writing Project.

Jane Vogler Cragun

Assistant professor, health education and promotion

Assistant professor, educational psychology

School of Applied Health and Educational Psychology

School of Applied Health and Educational Psychology

Ph.D., University of Tennessee-Knoxville Served as a visiting assistant professor at OSU in 2012-13

Chandra Story has a broad academic background from her doctoral work at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, so she is able to contribute to the health education and promotion program in many areas. She is student oriented and displays positive teaching practices. Initial research projects have demonstrated her ability to collaborate with Native American groups.

Ph.D., University of Texas-Austin Formerly an assessment specialist, Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Texas-Austin

Jane Vogler Cragun has a sophisticated understanding of research design with experience in both qualitative and quantitative methods. She also brings experience teaching master’s and doctoral courses and consulting with faculty members about how to improve their teaching while serving at the Center of Teaching and Learning at the University of Texas-Austin.

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Top seniors recognized for 2013

Each spring, the College of Education Student Affairs Committee selects the Top Senior students who have demonstrated exceptional qualities of leadership, academic excellence, and service, and are eligible to graduate during the calendar year.

The 12 seniors selected represent all three schools and every undergraduate major in the College of Education.

Mikala Anderson

Chelsea Garcia

Emily Handy

Anderson, a native of Lenexa, Kan., was active in Kappa Delta sorority, SPURS, Student Alumni Board, Education Student Council and the Honors College Student Council. She was also inducted to Phi Kappa Phi and the Mortar Board Honor Society and has been a member of the President’s Honor Roll since 2009. She has been accepted into OSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Garcia was selected an OSU Outstanding Senior. A standout on the Cowgirl softball team, she received the NCAA Elite 88 Award at the 2011 Women’s College World Series and was a two-time Academic All-American. The Moore, Okla., native was active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and volunteered her time with numerous community projects.

Handy served as the College of Education Student Government Association senator and as vice president of events for Education Student Council.

She was also a member of Mortar Board and Order of Omega and involved in leadership positions with OSU Greek Life. The Tulsa, Okla., native was selected to complete her student teaching internship in Lakenheath, England.

Brooke Gritters

Kim Johnson

A native of Pella, Iowa, Gritters was a thrower on the OSU track and field team.

She earned first-team Academic All-Big 12 honors. She has volunteered to coach high school athletes in her hometown and with many projects in Stillwater. Gritters has also been active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Johnson, a native of Schertz, Texas, has served as a Stout Hall residential adviser.

She is president of the Student Oklahoma Education Association, historian for the College of Education Ambassadors and a member of both the OSU Academic Integrity Panel and the Cowboy Marching Band. Johnson is active with Campus Crusade for Christ and has been selected for multiple College of Education scholarships.

Bachelor of Science with Honors in Athletic Training

Courtney Baker

Bachelor of Science in Leisure Studies/Therapeutic Recreation

Baker hails from Bixby, Okla. She held leadership positions in the Therapeutic Recreation Club, serving as president, the Native American Student Association and the OSU Gates Millennium Scholars Association. Baker also served as student representative for the Therapeutic Recreation Association of Oklahoma and for the American Therapeutic Recreation Association. She received multiple College of Education scholarships and is a longtime volunteer for Special Olympics.

Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education and Mathematics

Bachelor of Science in Health Education and Promotion

Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education/English

Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education

Justin McCubbin

Challie Sweeney

McCubbin is a member of Phi Alpha Theta, a national history honors society, and a recipient of multiple scholarships at OSU. The Ponca City, Okla., native has been active in the U.S. Army Reserves, serving in Afghanistan. He also received the Army Achievement Medal.

Sweeney was active in the Physical Education Club and the College of Education Student Council, serving as secretary, and with Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow. The Apache, Okla., native was also a recipient of multiple College of Education scholarships and presented at the Oklahoma Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance convention.

Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education/Social Studies

Lauren McIntire

Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education/English

McIntire served as president and secretary of the College of Education Student Council. She was also president of Chi Omega. The Grapevine, Texas, native was a member of Mortar Board and was recognized as an OSU Senior of Significance and top 15 Homecoming Royalty. McIntire completed her student teaching internship in Lakenheath, England.

