STATE magazine - Spring 2022

The official magazine of Oklahoma State University

THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN ENERGY VISIONARY DONATIONS ESTABLISH HAMM INSTITUTE FOR AMERICAN ENERGY AT OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY

When I think of Oklahoma State, I think of it as an agricultural school. The better

When you give to the New Frontiers campaign, you are investing in OSU Agriculture and the efficacy of its research, the quality of education, the power of Extension and OSU’s important role in feeding the world.

the facility, the more that’s going to entice kids to come here and major in agriculture. The better teaching facility is going to be a win-win for the students and the professors.”

Kay Ingersoll New Frontiers Cornerstone Donor

To learn more about the campaign and to view construction progress, visit OSUgiving.com/New-Frontiers

In T his Issue

Energizing the Future A $50 million gift establishes the Hamm Institute for American Energy at Oklahoma State University, signaling a new chapter for innovation and leadership for the university and the state. Pages 62-67 (Cover photo: Gary Lawson)

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48

68

The Savior of Central Park

Taking Flight

Hometown Hero

Ray and Linda Booker OSU Flight Center opens a world of possibilities for aviation students and the future of the program.

Stillwater native Bryan Karns talks about his ascent to PGA Championship director and running the 2022 tournament in Tulsa.

OSU alumnus receives top honor for storied landscape architecture career, including revitalizing a New York City landmark.

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16

Filling a Need OSU Academic Medical District in Tulsa will make a difference, especially in caring for veterans and mental health patients.

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28

Plus ...

4

Editor’s Letter

5

Socially Orange

OSU researchers develop new methods to fight invasive species.

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President’s Letter

40

Campus News

97

Cowboy Way

38

98

Cowboy Chronicles

109

Chapter News

113

Alumni Update

116

In Memory

117

Births

118

Weddings

Uncharted Waters

Collection Connected OSU Library unveils new online portal for accessing the Zarrow family’s extensive Native American art collection.

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38

Courage on Display U.S. Army Cpl. Shannon Matthews, an OSU-Tulsa alumnus, makes history by donating Purple Heart.

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Going Up the Ladder Longtime OSU administrators Dr. Johnny Stephens and Dr. Scott Newman become presidents at OSU Center for Health Sciences and OSUOklahoma City, respectively.

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STATE

Letters

BR A N D M A NAGEMENT

Megan Horton | Interim Associate Vice President of Brand Management Erin Petrotta | Director of Marketing Shannon Rigsby | Public Information Officer Mack Burke | Editorial Coordinator Dave Malec | Design Coordinator Jordan Bishop | Managing Editor Codee Classen, Paul V. Fleming, Valerie Kisling, Lauren Knori, Chris Lewis, Michael Molholt and Benton Rudd | Design Phil Shockley, Gary Lawson and Brandee Cazzelle | Photography Kurtis Mason | Trademarks and Licensing Leslie McClurg and Kinsey Garcia | Administrative Support Department of Brand Management | 305 Whitehurst, Stillwater, OK 74078-1024 405-744-6262 | okstate.edu | statemagazine.okstate.edu | editor@okstate.edu osu.advertising@okstate.edu Contributors: Jordan Bishop, Mack Burke, Bonnie Cain-Wood, Aaron Campbell, Will Carr, Chelsea Dinterman, Alexis Embry, Samantha Hardy, Harrison Hill, Avery Hudson, David C. Peters, Sara Plummer, Grant Ramirez, Shannon Rigsby, Donald Stotts and Kylee Sutherland

O S U A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N Tina Parkhill | Chair Kurt Carter | Vice Chair Tony LoPresto | Immediate Past Chair Rob McInturf | President Gina Lowe | Vice President of Marketing David Parrack | Vice President of Finance and Operations Aaron Owen, Ann Caine, Baloo Subramaniam, Becky Endicott, Ben Davis, Darin Schmidt, Joe Ray, Michael Carolina, Scott Eisenhauer, Taylor Shinn, Todd Hudgins, Treca Baetz | Board of Directors Lacy Branson, Will Carr, Chase Carter, Avery Hudson | Marketing and Communications OSU Alumni Association | 201 ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center, Stillwater, OK 740787043 | 405-744-5368 | orangeconnection.org | info@orangeconnection.org

O S U F O U N D AT I O N David Houston | Chair Blaire Atkinson | President Robyn Baker | Vice President and General Counsel Donna Koeppe | Vice President of Administration and Treasurer Scott Roberts | Vice President of Development Chris Campbell | Senior Associate Vice President of Information Strategy Pam Guthrie | Senior Associate Vice President of Human Resources Blaire Atkinson, Bryan Begley, Brian Callahan, Bryan Close, Jan Cloyde, Ann Dyer, Joe Eastin, Jennifer Grigsby, David Houston, Gary Huneryager, A.J. Jacques, Brett Jameson, Griff Jones, Robert Keating, Diana Laing, John Linehan, Joe Martin, Greg Massey, Robert McInturf, Ross McKnight, Gail Muncrief, Bill Patterson, Jenelle Schatz, Becky Steen, Terry Stewart, Vaughn Vennerberg, Beverly Walker-Griffea and Jerry Winchester | Trustees Samantha Hardy, Jennifer Kinnard, Lauren Knori, Chris Lewis, Amanda O’Toole Mason, Heather Millermon, Michael Molholt, Grant Ramirez and Benton Rudd | Marketing and Communications OSU Foundation | 400 South Monroe, P.O. Box 1749, Stillwater, OK 74076-1749 800-622-4678 | OSUgiving.com | info@OSUgiving.com STATE magazine is published three times a year (Fall, Winter, Spring) by Oklahoma State University, 305 Whitehurst, Stillwater, OK 74078. The magazine is produced by the Office of Brand Management, the OSU Alumni Association and the OSU Foundation, and is mailed to current members of the OSU Alumni Association. Magazine subscriptions are available only by membership in the OSU Alumni Association. Membership cost is $50.

Call 405-744-5368 or mail a check to 201 ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center, Stillwater OK 74078-7043. To change a mailing address, visit orangeconnection.org/update or call 405-744-5368.

Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Higher Education Act), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, genetic information, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, or status as a veteran, in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This provision includes, but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. The Director of Equal Opportunity, 401 General Academics Building, OSU, Stillwater, OK 74078-4069; Phone 405-744-1156; email: eeo@okstate.edu has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies. Any person (student, faculty or staff) who believes they are experiencing discrimination may discuss his or her concerns and file informal or formal complaints of possible violations of Title IX with OSU's Title IX Coordinator, 405-744-1156.

This publication, issued by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the vice president of enrollment management and marketing, was printed by Royle Printing Co. at a cost of $1.06 per issue: 37,605. | April 2022 | #9287 | Copyright © 2022, STATE magazine.

All rights reserved.

From the Editor's Desk If there were a “Rookie of the Year” award for university presidents, then Dr. Kayse Shrum would have to be on the short list. A proven leader and rural health champion coming into the role last July, she was certainly prepared for the challenge, but her first year in office included a unique combination of obstacles that many university presidents don’t face over the course of a decade or even a career. Despite a global pandemic and some Big 12 turmoil, Shrum’s first academic year at the helm has been punctuated by major advancements for Oklahoma State University.

Following a combined $50 million donation from Harold Hamm and Continental Resources, OSU announced the creation of the new Hamm Institute for American Energy at Oklahoma State University in December. The institute, which will be housed in the OKC Innovation District, aims to cement Oklahoma’s legacy as an energy leader and empower the next generation of innovators (Page 62).

That announcement followed another landmark announcement in August — the creation of the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education — and was followed by yet another celebrating the creation of the DOD Counter-UAS (unmanned aerial systems) Center of Excellence in January.

In February, we welcomed Linda Booker to campus to celebrate the grand opening of the new Ray and Linda Booker OSU Flight Center. The 11,600 square-foot building replaces OSU Aviation’s outdated facilities and more than doubles the space available to students and flight instructors (Page 48).

Following the ceremonial groundbreaking in October for the new Veterans Hospital in Tulsa, the Oklahoma Center for Health Sciences has revealed plans for a new OSU Academic Medical District. The district will include the new VA hospital and a new mental health hospital, which will allow more hands-on learning opportunities and expand health care access for Oklahoma veterans and mental health patients (Page 16).

As we take stock of another whirlwind year, we celebrate with pride the achievements of our alumni, faculty and staff and look with hope toward the future.

Mack Burke Editor

CORRECTION: On page 79 of the Winter 2021 issue, OSU Alumni Association Board Chair Tina Parkhill was incorrectly identified. The OSU Alumni Association apologizes for this error.

STATE Magazine 305 WHITEHURST OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY STILLWATER, OK 74078

4 SPRING 2022

EDITOR@OKSTATE.EDU STATEMAGAZINE.OKSTATE.E D U

#okstate

Join the conversation on social media with the Cowboy Family.

Chilly Cowboy Success

Future Cowboy

@okstate

@OKStateAlumni

Thank you #CowboyFamily for coming together to raise more than $30,000 for Special Olympics Oklahoma in the Chilly Cowboy fundraiser!

We are grateful to all of our sponsors, auction winners and donors for making this possible.

Senior Celebration @OSUAthletics

✈

Meet 5 y/o Pascal!

He and his dad, Life Plus Member Mark Cassara, ’07, took photos of all the campus spots in the Pistol Pete & Me book. Here he is at the #OKStateAlumni Center! More info: okla.st/legacy

OKState Wordle

Isaac Likekele — The one who stayed through it all. #NewEra #GoPokes

Taking New Flight @OSUFoundation

@BeAnOSUCowboy

🤠

Did we get it right? #BeAnOSUCowboy #GoPokes #Stilly #okstate #wordle

✈️

A new home for OSU Aviation Education. We celebrated the grand opening of the Ray and Linda Booker OSU Flight Center!

Oklahoma State University

InsideOSU

@okstate

@okstateu

@okstate

Oklahoma State University

Visit social.okstate.edu for more social media connections.

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COME SEE FOR YOURSELF THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA, and there are many ways for high school students to experience life on Oklahoma State University’s campus. Walking tours are offered each weekday for future students. We also offer Saturday tours and exciting admissions events throughout the year to help students find their place on campus.

Schedule a campus tour to see the OSU campus through the eyes of a current student.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Cowboy family, It’s an exciting time at Oklahoma State University!

In December, I announced a key initiative to develop a strategy for the OSU system, which aims to draft a comprehensive plan for OSU’s future. In January, we began a structured, system-wide process to gather feedback from the Cowboy family, our stakeholders and industry partners with a goal to construct the broadest, most accurate view for the future. From May through August, the committees will create a strategy to guide the OSU system for years to come.

We are going to set Oklahoma State on a new and bold path of achievement and success, building upon a rock-solid foundation in critical categories that address challenges in Oklahoma and around the globe.

A $50 million gift in December is indicative of the progress and forward momentum in our goal to establish OSU as a leader and find solutions to society’s most pressing challenges. The gift established the Hamm Institute for American Energy at Oklahoma State University, which will become a cornerstone of workforce development and public impact research.

This spring, OSU was set to forge new roads in the arena of alumni partnerships with the creation of the Industry Insights mentorship series. Superstar alumnus Garth Brooks and music industry professionals were scheduled to kick off the series March 11 at The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, but a snowstorm postponed the event. When it’s rescheduled, our students will have a unique opportunity to learn from one of the most successful recording artists of all time.

The concept is the beginning of a new season for OSU. We have remarkable and innovative alumni. We want to share their knowledge and offer students more learning opportunities that they can’t get anywhere else. I welcome your ideas for future Industry Insights presentations.

With the strength and imagination of our students, faculty and staff, OSU is making positive changes in the world. There has never been a better time to be a Cowboy.

Go Pokes!

Dr. Kayse Shrum OSU President osupres@okstate.edu

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Taking Her Seat Parkhill reflects on being named chair of the OSU Alumni Association’s Board of Directors

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n July 2021, Tina Parkill, ’93 marketing, became the new chair of the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association’s Board of Directors. As she closes in on year one of her twoyear term, she sat down with STATE Magazine to introduce herself to readers and reflect on her time as chair so far.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you ended up at OSU? I was born and raised in the small town of Clayton, New Mexico, by a single mother who instilled in me a tremendous independent spirit.

The pressure to succeed was extremely intense because I was on my own after graduation and the first female in my family who would attend college. I evaluated a number of universities, but OSU was at the top of the list.

What were some of your favorite things about your time at OSU? Greek Life and campus involvement were at the center of most of my activities outside the classroom. Having been a part of Kappa Delta sorority and a number of other organizations on campus, I really enjoyed the camaraderie with fellow students. I also enjoyed the opportunity to participate in leadership roles in other campus groups like Panhellenic Council, Business Student Council and Russian Club.

What made you want to stay involved after graduation?

I have always credited my experiences at OSU as being a huge influence in my transition to adulthood. My personal development and growth can be attributed to mentorship from professors, advisors and peers. These relationships honed my leadership and life skills and empowered me to approach the world with a completely different lens. The opportunity to stay engaged with alumni and students at OSU was a given for me.

How does it feel to be the chair of the OSU Alumni Association’s Board of Directors?

Being selected as board chair for the OSU Alumni Association is one of the most amazing experiences in my volunteer career.

I am honored and humbled to lead and serve alongside such an intelligent, talented, passionate and dedicated Board of Directors.

In your view, why should alumni be members of the Alumni Association?

The primary goal of the Alumni Association is to provide engagement opportunities to enrich the alumni experience, creating lifelong connections.

My experience at OSU was a transformative part of my life. It propelled me from being a naive young kid to preparing me for a professional career beyond college. The support I received from numerous alumni who came back to campus as mentors transformed the trajectory of my life. Being a member elevates our students’ experiences and provides opportunities to stay connected to the Cowboy family forever.

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STORY WILL CARR | PHOTO PROVIDED BY TINA PARKHILL

Thank you to everyone who participated in

On April 5-6, the Cowboy family joined together for 1,890 minutes of support for OSU. During this annual giving day, you: • Supported long-term solutions and programs to combat food insecurity on OSU’s campus • Helped students meet their urgent and immediate needs through the Cowboy Strong Student Emergency Fund • Made an investment in students’ futures through scholarships • Reached nearly every corner of our campuses

Every year, the Cowboy family comes together and accomplishes so much.

To see the full impact of this year's Give Orange event, visit:

Land-grant Evangelist Claud Evans lends voice to highlight OSU’s impact

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ormer Oklahoma State University regent Dr. Claud D. Evans received a rare honor last fall.

The Okemah, Oklahoma, veterinarian was asked to give the Justin Morrill Memorial Lecture to the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU).

Each year, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture joins with APLU to sponsor the acclaimed lecture series. The Morrill Act — the legislation that created the land-grant university system — is named for the former congressman and senator from Vermont.

Sharing insights about the many benefits landgrant institutions provide was nothing new to Evans. APLU members were an audience also wellversed in that regard. Evans and his wife, Elayne, realized the best insights he could share were to draw from his personal life — a journey through the years in which he, Elayne, and their family were touched time and again by the land-grant system.

Former OSU regent Dr. Claud Evans (left) speaks to Dr. Thomas Coon, an OSU vice president and dean of the Ferguson College of Agriculture.

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“I’m very much a product of land-grant institutions, not just in terms of educational opportunities, but also in values and giving back to one’s community,” Evans said. “I was born in 1943, the final child in a family of 15 children. Growing up, I had the good fortune to get a job working for the local veterinarian, Dr. John Montgomery, who became something of a father-figure for me after my own dad died when I was 13 years old.”

Montgomery was the grandson of an enslaved person and a product of two land-grant institutions, which helped shape his own worldview. He went on to improve the lives of many in the state as a civil rights pioneer.

“He believed when you have an opportunity to make change for the better, do it,” Evans said. “We talked a lot. I was very blessed to have him as a mentor and role model. Even before I graduated from Poteau High School, I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian.”

A Cowboy alumnus, the Poteau, Oklahoma, native earned his Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural biochemistry from OSU in 1966. He then went on to earn his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Tuskegee Institute in 1970, interning at the University of California-Davis. All three are land-grant institutions.

Evans put his veterinary skills to use working with the Ralston Purina Company in St. Louis for 11 years. He and Elayne eventually decided to return to their home state to become more directly involved with their registered Angus cattle operation, along with the family farm operated by her parents, J.P. and Vivian Owens, in Okfuskee County. In 1982, Evans opened the Okfuskee County Veterinary Clinic in Okemah, serving owners of large and small animals, which is still going strong today.

“Dr. Montgomery, who served for 25 years on the Board of Regents for Oklahoma A&M Colleges, told me I needed to become known by significant leaders in Oklahoma,” Evans said. “He was instrumental in talking to the governor who appointed me to the state’s Board of Examiners of

STORY DONALD STOTTS | PHOTOS TODD JOHNSON

“He believed when you have an opportunity to make change for the better, do it.”

DR. CLAUD D. EVANS, ON HIS MENTOR DR. JOHN MONTGOMERY

Veterinary Medicine. Then I was appointed to the University of Tulsa Board of Trustees by another governor.”

Dr. Evans was on the Board of Trustees for the University Center at Tulsa, which is the area in Greenwood District where OSU-Tulsa and Langston-Tulsa are located. The center has been disbanded and the land given to the OSU/A&M Regents.

For 16 years, Evans served on the OSU/A&M Board of Regents, including two terms as the board’s chairman.

His life’s path of service and leadership continued to unfold. Evans was appointed to two eight-year terms on the Board of Regents for Oklahoma A&M Colleges, twice serving as chairman. He served as a longtime member of the Dean’s Advisory Committee for OSU Agriculture.

Then he was named to the National Council for Agricultural Research, Education and Teaching (CARET), eventually becoming the first African American to be named chair in 2012.

Evans is also a member of the OSU Hall of Fame.

“Dr. Evans has been a tremendous mentor, coach and advisor for me, both professionally and personally, for many years,” said Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Rodd Moesel, an Oklahoma City entrepreneur and CARET representative. “You won’t find a better man or more accomplished and enthusiastic advocate for the land-grant mission and rural Oklahoma in general.”

Dr. Thomas Coon, OSU Agriculture vice president and dean, agreed. He said Evans has had a positive effect on his own life.

“Dr. Evans has motivated me to push through challenges,” said Coon. “Most of all, he has a compassionate heart, a reflection of the sense of respect and mission that is a hallmark of OSU Agriculture.

“As I look to the future, I’m strengthened by reflecting on the lives of Dr. Evans and Elayne. I aspire to pursue opportunities with the same sense of purpose by which they live.”

Dr. Claud Evans accepted the Justin Smith Morrill Memorial Lecture Award last fall.

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Center of Command

OSU Emergency Operations Center the key to crisis response

The OSU Emergency Operations Center serves as a permanent base of operations for responding to crises on campus, with a workspace for key leaders, connections to critical outside agencies and a recent upgrade from the Office of the Vice President for Research.

F

or many universities, the base of operations during an emergency is a conference room that happens to be vacant at the time.

For Oklahoma State University, it’s a carefully designed basement suite with dedicated laptops, hard-wired phones, security camera access and more, in place and ready to go 24/7 since 2007.

Thanks to a $50,000 gift from the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Emergency Operations Center’s computer systems are updated and the room has wireless capability.

Vice President for Research Kenneth Sewell became intimately acquainted with the EOC when it was the base of operations for the incident

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management team charged with standing-up and supporting OSU’s COVID-19 human testing lab in the early days of the pandemic.

“OSU’s Emergency Operations Center is structured behind the scenes to keep the OSU and Stillwater communities safe every single day,” Dr. Sewell said. “This EOC facility and team played critical roles at the beginning of the pandemic, allowing our team to safely and securely build OSU’s SARS-CoV-2 testing capabilities. I’m delighted to help keep the EOC technology up-todate to ensure their effectiveness in future crises.”

Whether a potential emergency is sudden and extreme — like a tornado barreling through

STORY SHANNON RIGSBY | PHOTOS GARY LAWSON

First Cowboy Darren Shrum takes a tour of the Emergency Operations Center, a basement-level secure area specifically designed for dealing with emergencies on campus.

campus — or the space becomes the hub of operations for a coordinated effort like the creation of the COVID-19 lab, crucial operational questions are already answered because of the EOC. There are no decisions of where to go and what to take; those plans have already been made and executed.

The EOC was created after the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007. The spot was centrally located, underground and was being used for storage.

Ron Hill, now retired, was hired in 2008 as the first emergency operations manager. He previously served as chief of operations and deputy director for the State of Oklahoma Emergency Management.

Hill was involved in responding to incidents such as the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building; the May 3, 1999, tornado outbreak; the I-40 bridge collapse; and multiple natural disasters.

By the time Hill arrived, the space had been cleared and walls erected. Hill designated smaller rooms around the primary meeting space for the smooth flow of operation based on the National Incident Management System: operations, planning, logistics and finance.

Hill ordered a custom table to transform the main room. On a typical day, it functions as a conference table. In the event of an emergency, the center of the table rises, revealing phones, computers and printed resources. University leaders can show up with only the clothes on their backs and have all the tools necessary to respond to a crisis.

“The table was built and assembled in Canada, then dismantled into seven pieces, wrapped in bubble wrap and shipped to Stillwater where a crew came to assemble it. It took eight hours,” Hill said. “It was designed specifically to fit through the doorways with back-up electronics under the table and pre-wired for networking.”

One side of the main room is lined with computers — stations of operation for partners like the City of Stillwater and its police and fire departments — the wall above them lined with televisions, making it possible to watch campus security cameras, see what television news stations are reporting, communicate with Oklahoma’s Office of Emergency Management, or connect a computer to broadcast a list of needs or notes on the changing situation. The EOC is often activated during severe weather events. Emergency responders work directly with a meteorologist from the National Weather Service and can monitor the NWS as well as the university’s lightning detection system.

OSU police dispatch moved into the EOC in 2019.

“It’s much more protected in its new location,” said Mike Robinson, OSU’s director of public safety.

“The EOC gives us a base from which to conduct emergency operations that’s hardened and secure.

In the event we did have a catastrophic event that damaged the campus, chances are we would still be able to operate from the EOC.” OSU Police Department Capt. Dan Ray said the usefulness of the EOC as a base of operation is enhanced by campus partnerships.

“Oklahoma State has the added benefit of a fire protection and emergency management program known around the world,” Ray said. “We rely heavily on students and faculty for their expertise in emergency management. During the operation of the COVID-19 incident management team, several members of the emergency management program stepped up to fill key roles defined by the National Incident Management System.”

OSU’s Unmanned Systems Research Institute has also become a significant emergency management partner. When floods threatened

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Dr. Jason Kirksey, vice president for institutional diversity, views a monitor of security cameras during a tour of the EOC.

WATCH: To see Inside OSU’s tour of the Emergency Operations Center, go to okla.st/eoc.

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campus in 2019, USRI flew unmanned vehicles (more commonly known as drones) over campus to provide a real-time look at the encroaching water with images livestreamed to the EOC. For events with large crowds like America’s Greatest Homecoming and Cowboy football games, the EOC is activated.

On game days, two dispatchers operate out of Boone Pickens Stadium with representatives from multiple OSU, Stillwater, Payne County and state emergency response departments like the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and FBI. The dispatchers in the stadium handle calls within the walls of BPS. Dispatchers in the EOC take care of calls outside the stadium. Ray and the university public information officer are also stationed in the EOC. “When the game is over, or if there were an emergency, the transition of incident management to the EOC is seamless,” Ray said. “As individuals transition from the stadium, we can pick up the ball and have continuity of service until they all get over here.”

In 2019, a tactical communication station was added in the main room near the table of leaders.

“In an emergency situation, the key leaders want to go where the freshest information is so they can make the best informed decision possible,” Ray said. “The freshest information is with the dispatchers, but the last thing the dispatchers need is someone leaning over their shoulders. We created the tactical communication station that can hear and receive all the same information as the dispatchers and provide that in real time to the decision makers.”

The EOC is a constantly evolving little-known hub of critical operations. Updates made possible by the VPR’s office have kept the space up-to-date with technological advancements.

“Anyone who has had an opportunity to need the EOC and see what’s possible, appreciates it,” said OSU PD Chief Leon Jones. “We cannot thank VP Sewell enough for recognizing that value and investing in it. The EOC is a safety net for the university.”

OKLAHOMA'S FUTURE PHYSICIANS START HERE

The Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine has been impacting our state’s health for 50 years and counting.

What began in 1972 with an inaugural class of 36 in Tulsa is now one of the top osteopathic colleges in the nation and boasts more than 3,700 graduates, most of whom went on to practice across the state of Oklahoma. In the Tulsa area alone, 385 of our alumni are practicing today in family medicine as well as pediatrics, OB/GYN, cardiology, anesthesiology and other subspecialities.

Our mission to educate Oklahoma’s future physicians is stronger than ever. Here’s to the next 50 years.

To learn more about our mission and impact, visit okla.st/com50

medicine.okstate.edu

OSU Academic Medical District to serve veterans, improve mental health care

A couple of recently vacated buildings and parking lots sit across the street to the north of the Oklahoma State University Medical Center (OSUMC) in downtown Tulsa. It may not look like much now, but in the coming years it will become the hub of the new OSU Academic Medical District.

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In October 2021, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held where two existing buildings, donated by the state and just across the street from OSUMC, will be renovated into the new Veterans Hospital in Tulsa.

Next to the VA hospital will be a new mental health hospital operated by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

OSU Medicine physicians and residents, as well as third- and fourthyear medical students on rotation, will treat patients at both new facilities. An estimated 100 additional residency spots will be created between the new VA and mental health hospitals, along with about 30 new clinical faculty positions.

OSU already has established itself in the southwest corner of downtown Tulsa with the OSU Medical Center as well as 10 primary care and specialty OSU Medicine clinics in the Physicians Office Building and Houston Center just steps away from the hospital.

“The mission of OSU Center for Health Sciences and the College of Osteopathic Medicine is to improve the health and wellbeing of those living in rural and underserved Oklahoma through quality health care. It’s an essential part of the land-grant mission

STORY SARA PLUMMER | PHOTOS PROVIDED

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Rendering of the OSU Academic Medical District | Photo: MKSK Studios

of Oklahoma State University,” said Dr. Johnny Stephens, president of OSU-CHS. While improving rural medicine will always be a core tenant of OSU-CHS, Stephens said he saw an opportunity for OSU to help meet the health care needs of veterans and those with mental health disorders in the Tulsa area by establishing the OSU Academic Medical District.

SERVING THOSE WHO SERVED In February 2020, the presidential budget submitted to the U.S. Congress for 2021 included a $120 million appropriation for the construction of a Veterans Hospital in Tulsa (VHiT).

It’s the first hospital built under the CHIP-IN Act — Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016.

U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe and James Lankford — as well as U.S. Reps.

Markwayne Mullin and Kevin Hern — supported the proposal to build a VA hospital in downtown Tulsa and worked to secure the appropriation along with the Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System, VA Rocky Mountain Network and Veterans Health Administration.

“An overwhelming majority of veterans in eastern Oklahoma live in the Tulsa metropolitan area and do not have access to hospital care at a VA facility. Having a VA hospital centrally located in Tulsa will allow eastern Oklahoma veterans greater access to care and services that are currently not available,” said Jonathan Plasencia, associate director of Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System.

In order to make the hospital a reality, more than just the federal appropriation was needed. The state of Oklahoma transferred ownership of the Kerr-Edmondson buildings in downtown Tulsa to OSU. Next, the city of Tulsa will construct an $8 million

parking structure on the site. Tulsa County has committed $4 million from its American Rescue Plan Act allocation to go toward project infrastructure funding.

The remaining costs will be covered by philanthropic donations, led by the Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation, which helped form the Veterans Hospital in Tulsa, LLC. Construction and renovation work on the new VA hospital is under way and is slated to be completed in late 2023. OSU will then transfer ownership of the hospital to the VA with the aim of opening the 275,000-square-foot facility to patients in 2024.

Now OSU president, Dr. Kayse Shrum was serving as president of OSU-CHS and dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine when the VHiT project was first proposed.

“Our veterans in northeast Oklahoma deserve a much-needed, easily accessible modern medical

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“It’s going to provide a teaching environment for the training of more Oklahoma behavioral health professionals, access to innovative care and an opportunity to engage in other areas of medicine and advanced integrated services.”

CARRIE SLATTON-HODGES, ODMHSAS COMMISSIONER

SQUARE FOOTAGE OSU Medical Center | 556,000 VA Hospital in Tulsa | 275,000 Mental health hospital | 150,096

NUMBER OF BEDS OSU Medical Center | 235 VA Hospital in Tulsa | 58 Mental health hospital | 106

OSU ACADEMIC MEDICAL DISTRICT RESIDENCY SPOTS Current | 200+ After completion of VA hospital in Tulsa and mental health hospital | 300+

center where they can receive quality, compassionate care in a timely manner,” Shrum said. “For OSU-CHS, it’s been a great privilege to be part of this visionary project. While caring for veterans is a top priority, the affiliation with the Veterans Affairs Hospital near our Tulsa campus will benefit our students and residents tremendously and further enhance our medical school nationally.”

Plasencia said the new 58-bed facility means veterans living in Tulsa and northeast Oklahoma will have access to a state-of-the-art medical and surgical hospital.

“OSU Medicine has been a tremendous partner and champion for veterans in eastern Oklahoma. They, along with the Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation, led the charge to get the first VA hospital approved under the CHIP-IN Act,” Plasencia said. “The proximity to OSU Medical Center and the new mental health hospital will allow us to increase the complexity of our services and share resources with them. Being part of this project will allow our veterans to have better access to quality care and services not currently offered in the Tulsa area.”

Shrum said having the VA hospital as part of the expanded OSU Academic Medical District is just as beneficial to OSU physicians, residents and students.

“Many physicians in practice today benefited from training at a Veterans Affairs hospital. As we see it, making sure our veterans receive the very best

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care is the least we can do to honor them for their devoted service to our country,” she said.

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH According to state data, an estimated 17,000 adults in Tulsa will experience severe mental illness in a given year, and 16,000 youth will experience a major depressive episode.

But the existing mental health hospital in Tulsa — a 56-bed facility in midtown — isn’t enough to meet demand, said Carrie Slatton-Hodges, commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS).

“What Tulsa and northeast Oklahoma need is a modern psychiatric hospital with expanded bed space and one that is designed to meet current and future treatment needs,” SlattonHodges said.

The location of the proposed 150,000-square-foot facility is also an improvement.

