Human Environmental Sciences 2006

College of

Human Environmental Sciences

okla homa s tate u n i ve r s ity • 2006

Solving Human Problems …

Enhancing Human Lives Anthony Hart

“The scope of our current activities … expands the scope and influence of faculty and students in the state of Oklahoma and around the world.”

As part of its laboratory expansion, CHES renovated and opened a five-star restaurant and teaching laboratory, the Ranchers Club, in the OSU Student Union in November. Alumni Carl and Marilynn Thoma and CHES Dean Pat Knaub, center, pause for the camera at the Ranchers Club dedication.

As I sit to write this message today, it is the first week of spring, and we have just experienced our biggest snowfall of the year. Looking at the beautiful new snow blanketing the ground, I am reminded that from time to time we have an opportunity for a clean slate, a chance to take a look at creating something from the very beginning, not having to “fit it in” to existing structures.

Many articles within this magazine focus on expansion.

The past 15 years have been years of growth in the number of students and faculty as well as the amount and breadth of research conducted in the college. The growing numbers of students and faculty require expanded facilities. A couple of years ago, we developed a concept for a new building, which presented an opportunity to think about expansion in regard to growth.

Much thought went into what ought to be included in this new building, and a plan emerged that would stretch us in terms not only of added space but of added programs.

When I arrived at OSU in 1989, our student numbers were less than 1,000 — 896 is the number I recall. Even then, it was obvious the student numbers were increasing beyond the capacity of the building. Today, our students number 2,100.

Although inadequate space may have caused some growing pains, growth and expansion have driven the college to be the leader it is today because growth and

expansion become self-perpetuating. Increasing scholarships leads to increasing the number of students, which leads to increasing the size of the faculty, which leads to the need for more space to house those classrooms and labs.

All who know me know that I am a firm believer in strategic planning. It gives us a thoughtful and definite direction and a goal to reach — goals we typically reach well before our anticipated time frame. Strategic planning expands our minds beyond this day and focuses on the future we can create for our students today and 20 years from now.

The development of the OSU Stillwater Campus Master Plan has put additional focus on planning for expansion in HES. The building we designed two years ago has already taken on a new look. Included in the Master Plan, the footprint of the new building gives us a renewed opportunity to decide just how much space is needed. A fourstory third wing is planned, and classrooms, studios, laboratories and offices have been identified.

The scope of our current activities — researching, developing and producing body armor for troops in Iraq, advising the White House Conference on Aging and researching dietary

issues to improve the nutrition of children and families — expands the scope and influence of faculty and students in the state of Oklahoma and around the world. We know, based on the growth we have achieved thus far, there will be continuous changes in technology and in the way we engage our students. The expansion into a new building will provide opportunities to add up-to-date equipment and programs.

The inclusion of the new building in the Campus Master Plan provides us the opportunity to set a new goal. And we are confident we will achieve this

goal. We look forward to your involvement as we continue to add to our outstanding faculty and staff, expand the volume of space required for classrooms and labs, enlarge the extent of research to enhance the lives of humans and their environments, and extend the scope of our graduates and programs around the world.

Patricia Knaub, Dean

Erika Contreras

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Difference Makers

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CHES faculty research and programs are a powerful community force, from improving the lives of individuals to influencing policy that improves the lives of many.

There’s No Substitute

Genesee Photo Systems

Whether studying abroad or applying classroom knowledge in work with employers and clients, CHES student experiences advance maturation and intellectual growth, build confidence and, sometimes, alter perceptions and values.

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Family Tree The college family boasts of many accomplished alumni and celebrates the return of all those who come back to reconnect with OSU, such as these members of the class of ’55 attendng Homecoming 2005. How long has it been since you made it to a family reunion? If you join the OSU Alumni Association, a portion of your membership will come back to the college to fund programs such as homecoming and other alumni events. Contact us for more information.

ches magazine • VOLUME 13, 2006 Dean, College of Human Environmental Sciences Patricia Knaub CHES Publications Manager

Julie Barnard

Eileen Mustain Art Director Paul V. Fleming Photographer Phil Shockley Associate Editor Janet Varnum Assistant Photographer Erika Contreras Director, University Marketing Kyle Wray Editor

CHES Magazine is a publication of the ­Oklahoma State University College of ­Human Environmental Sciences. Its purpose is to ­connect this college with its many stakeholders, providing information on both ­campus news and pertinent issues in the field of human environmental sciences. © Oklahoma State University 2006

About The Cover The leadership of alumni Carl and Marilynn Thoma, featured on the cover, was instrumental in the renovation and opening of the Atherton Hotel’s new upscale restaurant, the Ranchers Club. The couple contributed the cornerstone gift and set a standard for excellence that influenced the project’s development.

The Thomas, who own Van Duzer Vineyards in Oregon, also helped design the logo and build the wine list for the five-star restaurant (photo, Phil Shockley; related story, page 14).

Visit our website at: ches.okstate.edu or contact us at 101 Human Environmental Sciences Stillwater, OK 74078-6116 (405) 744-5053 telephone (405) 744-7113 fax 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 of 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, Dr. Carolyn Hernandez, Director of Affirmative Action, 408 Whitehurst, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, (405)744-5371 or (405)744-5576(fax). This publication, issued by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the College of Human Environmental Sciences, was printed by OSU Marketing, Southwest Stationery and Bank Supply, Inc. at no cost to the taxpayers of Oklahoma. 14,550/April/06. 1237

College News

Phil Shockley

Modeling Quality

Phil Shockley

Hailin Qu

Jerrold Leong

Hailin Qu, professor and William E. Davis Chair in the School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration, already well known for his work in hospitality and tourism, garnered new honors and expanded his international reputation this past year.

Practicing What He Teaches

During the fall convocation, OSU awarded the Regents professor the 2005 Regents Distinguished Research Award for outstanding and meritorious achievement. Recipients of the research award have demonstrated continued investigative excellence during their academic careers and have received national and international acclaim for their accomplishments.

Jerrold Leong, who encourages his students to develop their leadership skills, was recognized for his own leadership proficiency during fall convocation when he received the OSU 2005 Regents Distinguished Teaching Award. The award honors faculty who demonstrate the highest academic standards and a genuine concern for students.

The associate professor in the School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration, whose area is institutional management, teaches a variety of courses ranging from “Introduction to Professional Food Preparation” to “Retail Management and Franchising in the Hospitality Industry.”

Qu’s contributions include assessing destination image, travelers’ behavior and loyalty, the economic impact of tourism and the projection of tourist arrivals and tourism expenditures. As a pioneer in research specializing in hospitality and tourism service quality, Qu has used several models and approaches to measure service quality in the restaurant, hotel and travel industries. His findings have become benchmarks for others to measure service quality in hospitality and tourism.

His research areas include food service management, food production and procurement and consumption of agricultural products, and his work is extensively published.

A study analyzing institutional contributors to three major academic tourism journals ranked Qu the world’s 15th leading tourism researcher. Published in Tourism Management in 2005, the study notes that identifying and ranking contributors is important because the amount of a university’s published research affects the perception of its program quality.

Leong says students should be encouraged to become lifelong learners to develop their leadership skills for the next century. “I emphasize the importance of communication, both verbal and non-verbal in managing tasks and personnel. The ability to articulate and demonstrate sound leadership practices must be rehearsed and practiced for a lifetime.”

Jana Smith

Dottie Witter

Winning Magazine The 2005 OSU Human Environmental Sciences magazine won a merit award in the Admissions Marketing Report’s external publications category. The Report is a monthly magazine for admissions marketing professionals. Judges consisted of the Report’s editorial board plus a panel of admissions’ marketers, advertising professionals and marketing professors nationwide.

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OSU Alumni Association

Mariena Hargrave

Courtney Hurst

Melanie Marks

The OSU Alumni Associa-

Mariena Hargrave, Courtney Hurst, Melanie Marks and Julianna Weaver are among 39 top seniors who will update their credentials and interview for the Outstanding Senior Awards given at the end of the spring 2006 semester.

Hurst will graduate with a degree in nutritional science and plans to attend dental school.

Hargrave, a design, housing and merchandising major, is focusing on apparel merchandising with a minor in apparel design and production.

Weaver, a human development and family science major, will graduate with an honors degree focusing on child and family services with a minor in Spanish.

tion named four College of Human Environmental students 2005-2006 Seniors of Significance. The award recognizes students who have excelled in scholarship, leadership and service to campus and community and have

Marks will receive her degree in nutritional sciences with an option in pre-medical sciences and plans to attend medical school.

Julianna Weaver

The letters of recommendation for these outstanding CHES students reveal that they share similar qualities. They are professional in their dealings with others and serve as advocates for their departments and the university. They are self-confident, set priorities, value education, accept challenges and love learning.

Seniors of Significance brought distinction to OSU.

Building Community

Academic Learning Communities and Living Learning Communities are new programs sponsored by the College of Human Environmental Sciences and geared to build student engagement and identification with their peers, faculty and the college.

“The purpose of the academic learning community is to give students an opportunity to form relationships with other students in their major, to engage with faculty and to succeed academically,” says Shiretta Ownbey, associate dean for academic programs and services. “Study partners frequently become friends and are able to support each other academically.”

For the last two years Jane Swinney has organized academic learning communities in the Department of Design, Housing and Merchandising. HES recruited 25 merchandising freshmen and

20 interior design freshmen during summer freshman enrollment to take three courses together along with activities and events to encourage engagement.

The Academic Learning Community has been successful, Ownbey says, judging by student requests to participate in the program and connections the students made with each other and faculty.