Heather Rivera

Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Administration and Operations, options in aviation management and aerospace security

Rivera served as president of OSU’s chapter of Women in Aviation. She was captain of the Cowboy Marching Band Color Guard and active in Alpha Eta Rho aviation fraternity. She was also a resident adviser and Residential Life Ambassador. The Yukon, Okla., native received multiple College of Education scholarships.

Bachelor of Science in Physical Education

Sam Whitley

Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education

Whitley was selected for and participated in the ExCEL, an intensive yearlong student teaching internship program. He also served as counselor and member of the leadership team at Camp Barnabas.

Whitley, from Broken Arrow, Okla., was involved with the College of Education Student Council and Campus Crusade for Christ.

Zack Wright

Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education Social Studies

Wright was selected as an OSU (top 40) Senior of Significance.

He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, served as treasurer of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and competed as part of the OSU triathlon team. Prior to attending OSU, Wright served in the Marine Corps, including two deployments to Iraq. The Tulsa, Okla., native completed his student teaching internship in Lakenheath, England.

Outstanding graduate assistants honored The College of Education annually honors Outstanding Graduate Assistants for excellence in teaching and service from each of its three schools. The 2013 recipients of the award are:

Misty Steele

School of Applied Health and Education Psychology

Steele is from Lindsay, Okla., and completed a doctorate in educational psychology in 2013. She served as a graduate teaching associate and graduate research assistant in the College of Education.

Hannah Yauk

School of Educational Studies

Originally from Enid, Okla., Yauk completed a master’s degree in education technology with emphasis in library science in 2013. She was a graduate and teaching assistant in the College of Education. She also received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at OSU in 2011.

Melissa Hulings

School of Teaching and Curriculum Leadership

Hulings earned a doctorate in professional education studies, science education in 2013. She served as both a graduate research associate and a graduate teaching associate at OSU while pursuing her Ph.D. She is also a national board certified teacher.

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College of Education

News & Notes

New coaching science minor offered

A new minor study in coaching science is now available to students at Oklahoma State University. Open to students in any major program of study, the 18-hour minor provides excellent preparation and credentials for coaching.

Tim Baghurst, assistant professor in health and human performance in the College of Education, coordinates the minor.

“We surveyed athletic directors at schools across the state of Oklahoma, and overwhelmingly, they responded it would be of benefit for coaches to receive coaching-specific training during their degree program,” Baghurst says. “We

COE makes top rankings

are excited to offer the coaching science minor and believe it will improve the overall quality and effectiveness of coaches.”

Many states require a coaching certification or endorsement for coaching qualification. Completing the minor should assist OSU graduates in landing coaching positions.

The minor includes coursework in athletic training, nutrition, physical education, strength and conditioning, exercise physiology and sport management.

For more information about the minor, contact Baghurst at 405-744-4346 or tim.baghurst@okstate.edu.

The college’s graduate programs are nationally ranked among the top 75 of Best Education Schools, according to U.S. News and World Report.

In addition, the occupational education graduate program is currently No. 6 in the U.S. News rankings.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Cooper scholarship to get annual gift

Seated (from left) are Matt O’Brien, a member of the athletic training faculty; and Dr. Donald Cooper and his wife, Dona. Standing behind them are scholarship recipients Emilie Troxell and Rebecca David.

The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment pledged an annual gift to support the Dr. Donald Cooper (center front) Endowed Scholarship in Athletic Training at Oklahoma State University.

Cooper, now retired, was the longtime athletic trainer and team doctor for OSU Athletics. He helped start NOCSAE and served as a longtime member of its board. Cooper and his wife, Dona, established the scholarship in 1998 as a way to give back to OSU and support future professionals in sports medicine.

Faculty members win array of honors Aric Warren, associate professor, received the National Athletic Trainers Association’s Athletic Training Service Award at the national symposium in June. Warren also was selected by OSU Mortar Board for the Golden Torch Award.