“Creating this facility to stand as part of a larger, comprehensive medical center increases quality of care, opportunities for medical integration and an understanding that mental health and addiction issues are treatable, just as any other disease,” she said.

ODMHSAS has submitted a proposal to utilize American Rescue Plan Act funds to expand the new facility to 106 beds, reducing stresses on other parts of the statewide treatment system

and providing Oklahomans access to services they want and need. If approved by the legislature, work could start on the new mental health hospital by late 2022.

Roughly 66,000 people in Tulsa may experience some sort of mental health issue in a given year, according to ODMHSAS, and the new facility will mean expanded access to advanced psychiatric services, without having to leave Tulsa.

Dr. Stephens said he is proud that OSU Medicine can help meet the growing need for mental health care in Tulsa and the surrounding area.

“The new mental health hospital in the OSU Academic Medical District will offer the chance to expand care and services to these patients while at the same time growing our behavioral health staff and residency programs as well as offering medical students, residents and physicians more learning and patient care opportunities,” Stephens said.

Slatton-Hodges said it will be just as beneficial for ODMHSAS and the new hospital to be in proximity to OSU Medical Center and the VA hospital.

“It gives access to the tremendous resource that is OSU Medicine. It’s going to provide a teaching environment for the training of more Oklahoma behavioral health professionals, access to innovative care and an opportunity to engage in other areas of medicine and advanced integrated services,” she said.

Artist rendering of the future Veterans Hospital in Tulsa | Photo: GH2 Architects

“The opportunities for collaboration are incredible.”

Slatton-Hodges added that mental health care is a priority issue in Oklahoma and should be more visible.

“Being part of the OSU Academic Medical District also helps demonstrate to the public that what we are talking about is an important part of overall health and reduces misperceptions that may exist,” she said. “It’s also a statement to the community and reaffirms our commitment to the overall health and wellbeing of Oklahomans.”

To learn more about the OSU Academic Medical District, go to okla.st/chsdistrict.

OSU-CHS President Johnny Stephens (left) and OSU President Kayse Shrum gather with VHiT Project Director Courtney Knoblock and the Veterans Health Administration’s Deputy to the Deputy Under Secretary for Health Steven L. Lieberman (right) at the groundbreaking for the Veterans Hospital in Tulsa. | Photo: Matt Barnard

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IT ALL STARTS WITH SOIL 20 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2

STORY GRANT RAMIREZ | PHOTOS TODD JOHNSON AND PROVIDED

N. Malone Mitchell, Jr. Soils Lab To Open New Doors For OSU Agricultural Research

M

alone Mitchell Jr. has spent his whole life working the land and raising livestock.

The 1963 Oklahoma State University animal science graduate is the patriarch and owner/ operator of Mitchell Ranches, which he describes as the “the biggest agricultural producer south of I-40 and east of I-35.”

The ranch has operations in both Durant, Oklahoma, and Sanderson, Texas, sprawling across hundreds of thousands of acres and spanning three generations.

The ranch produces mostly cattle and goats, which, along with sheep, have always been Mitchell’s passion. His love for those animals led him to fund an endowed scholarship to benefit animal and food sciences students in 2021.

His ranch’s success, though, is the result of Mitchell Jr.’s respect for and care of the land itself.

“Whether you call it soil, dirt, or whatever … that’s the beginning of all agriculture,” he said.

He believes the quality of soil is just as crucial to herding as it is to farming.

That belief, along with some encouragement from his son, drove the lifelong rancher to make a huge investment in the future of agriculture in Oklahoma.

The Mitchell Family contributed $1 million to OSU’s New Frontiers campaign. In recognition of the gift, the future soil research lab will bear Mitchell Jr.’s name. “(Soil) is something that maybe through the years hasn’t been emphasized as much as it should be,” Mitchell Jr. said. “I’ve been the director of the soil and water conservation board where I live for almost 60 years now. It’s been important to me for a while.”

OSU’s soil research is vital to agricultural production in the state of Oklahoma and even on a national level.

Researchers look into a variety of properties including soil nutrients, contaminants and overall health. It also extends to include soil microbiology and soil physics.

“Without the soil science related to soil fertility, soil physics and soil conservation, it would be impossible to sustain the high quality of both animal and food production that our

producers in the state have been able to provide,” said Dr. Scott Senseman, associate vice president of OSU Ag Research.

The N. Malone Mitchell, Jr. Soils Lab will offer a massive upgrade over the current soils research laboratory, which has been in use since Agricultural Hall was built in the late 1950s. At that time, computers weren’t used in scientific research and man had yet to walk on the moon.

“We’re running really old,” said Dr. Brian Arnall, OSU Extension precision nutrient management specialist. “There’s maybe once a month my eyewash station doesn’t work. We have to buy air compressors to keep in our lab to run our machines because we don’t have the air we need for our pneumatics.”

The loud hum of the first air compressors echoed throughout the floor until they were replaced with a specialty low-volume unit.

Along with equipment limitations, soil research can’t be consolidated to one space in the current setup. Necessary testing equipment is spread throughout each floor of Agricultural Hall, and some is found across the street in the Noble Research Center.

It makes collaboration more tedious and the research process not only less efficient, but also less secure.

Malone Mitchell Jr. poses for a photo with his wife, Roberta.

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“To bring samples from one machine to the other, we have a lot of transporting,” Arnall said.

“That could potentially bring in an opportunity for contamination.”

These limitations won’t be an issue much longer.

All soil research will soon be under one roof in a state-of-the-art laboratory on the ground floor of the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall.

“Having everything new and close by will increase our efficiency,” Arnall said. “And as much as anything else, our collaboration will be so much easier. Just being able to see what we are doing on a daily basis with our counterparts and being able to utilize each other's resources more easily is going to be a big deal.”

In addition to research benefits, the upgraded lab will make OSU even more of a premier destination for graduate students, who work alongside professors and lab technicians. They get hands-on experience using the lab and working scientific equipment.

“Getting graduate students is a competitive marketplace,” Arnall said. “It’ll help recruiting because now we have this amazing world-class facility.”

OSU agricultural research already has wideranging effects, and its potential will only increase in the new facility. And it’s all thanks to the lifechanging contributions of donors like Mitchell Jr.

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The N. Malone Mitchell, Jr. Soils Lab is one of three research labs that will be included in the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall. All will create environments that encourage collaboration, teambased research and engagement among peers with diverse research interests.

Located on the second floor, the John D. Groendkye Research Lab will support multidisciplinary research and is designed to support the Department of Natural Resources Ecology and Management’s project teams.

Research interests for this lab include range research, ecophysiology, hydrology, water quality, terrestrial and aquatic wildlife, and the important work of the Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.

A Plant Science Research Lab is also planned for the third floor and will support the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. Possible research interests include plant and post-harvest physiology, plant nutrition, turfgrass genetics and bio-energy in crop production.

The elevated research will extend the impact and reach of OSU’s land-grant mission.

“This project will change and modernize our research and the way we teach scientific subjects,” said Dr. Thomas G. Coon, OSU Agriculture vice president and dean of the Ferguson College of Agriculture. “Research has the promise to

The New Frontiers Agricultural Hall will be located on Monroe Street, just north of the Henry Bellmon Research Center.

RENDERINGS STUDIO ARCHITECTURE

Graduate students who work in the soils lab will have desk space in areas with quick access to the lab and faculty offices.

The Malone Mitchell, Jr. Soils Lab will create a collaborative environment for OSU researchers.

change the way we grow food and care for the natural environment we rely on. It can transform Oklahoma’s economy, fostering innovation that will feed a growing world population.”

In addition to the third-floor Plant Sciences Research Lab, OSU Agriculture continues to look for donors to name spaces throughout the building as part of its New Frontiers campaign.

As of this writing, OSU Agriculture was less than $1.5 million away from reaching its $50 million goal, including contributions from more than 500 donors and 10 Cornerstone Donors who have given at least $1 million.

“When a donor contributes to OSU Agriculture, they are making an investment in our future,” Senseman said. “Because of the varying conditions that we have in our state that challenge our soils and cropping systems, our research findings have broad national impact. An investment in OSU Agriculture is an investment in the new discoveries for all of agriculture.”

Construction of the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall began in May 2021 with the removal of the parking lot and demolition of Agriculture North to make room for the footprint of the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall. The building is scheduled to open in fall 2024.

LEARN MORE about New Frontiers campaign and construction progress, visit OSUgiving.com/New-Frontiers.

Whether you call it soil, dirt, or whatever … that’s the beginning of all agriculture."

|| Malone Mitchell Jr.

Lenimolo remporerspe dellacc ullicitium di aut est ipsus et harum, quodit excepro omnis

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A GREEN THUMB WITH ORANGE ROOTS 24 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2

STORY KYLEE SUTHERLAND | PHOTOS COURTESY OF BARRETT KAYS

OSU alumnus receives top honor for storied career in landscape architecture Barrett Kays

At a glance, Barrett Kays appears unassuming.

He enjoys traveling, well-placed jokes and quality time with the people he loves.

Kays has also impacted the lives of millions of people across the United States and amassed a long list of awards for his career in landscape architecture. His most recent accolade is one of the most prestigious in the industry — the LaGasse Medal.

A Stillwater native, Kays grew up with an appreciation for nature. His father, Dr. Raymond Kays, had a green thumb but bled orange and left a lasting impact at OSU. He proudly served as the head of the OSU Department of Horticulture from 1962 to 1976. In 1998, the William Raymond and Charlotte Wheatley Kays Endowed Scholarship for Horticulture and Landscape Architecture was established in recognition of the couple’s contributions to horticulture and gardening. Raymond instilled that same love for the environment in Barrett, who followed in his father’s footsteps, graduating from OSU with a horticulture degree in 1971.

Building on his time at OSU, Kays earned a graduate degree in landscape architecture from North Carolina State University and began a Ph.D. program in soil science, an area of study that would set him on a course to revitalize some of the nation’s most iconic parks and landscape features.

“I felt that an area that was not well understood by the vast majority of landscape architects was soil or landscape soils and how that plays into a construction site,” Kays said. “They understood the horticulture side in greenhouses and nurseries, but it’s very different in a construction site.”

After completing his doctorate, Kays’ soil science expertise distinguished him from colleagues, affording him incredible career opportunities. One of his most notable and complex projects was restoring the Great Lawn at Central Park in New York City.

In the early ’90s, the Great Lawn was an environmental disaster, Kays said.

Before it was converted into the Great Lawn, the area was known as the Croton Reservoir. But the reservoir was never properly drained to create the lawn. This led to areas of the lawn liquefying, creating sinkholes in the public space. When it rained, the lawn was a muddy mess. During dry seasons, it was littered with bald patches from erosion and leaked sediment into Belvedere Lake.

“It was like a site from hell,” Kays said. “It was very complex and had all these different problems.”

The Central Park Conservancy and Parks and Recreation Department in New York interviewed three firms, and Kays’ firm, Barrett Kays & Associates, P.A., stood out as the obvious hire.

“I was pretty quickly hired within a few days because I was the only one who understood how to fix the horrendous problems they had,” Kays said.

“It made sense to me and our team. I was amazed that the New York City landscape architects were dumbfounded by how we did it.”

The hard work to restore the lawn commenced.

Kays directed his team in the design and implementation of multiple drainage systems that were constructed to withstand both a 100-year rainstorm and a 100-year drought.

Although the construction site was full of hard work and complicated details, Kays still found ways to have fun.

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THE LAGASSE MEDALS

The LaGasse Medals are named for Alfred B. LaGasse, past executive director of the American Institute of Park Executives and executive vice president of the National Recreation and Parks Association. From 1968 until 1976, he served as the executive director of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Throughout his lifetime, LaGasse was concerned with the proper management of the nation’s public lands and the judicious use of the country’s natural resources.

“I had a great group of folks I worked with,” Kays said. “They would listen to me talk and sort of tease me about my accent. Then I would tease them about the fact that they had to hire a southern boy to come up and fix their project.”

All of Kays’ hard work paid off, and the Great Lawn was completed in 1997. In 1998, the American Society of Landscape Architects awarded him the Honor Award. He also won the Best of 1998 Site and Design Award. Twenty-five years later, Kays said the Great Lawn continues to outperform all expectations.

Another opportunity to preserve a public landscape led Kays to cross paths with fellow OSU horticulture alumnus Paul Redman.

Redman, a 1990 graduate, is president of Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. The gardens provide an immersive nature experience for 1.5 million guests annually. The hope, Redman said, is that the garden inspires guests to be stewards of Earth’s natural beauty.

When the Main Fountain Garden at Longwood began to deteriorate, Redman knew the mission was threatened, and he hired West 8 New York, who tabbed Kays as the consultant to oversee the garden’s restoration.

The renovation, like most of Kays’ work, was complex, requiring all construction site soil to be removed to make way for the installation of new infrastructure, such as electrical wiring and plumbing. The soil then had to be returned to the site.

“People don’t realize that soil is just as important as electricity or plumbing,” Redman said.“It serves as the palette for us to create beauty and fulfill our mission.”

Because of Kays’ innovation and work, the now 90-year-old fountain was maintained as a beautiful

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form of landscape art for millions of people to enjoy, Redman said.

As Kays’ reputation grew, other colleagues from across the nation took notice, eventually nominating him for the LaGasse Medal. He was awarded the medal in 2021 for his dedication to preserving and protecting major urban parks and landmarks.

Michael Holmes, OSU undergraduate landscape architecture program director, said it’s unsurprising that Kays won the prestigious award.

“Barrett’s reputation within landscape architecture and the environmental community is that of a leading expert in soil science,” Holmes said. “He brings this scientific aspect to landscape architecture that is pretty significant.”

Kays said winning the LaGasse Medal, which he likened to a lifetime achievement award, was an honorific milestone.

“I am very fortunate to get one,” Kays said. “The medal looks at the sum of your whole career and what you’ve done. It feels great that the leaders in my society recognized me in this way.”

Kays said the roots of his success were cultivated at OSU. He said his experience in Stillwater endowed him with fundamental skills needed to flourish in his continued education and trailblazing professional career.

Justin Quetone Moss, horticulture and landscape architecture department head, said he’s proud the department has a reputation for producing some of the best landscape graduates in the world.

“OSU is so well respected in the field that employers seek out our students,” Moss said.

“Graduates like Dr. Kays are one of the reasons we have this reputation.”

RESUMÉ HIGHLIGHTS To prepare graduates, the department offers hands-on experiences in its greenhouses and nurseries in Stillwater. Other hands-on experiences are available through internships across the country, most of them in the offices of OSU alumni. This network of loyal and true alumni also prepares students for success, equipping them with real-world experience to complement the training they receive on campus.

Of course, Redman said, faculty members deserve major credit for setting the program apart. “[Faculty] are caring and nurturing and really provided a safe and welcoming place for me to learn and grow professionally,” Redman said. “If it weren’t for the faculty in that program, I wouldn’t even know I could have a career working in a public garden.

They opened a door for me that changed my life.”

OSU horticulture faculty members get to know students and mentor them on a personal level, helping students develop professional goals and pairing those with coursework that showcases their talents.

“As faculty members, our job is to lay a foundation,” Holmes said. “We encourage our students that they can do big things internationally, nationally, even in small communities.

“Your career is whatever you make of it, that’s what an alumnus like Barrett shows us. And he has made fantastic things out of it.”

• Soil scientist and landscape architectural design consultant for Gehry Partners-AECOM Joint Venture for the $125 million Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Park in Washington, D.C. • Soil scientist and landscape architectural design consultant for West 8 New York for the $90 million restoration of Main Fountain Garden at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania • Soil scientist and landscape architectural design consultant for AECOM for the $75 million restoration/ redesign of landscape at National Air and Space Museum of Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. • Soil scientist and landscape architectural consultant for ColeJenest & Stone, project architect for East Carolina University Football Stadium, Greenville, North Carolina • Directed $18.4 million restoration of the Great Lawn and Belvedere Lake in Central Park for Central Park Conservancy, Inc. and Parks and Recreation Department, New York City • Developed sustainable landscape technologies for the nation’s first carbon neutral university building and campus for Maharishi University, Fairfield, Iowa

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 27

Uncharted Waters As a modern-land grant university, research that makes a positive impact on the public is key to OSU’s mission. Whether it takes place in labs across campus or fields and lakes around the state and nation, OSU research shapes the future.

Through groundbreaking discoveries and new technologies, OSU is improving lives as researchers are constantly looking for the next innovation.

One area of that highly impactful research includes ensuring Oklahoma’s water supply is safe and accessible.

Ecology from Above OSU researchers develop innovative method to battle invasive aquatic plants using unmanned aerial vehicles With over 200 man-made lakes and 11,611 miles of shoreline — more than the non-tidal coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico combined — water in Oklahoma is a big deal.

Treating, maintaining and monitoring that supply of water is vital to the health of communities across the state — but what happens when the water can’t be reached by boat?

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Researchers at Oklahoma State University think the answer lies in drones. Thanks to Stillwater’s Lake Carl Blackwell, they have a testing ground.

In recent years, the lake has faced an infestation of yellow floating heart — a dense and invasive species that slowly begins to fill the reservoir.

The infestation was bad news for the lake, but OSU researchers saw it as an opportunity for innovation.

“Lake Carl Blackwell sees lots of recreational uses, including: fishing, camping, boating, tubing, skiing, row team, canoeing and kayaking,” said Brian Brinker, Lake Carl Blackwell Park manager. “During times when yellow floating heart was not treated, our coves were unusable for these activities. Over time, it had the potential to decrease water quality.”

STORY HARRISON HILL | PHOTOS GARY LAWSON AND ANDY DZIALOWSKI

Yellow Floating Heart at Lake Carl Blackwell on July 9, 2020, before treatment.

ILLUSTRATION CODEE CLASSEN

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 29

OSU aerospace engineer Allan Burba conducts a preflight check before takeoff.

Lake Carl Blackwell is unique, though, because it has access to a Tier 1 research university in OSU to help solve these types of problems, Brinker said.

“We first became aware of the yellow floating heart in Lake Carl Blackwell because there were users of the reservoir who were having trouble navigating the coves because this plant had become so dense,” said Dr. Andy Dzialowski, associate professor in the Department of Integrative Biology.

Yellow floating heart is not native to Oklahoma, making it an invasive species, Dzialowski said. And it’s not just limited to Oklahoma — yellow floating heart is causing problems in over 30 states across the nation.

If left untreated, yellow floating heart could displace native plants as well as impact reservoir use and the physical properties of the reservoir — like how much oxygen is available in the water for plants and animals, Dzialowski added.

The team tried a handful of methods to eradicate the plant but were unsuccessful. That is, until they discovered a company making an aquatic herbicide called ProcellaCOR. “It’s a new type of herbicide that has greatly reduced environmental impacts,”

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Dzialowski said. “We’re really excited about it based on its low impact on the ecology of the system, its effectiveness on target organisms and the reduced reporting requirements from the Environmental Protection Agency.”

In fact, while it was not required, the team continuously tested the water while applying this product and did not detect any excess chemicals in the environment, Dzialowski said.

After applying the herbicide using an airboat and seeing a 90 percent reduction, the team was confident the herbicide was working. However, it ran into a problem with the areas on the lake that weren’t accessible by boat.

“For example, there was one area that became flooded and there was still some dead vegetation there,” Dzialowski said. “So we started thinking about how else we can access these sites and apply the herbicide to treat the remaining vegetation that we couldn’t treat with a more traditional airboat application.”

That is where the drones flew in.

“One interesting aspect is how you deploy this herbicide, because you do not spray it directly on top of the plant like many other applications,” said Dr. Jamey Jacob, director of OSU’s Unmanned Systems Research Institute.

“It needs to be applied at the root of the plant, to initiate the process of killing the invasive species.”

This meant Jacob’s team needed to develop a drone that can take off from the ground, fly to the location and land on water to deploy this herbicide at the plants’ roots. And the drone still needs to operate like a drone, which includes hovering capacity and autonomous flight.

“We want to be able to first fly over and look down with a camera and say, ‘Oh, there’s the yellow floating heart right there,’ and then we have the option of deploying the herbicide from the air, like our deployments last season, or directly through the water,” Jacob said.

The patches unreachable by boat might be small, but they serve as a source for the plant to proliferate.

“One thing that we’ve noticed and has been reported in the literature is that if pieces of this plant break off, they can float away and then they can repopulate or reestablish in other areas of the reservoir,” Dzialowski said.

Treating as much of the lake as possible is crucial to not only Lake Carl Blackwell, but also the surrounding areas.

USRI researchers are developing a fleet of autonomous vehicles to help monitor and maintain water quality.

“Unfortunately, for a lot of invasive species it is really hard to get rid of them once they’re there,” Dzialowski said.

“But with yellow floating heart, we can keep chipping away at it and reduce it.”

Drones are a great way to improve the process and reduce the amount of labor intensive work, allowing the invasive species to be better handled, Jacob said, noting that OSU’s methods could be a model for ecologists battling invasive aquatic plants.

“You don’t need three people out there on the boat doing this,” Jacob said. “Now you can take the drone out and reduce the workload and time in the field.”

Jacob mentioned that the autonomous boat and drones will supplement the workers at the lake, not take their place.

“We don’t see this as being a replacement, but it is an augmentation.

And in the future, if you catch it early, you can do precision application and may never have to broadly apply the treatment or deploy a manned boat, both which help the environment,” he said.

This drone technology could be used in the future to monitor other bodies of water and apply targeted herbicide treatment.

“I think it’s probably our bread and butter in terms of what we always do with stuff,” Jacob said. “We’re able to define a new application where drones haven’t been used before and say, ‘Oh, here’s a great place to make the world a better place and fulfill our Tier 1 mission for drones.

“But also, we’re using this opportunity as a teaching tool.”

One of those students benefiting from the project is Kelly Hendrix in the environmental science graduate program.

“One of the most exciting parts of this research is the collaboration we have with the mechanical and aerospace engineering department,” Hendrix said.

“Being able to not only have hands-on experience with a real-world problem, but to also be part of a team assessing and developing new techniques has been really fun.”

Outside of just the environmental sciences graduate program, there are other students also working on this issue.

The mercury robotics team is already thinking about the next logical step — an unmanned boat with the drone on board.

“The autonomous boat launches, and when it gets to the point where it needs to deploy, the aerial drone can take off autonomously, complete the mission and come back and land on the boat,” Jacob said.

OSU researchers took a crucial issue at Lake Carl Blackwell and found a way to not only treat it, but also to develop innovative methods using new and emerging technology. That, Jacob said, is at the core of the land-grant mission and showcases the problem-solving power of public-impact research.

“At the end of the day, conducting research out on the water and using drones is just pretty darn cool however you look at it,” Hendrix said.

GET INVOLVED To donate to OSU research or to learn more about how you can be part of the impact OSU is making, contact info@osugiving.com.

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A Blooming Problem With the threat of harmful algae blooms growing, OSU researchers are innovating new methods to tackle the problem Fresh water makes up just 3 percent of the world’s water supply. Only 0.5 percent of that is available for human use, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

In lakes, ponds and rivers across the state and beyond, Harmful Algal Blooms, or HABs, can pose a risk to animals and humans, shut down recreational bodies of water and steal nutrients from other plants.

Ranging in color from green or blue to red or brown, HABs start from cyanobacteria, which can be found anywhere, said Andy Dzialowski, associate professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at Oklahoma State University.

“The cyanobacteria are already in the lake.

And there’s some changing condition that promotes Andy Dzialowski an increase in biovolume, and that causes a bloom,” Dzialowski said.

Researchers across campus are working on solutions to detect, prevent and even reclaim nutrients from these blooms.

A BOAT WITH NO CAPTAIN Muwanika Jdiobe had never seen a plane up close — only the ones flying high overhead — before he boarded one bound for Oklahoma.

Jdiobe, who was born and raised in Uganda, was coming to OSU to join the aerospace engineering program.

“During the science fair at my high school, I was able to build a simple helicopter,” Jdiobe said. “It flew for maybe two seconds.”

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Muwanika Jdiobe and his research team testing MANUEL.

Although it was just two seconds, that experience was enough to spark his curiosity.

“I went to Google after that to find out what those people [who work on planes] are called. And I came to learn that they’re called aerospace engineers,” Jdiobe said. “And that’s when I said, ‘OK, I am going to become an aerospace engineer.’”

Jdiobe graduated as a Senior of Significance and Outstanding Senior in 2019 with a double major in aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering. He then pursued a master’s degree program in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

That is when he got involved in researching HABs. Dr. Jamey Jacob, head of OSU’s Unmanned Systems Research Institute, gave Jdiobe a challenge.

“He said, ‘I want you to come up with a solution of how we can monitor lakes autonomously,’” Jdiobe said. “And we have tremendous reasons why we would want to monitor lakes autonomously. It is cheap, it is safe and it is faster. It is an efficient way of doing work.”

The solution became known as MANUEL, an autonomous boat that monitors water quality including dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity and nutrients, Jdiobe said.

“MANUEL measures water quality parameters using embedded sensor probes that are in direct contact with the water and the data collected is stored on board,” Jdiobe said. “Using digital maps and GPS, MANUEL can autonomously map an entire lake with no human intervention, even in conditions unsuitable for humans, such as high winds or storms.”

STORY HARRISON HILL | PHOTOS JAMEY JACOB

RECLAIMING LOST NUTRIENTS Across OSU’s campus there’s another pair of researchers focusing on HABs. This research team is developing novel materials that could prevent algae growth and recycle the nutrients, creating an environmentally friendly cycle.

Learn more at okla.st/algae.

Muwanika works on MANUEL, an unmanned system used to monitor lakes.

Jdiobe hopes his research can make a difference in the state and possibly worldwide, including his home country of Uganda.

“There are some parts of the world where people don’t know the water they are taking, whether it is safe for drinking, or the levels of pollution going into the water,” Jdiobe said. “So if these technologies further develop, it could be something we can use in different parts of the world, not just Oklahoma.”

KEEPING AN EYE ON LAKES OSU research teams are also monitoring algae in lakes across the state, such as Grand Lake in northeastern Oklahoma.

“We’ve done a lot of work in Grand Lake where they had a really large harmful algae bloom in 2011 that put Harmful Algal Blooms on the map,” Dzialowski said. “We’re using some water quality sensors, which basically can take data continuously at 15-minute intervals that we can put in the reservoir.”

The team analyzes the data, looking for cues to better understand when blooms are starting to develop.

“There’s a thought that if you look at that data and look at the variability in the data, you might be able to get an advanced warning before a bloom starts,” Dzialowski said.

Dzialowski’s team also uses satellite and drone imagery to identify and monitor blooms.

“You can take an image from a satellite and in that image there is spectral data related to what’s in the water,” Dzialowski said. “If there’s a lot of algae, then the spectral signal is much different than if there’s not a lot of algae.”

This is helpful whether it’s as an early warning indicator or whether it’s as a system to identify where surface scums exist on the reservoir, because those surface scums can have toxin concentrations that are extremely elevated relative to the rest of the reservoir, Dzialowski said.

This research helps lake managers make better decisions to keep people and animals safe, Dzialowski said.

“If there is a sign that a bloom is beginning to develop 7-10 days in advance, is there something you can do in the reservoir to try and curtail the development of that bloom? I think ideally that’d be a great question to be able to answer,” Dzialowski said.

WATCH To see an interview detailing Jdiobe’s story go to okla.st/muwanika.

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More than Books OSU library offers patrons access to new and emerging technologies

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uilt in 1953, the Edmon Low Library is a building steeped in history. It’s also at the cutting edge of reimagining the modern university library.

Nowhere is that more apparent than the Edmon Low Library Creative Studios — an impressive collection of suites on the first floor’s east side, which houses a smorgasbord of technology. From 3D printers and flight simulators to professional audio-video equipment and so much more, the Creative Studios offer patrons the chance to check out their own curiosity.

“I believe that a library is more than books, and students don’t just learn through books. They learn through doing,” said Sheila Johnson, dean of libraries. “Our library is a place of scholarship

Creative Studios Specialist Shannon Austin guides a student using a 3D printer in the Edmon Low Creative Studios.

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and research; it’s also a place of collaboration and inspiration. The role of libraries on a campus and in a community is evolving, and the Creative Studios is an example of that.

“We wanted to create a space where students can experiment with some of the latest software and devices. We want to make these tools accessible to all OSU students, and provide opportunities for students to develop proficiency and a comfort with the kinds of technology they will need to be successful at OSU and beyond.”

Creative Studios Specialist Shannon Austin said it all began with Johnson, who had a clear vision for a creative space in the library.

Implementing it became a question of what students want and need, and — of course — funding.

“In 2012, the library embarked on a multi-year program we called ‘The Library Futures’ series,” Johnson said. “We brought in speakers from libraries around the country to talk about how they were innovating spaces, operations and services.

We also dedicated time for all our employees to come together to discuss what the future of our library might look like.

“One of the most important outcomes of this process was solidifying a work culture where people aren’t afraid to try new things. When we launched the Creative Studios, it was an experiment, but one we were excited to try.”

With ambitious ideas and a start-up budget from the library’s general fund, the studios first launched in 2012. The first round of purchases included simple point-and-shoot cameras patrons could check out for three days at a time. Austin said microphones were soon added and things really began to take off with the acquisition of the studios’ first GoPro cameras.

“With the realization of just how popular these devices were, it became really apparent that we had opportunities to grow this service,” Austin said.

Thankfully, the library has friends.

“The Friends of the OSU Library is a dedicated group of donors who are passionate about supporting students and the library,” Johnson said.

STORY MACK BURKE | PHOTOS PHIL SHOCKLEY

The Edmon Low Creative Studios features a flight simulator which allows students to practice or explore their interest in aviation.

“Our friends have stepped up again and again to expand library services and resources.”

The library team soon began to reach out to students and set up workshops. They also launched a feedback campaign called “What if the library …” that called on OSU students to submit their own creative suggestions.

“That’s actually where we got a lot of our ideas,” Austin said. “Someone said ‘What if the library checked out telescopes?’ So, we got the funding together, and now we have telescopes for people to check out. We have five different styles, everything from a Maksutov-Cassegrain to a RitcheyChrétien, which is similar to the Hubble. It’s amazing.”

Johnson said it wouldn’t have been possible without support from groups like Friends of the OSU Library and other generous donors. Johnson estimates 75 percent of Creative Studios’ budget is directly from private donations.

“Our 3D Studio was cosponsored by the School of Entrepreneurship, and our Data Visualization Studio was underwritten by the McCasland Foundation,” Johnson said. “Friends of the OSU Library board member Dr. James Wise and his wife, Liz, have funded a number of Creative Studio offerings, including our Virtual Reality Suite, the Audio Studio and equipment for 3D scanning and Tech to Go checkout.”

