CAMPUS UPDATE
Pierson’s Perceptions
February saw many remarkable successes. ECU hosted its 101st Interscholastic Meet and students, teachers and administrators who attended are still talking about the fun they had while on campus.
Governor Anoatubby provided an excellent overview of tribal gaming at the Lou Watkins Lecture. Community members are still remarking on the pride they have in the Chickasaw Nation and our Distinguished Alumnus.
The Black Alumni Association and Louise Young Diversity Lecture combined forces to bring a powerful speaker to campus.
Cheryl Brown Henderson’s message was heard by a large audience and I’m still receiving compliments on the event.
At that lecture, Dr. Donnie Nero was awarded the BAA Trailblazer Award. At a statewide meeting, people shared with me their delight in seeing Dr. Nero recognized and reported that he shares his love for ECU wherever he goes.
Students also had remarkable success. Social media has been alive with the stories of a student presenting at the state Capitol during Higher Ed Day, our amazing student-athletes receiving Great American Conference recognition, and business students taking frst place in the State Council for Human Resource Management competition.
When folks in the public share their comments with me, know that all credit is given to each of you for making ECU a wonderful and remarkable place.
Dr. Katricia Pierson President East Central University
February 2020
ECU BAA honors Nero with Trailblazer Award
e East Central University Black Alumni Association honored lifetime educator and ECU alum Dr. Donnie Nero with its prestigious Trailblazer Award as part of the program for the annual Louise Young Diversity Lecture on campus February 20.
Education in 1993, both from Oklahoma State University.
DONNIE NERO
A native of Spencer, Oklahoma, Nero graduated from Dunjee High School in 1967. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Education from East Central University in 1971. Nero earned his master’s degree in Education Administration in 1977 and his doctorate in Occupational and Adult
Keynote speaker
Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby delivered the 2020 Lou Watkins Lecture on February 4 on the ECU campus. Anoatubby’s presentation focused on the impact of tribal gaming on the state of Oklahoma and its communities.
Nero progressed through the ranks at Tulsa Community College to become Provost of the TCC Southeast Campus. He then achieved the presidency of Connors State College in 2000, becoming the rst African American to lead a predominantly nonblack college or university in the state of Oklahoma. Under his leadership, Connors experienced record student enrollment and campus renovation. He retired from the presidency in 2011.
In 2002, ECU named Nero a Distinguished Alumnus.
See “Nero” on Page 4
ECU inks partnership with Brazil university
ECU entered into a new partnership with PUCPR School of Business at the end of January. Pictured, from left, are Wendell Godwin, dean of the Stonecipher School of Business; Dr. Mara Sukholutskaya, Global Education director; Bruno Fernandes, dean of the PUCPR School of Business; ECU President Dr. Katricia Pierson; and Dr. Stacey Bolin, Business professor. See full story on Page 3.
Massey elected nursing board president
LIZ MASSEY
East Central University Nursing instructor Liz Massey has been elected president of the Oklahoma Board of Nursing. Massey, MSN, NPD-BC, NEA-BC, NE-BC, RN, served as vice president for the previous two years. She was appointed to the board in July 2016 by Governor Mary Fallin and serves as a representative member on the Education IDP Committee and a member of the Criminal History Task Force Committee. Massey graduated from ECU in 2004 and currently serves as an instructor in the ECU Nursing program. She obtained a Master’s of Science degree in Nursing Education in 2012 from the University of Oklahoma. She anticipates completing a Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree from Chamberlain University in April 2020.
ECU student speaks at state Capitol
An East Central University student recently spoke to an audience gathered at the 2020 Higher Education Day at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. Ruth Herman of Waxahachie, Texas, accompanied Dr. Christine Pappas, ECU Political Science professor, to the annual event on February 11. Herman is studying Political Science and Counseling with an emphasis on Human Services for the Deaf. She will graduate from ECU in 2021 and plans to pursue work in advocacy. “It was an amazing opportunity,” Herman said. “I hope that my participation helped make an impact for the future of Oklahoma higher education.” Pictured, from left, are Dr. Pappas, Herman, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Chancellor Glen D. Johnson and OSRHE Regent Ann Holloway.
Campus Update February 2020
Brown Henderson delivers powerful diversity lecture
Cheryl Brown Henderson, founder of the Brown Foundation and daughter of the man who led a fght for racial equality in the public school system, delivered East Central University’s Louise Young Diversity Lecture on February 20 in the Ataloa Theatre of the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center.
ECU’s Black Alumni Association co-sponsored the event with Louise Young. Henderson is one of three daughters of the late Rev. Oliver L. Brown, who in the fall of 1950 – along with 12 other parents in Topeka, Kansas, led by attorneys for the NAACP – fled suit on behalf of their children against the local Board of Education. Their case joined with cases from Delaware, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C. on appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. On May 17, 1954, came the landmark decision known as Brown v. Board of Education.
Henderson’s lecture, subtitled “The Legacy Continues,” was met with appreciation and enthusiasm by the large crowd.
Happy 250th, Beethoven!
East Central University’s School of Fine Arts presented a concert celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) on February 23. As part of the festivities, ECU Showtime performed “Beethoven’s Day” from the 1999 Broadway musical, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
ECU, Brazil’s PUCPR form partnership
Note: In the spirit of the new partnership, this is the translated press release distributed by PUCPR.
e PUCPR School of Business, as of this year, has another partner for dual degrees in the areas of entrepreneurship and business: East Central University (ECU), an Oklahoma institution (USA).
e partnership is the result of an agreement for international cooperation established by universities during the visit of professor Bruno Fernandes, dean of the School of Business at PUCPR, to East Central University, at the end of January.
In the international programs of PUCPR, the double degree consists of taking part of the undergraduate course at the Brazilian university and at least one year at the partner institution abroad, which results in a graduate or master’s degree at the foreign university.
“With this type of experience, the student has the opportunity not only to learn concepts and tools in the business area,
but, above all, to live an international environment, improving new languages, creating a network and immersing in another culture,” explains professor Fernandes. Also according to him, with a diploma of this modality, the student is more likely to achieve an international career, whether working in Brazil or abroad.
In addition to the double degree, the agreement between PUCPR and East Central University also includes the arrival of American students in Curitiba for an International Studies program. It includes lectures and activities with students and professors from PUCPR and visits to companies in the capital of Paraná.
Professors Wendell Godwin, dean of the ECU Business School, and Stacey Bolin, director of the American university’s Center for Entrepreneurship, had already visited PUCPR, in early December, to get to know the institution before formalizing the partnership.
ECU Accounting grads honored
When it comes to accounting, count on East Central University. e Oklahoma Society of Certi ed Public Accountants released the names of its 2020 “Trailblazers” and “Path Finders.” e OSCPA selected 10 Trailblazers and ve Path Finders. Of the 15 award winners across the state, three earned their Accounting degrees from ECU.
e 2020 Trailblazers from ECU are Meredith Murphy, CPA, senior vice president and
operational risk o cer with Vision Bank; and Mason Groves, CPA, director of accounting with People’s Electric Cooperative. Murphy graduated from ECU in 2004 and Groves in 2016.
e 2020 Path Finder with an ECU connection is Wes Brantley, CPA, a consultant to the Chickasaw Nation. He graduated from ECU in 1962.
e OSCPA will recognize the award winners at its 102nd annual meeting on June 5 in Norman, Oklahoma.
Campus Update February 2020
Continued from Page 1
In 2010, the ECU Educators Hall of Fame inducted him, along with fellow alum Jimmy Scales, making them the rst African Americans to receive that honor. Also in 2010, Nero founded the Oklahoma African American Educators Hall of Fame Inc., and currently serves as its president.
In 2016, Nero completed two terms as chair of the O ce of Juvenile A$airs. He is a founder of the Oklahoma Legal Issues Conference, a graduate of Leadership Tulsa Class XVIII, and Oklahoma
Grad gives back to ECU club
Wyatt Jones of Holdenville – a soldier now stationed at Fort Hood, Texas – went out of his way recently to return to Ada so he could visit his professors and to buy Russian chocolates from his former club. He also donated $100 to the Russian Club through the ECU Foundation. e chocolate sale is the Russian Club’s traditional fundraiser, with proceeds being equally divided among club members to help with travel and
cultural activities expenses.
Jones earned a Cartography degree from ECU in 2017, but minored in Russian. He made two academic trips to Russia through the Study Abroad program, the rst in 2015 and again the following year. e program provided him with valuable cultural experience as subsequent military trips to Poland and Bulgaria were made easier because of his previous travels to that part of the world.