Al Carlozzi, professor of counseling psychology, received the President’s Outstanding Teaching Award at OSUTulsa. This award, the highest honor for faculty at OSU-Tulsa, is presented each year for outstanding contributions in service to students, classroom performance and service to the campus community.

Sue Jacobs, the Myron Ledbetter and Bob Lemon Counseling Psychology Diversity Professor, has been elected as a fellow in the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Division 17, the Society of Counseling Psychology. Fellowship in APA requires that a person’s work has had a national impact on the field of psychology. For Division 17, fellows are selected by peers, and the honor is bestowed upon members whose contributions are viewed as having enriched or enhanced counseling psychology well beyond the level of that normally would be expected of a professional psychologist.

Susan Stansberry, associate professor in education technology and associate director of the professional education unit, received the OSU Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Outstanding Faculty Award for 2012-13.

Lowell Caneday (left), OSU Regents Professor in leisure studies, received the Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals. The award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in outdoor recreation, research, planning, management and policy.

Tim Baghurst, assistant professor in health and human performance, was awarded the Betty Abercrombie Scholar Award at the Oklahoma Association of Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance Conference.

The award recognizes scholars who have made and continue to make noteworthy contributions to the scholarly enterprise.

Robert Stiles Christenson, associate professor in health and human performance-physical education, is the president of the Oklahoma Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Tyler Tapps, assistant professor in recreation management, received Northwest Missouri University’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award.

He earned a bachelor’s degree at Northwest Missouri in 2004 and a master’s degree in 2006 before completing his doctorate at Oklahoma State University.

Kerri Kearney, associate professor in higher education, received the Outstanding Faculty Award from the OSU Center for Ethical Leadership.

Donna Lindenmeier, associate professor in leisure studies, received the Outstanding Faculty Award in Volunteer and Service Learning at OSU. Tim Passmore, associate professor in therapeutic recreation, was elected a fellow in the National Academy of Recreational Therapy.

Mary Jo Self, associate professor in occupational education, serves as president of the Association for Career and Technical Education Research.

Ed Harris, Williams Chair of Educational Leadership, received the College of Education’s International Education and Outreach Award in 2013.

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Conference recognizes past, current students Current students and recent graduates were recognized at the 2013 Association of College Personnel and Administrators Conference in Las Vegas. Lena Kavaliauskas (Crain) was announced as Outstanding Graduate Student. A pair of 2013 graduates, Brian Lackman and Michael Dupont, earned first place in the Case Study Competition while current students Lacey Carnahan, Ed Pittman and Drew Rizzo placed third.

In addition, 2010 graduate Amanda Mollett was recognized as an Outstanding New Professional.

Stephen Wanger (center), associate professor in educational leadership, received the 2013 Regents Distinguished Teaching Award for the College of Education. Wanger, who teaches in the higher education program, also received the College of Education’s Teaching Excellence Award this year. With him are associate professor Jesse Mendez, head of the School of Educational Studies, and Dean Pamela “Sissi” Carroll.

YoonJung Cho, associate professor in educational psychology, and Carrie Winterowd, professor in counseling psychology, received the College of Education’s 2013 Research Excellence Award.

2013 grad helps with article Chris Armstrong, 2013 therapeutic recreation graduate, published an article in the summer issue of Stroke Connection, a publication from the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association.

Armstrong interned at Valir Physical Rehabilitation Hospital in Oklahoma City. He assisted his supervisor Margaret Kierl on the article, which outlines simple ways that recreation therapy can assist in the recovery of stroke victims.

Toby Brown, technology, was selected as the Frank and Carol Morsani Outstanding Staff Award winner for the college.

Doctoral student wins $500 award Jon Martens, a doctoral student in occupational education studies was awarded a Love of Learning Award worth $500 from the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Martens is one of 147 recipients nationwide and plans to apply the funds toward computer equipment to support his doctoral dissertation.

4 COE students named Seniors of Significance Four College of Education seniors were selected as Oklahoma State University Seniors of Significance for the 2012-13 academic year by the OSU Alumni Association. Kylie Ann Castonguay, Chelsea Garcia, Lauren McIntire and Zechariah D. Wright were recognized for excellence in scholarship, leadership and service to campus, bringing distinction to OSU.