Similarly, Austin said the Riata Center at the Spears School of Business was instrumental in helping the library acquire its first 3D printers.

“That was probably our largest start-up cost,” Austin said. “The Riata Center offered to partner with the library, and we bought our first lot of four printers with their help.”

That led to Austin being brought in to teach 3D modeling and printing. Her role expanded as the Creative Studios grew, and now she oversees one of the coolest spots on campus. But in a way, there’s more to this collection of cool tech than meets the eye. Sure, students may have fun 3D printing Boone Pickens Stadium, but Austin says the real gift the Creative Studios provides is access.

LEARN MORE For more information about the Creative Studios, visit okla.st/creativestudios.

To learn more about supporting technology at the library, contact Courtney MacNelly, assistant director of development, at 405-332-1469 or cmacnelly@osugiving.com.

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Austin keeps her ear to the ground (or eye to the internet) to monitor the latest tech trends and explore new ways that the library can offer more.

Ideas for new offerings come in from library staff, faculty across campus and the student body.

“If we find the funding, we purchase the technology and implement it,” Austin said. “And it gets used pretty much immediately. On an average day, we’re assisting and providing access for at least 200 people.”

And that’s just on site. Johnson said the Creative Studios’ reach isn’t limited to Edmon Low. “The Creative Studios are more than the studios themselves,” she said. “The Tech to Go desk is a vital component of the Creative Studios and a service that allows us to quickly respond to the needs of students. The space is also used for events, tech demonstrations, and training.”

Of course the pandemic has negatively affected library foot traffic. Austin said COVID-19 has A student uses a keyboard in the Creative Studios to record a track.

A student explores a skeleton using virtual reality at the Creative Studios. The studios currently have four Oculus Quest VR systems available to students.

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brought challenges, but it also has provided library staff with new opportunities.

“It’s changed the way we think about providing access,” she said. “During the height of the pandemic lockdown, we adapted our services to be more mobile, extending checkout periods and adding contactless pick-ups. We even mailed out over 200 laptops so students could continue to do their school work. Even some faculty members used those resources.”

Austin said the biggest challenge now is a familiar one — spreading the word. With a new crop of students coming in every year, the Creative Studios can take on the dubious moniker of “bestkept secret on campus.”

“We have to keep reminding people that our services exist,” she said. “It’s always brand new to the students — every single year.”

Austin said that during the campus tour prospective students can get a closer look at what’s on offer at Edmon Low. “These resources are great tools for our future students. It’s important for them to understand they will have free access to technology like DSLR cameras and 3D printers and the UAV flight simulator. You want to get a 19-year old excited about coming to Oklahoma State University? Let them see what we have in store for them,” Austin said.

“Our patrons and donors seem to understand more than most that libraries are about more than just books; they’re about access. The library, as a large institution, is able to provide access to emerging technology that a normal person may not be able to afford on their own. It’s about offering that experience. Where else can you get the experience of learning 3D modeling and printing for free as a part of campus life? Where else can you get access to a telescope that you can take to the lake to watch the eclipse? I don’t know if you know anybody who owns their own telescope, but when I meet people that do and they find out that we check them out, they’re dumbfounded.”

They usually ask how, Austin said. That answer is simple — strong telescope cases. But the why is more important.

“It matters because access matters and providing access to emerging technology in an academic setting gives people a chance to experience, to play, and to test the boundaries of what they think they’re capable of,” Austin said.

BY THE NUMBERS TECH TO GO AVAILABLE FOR FREE CHECKOUT: ■

295 laptops, including Macbooks, Microsoft Surfaces and peripherals (mice, chargers, dongles, etc.)

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40 combined DSLR cameras, camcorders, 360 cameras and GoPros

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20 tripods

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3 ring-lights

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5 phone gimbals

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20 combined podcasting kits, digital recorders and lapel mics

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10 projectors

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4 Oculus Quest VR systems

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8 telescopes

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1 compound trinocular microscope

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1 sewing machine

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1 serging machine

CREATIVE STUDIOS IN HOUSE: ■

10 3D printers including an SLS 3D scanner

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12 Elite computer workstations with the full Adobe Creative Suite, Camtasia, Final Cut Pro and more

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6 studio suites — Audio Studio, Video Presentation and Green Screen Recording Studio, Data Visualization Studio, Virtual Reality Suites, Fixed-wing Aircraft Simulator with seated chassis, yoke and pedals, DJI Drone Pilot Training Simulator

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Exploring a Collector’s Story

Zarrow Collection at OSU Library provides new way to appreciate art

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Seminole artist William Haney Jr. completed “Legend of the Owl” in 1979. The small marble sculpture is on display on the first floor of the Edmon Low Library along with “Seven Faces,” another Haney piece from the Zarrow Collection.

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very collection tells a story.

Piece by piece, collectors carefully curate their passion over years or even decades, often leaving us with a fascinating and in-depth look into a subject.

For Jack and Maxine Zarrow, their passion led to a remarkable collection of Native American art.

The OSU Library and OSU Museum of Art now share the gift of the Maxine and Jack Zarrow Collection, which includes more than 500 works of art primarily from Oklahoma and the Southwest. The collection is composed of paintings, mixed media pieces and sculptures by Native American artists.

The oldest dated work is from 1883.

This special selection of artwork provides new opportunities for research, exhibitions and interdisciplinary learning experiences. Now — through the new online portal found at zarrow.library.okstate.edu — students, researchers and art enthusiasts anywhere can tour the collection virtually and gain insight into the method behind amassing such a collection.

“Viewers of the collection will be able to appreciate the individual works of art, but they will also be able to gain insights into the breadth of Native American art styles, the evolution of trends in the market and changes over time in the work of specific artists,” said Sheila Johnson, dean of libraries.

Jack Zarrow was a native Tulsan; Maxine Foreman, originally from Texas, moved to Tulsa after the couple married in 1947. Together they founded the Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Foundation, which is committed to transformational civic projects, especially those that seek

STORY BONNIE CAIN-WOOD | PHOTOS NINA THORNTON

The Zarrow Collection portal allows visitors to browse the work of dozens of Native American artists including Fred Beaver, Harrison Begay, Woody Crumbo, Brummett Echohawk, Gina Gray, Benjamin Harjo Jr., Allan Houser, Mopope, Bill Rabbit, Ben Adair Shoemaker, Kugee Supernaw, Jerome Tiger, Dick West and Charles Banks Wilson. Thanks to detailed record keeping, visitors to the site can learn more about the artists, materials and provenance of items in the collection.

to better engage those with limited access to inspirational arts and cultural resources.

Maxine and Jack built the foundation to continue the Jewish tradition of tzedakah, or righteous behavior. The couple’s philanthropic legacy has left a lasting impact not just at OSU but throughout the state.

The goal of the Zarrow gift was to establish a teaching collection that could be widely available for classes or individual students and researchers.

Library archivists realized the Zarrow materials offered an opportunity to create a dynamic online experience, not just for the OSU community but for students and scholars around the world.

Thanks to detailed record keeping, the Zarrow family provided extensive descriptions and photos of each of the works. The library’s team was able to use that information to build a virtual tour of the collection. Graduate research associate Janna Rogers worked with David Peters from the archives — as well as Juliana Nykolaiszyn, Megan Macken, and Brandon Katzir from the library’s

Digital Resources and Discovery Services — to create the online experience, which is now available for the public.

“The Zarrows’ art collection was extensive and well-documented,” Johnson said. “Having this sort of detail available gives site visitors a much better understanding of how one set of art lovers built this significant collection.”

The portal is designed to engage both casual visitors and serious researchers.

While visiting the website, you can browse through the full range of the works or search for a particular artist, style or format. The entire Zarrow catalog is represented so visitors have a comprehensive view of the couple’s collecting activity, although a few of the pieces displayed on the site are not in OSU holdings. Location information will be available in the portal soon.

The data associated with each work makes the collection portal a valuable tool for scholars. The descriptive information can be browsed through a word cloud visualization or downloaded

as a data set so researchers can analyze collecting patterns or a particular artist’s evolution.

The Zarrow Collection portal will continue to expand. The resource’s designers plan to integrate other unique collections held by the OSU Library.

For example, the “Oklahoma Native Artists Oral History Project” features over a hundred video interviews with Native American artists, including many who are highlighted in the Zarrow Collection. This complementary material will soon be cross-referenced on the portal to provide additional insight into the artists’ personal histories and creative processes.

Moving forward, the portal will also serve as a model for showcasing other art collections held by OSU such as the Charles Little Collection. This collection of Native American Art was gifted to the OSU Museum by a former OSU agriculture economics faculty member. The Little Collection spans from the 1930s to present with a focus on Plains and Southwest paintings.

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CAMPUS NEWS

Beverly Bost Golden, far right, receives the Women in American History Award on behalf of her grandmother and first female graduate of Oklahoma A&M, Jesse Thatcher Bost. Presenting the Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution are from left, Connie Tate, Mary Woods, and Sheila Grant Johnson.

State’s first female graduate receives national honor The Daughters of the American Revolution have posthumously honored Jessie Thatcher Bost, OSU’s first alumna, with the “Women in American History Award.” The award was accepted by Beverly Golden, OSU alumna and Bost’s granddaughter.

The Cimarron Chapter of the DAR nominated Bost for the national award, which recognizes notable women who have been intellectual, educational, social, religious, political, scientific or cultural innovators. Mary Woods, the chapter’s Women in American History chair, led the nomination effort.

“We are so proud to acknowledge Jessie Thatcher Bost for this prestigious award,” Woods said. “She is truly a distinguished woman in American

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history. What a wonderful choice to be the Cimarron Chapter DAR’s first nominee for this award.”

Bost graduated from Oklahoma A&M College — later Oklahoma State University— in 1897, becoming the first woman to graduate from any college in Oklahoma. She believed education held the key to independence and opportunity, and spent most of her life as a teacher in Oklahoma public schools.

While at OAMC, Bost co-founded the Sigma Literary Society. She also worked as an assistant at the campus library where she was instrumental in setting up the institution. Bost provided much needed consistency in the library’s early years as the librarians changed often.

Bost went on to serve as the first president of both the Alumni Association and the Half-Century Club.

In 1925, OSU named its first women’s dormitory in her honor.

The OSU Library now holds the Jessie Thatcher Bost Collection, which features her essays, photos, class notebooks and other OAMC memorabilia. The papers deal with a range of topics from education to modern views on a woman’s place in the world. As some of the only remaining papers from early OAMC students, Bost’s collection provides valuable insight into the first days of the college.

New Eddie Sutton Foundation created to help combat cancer In March, the Oklahoma State University Coaches vs. Cancer organization announced the establishment of the Eddie Sutton Foundation to help raise funds for those battling cancer.

The foundation will focus on research, with a special emphasis on pediatric cancer, and will seek to make a difference in the lives of those battling the disease. The foundation honors the legacy of former OSU men’s basketball coach Eddie Sutton, who entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

“The Sutton family is honored and humbled by the creation of the Eddie Sutton Foundation, which will make it their mission to continue the fight against cancer,” said Kim Sutton, wife of Scott Sutton and daughter-in-law of the late Eddie Sutton. “Coach Sutton was instrumental in bringing Coaches versus Cancer to the OSU campus.

He cherished the opportunity to help people and considered the people of Oklahoma State his family, so bringing the two entities together is the perfect way to honor him. He would be so proud to know that he is a part of such a wonderful cause.”

Coaches vs. Cancer will now become Cowboys vs. Cancer to better reflect the mission and character of the organization at OSU. The new program will operate under the foundation, encompass all sports at OSU and will align with a variety of reputable cancer research foundations in addition to the American Cancer Society.

“Starting during Eddie Sutton’s time as our basketball coach, OSU Cowboys vs. Cancer has grown into one of the very best things we do at OSU Athletics,” said OSU Athletic Director Chad Weiberg. “Our student-athletes have embraced their unique and special platform to support those fighting cancer, especially the kids. While most programs across the country focus on only men’s basketball, we at OSU have expanded to include all sports.

Coaches, staff and former players from all our sports are devoted to raising funds to support cancer research and

families going through the fight. The creation of the Eddie Sutton Foundation makes that expansion official. We look forward to growing our support of local and OSU families in the fight against cancer.”

Current OSU men’s basketball coach Mike Boynton echoed Weiberg’s excitement about the announcement, which was made on what would have been Sutton’s 86th birthday.

“I am thrilled about the announcement of the Eddie Sutton Foundation,” Boynton said. “Coach Sutton, along with his good friend Norm Stewart, are a few of the pioneers for the existence of the Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. Coach Sutton’s early efforts have led directly to the involvement of many coaches across the country. That involvement has triggered several other initiatives where money for cancer research and treatment is being raised.

“Coach is also clearly the reason that we at OSU have worked to make a major impact. It is fitting that, on his birthday, we are making this announcement because ‘Coach’ deserves to be celebrated forever. I look forward to being heavily involved in the efforts to make this foundation one of the linchpins of the fight against the terrible disease.”

The Eddie Sutton Foundation’s mission is fueled by championing coach Sutton’s three principles of defense, dedication and discipline. Research is the best defense against cancer.

The foundation embraces unwavering dedication to the cause and to the families that will be served. Discipline is a must for this new team to stay the course and implement a full-court press that will lead to a cure.

For more information about the foundation and how to donate, visit TheEddieSuttonFoundation.com.

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CAMPUS NEWS

Community celebrates Earl Mitchell, scholarship established Late professor Earl Mitchell, OSU’s first Black tenure-track faculty member, was honored alongside his late wife, Bernice, with a community-led event in February at the Stillwater History Museum in the Sheerar.

Earl Mitchell, who died June 2 at the age of 83, first joined OSU as a research associate in 1967. He became OSU’s first Black tenure-track faculty member in 1969. By the time he earned tenure in 1982, he was already recognized as a highly accomplished academic researcher and biochemist. He went on to serve in key administrative positions, such as assistant dean of the graduate college, associate vice president for multicultural affairs and the first director of the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (OK-LSAMP).

The event, hosted by the Friends of Bernice and Earl Mitchell, also served as a springboard to raise funds for a new, tax-deductible scholarship created in the Mitchells’ name. The scholarship will benefit outstanding students involved in OSU’s Division of Institutional Diversity.

“Earl and Bernice Mitchell were trailblazers,” said Dr. Jason Kirksey, OSU vice president for institutional diversity and chief diversity officer. “As we celebrate their legacy, we are reminded of their great example and how we too can make a lasting impact on the world around us. I look forward to continuing to honor the Mitchells’ amazing legacy through this new scholarship.”

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Chilly Cowboy raises more than $30,000 for Special Olympics Oklahoma The inaugural Chilly Cowboy fundraiser surpassed its original fundraising goal of $10,000 goal in March, sending President Kayse Shrum, coaches Mike Gundy and Mike Boynton, the OSU softball team and others to the dunk tank and raising over $30,000 for Special Olympics Oklahoma.

OSU student-athlete Chelsea Alexander and First Cowboy Darren Shrum came up with the idea for the event. Alexander, an outfielder on the Cowgirl softball team, was unable to attend the Polar Plunge events Special Olympics Oklahoma put on each year because they coincided with away games. So she decided to come up with her own.

“The Special Olympics community is really strong here in Stillwater,” Alexander said. “It was really a way to help raise money for Special Olympics [Oklahoma] and get these kids more opportunities, and the response to it was incredible.”

Alexander’s younger brother, Caden, has Down syndrome and was one of the four Special Olympic athletes who had the honor of working the dunk tank, along with Charlie Dickey Jr., Brian Fitch and Matt Sitton.

“We found out two weeks after Caden was born that he had Down

syndrome,” Alexander said. “It changes your perception on life. It changes your outlook when you have somebody with a disability close to your heart and that is really what I credit it to.”

More than 100 people gathered near OSU’s Student Union with temperatures in the mid-30s to watch the biggest names on campus go into the water.

The list consisted of Boynton, Gundy, the Shrums, Alexander, Athletic Director Chad Weiberg, softball coach Kenny Gajewski, women’s tennis coach Chris Young, equestrian coach Larry Sanchez, soccer coach Colin Carmichael, along with representatives of OSU’s wrestling, men’s golf, spirit and rodeo teams experiencing the frigid waters.

“As usual, the Cowboy family always comes together and supports things that are worthy,” Darren Shrum said.

“Special Olympics is something that is near and dear to our hearts. The whole special needs community is something that we are really close to. We want to take care of them and let them have the best possible experience. It is just one more thing that the OSU Cowboy family comes together and takes care of.”

Cowboys for Veterans bag program brings holiday cheer

OSU, Stillwater conduct MLK march for second-straight year For the second consecutive year, Oklahoma State University and Stillwater Community United (SCU) collaborated on the unity march in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in January.

Dr. Jason Kirksey, OSU’s vice president for institutional diversity and chief diversity officer, said that meeting every year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day strengthens the relationship between the school and community, as well as reminds everyone what the holiday is really about: coming together.

“The continued cultivation and strengthening of this symbiotic partnership is integral to all of us achieving Dr. King’s dream,” Kirksey said. “As we are gathered here today, I encourage and challenge each of us to recognize that the meaning of Dr. King’s dream is what matters, not just the march. Dr. King’s legacy continues to serve as a call to action for all of us every day to engage in the work of justice, equality and love of humanity.

Hopefully all of us listen to each other, commit to learn from one another and aspire to be better today than we were yesterday.”

With her family behind her, OSU President Kayse Shrum spoke next.

She discussed how King’s message has made a difference in her life. A decade ago, Shrum and First Cowboy Darren Shrum adopted three Ethiopian sons — Joseph, Kilientn and Kason.

“As the mother of a diverse family, I am equally mindful of Martin Luther King Jr’s impact on my family,” Dr. Shrum said. “I have a deep gratitude for his tenacity and persistence in the fight against racial inequality.”

Shrum said a passage from King really stuck out to her in particular.

“I was drawn to this text: ‘I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character,’” Shrum said. “That is my desire for my family and for the Cowboy family, that everyone at Oklahoma State University not only feels welcomed, but valued.”

The march finished at The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts where student keynote speaker Chideha Kanu challenged the audience to carry the march’s momentum forward.

A Nigerian-American who was born in Oklahoma City, Kanu spent the first eight years of his life in the state before moving back to Nigeria with his family.

He said his upbringing has helped him relate to people from many walks of life.

And he said seeing life from all those different angles helped him understand that King’s dream is still relevant and possible today.

The MLK Celebration Week officially wrapped up with a tour of the Greenwood District in Tulsa that looked back at the events of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. In celebration of Black History Month, The McKnight Center hosted celebrated journalist Soledad O’Brien for an event where she spoke on Dr. King’s impact. Also at the McKnight Center in February was “Unapologetic: An Evening of Authenticity,” featuring a short set by Oklahoma rapper K.O., followed by a live podcast recording of a conversation between K.O. and podcaster Brandy Mayes about being Black in the performing arts.

When Emerson Newell partnered with Oklahoma State University on the Christmas bag program she and her family had been working on for years, she figured 800 bags was a solid number.

That number was surpassed in one day as nearly 1,000 of the more than 1,400 Christmas bags that would be sent to veterans were dropped off on Dec. 1 The program was formed a few years ago to provide those living in the veterans affairs centers across the state with anything from clothing to toiletries. Newell, a freshman from Shawnee, Oklahoma, reached out to OSU President Kayse Shrum to see if OSU wanted to partner on the project.

The Cowboys for Veterans program was officially launched Nov. 12, with a Dec. 13 deadline. People from around the state heeded the call and brought bags to drop-off locations around OSU’s campus, including the big dropoff day at O’Brate Stadium at the beginning of December.

The program benefited all seven VA centers across the state, ensuring that 800 residents each received a Christmas bag.

As there was a surplus for the VA centers, 100 bags were donated to the Homeless Military Veterans nonprofit organization in Oklahoma City, over 40 bags went to veterans in the nursing homes in surrounding areas, and another 100 bags were distributed to rural nursing homes in northeastern Oklahoma, via the Mannford VFW. “President Shrum, the Newell family (Jessie and Emerson), OSU student Ashlyn Oliver, our K-12 schools and so many others created an opportunity to give back to our veteran community and we did it!” said Cheryl Kleeman, director of Transfer and Student Veteran Success.

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CAMPUS NEWS

OSU Ann Hargis Center for Pet Therapy opened as permanent home for Pete’s Pet Posse

Scruff named to Oklahoma Animal Hall of Fame

Pete’s Pet Posse co-founders Ann Hargis and Kendria Cost are taking new roles to promote healthy minds across the Oklahoma State University system through the newly created OSU Ann Hargis Center for Pet Therapy.

The center, which opened last fall in the Student Union in Stillwater, traces its roots back to 2013, when Hargis and Cost first launched Pete’s Pet Posse with the goal of helping students cope with the challenges and stress of college. The program continued to grow in popularity and impact, becoming the largest university pet therapy program in the country, and now has a permanent home base in Stillwater — the OSU Ann Hargis Center for Pet Therapy.

As director of the Center for Pet Therapy, Kendria Cost is leading the multi-campus team from Stillwater.

Pete’s Pet Posse — named after the university’s iconic mascot, Pistol Pete — is under the umbrella of the center

Pete’s Pet Posse ambassador Scruff was named to the Oklahoma Animal Hall of Fame at the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Associations (OVMA) annual conference in Norman.

Scruff is a certified therapy dog and beloved pet of former OSU First Cowgirl Ann Hargis and former OSU President Burns Hargis. Scruff and Ann were among the inaugural eight teams that launched Pete’s Pet Posse in 2013.

The Animal Hall of Fame celebrates the link between animals and people and recognizes domestic animals who exemplify the strength and value of the human-animal bond.

In 2013, Scruff, a terrier mix, was rescued by OSU students after being found — injured, shot and abused — in a Stillwater neighborhood. Specialists at the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine repaired Scruff’s injuries and recognized the young dog’s potential as a therapy dog. Ann and Burns Hargis met Scruff and fell in love.

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along with the student auxiliary called Ruff Riders, an advisory board and research board. The center was created from donated funds in an endowment from the OSU Foundation and operates independently. Pete’s Pet Posse has nearly 60 dogs working on five OSU campuses: Oklahoma State University, the OSU Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa, OSU-Tulsa, the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah and at OSU-OKC. Former OSU First Cowgirl Ann Hargis continues the work she started with her therapy dog Scruff while serving as OSU’s First Lady. Ann and Scruff serve both the Stillwater and Oklahoma City campuses and are available as needed system wide.

“When we started this program, we never dreamed of its impact on the students, faculty, staff and even campus visitors. The dogs have a magic about them that is contagious,” Hargis said.

KOSU podcast wins prestigious awards KOSU’s “Blindspot: Tulsa Burning,” a collaborative podcast with Focus: Black Oklahoma, WNYC Studios and The History Channel, won two major awards this spring — the Alfred I. duPontColumbia University Award and the NAACP Image Award.

The six-episode “Blindspot: Tulsa Burning” podcast explores the racial terror that destroyed the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, 100 years ago. Through conversations with descendants, historians and local activists, the series considers how the traumatic two-day attack continues to take a toll.

The duPont-Columbia University Awards are considered one of the most prestigious in journalism, recognizing investigations, podcasts and documentary films for the strength of their reporting, storytelling and impact in the public interest.

In its 80-year history, duPontColumbia has given five awards to

Oklahoma organizations, and two of those have been to KOSU. Its first win came in 1985.

“KOSU has played a key role in bringing this important story to the forefront,” said Oklahoma State University President Kayse Shrum. “I am proud of the work KOSU has done, and the high bar it continues to set for journalism in Oklahoma.”

The 16 winners of the 2022 awards also include NPR, PBS and The New York Times.

Similarly, the NAACP Image Awards honor outstanding representations and achievements of people of color in motion pictures, television, music, and literature. This year marks the first time the awards have had a podcast category. Other nominees in the category included podcasts produced

by Frontline & PBS, MSNBC and iHeartRadio.

Enrollment on the rise at OSU Oklahoma State University’s spring enrollment numbers are trending upward.

OSU’s spring enrollment is up 253 students compared to last spring, bringing the total to 22,915. Also, OSU welcomed 117 freshman students and 567 transfer students, making this the largest freshman spring class in OSU history and the largest new student class in the past decade.

“This university is a beacon for bright minds seeking a transformative educational experience,” said OSU President Kayse Shrum. “We are proud to welcome more Cowboys to the Cowboy family, and, most importantly, to help them achieve their dreams and make a positive impact on the world through their research, scholarship and service.”

Karen Chen, interim vice president for enrollment management, echoed Shrum’s excitement.

“It’s an exciting time at OSU,” she said. While enrollment numbers are trending downward nationally, OSU’s enrollment numbers are growing. OSU is a welcoming community and offers students a life-changing academic springboard and the opportunity to engage in public impact research.

“The current OSU enrollment trend is a reflection of the quality of our academic programs, our dedicated faculty and staff, visionary leadership and the cornerstone of the Cowboy family — our students.”

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 45

CAMPUS NEWS

Dr. Kayse Shrum with Sevanah Baker of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority at the reopening of the Student Veteran Success Center.

Student Veteran Success Center celebrates grand reopening Previously located in the North Classroom Building on the edge of campus, the Student Veteran Success Center was officially reopened Nov. 12 in a ceremony at the Student Union.

President Kayse Shrum, Coordinator of Student Veteran Success Vincent Rivera and two students spoke at the event, highlighting OSU’s sustained commitment to supporting veterans.

Dr. Shrum has a deep connection to the armed forces. Her father, Dennis Donnelly, is a Vietnam veteran, and her paternal grandparents served in World War II. Speaking to a crowd from the Student Union balcony, she gestured toward the 7,068 flags in front of Edmon Low Library representing service members lost in combat since 2001 as a reminder of the sacrifice veterans have made and continue to make.

“I personally find supporting our veterans very near and dear to my heart. I know that freedom, our freedoms that we have, are not free,” she said. “… Someone paid those prices for us. And I think all we have to do is look across Library Lawn to be reminded of the importance of that, and

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what gratitude we all should have that we’re here today, celebrating the way that we are.

“Those that didn’t lose their life still gave. They gave up their time, their innocence and many things we’ll never know. And they did that for people they’ll never meet. So we all have a debt of gratitude.”

The Student Veteran Success Center, now located at 061 Student Union, is a ​​ dedicated space for veterans to relax, study and build community.

Josh Fisher, a business administration major, served in the Army before attending OSU and said he owes a lot to the center. Fisher, who is working as a financial representative at Northwestern Mutual on top of his studies, met his wife at the center and said it really helped him through a difficult time.

“The Student Veteran Center is a vital piece for the success of the student veterans attending this university,” Spc. Fisher said. “It’s a place where we can find resources and meet other veterans.

We find camaraderie here.

“Most student veterans are not typical traditional students. We come

from serving in the military, we are older and we have a much broader life experience. This can be difficult for some of us to blend into the college lifestyle. Some of us have spouses and children. So we have fuller plates. The center helps us veterans with resources we need to be successful on our journey to a higher education.”

Rivera said moving the center to the Student Union has already produced an uptick in visitors seeking help with anything from classwork to financial aid.

He thanked OSU leaders for supporting the move and helping to make it a reality: Dr. Jeanette Mendez, interim provost; Dr. Chris Francisco, interim vice provost; Dr. Johnny Stephens, senior vice president for health affairs; and Lt. Col. Joel Kintsel, an OSU alumnus who serves as the executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs.

“We as an OSU family understand, there are some who make it back. But will never leave it behind,” Rivera said.

“We are here to ensure that those veterans, whether they are a student or not, have a place where they feel safe.”

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Dreams

E K A T T H G FLI

FLIGHT CENTER SU O R E K O O B A RAY AND LIND TION R FOR OSU AVIA TE P A H C W E N S MAR K

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L

inda Booker finally got to see her husband’s dream realized.

On Feb. 26, she had a front row seat at the grand opening of the Ray and Linda Booker OSU Flight Center, an event that ushered in a new chapter for Oklahoma State University Aviation.

The facility was named in recognition of a $1 million gift from Linda Booker and her late husband, Ray, who graduated from OSU A&M in 1957. They both held private pilot licenses, were passionate about aviation and wanted to increase the number of OSU-trained pilots around the world.

After a battle with Parkinson’s Disease, Ray suffered a life-ending stroke in 2019 at the age of 84.

But Linda was determined to carry out his vision.

Looking down at the build site from their helicopter, Linda said the facility was hard to envision at first. But now that the project has come together, it’s a dream come true. “(Ray) would be so excited,” Linda said. “For him to have started out as a financially struggling student 60 years ago at OSU, and now to be able to help and further the flight center would have been beyond his biggest dream back then.”

So many aspects of the building reminded Linda and her family of Ray, including a bronze statue that greets visitors near the doorway.

It models a boy playing with a toy airplane, reminiscent of Ray’s wonder for flight. It’s a duplicate of the statue that sits outside Ray and Linda’s home in Tulsa.

His legacy and passion for flying lives on and will give countless students the chance to earn their wings or prepare for a career in aviation at OSU. “With this new flight center, we now have a home that matches the energy, passion and success of our students and faculty,” said Dr. Jon Pedersen, dean of OSU’s College of Education and Human Sciences.

Enrollment in the OSU Aviation program has boomed, growing by 40 percent in recent years. The state-of-the-art facility gives the program its first new home in decades and a much-needed upgrade.

The previous facility was crammed. Up to four flight instructors shared the same desks, and there was no private space for students to be debriefed after a flight. If a pilot performed poorly, the whole room could hear the critique.

“When you’re a student, you have good days and bad days,” said Brian Ward, a flight center donor and former Flying Aggie. “You want your flight instructor to be able to correct you and tell you bluntly how things are going. And you don’t want to have that conversation in public.”

At the Ray and Linda Booker OSU Flight Center, space is no longer an issue.

The 11,600 square-foot building replaces OSU Aviation’s outdated facilities, more than doubling the space available to students and flight instructors. Inside, the Burnstein Foundation Training Center is roughly the same size as the entirety of the old building.

Building highlights include 35-plus workstations for flight instructors, debriefing rooms where student pilots will receive feedback, an academic suite and flight simulation rooms. It also features a student lounge, kitchen and locker room to make students feel more at home.

The flight center will make it easier for students to reach their full potential and gives the program room to continue to grow.

“Oklahoma State University is proud of our aviation program, and this new center positions us well for future growth,” said Kyle Wray, senior vice president of executive affairs, who spoke at the event on behalf of President Kayse Shrum’s office.