Its success inspired the Living Learning Community program that extends the community concept to student housing. “The Living Learning Community is designed to help freshmen meet students from all majors in the college and be totally immersed in the HES culture,” Ownbey says.

No program like the Living Learning Community has been organized before in HES, she says. The college will have 120 students living in a new residence

near the Human Environmental Sciences building beginning fall 2006.

The college is collaborating with OSU Residential Life to hire one community mentor to live on each of the four floors and mentor freshmen, sophomores and transfer students as they transition at OSU. “College can be a stressful place for students during their first few semesters.

We want HES students to feel confident that they know faculty and other students who can help them. We want them to feel that this community is exactly the right place to be and that they have chosen the right major,” Ownbey says.

“We are a college that knows our students’ names. The Living Learning Community is a great way to build a new academic culture and help students feel that they have found a home at OSU.” Alex Denkinska

Oklahoma State University 3

Transcending the Ordinary Anthony Hart

The Bernina Fashion Show does not allow random entrants.

Designers have to be asked to participate, and there are only 40 invitations.

Erika Contreras

Lynda Harriman, professor, associate dean and assistant director of Cooperative Extension Service Family and Consumer Science, has retired after 21 years of service to the college and the state.

During her tenure, Harriman directed the launch of an Extension Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) fund development program that supports innovative program development as well as professional development for faculty and fieldbased extension educators.

Vince Quevedo, associate professor in design, housing and merchandising, just received his fifth invitation to participate in this fall’s competition in Houston, which is part of the International Quilt Festival.

“Thousands and thousands of people attend,” says Quevedo.

Bernina chooses designers based on reputation and past accolades and describes those invited to the show as an “elite, enviable and uniquely talented group of individuals who have the ability to transcend the mundane and ordinary by sheer talent, will and imagination.”

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“This is an exciting thing, not only for me, but also for the department and the university,” says Quevedo.

“Most of the things I’ve done have been evening gowns that have been heavily quilted,” says Quevedo. “I’ve even turned in one as a wedding dress.”

Prior to coming to OSU, Quevedo, one of 14 new faculty members in the College of Human Environmental Sciences, taught at the University of Nebraska. He says he jumped at the chance to work with Donna Branson and Cheryl Farr and to be a part of OSU’s program.

He also relished the opportunity to teach graduate courses. In two short semesters, he’s already having an impact on his students. Two of them have recently been accepted as amateur entrants to an American Quilter’s Society competition. Only 15 amateurs are chosen to compete in the international event.

“I try to expose my students to different kinds of art, and I try to get them involved in design and research,” says Quevedo.

Cory Cheney

She also oversaw the development of FCS issue-based impact programs that are improving the lives of Oklahomans throughout the state by providing critically needed education in nutrition and health, economic well-being and parenting and child development.

“I am extremely proud of the efforts of the Extension FCS faculty in securing external funding for the programs for which they provide leadership,” Harriman says. “They have brought millions of dollars to OSU, the college and the state of Oklahoma.”

“Dr. Harriman provided leadership and vision for the Family and Consumer Science Program in our state,” says Deborah Richardson, child development assistant extension specialist, Human Development and Family Science.

“She truly believed in the outreach and extension mission of OSU with a passion that was evident. She wanted everyone to be the best they could be in making a difference in Oklahoma.”

Making the Most of the Situation “State-of-the-art facilities and materials don’t necessarily indicate a quality environment. Instead, it is often the level of interactions between caregivers and children that determines real quality,” says Barbara Sorrels, assistant professor of early childhood education at OSU-Tulsa.

Looking for Results “Studies show overweight children have a much greater likelihood of becoming overweight adults, and some scientists are predicting that obesity will soon surpass smoking as the number one health-related killer in the U.S.,” says Amanda Harrist, associate professor in human development and

the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS), many of whom recommended the training for all child care providers across the state.

Sorrels says they do hope to expand the program, eventually including a parent version to help parents identify quality environments and how they can best support their child’s development.

To help caregivers make the most of these relationDHS has funded four pilot ships, Sorrels and her colleague, Faye Ann Presnal, also sessions of “Creating Effective Learning Environments” in the human development and family science department, for child care providers, and the team has completed three have developed a training sessions in Oklahoma City, program, “Creating Effective Learning Environments,” Tulsa and Stillwater and plans based on research by Deborah the fourth for Oklahoma City Norris, assistant professor and in May. director of early childhood DHS has also asked Soreducation. rels to develop instruction for Norris’ research shows that child care providers on how focusing on five different cen- to effectively and appropriately implement the new early ters of interest in a child care facility can help create a better learning guidelines adopted learning environment. Blocks, by the state of Oklahoma in December 2005 — guidelines art, dramatic play, library and Sorrels and early childhood manipulatives (hands-on toys specialist Bobbi Lombard and games) are the five interhelped establish. est centers.

During the summer Sorrels and Presnal presented the training to 200 child care licensing experts from

Erika Contreras

family science and principal investigator for a new project to pinpoint the best methods for fighting childhood obesity.

This second unit will be a twenty-hour training module and will be piloted in May and June.

Jim Mitchell

Erika Contreras

“The program encourages child care providers to make the best use of materials and equipment that most of them already have on hand at their facilities,” Sorrels says. “We’re really talking about helping caregivers organize and use what they have to provide children with an optimal learning experience.”

They want to find which method or combination of methods best meets their goal to decrease obesity while improving a child’s psychological and social functioning. They will look at emotional eating habits, self-esteem, school attendance and feelings about friendships as well as the weight factor.

The three-year study will start next fall and include three types of intervention: a peer group made up of overweight students and their classmates; a family-dynamics intervention involving parents; and a traditional one using exercise and nutritional education.

Harrist and colleagues Glade Topham and Laura Hubbs-Tait, along with Tay Kennedy, nutritional sciences, and Melaine Page, psychology, received a “We’ll be able to follow$1 million grant from up over the next two years the U.S. Department of with the same students Agriculture to test the to see what has a lasteffectiveness of three ing impact,” Harrist says. obesity intervention pro“That’s what sets this study grams among groups of apart from others.” first-graders in 30 schools around Stillwater.

Jim Mitchell

Oklahoma State University 5

Under Production

Helping Oklahoma with Trade Relations

The military ordered 4,900 units of the body armor last fall and began distribution this spring. Donna Branson, former head of the Department of Design, Housing and Merchandising, led the team of faculty and students that developed the initial prototype two years ago and refined it to meet the unique needs of soldiers.

Branson and her team also worked closely with manufacturer Covercraft, headquartered in Pauls Valley, Okla., to ensure high standards set by OSU and the military are maintained during production. Recently, the military evaluated a new modularized prototype designed by OSU to give soldiers more flexibility and comfort.

Janet Varnum

courtesy

U.S. Marines in Iraq are now wearing body armor developed at OSU to protect their arms and legs from explosives.

“China can be a new market for American goods,” says Byoungho Jin, associate professor of design, housing and merchandising who is working on a project that will help Oklahomans better understand China’s economy.

Byoungho Jin, associate professor of design, housing and merchandising, exhibited portions of her project to help small Oklahoma companies export to China at the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges’ exhibition of leading research in Washington, D.C., in February.

Her project, which focuses on Oklahoma academics and small-business opportunities for exporting goods to China, is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s Business and International Education program.

“BIE funding is generally given to business schools,” she says. “We are honored to receive it.”

United States Marine Corps.

inset photos courtesy

Jin’s project includes six educational models and three training models covering such topics as Chinese consumer behavior, negotiating with Chinese partners and the essence of Chinese business practice.

“China is a huge market, and we can export goods there. But before we do, we need to understand the culture and the way business is done in China,” Jin says.

Seventy-five percent of Oklahoma’s small businesses hire fewer than 10 employees, and they can have difficulty finding the resources or training on how to export goods to China, she says. “Our project will give this information and training to those companies, which we hope will develop international business relationships and expand Oklahoma’s market.”

Marines at 29 Palms field-test protective clothing designed in the Department of Design, Housing and Merchandising and manufactured

by Covercraft, headquartered in Pauls Valley, Okla., under the standards set by OSU and the military.

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Jin is planning two seminars targeting small businesses this May sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the State Chambers.

“For now, we are focusing on Oklahoma business, but in the future we expect to expand the project to a national level,” Jin says.

Alex Denkinska

Alumni News courtesy

Paying It Forward More than 100 students can tell you how Bryan Close has helped them achieve their dreams of obtaining degrees from OSU. That’s how many students he’s helped in his desire to give back to the university that gave him a good start.

Close knows how hard it can be to finance an education. He ran out of money his sophomore year at OSU, and not wanting his parents to find out, he landed a job at the local Elks Lodge waiting tables, cooking, washing dishes and tending bar.

The kindness and shortterm loans from his boss, Harold Hollingsworth, influenced Close to someday help other students, particularly those working to pay for school, he says. Twenty years would pass before he could fulfill his dream to help.

Close was employed in several industries from Price Candy Company to Steak ‘N Ale before settling at his own company, CloseBend Inc., based out of Tulsa for the last 30 years.

OSU Foundation

“I clearly recall an ad in one of the Alumni Association issues, probably 1981, which suggested gifts to the OSU Foundation’s Greater University Fund, at a Bronze, Silver or Gold level. The entry cost for a Bronze was a mere $100.

My intention at the time was to send $100 — which I did — and to raise the gift category level each of the next two years. Beyond that, I had no plans,” Close says.

Since then, his commitment has included generous support for six colleges on the OSU-Stillwater campus, programs on two other OSU system campuses, the Edmon Low Library, the Alumni Association, athletics and general university support to name a few. In addition, he is currently endowing scholarships supporting 18 students.