Online video series wins Emmy NASA Now, an online video series for students, was honored with an Emmy Award from the Lower Great Lakes Chapter of the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences for production excellence in the category of Informational/Instructional: Program/ Series or Special in 2012. NASA Now is written, created and produced by a team of Oklahoma State University education and production specialists located at several NASA Centers.

College inducts 2 into Hall of Fame

The College of Education inducted Terry Shaw and the late Daniel Selakovich into its Hall of Fame in June, the 15th class of inductees.

Shaw of Norman is a two-time graduate of Oklahoma State University, with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry (1968) and an education doctorate (1977). Shaw enjoyed a career as an exceptional and innovative science educator at the K-12 and university levels. He was invited to work on the development team for the most widely adopted hands-on science curriculum in the country, the Full Option Science System, and continues to develop courses and provide professional development for FOSS in retirement.

Selakovich served as a professor in the College of Education from 1963-1990. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Western State College in Gunnison, Colo., in 1948, a master’s degree in political science from Washington State University (1950), and a doctorate in social science education from the University of Colorado (1962). At OSU, Selakovich taught undergraduate courses in

social foundations of education and social studies methods. He also taught graduate classes in the sociology of education and directed the social foundations program. He wrote seven books, including The Schools and American Society, Social Studies for the Disadvantaged and The Supreme Court and Ethnicity in the Schools. He died Dec. 26, 2003, so his family accepted the Hall of Fame induction on his behalf.

At the Hall of Fame event, Michael Bradley and Dustin Devers were presented with the 2013 Rising Star awards. Rising Star awards are presented to young alumni whose lives and achievements demonstrate promise of future leadership and bring distinction to the college.

Bradley graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in leisure studies (2005) and a doctorate in health, leisure and human performance (2012). He currently serves as an assistant professor at Eastern Kentucky University. In 2011, Bradley received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award from the National Recreation and Park Association.

Seeking nominations

Terry Shaw (left) and Beth Selakovich, widow of Dan Selakovich

Dustin Devers (left) and Michael Bradley

Devers earned a bachelor’s degree in career and technical education from OSU in 2009. He is employed by the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education as a program specialist: finance cluster team leader, state Business Professionals of America and state DECA adviser. In addition, Devers is a small business owner, operating Geekabytes LLC in Stillwater since 2006, where he serves as director of web and multimedia services and computer/network support specialist. E

The College of Education encourages alumni and friends to submit nominations for the Hall of Fame and Rising Star Awards.

The deadline for nominations to be considered for the 2014 awards is Dec. 1, 2013. For more information on the Hall of Fame,

visit education.okstate.edu/coe-awards/hall-of-fame or on the Rising Star Award, visit education.okstate.edu/coe-awards/rising-star.

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I n

memory

A l i c e G i ac o b b e Former OSU professor Alice

with Henrico County Public Schools

Giacobbe; grandson, Samuel Robert

Claire Culotta Giacobbe, of Tulsa,

in Virginia and a professor at North-

Giacobbe; two brothers, Paul F.

Okla., died March 28, 2013.

eastern Illinois University. She was

Culotta and David W. Culotta;

a loving wife, devoted mother and

and numerous nieces and nephews.

received her bachelor’s and master’s

grandmother, master teacher, patient

She was preceded in death by her

degrees from Virginia Commonwealth

mentor and a great cook.

parents, Samuel Ernest and Louise

She was born in New Orleans and

University and her doctorate from the College of William and Mary.

She is survived by her husband of 35 years, Dr. George A. Giacobbe;

Besides teaching at OSU, she also

her son, Nicholas Samuel Giacobbe

had been a special education teacher

and his wife, Emilie Marie Schierloh

Freeman Culotta.

— Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch

Ed n a g l ad y j u n g e r s Longtime Stillwater teacher and

Brothers and Big Sisters, Mayor’s

County Retired Educators, Exchange

administrator and College of Educa-

Community Service Committee and

Club Book of Golden Deeds Award

tion alumna Edna Gladys Jungers

Payne County Youth Services.

and Phi Mu National Outstanding

died March 23, 2013. She was 97.