“It will also provide the best educational experience to our students wanting to work in the aviation field. There are many like Ray and Linda Booker who gave generously to this project, and we are incredibly thankful for their contributions.”

SEE MORE To watch an Inside OSU video on the new home for OSU aviation, go to okla.st/bookerflight.

Dean of Education and Human Sciences Jon Pedersen presents Linda Booker with a handcrafted Cirrus SR20 model plane, a gift given to each flight center donor.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 49

OSU is one of fewer than 20 universities in the U.S. to offer graduate aviation degrees. It’s become a pipeline for trained professionals to start careers in an industry with a dwindling workforce.

Amid a nationwide pilot shortage, OSU Aviation aims to help fill that need.

“We met students and we could see that they are just as enthusiastic and passionate about flying and aviation as Ray was when he started out,” Linda Booker said. “This flight center is going to expand the number of students this program can take. And the demand is there.”

With the new facilities, the program is bound to draw more attention from prospective students across the country.

The Ray and Linda Booker OSU Flight Center will help it attract and retain high-caliber students.

“I think when you’re trying to sell our program over others, you need a facility that is going to reflect that commitment to the type of education you’re getting,” Ward said. “I think you can find education from an outdated building. That won’t make a bad pilot. But this new center just presents the whole package. That all the details matter.

“It just has a feel, like we’re really serious about this. It’s not a side gig.”

In addition to producing quality pilots, the program also prepares students for careers in aviation management, aerospace security and technical service management.

“Staying true to our land-grant mission, Oklahoma State University will help fill the

OSU Foundation President Blaire Atkinson speaks to the crowd inside the Burnstein Foundation Training Center.

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demand for trained and skilled professionals in the aviation industry,” Pedersen said.

Including the Bookers, a total of 17 families and organizations named spaces inside the facility through private donations. Each was given a named space in honor of their contributions.

Ward wanted to use that opportunity to recognize someone who had made a significant impact on the aviation field and the university.

Wally Funk quickly came to mind.

“I don’t think you can meet Wally and forget her,” Ward said. “She definitely leaves an impression.”

Ward met Funk, an OSU graduate, when she returned to Stillwater after becoming the oldest person to go to space at age 82 last summer.

While at OSU, Funk earned every certificate the aviation program had to offer. She went on to become a trailblazer for women in the aviation field, boasting a long list of accomplishments.

Her name is now attached to a chief pilot office in the Ray and Linda Booker OSU Flight Center.

“At Oklahoma State, and particularly with the Flying Aggies, we have a very proud history with what we have accomplished and what our graduates have accomplished,” Ward said. “And I think that Wally personifies that. She’s just a very remarkable person.”

Another donor, Jill Hainkel, also chose to honor someone with a deep connection to the aviation field with a gift to the facility.

Hainkel credits her father, the late JJ Hamilton, for her love of flying. Hamilton was a flight instructor for American Flyers, and Hainkel spent her childhood in airports and airplane hangars, surrounded by the aroma of jet fuel.

Soon after graduating high school and motivated to join war efforts, Hamilton hitchhiked from Texas to Ontario, Canada, to join the Royal Canadian Air Force. By the end of World War II, he had achieved the rank of captain.

After the war ended, he became a flight instructor where he leveraged his passion for flying and taught students from all over the world.

“Through his wonderful students, aviation opened the whole world to my family,” Hainkel said. “I have witnessed the special bond of aviators, a brotherhood that brings people together in their passion for flying.”

She named a chief pilot office in Hamilton’s honor.

“JJ loved sharing his passion for aviation and would be so supportive

OSU Aviation students pose for a photo with Pistol Pete at the grand opening of the Ray and Linda Booker OSU Flight Center.

“With this new flight center, we now have a home that matches the energy, passion and success of our students and faculty.”

DR. JON PEDERSEN, DEAN, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN SCIENCES

of this OSU center for the development of future pilots,” Hainkel said. “He also encouraged women and people from many countries to learn how to fly. My dad lost some very close friends in plane crashes so he strived for accredited training that will be provided by this center.”

With the upgraded facilities and the passion of the students, OSU Aviation is ready to soar to new heights.

Pedersen said he hopes the Ray and Linda Booker OSU Flight Center will continue to grow into an aviation complex that would include a new maintenance hangar and aircraft storage for the school’s growing collection of planes. It recently added five Cirrus Aircraft SR20s to its fleet.

“Thanks to the generosity of so many donors, this facility will quite literally launch the dreams of future pilots and professionals in the aviation industry,” Pedersen said.

Naming opportunities are available. For more information, please contact Rachel Tribble at rtribble@osugiving.com or 918.908.0474

SEE MORE Watch the groundbreaking event at InsideOSU.com.

• Lisa & Bruce Barber

• Rick & Maxine Gladden

• Martha Sory Blair & Donald Blair

• Jill & Michael Hainkel • Helen J. Hodges

• Paula & Craig Boelte

• Kero-Jet Corporation

• Linda & Ray Booker

• Courtney & Frank Kimmel

• Sanford & Irene Burnstein Foundation

• Denise & Richard Melot

• Bryan Close

• Barbara & Terry Pope

• Cherry & David Cockrell

• Brian D. Ward

• Priscilla & Kevin Gerfen

• Cindy & Ron Ward

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 51

An Everlasting Gift U.S. ARMY CORPORAL AND OSU-TULSA ALUMNUS SHANNON MATTHEWS MADE HISTORY IN JANUARY WHEN HE DONATED HIS PURPLE HEART MEDAL TO HIS ALMA MATER 52 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2

STORY AARON CAMPBELL | PHOTOS PROVIDED

Matthews’ Purple Heart is on display now in the OSU-Tulsa Student Union.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 53

From left: Mitch Reed, legislative ambassador for the State of Oklahoma Purple Heart Association, along with interim senior vice president for OSU-Tulsa Chris Benge and Cpl. Shannon Matthews.

fter retiring from his career at the Army Corps of Engineers, Oklahoma State University-Tulsa alumnus Shannon Matthews knew he wanted to dedicate his time to inspiring others.

Matthews, now a motivational speaker, had established a scholarship in his name for older veterans at Tulsa Community College. But when it came to thinking about how he could make an impact at his alma mater, he wanted to make a bigger impression — one that symbolized the indelible impact OSU-Tulsa made on him.

“I was with my daughter one day and she said, ‘You should make the same impression on OSUTulsa that they made on you. Do something to show them that you appreciate what they did for you,’” Matthews said.

Matthews’ daughter, Milecia McGregor, holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from OSU. She encouraged her father to give a gift as unique and powerful as his story: his Purple Heart medal, earned in service nearly three decades prior.

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“My Purple Heart was up in a box, dusty as you know what. We thought, ‘This was a chance for me to do something different, something other people haven’t done,’” he said.

Matthews believes the donation marks the first time a living veteran has donated their Purple Heart to any institution.

“A lot of people know about the Purple Heart, but how many people have seen one? OSU-Tulsa provided me with the opportunity to show the world what I have,” Matthews said. “Now I want to give something back to OSU-Tulsa.”

MILITARY BEGINNINGS

Matthews grew up in Tulsa just north of downtown, graduating from Nathan Hale High School in 1989 and joining the Oklahoma Army National Guard shortly thereafter.

He served in the Gulf War before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1992. In 1994, Matthews was sent to Haiti as part of Operation Uphold Democracy.

That October, Matthews encountered a couple of men attempting to enter the Army compound where he was stationed. When he told the men they couldn’t enter, they attacked him.

“One guy slugged me, they both started beating me up pretty good,” Matthews said.

“One of them had a knife covered in barbed wire and I got stabbed in the leg.”

Other members of Matthews’ unit arrived and took control of the situation, bringing the men into custody.

“I don’t know what happened to them. I just know I had to go get sewed up,” he said.

Three days later, Matthews found himself healing in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Recovery took longer than he anticipated.

“I had got really, really, really sick while I was in. Come to find out I was suffering from multiple sclerosis,” Matthews said. “Couldn’t run, couldn’t do anything. So I had to ease on out and move on to something else.”

Matthews completed his bachelor’s degree in business at OSU-Tulsa in 2001 and was recognized as a “Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities.” He then worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Army Recruiting Command and Army Reserve Contracting Agency before retiring from the Army Corps of Engineers in 2012. Even after years away from Tulsa — and long after completing his career — the influence of his favorite professor continued to shape him.

“Dr. Migliore and I, we still talk. I graduated decades ago, but I call him up and talk to him, you know? He made an everlasting impression on me,” Matthews said.

THE IMPACT OF EDUCATION

On Jan. 18, 2022, with his daughter watching from the crowd, Matthews honored OSU-Tulsa with a gift that only he could give.

“First let me congratulate Shannon,” said Brig. Gen. Thomas H. Mancino, Oklahoma National Guard adjutant general. “We always think you do the service for a high and mighty reason — and that may be why you got in. But at the end of the day, men and women are fighting for their brothers and sisters to their left and to their right. And I know Shannon, that was part of your service as well.”

Matthews’ unique donation to the university will be treasured as a lasting symbol of service for years to come.

“When you think of symbols of service and sacrifice, few are more sacred than the Purple Heart,” said Chris Benge, interim senior vice president for OSU-Tulsa. “As I learned about Shannon Matthews in preparation for this event, it became apparent that this gift is emblematic of a life lived in service.

Matthews has dedicated much of his life to giving back to veterans and investing in the success of Tulsans, and through this gift to OSU-Tulsa, he will continue to inspire students through his example of service and dedication.”

To fulfill the mission of inspiring students, staff, faculty and guests at OSUTulsa, Matthews’ Purple Heart is currently on display in a glass case in the OSUTulsa Student Union, surrounded by other accolades and memorabilia belonging to the university.

“If you give a Purple Heart, you just can’t get another one,” Matthews said. “It has an everlasting impact.”

After completing his time with the Army, Matthews headed home to Tulsa to pursue a career in business. He used his G.I. Bill benefits to enroll at TCC and graduated with an associate degree in 1997. From there he decided to complete his bachelor’s degree at OSU-Tulsa.

“I was really close to campus,” Matthews said. “I used to walk to class every now and then. Sometimes I had to take my daughter up with me, and I’d have her hang out in the library while I worked.”

During his time at OSU-Tulsa, Matthews continued to work and raise his daughter. The act of balancing classes on top of the other responsibilities in his life wasn’t easy. At one point in his education, he felt like giving up — but one of his professors gave him the push he needed to keep at it.

“I had missed a few weeks of class and was sick with chickenpox the week before a big presentation when my professor, Dr. Henry Migliore, called me up and wanted to know where I’d been,” Matthews said. “Even after I told him I couldn’t do it, he insisted he’d see me on Monday — so I showed up.”

Matthews put together the assignment, got the transparencies for the overhead projector and delivered his presentation on time. With encouragement from his professor, he passed the class with a B. “After that, I took every class he had. He demonstrated that he really cared, and that impacted me. He took the time to call me and tell me what I ought to do,” Matthews said.

A SYMBOL OF SERVICE

“A lot of people know about the Purple Heart, but how many people have seen one? OSUTulsa provided me with the opportunity to show the world what I have. Now I want to give something back to OSU-Tulsa.”

— Cpl. Shannon Matthews

See video from the ceremony at okla.st/PurpleHeart.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 55

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Honoring Heritage through Food and Advocacy OSU alumna’s professional career focuses on nutrition and leads to scholarship

F

or Tambra Raye Stevenson, food is a way to reconnect with her heritage, especially when it’s prepared in a healthy and nutritious way.

Stevenson’s journey as a nationally respected nutrition and health communications expert as well as founder and CEO of Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics and Agriculture (WANDA), began in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Now, she resides in Washington, D.C. A trusted voice in the nutrition field, Stevenson was recently appointed to the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board by the United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. A sought-after guest for national news segments, Stevenson has spoken at various universities, on the TedTalk stage and more. A 2002 Oklahoma State University graduate, Stevenson credits her credibility and influence to her Oklahoma upbringing and OSU education.

Recognized as the 2016 OSU Diversity Hall of Fame Rising Star, Stevenson began her academic career on merit scholarships, which afforded her the opportunity to study nutritional sciences.

Inspired by the generosity of others, Stevenson recently created the WANDA Scholarship at OSU. “I always knew someone had to advocate on behalf of students in order for me to be at OSU. I never lost sight of that,” she said.

Established in 2016, WANDA’s mission is to develop a pipeline and platform to inspire women and girls in Africa and the United States to improve their communities through food systems education and advocacy.

The WANDA Endowed Scholarship — in concert with the organization’s work — supports Black female students studying agriculture, dietetics and nutritional sciences. Scholarship recipients receive financial support and mentorship aimed at empowering them to help their communities reconnect with their African heritage and culinary customs.

A social media message from an OSU nutritional sciences major propelled Stevenson to create the WANDA scholarship last year.

“She wanted to do a class assignment about me after learning about WANDA,” Stevenson said. “I learned about her background and how much of a struggle it was to be in college. Even though she was there, her parents didn’t necessarily support it.”

Perplexed by this student’s dilemma, Stevenson reflected on her own experiences and her philosophy on education.

“I always saw education as a passport to freedom,” she said. “To know her story made it very real to me that people need help. And it’s just not money. They need someone to believe in them, and it was from that moment that I knew I needed to set up this scholarship.”

While at OSU, Stevenson didn’t always plan to pursue nutritional sciences. She was a biology and pre-medicine major, but after a summer at Baylor Medical at Texas Children’s Hospital, she became familiar with the world “beyond Betty Crocker and how we think about nutrition and home economics,” she said.

“It was then that I saw food and nutrition as a science, and it really captivated me,” she said.

She returned to OSU the following fall and worked in the labs researching nutrition in the College of Education and Human Sciences.

Stevenson spent summers at various locations, including University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health and in the Dominican Republic.

“I have been deeply shaped by my work at OSU and the research programs. All those experiences helped shape my focus to realize that I was really more passionate about the issues of community and public health than being in a hospital.”

TAMBRA RAYE STEVENSON

STORY SAMANTHA HARDY | PHOTO CRYSTALE VALE SPEARMAN

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 57

Tambra Raye Stevenson, 2002 OSU alumna and WANDA founder and CEO, began the endowed WANDA scholarship last year.

Dr. Barbara Stoecker — regents professor in nutritional sciences and Marilynn Thoma Chair in the College of Education and Human Sciences — remembered Stevenson as a strong student with an interest in international work. Stoecker taught Stevenson in a metabolism class and served as the department head during Tambra’s tenure at OSU. Stoecker and Stevenson’s paths crossed more than a decade later while at a conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where Stevenson was appointed as the first-ever North American representative for the African Nutrition Society.

“It was a pretty big deal that she was appointed by the African Nutrition Society as their delegate to North America,” Stoecker said. “They never had a delegate as far as I know.”

Stevenson then earned a master’s in health communications from Tufts University. Her education was funded in part by a program through the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“The program was to help build more diverse pipelines,” she said. “My research ended up looking at the diversity in the health professions and how technology, like health career websites,

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was recruiting and retaining more minorities in health professions.”

After graduating from Tufts, Stevenson settled in Washington, D.C. She was accepted into a competitive management training program for the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services for two years, which had a tremendous impact on her life.

“I gained a lot of diverse experience working on everything from tribal affairs to diabetes issues and small businesses,” she said. “I was learning all the working functions of the agency at the headquarter level.”

This position had a significant financial impact on Stevenson, as well. She was able to pay off her grad school debt, which allowed her to explore ways to give back.

A SEASON OF SELF-DISCOVERY After graduating from Tufts and following her father’s tragic death, she administered a DNA test, which led her to reconnect with her Fulani heritage in Nigeria. This journey compelled her to create the connections she sought, which led to the creation of WANDA.

PHOTO BADR EL HARDAG

“There are people who need a sense of community. There are other Black women who don’t realize they aren’t learning about cultural foods that can be healthy,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson said the ramifications of an unhealthy diet are often especially dire in Black communities. Families are plagued with chronic diseases and death. She stressed that education and representation are needed.

“We are literally killing ourselves with our forks,” Stevenson said. “But how were we to know?

The number stands at about 2.7 percent of African Americans in nutrition and dietetics. And that number has been declining.”

Stevenson illustrated how preparing greens, a popular food tradition, can be done in a healthy way. WANDA believes millions of food sheroes, a term for women and girls educating and advocating in their communities, can maintain their heritage while healing their bodies.

“A pot of greens would sit and cook forever, but we never drank the greens’ juice,” she said.

“Studying nutrition, we know that water-soluble vitamins and all of the nutrients are leaked into the water. So, instead let’s lightly saute our greens and still add the peppers, onions and seasoning so you’re not overcooking the greens to the point that they’re dead.

“The whole point of food is to give us life to extend our life.”

Stevenson and WANDA are focused on developing multisectoral partnerships as they move forward to grow the scholarship and expand WANDA’s work. The Food Shero Freedom Fund and corporate partners, like Whole30 and The Ginger Network, support the WANDA scholarship.

“Whole30 was one of those supporters who came through to make that first investment,” she said. “I talked directly with [Whole30 CEO] Melissa Urban, who is based in Utah, and she said, ‘you know we want to do more than just this scholarship. We want to truly be a partner with WANDA.’” Stevenson is recruiting more sponsors to grow the scholarship at OSU and other universities.

Her hope is that WANDA’s impact reaches communities across the country and world.

Last fall, the WANDA scholarship was awarded to OSU sophomore Valeze Law-Vaughn, a nutritional sciences and pre-medicine major. She was honored and excited to be the first recipient.

“The scholarship will lessen the financial stress.

It makes it easier to pay for my sorority and tuition,” Law-Vaughn said. “I just want to say ‘thank you.’ It has been amazing.”

Stoecker is impressed with Stevenson’s desire to address the needs of students and the field of nutrition.

Dr. Jason F. Kirksey presents Stevenson with the 2016 OSU Diversity Hall of Fame Rising Star award.

Little WANDA, a plush doll concept, received patent approval last fall.

“She sees the value in setting up the scholarship,” Stoecker said. “It’s remarkable that she has done this at a fairly young age.”

Another avenue for Stevenson’s message is her Little WANDA books — a series of bilingual children’s books in English and African languages.

The main character, Little WANDA, uses food to heal her family. The books include recipes, food sheroes and activities for children.

In September, she learned that the patent of Little WANDA, a doll concept for children, was approved.

“Creativity is the secret sauce in the kitchen,” she said. “We want children to see themselves as food sheroes like Little WANDA. Ultimately, we want to make an intergenerational impact.”

PHOTO (TOP) GARY LAWSON | PHOTO (BOTTOM) BADR EL HARDAG

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 59

A White Curve Hem Tee Cheetah Cowboys S-XL | $27 B Orange Corded Crew Pokes S-XL | $60 C White Washed Terry Crop Hood Tee S-XL | $54 D OSU Corkcicle 20 oz. Sport Canteen $47.95 E Uscape Black Cropped Hoodie Pete S-XL | $58 F Orange Vintage Hoody OS Cowboy S-XL | $64 G Black Clothesline Crop Long Sleeve Tee S-XL | $36 H Grey Spot Wash Tee State S-XL | $32

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ALUMNI A S S O C I AT I O N

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With flexible degree programs and all the support and services of an in-person degree, Oklahoma State University provides a one-of-a-kind online graduate experience.

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ONCE A COWBOY, ALWAYS A COWBOY Learn more at osuonline.okstate.edu

Energizing

the

future

The Hamm Institute for American Energy at Oklahoma State University aims to cement Oklahoma’s legacy as an energy leader and empower the next generation of innovators.

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STORY MACK BURKE | PHOTOS GARY LAWSON AND MACK BURKE

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 63

The future of American energy

RUNS through Oklahoma State University.

On Dec. 15, legislators, business leaders, media members and OSU leadership flocked to Oklahoma City for a special announcement — one that would mean a bold re-imagining of what the future holds for OSU, the state, the nation and beyond.

“Today we are sitting in a state-of-the-art facility that was first built in 2016,” OSU President Kayse Shrum told the crowd. “And now, we’re proud to announce the long-term plan for the future of this building … the Hamm Institute for American Energy at Oklahoma State University.”

Cheers erupted from the gallery while orange and white confetti rained down. Joined by Pistol Pete and the OSU Pom Squad, members of the Cowboy Marching Band launched into “The Waving Song.” It was a moment worthy of celebration, one engineered by a combined $50 million gift from the Harold Hamm Foundation and Continental Resources. Forecasting the future of energy is a challenge, but The Hamm Institute’s mission is clear: to educate the next generation of energy leaders, cementing Oklahoma’s legacy as a global energy leader.

The initial funding for the institute and project will be a gift of $50 million — $25 million from the Harold Hamm Foundation and $25 million from Continental Resources. Shrum called the creation of the new institute a “watershed moment” that will amplify the power of research and industry.

“The generous gifts from Harold Hamm and Continental Resources to establish the Hamm Institute for American Energy will have a transformative impact on OSU and the energy sector worldwide. With a state-of-the art lab featuring wells drilled below the building, an auditorium, and classrooms, this building is fit for purpose,” Shrum said. “Mr. Hamm’s and Continental’s generosity will bring together the brightest minds and future energy sector leaders from around the world, all with a goal of solving one of society’s most pressing concerns. Together, we

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will change the trajectory of energy security in the United States.”

The Hamm Institute will be located in what was formerly known as OSU DISCOVERY, 300 NE 9th St. in the Oklahoma City Innovation District, and will become the primary and permanent occupant of the building. The Hamm Institute will become the center of all things American energy, hosting symposiums, authors, speakers, energy summits and global energy leadership conversations.

The building will eventually house the Oklahoma Hall of Energy Legends Interactive Museum, a public exhibit highlighting the history and storied legacy of Oklahoma’s great energy leaders. Gov. Kevin Stitt noted during the announcement celebration that Hamm is certainly among them.

Stitt said it was a great day to be an Oklahoman, and, of course, a great day to be a Cowboy.

“This is a transformational moment for Oklahoma and our people,” he said. “Oklahoma is an energy state and Harold is our energy icon. This collaboration between one of our great universities and one of our most innovative and successful energy companies and entrepreneurs will raise the bar for American energy innovation.”

A native Oklahoman, Hamm is recognized as a national leader and staunch advocate of America’s domestic oil and natural gas industry. He has spent over five and a half decades in the industry, from starting his own oil services business to founding energy exploration and production giant Continental Resources. He said his motivation for the donation is rooted in his desire to help secure the nation’s energy and economic security. He said the Hamm Institute will work to ensure the United

States leads the world when it comes to advancing innovation and technology while responsibly producing and meeting the nation’s energy needs for decades to come.

“It’s time, once again, for Oklahoma to become a global energy leader,” Hamm said. “It’s my hope the world will look to us for the best ideas when it comes to energy stewardship, research, and education. This gift is about investing in our shared future — the future of our country and the state and people I love.

“I see the institute as a game changer — a place where the best and the brightest will come together to responsibly solve the world’s energy challenges. A third of the world lives in energy poverty. We need to fix that. And we need to make sure Americans will always have an abundance of reliable, affordable energy for generations to come.”

In acknowledgement of Continental’s contributions, the building’s concourse and auditorium was renamed the Continental Resources Concourse and Continental Resources Auditorium. The program fund supporting the institute also will be named in recognition of Continental.

Continental Resources CEO Bill Berry said the goal of American energy independence would not be possible without leadership, research, innovation and execution. He said he looks forward to collaborating with industry leaders, experts and the standout students at OSU to make significant progress in securing America’s energy independence. It all starts with leadership, he said.

Building a legacy in innovation JULY 28, 2020 OSU announces technology collaboration with Baker Hughes and the donation of the Baker Hughes Energy Innovation Center located in the Innovation District east of downtown Oklahoma City.

OCT. 1, 2020 OSU Engineering students get first tour of OSU new facility.

DEC. 17, 2020 OSU unveils new name for facility: OSU DISCOVERY. SUMMER, 2021 OSU DISCOVERY plays host to STEM camps organized by the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology.

AUG, 18, 2021 OSU announces launch of Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education.

DEC. 15, 2021 The Harold Hamm Foundation and Continental Resources announce a combined $50 million gift to create the Hamm Institute for American Energy at Oklahoma State University.

JAN. 31, 2022 Hamm Institute hosts launch announcement for new DOD Counter-UAS (unmanned aerial systems) Center of Excellence (COE).

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I see the institute as a game changer — a place where the best and the brightest will come together to responsibly solve the world’s energy challenges.”

— HAROLD HAMM

“We look forward to working side by side with OSU to fulfill this mission,” he said. “The Hamm Institute belongs right here in Oklahoma, not only as a celebration of our past … but also as a beacon for the future.

“It is part of the Continental mission — to find, nurture and inspire the next generation of energy leaders. We envision the Hamm Institute for American Energy to be the center of learning, research and energy innovation for decades to come.”

Dr. Shrum further detailed the vision for the Hamm Institute in a Journal Record op-ed, calling it a “nexus of interdisciplinary innovation and will amplify the power of research and industry.”

“With world-class faculty joined by industry thought leaders and the bright minds of our students, we have the potential to change the world.

Sustainable energy security is possible, if only we will work together. Secure energy solutions are possible, if only we will listen to each other,” Shrum said.

“Imagine if you will, what’s possible when preeminent thinkers from the energy sector converge on Oklahoma City to put their heads together to create positive change. Imagine what is possible when undergraduate and graduate students, working alongside leading researchers, have an opportunity to pursue ideas to find research breakthroughs.

“Besides the progress in energy itself, the state will see an increase in workforce development.

From the innovations in the institute, I am confident new jobs in the energy sector will be created, and OSU will have the graduates qualified to fill them.”

The announcement of the creation of the Hamm Institute is on the heels of another landmark announcement — the creation of the Oklahoma

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Aerospace Institute for Research and Education — and just before yet another — the creation of the DOD Counter-UAS (unmanned aerial systems) Center of Excellence (COE).

OSU Senior Vice President of Operations Jerome Loughridge said it all adds up to significant momentum for the university, which is increasingly at the forefront of crucial Oklahoma industries, such as aerospace, energy, health care and teacher education.

“This is another major milestone for OSU, which doubles as a milestone for our state and for society at large,” he said. “When we talk about the landgrant mission, what we’re really talking about is our ability, as an institution, to put research to work for Oklahoma. It means innovation, collaboration and finding solutions to real-world problems. Energy is a ubiquitous need, and OSU is perfectly positioned to be a leader in this space.

We amplify the power of research, and this new institute will be at the center of energy innovation in Oklahoma for decades to come.”

OSU Foundation President Blaire Atkinson said these kinds of gifts go a long way to supporting the university, but they also are immensely important for supporting our state.

“Giving is about a vision for the future and creating a legacy that will live on. That’s the power of higher education, particularly a land-grant institution like OSU, which has a presence in all 77 counties in Oklahoma,” she said. “Support for OSU cascades into support for innovation, economic growth and, in this case, a global energy hub in Oklahoma City at the OKC Innovation District.

When it comes to turning dollars into real impact, Orange is the Answer.”

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KARNS WORKS HIS WAY UP TO PGA CHAMPIONSHIP DIRECTOR When Bryan Karns entered Valhalla, he knew what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.

Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, that is.

Karns stood on the edge of the 17th green that September 2008 afternoon watching fellow Oklahoma State University alumnus Hunter Mahan sink a 40-foot putt that guaranteed he wouldn’t lose to England’s Paul Casey. Karns, then a hospitality staff member for the Ryder Cup, knew once Mahan made that putt, there was no chance Europe was coming back. The United States was going to win for the first time in nine years.

And they did it without Tiger Woods, who was recovering from a leg injury.

“Our guys were really underestimated that year,” Karns said. “And for me sitting there, just feeling that energy and being such a diehard Oklahoma State guy — having Hunter be there and be the guy that did it — I think that was probably one of the peak moments for me.”

Fourteen years later, Karns is now a championship director for the PGA of America. For the past couple of years, the Stillwater native has had chances to return to Oklahoma, for the 2021 Senior PGA Championship and this year’s PGA Championship — both at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa.

STORY JORDAN BISHOP | PHOTOS GARY LAWSON AND MARY ELIZABETH CORDIA

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GOLF SCHOOL

OSU’s collegiate success paves way to pro tour

OSU alumnus Bryan Karns and wife Ashlie, an OSU alumna, with Bob Tway's PGA Championship trophy at a Cowboy football game.

Southern Hills was originally supposed to host the PGA Championship — one of golf’s four majors alongside the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open — in 2030, but was moved up to 2022 on short notice last year.

For Karns, it has been quite an undertaking, as he is in charge of most planning for the tournament. Luckily, the senior tournament last May served as a primer of sorts.

“I think one of the great things about my job is that every day is different,” Karns said. “One day, I’m trying to find a parking lot for people. The next day, I’m recruiting volunteers.

The next day, I’m sitting down with the CEO of, let’s say, ONEOK, talking about a significant investment from them.

And so you get up every day with something new. And that’s probably what I enjoy the most.”

While Southern Hills has hosted the PGA Championship a record five times — along with three U.S. Open tournaments — it hasn’t been home to a major tournament since 2007, when Woods won by two strokes.

“You’re talking about 15 years and it’s unlikely to host another one for another seven to 10 years,” Karns said. “So you really look at it as a once-in-a-25-year type event.”

Karns embraces the challenge, though. When he was first getting into the business as a media relations intern at OSU, he was known as the guy who would get things done.

A journalism major, Karns covered the Cowboy football team for the O’Colly, but quickly realized he would rather work on the other side so he could cheer and wear his orange and black proudly.

About the same time, Senior Associate Athletic Director Kevin Klintworth had come to Stillwater from the University of California-Berkeley. He was starting late and since it was only coach Mike Gundy’s second year, Klintworth needed some student workers who were quick on their feet.

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For years, Cowboy and Cowgirl golf alumni have found great success on the PGA and LPGA Tours, but their preparation for those events begins long before they tee it up professionally for the first time.

“We have lots of guys to point to that have lived out that same dream,” Oklahoma State men’s golf coach Alan Bratton said. “That empowers kids to think that they can do it. It also empowers me as a coach to encourage kids to be coachable, to work and to listen. If they do all those things, they can live out that dream, as well.”

The culture of the Cowboy and Cowgirl golf programs helps prepare current student athletes for life on tour, both on and off the course. A player’s skills are a major part of their success as a professional golfer, but how they carry themselves off the course and their work ethic is something both Bratton and OSU women’s golf coach Greg Robertson stress to athletes during their time in Stillwater.