“Above all, I simply want to make a difference — even a small difference in someone’s life,” Close says, “and then to influence that someone to give in return, two- or three-fold what he or she has received.”

The Perfect Host Bruce Snyder and his wife, Marcia, admire a gift from CHES during his retirement celebration at the ‘21’ Club in New York City.

Rubbing elbows with movie stars and heads of state almost every evening in New York City’s ‘21’ Club was as comfortable to Bruce Snyder as hosting his own family. The School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration graduate recently concluded his tenure as the general manager of the ‘21’ Club.

After his graduation in 1962, Snyder began his career in hospitality with an airline company. Wanting to give its travelers the special ‘21’ treatment, the company sent him to the famous restaurant to train, but once ‘21’ and Snyder worked together, there was no going back to the airlines.

Bryan Close, left, endowed a study abroad scholarship that allowed senior Chris Watkins, right, to attend the Hospitality Studies in Switzerland Program last summer.

Snyder then had his second job, and more than 35 years later, his graciousness has become synonymous with the ‘21’ Club’s reputation that is still an example of hospitality other restaurants try to emulate.

A celebration honoring him and his wife, Marcia, a design, housing and merchandising major, packed the restaurant.

During the event, Patricia Knaub, dean of the College of Human Environmental Sciences, announced that friends and colleagues had established the Bruce and Marcia Snyder Endowed Scholarship to honor the Snyders’ influence in the hospitality industry.

The earnings from the $50,000 endowment will provide scholarships to HRAD and DHM students for years to come.

Julie Barnard

Oklahoma State University 7

Alumni News CHES Names Outstanding Alumni recognized the achievements of several alumni and named an honorary member to the CHES alumni ranks.

Genesee Photo Systems

Distinguished Alumni Award recipients are Richard A. Fabes, Roger Helms and Jay Schrock.

Richard A. Fabes graduated in 1982 with a Ph.D. in family relations and child development. He is professor of child development at Arizona State University, where he has been for more than 15 years. He currently chairs the Department of Family and Human Development and will soon to be the director of the School of Social and Family Dynamics at ASU. He has written over 100 articles, book chapters or edited books, including a co-authored chapter in the new edition of the Handbook of Child Psychology.

Roger Helms graduated from the School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration in 1986 and entered the hospitality industry with Regency Hotels. In 1992,

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he founded HelmsBriscoe Inc., the meeting industry’s largest site-selection firm, which has grown to 725 associates in 28 countries.

HelmsBriscoe consistently places over 2.5 million room nights of business in the market each year. Helms also serves as an adviser on many industry panels and has been noted as one of the Top 25 most influential people in the hospitality arena.

Jay Schrock, a 1972 graduate, is founding director of the University of South Florida School of Hotel and Restaurant Management on the Sarasota-Manatee regional campus. Schrock was also instrumental in the formation of the Texas Tech University Restaurant Hotel and Institutional Management program and was the founding director of the Hospitality Management Program at San Francisco State University.

Schrock holds a master’s in institutional management from Kansas State University and a doctorate in home economics education from Texas Tech University.

The college named Natalea Watkins honorary alumna.

Watkins graduated from OSU with a degree in broadcast journalism. Her career stretched from Oklahoma City to Columbus, Ohio, before returning to her alma mater in 1990. Although recently retired as assistant vice president for Communication Services at OSU, Watkins continues to tell the story for organizations in the Stillwater community. She serves as assistant campaign chair for the Stillwater Area United Way and shares her communications skills with CHES. Kelley Head, Michelle Overstreet and Melody Rains are the Rising Star Award recipients for 2005.

Pictured are Patricia Knaub, dean of the College of Human Environmental Sciences, first row, left, and the 2005 outstanding alumni, Natalea Watkins, Shondel Herald, and second row, left, Kelley Yockey Head, Roger Helms, Michelle Overstreet and Jay Schrock.

Head graduated from OSU in 1996 with a degree in interior design. A member of the American Society of Interior Designers, she has worked as an interior designer for SPARKS Architecture, Interiors and Engineering in Tulsa for eight years. Her talents are featured in 93 projects found throughout Tulsa in schools, churches and medical facilities.

Overstreet, a 1995 human development and family science graduate, has built her career helping others build their own careers. She served CHES as coordinator of career services for seven years preparing students in the career acquisition process. Since the summer of 2004, Overstreet has served as Higher Education Assessment Manager for the College Board.

Rains, who graduated with a degree in apparel design and construction in 1999, first entered the world of fashion design as a CHES intern at Liz Claiborne Inc. After graduation, she returned to Liz Claiborne as a designer from 1999- 2001 before moving to Nautica, where she was the senior designer of Nautica Jeans women’s line. She is now a senior designer for DKNY, where she is responsible for designing three lines of women’s clothing.

Jon B. Petersen Photography, Inc.

During its homecoming celebration the College of Human Environmental Sciences

Where Are They Now? Ten years later, the 1996 Rising Stars have scaled new career heights and show no sign of slowing down. These stars are still rising.

Raising Service to an Art Not many people experience traveling to a national professional conference and seeing a life-size billboard of themselves at the hotel. But that’s exactly what greeted Robert Watson when he arrived at Roanoke, Va., for the conference of Hilton Doubletree Hotel general managers in early March.

“I want to see Tulsa be successful, and I want to play a role in that success.”

Watson was one of eight named Heroes of the Brand Promise and honored with a billboard photograph. The Heroes of the Brand Promise is the Doubletree Hotels’ most prestigious award reserved for a team member that is “an ordinary person who does extraordinary things … someone who inspires us to expand and embrace what’s possible.”

The award is for someone such as Watson, general manager of the Doubletree Hotel Downtown Tulsa, whose professional and community leadership is nothing short of admirable.

The Hero of the Brand Promise is just one award he has received since 1996 when the College of Human Environmental Sciences named him a Rising Star.

He’s earned the Certified Hotel Administrator designation and been named Star of the Industry Award Winner – Hotel of the Year – American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA) and general manager of the year as well as outstanding alumnus, OSU School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration.

The native Tulsan is involved in numerous civic organizations and says participation in the Tulsa Vision 2025 Leadership Team that shaped a longrange regional economic development package is one of his most rewarding accomplishments. “I want to see Tulsa be successful, and I want to play a role in that success.”

Watson says that 10 years ago he never imagined he could be where he is today.

“To have run the top hotel in Oklahoma and to participate in 2025 to move Tulsa forward, to be involved with so many boards, and chairing some, I couldn’t have envisioned that.

“It’s not traditional to find a person in our industry who has been in one city 20 years. We play musical chairs, but Hilton has allowed me to stay here and has been able to move me to bigger facilities. That satisfies my career growth.”

His ties to Tulsa and family and the hospitality business run deep. “My father was at the Mayo Hotel for 30 years, and my uncle was the first African-American cook at that hotel. My father went on to Hotel Excelsior, which is now the Doubletree Downtown. We are a serviceoriented family,” he says.

His father started the teenage Watson in the hotel business just as he has interested his own 17-year-old son. Watson says it will be no surprise if his 8-year-old daughter were to follow the same path.

Although his father died in 1988, he continues to influence Watson.

“I watched my father. I modeled his dress, appearance and demeanor. He was unflappable,” Watson says. “My father would never have been able to grow to where I am today. But because of his life, I’ve been able to come in and do this — to wear his shoes, not fill them.”

As for 10 years from now, Watson doesn’t rule out a larger venue or being an owner/manager, but for now Tulsa suits him quite well. “I love working for Hilton,” he says, “and I love being in Tulsa, as long as I can influence community progress and play a leading part in that civic effort.”

Eileen Mustain

Oklahoma State University 9

Refocusing a Career of three, Hannah, 6, Thomas, 3, and Taylor, an 18-month-old daughter. She’s also working on a cookbook centered on playgroup and lunchtime menus for mothers and children.

courtesy

Some people choose a career path and never deviate from the course, but for some there are alternate routes to the same place. At least that’s proven so for nutritional scientist Stacy Flickner-Garvey,

diseases and helping people reverse obesity. Now I’m interested in how the family dynamic plays a part in the nutritional health of families and how we must intervene at that level if we are going to prevent adult diseases and reverse the obesity trend.”

Garvey’s passion for nutrition has turned to the problems of childhood obesity, which she sees as a product of food marketing and parents’ lack of time to shop and prepare nutritional foods at home.

“I made the decision that I wanted to be the one teaching my children about good nutrition, good health and making wise decisions in their lives.”

1996 Rising Star in the College of Human Environmental Sciences.

“I’ve put my research career on hold,” she says. “It was a hard decision because I love the research end of nutrition. I made the decision that I wanted to be the one teaching my children about good nutrition, good health and making wise decisions in their lives.”

Ten years ago Garvey worked as a project coordinator at Deaconess Hospital, a Harvard Medical School facility. “Career-wise I was doing exactly what I wanted, managing clinical nutrition research studies, lecturing for Harvard Otherwise, she says she’s the Medical School continuing edusame person she was 10 years ago. cation courses and just enjoying “I have the same will, the same the opportunity to work with the nation’s leading nutrition research- determination and the same reason I went into nutrition. I’m still pasers at Harvard and Tufts. It doesn’t get much better than that,” sionate about nutrition today.” she says.

Her goal has shifted though.

Today, living in western Massa- “Becoming a mom has refocused chusetts, Garvey’s a part-time gen- my attention to new areas of eral nutrition consultant for private nutrition. I see things a little differently,” she says. “I was more schools and organizations such as interested in preventing adult the YMCA and a full-time mother

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She says a lead researcher for the International Obesity Task Force predicts that nearly half of the children in North and South America will be overweight by 2010 and the tremendous health effects will make them the first generation that’s going to have a lower life expectancy than their parents. “As he says, ‘It’s like the plague is in town, and no one is interested.’”