Spring sports now in full swing!
state coordinator of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. He is also a member of the Oklahoma Global Education Consortium.
e ECU Black Alumni Association presented Nero with the Trailblazer Award preceding the 2020 Louise Young Diversity Lecture that featured Cheryl Brown Henderson, whose father was instrumental in the 1954 landmark Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education. He is the second person to receive the Trailblazer Award. e inaugural winner, Dr. Shirley Mixon, introduced Nero at the lecture.
As March arrives, ECU Tiger softball and baseball are in full swing. Tiger track and feld athletes are also starting to compete. At left, sophomore catcher Emma Barr of Flower Mound, Texas, prepares to take a cut at an oncoming pitch against Newman University. The Tigers took the game 7-0. At right, junior right hander Davis Rogers of Bokchito delivers a pitch to a Southwestern State University batter. Rogers is a transfer from Carl Albert State College. The teams split a double header. To keep up with the latest in the fast-moving world of ECU Tiger sports, visit the Athletics website at www.ecutigers.com.
Dr. Shirley Mixon, the 2019 Trailblazer Award winner, passes on the honor to Dr. Donnie Nero during the Louise Young Diversity Lecture on February 20.
Pictured, from left, during a 2015 Study Abroad trip to Moscow are ECU graduates Kendrick Davis, Trevor Spradling, Kelsea Rabe, Wyatt Jones and Cohen McKinzie. Jones recently gave back to his club.
UPCOMING EVENTS
March 1
ECU Jazz Band 5th Annual Punch and Pie Concert
3 p.m., Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center
March 2
Last Day to Drop 1st 8-Week Classes
“The Golden Age: Rachmaninov and His Greatest Poets” 7:30 p.m., Ada Arts & Heritage Center (of campus)
March 3
Baseball vs. Oklahoma Baptist
2 p.m., Ken Turner Field
Movie Night
6:30 p.m., Estep Multimedia Center
March 5
“Homegrown: Comedy with Jen Kober”
7:30 p.m., Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center
March 6
1st 8-Week Classes End
Baseball at Arkansas Tech
Noon, Russellville, Arkansas
Softball vs. Arkansas Tech (Double Header)
1 p.m., Tiger Field
ECU Esports Club CS:GO Tryouts
5:30 p.m., PES Building (Room 131)
March 7
Softball vs. Arkansas Tech (Double Header) Noon, Tiger Field
Baseball at Arkansas Tech (Double Header)
1 p.m., Russellville, Arkansas
March 9
2nd 8-Week Classes Begin
March 10
Baseball vs. Central Oklahoma 3 p.m., Ken Turner Field
March 11
Midterm Spring 2020 Grades Available at MyECU Inquiry-Based Instruction Professional Development
8 a.m. Digital Humanities Lab/Linscheid Library
Campus Activities Board presents “New Plant, New You” 6:30 p.m., Stanley P. Wagner Ballroom
March 13
Last Day to Add 2nd 8-Week Classes
Last Day to Drop 2nd 8-Week Classes w/100% Refund
Baseball vs. Southern Arkansas
1 p.m., Ken Turner Field
Softball at Southern Arkansas (Double Header)
4 p.m., Magnolia, Arkansas
Thomas Gamble “The Natural History” Exhibit Ends 5 p.m., Pogue Gallery/Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center
March 14
Softball at Southern Arkansas (Double Header) Noon, Magnolia, Arkansas
Baseball vs. Southern Arkansas (Double Header) 1 p.m., Ken Turner Field
March 15
Online Graduation Application Opens for Fall 2020
March 16-20 Spring Break
March 17
Baseball at Oklahoma Baptist 6 p.m., Shawnee, Oklahoma
March 19
Track & Field at Bobby Lane Invitational 8 a.m., University of Texas-Arlington
March 20
Baseball at Arkansas-Monticello Noon, Monticello, Arkansas
Softball vs. Arkansas-Monticello (Double Header) 2 p.m., Tiger Field
March 21
Softball vs. Arkansas-Monticello (Double Header) Noon, Tiger Field
Baseball at Arkansas-Monticello (Double Header) 1 p.m., Monticello, Arkansas
March 24
Baseball vs. Rogers State
2 p.m., Ken Turner Field
Softball at Southeastern (Double Header) 2 p.m., Durant, Oklahoma
March 25
Founders Day
March 26
Track & Field at Texas Relays 8 a.m., Austin, Texas
March 27
ECU SCREENS presents “All My Sons” 6:30 p.m., Estep Multimedia Center
Track & Field at Washington University Invitational
8 a.m., St. Louis, Missouri
Softball at Henderson State (Double Header) 2 p.m., Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Baseball vs. Henderson State
3 p.m., Ken Turner Field
March 28
Track & Field at OBU Invitational
8 a.m., Shawnee, Oklahoma
Softball at Henderson State (Double Header) Noon, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Baseball vs. Henderson State (Double Header) 1 p.m., Ken Turner Field
March 31
Baseball vs. Southeastern 2 p.m., Ken Turner Field
PHOTO GALLERY
Roary Tiger awards an unidentifed area high school student a medal for her performance at ECU’s 101st Interscholastic Meet on February 11. Several hundred competitors descended on campus for the event and were treated with fun activities and tours between academic contests.
ECU students aren’t the only ones having fun on campus. The Pontotoc County Drug-Free Coalition held its ffth annual gala, disguised as an 80’s prom murder mystery, in the Chickasaw Business & Conference Center on February 7.
Current ECU student teachers recently enrolled in a seminar focusing on a variety of particular concerns for any frst-year teacher. Dr. David Thornton, ECU Education instructor, organized and hosted the seminar on campus. In this photo, Ada City Schools Superintendent Mike Anderson addresses the seminar attendees.
and
for
A no-show gala?
Yes! To celebrate its 50th birthday in February 2020, the ECU Foundation sent out these fancy invitations for an “event” that wasn’t. The novel campaign invited alumni and other community supporters of the University to make contributions from the comfort of their homes rather than carve time out of their busy schedules to attend an in-person gala. Black tie optional, indeed!
Allison Bush of Sapulpa and her fellow cast mates perform “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” that ran February 13-15 in the beautiful Ataloa Theatre inside the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center.
Whitebead Elementary School Superintendent
Principal Lou Ann Wood answers questions during the Spring 2020 Education Fair in the ECU Memorial Student Union February 14. The career fair is an excellent networking opportunity
ECU Education majors and alumni.
SAVE THE DATE Tiger TRacks
March 5, 2020
Homegrown: Comedy with Jen Kober
March 25, 2020
ECU Founders Day
April 10, 2020
ECU Thunder Night, details TBA
May 8, 2020
Evening of Honors and Recognition
May 29, 2020
OKC Area Alumni Reunion details TBA
June 5, 2020
Tulsa Area Alumni Reunion details TBA
September 25 & 26, 2020
ECU Homecoming Weekend
For more information visit www.ecok.edu/alumni/events
IN MEMORIAM
Robert Wayne Montgomery
Toni LaRuth O’Brien 1983
Lindsay Snow 1998
William Clay Stokes 1959
Sandra Wo ord
The ECU family offers our deepest sympathy to the families of the alumni and friends we have lost.
Scott Burtch 2001 & ‘03 was picked to be the next Chief of Police in Sheldon, Iowa.
Anita Holloway 1992 was named to the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
e ECU Alumni Association Board of Directors recently selected new o cers and committee members, and added two new members to the board. e current board of directors is as follows:
OFFICERS
President - Willie Hughes ‘86
Vice President - Lacy Grammer ‘08
Secretary - Pat Fountain ‘80
Treasurer - Trevor Sutton ‘15
Past President - Ti any Grant Evans ‘07
MEMBERS
Finance Chair - Josh Hardage ‘18
Events Chair - Dia Ghosh ‘17
Communications Chair - Shawn Howard ‘97
Nominating & Membership Chair - Chris Van Denhende ‘82
Jesse Allen ‘09
James Brown ‘75
Dare Chronister ‘10
Robyn Elliott ‘02
Hillary Farrell ‘00
Chris Feiler ‘80
Josie Hammock ‘18
Taylor Howard ‘12
Sarita KC ‘13
Monica Neal ‘91
Ray Nicholas ‘83
Bipin Shiwakoti ‘13
Tommy Vass ‘88
Scott Williams ‘82
Timmy Young ‘88
SAVE THE DATE Tiger TRacks
September 25 & 26, 2020 ECU Homecoming Weekend
For more information visit www.ecok.edu/alumni/events
IN MEMORIAM
Lila Acker
Marilyn Sue Castle Blevins
Danny Key
Robert Lee Rogers
The ECU family offers our deepest sympathy to the families of the alumni and friends we have lost.