“Whether it’s in the golf world, the business world or just being a parent, we feel it is our job to prepare them for that,” Robertson said. “We focus on personal responsibility, discipline and accountability. We want them

STORY WILL CARR | PHOTOS COURTESY OF PGA AND BRUCE WATERFIELD

to learn to work hard and have the right attitude in everything that they do. All of that can carry over into any aspect of life.”

OSU’s most recent major winner came on the LPGA Tour with Pernilla Lindberg clinching the 2018 ANA Inspiration and Cowgirl golf came close to giving OSU its first female NCAA championship in 2021, finishing as national runner-up.

The impact the OSU golf programs have on players can be seen in the success they have achieved on the course in recent years. There are Cowboys and Cowgirls near the top of professional leaderboards nearly every week, including up-and-comer Matthew Wolff.

Wolff was a freshman on the Cowboys’ 11th national championship team in 2018, which OSU won on its home course of Karsten Creek Golf Club. He has taken what he has learned to the PGA Tour.

Wolff won his first PGA Tour event in July 2019 at the 3M Open and nearly gave Cowboy golf its first major winner in over 30 years when he finished second at the 2020 US Open and tied for fourth at the 2020 PGA Championship.

“WHEN YOU THROW IN HOW INCREDIBLE OKLAHOMA STATE GOLF IS … IT’S DEFINITELY ADDED AN EXTRA LAYER OF EXCITEMENT.” “Coach Gundy was brand new to being the head coach, coming off a 4-7 season, so there were a lot of different things to balance,” Klintworth said. “And those student workers were a luxury. I just didn’t have those kinds of students at Berkeley. I had intelligent kids, but they weren’t really just dying for the experience that someone like Bryan was. He was really anxious to learn as much as he could in a short amount of time.”

Karns knew from his time at OSU that he wanted to go into sports, but didn’t know what route he would take. When an offer to work at that 2008 Ryder Cup emerged, he jumped at the chance.

He had played golf around Stillwater growing up, mainly at the Country Club with his favorite course being Cimarron Trails in Perkins, Oklahoma. However, he knew early on he wasn’t going to one day be playing on a Sunday in a major.

“This upcoming PGA Championship in May is obviously like a 15-years-full-circle moment,” Karns said. “Because it was that summer of ’08 that I did the internship at the PGA I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ It was like one of those lightbulb moments … I didn’t really know these jobs existed or nobody had sort of clued me in that you could go work for the golf industry and not necessarily have to be good at golf. I’m a 15 handicap. I like playing golf. I’m not a great golfer and fortunately, that’s not a prerequisite for my position.”

Karns returned to OSU to get his master’s degree following the Ryder Cup and spent a year working for the Tulsa Shock, the city’s then-WNBA team, for a year. He then received an offer to come back to the PGA of America to work in corporate sales for the 2012 Ryder Cup in the Chicago area.

Since then, Karns has continued to build his resume, going from tournament to tournament every couple of years.

Tulsa is the sixth place he and his wife, Ashlie, who is also an OSU alumnus, have lived during his time in the industry.

Karns said roaming the country has been interesting, to say the least.

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Karns’ first championship director role came at the 2015 Senior PGA Championship, which required the couple to live in French Lick, Indiana, for a few years.

“Larry Bird was from there and that’s really the only thing there,” Karns said.

He went on to serve as director for two more senior PGA championships — 2017 in the Washington, D.C., area and 2019 in Rochester, New York — before coming back to Tulsa.

Through it all, Karns said Ashlie has been a rock, even as the Okie couple has rolled all over the country. When this year’s tournament is over, the couple will move to Charlotte, North Carolina, to prepare for the 2025 PGA Championship.

“She has really made that sacrifice and she has always been my biggest supporter and knowing that this is an opportunity for me that’s not going to probably last forever,” Karns said. “I think I have been very fortunate to be married and find someone who is so willing to support this and be a part of it.”

Karns recognizes how special it is that he works in a field where his alma mater is so prevalent, as well.

He played football with Josh Fields at Stillwater High School and loved watching Robin Ventura play baseball. He bleeds orange and black. He knows an OSU men’s golfer has only won one

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Wolff said he draws on his experiences at OSU to help him throughout his professional career.

“Oklahoma State is the best golf program in the country,” Wolff said. “The legacy is unlike anything I’ve seen. I immediately connected with Coach Bratton and assistant coach [Donnie] Darr. I knew their leadership, the impressive practice facilities and access to Karsten Creek would help me develop into the best player I could be.”

In addition to the instruction and the facilities OSU provides, Bratton recognizes a big piece of his job in facilitating the success of his players is surrounding them with teammates who will always push them forward.

“The culture of excellence here allows us to surround them with other really good players,” Bratton said. “That is the best resource we can provide. We surround them with players that are like-minded. They will dream big and work hard.”

Players also remain connected and drive each other toward success after they leave campus. This connection helps fuel competition and a strong bond thanks to the closeness of the Cowboy family.

“It’s motivating, for sure,” Wolff said. “We have so many great players out on tour. We are all still very competitive with one another, which makes us better.”

COWBOYS ON TOUR Kevin Dougherty Austin Eckroat Rickie Fowler Talor Gooch Morgan Hoffman Viktor Hovland Charles Howell III Hunter Mahan Jordan Niebrugge Alex Norén Kevin Tway Peter Uihlein Bo Van Pelt Kristoffer Ventura Scott Verplank Casey Wittenberg Matthew Wolff Willie Wood

major — Bob Tway at the 1986 PGA Championship — but Karns believes with the number of Cowboy golfers on tour now — around 15 at any given time — another will be coming soon.

He hopes it can happen at Southern Hills in May. With how excited Oklahomans are to host a major in Tulsa again, an OSU golfer taking home the trophy would be the cherry on top.

“Oklahoma is such a great golf state. It’s got a great history of golf,” Karns said. “I think the number of courses and just the people playing in the state is obviously very high and then I think when you throw in how incredible Oklahoma State golf is … it’s definitely added an extra layer of excitement, I think, when you talk to people, particularly Oklahoma State fans, having that opportunity to to go see Rickie Fowler, Matt Wolfe, Viktor Hovland and Talor Gooch is huge.”

Speaking of opportunity, Klintworth said Karns’ success is one of the many stories he tells student workers every year.

“I feel like we put a lot of people in position to get that first job,” Klintworth said. “And then it’s just their skill level, their training, their experience that helps them become successful in the real world. And Bryan’s got a big, big job. Running that tournament is a big thing.

“I am very happy for him, very happy for us. Glad to see his efforts paying off. … We obviously have great admiration for what he’s done.”

See more about Bryan Karns at okla.st/karns.

COWGIRLS ON TOUR Caroline Hedwall Linnea Johansson Pernilla Lindberg Caroline Masson

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New York Philharmonic GALA CONCERT

Tickets on sale this summer

SEPTEMBER 23

A musical celebration featuring 100 OSU students performing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy with the New York Philharmonic

Featuring

GIL SHAHAM, violin

CONRAD TAO, piano

SEPT. 23-25, 2022

BOX OFFICE HOURS: MON-FRI 9 A.M. - 4 P.M. AND TWO HOURS BEFORE SHOW TIME.

McKnightCenter.org | Box Office (405) 744-9999 705 W UNIVERSITY AVE, STILLWATER, OK 74074

2021 2022

The Oklahoma State University Alumni Association recognized 51 students as OSU Seniors of Significance for the 2021-2022 academic year.

The Seniors of Significance Award recognizes students who have excelled in scholarship, leadership and service to campus and community and have brought distinction to OSU. The Seniors of Significance are listed below with their hometown and major.

Reed Aldridge, finance, Perkins, Oklahoma Kase Anderson, finance and management information systems, Ponca City, Oklahoma* Shamara Arias, economics and Spanish, Tulsa Makenna Beesley, recreational therapy, Conway Springs, Kansas Lora Boggs, accounting, Edmond, Oklahoma* Elizabeth Burks, human nutrition and biology, Amarillo, Texas* Ashlea Cole, communication sciences and disorders, Oklahoma City* Payton David, nutritional sciences, Elk City, Oklahoma Jaci Deitrick, agribusiness and psychology, Newcastle, Oklahoma Kylie Dowers, industrial engineering and management, Edmond, Oklahoma Macey Drullinger, strategic communications, Tulsa* Natali Edwards, biochemistry, microbiology/ cell and molecular biology, Edmond, Oklahoma Carson Elmore, electrical engineering, Oklahoma City* Abigail Ferrell, psychology, philosophy and political science, Edmond, Oklahoma Kassandra Gaona, psychology and Spanish, Tulsa Leslie Garza, psychology, Muskogee, Oklahoma Ashley Gin, biochemistry and molecular biology, Oklahoma City Jillian Gore, zoology, Pryor, Oklahoma

Amarie Griffeth, agricultural communications and agribusiness, Cushing, Oklahoma Zachary Hall, fire protection and safety engineering technology, Arlington, Texas* Dawson Haworth, aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering, Fairview, Oklahoma* Mallory King, hospitality and tourism management, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma* Brianna Lake, accounting, Piedmont, Oklahoma Jacob Lewellen, chemical engineering, Augusta, Kansas Bobby Marchy, agricultural communications, Ceres, California* Kade McBryde, management and economics, Stratford, Texas Emile Mittelstaedt, agricultural communications, Amber, Oklahoma* Kayli Nail, pre-medical biology, Newcastle, Oklahoma Brooke Orr, physiology, Frederick, Oklahoma* Reagan Page, political science and global studies, Lake Ozark, Missouri Connor Pivateau, finance, Houston Emma Queen, music education, Wichita, Kansas Nathan Ratcliff, finance and accounting, Amber, Oklahoma Daniel Reed, biochemistry and microbiology, Sapulpa, Oklahoma* Tatum Richardson, psychology, Edmond, Oklahoma

STORY WILL CARR | PHOTO GENESEE PHOTO SYSTEMS

Grace Rykard, architecture, Edmond, Oklahoma Claire Sheppard, plant and soil science, Biggs, California* Aarushi Singh, computer engineering, Tulsa Grant Sisk, finance, Grapevine, Texas Parker Smith, accounting, Tulsa* Taylor Stoll, mechanical engineering, Woodward, Oklahoma Bree Taylor, agribusiness, Kingfisher, Oklahoma* Dezavia Taylor, university studies, Oklahoma City Collin Thornton, electrical engineering and computer engineering, Duncan, Oklahoma Keona Marie Tidwell, applied exercise science, Lawton, Oklahoma Emilie Tindle, history, Bartlesville, Oklahoma Elizabeth Toles, music education and music performance, Stilwell, Kansas Alexis Vance, chemical, mechanical and aerospace engineering, Overland Park, Kansas* Leigh Welch, sociology, political science, Mannford, Oklahoma Caylynn White-Frierson, design, housing and merchandising, Keller, Texas William Yadon, entrepreneurship and marketing, Woodward, Oklahoma*

*Denotes Alumni Association Life Member

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Outstanding SENI RS 2021–2022 The OSU Alumni Association is proud to honor 19 students with the 2021-2022 OUTSTANDING SENIORS AWARD. This award recognizes students who distinguish themselves through academic achievements; campus and community activities; academic, athletic and extracurricular honors and awards; scholarships; and work ethic. After reviewing the students’ applications, the Alumni Association Student Awards Committee met with 48 Seniors of Significance who were announced in November and selected 19 for this prestigious honor.

*Denotes Alumni Association Life Member

KASE ANDERSON* Ponca City, Oklahoma Finance and management information systems

SHAMARA ARIAS Tulsa Economics and Spanish

ASHLEA COLE* Yukon, Oklahoma Communication sciences and disorders

ABIGAIL FERRELL Edmond, Oklahoma Psychology, philosophy and political science

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During his time at OSU, Anderson served as president of the Interfraternity Council and president of Sigma Phi Epsilon. He was the vice president of fundraising for CowboyThon and facilitator for the President’s Leadership Council. Anderson was also named a Sigma Phi Epsilon Ruck Leadership Institute Scholar.

After graduation, Anderson plans to move to Tulsa and work as an outside sales representative for Paycom.

While at OSU, Arias studied abroad at the University of Valencia in Spain and was named a 2021-22 Outstanding Senior by the Department of Languages and Literatures.

She also served as an economics supplemental instruction leader and was a member of the Spanish Club. Arias was also

the professional chair and coach for the Mr. and Miss Hispanic/Latinx OSU Scholarship Pageant.

During her time at OSU, Cole served as a coordinator for the Freshman Representative Council and was a member of President’s Partners. She was also named a Watson Family Foundation scholar. Cole was a member of the Student Foundation and served as an alumni ambassador for the Alumni Association.

After graduation, Cole plans to move to Houston to start speech pathology graduate school.

During her time at OSU, Ferrell was the chair of the Student Volunteer Center and volunteer coordinator for the Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps. She was named Philosophy Junior of the Year and was an Oklahoma State Scholars’ Society Fellow.

Ferrell also served as a research assistant for the Social and Evolutionary Psychology Lab.

After graduation, Ferrell plans to attend law school and hopes to one day be a federal judge.

After graduation, Arias plans to attend graduate school to obtain a master’s degree in economics. She hopes to work for a technology company as a financial analyst.

STORY WILL CARR | PHOTOS GARY LAWSON

LESLIE M. GARZA Muskogee, Oklahoma Psychology

ASHLEY LAUREL GIN Oklahoma City Biochemistry and molecular biology

ZACHARY HALL* Arlington, Texas Fire protection and safety engineering technology

DAWSON HAWORTH* Fairview, Oklahoma Mechanical and aerospace engineering

BOBBY MARCHY* Ceres, California Agricultural communications

While at OSU, Garza was a founder of the Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority Inc. and was a member of OKSTATE Rowing. She was an undergraduate research assistant on emotions and cognition in the Health Lab. Garza was a virtual flash talk poster presentation top placement winner at the

Diversifying Clinical Psychology Conference and received a general honors award from OSU.

While at OSU, Gin was named a National Barry M. Goldwater Scholar and served as the mental health awareness director for the Student Government Association. She was named an OSU Cambridge Scholar and OSU Niblack Research Scholar. Gin was also an Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Fleming Scholar.

After graduation, Gin will pursue biological engineering research. She also will be seeking a dual Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Ph.D. program.

During his time at OSU, Hall served as the fire marshal’s intern at the Stillwater Fire Department and a Ruff Rider student volunteer for Pete’s Pet Posse. He worked as a firefighter, EMT and department training officer for the Yale Volunteer Fire Department. Hall was past secretary and past rookie advisor for the Fire Protection Society and was named to the President’s Honor Roll every semester.

After graduation, Hall plans to seek fulltime employment with a municipal fire department in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. He hopes to continue his education to obtain his paramedic license and a master’s degree in fire or emergency management administration.

During his time at OSU, Haworth was named a Mortar Board Top Ten Freshman Male and an Air Force ROTC Field Training Distinguished Graduate. He was a member of the OSU Homecoming Royalty Court and a member of the Order of Omega Honor Society. Haworth also received a Wentz Research Grant.

After graduation, Haworth will commission as an officer in the United States Air Force and attend fighter pilot training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas.

While at OSU, Marchy served as vice president of Alpha Gamma Rho and was an ambassador for the Ferguson College of Agriculture. He was also a member of both the Oklahoma Agriculture Leadership Encounter and the McKnight Scholars Leadership Program. Marchy was the show director for the Alpha Gamma Rho Winter Bonanza Livestock Show, as well.

After graduation, Marchy plans to use the skills he learned at OSU and from growing up in production agriculture to pursue a career in agricultural sales.

After graduation, Garza plans to pursue a post-baccalaureate in psychology followed by graduate school to obtain a Ph.D. in psychology.

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EMILE MITTELSTAEDT* Amber, Oklahoma Agricultural communications

NATHANIEL RATCLIFF Amber, Oklahoma Finance and accounting

AARUSHI SINGH Tulsa Computer engineering

TAYLOR DANIELLE STOLL Woodward, Oklahoma Mechanical engineering

BREE TAYLOR* Kingfisher, Oklahoma Agribusiness

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During her time at OSU, Mittelstaedt was a member of the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Encounter Class XIX. She was named the 2020 Karen Irey Panhellenic Member of the Year and received the National Kappa Delta Foundation MeritBased Scholarship. Mittelstaedt served as youth commissioner for the Oklahoma Service Commission for Gov. Kevin Stitt and

was named a 2019 Mortar Board Top Ten Freshman Woman.

During his time at OSU, Ratcliff served as president and chaplain for his fraternity.

He was a President’s Leadership Council facilitator and won the Spears Case Competition. Ratcliff also won second place in the Tulsa Portfolio Challenge with his student-managed investment fund class and led small groups through the Table College ministry.

After graduation, Ratcliff plans to either stay in Stillwater for another year at OSU to receive a master’s degree in accounting or accept a job offer.

While at OSU, Singh served as president of the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Student Council. She was a court appointed special advocate for children and was named a W.W. Allen Scholar. Singh was also a Bailey Family Memorial Trust recipient for study abroad and received an advanced honors degree from OSU.

After graduation, Singh will be pursuing a master’s degree in management at the University of Cambridge in England.

During her time at OSU, Danielle Stoll served as an Edmon Low Library First Generation College Student Mentor and was an academic tutor for the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology.

She was named an Army Basic Training Soldier of the Cycle and served as a power generation equipment specialist and soldier

in the Oklahoma Army National Guard. Stoll also completed undergraduate research for the Steam Electrification Project at Colorado State University.

During her time at OSU, Taylor served as president of Aggie-X, the Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Club. She was a member of Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Encounter Class XIX and served as youth livestock intern for the Department of Animal and Food Sciences.

Taylor received an American FFA degree

and served as a student mentor for Stillwater Public Schools.

After graduation, Mittelstaedt plans to work full time for the Oklahoma Youth Expo in Oklahoma City.

After graduation, Stoll plans to continue her education in the mechanical engineering Ph.D. program at CSU’s Powerhouse Energy Campus.

After graduation, Taylor plans to pursue a master’s degree in agriculture and hopes to stay involved in the livestock show industry or the Department of Animal and Food Sciences.

KEONA MARIE TIDWELL Lawton, Oklahoma Applied exercise sciences

ELIZABETH TOLES Stilwell, Kansas Music education and music performance

ALEXIS VANCE* Overland Park, Kansas Chemical, mechanical and aerospace engineering

LEIGH TEAGAN WELCH Mannford, Oklahoma Sociology, political science and multidisciplinary studies

CAYLYNN WHITE-FRIERSON Keller, Texas Design, housing and merchandising

While at OSU, Tidwell was named Miss Black OSU 2020 and served as an activeduty Army infantry officer. She was the founder and president of Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority Inc. Tidwell was also an advocate for youth homelessness and supported the Girl-Up Philanthropy.

After graduation, Tidwell plans to commission in the active-duty Army and attend the Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia. She also hopes to attend Army Ranger School and a graduate program to become a physician’s assistant.

While at OSU, Toles was a drum major in the Cowboy Marching Band and performed in Argentina with the OSU Trombone Ensemble. She served as president of the OSU National Association for Music Education and vice president of membership for Sigma Alpha Iota.

Toles was also a member of the winning ensemble in the International Trombone

Association Kai Winding Jazz Trombone Ensemble Competition.

While at OSU, Vance was named a 2021 Goldwater Scholar and was a member of the NASA Pathways Program. She served as an Oklahoma Space Grant mentor and was chief engineer for the 2022 Speedfest Black Team. Vance was also a senator for the Student Government Association and the first undergraduate at OSU to triple major

in chemical, mechanical and aerospace engineering.

During her time at OSU, Welch served as a sociology research assistant for Dr. Corinne Schwarz and Dr. Heather McLaughlin. She was president of the OSU Ethics Bowl and vice president of Her Campus magazine.

Welch graduated with three honors degrees and served as a First-Gen Experience peer mentor.

After graduation, Welch will be attending the University of California-Berkeley to earn her Ph.D. in sociology with a designated emphasis in gender studies. She plans to pursue a career in academia as a professor.

While at OSU, White-Frierson was a member of the OSU Dance Company and was an ambassador for the College of Education and Human Sciences. She was a member of the College of Education and Human Sciences Emerging Leaders Program and received the Lead Orange

Award. White-Frierson also served on the President’s Leadership Council.

After graduation, Toles plans to attend graduate school for a master’s degree in music performance.

After graduation, Vance will be working at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston as a flight coordinator for the International Space Station.

After graduation, White-Frierson will be completing an internship in fashion merchandising.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 79

T

he OSU Alumni Association honored five new members of the Oklahoma State University Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Feb. 11 in the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center.

Larry and Kayleen Ferguson, Helen Hodges, Greg Massey and Wilson Pipestem all received the university’s highest honor.

Given annually, this prestigious award recognizes outstanding lifetime achievement in society and professional life.

WATCH THE EVENT

Visit okla.st/HOF2022 to watch the induction video for each honoree as well as the full ceremony.

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STORY WILL CARR | PHOTOS GENESEE PHOTO AND GARY LAWSON

LARRY AND KAYLEEN

Ferguson

In 1975, OSU’s Dairy Center brought Larry and Kayleen Ferguson together. The couple has been major OSU supporters ever since.

Larry graduated from OSU that same year with a degree in animal science. The couple married and moved to Utah where Larry began working for Schreiber Foods. Kayleen completed her studies as an English major at Utah State, though she considers herself a lifelong Cowgirl.

Schreiber Foods is the world’s largest employee-owned dairy company, and Larry spent his career with the company, moving from a production supervisor to CEO in 1999. Under his leadership, Schreiber grew from a U.S.based cheese manufacturer to an international dairy company that is the third-largest yogurt manufacturer and second-largest cream cheese producer in the world.

Kayleen has focused on her career as a language arts teacher while also raising the couple’s three sons — Bryant, Kyle and Stephen.

In 2006, Larry and Kayleen founded the Ferguson Family Foundation. One year later, Larry retired from Schreiber, but continued to serve as the company’s board chairman until 2019.

The Fergusons continue to be ardent OSU supporters. In 2000, they established the Larry and Kay Ferguson Dairy Foods Scholarship to provide an annual scholarship in the Department of Animal Science. In 2002, the department recognized Larry with the Graduate of Distinction Award, and the college followed suit in 2016 with its Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2014, the couple gave $2 million on behalf of the Ferguson Family Foundation and committed up to $4 million in matching support to build a state-of-the-art barn and renovate the OSU Dairy Center, which subsequently was renamed the Ferguson Family Dairy Center.

In January 2020, the Fergusons made one of the largest gifts in OSU history, donating $25 million to the New Frontiers campaign and $25 million to establish an endowment to support the operations of the newly named Ferguson College of Agriculture.

The Fergusons now operate and manage Maranatha Agriculture LLC in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. They enjoy being involved in helping high school seniors learn about the Bible through exploring Israel, as well as watching their seven grandchildren grow up.

The Fergusons are both life members of the OSU Alumni Association.

“Oklahoma State University leads in excellence in education, family and friends by a strong margin.”

K AY LEEN FERGUSON

“It truly is a privilege to be recognized by the Cowboy nation.”

LA RRY FERGUSON

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 81

HELEN

Hodges Helen J. Hodges graduated from OSU in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1983.

While at OSU, Hodges was a member of Mortar Board, Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Gamma Sigma and Beta Alpha Psi. She served on the Spears School of Business Student Council.

Hodges was also a member of the Flying Aggies Flight Team, which won top honors at the National Intercollegiate Flying Association competition in 1980.

Hodges specializes in securities fraud litigation and is currently of counsel at Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP. She has been involved in multiple securities class action suits — including Enron, where a record $7.2 billion recovery was obtained for investors.

In addition to her successful professional career, Hodges has given her time and resources to her alma mater and community. She served on the OSU Foundation’s Board of Trustees, is an OSU Foundation Governor and a member of the OSU POSSE. She also serves on the Mainly Mozart Advisory Board and Diversity Task Force.

Hodges has been involved in several transformational projects at OSU, including The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, the new building for Spears Business and also the New Frontiers campaign, which will create a new home for OSU Agriculture. She’s also an avid supporter of OSU athletics and has created and contributed to several scholarships.

Hodges was named a Top Lawyer in San Diego by San Diego Magazine from 20132019. She was also named Super Lawyer

by Super Lawyers Magazine in 2007 and received the highest rating possible from Martindale-Hubbell. In addition to her professional awards, Women for OSU named Hodges its Philanthropist of the Year in 2020.

Hodges resides in San Diego, California.

She enjoys playing piano and traveling.

Hodges is a life member of the OSU Alumni Association.

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“My degree in accounting from OSU has helped me get hired and perform in every job I’ve had.

OSU provided me with the tools for success.”

HELEN HODGES

GREG

Massey Greg Massey graduated from OSU in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He then graduated from the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking in 1993.

During his time at OSU, Massey was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity as well as DECA, which helps prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.

Massey currently serves as the CEO of First United Bank & Trust — a $12 billion financial services organization operating in 63 communities throughout Oklahoma and Texas. First United serves more than 300,000 customers through a network of community banks, mortgage offices, insurance agencies and wealth management locations.

In addition to his professional success, Massey serves as a board member for the Conscious Capitalism Organization, Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce, OSU Foundation and Imagine Durant. He is also an active member of YPO Gold and Victory Life Church.

Massey has served on the OSU/A&M Board of Regents, OSU Alumni Association Board of Directors, Gamma Delta Chapter Sigma Chi Housing Board, Oklahoma Bankers Association Board, Leadership Oklahoma Board and REI of Oklahoma Board. He also served as the chairman of the Durant Industrial Authority.

He has earned many awards and recognitions, both professionally and from his alma mater. In 2008, Ernst & Young named Massey their Southwest Region Entrepreneur of the Year. He has been inducted into the Spears School of Business Hall of Fame and named one of its top 100 graduates.

The Masseys have generously supported Oklahoma State with gifts to the new building for Spears Business, The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, OSU Athletics, various scholarships and have endowed the Greg Massey Professorship in Finance.

Massey and his wife, Kay, currently reside in Kingston, Oklahoma. They have three children — Corbin Massey, Blake Massey and Brooke Chilton and a son-in-law, Nathaniel.

Massey enjoys boating, fishing, wake surfing and snow skiing. He is also an avid sports and wine enthusiast.

Massey is a life member of the OSU Alumni Association.

“OSU shouldn’t be honoring me.

I should be honoring OSU.” GREG MASSEY

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 83

WILSON

Pipestem Wilson K. Pipestem graduated from OSU in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in English before earning his Juris Doctorate from Stanford in 1995.

Pipestem is a citizen of the OtoeMissouria Tribe, which is based in Red Rock, Oklahoma, and is of Osage and Potawatomi descent. He has dedicated his life and career to protecting tribal sovereignty and the rights of Native Americans.

While at OSU, he was president of the Native American Student Association and a scholarship athlete competing for OSU’s track and cross country teams.

Pipestem is the founding partner of the law firm Pipestem & Nagle, P.C., and founder of Ietan Consulting LLC. He has assisted tribal nations with reacquiring former tribal lands back into the tribal land base, reaffirming reservation boundaries in Oklahoma in post-McGirt litigation and stopping attacks on tribal sovereignty.

He also served as lead counsel in Osage Nation v. United States, which after 11 years of litigation was settled for a record $380 million in favor of the Osage Nation.

Pipestem played a prominent role in the reauthorization of the landmark Violence Against Women Act in 2013, which reaffirmed the rights of tribal courts to exercise criminal jurisdiction over all persons committing domestic and dating violence against Native women.

He was also instrumental in the Reclaiming Native Truth project, a national effort to establish new narratives for social and policy change to counter discrimination against Native Americans and the issue of invisibility.

In 2013, the OSU American Indian Alumni Society honored Pipestem with its Distinguished American Indian Alumni Award. He and his wife, Brenda, reside in Skiatook, Oklahoma, and have four children.

Pipestem is a life member of the OSU Alumni Association.

“The first time I visited OSU, I knew it was home.”

WILSON PIPESTEM

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ALUMNI A S S O C I AT I O N

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New Life Members

The OSU Alumni Association would like to recognize and thank the following individuals who are now connected for life to Oklahoma State University through their new life memberships purchased in 2021.

ALUMNI A S S O C I AT I O N

Visit ORANGECONNECTION.org/life to see how easy it is to become a life member today or call 405-744-5368.

*An asterisk designates life members who joined as OSU students.