But Garvey is interested. When she returns to the field full-time, she plans to work on changing the health of families in an entrepreneurial venture or a university association that offers the flexibility to balance her family life. “I don’t know yet what they may be,” she says, “but something new and interesting that will make a difference in people’s lives.”

The obesity issue and the links between nutrition and cancer, diabetes and other diseases have opened the field so nutritionists no longer need to follow traditional paths, Garvey says. “The field is wide open — open for creative people to create their own paths in nutrition.”

Eileen Mustain

© Shelly Strazis (Hamilton, Gray and Assoc.) Cooking Light, July 2005

Designing Success Ten years after being named a

“I’m grateful for the publicity and the awards. But it’s the smaller day-to-day things that sustain me. I’m most proud of the satisfaction I receive when we’ve done a job well and when clients understand and appreciate what we’ve brought to their project,” she says.

Rising Star by the College of Human Environmental Sciences, interior designer Laura Britt continues to follow the advice

“I think follow-through — going the extra mile and trying to intuit client needs — creates success.”

she offers new graduates.

Traveling that extra mile, Britt is using her own recently remodeled house to test eco-friendly design products such as a countertop made entirely of recycled paper with a natural nut resin binding agent. “I want to make sure the products will hold up over time before I recommend them to a client,” she says.

“Exceed expectations,” she says.

Britt’s goal is to bring sustainable design to the forefront. “It’s important because health issues are involved,” she says. “Sustainable design requires thinking generations into the future about water, air quality and other environmental issues and making design decisions that aren’t detrimental to the future.”

Encouraged by CHES faculty, Laura Britt began her career in 1992 at Oklahoma’s Altus Air Force Base. The job was a stretch for a new designer, she says. “My first job out of school came with a lot of responsibility, but it laid the groundwork to build professional experience.”

Britt then became project manager at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., where she managed largescale projects. “Each professional decision has been a stepping stone to land where I am now,” she says, “but I can’t claim I had a clear career path in mind.”

Britt did have a goal, however. “I felt I lacked the understanding of buildings as whole integrated systems and that I needed to understand them more fully to produce complete designs — I needed more pieces of the puzzle to make better informed design decisions.”

Stepping up to the challenge, she completed her master’s in architecture with an emphasis in sustainable design at the University of Texas in 2000.

“Architecture school taught me a lot and was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. It expanded my way of thinking,” she says. “I hadn’t been exposed to sustainable design before we started to talk about it in graduate school.”

Today Britt operates Laura Britt Design in Austin, Texas, where her awardwinning design projects are regularly featured in design publications. Most recently, her work garnered the spotlight in Cooking Light magazine’s annual “FitHouse” feature, produced by Southern Living. Since she started her firm in 2001, her work has appeared in Austin Home & Living, Fine Home Building and Dallas Home Design to name but a few.

“I’m grateful for the publicity and the awards. But it’s the smaller day-to-day things that sustain me. I’m most proud of the satisfaction I receive when we’ve done a job well and when clients understand and appreciate what we’ve brought to their project.”

As for where she’ll be 10 years from now, Britt intends to grow her firm and continue to exceed expectations. “I want us to raise the bar with each project so that people are interested in publishing and talking about them,” she says.

“I’ve learned so much over the past several years, I don’t really know where to start. I do believe that realizing you have the ability to create is pretty powerful. You really do have the ability to create what you have in your life. It’s a lesson I must constantly remind myself.”

Eileen Mustain

Oklahoma State University 11

Setting the Professional Standard Coding Lab Expands Department’s Capabilities John Gottman, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Washington known for his work on marital stability and divorce prediction, founded a social psychology research facility where he screens, interviews, and collects physiological and behavioral data.

The media dubbed Gottman’s lab “The Love Lab.”

By early summer, when construction is complete, marital, child and family researchers in the Department of Human Development and Family Science will work in a similar facility, a new coding laboratory, one of only a small number of research facilities in the country designed for coding human interaction.

However, unlike Gottman’s “love lab,” the new CHES facility will not focus exclusively on married couples, says Kathleen Briggs, associate professor and head of human development and family science. Researchers will also code behavior in other types of human interaction such as that between a parent and child.

The laboratory will be equipped to allow researchers to collect both observational as well as physiological data such as heart rate, blood

12 College of Human Environmental Sciences 2006

pressure and skin conductance (the amount of perspiration released from the skin).

one step further by capturing the unobserved emotions associated with the observed behavior.

“We use observational coding to identify behavioral patterns and interaction dynamics,” Briggs says.

“The new coding laboratory will increase the department’s visibility as a premier research program and will improve recruitment of quality faculty and graduate students,” Briggs says.

“What we tend to find is that there is a marked difference between what people say they do

and what they actually do,” says Brandt Gardner, assistant professor in HDFS. “A limitation of self-report measures such as questionnaires is that participants may struggle with the accuracy of their responses, either due to faulty recollections or socially desirable responses,” he says.

“The observational research allows us to bypass such limitations by studying what people actually say and do in the moment.”

Gardner suggests the physiological equipment allows researchers to take the study of behavior

These state-of-the-art facilities will also enhance faculty members’ ability to secure external funding, she says, noting that the availability of the coding lab has already played an important role in faculty obtaining funding from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Starting this summer Gardner along with Kelly Roberts, also from the HDFS department, will be conducting observational research in the new coding lab as part of the Bush Administration’s Healthy Marriage Initiative.

The purpose of this research is to study what prevents low-income couples from accessing government and community resources designed to improve couples’ relationship quality. The coding lab will be used to study how these couples problem-solve, communicate and react to one another.

Eileen Mustain

Dismantling the Barriers The divorce rate in Oklahoma isn’t outstripping the marriage rate, not yet. But as former governor Frank Keating said to a Senate panel in spring 2004, “… it is easier to get a marriage license than a hunting license … [and] it is easier to get out of a marriage than a Tupperware contract.” That same year, Oklahoma issued 22,698 marriage licenses and reported 17,758 divorces.

The second component is to codify behavior by observing and recording couples while they discuss marriage classes. “We’ll be able to see who starts the discussion, which one cuts it off, what excuses are made and what language is used,” she says. “Then the couple will watch the tape and rate their own emotional responses at a particular time in the segment.”

To make sure to include lessons learned in the study findings,

Fournier, Roberts and Gardner all have direct or indirect links with the current research to support marriage education activities.

Now they are tackling the recruitment problem with a three-year $544,805 grant from the ACF to determine what recruitment approaches work best with lowincome couples.

Their multi-faceted research project, “Researching Recruitment Challenges in Low-Income Marriage Education Programs,” employs various methods of data collection and has four components.

First, the OSU Bureau for Social Research will conduct a large-scale national version of a state-level survey Fournier and Roberts conducted in 2004.

“We found the strongest barrier to seeking marriage education is the couple disagreeing about whether to attend a program together. Another barrier is the societal stigma associated with marriage classes, even though they are not therapy or counseling sessions,” Roberts says. “Now we’re surveying 2,000 couples across the nation to see if the Oklahoma findings replicate nationally.”

photos Erika Contreras

“Reducing the state’s divorce rate is sound policy considering the dollars spent on the fallout from these fractured families,” says Kelly Roberts, adjunct instructor in human development and family science. “But more damaging is the human cost. Divorce doesn’t just involve the marital relationship. It has a residual effect on all relationships, parent/child, friend/ friend — no one is unaffected, particularly children, since research demonstrates that kids have better outcomes when raised in an intact, two-parent home.”

The Healthy Marriage Initiative within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is running pilot projects for lowincome couples to receive marriage education. However, attendance is low in many of these programs.

Roberts and colleagues Brandt Gardner and David Fournier believe that teaching couples relationship-building skills will reduce the divorce rate once the recruitment problems can be overcome.

recorded interviews will also be conducted with marriage education programs across the country.

When all data sets are analyzed, researchers working with the OSU marketing department will use the data to build a recruitment campaign.

Graduate students Natalie Ambrose and William L. Harper in the OSU Theatre Department dramatize the couple in conflict to illustrate coding lab observations.

Watching their research start as a small project, evolve over time and now be supported by the national Healthy Marriage Initiative is both gratifying and exciting to Roberts, who also served two years as the director of the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative Service Delivery System.

“We’re the only ones doing this research,” she says. “What we learn will be used nationally.”

Eileen Mustain

Oklahoma State University 13

Dinner? Reserve Early.

Jim Barnard is not the kind to gloat, but these days, like a proud father, he relishes the success of the Atherton Hotel’s new dining venue. “It’s exceeded our hopes and expectations,” he says.

The general manager of the Atherton Hotel and the new Ranchers Club says some were skeptical the Stillwater community could support a five-star restaurant.

“But I think that was selling Stillwater short,” he says. “When you put together a comfortable atmosphere, upscale design, fabulous food and impeccable service, you still have to wait for the public to say it’s successful. And the support we’ve had from the community tells us that Stillwater was eager and ready for fine dining.”

Coffin, a graduate of OSU’s School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration and Le Cordon Bleu, London, gave clients a taste of what they might expect from the Ranchers Club cuisine, Barnard says. “When we ran 30 to 60 days late in opening, we received telephone calls asking, ‘Why aren’t you open yet?’”

The $1.3 million, privately-funded project would still be Barnard’s dream without the help of the founding members, many of them second, third and fourth generation OSU alumni.

Restaurant displays honor their generosity.

“Consistency is a teaching component. Our goal is to have no change in service from day to day. Everything we do is teaching.”