Linda Braddy, 1984 was appointed President of Brookhaven College in Farmers Branch (Dallas County), Texas, in November 2019.
Braddy served as a faculty member in the ECU Mathematics department from 1998-2009. She then chaired the department from 2005-2009.
Jimmy Mitchell, ‘06 & ‘13 has severed as the American Sign Language interpreter for Gov. Stitt the past few weeks. He is now known for the elaborate facial expressions he makes during Stitt news conferences. Mitchell became deaf at age 5 a er contracting spinal meningitis. He works as a vocational rehabilitation counselor, helping those with hearing loss secure jobs and advises on career opportunities.
Sushant Naidu, 2003 was one of 100 selected to receive a 2020 Rotary Foundation Peace Fellowship. is spring Naidu will receive a Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall. He is the current Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Diplomacy and President of the International Law Society at Seton Hall.
Linda (Battles) Lewis, 1962 recently published Ensemble, a book of poetry about female lives and female experience. The book is available online. Lewis, who is professor emerita of Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, is also the author of four books of literary criticism and a number of shorter works.
Suzanne Proulx (Carol Suzanne Lucy), 1971 has a short stor y, “If You Say So,” in the current edition of Best American Mystery Stories 2019, which came out in October 2019.
Many of our wonderful Alumni have asked how they can help our students who are now faced with unexpected changes such as loss of jobs, food insecurities, as well as other needs. We want to be there the best we can. To nd out how you can help provide assistance to those students
experiencing di culties please visit ecok.edu/Covid-19StudentRelief.
CAMPUS UPDATE
Pierson’s Perceptions
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill’s quote is apt for what we have seen this past month.
There are many stories of giving found in this month’s Campus Update: students who have sewn masks for area hospitals and clinics, faculty and coaches who have worked with students to help them succeed, and alumni and community partners who have stepped up to help.
The success of our students is realized through the scholarships given to them. Those scholarships are the fruits of generosity, and we are very thankful for donors including current students, alumni, agencies, and corporations. They have all given to help others.
We are grateful for the students who entrust in us their time and talent and for those individuals who believe students are worth the fnancial investment. Thank you for the life we make at ECU.
Dr. Katricia Pierson President
ECU scores big at Love’s Cup
With another dominant performance at the Love’s Entrepreneur’s Cup competition, East Central University continues to build a strong case as Oklahoma’s best business school.
All four of ECU’s Love’s Cup teams claimed prize money at the 2020 competition. In fact, ECU brought home seven separate awards, more than any other university in the state, with total combined winnings of $27,000.
ECU alum steps into high-profile interpreter role
If you’ve watched a televised COVID-19 press conference recently by the Oklahoma governor or Oklahoma City mayor, you’ve probably noticed the energetic, expressive American Sign Language interpreter nearby. That’s East Central University graduate Jimmy Mitchell.
See “Signs” on Page 3
“I’m proud of how hard our students worked,” said Dr. Stacey Bolin, ECU team mentor.
See “Love’s” on Page 6
Edens named 2020 Nigh Award winner
As student body president holding a 4.0 grade point average, Cullen Edens is a well-known personality on the campus of East Central University. Now the senior Accounting major has permanently etched his name in ECU history.
Edens, of Ada, is the 2020 recipient of ECU’s prestigious George Nigh Award.
Byers earns Teaching Excellence award
The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, a worldwide organization, has awarded ECU Business instructor Kristen Byers with its 2020 Teaching Excellence Award for Region 6. Byers is one of only 15 instructors to receive this prestigious award this year. The ACBSP’s Region 6 includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. This is the ffth consecutive Region 6 teaching excellence award recipient for ECU instructors.
Ulrich Scholars set to graduate
The 2019 and 2020 Ulrich Fellows, who each spent a semester in the nation’s capital as part of the Fellowship, are set to graduate from East Central University this May with degrees in Political Science. Jack Langley, 2019 Ulrich Fellow, will commission as an offcer in the U.S. Marine Corps. Alexis Benitez, 2020 Ulrich Fellow, will attend the Oklahoma City University School of Law. The purpose of ECU’s Ulrich Fellowship is to fund students to live and work in Washington, D.C., for a semester. It honors the life and legacy of Dr. John J. Ulrich, a former ECU Political Science professor.
Campus Update April 2020
ECU turns to S.H.A.R.E. Fund for ‘Help a Tiger’
The ECU Student Help and Resources in Emergencies (S.H.A.R.E.) Fund is being utilized to assist students during the coronavirus pandemic. The University has launched a “Help a Tiger” campaign in direct response to the adverse impact the pandemic has made on the economic lives of ECU students and their families.
Those who contribute to the S.H.A.R.E Fund are helping provide relief in many different ways. Administered by the ECU Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, donations to the fund are tax-deductible as allowable by law. When referred by ECU faculty or staff, a student may be eligible to receive support through the S.H.A.R.E. Fund. Students who receive assistance are not expected to repay funds; however, they are encouraged to “pay it forward” when possible. Other eligibility requirements apply.
To donate to the ECU S.H.A.R.E. Fund, submit a recommendation, or learn more about its guidelines, please visit www.ecok.edu/ covid-19studentrelief
Nigh
Continued from Page 1
The George Nigh Award goes to the top graduating senior from ECU and is named in honor of the former governor of Oklahoma and ECU alumnus. Nigh served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, as the state’s lieutenant governor, and later as its governor. Nigh also served as president of the University of Central Oklahoma.
Each year top ECU seniors are invited to apply and undergo a rigorous application and interview process. Edens was selected from a feld of fve very strong candidates including Hannah Anderson, of Noble; Carly Heitland, of Sulphur; Allison Maurer, of Goldsby; and Abbie Winchester, of Marietta.
To read much more about all the candidates, visit www.ecok.edu/news
Signs
Continued from Page 1
He has made quite a name for himself around the state because of his unique, eye-catching interpreting style, which utilizes facial expressions as much as hand signs.
Mitchell, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Rehabilitation Counseling from ECU, practically stumbled into the high-profle role as ASL interpreter for two of Oklahoma’s highest-ranking civic leaders.
“I love ECU,” Mitchell said. “I was able to graduate with my BS at ECU in 2006, then support my wife getting her BS there as well. We did the whole dance again with our master’s programs, with me getting mine in 2013, then hers. ECU is not a ‘my way or the highway’ kind of university. They seem to be more fexible and accommodating with your needs.”
To read much more about Mitchell’s exciting adventure, visit www.ecok.edu/news.
McCane earns Diversity Scholarship
East Central University’s Human Diversity Committee has selected Trevor McCane to receive the 20202021 GLBT Centennial Diversity Scholarship. McCane, a senior from Valliant, is majoring in Human Services Counseling with a minor in Psychology. The GLBT scholarship is for $1,000 per semester. As part of the award, he’ll serve on the Human Diversity Committee.
Karki Scholarship goes to Ghale
East Central University Nursing student
Rita Ghale, of Nepal, is the frst-ever recipient of the Nisha Karki Endowed Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship is named for Karki, another ECU Nursing student from Nepal, who passed away in 2016. The award was made possible through the tireless efforts, persistence and generosity of ECU’s Asian
Student Association, ASA alums and others. Ghale, a senior, will receive $500 each semester for the 2020-21 academic year.
ECU helps student reach goals during pandemic
As the coronavirus continues to scramble lives, one student-athlete is going to great lengths to achieve his personal goals – and East Central University is ensuring that he succeeds.
Jalan Brown, a senior from Saint Paul, Minnesota, is defnitely putting in his share of the work. He’s on track to graduate with a degree in Kinesiology next month. He was also a key player on the ECU Tiger basketball team, whose season ended at the conference tournament just days before the pandemic started to make its presence felt.
Brown was able to fnish out his college basketball career, but like all ECU students his daily academic routine has been upended by the coronavirus. For Brown and other seniors, it couldn’t have arrived at a more inconvenient time – just months before earning a
prized degree.