Matthew Abbate, ‘21 William Abel* Logan Abernathy, ‘21 Dustin Able, ‘95 Brian Adams, ‘96, ‘02 Jenny Adams, ‘96 Samantha Adams* Steven Adams, ‘75, ‘79 Vera Adams, ‘88, ‘93, ‘94 Joyce Aday, ‘71 Melissa Addison, ‘95, ‘05 Colton Adkison* Julia Aguirre* Maggie Ahearn, ‘21 Linda Albert-Lekawski, ‘85 Haley Albright, ‘21 Connie Alexander, ‘67 Emily Alexander* Jordyn Alexander* Garrison Allen* James Allen, ‘91 Madi Allen, ‘20 Lemuel Allison, ‘60 Miranda Almen, ‘21 Caleb Alvez* Tyler Ames, ‘15 Richard Amos, ‘85 Jordan Anders* Chris Anderson, ‘06 Craig Anderson, ‘21 Kase Anderson* Kody Anderson, ‘21 Cade Andrews, ‘21 LaDona Anstine, ‘96 Linda Anthony, ‘72, ‘86 Madison Aquino* Rachel Archangel* Walter Archibald Jr., ‘68 Jonathan Armbruster, ‘21 Cassidy Armstrong, ‘20 Dylan Armstrong, ‘19 Janet Armstrong, ‘77, ‘78 Olivia Ary* Melody Ashenfelter, ‘76, ‘78, ‘86 Lara Atherton, ‘92 Rebecca Atherton, ‘19 Michael Aubry, ‘81

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Mona Autry, ‘80, ‘84 Cora Avlos* Joe Bailey, ‘70, ‘75 Katelyn Bailey, ‘21 Samuel Bailey* Bill Baker, ‘87 Bob Baker, ‘70 Dustie Baker, ‘06 Matthew Baker, ‘96, ‘05 Susan Baker, ‘71, ‘85, ‘94 Duncan Balderson* Emily Balderson* Doyle Balentine, ‘59, ‘76 Nathan Bales Brenna Ballard, ‘20 Heather Ballou, ‘02, ‘09 Shon Balthaser, ‘98, ‘11 Charles Banks* Amanda Barber, ‘21 Joe Bardisbanian, ‘69 Alexander Barger* Hunter Barnard* Jessie Barnes, ‘20 Pat Barnes, ‘53, ‘57 David Barnett, ‘73 Kay Barney, ‘76, ‘79 Kortney Barnhart, ‘18 Dalee Barrick* Nyomi BarrickWomack, ‘21 Ann Bartlett, ‘81 Sarah Bartlett, ‘21 Cheyenne Bartling* Maggie Base, ‘19, ‘20 Cole Bass* Michael Bass, ‘79, ‘83 Avery Bates* Bailey Battelle, ‘21 Kayla Battistelli, ‘84 Allyson Baughman, ‘95, ‘06 Adrio Baur, ‘74 Savannah Beakley, ‘21 Lucette Beall, ‘91, ‘94 Bryan Bean* Kourtney Bear* Rachel Bebb* Emily Bechtold, ‘19 Ethan Beckham, ‘21 Chauncey Beckner, ‘21 Ernest Beier III, ‘96, ‘99 Jeff Belding, ‘95

Jalen Bell* Steven Bell* Tylan Bell* Emmaline Belwood, ‘21 Caleb Bengs* Hayden Bennett, ‘21 Angela Benson-Cole, ‘93, ‘95 Olivia Benton, ‘21 Jeffrey Berberick, ‘08 Julia Bercher, ‘21 Melissa Berkley, ‘10 Catelin Berry* Maggie Berry* Paula Berry, ‘75 Princess Berry* Ashley Best, ‘93 Theresa Beverage, ‘92 Caroline Bible, ‘20 Logan Biggins* Chad Bilby, ‘95 Jake Bilger* Sarah Billings* Hannah Bingham, ‘16 Daniel Bintz Jim Birdsong Stan Bivin, ‘71 Susan Bivin, ‘70 Brooke Black* Philip Blackburn, ‘71 Cliff Blackwelder, ‘53 Tammie Blancett, ‘84, ‘87 Josue Blanco, ‘21 Brad Blankenship, ‘81 Sydney Blatt* Caroline Blevins* Camryn Blisard, ‘21 Elijah Boado* Jordan Boatman* Matthew Boeckman, ‘01 Bruce Boehs, ‘71 Haley Boevers, ‘18 Lora Boggs* Paul Bohannon, ‘91 Valerie Bonnett* Alli Bordy, ‘17 Sheyian Borgstrom, ‘16 Taylor Bostick* Nikki Bowen, ‘21 Justine Bowers* Kaylee Bowman, ‘21 Betty Box

Daylan Boyer-Gilliland* Justin Brady, ‘19 Alexander Brainerd* Kaylyn Branen* Bruce Brasington, ‘79, ‘81, ‘90 Ryan Breish* John Brett III, ‘84 Alee Brewer* Dakota Brewer, ‘21 Gretchen Brewer, ‘96 John Brewer, ‘96 Terry Brewer, ‘70 Mary Brewington* Cadesman Brickley* Kelsey Briggs, ‘21 Riley Briggs* Kailey Britt, ‘21 Shelly Brock, ‘16 Addy Brongo, ‘19, ‘21 Chris Brown, ‘80 Darian Brown, ‘13, ‘19 Justin Brown, ‘01 Maxwell Browne* Christopher Browning* Schuyler Brubaker* Dayne Bruce* Ashley Bruner* Brendan Brunk, ‘20 Jeanne Bruns, ‘76 Vic Bruns, ‘76 Linda Bruster-Young, ‘82 Scott Bryan, ‘85, ‘89 Susan Bryan, ‘85, ‘88 Michael Buckley, ‘21 Jerry Budowsky, ‘72 Elizabeth Buesing, ‘20 Benjamin Burchard Ryan Burden* Scott Burk, ‘79, ‘88 Deacon Burleson* Brittany Burlison Casey Burnett* Madison Burnett* Kelley Burns, ‘19, ‘21 Cheyenne Burton* Matthew Burton* Anthony Busellato, ‘05 Kimberly Bustillo* Garrett Butler* Katey Butler, ‘21 Kenneth Butler, ‘80, ‘82

Randall Butt* Linda Byford, ‘92, ‘94 Bryan Byrd* Colby Byrd, ‘15 Sam Cain* Tracy Caine III John Caldwell, ‘90 Zachary Caldwell* Lindsey Calhoun, ‘05 Ryan Callahan, ‘21 Darla Calvert, ‘75 Russell Calvert, ‘75 Rob Canady, ‘77 Kayla Canis* Cheryl Cantrell, ‘80, ‘93 Gage Cantrell* Olivia Cantrell, ‘19 Toni Cargill* Zachery Carnahan* Regina Carnazzo, ‘83, ‘94 Joel Carpenter, ‘20 Jonathan Carpenter, ‘19, ‘21 Karie Carpenter* Andrea Carrillo* Joe Carson, ‘56 Jane Carter, ‘67 Jeffrey Carter, ‘00 Keeley Carter* Logan Carter* Mack Carter, ‘71 Mike Carter, ‘70 Paula Carter, ‘70 Richard Carter, ‘66, ‘68, ‘76 Taylor Cartmell* Michael Case, ‘77 Trinity Case* Makenzi Casebeer* Vickie Casey, ‘72 Dan Cason, ‘80, ‘83 Courtney Castello, ‘21 Cam Cavalliere, ‘21 Aaron Cavazos, ‘20 Paula Cavett, ‘76, ‘83 Richard Cavett, ‘73 Steven Chacko, ‘94 Dianne Chalmers, ‘69 Janet Chambers, ‘85 Pamela Chambless, ‘77 Jordan Chancellor, ‘21 Becky Chandler, ‘01

Brandon Chandler, ‘01 Addison Chapman, ‘21 Cole Chapman* Dale Chapman, ‘74, ‘86 Lanita Chapman, ‘78, ‘80 Taylor Chapman, ‘21 Itzel Chavedo, ‘19 Jeffrey Chavez, ‘94 Nick Chavez* Camdon Cherry* Christopher Chesnut* Coy Chezem, ‘92 Whoi Cho, ‘17, ‘19 Donna Chrislip, ‘67, ‘69, ‘96 William Church, ‘21 Carly Claflin, ‘21 Charles Claflin, ‘90 Brett Clair, ‘21 Alexis Clark* Claire Clark, ‘21 Gabriel Clem* Annika Cline, ‘21 Jimmie Clunn* Sherri Cochran Spencer Cochran* Katherine Cockreham* Anna Coffee* Richard Coffman, ‘65 Brent Colbert, ‘11 Mackenzie Cole, ‘21 Marla Cole, ‘21 Habbie Colen* Hana Coletti, ‘19 Campbell Collier* John Collins, ‘71 Jordyn Collyar, ‘21 Natalie Collyar* Ashten Colwell* Alexa Comstock* Greg Coney, ‘87, ‘92 Kennedy Conrad, ‘21 Marc Conrady, ‘89, ‘18 Briana Cook* Keith Cook, ‘98, ‘02 Maison Cook* Nicholas Cook* Ricky Cook* Bob Cooksey, ‘73 Bo Cooper* Jonathan Cooper* Walter Corbett, ‘84

Sarah Corcoran Lindsay Cordier, ‘21 Scott Cormack, ‘80 Scott Cornelius, ‘21 Warren Cornelius Michael Corona* Douglas Cossey, ‘97, ‘00 Ashley Couch, ‘08 Christian Couch* Mary Couger, ‘77 Chase Courter, ‘21 Madison Courtney* Quinn Courtney, ‘77, ‘79, ‘89 Madeleine Courtright* Eric Covington, ‘21 Caroline Cowles, ‘21 Mark Cox, ‘88, ‘93 Melissa Cox, ‘89 Nancy Cox, ‘86 Renee Cox-Daglish, ‘86 Berri Craddock, ‘21 Ron Craig, ‘75, ‘76 Sam Craven, ‘82 Adriann Crawford, ‘21 Ryan Crimmins* Stephanie Croft* Camden Cronje, ‘21 Kayla Cronje, ‘21 Keegan Crow, ‘21 Keri Crowell, ‘97, ‘99 Kathy Croy, ‘85 Marc Cullison, ‘69 Julie Cullum* Madison Culver, ‘21 Sarah Cummings, ‘21 Bill Cunningham, ‘90, ‘92 Keb Cunningham* Doug Current, ‘74 Darryl Curtis, ‘82 Jane Curtis Erin Cusack, ‘21 Lois Cutburth, ‘71 Josh Cutshaw* Claire Dabney* Lynda Dahlen, ‘90 Neal Dahlen, ‘90 Chic Dambach, ‘67, ‘77 Wes Daniel, ‘83, ‘09 Brooklyn Darby Trent Darby, ‘21 Brendan Darcy* Pat Darlington, ‘98, ‘02 Avery Darnell* Gary Darnell, ‘71 Madissen Davidson* Rachel Davidson* Richard Davidson, ‘66 Amanda Davis, ‘99 Brandon Davis* Elizabeth Davis* Ethan Davis, ‘12 Mike Davis, ‘91, ‘93 Robert Davis Jr., ‘57 Samuel Davis Stephanie Davis, ‘00 Tammy Davis, ‘83 Donna Dawson, ‘56 Tate Dawson*

Dustin Dees, ‘04, ‘06, ‘09 Cooper Degner* Hannah DeHaas* Cameron Demski* Barbara DeSanto, ‘82, ‘91, ‘95 Rosalind Detrich, ‘71, ‘87 Dick Devero, ‘54 Ed Devero, ‘87 Susan Devero, ‘86 Marsha Dewart, ‘93 Jake DeWolf* Sandra Dickey, ‘80 Travis Dickey, ‘21 Richard Dicks, ‘69 Amanda Dickson, ‘03, ‘09 Dusty Dilldine, ‘82 Emma Dillsaver, ‘21 Erika Diluca* Aaron Dittmer, ‘19 Chase Divine, ‘21 Caleb Dixon, ‘21 Kierra Dixon* Tammy Dixon, ‘98, ‘01 Tom Dixon, ‘73, ‘76, ‘99 Taylor Dobbs* Baylee Dobler, ‘21 Scott Dobrinski, ‘19 Rachel Dockrey, ‘21 Bob Dodson, ‘71 Jaren Dolsky* Bobby Dorrell, ‘16, ‘19, ‘21 Sarah Dorsey, ‘01, ‘06 Michael Douglas* Trevor Dowell, ‘18 David Downing, ‘80 Helen Downing, ‘82 Asha Doyle* John Doyle* Julia Draelos, ‘21 Aliya Dragg, ‘21 Katie Dragoo* Katie Drake* Stormie Dreadfulwater* Sarah Drown, ‘21 Riley Dubois* Tessa Dubois* Garin Dudley* Jada Duff, ‘21 Alfred Duffy, ‘70 Lawrence Dunaway, ‘67, ‘91 Callie Duncan* Hannah Duncan, ‘19 Reid Duncan, ‘21 Scott Dunham* Jerry Ann Dunn, ‘61 John Duval, ‘86 Sarah Dyer, ‘17 Lou Earlabaugh, ‘68 Scott Eddings, ‘79, ‘81, ‘90 Jim Eden Jr., ‘89, ‘01 Timothy Edwards, ‘77 Jason Egelston, ‘96 Cameron Ehn, ‘12 Jordyn Eldridge*

Joyia Elinson, ‘61, ‘83 Allyson Eller* Troy Elliott, ‘16, ‘19, ‘20 Carson Elmore Jr.* Johnny Elwood III* Laura Embry, ‘99, ‘03 Marcie Emerson, ‘74 Mason Emert, ‘20 Phyllis Emrich, ‘80, ‘91, ‘02 Dirk Erdoes* Ashton Ernest* Jerry Ervin, ‘58 Patricia Ervin Alexander Escamilla* Beatrice Essel Will Essig, ‘21 Katherine Ethridge* Sean Evanko* Zachary Evans, ‘20 Ross Farabough, ‘20 Amanda Farquharson, ‘21 Don Farrell, ‘70, ‘76, ‘91 James Faulkner, ‘62, ‘75 Casey Felix, ‘01 Paul Felts, ‘82, ‘83 Tammy Felts, ‘81 Larry Fenity, ‘72 Nancy Fenton, ‘64 Amaya Fields* Jacie Fields* Jalen Fields* Natalie Filiatrault, ‘20 John Fink, ‘75 Mary Fink* Blake Finken* Samuel Firth* Clint Fisher, ‘93, ‘96 Larry Fisher, ‘84, ‘85 Erika Fitzgerald* Kylie FitzGerald, ‘21 Robin Fitzgerald, ‘88, ‘94 Betsy Fleet Carlie Fleig* Vernon Florence, ‘58 Magdalena Flores* Ian Folk* David Foreaker, ‘76 Dalton Foreman, ‘21 Gino Fornaro* William Forrest* Fred Fortney, ‘57, ‘78 Elizabeth Fortune, ‘97, ‘04 Wesley Foutch, ‘65 Felisha Fox, ‘94 Adrien Francis, ‘07, ‘09 Ashton Franks, ‘21 Makayla Franks* Jeany Franz, ‘80 Marilyn Franz, ‘76 Lynn Franzmann, ‘81, ‘90 Diana Frederick, ‘98, ‘04 Kassidy Freeman* Michael Freer* Brittany Freimann, ‘21 Evan Freitas*

Lonna Freshley, ‘09, ‘20 Richard Frost Julia Frusciante* Jacqueline Fuller, ‘21 Hallee Fuqua* Kasey Fuquay* Joshua Gable, ‘05 Steven Gaiko II* Chuck Gall, ‘72, ‘75 Sarah Galligan* Dan Galvin, ‘83, ‘87 Jeff Galvin, ‘93 Kerry Gannaway, ‘82 Patricia Garner, ‘63 Ryne Garrison* Janet Gaskins, ‘78, ‘83 Paulina Gatica* Chandler Gatz* Carlyn Gay* Thomas Gay IV, ‘90 Richard Gearheard, ‘72 Brett Gerber, ‘21 Madelyn Gerken* Kenneth Getchell, ‘15 Mike Gettel, ‘82, ‘89 Jack Getz, ‘67 Melody Gevaza, ‘77 Walter Giblet, ‘05 MollyAnn Giesbrecht* Garrett Gilliland* Phyllis Gilmore Trenton Ging* Kaylyn Gise* Gale Gish, ‘78, ‘84 Shelley Gladden, ‘94, ‘19 Dan Glover, ‘84, ‘87 John Glover, ‘20 Jack Godfrey, ‘21 Delia Gonzalez* Ignacio Gonzalez* Jeff Goodier, ‘82, ‘85 Maggie Goodin* Douglas Goodwin, ‘93 Kale Goodwin* Joshua Gorrell, ‘17, ‘18 Michael Goss, ‘97

Carissa Gosvener, ‘18 Dee Gragg, ‘77, ‘81 Trinity Grant, ‘97 Melinda Grasmick, ‘79 Jacie Gray* Jacob Gray* Geary Green, ‘63, ‘65 Isabella Green* Mackenzie Green, ‘21 Maxwell Green* Christopher Greene, ‘21 Bob Greenhaw, ‘58, ‘64 Paul Greenlee, ‘77, ‘80, ‘82 Colby Gregg, ‘15 Jay Gregg, ‘74, ‘76, ‘82 Dave Greiner, ‘74 Kori Grice Beckman, ‘99 Kayleigh Griffard* Matthew Griffin* Austin Griffith, ‘21 Carter Griffith* David Grigg, ‘79 Doris Grigsby, ‘79 Dylan Grimes* Gene Grimes, ‘85 Kathy Grissom, ‘74, ‘84 Rena Grissom, ‘18 Tara Groden* Mitchell Groom* Anna Grose, ‘20 Becca Groskopf* Cathy Grossman Sierra Grounds, ‘21 Lois Grunewald, ‘59 Daniel Guajardo, ‘21 Zachary Guest* Katelyn Guidry* Michael Guillory, ‘88 Darby Guinn* Christopher Gullekson, ‘06 Brandon Gurley, ‘92 Rebekah Guthrie-Frisby, ‘03, ‘07 Brisa Gutierrez* Jordan Guy*

Zachary Guy, ‘20 Bailey Hackler, ‘21 Nicole Hackler* Tate Hackler* Kylie Hager* Tim Haggard, ‘82 Trevor Halbach I, ‘21 Avery Hall* John Hall IV* Allyson Hallberg, ‘21 Ashley Hallenbeck* Derek Hallum, ‘86 Abbi Hambrick* Greg Hambrick, ‘84 Ray Hamby, ‘65, ‘69, ‘71 Jon Hamilton, ‘95, ‘00 Riley Hamm, ‘20 Warren Hammer, ‘21 Helen Hammond, ‘62 John Hammond, ‘62, ‘65, ‘66 Kaleigh Hammond, ‘21 Tyler Hammonds* Gina Hancock, ‘12 Wyatt Hancock* Sarah Hand, ‘21 Wayne Haney, ‘68, ‘70 Benjamin Haning, ‘85, ‘86 Heidi Hanks* Kellen Hanna, ‘17 Aubriana Hanon, ‘21 Parker Hansen, ‘72, ‘75 Janelle Hanson, ‘20 Marcella Hardaway, ‘89 Mark Hardesty, ‘88 Trajean Hargro* Cale Harmon* Karla Harmon, ‘84 Caitlin Harper* Chris Harper, ‘80 Eli Harris* Jeremy Harris, ‘09 Jonathan Harris* Hannah Hart, ‘21 Kevin Hart, ‘87 Sean Hart*

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 87

Steve Hart, ‘95 Morgan Harvanek* Raegan Haskins* Tara Hass, ‘13, ‘15 Wallis Hatch* Allison Haubold, ‘21 Blane Hauser, ‘21 Dawson Haworth* Mamie Haydon* Blakelee Hayes* Bobby Hayes, ‘54 Christian Hayes* Brandon Head* Courtney Head* Susan Head, ‘81 Donley Heathcoat, ‘63 Samuel Heck, ‘93 Conner Heffernan* Charlie Heller, ‘59, ‘60, ‘68 Billy Helm, ‘73 Jacob Hembree* Conner Hemphill, ‘20 Makenzi Henderson* Monte Hendricks, ‘58, ‘63 Dylan Hennig* Brandon Henriquez, ‘21 Austin Henry* Conor Henry, ‘18 Jeff Hensley, ‘89, ‘91 Traci Hensley, ‘91 Heather Heon* Madylin Hernandez* Daniel Hernandez Cardenas, ‘20 Nathan Herndon, ‘20 Jay Herring, ‘02 Dewey Hesser, ‘61 Aaron Hester, ‘21 Lacey Hickey, ‘21 Amy Hicks* Cooper Hicks, ‘20 Amy Highfill, ‘93 John Hightower* Cale Hilbert* Briauna Hill* Dayna Hill* Payton Hill* Braden Hillery* Hayden Hilst* Michael Hines, ‘16 Cale Hinrichsen, ‘21

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Barry Hinson, ‘83 Matthew Hinson, ‘21 William Hoback* Timothy Hodgens, ‘89 Alice Hogendobler* Debra Holder Matthew Holland, ‘03 Stephanie Holland, ‘76 Steven Holland, ‘75, ‘78 Amber Holle, ‘21 Chris Holtz, ‘95 Robert Hornbaker, ‘80, ‘82, ‘85 Sherri Horne, ‘88 Steven Horst, ‘82 Steven Horstman, ‘70 Pamala Hoskins, ‘98 Ryan Hotwagner, ‘21 Emalee Hough, ‘21 Houssin Hourieh, ‘86 Alan Howard, ‘84 Ashley Howard Brad Howard, ‘88, ‘92 Linda Howe, ‘77 Jana Howell, ‘79 Ken Howell, ‘78 Nancy Howell, ‘19 Alyssa Hoyle, ‘21 Todd Hudgins, ‘93, ‘01, ‘03 Jarrett Hudson* Jean Ann Hudson, ‘86, ‘89 Tim Hudspeth, ‘77, ‘79 Ridge Hughbanks, ‘21 Justin Hull, ‘21 Matt Hull, ‘03 Addison Hunter* Benjamin Huntley, ‘02 Alaina Hurst* Linda Hurst, ‘62 Traci Hushbeck, ‘85 Jacob Ikeda* Darrell Ingmire, ‘73, ‘75 Pam Inkster, ‘79 Klaire Irwin* Mark Isom, ‘98 Carson Iven* Adele Jack, ‘73 Brannon Jackson, ‘97, ‘01 Christina Jackson, ‘21 Emma Jackson*

Ezekiel Jackson* Mya Jackson, ‘21 Raquel Jackson, ‘21 John Jacob, ‘60, ‘65 Karl Jacobs Jr., ‘72 Arleen Jacobson, ‘87, ‘93 Marcus Jahnel, ‘76 Judith James, ‘88 Kevin James, ‘88, ‘91 Meredith James* Nathan Janda* Carrie Jarboe, ‘02 JB Jarboe II, ‘96 Ravyn Jarreau* Molly Jarvis, ‘93, ‘99 Demi Javier, ‘21 Kent Jedlicka, ‘85 Jake Jeffries, ‘21 Ryan Jenlink, ‘05 Conner Jennings* Justin Jennings* Ashlie Jerkes* Madilyn Jirka* Diane Jobe, ‘00 Carrie Johnson, ‘87, ‘88 Cindy Johnson, ‘83 Hayden Johnson, ‘21 Rachel Johnson, ‘15, ‘16 Sierra Johnson* Steven Johnson, ‘94, ‘00 Dylan Johnston, ‘21 Michael Johnston, ‘79 Benjamin Jones* Johnny Jones, ‘53 Joyce Jones, ‘54 Justin Jones Larry Jones, ‘62, ‘68, ‘74 Mike Jones, ‘49, ‘51 Savannah Jones, ‘21 Connor Jordan* Evan Jordan, ‘21 Megan Jordan, ‘20 Tyler Jordan, ‘21 Ashleigh Joy* Antonio Juan III, ‘93 Lisa Kaiser, ‘21 Donna Kapka, ‘72, ‘76, ‘92 Marcia Karns, ‘74 Tom Karns, ‘74 Franklin Kay, ‘64, ‘65 Sarah Kearns* Gayle Kearns Buie, ‘74, ‘75, ‘88 Kevin Keck, ‘86, ‘89 Jared Keeler* Shelton Keeler* Malley Keener, ‘21 Jim Keller, ‘68 Erica Kelley, ‘21 Caroline Kelton* Bonnie Kelty, ‘75 Lane Kendall* Mike Kenna, ‘81, ‘84 Jacqueline Kennard, ‘21 Carol Kennedy, ‘21 Jennifer Kennedy, ‘21 Laurel Kenner* Madison Kernke, ‘21

Kyle Kerr, ‘21 Sean Kerr* Olivia Kesler, ‘21 Megan Kett* Jacob Kettner* Lucia Kezele* Kade Killough, ‘21 Sabrina Kimbriel* Kellan King* Mallory King* Dawson Kinser* Alexis Kinsley, ‘98 Barbara Kirby, ‘59 Danette Kirby Jim Kirby, ‘57, ‘59, ‘65 Laura Kironget* Sydney Kiser* Dottie Kizziar, ‘80 Katelyn Klaus, ‘21 Doug Kletke, ‘69 Caylee Kline* Robert Knight* Taylor Knight* Anthony Knisley, ‘83 Geoff Koch, ‘95, ‘07 Jim Kochick, ‘76, ‘78 Tim Koehler, ‘90 Allison Kokojan, ‘21 Marty Kollmeyer, ‘76, ‘77 Tanner Komlodi* Ray Koons, ‘67 Hannah Kornele* Kevin Koss* Londyn Kozar, ‘21 Tianna Kozuszek, ‘21 Connor Krejci* Mel Krewall Jr., ‘80, ‘82 Andy Krider, ‘92 Ann Krieser, ‘94, ‘96 Bill Kroeger, ‘98 Claudia Krshka, ‘86 Danielle Krzeczkowski* Emilee Kula, ‘21 Logan Kunkel, ‘21 Jared Kuykendall, ‘21 Lowell Kyle, ‘69, ‘72, ‘77 Margaret Kyle, ‘73 Grant Lackey* William Lambdin, ‘94 Cynthia Lamon, ‘08, ‘17 Jackson Lancaster* Lauren Landoll, ‘19 Kait Lane* Ashley Lang* Paige Langley, ‘21 Liz Largent, ‘96, ‘17 Steve Lathrop, ‘72 Ian Lattimore* Noah Laubach* Megan Launius, ‘21 Jillian Lawson, ‘21 Christine LeClear, ‘21 Kiera Leddy, ‘19 Dani LeDonne, ‘21 Maurice Lee, ‘65, ‘67, ‘93 Sarah Leger* Fred Lehman, ‘77, ‘80 Dolores Lemon Lexie Lenderman

Cailyn Lenfestey* Abby Lestina* Brian Levings, ‘98, ‘03 Gregory Lew* Mattie Lewis* Payton Lewis, ‘21 Sandra Lewis, ‘81, ‘88 William Lewis, ‘19 Kap Lian, ‘20 Brooklan Light, ‘21 Chelsea Liles* Ryan Lindquist* Jackson Lindsay, ‘21 Judith Lindsey, ‘63, ‘67 Nathan Lindsey* Nick Linn, ‘21 Blake Linscomb, ‘21 Denise Lipps, ‘84 Kearstin Littau* Angel Liverman, ‘21 Michelle Lobpries, ‘97, ‘04 Breann Loeber* Karmyn Long, ‘20 Larry Long, ‘67 Linda Long, ‘67, ‘70 Sharon Lookabaugh, ‘83 John Loose, ‘94 Taylor Lopez, ‘20 Luke Loughren* Nancy Loveless, ‘78, ‘80, ‘83 Matthew Lovick, ‘19 Reagan Lowe, ‘19 Shyke Lowers* Jana Lowrey, ‘79, ‘81 Steve Lozano, ‘19 Lauren Lucas, ‘21 Brittany Lucio* Greg Lucy Benjamin Lunsford* William Lynn, ‘98 Kim Machaj, ‘95 Alayna Macias, ‘21 Erika Madlambayan* Jaydon Maehs* Nyla Maere, ‘20 Dan Magerkurth, ‘19 Larry Maguire, ‘66, ‘72 Emily Maixner, ‘17, ‘19 Martin Malahy, ‘72, ‘93 Rhonda Malahy, ‘74, ‘89 Christian Maldonado* Dora Mallinger* Sharon Maloney, ‘76 Katelyn Mann* Abigail Mansfield* Matea Manterola, ‘20 Lauren Manville, ‘21 Cathy Mapes, ‘21 Katarina Mapes* Brady Maravich, ‘21 Sam Marcear* Bobby Marchy* Brook Marino* Stephanie Marks, ‘97, ‘99 Clarence Gaynes Marshall, ‘63 Trevor Marshall*

William Marshall, ‘17 Lisa Marshall Johnson, ‘89 Maggie Martens, ‘21 David Martin, ‘76, ‘82 Gabe Martin, ‘52 Gabrielle Martin* Taylor Martin* Marcos Martinez, ‘02 Logan Martinson* Randol Marzuola, ‘79 Ann Maslanka, ‘57 Robert Mason, ‘65, ‘70 Kenzie Massaro* Eddie Masters, ‘60 Matt Matthews, ‘88 Mason Maxey* Albert Maxwell, ‘75, ‘77 Kameron Mayfield* Kristine Mayo, ‘82 Braden McAlister* Connor McAlister, ‘21 Reba McCarty, ‘19 Emily McCaslin* Austin McClarnon* Matthew McClurg, ‘20 Sarah McCormick* Zachary McCormick, ‘73, ‘77, ‘87 Turner McCoy, ‘21 Freddy McCroskey, ‘76 Braxton McCue, ‘18 Brylee McCue* Aidan McCullough, ‘21 Tim McCullough, ‘97 Angie McCully, ‘83, ‘10 Amanda McDermott* Chloe McDonald* Ella McDonald* Riley McDonald* Kayedawn McDowell* Alyssa McElhoe* Michael McGill, ‘20 Curt McGinis, ‘80, ‘91 John McGinnis, ‘73, ‘79 Kathleen McGraw, ‘09 Bob McGrew, ‘85 Mason McGuire* Reid McGuire, ‘19 Emily McInturf Connor McKeaigg* Braeden McKee* Becky McKenzie Brad McKenzie Macye McKinney, ‘21 Kendall McKnight, ‘17 Ben McLarty, ‘99, ‘01 Grant McMillian, ‘97 Anita McMurtrie, ‘61 Pam McNatt, ‘76, ‘85 Grant McNeal, ‘86 Miller McNew* Dave Meadows, ‘69 Kate Meave* Diane Medders, ‘21 Kyle Medders* Jessica MedinaBenningfield, ‘12 Gary Meek Hunter Meek* Madison Meek, ‘20

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Emily Nelson, ‘21 Madeline Nemec, ‘21 Theresa Nemmers, ‘06 Mary Nethercutt, ‘66, ‘71 Jean Newcomer, ‘78, ‘05 Caitlin Newton, ‘21 Erin Newton* Rose Ngirasob, ‘21 Alexander Nguyen, ‘21 Cody Nichols, ‘21 Judy Nichols, ‘89 Anna Nickel, ‘19 Bryce Nickel, ‘19 Michael Nickles, ‘21 Sarah Niekamp, ‘21 Joshua Nikkel, ‘21 Bethany Niles* Jane Ann Niles, ‘58 Rachel Nogalski, ‘21 Will Nokes* Harper Noon, ‘17 Judy O’Connell, ‘77 Richard O’Connell, ‘75 Loren O’Hara, ‘83 Reilly O’Hara, ‘19 Caleb O’Neal* Robin O’Neill, ‘90, ‘94 Amanda Oakes, ‘02 Craig Odom* James Olmedo* Ian Olson, ‘21 Kevin Oltmanns, ‘82, ‘87 Charles Oney, ‘71 Liam Oram, ‘21 Brett Orme, ‘92 James Osborn, ‘59, ‘64 Sue Ostlund-Van Newkirk, ‘80, ‘81 Hal Oswalt, ‘70, ‘72 Kelly Owen, ‘03 Larry Owsley, ‘70 Jason Oyler, ‘21 Mary Oyler Grace Pack* Brian Pape* Beth Parker, ‘72 Brent Parker, ‘13 Gabriel Parker* Jerry Parker, ‘72, ‘75, ‘81 Alexzander Parks* Joshua Parrack* James Parsons* Heather Pashin, ‘13 Prekshikaben Patel, ‘21 Cathy Patrick, ‘74 Mollie Patrick* Cayman Patterson, ‘21 Jimalea Patterson, ‘70, ‘84 Kassidy Paul, ‘21 Chattie Pawelek* Braden Payne* Kelli Payne, ‘14 Kyle Payne* Terry Peach, ‘72 Vicki Pearce* Ethan Peck, ‘21 Laura Peddicord, ‘85 Michael Peery, ‘93