The Ranchers Club, formerly the State Room Grille in OSU’s Student Union, opened its doors in November to a newly renovated space with western décor. “It’s a theme that fits OSU’s heritage,” says Barnard, who has combined leather, sandstone, hardwood, bronze sculptures and oil paintings to create a warm, inviting ambiance.

Just as Barnard had hoped, Ranchers Club Catering, launched in 2004 and managed by Executive Chef Ben Coffin, piqued interest in the new restaurant well before the grand opening. This self-supporting catering service has grown rapidly around the state, building a reputation for quality and expectations for the restaurant.

14 College of Human Environmental Sciences 2006

“Alumni Carl and Marilynn Thoma contributed the cornerstone gift to the Ranchers Club,” Barnard says. Carl Thoma, an investment banker in Chicago, grew up on a ranch in Oklahoma’s panhandle between Boise City and Clayton, New Mexico. Marilynn Thoma, proprietor of the couple’s vineyard and winery in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Van Duzer Vineyards, is a native of Woodward, Okla.

“The Thomas are very interested in mating fine food and fine wine and were instrumental in designing the logos and in building the wine list,” Barnard says. The couple did not want their name on the restaurant, but the Ranchers Club honors the Thomas’ leadership with a wine list and bins dubbed Van Duzer’s Best.

“They were very influential in how we ended up with this level of excellence,” he says.

“They set high standards.

We needed to exceed their expectations.”

The gold standard also extends to service, which Barnard says must be nothing less than perfect.

“Our clientele love the wait staff because they are just as passionate about doing their jobs well as our patrons are about fine dining.”

Student training is a combination of observation and participation with paid professionals who are trained OSU alumni.

“And it’s working beautifully,” Knaub says.

“The reason we have invested everyone’s time, talent and money into this venture is to be able to strengthen the link among learning, doing and succeeding. It’s all about the students learning and guests receiving excellent service.”

The Ranchers Club serves as a teaching laboratory for future hospitality professionals. Students in the School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration’s food production and service management The expectations for courses have the opporstudents are no different tunity to learn five-star than those for the paid prorestaurant management, fessionals, Barnard notes. service and culinary skills, “Consistency is a teaching says Pat Knaub, dean of component. Our goal is to the college.

have no change in service from day to day. Everything we do is teaching.”

Knaub foresees expanding the training as well as the school’s program and says the program will soon begin a search for a chef instructor to work in quantity production.

As for what’s next for the Atherton, Barnard is reluctant to reveal his next brainchild although he says they are working on a long-term vision. For now he’s content to greet arriving alumni who tell him, “I’ve heard about the Ranchers Club.”

Eileen Mustain

“Our clientele love the wait staff because they are just as passionate about doing their jobs well as our patrons are about fine dining.”

Lunch Monday – Friday 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Dinner Thursday – Saturday 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Reservations are highly encouraged for dinner.

Private events may be scheduled Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

405-744-BEEF photos Phil Shockley

Oklahoma State University 15

Impacting the Community Taking Oklahoma’s Concerns to Congress As the first of more than 78 million baby boomers turn 60 this year, the U.S. will face greater and greater challenges to provide for its elderly. That’s why Kathleen Briggs urges aging Americans, as well as those who love them, to make sure Congress knows their needs.

Briggs says the top ten list that emerged from the conference includes her greatest concerns, such as greater accessibility to care for rural elderly, strengthening and improving Medicare and Medicaid and better training for healthcare professionals and other elderly care providers. She is also glad to see attention focused on improved coverage for mental health assessment and treatment that goes beyond addressing Alzheimer’s and dementia among the aged.

“Congress readily admits it doesn’t have all the answers, and it really wants help deciding priorities on issues that are going to affect a growing number of elderly right away,” says “One of the problems we face today Briggs, head of the Department is that services for seniors are often of Human Development and concentrated in higher populaFamily Science.

Genesee Photo Systems tion areas, but Oklahoma is a Briggs, appointed largely rural state. So many in

by U.S. Sen. Tom our rural communities won’t be Coburn to represent Oklaproperly served if we don’t do homa, joined 1,200 other something about making serdelegates at the recent vices more accessible for them,” White House Conference she says. on Aging in Washington, That’s why other issues on the top ten list include transporKathleen Briggs tation options for older Amerirepresented Oklahoma at the White House cans to maintain their mobility Conference on Aging. and independence while state The American Cancer “The conference is held Society has also selected and local delivery systems are Briggs as an Ambassador being improved. Reauthorizonly once every decade. representing Oklahoma to ing the Older Americans Act, The delegates there repadvocate for legislation to support for public and private resented a wide range of help fight cancer. sector initiatives and promotion expertise from researchers of non-institutional care models like myself to those who are involved in providing services directly also made the list headed for Capitol Hill and the White House. to the elderly, so it was a real privilege D.C., to help develop and approve a “top ten” list that Congress and the president are expected to review this spring.

to participate,” she says. In preparation for the conference, Briggs studied the research and demographics that apply to Oklahoma’s aging population in order to provide the most effective input for legislation.

For more information on various issues in aging as well as terminology, go to www.whcoa.gov.

While Briggs is glad to be among those who offered some of the first recommendations in the last 10 years, she’s urging everyone to offer input that reaches the nation’s capital.

“Stay tuned, because this is really going to be important. In the meantime, let your congressional delegation know what your needs are because your voice is important. People are listening and you can make a difference.”

Jim Mitchell

Erika Contreras

16 College of Human Environmental Sciences 2006

An Oklahoma Asset Her grandfather first piqued Whitney Brosi’s interest in the study of aging. The assistant professor of gerontology in human development and family science says her grandfather left an impression when helping to raise her.

Graduate school fueled the curiosity he sparked, and today Brosi is gaining state and national prominence for her expertise in family gerontology.

“I realized the patterns of longevity are impacting families of all types, despite marital or economic status or ethnicity. It’s shaping the way we make policy. I believe nothing is more relevant to the way we look at people and relationships within society than the study of aging in the family context,” she says.

Brosi’s involvement with the focus group also brings increased visibility for OSU, which she says already has a national reputation for commitment to gerontology.

“My colleagues across the country recognize the administration and faculty here are dedicated to the issues related to aging families,” Brosi says, “and that positions us well for national leadership.”

Oklahoma’s Long Term Care Authority awarded Brosi a $78,463 research contract to evaluate the ADvantage program’s home and community-based services designed to empower older persons and persons with physical disabilities to remain in their homes.

This year the National Council on Family Relations selected Brosi to chair its Issues in Aging Focus Group, a professional group concerned with family gerontology. Brosi is one of six founding members of the group, which has now grown to 95 since its beginnings in 2001, and organized its first research symposia.

Erika Contreras

The Issues in Aging Focus Group facilitates networking, creates forums for discussion and fosters collaborative research among a diverse, interdisciplinary group of professionals, Brosi says. “When we study aging there is so much to consider — biology, exercise, nutrition, physiology. For instance, a biologist or a nutritionist also studies how human relationships impact the biology or the nutrition of aging.”

Whitney Brosi, and her research assistants, Martha Morgan and Jay Burke, graduate students in marriage and family therapy, and Kerissa Day, a 2005 alumna of the marriage and family therapy program, are engaged in research for Oklahoma’s ADvantage program.

Currently Brosi is co-authoring an invited paper for a national journal with a colleague at Ohio State University. “This is how the group brings us together to make those collaborations that are so essential for research funding,” she says.

The authority wants an external assessment to make sure people are getting the services they need, says Brosi, who will interview 375 participants randomly selected from across the state and make recommendations at the end of the project.

Brosi has conducted a similar study with the state’s aging services division in the Department of Human Services. Participants on this project recommended her for the ADvantage service evaluation. “It’s great to successfully compete with other universities, as I did for the first project, and then be recommended for another,” she says.

“I’m pleased the state is recognizing that we’re a resource for gerontology.”

Eileen Mustain

Oklahoma State University 17

Getting It Right at the Beginning Todd Johnson

The death last year of a 2-year-old girl, an apparent victim of abuse, shocked Oklahomans. In truth, 40 children in the state die from maltreatment every year on average, and over 72 percent do not live to the age of 2.

Oklahoma had over 13,300 confirmed allegations of child abuse and neglect in 2005. Over half of the victims were under 6 years of age, and in more than 75 percent of the cases, the child’s own parents committed the ill-treatment.

“Much of this is preventable,” says Deborah Richardson, parenting specialist and director of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service’s Healthy Families program.

Starting the Healthy Families program in 2001, Kristal Pointer, pictured here with her son, Zyler, in 2002, was able to help her son with nerve damage in his arm catch up developmentally within six months using the activities she learned through the program.

She says she gained confidence and a support system through the program, and three years later with Zyler now 5 years old, she has continued her education and is looking forward to a new job. Pointer says, “I want to thank Healthy Families for helping me find the positive parent I knew I had the potential to be.”

baby’s birth and continue through early childhood. They provide education on child development and parenting skills, perform developmental screenings and assessment and help the family obtain access to health and other supportive services.

“The program offers services to families based on their needs, strengths and personal goals. In this way, a family becomes a proactive participant in creating and maintaining a stable and nurturing home for the child,” Richardson says.

“There are many stories, and they’re all different, but the common thread is improved parenting skills and increased involvement with family. Many also show improvement in setting personal goals that strengthen the family financially,” she says.

“Research over the last 30 years indicates that home visitation combined with parent education and support services around the time of birth through early “We’ve helped parents learn to get childhood contribute to healthy childthe support they need for special-needs rearing practices and reduce the risk of children and use activities to improve the child abuse.” conditions of their children who “I want to have developmental problems.