As the pandemic started to spread in early March, ECU extended Spring Break an extra week for students. Brown returned home to Saint Paul during the break, celebrating his 22nd birthday with his family. He had planned on staying there to fnish his fnal semester online, but again the coronavirus reared its ugly
head. While he was home, the state of Minnesota – acting days before Oklahoma would – issued a stay-at-home order, which basically closed down the entire city.
Suddenly feeling stuck in Saint Paul without the tools he needed and determined to overcome it, he drove the 800plus miles back to Ada. He knew that ECU’s Linscheid Library would allow him to check out a laptop computer so he could fnish the semester and earn his degree on time.
Brown is back in Ada, in a rental house off campus, practicing social distancing and focusing on fnishing his last semester of studies at ECU. His future plans include playing professional basketball overseas and becoming a personal trainer to help others reach their ftness goals.
To read the entire story, visit www.ecok.edu/news.
Incoming freshman earns annual Trailblazer Scholarship
East Central University’s Human Diversity Committee has awarded the Dr. Shirley Mixon Trailblazer Scholarship to Byng senior Delanie Seals
Seals will start at ECU in the fall and plans to major in Political Science. Byng High School is located north of Ada, Oklahoma.
The Trailblazer Scholarship was created by ECU’s Black Alumni Association to recruit more Black students to ECU. The award is named for Dr. Shirley Mixon, senior faculty member. Seals
is the third recipient of the scholarship.
Seals has experience as a trailblazer. She successfully led a challenge of Byng High School’s dress code policy of not allowing students to wear culturally appropriate headwear. Through the advocacy of Seals and other students, the school changed its policy.
Seals is now working on writing culturally sensitive legislation for the Oklahoma Legislature to protect the rights of students throughout the state.
ECU student gets the job done in difficult situation
Even though COVID-19 has done its best to slow the entire world, one East Central University student is determined to offer her services to those in need.
ECU Legal Studies student Melanie Andrews, a junior from Seminole, recently represented Oklahoma Indian Legal Services by meeting with a client in a parking lot to execute a will while OILS Senior Attorney Niki Lindsey supervised remotely via live video.
Andrews serves as a paralegal in the OILS Native American Legal Clinic at ECU. The clinic is a collaboration between OILS and ECU’s Legal Studies program. Andrews, of Seminole and Creek ancestry, is a citizen of the Seminole Nation and part of the “Nukose” Bear Clan. In her role as paralegal for the clinic, she performs research and helps draft estate planning documents.
Lindsey commended Andrews for her outstanding work and desire to go above and beyond for clients. Because of the spread of the coronavirus, Andrews had to do the job while adhering to current social distancing guidelines.
For more information about OILS, please call 405-943-6457. For more information about the Native American Legal Clinic at ECU, please call 580-559-5846 and leave a message. To learn more about majoring in Legal Studies at ECU, please call Jenna Owens at 580-559-5603.
ECU students make masks for hospital East Central University students in the Human Development, Hospitality and Food Services department delivered the frst batch of 100 hand-sewn face masks to the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center on Wednesday, April 15, to help protect hospital personnel and patients. The masks in this photo were made by Amy Baker, a senior from Ada.
Band students attend virtual masterclasses
ECU’s “low brass” students attended three virtual masterclasses via the Zoom online video conferencing platform, observing social distancing protocols during the coronavirus pandemic.
Low brass instruments taught at ECU include trombone, tuba and euphonium. Participating students were Garrett Workman, of Bridge Creek; Seth Stevens, of Lindsey; Tony Thoma, of Tecumseh; Kelin Parrish, of Comanche; Preston Phillips, of Eufaula; Ian Kulakowski, of Oklahoma City; Trevor Aycox, of Ardmore; and Dalaan Bassett, of Sulphur.
580-332-8000
Love’s
Continued from Page 1
The traditionally exciting and opulent Love’s Cup awards ceremony was sidelined this year by the coronavirus pandemic, but the celebration moved online with an energetic Facebook Live event that broadcast the joyful, surprised reactions of winners from their respective homes.
The actual Love’s Entrepreneur’s Cup competition a week earlier also occurred online with students utilizing Zoom
video software to make their competitive pitches.
Winning ECU students included Casey Black, of Chickasha; Cullen Edens, of Ada; Chris McMahan, of Ardmore; and Tanner Jack and Halen Ogles, also of Ada.
The Love’s Cup is a collegiate business plan competition open to students on any Oklahoma campus. Students take what they have learned in a classroom setting and apply it to real-world opportunities as they assemble teams, identify
products, research markets, formulate fnancial projections and write business plans.
The competition comes when teams pitch their concepts to a panel of potential investors, much like the popular television series “Shark Tank.”
“This is one of the best nights of the year for the Stonecipher School of Business,” said Dean Wendell Godwin.
To read the complete story, including details of cash awards, please visit www. ecok.edu/news.
CAMPUS UPDATE
Pierson’s Perceptions
It is so wonderful to have all our students, faculty and staf back on the ECU campus again for the fall 2020 semester!
As you are likely already aware, ECU has mandated face coverings (masks) on campus for all students and employees. We believe this is a vital step toward eIiminating the Covid-19 threat. I am also pleased that our host community, the City of Ada, has enacted a mask mandate as well. Again, it is our opinion that when students, employees and our neighbors honor these important precautions it will help stop the spread of Covid-19.
We are not naïve, however. ECU has been preparing for months to ensure that it takes care of its students, employees and visitors. ECU has allocated 10% of its residence halls to those who may need to be quarantined due to Covid-19 infection. To date, as reported to ECU by employees working and students taking classes on campus, only 0.25% of our campus community have tested positive. All things considered, that is a remarkably low number. Let’s work together to keep that fgure low, and let’s work toward total elimination!
Those who are quarantined on campus are being provided full support during their individual situations. ECU is a place where you are a name, not a number and we care about each and every one of you.
Welcome all back to campus. Let’s do what we can to make this a safe and fruitful semester!
Dr. Katricia Pierson President
September 2020
ECU campus roars back to life, with new challenges
Fall 2020 classes at East Central University began August 17 with exible instruction options available and comprehensive Covid-19 safety protocols in place for students and employees. e fall semester kicked o with move-in day and traditional “Tiger Welcome Orientation Week” activities. Most acitivites were held outside with safety protocols being observed.
Drive through, please!
ECU conducted a “drive-through” check-in for students as part of its Covid-19 safety protocols. To read exactly what ECU has done to prepare for fall, please turn to Page 5
While the Covid-19 pandemic has caused enrollment to dip at many universities, ECU has enjoyed steady enrollment numbers – even a slight increase over last fall’s $gures. e University o ered $1,500 vouchers for transfer students, which helped buoy enrollment. ECU also avoided a tuition increase for this academic year. To read more, please visit www.ecok.edu/news
Back in business
An ECU student visits a vendor on campus at “Howdy Days” during the frst week of school.
Economy benefts from return of ECU students
East Central University’s ability to safely bring students back to campus for the fall 2020 semester spells relief for ECU’s bottom line – which in turn provides a boon to the local economy.
“ECU de$nitely contributes to our sales tax collections,” said Lisa Bratcher, City of Ada public information director. “It is always good to see the students come back to town, and the entire community bene$ts when they are here.”
Honors Program delivers record scholarships numbers for 2020
East Central University’s Honors Program is welcoming its incoming 2020 class with a record-breaking number of scholarship awards. The 2020 Honors class includes 36 scholarship awardees and one high school student, who is taking concurrent classes. Of the scholarship awardees, 30 are receiving four-year Honors scholarships that are worth $20,000 each. This is highest number of scholarships the program has awarded since its inception in 1985.
ECU distributes complimentary face coverings for all students
Campus Update September 2020
Talking water, virtually
Oka’ The Water
Susan Paddack enjoys a moment with Chickasaw Nation
Gov. Bill Anoatubby at the 2019 Water Sustainability Conference. The 2020 conference will be ofered online. For more details, visit www.okainstitute.org/conference2020.
Grants breathe fresh life into University projects
Water sustainability
East Central University will play a key role in a recently awarded $20 million grant to study the intersection of land use, water availability and infrastructure. During the $ve-year award, a team of 34 researchers will develop and test science-based solutions for complex problems of sustainability.