She was born Feb. 4, 1916,

She presented programs on reading at eight International Reading

in Batavia, Wis., to Oswald and

Association conventions in the

Augusta Mehlos Voigt. She married

United States and Vienna, Austria.

Capt. Richard Jungers at Fort

Mrs. Jungers held offices in many

Achievement Award for Community Service.

Much of Mrs. Jungers’ volunteer service was with the Pleasant Valley School project. She also tutored

Monmouth, N.J., on Sept. 12, 1942.

professional organizations such as

local and international students,

Mrs. Jungers attended the Sheboy-

the Oklahoma Reading Council

volunteered at the Stillwater Medi-

gan County Teachers College, the

and International Reading Associa-

cal Center, painted with oils on

University of Wisconsin and OSU,

tion. She was elected to honorary

canvas and porcelain, enjoyed

where she completed bachelor’s

memberships in Delta Kappa Pi and

playing bridge and caring for her

and master’s degrees in education

Phi Kappa Phi. She served as presi-

grandchildren.

with emphasis in reading. She

dent of Delta Kappa Gamma, Kappa

continued her education in school

Kappa Iota, Phi Mu Alumni, the

Rick Jungers and his wife, Janette,

administration.

She was survived by her son, Dr.

OSU College of Education Alumni

of Stillwater and their three children:

She and her husband created

Board and Stillwater Women’s Club.

Matt Jungers, his wife, Megan

the Richard P. & Edna V. Jungers

Mrs. Jungers was also active in the

Miller Jungers, and their daughter,

Endowed Scholarship, which helps

First United Methodist Church of

Makinleigh, of Boston; Katie Jungers

graduate students pursuing a degree

Stillwater, the Oklahoma Educa-

Cuenin, her husband, Ari Cuenin,

in either education administration or

tion Association, Payne County

and their daughter, Claire of Hous-

curriculum development.

and Oklahoma Retired Educators,

ton; and Becca Jungers of Conway,

AARP, Altrusa International,

Ark. She was preceded in death by

Stillwater Public Schools 21 years as

Lahoma Club, Porcelain Artists of

her husband, infant son, Dwight, her

a classroom teacher, elementary princi-

Stillwater and Oklahoma, Phi Mu

parents, two brothers and a sister.

pal, director of the Reading Improve-

sorority, GN Chapter of PEO, and

ment Program, director of elementary

Business & Professional Women.

Mrs. Jungers served on the staff of

education and assistant superinten-

Some of her many honors include

dent. She also worked with the Payne

Beta Sigma Phi Woman of the Year,

County Sheltered Workshop, Big

Volunteer Service award for Payne

— Stillwater NewsPress

A U D REY ELE A NOR O A K S Longtime OSU art education

of Wisconsin. In 1964, she moved

In 2008, due to declining health,

professor Audrey Eleanor Oaks of

to Stillwater to become an assistant

Dr. Oaks relocated to Midwest City

Midwest City, Okla., died Jan. 26,

professor of art education at Okla-

to be closer to family.

2013. She was 87.

homa State University while earning

She was preceded in death by her

She was born April 30, 1925, in

her doctorate. Dr. Oaks retired in

parents, a brother, Percy Oaks Jr.,

Jamestown, N.Y., to Percy and Mable

1990 as an associate professor.

and two sisters, Muriel Stoops and

Macey Oaks. She graduated from

During her retirement years, she

Beverly Nichols. She is survived by

Batavia (N.Y.) High School in 1943

was very active in the Payne County

her sister, Barbara Andrews, and her

and worked as a medical secretary for

Retired Educators Association, OSU

husband, Gordon, of Del City, and

a Batavia physician for several years

Emeriti Association, Oklahoma

nieces and nephews.

before attending Buffalo State Univer-

Art Educators Association and the

sity College for Teachers, where she

National Art Education Associa-

Mable Marietta Macey-Oaks &

graduated with a bachelor’s degree

tion. She was inducted into the OSU

Percy W. Oaks Sr. Endowed Memo-

in art education. She was an art and

College of Education’s Hall of Fame

rial Art Education Scholarships at

drafting teacher in the Attica, N.Y.,

in 2004. In 2008, she created an

Oklahoma State University.

school system from 1955-64. During

art education professorship with a

that time, she earned a master’s in

$250,000 gift to OSU.