Richardson knows firstthank Healthy We’ve seen the program teach hand that education works. Families for couples to develop and maintain The Healthy Families prohelping me healthy relationships and show gram, aimed at improving find the posi- detached mothers and fathers family functioning and cretive parent I how to give emotional support to ating positive parent-child knew I had their children. We’ve seen single relationships, is proving it the potential mothers learn how to become selftrue, one family at a time. to be.” sufficient.”

Healthy Families, According to Richardson, past staffed locally with trained paraprofesresearch shows only 5 percent of adolessionals, works with families in Canadian, cent couples among program participants Delaware and Texas counties. Although have second pregnancies as compared enrollment in the program is voluntary, to a national rate of 25 percent. Studies various community organizations such of Healthy Families programs across the as schools, hospitals and departments country suggest that participants are oneof health and other agencies refer third to one-half less likely to maltreat participants. their children as are comparable families Focusing on the family as a whole, not enrolled in the program. the program includes extended family or “We have to do whatever we can do others who will be involved in the child’s to keep families strong. Nothing is more care. Supervised by experienced cooperaimportant,” Richardson says. “They are tive extension professionals, staff memthe basis of our community — bers begin home visits to families during of our lives.” pregnancy or up to six months after the Eileen Mustain

18 College of Human Environmental Sciences 2006

Grant-Writing Project Pays Off An OSU-Tulsa grant-writing class is already paying dividends for one nonprofit metro organization, thanks to some students who viewed the class as a serious way to make a difference for the local community.

“I caution each class about the small percentage of proposals that actually get funded, that’s why I was as happy as they were when they heard the Wal-Mart Foundation had approved a $1,000 grant for their literacy bag project for the Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) of Tulsa,” says Amy Halliburton, assistant professor of human development and family science in the College of Human Environmental Sciences.

Halliburton invited several local nonprofit organizations to make presentations to her class about grants the organizations are interested in pursuing. The students then separated into small groups of three or four to choose a project and write a grant proposal, which was submitted to potential funding sources. Three seniors, Sonya Basner, Cinda Lewis and Sheron Norris, each had specific interests related to childcare, so the literacy bag proposal from CCRC seemed a natural.

Kimberly Hulsey reads from the literacy bag to her sons Noah, 6, at left, and Caleb, 5.

Licensed family child care providers, such as Hulsey, distribute the literacy bags to parents.

The literacy bags, distributed by family childcare providers, contain a stuffed animal, a narrative about the animal, books related to the animal, a disposable camera and a journal. Parents are encouraged to read the literacy bag stories with their children and document the stuffed animal’s adventures in their home and with the family using the disposable camera and the journal.

Children also contribute to the journal through writings and drawings.

“By emphasizing the importance of providing high quality literacy experiences to children, particularly children who may have limited access to quality children’s literature, the students created a strong working proposal for the Wal-Mart Foundation to consider,” says Halliburton.

Sharon Bentley, now with Bacone College, was the CCRC representative who pitched the idea to the students.

“I had been involved in a similar project and it was great to see these three students share my enthusiasm and view the class assignment as an exciting opportunity,” says Bentley. “Grant-writing skills are critical in the nonprofit world, and this class is helping students gain some important ‘real life’ experience that will be valuable to themselves and the organizations they’ll help.”

For more information about the grant-writing course and other courses in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at OSU-Tulsa, go to www.osu-tulsa.okstate. edu/ or contact Cathy Kennemer, academic adviser, at 918-594-8218.

Jim Mitchell Amy Halliburton

Oklahoma State University 19

Students Further Textile Research with EPA Grants Erika Contreras

When assistant professor Huantian Cao heard three of his design, housing and merchandising students made OSU history by receiving two of only 41 national Environmental Protection Agency grants, he was pleasantly shocked.

“The 41 projects cover everything from battery, robot and wind-powered turbine designs that are very far away from our area, so to have two winners in this department – that’s phenomenal,” says Cao, who serves as a project adviser with interim department head Cheryl Farr and assistant professor Lisa Vogel.

HaeJin Gam, Jun Young Hur and Brooke Woods received the two $10,000 grants last summer to research and develop practical solutions for environmental sustainability as part of the second annual “P3: People, Prosperity and the Planet” student design competition.

20 College of Human Environmental Sciences 2006

Low Impact Housing Woods, an interior design graduate student, is developing sustainable housing in Ethiopia by focusing on the construction of timber-free, cost-effective shelters made of biodegradable, burlap-covered squares of dirt called “earthbags.”

The earthbags can be stacked like bricks to construct practical, adaptable homes, Woods says. Because they do not require wood and use only locally accessible materials, construction will not contribute to deforestation, an issue she took into consideration when designing her project.

Woods has researched construction and African design extensively to ensure the housing will reflect Ethiopian culture and be accepted. She hopes her project will be recognized not only by the EPA but also by the U.N. High Council for Refugees so it might someday be implemented in all parts of Africa and possibly worldwide.

EPA grant recipient Brooke Woods and project co-adviser Huantian Cao show sample earthbags that could provide sustainable temporary housing for disaster victims.

“The goal is to make the design like a kit of parts so that in one climate area you would put these pieces together for a relief home and in a different climate area you would put other pieces together so that’s it’s applicable throughout the world,” she says. “Then it could be used for tsunami, hurricane or earthquake relief.”

Woods says she is fortunate to have a chance to extend her research after receiving the EPA grant and thanks her advisers for their guidance.

“Sometimes I really can’t even believe it. I feel honored to have the opportunity to pursue this and to use it for my graduate work, but it’s also really exciting that it could have a worldwide impact,” she says.

Safer Clothing Gam, an apparel merchandising graduate student, and her husband, Hur, apparel merchandising junior, are exploring ways to use organic materials and non-toxic dyes to make textile manufacturing processes safer for the environment.

Gam is a former knitwear designer from Korea, and Hur has nearly 10 years of experience in knitwear production.

Gam says there is little research in the area of apparel design and environmental sustainability, so the couple hopes to present a worldwide model for designers to follow.

“People who design want to help with a cleaner environment, but they don’t have the guidelines,” Gam says.

Their project focuses on the entire textile process from raw materials to clothing production to disposal of the products and suggests using cottons that are not grown in fields treated with pesticides.

Many consumers assume cotton is a safe textile but aren’t aware of the large amounts of pesticide used on most fields.

She says the environment suffers when materials containing these chemicals are thrown away.

The couple is currently testing strips of knitwear by using different dyes and types of yarn that will then go through textile testing machines to analyze their physical properties, including abrasion resistance and colorfastness. After the knitwear is dyed and tested, it will be sent to a Korean factory where industrial-level machines will produce the final clothing products to be presented in Washington, D.C. Gam says she and Hur are honored to receive a grant from the EPA and thinks improving environmental sustainability is a realistic expectation for all designers.

“From this project, I hope I can develop some material to educate them,” she says.

Gam, Hur and Woods submit their final project reports in April and will make presentations of a scaled model and computer-based tour to the EPA in Washington, D.C., during May. EPA will choose six or seven projects to move forward in the competition and award winners $75,000 per project to implement their design plans.

Although textiles have many applications in apparel and interior products, they also cause environmental problems during manufacturing, Cao says. “For sustainable development, we have to evaluate and minimize the environmental impacts for every stage in the life cycle of textile products.”

Morgan Pratt

courtesy

Erika Contreras

EPA grant recipients HaeJin Gam and Jun Young Hur, at left, and above with project advisers Huantian Cao, left, and Cheryl Farr at the flatbed knitting machine, are exploring ways to make textile manufacturing processes safer for the environment.

Oklahoma State University 21

Student Experience The Real Thing There’s no substitute for realworld experience.

Last fall, design, housing and merchandising students worked with Mike Bosley and Beam’s Industries to create new product opportunities for the company, which makes seatbelts for cars and boats and other kinds of safety restraints.

photos Jim Mitchell

“They really approached us as a think tank,” says Theodore Drab, associate professor of interior design.

The idea to approach OSU came from Beam’s Industries advertising agency. They witnessed how OSU had helped an Oklahoma company go from making boats to mass producing body armor for the U.S. military.

“They had the expertise in their workforce to work on something they had never worked on before,” Drab says.

“Beam’s is in the same situation.”

Beam’s was interested in how seatbelt webbing could be used as a fashion accessory and in making products such as bags and collapsible chairs to market to universities.

“We let the students loose on the problem to see what sorts

of solutions they could come up with,” Drab says. Working with colleagues Kyu-ho Ahn and Cheryl Farr, he came up with two projects.

One project required Farr’s students to design a line of carryalls. Students worked with color combinations and varying widths and densities of the webbing to

What a Difference a Summer Makes Education Essentials Without knowledge of other cultures, American students are at a disadvantage in the global marketplace, says Anne Mahoney, academic program specialist in the College of Human Environmental Sciences.

“Only 1 percent of U.S. students study abroad each year, and of that 1 percent only two-thirds go where English is not the native language,” she says. “But our students can’t be isolationists. It’s very important they be global citizens. Study abroad opens the minds of students to other cultures. It’s good for the résumé and good for personal growth.”

Every department in CHES offers either an annual or biennial study tour abroad, usually during the summer.

22 College of Human Environmental Sciences 2006

In Search of Knowledge Students, left to right, Catherine Clift, Kimberly Jarman and Macie Craven display designs that emerged from the new product design project for Beam’s Industries.

produce items ranging from carryalls to diaper bags, Drab says.

The other project asked Ahn’s students to explore uses of the webbing for furniture. Although the clients had outdoor furniture in mind, the project didn’t exclude interior furniture designs. Students came up with designs for beds, patio furniture and even entertainment centers.