Student Support Services
To make sure students are equipped to keep themselves and others safe from the threat of Covid-19, the University distributed complimentary face coverings, or masks on campus. Each enrolled student received a free, ECU-branded mask upon request and extras were also made available for purchase. Disposable paper masks are also available throughout campus. For more information about safety protocols, visit www.ecok.edu/returning-ecu
e U.S. Department of Education announced that East Central University is set to receive a federal Student Support Services grant in excess of $1.3 million over the next $ve years to help students succeed in - and graduate from - college. e grant will facilitate academic tutoring, $nancial aid counseling, career and college mentoring, assistance in choosing appropriate academic courses, among other services.
Library services
ECU received an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant totaling $428,304 for a three-year project that will focus on developing a research method for evaluating the e ectiveness of Open Educational Resources in increasing lifelong learning competencies.
To learn much more about these grants, please visit www.ecok.edu/news
Institute at East Central University Director
ECU welcomes new campus leaders
East Central University welcomed two new vice presidents to campus over the summer, replacing two longtime campus leaders who retired from service.
ECU welcomed Dr. Brandon Hill as new Vice President for Student Development, replacing Dr. Jerry Forbes who retired at the end of the spring 2020 semester.
Dr. Hill previously served as Vice President of Life Calling & Integrative Learning and Chief Student A airs O cer at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana. As Vice President of
Student Development, Hill will oversee several areas of the university including housing and residence life, student organizations, international student programs, career development, counseling and
health services.
ECU also welcomed Dr. Je rey Gibson as its new Provost and Vice President for Academic A airs, replacing Dr. Brenda Sherbourne who also retired at the completion of the
New faculty announced for 2020-2021 academic year
East Central University proudly announces its new faculty members for the 2020-2021 academic year, including those who joined during the spring 2020 semester. New faculty members include Germain Pichop, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Business Administration; Anne Yoncha, M.F.A., Assistant Professor of Art + Design = Media + Communication; Jacintha Webster, J.D., Assistant Professor of Politics, Law and Society; Kevin Lynch, M.Ed., Instructor of Education; Jackie Switzer, MSHR, Assistant Professor of Professional Programs in Human Services; Andrew Honeycutt, D.B.A.,Visiting Professor of Business Administration; Ashley McCallum, MSN, RN, Instructor of Nursing; Andraz McDaniel, M.S., Instructor of Nursing; and Rebecca Williams, B.S., Instructor of Nursing. To read more information about these new faculty members, please visit www.ecok.edu/news.
spring 2020 semester.
Dr. Gibson served in the same position at Wesley College in Dover, Delaware, for the previous $ve years.
Gibson brings signi$cant academic and administrative experience to ECU. A tenured professor in English at Wesley since 2005, he also held the position of Associate Dean of Curriculum & Program Development and directed the college’s Honors Program before being named Provost there in 2015.
To learn more about these leaders, please visit www.ecok.edu/news.
Get your own ECU mask!
Even the tiger atop the fountain in front of ECU’s Science Hall is wearing a face covering! To order your own ECU-branded mask, please visit www. ecok.edu/ecu-mask
DR. BRANDON HILL
DR. JEFFREY GIBSON
Crutchfeld named new men’s basketball coach
A&er spending over 20 years in collegiate coaching, mostly at NCAA Division I institutions, Chris Crutch$eld has accepted the position of East Central University Men’s Basketball Head Coach, as announced by Director of Athletics Dr. Je Williams.
“Coach Crutch$eld has built an impressive reputation within the college basketball community as an elite coach, recruiter and leader,” Williams said.
Crutch$eld has spent the last year at the University of Arkansas as the associate head coach, helping the Razorbacks to a 20-12 record. e prior eight seasons saw Crutch$eld at the University of Oklahoma, spending his $rst $ve seasons as an assistant coach, before being elevated to the associate head coach in the 2016-17 season.
Read the entire story on Coach Crutch$eld’s hiring as head basketball coach on the ECU Athletics website at www.ecutigers.com.
Tuba time!
What’s college without the tunes? ECU Band students hit the ground running, performing for new freshmen at the fall student convocation. Because ECU’s athletic programs have been sidelined until the spring 2021 semester, the Pride of Tigerland Marching Band will have ample opportunity to get into game shape!
T-shirt time!
ECU Football Head Coach Al Johnson sends T-shirts into the crowd of new freshmen during the 2020 Student Convocation. The event was held at Koi Ishto Stadium this year.
Covid-19 sidelines sports until 2021
Following a meeting of the Great American Conference’s Council of Presidents, the league has suspended all fall and winter sports – basketball, cross country, football, soccer and volleyball – and the two-semester sports of golf and tennis through December 31.
e Council made its recommendation in response to a directive from the NCAA Board of Governors regarding additional requirements as well the cancellation of 2020 NCAA Division II Fall Championships.
All NCAA athletically related activities (in all GAC sports), including in-season practices, out-of-season practices, weight training, team athletically related meetings and voluntary workouts led by sta or in institutional facilities shall be permitted this fall based on each institution’s ability to comply with the recent NCAA Board of Governors directive.
e GAC will continue to evaluate NCAA, federal, state, and local developments and will provide updated revisions as further information becomes available. e league will announce revised schedules at a later date.
To stay informed on the progress of ECU Athletics, please visit www.ecutigers.com.
CHRIS CRUTCHFIELD
Summer 2020 geared toward bringing students back safely
East Central University spent signi$cant time and resources during the summer months to gear up for the fall 2020 semester, taking every precaution to protect students, employees and campus visitors while taking a exible approach to instruction.
“ECU holds as paramount the health, safety and welfare of every member of its community,” President Katricia Pierson wrote in a letter to students and employees over the summer. “We will continue to do our part to have a meaningful, productive and safe semester.”
New challenges being met
Because the Covid-19 pandemic is still a factor, the on-campus experience now looks di erent from years past. ECU is following local, state and national healthcare guidelines, based primarily on wearing face coverings in public places and maintaining social distancing protocols at all times.
Each student and employee has been provided with one washable cloth mask; disposable masks are also be readily available throughout the campus. Classrooms have been rearranged to accommodate safe social distancing. Following protocols established in the spring, large gatherings are prohibited on campus this fall and athletic events are postponed until 2021.
Students and employees have ready access to disinfectant sprays and protective gloves if they choose to wipe down their work areas. More hand-sanitizing stations have been installed on campus and frequent, thorough hand washing – a vital component in preventing the spread of the virus – is constantly promoted. Students are encountering increased signage as well.
Fall classes are now a mixture of in-person and online/ virtual instruction. Town hall style meetings with students and employees are also under way. ese meetings take place remotely via Zoom teleconferencing so&ware and will likely continue throughout the entire semester to ensure critical needs are being met.
More details about the changes on campus - including videos - are available at www.ecok.edu/returningtocampus.
Keeping clean!
ECU’s Covid-19 safety protocols include hand-sanitizing stations throughout campus, both indoors and outdoors.
Maintaining safe distance
ECU Mass Media instructor Mike Maxwell, at right, addresses new students during the annual “Meet the Faculty” event at the beginning of the fall semester.
Even the mascot plays it safe!
Roary Tiger knows the importance of following ECU’s Covid-19 safety protocols, sporting his own custom face covering to keep himself and others safe.
Returning ECU students and employees were greeted with Covid-19 safety protocols.
Surfn’ ECU
A Tiger football coach enjoys a ride on the surfng machine during post-convocation activities north of Koi Ishto Stadium.
Welcoming freshmen
ECU President Katricia Pierson speaks to the freshmen class during the 2020 Student Convocation.
Can I get seconds? Thirds?
An ECU student digs in at the “pie” eating contest, part of the fun and games that follow the traditional Student Convocation ceremony that ofcially welcomes new students to campus.
Now this is what you call ‘Hump Day’
In what has become sort of a new tradition on campus, students ride camels on the Wednesday of Welcome and Orientation Week. The camels didn’t wear masks, but students did!
Campus fun!
In the photo at left, three ECU students pick up the latest Founders Day T-shirt, always a hit on “Freebie Friday.” At right, a student tries his steady hand at “Blindfold Painting” on the Bill S. Cole University Center lawn. During this activity, the painter is guided only by the verbal cues of an observer ... with often hilarious results!
CAMPUS UPDATE
October 2020
Pierson’s Perceptions Elizarde, Huckeby named 2020 Distinguished Alums
Two separate studies (both mentioned in this issue of the Campus Update) were released in September by independent, unrelated higher education research groups that confrm what many already know and many more have known for a long time – that East Central University is a winning combination of quality and afordability.