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Kelley Sanders, ‘79 Marc Sanders Taya Sappington, ‘21 Emily Sasser* Sophia Sather, ‘21 Bradyn Satterfield* Justin Sawatzky, ‘21 Michael Sawyer, ‘76 Susan Sawyer, ‘72, ‘76 Camry Schade, ‘20 Ron Schaefer, ‘72, ‘74, ‘85 Zane Schimmel* Michael Schmidt, ‘21 Will Schmidt, ‘61 Tate Schneider* Dean Schnitzler, ‘95 Ariel Scholten* Robert Schrader* Abigail Schraub, ‘21 Bob Schreibeis, ‘75, ‘77 Caleb Schroeder* Eloise Schultz, ‘58 Tyler Schultz, ‘15 Emily Schumacher, ‘21 Christopher Schutza, ‘21 Arden Schwandt, ‘19 Nicholas Scialdone* Cole Sciba Jr.* Aaron Scott, ‘93, ‘07 Lodge Scott, ‘21 Shirley Scott, ‘81 Claudia Scribner, ‘73 Pam Seal, ‘75 Joseph Seale, ‘21 Lanny Seals, ‘81, ‘83 Sawyer Searcey* Stephen Searcy, ‘74, ‘76, ‘80 Justin Secrest, ‘98 Larkyn Seehafer, ‘21 Linda Seidle, ‘59 Kaitlyn Seiler, ‘21 Kerri Seiler, ‘91 Rachel Seitz, ‘20 Jaxon Self, ‘19 Yemi Semola, ‘19 Phoumala Sengsavang, ‘21 Shelby Sequira Linda Shade, ‘76 Pat Sharp Jr., ‘91 Harlie Shaver* Lance Shaw, ‘08, ‘14

Madeline Shea* Crosbi Shelby, ‘21 Kynadi Shelby, ‘20 David Shelden, ‘86 Sarah Sherman* Anthony Sherrer Ryan Sherry, ‘21 Cale Sherwood, ‘21 Kaila Sherwood* Rodney Shewey, ‘98 Jessica Shipman, ‘21 Cheyenne Shirrel* Lauren Shoffstall* Pary Shofner, ‘74 Godwin Shokoya, ‘20 Sarah Shoup* Brenda Shumate, ‘91, ‘04 Stephanie Sick, ‘76 Deborah Siddall, ‘78 Brenda Sieler, ‘79 Daniel Sieler, ‘78, ‘79 Rick Sievert, ‘77 Anne Signore* Hunter Simco* Bret Simmons, ‘00 Sami Simon, ‘21 Erin Sims, ‘21 Jacob Sims* Lonnie Sims, ‘94 Connie Sindle, ‘86 David Singleton* Aaron Sizemore, ‘08 Brittany Sizemore, ‘08 David Skinner, ‘88, ‘92 Joe Skinner, ‘64, ‘72 Bryce Slagell* Craig Slagle* Ellen Slater* Rachel Slater* Sarah Sloat, ‘21 Glenn Smallwood Jr., ‘92, ‘08 Amber Smith, ‘20, ‘21 Austin Smith, ‘15 Blaine Smith Chandler Smith* Christopher Smith* D. C. Smith, ‘70 David Smith, ‘73 Duane Smith, ‘85 Dylan Smith, ‘21 Eddie Smith, ‘68 Emily Smith, ‘20

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Gary Smith, ‘60 Heather Smith, ‘88 Jamie-Lynn Smith, ‘99, ‘10 Karen Smith, ‘83 Ken Smith, ‘73 Koby Smith* Laina Smith, ‘21 Leslie Smith* Mason Smith* Michael Smith, ‘70, ‘71 Michele Smith, ‘69 Ray Smith, ‘68 Tyler Smith* Wyatt Snapp* Ashleigh Snell, ‘20 Brooke Snyder, ‘21 Savannah Snyder, ‘21 Steven Solcher, ‘95 Nicholas Sorensen* Marsha Southerland, ‘83, ‘90 Addison Southers, ‘21 Audrey Spalding, ‘21 Jim Spangler, ‘50 Janie Spear, ‘67 Macy Spear, ‘21 Rob Spears, ‘21 Ian Spector, ‘15 Lexie Speed, ‘21 Caulen Spencer* Mikayla Spradlin* Jack Spradling, ‘53, ‘60 Mikaela Stamper, ‘21 Garrett Stark, ‘21 Morgen Stark, ‘21 Troy Starks, ‘94 Cale Steadman, ‘21 Mason Stearns* Carlene Steele James Steele, ‘75 Sharon Steele, ‘76 Strawn Steele, ‘86 Caitlin Stehr, ‘20 Braden Steidley, ‘20 Caleb Stein* Fonda Steiner, ‘90, ‘93 Jason Steinle, ‘95 Lori Steinle, ‘93 Audrey Stephens* Molly Stephens, ‘21 Shelby Stephens, ‘21 Steve Stephens, ‘80, ‘83 Stephanie Stephenson* Karson Stevens, ‘19 Nicole Stevens, ‘20, ‘21 Madelyn Stewart, ‘20 Mark Stinchcomb, ‘81 Sarah Stinnett* Dylan Stobaugh, ‘21 John Stobbe, ‘21 Chandler Stock, ‘21 Caleb Stockstill* Hattie Stockton, ‘20 Roger Stockton, ‘72, ‘94, ‘99 Kyle Stone* Peyton Stone* David Story, ‘84 Dylan Strachan*

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David Strickland, ‘92, ‘96 Kim Strom, ‘85 Bill Struebing, ‘85 Allison Stuckey, ‘21 Maribeth Subramaniam, ‘82, ‘83 Terry Suellentrop, ‘82, ‘84 Douglas Sullins, ‘90 Hannah Summers, ‘20 Brianna Sumwalt* Savannah Sundberg, ‘21 Blake Swaggart, ‘89 Grant Swallow* Juliana Swanson, ‘77 Thadeaus Swiderski III, ‘21 Angela Swift, ‘78 Mark Swift, ‘78 Nathan Swisher* Amanda Sykora, ‘21 Emma Faye Sylvester* Mara Sylvester, ‘20 Catherine Tanner* Elizabeth Tanner* Jakob Tarin* Tiffany Taton, ‘17 Alexa Taylor, ‘95, ‘99 Jack Taylor* Jatelyn Taylor, ‘21 John Taylor, ‘21 Leslie Taylor, ‘08, ‘10 Noah Taylor* Susan Taylor, ‘78, ‘81 Tabatha Taylor* Traci Taylor, ‘86 Truitt Taylor, ‘21 Dylan Teague* Xin Mei Teng Alyssa Thelin* Aaron Thesman, ‘94, ‘98 Cameron Thetford, ‘21 Elizabeth Thiessen, ‘91, ‘94 Howard Thill* Brooke Thomas* Brynne Thomas, ‘21 Cameron Thomas* Hunter Thomas, ‘21 Stanton Thomas* Travis Thomas* Bob Thompson, ‘62, ‘65 Michael Thompson* Tommy Thompson Jr., ‘93 Jacob Thorley, ‘21 Landen Thornton* Nicholas Thurman* Brenda Tidwell, ‘97, ‘01 Brittany Tiernan* Clayton Tiesman* Janis Tietgens Gibson Cindy Tillman, ‘19 Bob Tippeconnie, ‘57 Carolyn Tobin, ‘79, ‘80 Blake Toelner, ‘17 Lisa Tomas, ‘99 David Towe, ‘77 Jared Town, ‘21

Victoria Townley* Reilly Townsend* Mark Trail, ‘76 Elaine Transeau, ‘55, ‘74, ‘92 Taylor Transou, ‘21 John Travers, ‘69 Kendall Treece, ‘17, ‘19 Carson Trent, ‘20 Carrie Trentham, ‘03, ‘05 Nathan Trigg, ‘21 Robert Triplett III, ‘93, ‘95 Becca Tripodi, ‘21 Joseph Tripodi, ‘21 Kaci Trojan, ‘06 Amanda Trostel, ‘19 Valerie Trottier, ‘84 Richard Trueheart, ‘78 Morgan Truitt* Carson Trummel Charles Tucker, ‘04 Jami Turner, ‘89 Kristen Turner, ‘03 Layne Turner, ‘21 Paula Turney, ‘73, ‘89 Angie Tye, ‘90, ‘91 Sidney Tyner Mitchell Ulrey, ‘76 Paula Ulrey, ‘76 Sydney Ulrich, ‘21 Isabel Ultzsch* Drew Underwood* Lon Unsell, ‘59 Caitlin Uva, ‘21 Kyle Van Meter, ‘19, ‘21 Kyle Van Pelt* Philip Van Pelt Luke Vanderwork* Kelsey Vejraska* Vanessa Velasco, ‘20, ‘21 Jessica Venard, ‘21 Ruben Vick, ‘80 Grant Victor Jr., ‘79 Gustavo Villegas* Diego Vincent* Keelon Viney-Young* Taylor Viola* Rachael Visina* Chuck Wade Jr., ‘78 Jacob Wade, ‘19 Kristina Wadley, ‘16, ‘21 Anna Wagar* Benjamin Wagner* Raymond Walbridge, ‘63 Michelle Walker* Monique Walker, ‘21 True Wallace, ‘99 Maximum Waller, ‘21 Tori Walls, ‘21 Rick Walstad, ‘89 Kaitlynn Walters* Rylie Walters* Peggy Walthall, ‘75, ‘03 Gayle Ward, ‘61 Madison Ward* Bennie Ware, ‘68 Ellen Ware, ‘76, ‘79

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ALUMNI A S S O C I AT I O N

Moving on Up

Newman, Stephens step into new leadership roles after decades in OSU system More than 20 years ago, two young men from small-town Oklahoma started career paths that would some day make them presidents of university campuses in the state’s two largest cities.

Dr. Johnny Stephens was just out of pharmacy school when he began working for Oklahoma State University as a clinician in 2001.

He stayed in Tulsa and in 2021, became president of OSU Center for Health Sciences. He was also named interim president of OSU-Tulsa and senior vice president of health affairs on OSU President Kayse Shrum’s cabinet.

Dr. Scott Newman also joined the OSU family around the turn of the century, working as an information technologies faculty member at OSU Institute of Technology. Last summer, after years of service at OSUIT in Okmulgee, Newman was appointed OSU-OKC president.

The two are testaments to OSU’s land-grant mission and the kinds of opportunities it affords rural Oklahomans. Stephens grew up in Barnsdall

Dr. Johnny Stephens and Courtney Knoblock from the Zarrow Family Foundation at the groundbreaking of the Tulsa VA Hospital.

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and Oologah whereas Newman came from Henryetta.

Those humble beginnings have played a role in the way the two lead their institutions.

Growing up, Stephens’ family physician was an OSU alumnus. Throughout northeastern Oklahoma, OSU Medicine clinics are the primary health care resource for many people.

“I think, as it does with President Shrum, it helps to live there,” Stephens said. “You go to the coffee shop, you go to the donut shop and you are looking at people you are helping. That helps every day.”

Dr. Shrum — who grew up in Coweta, Oklahoma — and Stephens had many discussions about OSUCHS’s role in the land-grant mission when she was president there and Stephens was in the role of chief operating officer.

Those talks continue today, he said.

“You have to be much more intentional in rural settings to make things work,” Stephens said. “OSU has a longstanding track record of doing that. That is part of our core mission and part of why we were founded in 1972. This year is our 50th anniversary.

We have that long-standing tradition of ‘We were rural before rural was cool.’ Everyone is trying to dabble in it now, but you can’t dabble in rural. You have to be focused and intentional and live it to be able to bring it forward.”

Stephens entered the medical field because he wanted to help others. After earning his doctorate of pharmacy from the University of Oklahoma, he started working at the Schusterman Center in Tulsa. There, he split his time by going through clinicals for OSU as part of the Ryan White program on HIV research.

Stephens would have been content continuing to pursue a career in internal medicine. But after meeting Shrum as part of the institutional review board, he started thinking of the difference he could make in administration.

Then, in 2016, he became senior vice-president of OSU-CHS. One of the first projects he helped Shrum on was the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah.

STORY JORDAN BISHOP | PHOTOS NED WILSON AND MATT BARNARD

DR. JOHNNY STEPHENS Hometown: Oologah, Oklahoma High School: OologahTalala High School Doctorate in Pharmacy from University of Oklahoma, 1999 Research interests: AIDS and infectious diseases Job Positions and years Professor of Medicine at OSU-CHS: 2006-present Chief Operating Officer at OSU-CHS: 2014-2021

Dr. Johnny Stephens became president of OSU-CHS in 2021.

“That was very fulfilling and could be career defining if President Shrum didn’t have so many other successful initiatives going on,” Stephens said. “That campus now has two classes and will be adding a third class in July/August of 2022.”

Since Stephens took over OSU-CHS, he has looked to grow OSU Medicine’s role in underserved communities like Shrum did with the Tahlequah campus.

“We heavily recruit students in rural communities,” Stephens said. “If they attend OSU and then attend a rural-focused medical school, they are going to eventually go back to those rural communities.”

Some of the strategies for recruiting include an outreach specifically for FFA students, as well as the statewide Operation Orange program that introduces high schoolers to medical school opportunities.

Next for OSU-CHS under Stephens is expanding its telemedicine services, the new veterans hospital in Tulsa, along with more commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices.

Senior Vice President for Health Affairs: 2021-Present President at OSU-CHS: 2021-Present Stephens has worked closely with Shrum and OSU Vice President for Interim President at Institutional Diversity Dr. Jason OSU-Tulsa: 2021-Present Kirksey to create more opportunities for underrepresented students in a historically restrictive field.

“We won the national Osteopathic Medical School Award for DEI and the programs we put forward,” Stephens said. “It is something to be proud of and something to build on. We need to continue doing better.”

Stephens has also been put in the unique role as interim president of OSU-Tulsa following Dr. Pamela Fry’s retirement at the beginning of the year. He said he has enjoyed the challenge of working with undergraduate programs after a career in the graduate medical field.

“I have really loved the time and the experience to really jump into OSU-Tulsa and the opportunities that are there,” Stephens said. “It is Tulsa’s four-year, urban-serving public research university. Fulfilling that mission is really key to northeast Oklahoma and opportunities here.”

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Dr. Scott Newman was named president of OSU-OKC in 2021.

Newman has gotten used to serving a larger student population as well after two decades at OSUIT. Although Oklahoma City is significantly larger than Okmulgee, Newman recognizes that OSUIT and OSU-OKC are primarily workforceoriented, so that has helped his transition. Another asset, he said, are the lessons he learned from his parents. His dad managed a hardware store and worked in heating and air while his mother was an elementary school teacher.

“There’s nothing like that to impress upon you the importance of education, as well as having specific skills and knowledge that you can use to support yourself and your family,” Newman said.

Newman attended OU, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees before earning another master’s from the University of Oxford and a doctorate from OSU. He was the founding dean of OSUIT’s School of Information Technologies and was involved in a number of major institutional initiatives while there.

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During his time as dean, Newman had a conversation with former OSUIT president Bob Klabenes, who impressed upon Newman that he could one day be a university president.

“We were talking about some issue,” Newman said. “And he said, ‘Well, that’s the kind of decision you’ll have to make when you’re a university president.’ It was just the two of us having a conversation. Until that moment, it never occurred to me that I could even aspire to do something like that.”

Newman eventually became provost under current OSUIT President Bill Path. When former OSU President Burns Hargis and Shrum appointed Newman to the OSU-OKC campus in May 2021, Newman was ready.

“Any time you move from one role to the other, you take the toolkit that you had in the previous role with you,” Newman said. “So I definitely came into this position with a strong orientation toward working collaboratively to create great workforce programs and finding ways to help students be more successful.”

OSU-OKC has a diverse student base because of its location and role as a commuter school so Newman recognizes it has an opportunity to aid underserved communities.

“It’s all about creating opportunities for our diverse student body and addressing the needs of business and industry,” Newman said. “By making those connections, we help address the talent challenges that employers have, create rewarding and exciting career opportunities for our students and advance the economies of Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma. So everybody wins.”

Both Newman and Stephens are poised to lead their institutions into a new era and continue to build OSU’s foothold in OKC and Tulsa. They said they are thankful to have stayed at OSU and for the opportunity to lead.

“There are always opportunities to jump around and I do see people who do move around some, but at OSU, we don’t see that as much,” Stephens said.

“We have become family. It is the Cowboy way. A lot of us come here and really embrace that and love to stay with the culture. It is one of those things that is hard to put your finger on. Whether it is the campus at Stillwater that I spent a lot of time on over the last couple of years to the campus at Tulsa, here at the medical school, Okmulgee, Oklahoma City — there is just something different about OSU. It is home.”

Both Newman and Stephens are poised to lead their institutions into a new era and continue to build OSU’s foothold in OKC and Tulsa.

DR. SCOTT NEWMAN Hometown: Henryetta, Oklahoma High School: Henryetta High School BME, University of Oklahoma, 1995 MM, University of Oklahoma, 1997 MSt, University of Oxford, 1999 EdD, Oklahoma State University, 2007 Job Positions and Years Faculty at OSU Institute of Technology: 2000 Assistant Dean at OSUIT: 2000-2001 Dean at OSUIT: 2001-2014 Provost at OSUIT: 2014-2021 President at OSU-OKC: 2021-Present

Dr. Scott Newman hopes to keep fulfilling OSU-OKC’s mission of workforce development.

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CONNECTING OSU WITH INDUSTRY RESEARCH FOUNDATION Learn more about the OSU Research Foundation at research.okstate.edu/osurf

THE COWBOY WAY

Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Dana Kuehn is unafraid to chase her dreams.

As the first woman on both the Oklahoma Criminal Court of Appeals and the Oklahoma State Supreme Court, it’s a message she is passionate about sharing with young girls everywhere.

Growing up in Jenks, Oklahoma, Kuehn knew her career aspirations early. Politics intrigued her, and law school appealed to her competitive nature. Her parents are proud Oklahoma State University alumni, but that wasn’t her only reason for choosing to attend OSU and major in political science.

“I knew that I would be expected to work hard, excel and not shy away from conflict or complex issues in law school,” Kuehn said. “I knew my education at OSU would help me grow as a leader and prepare me for those experiences.”

Although she worked hard and graduated in 1993 as a College of Arts and Sciences Top Ten Senior, her time at OSU wasn’t all work and no play. Kuehn was president of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and a member of the OSU pom squad, which afforded her the opportunity to dance in the Orange Bowl stadium during a preseason game.

After graduation, she went back to Tulsa for law school. She served as a trial lawyer for 10 years before serving as associate district judge for Tulsa County. In 2017, she was appointed to serve on the Oklahoma State Criminal Court of Appeals.

Of all the lengthy accolades, her favorite title is three letters: mom. A proud mother of four boys, Kuehn said it takes intentionality to balance work and home.

“Besides God, my family is most important to me and my most important ‘job,’” she said. “If you prioritize and use your time well and love what you do, you can succeed in both places.”

In July 2021, she was appointed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, becoming the first woman to serve on both of the state’s high courts. This history-making moment is one that she hopes encourages women everywhere.

“It’s an honor to let all young women know that when you put your mind to it, you can achieve whatever you want,” Kuehn said.

“You can do it.”

STORY KYLEE SUTHERLAND | PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY

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COWBOY CHRONICLES

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks How OAMC Prepared for World War I

T

he Great War in Europe started in August 1914, and for the next two and a half years, public opinion in Oklahoma and the rest of the country varied widely.

Some wanted to rush in to aid the French and British forces. Others supported the Germans and Austrians and many wished to avoid the conflict entirely.

As the United States slowly increased its support for the Allies, Oklahoma’s land-grant college in Stillwater began preparations, no matter which course of action was taken.

The state was still in its first decade and Oklahoma A&M College wasn’t much older, but both were ready to serve in whatever capacity needed.

The first generation of students at OAMC had learned about practical collaborations between agriculture and engineering: the perfect blend of landgrant disciplines to increase food and natural resources production.

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STORY DAVID C. PETERS | PHOTOS OSU ARCHIVES

(Top) Prior to entrance into WWI, a college “Victory” garden was established on the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station land west of Monroe Street and south of Farm Road. Barns along Farm Road are shown in the background.

(Bottom) The OAMC Corps of Cadets poses for a photo on the military parade grounds north of Morrill Hall.

Beginning with World War I, the university expanded training programs that would also assist with national defense.

Preparing students for war called back to the mission of the Morrill LandGrant Acts, which helped charter landgrant institutions around the country.

OAMC was founded in 1890 through the provisions of the First and Second Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. The original act provided higher education opportunities for the first time to the “industrial classes” and included expectations for the type of education they would receive. … of at least one college where the leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts …

[Morrill Act of 1862] Robert Barker, OAMC’s first president, maintained the mandate created during the Civil War to provide “military tactics” for all students, male and female.

OAMC students were required to participate in military drill until a clarification later released women from this obligation. Not all students could afford the official uniform, and in the early years, a variety of outfits were donned during drills. Class lectures provided rudimentary military science instruction and marching drills were held daily.

This burgeoning military training tradition continued through the formative decades of the college. A Corps of Cadets, formed around 1910, consisted primarily of Stillwater and Payne County students. Membership entailed three hours of drill each week and included instruction in small arms firing, field service regulations, interior guard duty, infantry drill and first aid. By 1913, military equipment on the OAMC campus included 450 30-caliber Krag-Jorgensen rifles.

With the beginning of WWI, this grew to 600 rifles — Krag-Jorgensens and Springfields — with additional unspecified “infantry equipment.”

During this time, OAMC was facing challenges of its own. Enrollment had grown to 1,471 in 1914, and campus facilities fell short of expectations.

OAMC President J. H. Connell had been removed from his position during the summer of 1914 due to financial and alleged corruption issues related to his “political” appointments of faculty and staff on campus. The college was unable to identify a permanent replacement and appointed Dr. Lowery Layman Lewis as interim president.

On Aug. 7, fire gutted Morrill Hall, the main administration office, classroom building and the School of Agriculture. Two months later, the relatively new Women’s Building suffered a fire, which destroyed the top two floors and left extensive water damage on the first and second floors.

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The European war was rarely mentioned in the college paper as the institution was more concerned with its own survival. Funding was secured to rebuild the two buildings severely damaged by the fires of 1914. In June 1915, James W. Cantwell was named president and moved into temporary offices in the Engineering Building until Morrill Hall was restored.

Cantwell set to work expanding campus facilities and identifying new revenue streams to support campus programs. While working with the Oklahoma Board of Agriculture and serving as a college regent, the new president applied for a federal program to provide Reserve Officers’ Training Corps on campus.

OAMC Military Band leaving campus at the corner of Knoblock and College (University) Avenue heading south into Stillwater for a parade.

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The college had been placed under the Oklahoma Board of Agriculture in 1912 and board President Frank Gault had little experience working in higher education. He was a former deputy marshal, peace officer and cattle breeder. In support of the “Lever Act of Congress,” the board encouraged the college to expand Oklahoma food production research and distribution programs as the United States began to prepare for war.

Surging grain prices — up 400 percent from 1913 to 1919 — helped propel the “great plow-up” as western Oklahoma farmers and others expanded wheat acreage in the western plains, eventually leading to the Dust Bowl a decade later.

While Cantwell was working to build support for increased food production at home and prepare for battle overseas, students on campus were still conflicted. The Philomathean Literary Society debated entrance into

the war and the college paper supported its conclusion.

Many students expressed concerns about militarism on campus during the first years of the war. Ella Wilson was recognized in the college paper when her article “The Aftermath” was published in the Christian Herald in November 1916. She supported peace, arguing war would lead to desolation. The newspaper had war news reports but also included less supportive stories.

While the debate raged on, drills continued daily on the parade grounds between the Central Building and Morrill Hall, as well as north of Morrill.

Stillwater hosted the Grand Army of the Republic (Union Soldiers) and the Spanish War veterans for their annual encampments. Holiday parades in town provided opportunities for military displays and a college cadet corps marching band was eventually added for public entertainment and drill exercises.

Marching precision and military dress

James W. Cantwell

Frank Gault

had both improved dramatically from the early years. The military section of the college yearbook also expanded every year beginning in 1914, culminating in the “Military” issue of 1918 and the “Victory” issue in 1919.

In addition to the traditional cadet military training program and the new ROTC unit established in 1916, rifle teams and a rifle club were added. The military cadet corps included eight, 40-member companies (A-H). The 320 members of the cadet corps included some of the 50-60 rifle club members.

There existed significant overlap between the two groups. The competitive rifle team was restricted to 15 members for events. OAMC women also had a rifle club known as the Death Legion.

Robert L. Williams, Oklahoma’s third governor, took office in January 1915, only six months before Cantwell arrived in Stillwater. Then, in April 1917, the tide of public opinion turned. Public support for the war rallied, beginning with the appointment of state and local councils of defense. Oklahomans increasingly felt they had a role to play

Dr. Angelo C. Scott

in making the world safe for democracy.

All voices opposed to this proposition were drowned out. The same could be said at OAMC. Williams began working with the United States Council of National Defense to establish an Oklahoma Council of Defense. The Oklahoma Legislature was not in session, but this didn’t deter him from establishing this “extralegal” state council.

In May 1917, he appointed a 12-member board with 11 committees.

They were to address publicity, military preparedness, conservation of food and fuel, local food production, “Victory Gardens,” promote the sale of Liberty Bonds, support the Red Cross, encourage the use of war savings stamps and expand Oklahoma’s capacity to produce munitions and supplies in support of the war effort.

By July, local councils of defense were organized. The governor appointed local business and civic leaders to work with citizens. Williams named Cantwell to the local council in Payne County. The Oklahoma Council of Defense provided

weekly news releases distributed to local newspapers and created an Oklahoma Patriotic Speakers Bureau.

Former OAMC President Angelo C. Scott wrote a pamphlet titled, “The War: Its Justification and Purpose,” which was distributed to over 3,000 volunteer speakers.

Known as the “Four Minute Men” they spoke to civic groups, schools, volunteer organizations, service groups and a variety of crowds. The speeches provided justifications for entering the war, described German atrocities and encouraged support for the military.

By the summer of 1917, the initial preparations to support the nation’s war efforts at home and abroad had been completed on the OAMC campus. On the home front, college expertise, guidelines and recommendations shared with citizens across the state increased agricultural and natural resource production involving a wide variety of crops and livestock.

Military training options were expanded, additional equipment was ordered, personnel and resources were added to assist with overseas efforts.

The college had done its best to adjust despite the many unknowns found in war, but the institution was less prepared for some of the conflicts to come, both at home and abroad.

The coming years would be difficult for many.

The Battle for Lewis Field — Corps of Cadets engage in a “sham” battle north of campus along the southern boundary of the first location for football and track contests, now the northeast corner of Hester Street and Athletic Avenue.

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STUDENT NEWS

IMPACT Spotlight

Hometown: Beaver, OK

Amanda

Major: Animal Science; Pre-Veterinary

Bolinger Senior

Oklahoma State Scholar Society Fellow Donald and Cathey Humphreys Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship

Oklahoma State University Scholarships When you donate to scholarships, you equip students with the financial and academic support so that they can pursue their orange passion.

Your support offers life-changing experiences to help students be successful at OSU and beyond.

For information on donating, visit OSUgiving.com.

What impact have the scholarships made during your time in college?

The biggest impact, in addition to the incredible financial peace, is that the scholarships have given me connections I've been able to forge. The Oklahoma State Scholars Society has provided opportunities to connect with faculty and students across campus in a unique way.

My peers are some of the brightest, most driven individuals I've ever met. Some of them have even become some of my closest friends. I really value these connections.

What was your reaction when you learned you’d be receiving the scholarships?

I'm really not a crier, so when I was staring at my phone and sobbing, my tennis teammates and coach were very concerned. We were at the regional meet when I was sent a video of President and Ann Hargis congratulating me on receiving the OSSS award. I’ll never forget the incredible relief that came from knowing I could afford college. Not only that, but I was able to attend my dream school.

What would you say to the donors who made your scholarships possible?

I would give them a deep, heartfelt thank you.

The OSSS scholarship has changed my life. I've made lifelong connections through this scholarship, I will graduate with my bachelor's degree debt-free, and I am equipped to go on and pursue my dream of becoming an exceptional Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

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Hometown: Tulsa, OK

Shamara

Major: Economics and Spanish Parman Foundation Scholarship

Arias Senior

Hometown: Idabel, OK Major: Kinesiology Bird Family Endowed Scholarship

Alexia Clardy Freshman

Donald and Cathey Humphreys Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship

Dale and Elizabeth Miller Endowed Scholarship

Dutreau Scholarship Fund

Why did you choose Oklahoma State University?

I have always wanted to be an OSU Cowboy and not just a fan! OSU was my first and only choice. My dad and many other family members and friends have gone to Oklahoma State University. Growing up, I have listened to many stories and have seen lifelong friendships that developed here at OSU. I wanted to be a part of the Cowboy family not only because of wanting to follow my family's footsteps, but also I wanted to experience the stories I have grown up listening to.

Hilde Wohlert Memorial Endowed Award How have the scholarships transformed your OSU experience?

The scholarships have given me access to many opportunities. I’ve been able to join the LASSO Center as an economics SI leader and the Mr./Miss Hispanic Latinx Scholarship Pageant committee as a pageant coach and professional chair. These scholarships have also given me the privilege of studying abroad in Spain at the University of Valencia for the fall semester of 2021. This trip has allowed me to serve as a representative of OSU and learn about a new culture, lifestyle and traditions.

How are your scholarships helping you reach your career goals?

After graduating, I plan to attend graduate school to pursue a master’s in economics in hopes of becoming a financial advisor for a tech company. The scholarships I’ve received have allowed me to gain new experiences and skills, which will ultimately help me reach my professional goals.

How did you feel when you learned you would be receiving scholarships?

I was so happy! I felt weight come off my shoulders. I was more relaxed about going to college. I also felt that all my hard work, time and dedication were finally paying off.

How have your scholarships impacted your college experience and future?

My scholarships have given me the opportunity to have a successful future. They have helped me out with my finances and being able to focus on my class material and career goals and not as much about paying for the classes.

How would you express your gratitude to your scholarship donors?