“Instead of covering or hiding the webbing, because it can be very beautiful, they incorporated it into the design,” Drab says. “There was a chair that used the webbing to

be very form-fitting, almost like a Instead of choosing a subject hammock. It was almost sculptural.” in her major, Yuka Matsuo chose a subject she knew Bosley provided students with little about, “From the Hell whatever additional materials they of Auschwitz to the Hope of needed, much of which students Czestochowa.” had never worked with before. Fac-

she says. “Gene therapy is a controversial topic. I’m still forming my own opinion about this, but it’s important for a future doctor to think about it.”

ulty and Bosley judged the student projects, awarding three monetary prizes for first, second and third place in each class.

Although interested in becoming a family practice specialist, Matsuo, a junior, says she hasn’t chosen a career path. “In order to know what I am most interested in and to become a well-rounded person, I’m taking as many classes as possible.

The experience is not likely to be the last of its kind at OSU, Drab says.

“We actively seek these sorts of opportunities where the students are working with a real client. Having contact with clients reinforces what students learn in the classroom and confirms the importance of the coursework.”

Cory Cheney

Chris Watkins never imagined the changes that would unfold in one short European summer.

Watkins, a senior in the School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration, attended the Hospitality Studies in Switzerland Program last summer, studying international cuisine in Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany and Spain. He says he enjoyed discovering the hospitality customs of various cultures, but he also cherishes his experiences outside the classroom.

“To me, living a life of luxury hinged on the materialistic ideals of the ‘typical’ American,” Watkins says.

“During my stay in Europe, I saw families of eight living in small apartments. They didn’t have any cars, but they had plenty of love for each other.

“I realized my values were mixed up. Without the trip to Europe, I would not have learned so much about myself,” he says.

Watkins was able to participate in the study abroad program with an endowed scholarship from the college made possible by the generosity of alumnus Bryan Close.

“Mr. Close made a world of difference in my education,” Watkins says. “The scholarship gave me a fuller understanding of the meaning of life and has changed me forever.”

After graduating in May 2006, Watkins plans to attend graduate school at OSU and then work as a consultant. His goal is to return to OSU as a professor and doctoral degree candidate in hospitality.

“The study abroad reminded me there are still many things I need to know, learn and experience. Next I’m planning to travel to France and Spain to learn more.”

Eileen Mustain photos courtesy

courtesy

The study’s focus on World War II and religious values intrigued Matsuo, a Japanese international student majoring in nutritional science and physiology with a minor in psychology. She says the study was a starting point for understanding people who hold different beliefs.

“I think it’s important for people who choose peopleoriented jobs such as health care and education to know there are many ways of thinking and each person has different opinions and experiences that may affect his or her beliefs,” she says.

In addition to cathedrals, castles and museums in Poland and Germany, she visited concentration camps in Auschwitz and Birkenau, the temple of black Madonna in Czestochowa, the Reichstagsgebäude and a place where the Berlin Wall once stood.

“Visiting and learning about the concentration camps made me think more deeply about ethical issues.

One of those is eugenics,”

Katie Treadwell

Oklahoma State University 23

An IDEA That Works For some graduate students, completing courses from multiple universities has become as easy as taking courses from different departments on the same campus.

Students apply to a member of the alliance and enroll in all courses through that home institution’s program

Most of the CHES online graduate students are 30 to 55 years of age. Approximately half are already professionals who want to change professions or advance in their current jobs, says Anne Mahoney, the OSU Great Plains IDEA program coordinator.

Erika Contreras

The Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (Great Plains IDEA), an

and merchandising with an emphasis in merchandising and a master’s degree in natural and applied sciences with an option in gerontology.

in family financial planning and 15 in gerontology.

“Our enrollment tripled in gerontology this fall as more and more people are going into the field to address the growing needs of baby boomers,” Mahoney says, noting that she anticipates continued growth in the degree programs.

“For some, becoming computer literate, getting online and using multiple programs may be challenging at first, but the flexibility of learning on a personal schedule far outweighs any of those initial problems,” she says, “especially for a professional who is balancing work with family and school.

alliance comprised of OSU and nine other universities, has made the inter-institutional, web-based master’s degree program a reality. And if program growth is any indicator, earning graduate degrees online may one day become routine, especially for non-traditional students.

Great Plains IDEA launched the family financial planning program in 2000 and has since added two other programs in the College of Human Environmental Sciences, a master’s degree in design, housing

coordinator. Although some of the courses may be taught at a participating university, all grades are recorded on the student’s transcript and the degree issued at the home university.

Representatives from the alliance institutions administer the Great Plains IDEA. Shiretta Ownbey, associate dean for academic programs and services in CHES, represents OSU on the board.

Alliance members’ broad collaboration from graduate deans to registrars ensures effective program delivery.

24 College of Human Environmental Sciences 2006

“Our students come from all walks of life — some are business owners, and some are in industry,” she says.

“One of our most interesting students is a woman in California who is in her 70s and studying gerontology, partly for herself and partly to help friends and neighbors.”

CHES graduated its first Great Plains IDEA students in May 2005. Currently five have graduated with a master’s degree in family financial planning and one with a master’s degree in gerontology. Today, 18 OSU students are enrolled

“Students also find in-depth discussion online as participants bring a great deal of personal experience to the conversation. Our students are from all over the world. We even have students taking courses from Iraq,” Mahoney says.

“In the future, as space becomes tighter on campus and people have less time and funds to travel to campus, these distance education programs will become even more important in higher education.”

Eileen Mustain

For more details on the OSU Great Plains IDEA programs, visit the website at http://www.ches.okstate. edu/gpidea/.

Former Cowboy Athlete Sets the Pace Former Cowboy football standout and academic All-American Kyle Eaton continues to count his accomplishments off the field. The six-foot, eight-inch former offensive lineman is among the first OSU students to receive a distancelearning master’s degree in family financial planning from the College of Human Environmental Sciences.

“One of the things that kept me with the program was the fact that you could take it anywhere,” says Eaton, who has made several moves since he graduated from OSU in 2002. He currently works for Rench and Muir Financial Advisors Inc. in Denton, Texas.

“It took a while to adjust to the lack of face-to-face interaction, but the professors went out of their way to make sure students understood the concepts being taught,” says Eaton.

He points to flexibility as another plus for the new distancelearning degree program, which is offered through the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (IDEA), a consortium of 10 universities that includes OSU. “It’s obvious the professors who teach the family financial planning courses realize students have lives and families outside the discussion boards and homework assignments,” says Eaton. “When I first started working full-time, it was tough at times to keep going, but

Jim Mitchell

it certainly gave me a lot of admiration and respect for those who are trying to balance a job and family life while earning a degree.”

Eaton, whose bachelor’s degree is in management science information systems, expects his new degree to complement the skills he gained in data management as an undergrad.

“MSIS focuses on organizing raw data to make it useful to the client. The same is generally true for financial planning since we use bank accounts, mortgage, income tax and other information to come up with a financial plan that makes sense for the client.”

Former OSU football standout Kyle Eaton has become one of the first students at OSU to receive a master’s degree through distance learning.

Eaton hopes to serve as a family financial planner and eventually work his way into financial counseling on a full-time basis. And the NFL is not out of the question.

“There’s a growing push for certified financial planners for athletes,” he says, “and I think my own athletic background could be a big benefit in that area someday.”

Jim Mitchell

Custom-Made for the Lifelong Learner Theresa Greer realized her dream to work with older people, but the assistant director for Grand Gateway Area Agency on Aging is also a lifelong learner. For this social sciences professional and mother of four, the distance learning program in the College of Human Environmental Sciences is made to order.

“Earning my master’s degree is a goal I’ve set for myself,” says Greer, who is a course away from completing her master’s in applied sciences with a gerontology option.

Since driving to campus for classes does not fit into Greer’s busy schedule, she has worked toward her master’s degree through distance learning for three

years at a pace compatible with family and work. “It took me a while to get used to it, but it has worked very well for me. I couldn’t have done it otherwise,” she says.

“Distance learning will be the mode for the future, especially for older learners,” she says, noting she hopes to continue learning. “I wish they’d do a doctoral program. I’d take that!”

Eileen Mustain

Oklahoma State University 25

An EyeOpening Experience

On location in New Jersey, Natalie Burns, who interned with MTV’s stylists, makes final adjustments to the wardrobe of Quddus, VJ for MTV’s High School Stories program.

A Lesson for Life courtesy

Wet and shivering in a phone booth in rainy Brisbane, Australia, Katie Sapp begged her father to let her come home. He steadfastly refused. “He said it would be the best experience in my life, and he was right,” she says.

“Being in a different culture was life-changing.”

Sapp, interior design senior, was in Brisbane for a summer internship with Hassell Architectural Firm.

Natalie Burns’ internship at MTV landed her just where she had hoped to be one day — a stylist in New York City. She worked hard for the unpaid internship with some surprising results.

scholarship helped fund her internship, as did her parents. For the rest of her expenses, Burns worked.

“Everything was more expensive in New York City. I lived in women’s Burns, who graduated housing, a building called Webster where a lot of in December 2005 with OSU interns live. I had a a bachelor’s in design, small space with breakfast housing and merchandisand dinner for about ing, says she was amazed how easy it was to get the $230 per week,” she says.

MTV assignment. “I just “I’d leave MTV and work in a jewelry store in the applied. I was surprised Village from 6 p.m. to they wanted someone from Oklahoma, but they midnight.” were looking for someFrom 10 a.m. to 5 one who showed interest p.m. Burns interned with and ambition.” a wardrobe stylist for Her persistence paid off, says Burns who advises students to “Keep calling. Prove you’re interested.”