ECU is fully accredited and ofers a wide variety of degree programs taught by top-notch instructors. Our beautiful campus boasts excellent facilities. Outside of the classroom, ECU ofers a rich campus life with more than 60 student clubs and organizations. Whether it’s athletics, arts, humanities or sciences, ECU has a rewarding pursuit for just about any student – all without the high price tag that accompanies so many other institutions.
For many of our students, ECU is also close to home. With Covid-19 still a factor in our lives, it makes a lot of sense to stay closer to loved ones while working toward a degree. At ECU, a student can have it all – a high-quality education at an afordable price, while staying near those who matter most.
Our Distinguished Alumni knew this, as the same was true then as it is now. When I look around campus I see intelligent, caring students embracing the challenges of these unprecedented times and I know their heads and their hearts are in the right places. No matter the era, the ECU spirit remains strong.
Dr. Katricia Pierson President East Central University
Two members from East Central University’s Class of 1970 have been recognized as Distinguished Alumni for 2020. Ruben Elizarde and Dr. Ed Huckeby received the prestigious honor this month. e award presentations traditionally take place in May at the annual Evening of Honors and Recognition banquet. Because the pandemic preempted this year’s event, ECU representatives hand-delivered the news – along with the distinctive tiger trophies – to the recipients at their homes.
“We are pleased to recognize Ruben Elizarde
and Dr. Ed Huckeby as East Central University 2020 Distinguished Alumni,” said Dr. Katricia Pierson, ECU president. “Both men have achieved above and beyond in their chosen elds, elevating not only their own ca-
reers but also the value of the ECU experience. We are honored to add their names to an esteemed list of alumni who have built exemplary lives a er graduation.”
To read their bios, visit www.ecok.edu/news.
Longtime professor honored with bench
The East Central University Foundation honored Dr. Mara Sukholutskaya, longtime Languages professor and Global Education director, by dedicating a commemorative bench in her name on September 4. To see more photos of this and other events, visit www. ecok.edu/photo-galleries
RUBEN ELIZARDE DR. ED HUCKEBY
Pandemic precautions can’t dampen Education students’ enthusiasm
As in all classrooms, ECU’s Education students are wearing face coverings, socially distancing, and cleaning work areas. With science-based subjects, however, there is a signifcant amount of hands-on learning involved. Dr. David Thornton’s Elementary Science Methods classes took extra precautions in class, which did nothing to dampen the high spirits of his students. “The masks and shields could not hide their enthusiasm,” Thornton said. “They are as eager as they have ever been to join the teaching profession.”
Dr. Christopher Bean delivers annual Rothbaum Lecture on George Mason
Dr. Christopher Bean, chair of ECU’s History department, presented the Rothbaum Lecture September 17. ECU’s Rothbaum Lecture occurs each year on Constitution Day in order to recognize this important historical event. Bean’s lecture was titled “George Mason: Father of the Bill Rights.” Attendees were required to meet ECU’s Covid-19 safety protocols, including wearing face coverings and observing social distancing. Hand sanitizer and disposable masks were also made available.
Campus
Getting it done
ECU students living through the pandemic haven’t been deterred from their studies. Whether in class or online, inside or out, they are doing what it takes to earn their degrees. These three students took advantage of a pleasant morning to work on a group assignment at a patio table outside the Bill S. Cole University Center.
ECU among nation’s best for low student loan debt
ECU ranked 57th lowest in the nation in LendEDU’s student loan debt study, with only 17 percent of its 2019 graduating class carrying any. at compares very favorably to the national average of 55 percent. In terms of dollars, the study pegged the per-student, national average for loan debt at graduation in 2019 at $29,076. At ECU, that gure was $21,665, about 25 percent below the national average. Read more about it at www.ecok.edu/news
Jazz at the golden hour
The ECU Jazz Band took advantage of a beautiful evening on September 28 to perform its frst concert of the fall 2020 semester on Centennial Plaza, which was well attended.
Benita Erwin scholarship now offcially endowed
e ECU Foundation has announced that the Benita Wallace Erwin Memorial Scholarship is now o$cially endowed. e scholarship was established by her family to honor her legacy as a helping professional and servant.
As funds allow, an annual scholarship shall be awarded to an outstanding Social Work undergraduate student who demonstrates interest and commitment to social justice, social change and advocacy. e applicant will also possess leadership qualities to have a positive impact in the social work profession.
Preference will be given to native American applicants. e scholarship will be awarded during the spring semester. For more details, please contact the ECU Foundation at www. ecok.edu/donate.
Slavic Honor Society
The colors of fall ...
In an
The ECU chapter of the National Slavic Honor Society, “Dobro Slovo,” held its initiation ceremony in September. Second from right is sponsor Dr. Mara Sukholutskaya.
efort to keep campus life as normal as possible during Covid-19, many events are being held outdoors, including this fun tie-dye painting project.
Tiger Tidbits ...
Tiger Athletics set to implement improved Hall of Fame procedure
ECU Tiger Athletics is moving forward with an improved Hall of Fame election procedure. Nominations will be accepted at any time by anyone, with January 31 being the annual deadline. Nominees who are not selected to that year’s class will remain in the voting queue for future ballots. A new category for teams has also been added. Nominations may be submitted online, with categories for student-athlete, team, coach or administration, and distinctive service (non-athletic department members). For more details, visit www.ecutigers.com
Online Human Services program among most affordable in nation
ECU’s online Human Services program has been recognized as one of the most afordable in the nation. According to online research group the Education Reference Desk – which draws its numbers from the National Center for Education Statistics –ECU ranks second on the most afordable list. For more information, visit www.eduref.net
Accounting alumni earn statewide honors at OSCPA virtual ceremony
Three graduates of ECU’s Accounting program have earned statewide recognition for their work. Alumni Tony Scott (’82), Jimmy Williams (’87) and Frank Crawford (’85) were recognized by the Oklahoma Society of Certifed Public Accountants during a virtual awards ceremony September 22. For more information, visit www.ecok.edu/news.
Veterans Student Support Services receives $1.3 million federal grant
The U.S. Department of Education announced that ECU has received a Veterans Student Support Services grant to help more student-veterans succeed in, and graduate from, college. ECU will receive a total of just over $1.3 million at the rate of $261,888 per year for the next fve years beginning September 1. The grant sunsets on August 31, 2025. For more information, visit www.ecok.edu/news.
Williams named to NCAA Covid-19 advisory group
ECU Director of Athletics Dr. Je Williams has been named to the new NCAA Covid-19 Medical Advisory Group, which brings together professionals from all three NCAA divisions and all ve of the autonomy conferences in Division I.
e purpose of the group includes: 1) Reviewing emerging Covid-19 research and data to provide guidance to the NCAA membership regarding training, practice and competition, with a primary focus on testing paradigms and mitigating infection spread; 2) Speci cally providing guidance regarding appropriate Covid-19 protocols applicable to training, practice and competition in winter and spring sports; 3) Providing guidance for conducting all sports competitions and championships, including on-site management of student-athletes and essential personnel, nonessential personnel and fans; 4) Providing guidance related to physiological, medical and mental health consequences of Covid-19; and 5) Assessing other emerging information such as vaccines and new medical treatments for the purpose of providing guidance to NCAA member schools. More information is available at www.ecutigers.com
DR. JEFF WILLIAMS
CAMPUS UPDATE
Pierson’s Perceptions
As we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday, many of us will consider the blessings we have received throughout the year. We will give praise to those things that made our lives better and to the people who enriched it. As you look through this month’s Campus Update, I ask you to consider the blessings we have at ECU.
Current students are to be praised for their adherence to safety protocols. Because of their exemplary behavior, we have been able to be on campus for more than 12 weeks and to have a variety of social events.
Even during these difcult times, students continue to excel, earning high GPAs, participating in international competitions, and interacting with the community of Ada.
Faculty and staf are to be praised for their loyalty and service to the University.
Not only is their dedication seen in the years they have provided service, but also in their collective work ethic. They consistently bring in prestigious grants and are recognized by their professional disciplines. We are grateful for their unique gifts. As noted before, none of us are able to do this work without all of us doing the work.
This Thanksgiving, please consider the gifts that you have received while at ECU and consider how you might pay those gifts forward to be a blessing for others.
Dr. Katricia Pierson President East Central University
November 2020
ECU gets creative in face of pandemic challenges
With the Covid-19 pandemic showing no signs of slowing yet, ECU has found creative ways to keep things moving along safely on campus.