Memorials may be made to the

— Stillwater NewsPress

art education from the University

GEORGE A . ROWLEY George A. Rowley of Edmond died

Oklahoma, including stints at Black-

steady and visionary hand from 1973

peacefully, surrounded by his loving

well, Perkins, Coyle, Crawford and

to 1988. In 2009, he was honored

family, on Jan. 31, 2013. He was 85.

Edmond. He retired in 1988.

by the Edmond Senior Community

He was born at home on April 18,

During his long and distinguished

Foundation as one of five Senior

1927, near Ringwood, Okla., and

career in education, Dr. Rowley

Citizens of the Year. He was an

married his high school sweetheart,

influenced and touched the lives of

honorary lifetime member of the

Alice Fern Doll, in 1946 follow-

countless students, colleagues and

Edmond Educational Endowment

ing his discharge from the Navy

community members. He received

and a longtime Presbyterian, attend-

in World War II. Dr. Rowley was

many honors and accolades, includ-

ing and serving as deacon, elder and

a loving and compassionate son

ing induction into the OSU College

member of various committees of

to his parents and a generous and

of Education Hall of Fame. He held

Presbyterian churches in Stillwater,

loving husband and father. He was

various offices and positions in the

Blackwell and Edmond.

a hardworking, competitive, conge-

American and Oklahoma Associa-

He is survived by the love of his

nial person who had many friends

tions of School Administrators, and

life, Fern; his sons, Jerry and his

throughout the country. He was a

the Oklahoma and Oklahoma

wife, Linda, of Stillwater, Kenny

people person and enjoyed spending

County Retired Educators Asso-

of Okmulgee, and Robert and

time with family and friends. He and

ciations. He was awarded the Very

his wife, Karla, of Edmond; and

his wife traveled extensively through-

Important Member honor by the

daughter Valli and her husband,

out the United States and abroad

OCREA. Dr. Rowley was a valued

Gus Rallis, of Edmond. He is also

after retirement.

member of the Edmond community

survived by six grandchildren, 14

and was named “Citizen of the

great-grandchildren and many nieces

High School, received his bachelor’s

Year” by the Edmond Chamber of

and nephews. He is also survived by

degree from Northwestern State

Commerce in 1987. He served on

his sister, Peggy, and her husband,

College in Alva, Okla., a master’s

the Edmond Arts and Humanities

L.M. Sullivan, of Edmond; and two

from Philips University in Enid, and

council, Friends of the Symphony

sisters-in-law, Willa Mae Rowley

a doctorate in education from Okla-

committee and chaired the YMCA

and Mary Lou Rowley.

homa State University. Dr. Rowley

Sustaining Membership drive. Dr.

Contributions may be made to

served as a teacher, coach, principal

Rowley steered the growth of the

the OSU College of Education for

and superintendent of schools in

Edmond Public Schools with a

scholarships in his memory.

He graduated from Ringwood

— The Oklahoman

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Oklahoma State University College of Education 329 Willard Stillwater, OK 74078-4033

PHOTO PROVIDED

Alumna Nancy O’Donnell (left), was inducted into the Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame in 2013. With her are her son Charles O’Donnell Jr. (right) and 1990 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Eugene Earsom.

Alumna inducted into state Hall of Fame

Alumna Nancy O’Donnell was inducted into the Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame in 2013. In addition to earning a master’s degree (1980) and a doctorate (1988) from OSU, O’Donnell served as the College of Education’s director of

external relations. Also a member of the OSU College of Education’s Hall of Fame, O’Donnell was the 1982 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year and 1983 first runner-up to the National Teacher of the Year.