A College of Human Environmental Sciences’

MTV’s Total Request Live show. “We’d go to showrooms and pull sample items we thought would fit the VJ’s persona,” she says. “Each day we’d put out about four items, and

26 College of Human Environmental Sciences 2006

the VJ would choose.

Eventually everything was cycled out, or if not, we’d send it back.

“I learned how that side of the fashion industry works,” Burns says, “and I would certainly recommend this internship to anyone who wants to move to New York City. It’s great exposure. I worked in Times Square with celebrities and models.”

So when a permanent position opened at MTV, Burns declined.

“Sometimes the dream job isn’t the dream after all,” she says.

“It’s a great career for someone interested in being where the action is. I thought that’s what I wanted. But when I went back to help with the

New Year’s Eve show, I realized it was not where I wanted to be.”

Burns says the salary was too low given the high cost of living, but it was more than that.

The girl from Red Oak, Texas, found New York City to be cramped and its citizens brusque. “You can never get any space,” she says.

Her goals have changed, but Burns says they are still large. She hopes to begin in J.C. Penney’s training program for merchandising.

In five years she wants to be a buyer and in 10 years a regional merchandiser.

She says she wouldn’t trade her internship experience. “It was eye-opening for me.”

“I was never so far out of my comfort zone in my life,” she says. “It was hard because nothing was familiar, from the way washing machines worked to the weather — it was winter there. Even the language was different.”

Sapp says she learned about herself. “I discovered there was something in me that would help me get through it. And I learned I’m close-minded.

I went there believing courtesy

Internship Leaves ‘No Aspect Unturned’ that Americans are amazing and have the best of everything. It opened my eyes to see that other countries have done some things better.”

She fell in love with Australian design, which she says is clean-line, very minimal compared to the flamboyancy of American design, and with the Australian approach to work.

“I would love to go back.

It was the most relaxed

“I learned to be more relaxed in my design and not to stress so much.”

She says she also became clearer on her goals. “I want to work for a largescale commercial design firm focusing on everything from hospitality, business and entertainment to government facilities. I would like to be in a firm that would allow me to travel.”

Yes, travel. And she advises other students to do the same.

“It will be the hardest thing you’ve ever done, but take those hardships and learn from them.

Don’t go half-heartedly.

Dive right into the culture.

Don’t fight the differences. Embrace those differences.”

Katie Sapp, left, with her friend, Emily Duncan, who also interned in Brisbane, Australia, grew to love the simple and beautiful architectural lines such as those of the Sydney Opera House, shown in the background.

But when it came time to choose an internship, the human development and family science senior with a minor in Spanish didn’t have a clear preference. “I wanted to do something that would let me use Spanish, and I’m also a Christian. So I googled these and found Global Frontier Missions in the city of Tlaxiaco in Oaxaca, Mexico.

“And it was perfect for me. It wasn’t an easy assignment, but it was a period of tremendous growth,” Weaver says.

Global Frontier Missions is an interdenominational Christian organization that works among the native people in the region and trains adults and adolescents to extend Christian ministry in other parts of the world. During Weaver’s internship last summer she taught groups from across the U.S., each staying 10 days including travel time.

During a group’s visit, Weaver and other mission staff spent four days teaching cultural sensitivity and Spanish language skills and three days in the village for

door-to-door evangelism and holding children’s shows, movies and medical clinics. The group also performed service projects such as preparing the soil and planting a field, all by hand.

others, she says. “With 30 people living in a house, you can’t always have your own way.”

“We tried to teach simple things such as boiling their water but without interfering with their cultural values. And we wanted to participate in their lives so we could help them spiritually as well,” she says.

Julianna Weaver, who interned with Global Frontier Missions in the city of Tlaxiaco in Oaxaca, Mexico, says the experience forced her to examine every aspect of her life.

Weaver, who plans graduate study, says her internship experience has also broadened her courtesy

The internship proved exciting, she says, allowing her to see a project from start to finish. “I visited the site regularly. I picked the paint and saw it on the wall. I got to see the furniture delivered and unpacked and to meet with all the other team members involved in putting the project together — architects, interior architects, city planners, and landscape architects — the disciplines within Hassell.”

atmosphere. They don’t work the long hours Americans do, but they work more effectively,” she says.

Since she was 12 years old, Julianna Weaver has known what she wanted to do. “When friends would play doctor or lawyer, I’d play marriage counselor,” she says.

professional focus in marriage and family therapy to include adolescents.

“It was definitely a time of spiritual improvement for me personally.

When you are with people whose goal is to get closer to God, you inspire each other. I learned about conflict resolution and communication and being selfless — and how much you can care about people you never even knew existed.”

“My perspective has opened. I think much more globally. I’ve realized there are many ways I can use marriage and family therapy and that America is not the whole world. Relationships, behaviors — no aspect of my life went unturned this summer,” says Weaver with advice for other students looking for an internship.

Living in a dorm-like arrangement teaches how to share and relate to

“Don’t just do the easy thing. Do something that will change your life.” all stories, Eileen Mustain

Oklahoma State University 27

Erika Contreras

Fatima Pina, Becky Bailey, Jenny Lessley and Katie Whiteneck, nutritional science juniors, left to right, are recipients of this year’s Niblack Research Scholars awards.

A Sound Investment Four nutritional science juniors received the highly competitive, prestigious Niblack Research Scholar awards for a year of in-depth laboratory research with faculty and graduate student mentors.

The CHES Niblack Scholars, Jenny Lessley, Fatima Pina, Becky Bailey and Katie Whiteneck, are among an elite group of 12 outstanding undergraduates from chemistry, physics, microbiology, biochemistry, nutritional science and veterinary biomedical sciences chosen by OSU this year.

28 College of Human Environmental Sciences 2006

Recipients conduct scientific research with a graduate student partner under the guidance of a faculty adviser for one academic year, including two summer months. Besides three credit hours and $8,000 in scholarship funding, these young scholars gain a new or expanded appreciation for scientific research much like the scholarship founder did when he had the opportunity to do research as an undergraduate chemistry major at OSU. John Niblack, retired vice chair of

Pfizer Inc. and president of global research and development at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, funded the scholars program because he wants students to experience scientific research early in their academic careers.

He believes the introduction might spark an interest in research as a career, as did his own undergraduate research.

Regardless of the career path these CHES Niblack scholars ultimately pursue, their scholarship success is a great source of pride to their college.

Hall of Fame Ramona Ware Paul believes the foundation of every state is the education of its children. Serving as the assistant state superintendent for professional service in the Oklahoma State Department of Education since 1991, Paul has directed Oklahoma’s efforts in becoming the nation’s leader in early childhood education.

Paul’s path and passion for education literally began in her early childhood. As the daughter of OSU educators, H.G. and Girdie Ware, Paul attended the nursery school at OSU where her mother was on the faculty.

When she entered a nearby elementary school, she would walk back to her mother’s office every day for lunch. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from OSU and her doctorate from Purdue University in child development and family science.

Paul served as one of the first Head Start consultants helping with the initial planning and implementation of the fledgling program in Texas. After noticing no literature was available for culturally diverse children, Paul authored the 35 book Your World series. Published

by Taylor Publishing Co., the books were the first children’s books published with color pictures of children and adults from many cultures.

Advocating for young children and their education has been Paul’s life’s mission.

When she joined Superintendent Sandy Garrett and the Oklahoma State Department of Education, her primary

responsibility was to assist local school districts begin implementing the state mandated half-day kindergarten classes. She wrote the model for pre-kindergarten/4-year-old programs for the public schools.

Oklahoma’s program is unique because pre-kindergarten teachers are required to have a bachelor’s degree and an early-childhood teaching certification. That model is still used today and is recognized by the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University as the number one model in the nation.

Because of Paul’s efforts, Oklahoma is the recognized leader in early childhood education for the nation.

Educating children begins at home for Paul and her husband, Homer. Her three sons and Homer’s three daughters and son represent a combined degree count of seven bachelor’s degrees, two master’s degrees, two juris doctorates and one medical doctorate.

Paul’s lifelong commitment to education and the future of children is a legacy to the state of Oklahoma and the nation.

Julie Barnard

Phil Shockley

Ramona Ware Paul The College of Human Environmental Sciences shines the spotlight on an outstanding leader whose dedication to the College merits induction into the CHES Hall of Fame

Enhancing Programs A Facility to Match the Vision Erika Contreras

Oklahoma’s premier early childhood education program will soon have a facility that reflects its leadership in the state, says Kathleen Briggs, head of human development and family science.

“Thanks to a generous gift from the Craig Family Foundation, the child development laboratory will undergo expansion and renovation beginning in May.” The child development laboratory gives students the opportunity to learn the best developmental practices by working with and observing children 2 to 5 years of age and is an invaluable component of OSU’s early childhood education, Briggs says.

“We are the state’s leading professional preparation program in early childhood education, and we are leading the research in childcare policy. One hundred percent of our students are employed, and we receive calls repeatedly asking us for more,” she says. “A couple of years ago the department added hands-on training for schools and childcare centers throughout the curriculum. The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has also shifted a lot of its training to OSU.” The CDL renovation is part of the Center for Early Childhood Teaching and Learning, geared to improve the train-

ing for development professionals. When completed, the center will have two new classrooms, a resource room and a model classroom as well as the newly renovated laboratory.

“Our existing space is inadequate,” Briggs says. “Soon we’ll have an infrastructure that provides opportunities to keep up with our innovative instruction and training and increased research.

When the facility matches the vision, it’s easy to keep expanding the vision.”

Eileen Mustain

For more ways to help the College of Human Environmental Sciences, contact the Office of Development at (405) 744-9736.