ECU has plans to replace its traditional, in-person December commencement exercise with a safer, virtual event.
“The Covid-19 pandemic continues to make it difcult for ECU to safely host large gatherings, which means we will not be able to hold a traditional commencement ceremony in December,”
said Dr. Katricia Pierson, ECU president. “As important as that event is, nothing is more important
Unstoppable Tiger!
A graduation candidate for the fall 2020 semester displays her gown, tassel and diploma cover at a recent Graduation Fair event in the north lounge of Memorial Student Union.
than the health and wellbeing of our students, their loved ones, and the campus community.”
The fall 2020 virtual commencement event is set for December 12, which will honor May 2020 graduates as well. Stay tuned to the ECU website for more details as it draws near.
ECU to waive ACT requirement for 2021-22
Because the pandemic has interfered with testing, ECU will waive the ACT and SAT admission requirement for frst-year undergraduate applicants for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Enrollment for the spring 2021 semester begins November 2 and
applications for the fall 2021 semester are begin accepted now, with an early scholarship deadline of December 15. Applications and additional Covid-19 exemptions are available online. For full details, please visit www.ecok.edu/ admissions or call 580-559-5236.
ECU Education department lands valuable STEM grant through 2023
ECU’s Education department has received a summer research grant to help better prepare area teachers in the felds of science, technology, engineering and math – better known by its acronym of STEM. The Sustainable Energy for Empowering Rural Communities grant program, administered by the National Science Foundation, is for $130,000 across the next three years.
ECU 2020 Nursing graduates post incredibly strong results on NCLEX
ECU’s 2020 Nursing graduates posted a whopping 94.29% composite frst-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Exam, which is the mandatory test that determines if the candidate is safe to begin practice as an entry-level nurse. The NCLEX is available only to students who have already completed an accredited nursing program. There are two variations, one for registered nurses and one for practical nurses. The 94.29% rate equates to 66 of 70 graduates passing the NCLEX on the frst attempt.
Professor, students teaching Russian to area children in free outreach program
Area school children have an opportunity to learn about the Russian language and culture free of charge. Dr. Mara Sukholutskaya, a longtime Languages professor and director of Global Education at ECU, and her advanced students are teaching Russian to children ages 9-12 in an exciting, new outreach program at the Ada Public Library.
Read these stories in full at www.ecok.edu/news!
Campus Update November 2020
ECU professor honored by Oklahoma Bar Association
Dr. Christine Pappas, chair of ECU’s department of Politics, Law and Society, has been honored by the Oklahoma Bar Association with its prestigious Outstanding Service to the Public award.
Pappas has taught American politics at ECU since 2001. She teaches courses in Tribal Politics, Constitutional Law, and Women in Politics. She has been an OBA member herself since 2010 and is a board member of Oklahoma Indian Legal Services.
Pappas also serves as director of the Native American Legal Clinic, as well as director of the Water Resource Policy and Management master’s degree program. She also directs three Early Settlement Mediation ofces that serve 27 counties.
Read much more about it at www.ecok.edu/news
ECU alumnus named assistant diversity dean at SMU school
DENSON
ECU alumnus Steven Denson has been named Assistant Dean of Diversity at the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. His new leadership duties began October 1. A native of Wapanucka and a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, he graduated from ECU in 1991. He followed that with a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University.
Read much more at www.ecok.edu/news
Faculty art exhibit open
ECU’s Art+Design:Media+Communication department presents its 66th annual faculty art exhibit from now through November 13. The 2020 exhibit takes place at the Pogue Gallery in the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center.
To comply with Covid-19 safety protocols, masks and social distancing are required for the event. The Pogue Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. and admission to the faculty art exhibit is free.
Art in action
Fine Arts students add to a mural just west of the Chickasaw Business and Conference Center. The goal is to fnish by the end of the semester.
Entrepreneur students ready for global pitch competition
Seven of the 110 international competitors selected for the 2020 Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO) Virtual Pitch Competition are ECU students. They were chosen from more than 300 applicants representing 151 global campuses. No other school had more competitors than ECU.
ECU Entrepreneur students competing include Stephanie Black, of Wewoka; Logan Carter, of Shawnee; Gineka Ferguson, of Nassau, Bahamas; Fredeshia Neely, also of Nassau; Jordan
Odell, of Asher; David Tahchawwickah, of Sasakwa; and Zoe Tanner, of Hugo.
ECU’s Entrepreneur students will go toe-to-toe with competitors from distinguished schools such as Duke, Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Some competitors hail from as far away as Africa, India and Israel. Students will compete for a share of $15,000 in seed money ofered as prizes for the top fnishers.
For the full story, please visit www.ecok.edu/news.
Fierce on the feld, ferce in the classroom!
The 2019 ECU Soccer team claimed its fnal award, earning the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the 17th straight season, with a 3.54 team GPA. The Tigers were one of 569 women’s teams across the country in all NCAA divisions to make the list.
Lazer-focused fun
ECU students, seeking a fun escape during the pandemic, play “Black Light Lazer Tag” in McBride Gymnasium.
A vote of confdence
Dr. Pappas’s students of work their annual voter registration drive on campus, with a signifcant election imminent.
Getting a kick out of it!
Dr. Steve Benton, director of ECU’s Honors Program, delivers scrolls for the annual “Sorting Hat Ceremony” on October 8.
Open for Education
A masked Roary Tiger stops by an open house event hosted by the ECU Education department on October 20.
Employees recognized in virtual meeting in lieu of annual banquet
Because of Covid-19 safety protocols, ECU conducted its annual Employee Recognition Banquet virtually during a Employee Town Hall meeting via Zoom on October 2. Congratulations to all these exemplary employees who make ECU such a top-notch place to work and the best University in the country!
PHYSICAL PLANT EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR - Randy McDaniel
2020 CHARLEE LANIS MEMORIAL STAFF AWARD - Rob Thompson
TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD
- Dr. Jessica Koch, College of Education & Psychology
- Melonie Johnson, Education
- Debra Ollila, Nursing
- Dr. Alisha Howard, Biological & Environmental Sciences
TENURE & PROMOTIONS
Instructor to Assistant Professor - Dr. Amy Ward, Dr. Destany Schafer-Morgan
Assistant Professor to Associate Professor (plus Tenure) - Dr. Stacey Bolin, Dr. Errol King, Dr. Matthew Lynam, Dr. Robin Roberson, Dr. Michael Scott Associate Professor to Professor - Dr. Houston Mount II
QUALITY MATTERS
Passed Review - Dr. Usha Fountain, Dr. Jessica Koch, Matt McGaha, Dr. Michael Scott, Dr. Nick Stowers, Darcy Tessman
Designing Your Online Course - J.P. Rhea, Christyn Overstake, Sara Engel, Dr. Errol King, Dr. Scott Ketchum, Kelby Pletcher, Jan Long, Michael Maxwell, Donna Graves, Dr. Nicholas Jakob, Nancy McClain
Improving Your Online Course - Eric Howard, Dr. Mark Felts, Dr. Jacquelyn Dalton
Peer Reviewer Course - Shelly Bailey
Car show helps fund scholarship
The annual Cody Johnson Memorial Car Show on September 19 raised enough funds to elevate its namesake scholarship to $15,000 and Centennial Endowment Level. The popular car show is hosted each year by local motorcycle club the Five80 Riders. Proceeds from the shows go to the scholarship fund that honors Johnson, a young man who died tragically in a motorcycle accident in November 2012.
ECU hosts principals, counselors
Bufy Lovelis, COO of the ECU Foundation, speaks to area high school ofcials during the Principal and Counselor Preview Day in late September on campus. The annual event was broken into two sessions to accommodate attending counselers and principals who come to the event to prepare themselves to share important information about the University with their students. Attendees learn about ECU housing, scholarship opportunities and much more.
ECU honors eight employees with a combined 275 years of service!