I would like to say thank you to all the donors who have contributed to my education. Your contributions have allowed me to accomplish so much throughout my college journey.

Most importantly, your help is the reason I can proudly say that I’ll be the first in my family to graduate from college in the Spring 2022. Once again, thank you very much. God bless you and your families.

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Cause for Celebration

Glenns mark graduation milestone with gift to School of Architecture

P

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of graduating from Oklahoma State University, Patrick Glenn and his wife, Briar, donated $25,000 to OSU’s School of Architecture.

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atrick and Briar Glenn have built their success on a foundation provided by the Oklahoma State University School of Architecture.

The Dallas couple recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of Patrick’s graduation from the program with a $25,000 gift to establish the Glenn Prize for the School of Architecture.

“I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for all the professors in the School of Architecture,” Patrick said. “It really had a profound impact on my life, my work ethic and how I approach things.

And so in a way, it was a big thank you to the School of Architecture.”

The endowed fund will provide prize money for an annual competition within the school in which students design educational facilities — a nod to the couple’s work as the owners of Glenn | Partners, a firm dedicated to designing innovative and forward-thinking educational facilities.

“With the Glenns, we were able to imagine a path for their legacy that would simultaneously highlight their career focus in the design of educational facilities while providing students more appreciation of this important area of practice,” said Suzanne Bilbeisi, head of the OSU School of Architecture. “The Glenn Prize will annually recognize and reward excellent student design work of this project type.”

Patrick said the balance of design theory and technical training offered within the OSU School of Architecture sets it apart from other programs.

“I think OSU is really a perfect balance between those two philosophies,” Patrick said.

“They’re definitely rooted in design theory and critical thinking and those important guiding principles, but they also teach students how to think practically and pragmatically about design, making sure it’s affordable and buildable. I think that’s one reason why I’ve been successful in my career and why other Oklahoma State graduates are successful. They come out of school with this blended, balanced level of knowledge and experience.”

STORY CHELSEA DINTERMAN | PHOTO PARSACLE PHOTO

The Glenns have committed to an additional annual gift to bolster its impact on students.

“While the new endowment grows, we felt the earnings available to award weren’t impactful enough for a student,” Patrick said. “So that’s why we’re enhancing it every year. As long as we’re doing well and we’re growing financially, we’ll always be able to enhance the gift with year-end additional contributions just to make it a little bit more impactful and more meaningful for the students.”

While students will see the most direct impact, the Glenns hope their gift will help enhance the school as a whole.

“We are doing it so that the professors and the program are able to offer things to the students that were not offered in the past,” Patrick said. “It’s really about enhancing the program and trying to support the mission that Suzanne and her team are trying to accomplish.”

To further impact the School of Architecture, Patrick and Briar have made plans for a future estate gift. In addition, the couple plans to give another gift to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Briar’s graduation from the program. In the meantime, they feel honored to give back to the program that built them.

“We’re going to enjoy life and enjoy retirement when that time comes,” Patrick said. “We’ve worked extremely hard, partnered with some amazing and talented colleagues, and made a lot of sacrifices along the way to have achieved the amount of success we’ve seen. Sharing in our rewards and giving back to our roots was the right thing to do. We both have wonderful memories of Stillwater and all the professors who helped build

PHOTOS PHIL SHOCKLEY

that program and continue to guide students today.

I can truly say that we would not be the people we are today without that experience.”

Patrick and Briar are excited to support the school with their gifts.

“I feel honored to have something at the school that has my name on it,” Patrick said. “That program, those years, those professors, that town and that university had such an inf luence and tremendous impact on me. So if we’re able to give back and even have my name as a part of the OSU School of Architecture legacy, it just means a lot to me,” he said. “So to have something that will live on beyond my lifetime is truly special.”

The Glenn Prize for the School of Architecture will support an annual competition among student designers.

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The

Cowboy100 Gala is an evening filled with energy, excitement and anticipation for OSU alums, their families and business partners.

In 2021, 76 Cowboy-owned or -led businesses were recognized as the inaugural Cowboy100 class for their company’s growth. In the Blazing15, the top 15 highest revenue-generating companies were recognized for their business acumen. With Pistol Pete as the presenter, the inaugural event was a huge success. All OSU entrepreneurs (regardless of college) will want to be a part of the next Cowboy100 Gala!

Important Dates April 1, 2022: Nominations & Applications Open August 31, 2022: Nominations Close October 31, 2022: Applications Close February 2023: Alphabetical List Announced March 31, 2023: Cowboy100 Honoree Gala – Wes Watkins Center for International Trade Development

NOW OP EN and fillin g up FAST !

CHAPTER LEADER PROFILE

Amy Wilcox, Kay County Chapter Amy Wilcox considered herself a Cowboy long before attending Oklahoma State University.

Wilcox grew up in Arkansas City, Kansas, just north of the Oklahoma border. Her grandmother attended OSU and graduated the final year before the university changed its name from Oklahoma A&M to OSU. While at OSU, Wilcox earned a degree in broadcast journalism in 2004, later returning to complete her master’s in mass communications and media management in 2010. Some of her fondest memories from her time at OSU include meeting lifelong friends and experiencing college with her nowhusband, Aaron.

“It’s difficult to recall just a few memories because there are so many to choose from,” Wilcox said.

Soon after completing her master’s, Wilcox moved to Ponca City, Oklahoma, and quickly became involved with the Kay County OSU Alumni Chapter. She didn’t know many people after moving to a new city, so she was extremely excited at the opportunity to be involved in the community, as well as to meet new people who shared her love for OSU. As president, Wilcox is tasked with many responsibilities, including organizing watch parties and seeking out scholarship opportunities for local students.

“I enjoy watching the chapter grow in not only watch parties and other gatherings, but also in scholarship opportunities and board memberships, as well,” Wilcox said.

Her favorite chapter event is Jockeys and Juleps. The event is a Kentucky Derby party held on the day of the race. Attendees enjoy watching the races, participating in party games, a silent auction and traditional Derby fare. Jockeys and Juleps also helps raise scholarship money for local high school students.

“I would not be able to achieve any of this without the rest of the board,” Wilcox said. “They are a tremendous

help. Their involvement and hard work allow these events to occur.”

Wilcox explains that OSU provided her with lifelong friends and memories that she cherishes. She often thinks about her own memories at OSU with her husband and always looks forward to taking her two boys, Ayson and Axton, to OSU events.

“I am excited for my two boys to start creating their own memories at OSU,” Wilcox said.

KAY COUNTY CHAPTER BY THE NUMBERS 2,411 alumni and friends 252 members 178 current OSU students from Kay County 42 miles from Stillwater

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Amy Wilcox (left) cheers on the Cowboy football team in Boone Pickens Stadium with her husband, Aaron, and sons, Ayson and Axton.

STORY AVERY HUDSON | PHOTO PROVIDED BY AMY WILCOX

CHAPTER NEWS

ALUMNI A S S O C I AT I O N American Indian

AIAS DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI RECAP The OSU American Indian Alumni Society honored Bob Baker and Jacque Hensley with its Distinguished Alumni Award at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center on April 10.

Bob Baker is a member of the Cherokee Nation and graduated from OSU in 1983 with a degree in psychology.

He then earned a master’s degree in public health and administration at the University of Oklahoma. Baker has more than 30 years of experience as a health care professional and administrator. At the outset of his career, Chief Wilma Mankiller appointed him to serve as the tribe’s director of policy, planning and evaluation, where he worked to compact the tribe with the U.S. Department of Indian Health Services. He then founded 14 hospitals throughout the U.S., including three in Oklahoma, serving as an administrator and CEO. Today, he is the chairman and CEO of 24 Our Care, a Native Americanowned health care business based in Tulsa that provides remote services to chronically ill patients throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Baker is the current president of the OSU American Indian Alumni Society and is also a board member of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce.

Jacque Secondine Hensley (Kaw, Cherokee) currently serves as the director of

American Indians in Medicine and Science (AIMS). In her position, Hensley cultivates and partners with Oklahoma’s federally recognized tribes to promote STEM and health care initiatives for their citizens. A native Oklahoman, Hensley earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Tulsa. Prior to her employment with the AIMS office, Hensley was the first Native American liaison for the governor; appointed by Gov. Mary Fallin in July 2012. As the Native American liaison, she was the senior advisor to the governor on Native American affairs. In 2015, Hensley became the first Indian Affairs liaison for the Department of Human Services. Due to the number of tribal governments in Oklahoma and the number of Native Americans that utilize DHS services, Director Ed Lake created this executive level position solely dedicated to working with the tribes. Most recently, in May 2016, Hensley was elected chairwoman of Kaw Nation and served in that role until May 2018.

STORY WILL CARR | PHOTOS OSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Baker

Hensley

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CHAPTER NEWS

BOUT AT THE BALLPARK Multiple generations of Cowboys and Cowgirls gathered at Texas Live! for a special party the night before the historic Bout at the Ballpark between Cowboy Wrestling and the Iowa Hawkeyes on Feb. 12.

2022 FIESTA BOWL A group of Cowboy football fans enjoys the fun at a welcome event on the OSU Alumni Association’s 2022 Fiesta Bowl trip. The Cowboys went on to defeat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Jan. 1.

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COWBOY WRESTLING AT MIZZOU OSU wrestling fans gathered for a pre-match event at Shakespeare’s Pizza in Columbia, Missouri, before the Cowboys’ dual against the Tigers on Feb. 6.

Get involved with an OSU alumni chapter, watch club or society at orangeconnection.org/chapters.

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CHAPTER NEWS

OKC BREWS CRUISE The OKC Metro Chapter hosted a Brews Cruise from Oklahoma City to the OSU alumni-owned Expedinture Brewery in Okarche.

Attendees also enjoyed a meal from Eischen’s at the brewery while watching the Bedlam basketball game together.

RODEO BALL President Kayse Shrum and First Cowboy Darren Shrum pose with OSU Rodeo team member Coralee Castle at the 2022 Rodeo Ball. The event and online auction helped raise funds for the rodeo team.

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ALUMNI UPDATE

’50s Betty Fulton, ’50 business, is a part of an exceedingly loyal and true family. Her sons, Bill and Don Fulton; daughter in-law, Sharon Fulton; and granddaughters, Betsy Walker and Kathryn Fulton; are all OSU graduates.

Meredeth Wade (Miles), ’51 journalism and broadcasting, lost her husband, Norman L. Wade, on May 5, 2020.

Kenneth D. Webb, ’51 business, is 90 and is still playing golf often. As of now, Webb has a record of nine hole-in-ones.

Ann Chrisman-Parsons, ’52 aerospace administration and operations, has recently moved to assisted living. Once the pandemic is over, she plans to return to her volunteer work at Habitat for Humanity.

Dr. Glen K. Wallace, ’56 elementary education, was the past president of Bennett Hall in 1956 and the president of his senior class at OSU in 1956. He is a retired colonel of the U.S. Army Reserve and is currently retired from his practice as a psychologist.

Charles Heller, ’59 civil engineering, ’60 master’s in civil engineering, has recently completed his latest memoir, Cowboy from Prague, which will be available in late spring 2022. One of Europe’s “hidden children” during WWII, he has written an acclaimed book about his experiences, Prague: My Long Journey Home. Another memoir, Ready, Fire, Aim!, tells the tales of his career as a successful entrepreneur in the United States. Heller and his wife reside in Annapolis, Maryland.

Richard Tredway, ’59 architectural studies, ’61 master’s in architecture, retired on July 1, 2021, after 43 years in the private practice of architecture as Tredway Associates. His architectural experience in those years included an assignment

with the OSU School of Architecture in 1988-1990 as a visiting assistant professor.

’60s

John “Eddie” Manley, ’60 plant and soil sciences, became the director of Emergency Medical Services for the State of Oklahoma.

Hadley (Roy) Peterson, ’60 secondary education, graduated from OSU in 1959 and married Pat Peterson (Howard) in 2011.

They have five children from their combined families, 17 grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren. The two enjoy international travel and their real estate projects.

Jerry Ann Dunn, ’61 elementary education, was widowed in 2017 with the passing of his wife, Cotton. He has two grandsons who have graduated from OSU, Holt and Ben Calder, as well as season tickets to the McKnight Center.

Janice Rogers (Herbert), ’61 home economics and community services, has devoted the last 40 years of her life as an educator for schools in Enid, Oklahoma; Department of Defense Schools (DoDDS) overseas; Maryland; and Ketchum, Oklahoma. Her husband passed away on June 6, 2020. Surviving him is Rogers; her two children, Jill Russell and Jay Rogers; and her two grandchildren, Cade and Riley.

Sara Myers (Spradling), ’61 family relations and child development, is currently living at Spanish Cove, an independent living establishment in Yukon, Oklahoma, and loves it.

John “Dick” Bogard, ’62 plant and soil sciences, and wife, Avon, are enjoying retirement in Durant, Oklahoma, where Bogard worked part time for child welfare.

He worked in this position until he was diagnosed with kidney cancer. After 55 Opdivo immunotherapy treatments, Bogard is now cancer free.

Anaita McMurtie, ’62 art and English, has recently been studying her genealogy which allows her to trace inherited health problems for her and her family. Due to the COVID19 pandemic and the attrition of age, McMurtie has seen tremendous loss of friends, many of which she knew from OSU. She also has an immunocompromised son.

The combination of these circumstances and the pandemic has led her to begin her fascinating genealogy studies.

McMurtie has also been working on papers regarding her doctoral major and occasionally spends time writing stories from her years overseas.

Jyo Umezawa, ’64 economics, moved to retirement housing in early March 2021 after the passing of his wife, Sharon Sue Mitchell Umezawa, in August 2018.

Larry L. Hawk, ’65 physical education and health, married Connie Hawk on Sept. 5, 2020.

Robert Drechsler, ’68 aeronautical technology, was excited to see that the OSU Cowboy football team had beat the University of Oklahoma in the Battle of Bedlam this year, and on his birthday, nonetheless.

Drechsler says it’s the best birthday present ever to see the Pokes win Bedlam.

Leon Minton, ’68 electrical engineering, had a fantastic career thanks to his degree from OSU. Since his retirement in 2007, he has taken up running and often places in the top three of his age group at race events.

JoAnne “Jody” Hayes (Hart), ’69 economics, has recently moved to the independent living community of Legacy Village with her husband, Victor, and they are loving it. While at Legacy Village, she is able to continue her alterations and mending business, as well as spend time with other Legacy residents who are big OSU athletics fans. They often gather to cheer on the Cowboys.

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’70s David E. McCollum, ’70 journalism, has been named the newest member of the New Mexico Newspaper Association Hall of Fame.

Linda Watkins, ’70 elementary education, has a daughter.

Watkins has been enjoying going to OSU football and basketball games. She has also celebrated 54 years with her spouse whom she met at OSU. Watkins has been attending OSU athletic events for 50 years.

Randy Phillips, ’71 business administration, and wife, Sue, have been enjoying retirement. They have been traveling and visiting their children — Chad, Kirt and Nick — who are all OSU grads and have eight combined children.

Donna Boyd (Risner), ’74 computer programming, ’84 master’s in home economics education and community, has retired from her computer programmer position at American Airlines and her position at the Oklahoma State Department of Education as the computer tech director for Broken Arrow Schools and Tulsa Community College.

Johnnie Rogers, ’74 marketing, has recently joined the “70-somethings” and is still proud of his alma mater.

David Littlefield, ’75 English, has sold his company, Littlefield Agency, to his son, Sam, allowing David to move to a chairman position and his wife, Marellie, to retire from her position as vice president of finance and human resources.

Littlefield founded the company in 1980 and believes that Sam will do a great job in his place.

James Waller, ’76 master’s in civil engineering, is now 80.

Cathy D. Byrum, ’79 fashion merchandising, welcomed her

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fourth grandson, Brady Richard Dillard, on Feb. 12, 2021, which also happened to be the day she retired. Parents Dan and Deena Dillard named their son after Dan’s late grandfather, Rick Dillard, who was formerly Pistol Pete.

Mary Etta Campbell, ’79 foreign languages, and husband, Dean, have both retired from their respective careers. They have 15 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Campbell is active in Alfalfa Co., is an OHCE Adult Leader for 4-H and very active in Nash Christian Church.

’80s

Gwen Westerman, ’80 English, ’83 master’s in English, was appointed Poet Laureate of Minnesota by the governor and lieutenant governor, making her the first Native American Poet Laureate for the state. Westerman’s second poetry book, Songs, Blood Deep will be out in the fall of 2022.

Sandra Lewis, ’81 management, ’88 master’s in health education and promotion, is happily retired and living back in Stillwater. She is loving every minute of it.

Jeffrey Conner, ’82 history and political science, worked at Edmon Low Library while starting his history master’s program.

There, he met a librarian who had formerly been a military librarian, leading Conner to consider this profession in the future. He received his master’s in library science at OU and eventually became a military librarian, as well. Conner has worked overseas in Germany and Japan since 1997, serving the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. He credits his accomplishments and career to OSU along with the connection that he made working in the library.

Richard Grayson, ’82 political science, is currently working his

dream job as the Gulf Coast fuel oil scheduler at Phillips 66 in Houston.

Dennis Hickerson, ’82 agronomy, has been assisting the OSU Rodeo coach by training with his athletes.

Kristine Mayo (Amberger), ’82 design, housing and merchandising, is retiring from her job at Prudential as an account executive after 24 years.

Her final day at Prudential will be July 1, 2022.

Kent Dunlap, ’83 leisure studies, retired from his position as a natural resources biologist and operations manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Dec. 31, 2021.

Greg Gray, ’85 biochemistry, ’89 doctorate in osteopathic medicine, retired from St. Francis System in March 2021. Dr. Gray is currently serving as an associate professor for OSU Center for Health Sciences and absolutely loves teaching.

Cara Beer (Brunst), ’87 master’s in landscape architecture, is celebrating 42 years in Stillwater.

She remains connected to OSU through marriage to Dr. Ron Beer, vice president for student services and serving years as campus ministry director. She is a mother of three, two of whom have attended OSU. Beer is a volunteer at the OSU Museum of Art and is now a greatgrandmother to twin boys.

Drew Hamilton, ’88 finance, is enjoying life in the Twin Cities and loved the Cowboy win at the Fiesta Bowl. He is also currently leading a group at U.S. Bank as SVPCorporate Trust and traveling to Stillwater as much as possible.

Deb Nance, ’89 biological science, is planning to complete her 32nd year at Palo Duro High School and retire in May. She intends to enjoy traveling and spend time with her great-niece, as well as attend more OSU events.

’90s Tamara Cobb, ’90 accounting, is excited for her son, Dawson, to begin his freshman year at OSU in fall 2022. He will be a thirdgeneration Cowboy.

Raina Rose Tagle, ’92 accounting, has joined Stanford University as its senior associate vice president and chief risk officer after 15 years as a partner in the public accounting and advisory firm of Baker Tilly.

She is also a member of the university cabinet, staffs the Board of Trustees Committee on Audit, Compliance, and Risk, and supports similar board committees for Stanford Health Care, Stanford Children’s Health and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

Derek Jones, ’94 speech, was hired as the recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach at Fulshear High School in Fulshear, Texas.

The football team made the playoffs for the first time in school history. As recruiting coordinator, he has six players signing national letters of intent.

Nancy Moore, ’94 accounting, a Tulsa Community College professor and OSU alumna, has started hosting a podcast called “Sharing Passion and Purpose,” which aims to encourage others to pursue the things they enjoy and are excited about. The podcast features several OSU graduates who are asked to discuss their passions through a 30-minute interview during the show.

Aimee Nielson (Heald), ’95 agricultural communications, ’97 master’s in agricultural education, is celebrating nearly 23 years as an agricultural communications specialist for the University of Kentucky.

Her main focuses at UK are the Beef Center of Excellence and the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits and plans

on receiving a certificate in Distillation, Wine and Brewing Science from UK in December.

Nielson has also been married to her husband, David, for almost 18 years and their son, Zachary, is a sophomore in high school.

Cody White, ’96 environmental science, ’99 master’s in environmental science, specializes in rural real estate appraisal and sales. However, he has recently renovated a building in downtown Chickasha, Oklahoma, that is said to be over 100 years old. The renovation was completed in 2021 and is now a bicycle shop called Legendary Bicycles.

Betsey D. Weaver, ’97 marketing and management, ’21 master’s in education leadership and policy studies, will be starting a new position as a coordinator for the Student Success CRM Department after four years as an assistant registrar at OSU. Meredith J. Brittain, ’98 animal science, ’21 master’s in engineering and technology management, was promoted to engineer at Boeing after graduating from OSU. Marci Stanley, ’98 accounting, ’99 master’s in accounting, was promoted from senior tax manager to partner at the Dallas CPA firm BKM Sowan Horan on Jan. 1, 2022. She has had over 20 years of tax compliance and consulting experience. Stanley has led the implementation of new tax technology, including AI solutions at the firm, enabling them to provide more holistic solutions to clients’ business challenges.

’00s Robbyn Glinsman (Shook), ’00 elementary education, graduated from Southern Nazarene University on Dec. 4, 2021, with a doctorate of education in administration and leadership.

Tambra Stevenson, ’02 nutritional science, is a fourth-generation Oklahoma native and the founder and CEO of WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture. Stevenson has recently been appointed to the National Agriculture Research, Extension, Education and Economics (NAREE) Advisory Board by the USDA Secretary, Tom Vilsack. Stevenson has also recently developed a scholarship for OSU agriculture, nutrition, and dietetics students named the WANDA Endowed Scholarship.

Kathrine Evans (Reed), ’03 family relations and child development, completed her MBA from St. Andrews University in August 2021.

Crystal Chilcoat, ’05 marketing, has a daughter, Brailey, who is currently a senior at OSU and in her third year as an OSU matmaid.

Kyle Evans, ’05 accounting, received his J.D., with honors from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and had been named shareholder effective Jan. 1, 2022. Evans represents both corporate and individual clients in a diverse range of commercial matters, including areas of professional liability, health care, aviation, bad faith, breach of contract, class actions, negligence and business torts.

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Dr. Todd Mollet, ’06 physiology, partnered with Dr. Brandon Rhinehart, at the Skin Surgery Center of Oklahoma in 2021.

Both Mollet and Rhinehart are OSU graduates and specialize in skin cancer surgery.

Jenny Schmitt (Shimp), ’06 biological sciences, ’07 nurse sciences, was the first ever CRNA from Oklahoma and OSU Cowboy to win a nationwide election to serve on the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology’s Board of Directors (AANA).

’10s

Justin Lollman, ’11 political science, received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law where he was honored with the Order of the Coif. He has also been named shareholder effective Jan. 1, 2022. Lollman has a civil litigation practice which focuses on appeals, complex commercial litigation, employment law, governmental liability and civil rights defense.

Allison Sherier (Potts), ’14 animal science, ’16 master’s in forensic science, has completed her doctorate in biomedical sciences at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. During her Ph.D., which focused on using the skin microbiome for human identification in a forensic context, she received the National Institute of Justice’s prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship. Additionally, Sherier was an invited speaker to

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the International Symposium of Human Identification in September 2021. Now that her doctorate is completed, she will be going on to be a data scientist at Caris Life Sciences focusing on machine learning and artificial intelligence to improve cancer diagnosis.

Stacey Frye, ’15 marketing, has recently been named the director of membership and marketing at the Tulsa Country Club.

Tara Hass (Wright), ’15 master’s in educational leadership studies, married Mychal Hass of Dodge Center, Minnesota, on Oct. 31, 2018. Mychal graduated from Colorado State University in June 2021.

Jordan Bishop, ’16 sports media, was promoted to editor in OSU’s Department of Brand Management.

Brianna Cox, ’16 biochemistry and molecular biology, has decided to return to school after previously graduating in 2016.

She is currently a graduate student at OSUTulsa studying forensic sciences and aims to become a digital evidence expert.

Nicholas L. Cassell, ’19 international agriculture, is the chief executive officer at Austere International Healthcare LLC. As CEO, Cassell is responsible for the overall leadership and strategic planning for the company.

Kara Stead, ’19 mechanical engineering, has had a recent job change to Monolith as a mechanical engineer. Monolith is the leader in carbon-free hydrogen that will provide the high-energy needs of a changing world at an affordable cost.

Friends Leon Paul Stroike, and his wife, Karla, recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Nov. 20, 2021.

Bertha Thomas, has had all three of her daughters and her husband receive their degrees from OSU. They are now retired from their careers and owe their success to the great foundation and education they got from OSU!

In Memory

Pat H. Adams, ‘48 business, died Dec. 24, 2021, at the age of 94. She was raised in Enid, Oklahoma. While at Oklahoma A&M, she was an active member of Kappa Alpha Theta. Upon graduation, she married Bob Adams (’48) and has resided in Dallas since 1963. Bob preceded her death after 66 years of marriage. Adams enjoyed reading, bridge and travel, as well as tennis and snow skiing.

She was active in her church and PEO. Adams was the daughterin-law of Homer Adams, the first student to enroll at Oklahoma A&M and a member of the first class to graduate in 1896.

Philip S. Carrier, ’52 teaching, ’57 master’s in education administration, died peacefully at the age of 93 on Oct. 6, 2021, after a long battle with CHF. Carrier was born on Aug. 7, 1928. He grew up on a farm located near Lockwood, Missouri, where his father tended the farm while working in a sawmill for $1 a day. Carrier lost both of his parents from pneumonia at a young age and was taken in by his father’s sister’s family in Coyle, Oklahoma, through his high school years. He graduated from Eagle (Oklahoma) High School in 1946 and soon made his way to Oklahoma A&M to earn a degree in teaching in 1952 and his master’s degree in education administration in 1957. Carrier found his passion in teaching, becoming adored

Births McCabe

Melton

Rice

Amber McCabe (Hawkins), ’13 art, and husband, William Thomas McCabe III, ’14 mechanical engineering, welcomed their daughter, Chloe Sage McCabe, on Dec. 24, 2021. Chloe shares a birthday with her 3-year-older sister, Eve. Her first road trip was to Stillwater at just three weeks old.

Steven Melton, ‘17 fire and emergency management, and wife, Tristena, welcomed their first child, Isabelle Grace Melton, on Aug. 29, 2021.

Caleb Rice, ’08 hotel and restaurant administration, and husband, Justin Burns, proudly welcomed their son, William (Liam) August Burns-Rice, on Jan. 1, 2022, after a two-year adoption process. What a wonderful way to start the new year.

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by his students in both Mulhall, Oklahoma, and Portland, Oregon. After retiring from teaching in 1986, Philip and his wife, Evelyn, spent many days volunteering at Camp Wi-NE-MA Christian Camp in Cloverdale, Oregon. Carrier also had a passion for music, and constantly sang, played the dulcimer, and attended Bluegrass music camps and events across the U.S. He also authored Walk Beside Me and Hold My Hand, an autobiography chronicling his childhood and 37 years of teaching in the public schools of Oklahoma and Oregon. He and his wife Evelyn M. Henderson were married for 61 years and had two children, Paul and Marsha, before Evelyn’s passing in August 2010.

Wight Jones, ’57 business administration, died on March 7, 2019. He is survived by his wife, Joyce Jones, his children Mark Jones ’82, and Ann Jones ’86; his grandchildren Sierra Jones Wheatly ’09 and Garrett Jones ’13; and his two greatgrandchildren, Hudson and Emelia Wheatly.

Dr. Richard Daniel Hefley, ’82 zoology, ’87 Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine, passed away on Feb. 12, 2022, at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita, Kansas, at the age of 61. Hefley was born on March 30, 1960, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Jack and Rose (Kerby) Hefley. He graduated from East Central High School in Tulsa in 1978.

Dan and Kim (Musick) were united in marriage on May 21, 1983, in Perry, Oklahoma. He remained a loyal OSU fan after graduation. Dr. Hefley proudly owned Arrowhead Animal Clinic, serving Wellington, Kansas, for over 30 years. He was an actively involved member of the First Christian Church. He was also an Eagle Scout and Scout Master with the Boy Scouts of America. He enjoyed teaching and mentoring the younger generation and helped several mentees prepare for future careers in science and technical

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fields. Dr. Hefley was a proud father of his three children and enjoyed coaching their sports teams. He was also known for his stellar, soul-healing, hugging ability, a gift handed down by his amazing father, Jack.

Stephen C. Mills, ’66 physiology, died Jan. 20, 2022, at Hospice House in Hutchinson, Kansas, at the age of 77. He was born on Aug. 1, 1944, in Guthrie, Oklahoma, to Robert and Marcella Mills.

Mills graduated from Stillwater High School in 1962, and later OSU, where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.

He was also a member of the OU School of Medicine. Mills spent 10 years in the United States Navy, achieving the rank of commander and serving two tours of duty on two nuclear submarines. His duty stations included San Diego; Okinawa, Japan; and Newport, Rhode Island. In 1986, Mills joined the practice of the Hutchinson Medical Center,

Weddings Alexis Sartin (Bryan), ’21 nutritional sciences, married Camron Sartin, ’20 finance and sports marketing, on Oct. 10, 2021, in New Hope, Texas. The pair met at Oklahoma State University in 2016.

working as a radiologist for over 20 years before retiring.

His great passions were travel, which he often did with his spouse, Denny, and live theater.

The pair traveled worldwide, including all seven continents and frequent trips to New York to see Broadway shows. Mills was active in the Hutchinson Theatre Guild and worked many hours on the renovation of the facility that would become Stage 9. Throughout the years, he served on the boards of the Theatre Guild, Hutchinson Symphony, Hutchinson Art Center, Kansas Fairground Foundation and Kansas Creative Arts Industry Commission.

Mills was also a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Hutchinson, where he served as an elder and dedicated member of the church choir and handbell choir.

Betty Jane Cline, died on Oct. 6, 2021, after 62 years of marriage.

She had three children, two who have passed, four grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, aging from 1-19.

Impact THE ART ADVOCATE

7,000

visitors welcomed

115+

academic tours given

2,081

art kits distributed “In 2021 with the help of OSU Museum of Art Advocates’ funding, we were able to spread the love of art throughout our community to more students and residents than ever. We are continually grateful for this incredibly generous support.” —Vicky Berry, Director VISIT MUSEUM.OKSTATE.EDU TO BECOME AN ART ADVOCATE TODAY! 720 S. Husband Street, Stillwater, OK / 405.755.2780 / @osumuseumofart

PARTING SHOT | 2 .03. 22

STUDENTS CELEBRATE A SNOWY DAY WITH A SNOWBALL FIGHT ON EDMON LOW LIBRARY LAWN.

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PHOTO GARY LAWSON

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