If you ever need evidence that ECU is a fantastic place to enjoy a long career, look no further than these eight employees who have dedicated their working lives in service of the University. Dr. Shirley Mixon, left, was honored for 41 years of service and Becky Isaacs was honored for 35 years of service. Mixon is a professor and director of ECU's Interdisciplinary Studies Program and Isaacs is director of the Financial Aid ofce. Also celebrated for 30-plus years of service were Dr. Steven Walker, Music professor, 36 years; Dr. Charlie Jones, Business professor, 33 years; Dr. Eril Hughes, English professor, 33 years; Barry Hardwick, Library Technical Services, 33 years; Dr. Karen Williams, Physics professor, 32 years; and Dr. Mark Walling, English professor, 32 years. ECU is fortunate and grateful to have such consistent, devoted faculty and staf guiding its students!
hosted its annual Fall
been
for students on
ECU
Carnival
the Bill S. Cole University Center lawn October 6. The event was well-attended by students, who have
exemplary about wearing protective masks on campus. Above, the masked men of Pi Kappa Alpha pose for a quick photo at the carnival.
CAMPUS UPDATE
Pierson’s Perceptions
Don't look now, but we are almost to the fnish line for the fall 2020 semester, one that has been uniquely challenging and one that has brought out the absolute best in our students, their families, our employees and our alumni.
When you look through the last Campus Update of the calendar year, you'll notice there aren't any photos or stories about the commencement exercise. We hinted in last month's Update about taking a safer approach to honoring our graduates – which is truly the peak of all we do here at ECU.
Without the details, sufce it to say that our staf is working hard to produce ECU's frst-ever virtual commencement exercise. It involves pre-recorded pieces and lots of behind-the-scenes preparation and organization. Our Distinguished Alumni for 2020, Dr. Ed Huckeby and Ruben Elizarde, came to campus to make contributions –as did our Regent Connie Reilly. We can't thank them enough for their selfess participation.
These virtual commencement ceremonies – there are two, one for May 2020 graduates and one for December 2020 graduates – occur online on December 12, capping an interesting semester at ECU to say the least.
As 2020 winds down, we cast hopeful eyes toward a healthier and safer 2021. Enjoy the holidays and your families and we'll see you next semester!
December 2020
Athletics roars back!
Pierson selected chair of GAC Presidents Council
Anybody else ready for some ECU sports?
After the Covid-19 pandemic forced our ECU studentathletes to sit out the entire fall 2020 semester, the Great American Conference has announced a return to competition in the spring 2021 semester for all its member schools.
Traditional fall sports such as football, soccer and volleyball have amended schedules and will join spring sports, which will follow their previously approved schedules.
Spring sports at ECU include
Dr. Katricia Pierson President
baseball, softball, track and cross country. Basketball, which traditionally begins in late in the fall semester, will also start in the spring.
Helping shepherd the exciting relaunch of athletics amid the pandemic is Dr. Katricia Pierson, ECU president, who was selected as chair of the GAC’s Presidents Council. Her term runs through the end of the 2021-22 academic year.
To follow your favorite Tiger team and to keep updated on all schedule changes, visit www.ecutigers.com
High school seniors fock to recruiting event
Despite the challenges Covid-19 presents, ECU hosted an incredibly successful Senior Day on November 4 attended by hundreds of prospects. With a strong adherence to safety guidelines, ECU has kept campus open throughout the fall. See more photos, Page 5.
Social Work students help provide warmth to area dialysis patients
With a compassionate eye always trained on the community, students in ECU’s Social Work Student Association (SWSA) raised money with the assistance of Norma’s Restaurant in Pauls Valley to purchase and handdeliver 25 comfortable blankets to local kidney dialysis patients. The SWSA endeavors to provide community outreach every semester to those in need and to agencies that have social workers on staf. This particular semester, Social Work students reached out to a local dialysis center by providing new blankets to patients undergoing the treatment.
President Pierson delivers presentation to state Business Ethics Consortium
Dr. Katricia Pierson, East Central University president, delivered a presentation for the November program of the Oklahoma Business Ethics Consortium. The topic was “The Role of Leaders in Promoting Ethics.” She made her presentation via Zoom video conferencing on November 18 and discussed how working with three distinct stakeholders – students, faculty and staf – at a mid-size public university has advanced her understanding of what ethical behavior looks like in practice and the unique challenges it presents.
Read these stories in full at www.ecok.edu/news!
Linscheid Library staf member Genan Westmoland displays a few of the laptops available for student check-out.
ECU launches laptop lending library to aid virtual learning
Thanks to a U.S. Department of Education grant, ECU was able to acquire 100 laptops for the sole purpose of making them available to students.
A current ECU student with a valid University ID may check out a laptop from Linscheid Library for a 24-hour period to complete course work or take an exam. A student may also arrange to use a laptop for an extended period of time. Library personnel will make those arrangements on a case-by-case basis.
All available laptops are sanitized before they are checked out to students and again after they are returned. For more information, please contact Linscheid Library at 580-559-5376. Visit www.ecok. com/news to read much more about this program!
Talk about a face mask!
An unidentifed ECU student tries her hand at "blind painting" in the Stanley P. Wagner Ballroom on November 19.
Crews keep campus safe, open
East Central University’s Physical Plant employees are the driving force in keeping the campus not only open during the Covid-19 pandemic, but also safe. Their collective diligence is a big reason ECU has remained open while other schools have been forced to close.
Physical Plant employees are “frontline” workers on campus, because they work in high-trafc areas. They maintain approximately 50 buildings across campus, including classrooms, ofces and student housing facilities – in addition to keeping the grounds in excellent shape.
In addition to cleaning, crews replenish Covid-19 safety kits throughout campus, which include disinfectant sprays and wipes. They also maintain the more than 100 extra hand-sanitizing stations that were installed around campus at the beginning of the fall semester.
There are two cleaning crews on campus, one that works during daylight hours and another that works after hours. Between them, they keep the campus deep-cleaned and supplies on hand for those who need them, so there is no lapse in meeting all safety protocols. For more, visit www.ecok.edu/news.
Leading the charge!
Physical Plant employees Kelly Low, left, and Roberta Armstrong pause by one of the many hand-sanitizing stations they help maintain around campus.
Making progress ...
Improvements are being made all around campus. In the top photo, crews work on the renovation of the Bill S. Cole University Center. Above, workers rebuild the earthen slope between Fentem Hall and Stadium Drive.
Making hot chocolate bombs
ECU students make hot chocolate bombs in Faust Hall as part of "First Generation College Student Day." This year marked the 55th anniversary of the Higher Education Act and ECU joined institutions across the country in celebrating the presence and experiences of frst-generation college students, faculty and staf on campus.
Safety frst
In the background, an ECU student visits with a professional on campus for the Career Expo on November 18 in the Stanley P. Wagner Ballroom of the Memorial Student Union. In the foreground is one of many Covid-19 safety posters displayed around campus. ECU has practiced safety around its events.
Campus
First of the family!
ECU celebrated its frst generation college students on the University Center lawn with a fun-flled event November 9 in observance of "First Generation College Student Day."
Have stick, will compete
Taking advantage of unseasonably warm weather this fall, stickball players have managed to play several matches on the lawn of the University Center.
Note the ECU orange goal.
New faces on campus
Although they aren't easy to see due to masks, hundreds of prospective ECU students and their parents visited campus on November 4 for Senior Day. While Covid-19 has generated new challenges, the turnout was good proving many high school students have their sights set on becoming a Tiger. At top left, students hang on tour guide Ashley Adamson's every word.
Above, VP Amy Ford addresses the socially distanced seniors in Ataloa Theatre. At left, a prospective student and his mother take in the information.
Community Thanksgiving Dinner cancelled due to Covid-19 safety concerns
For the frst time in its history, Ada’s annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner will not take place due to safety concerns related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The tradition of the Community Thanksgiving Dinner originated on the ECU campus in the 1970’s. The idea behind it was to join Ada area residents with faculty, students and employees of the University to celebrate the holiday together.
The meal has always been free of charge and, for many, represents the only chance to enjoy a holiday meal with the fellowship of others. Unfortunately, organizers felt there was simply too much risk to host the event this year.
The annual Thanksgiving dinner has been held in various locations over the years, from the old Irving School to Wintersmith Lodge to, most recently, the Pontotoc County Agri-Plex. The ECU Human Services Club served more than 3,000 people at last year’s dinner.
To donate toward next year's event, contact Jeanene Taylor, 580-559-5435; Shelley Bailey, 580-559-5460; or Melissa Inglis, 580-559-5382.
Stress relief, part one
In what appeared to be a great way to relieve the stress of being cooped up throughout the day, ECU students participated in a friendly game of paintball near Koi
In
Ishto Stadium on November 12.
Stress relief, part two
ANOTHER great way to relieve stress, a member of ECU's Percussion Ensemble performs during an invitation-only concert in Ataloa Theatre on November 19.