Spring marshals are named at UCO

Maya Cook Anthony Cooper Madelynn Dancer Ryan Harrel

Joseph Jeong UCO names Spring Class Marshals

The University of Central Oklahoma has named five students as Class Marshals of their respective colleges for the spring 2021 semester, recognizing them for their academic excellence.

Students earn the title of Class Marshal for achieving the highest academic records within their colleges during their time at Central.

Maya Cook is a musical theatre major with a 4.0 GPA in the College of Fine Arts and Design and graduate of Santa Fe High School in Edmond. Cook is a member of the UCO Wesley Campus Ministry and The Accidentals, Central’s a cappella group. In addition to earning a place on the President’s Honor Roll, Cook received the Choctaw Higher Education Scholarship, a music outreach scholarship and various other scholarships from the College of Fine Arts and Design.

“My experience at UCO has been absolutely incredible,” Cook said. “The campus truly feels like home. Every class, every club, every event has made me feel like I belong here. I will look back on my time here fondly. I am proud to say that I am graduating from UCO.”

Following graduation, Cook plans to teach children’s voice lessons, direct musical theater shows for kids and continue performing.

Anthony Cooper is an English – creative writing major with a 4.0 GPA in the College of Liberal Arts. A graduate of Calallen High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, and a President’s Honor Roll recipient, Cooper plans to teach high school. Aside from teaching and raising his two children, he also hopes to finish his first novel and seek publication, hoping to eventually pursue a master’s degree in secondary education.

“UCO is a wonderful university, and I am grateful for my opportunity to study at this institution,” Cooper said.

“I had the luxury of gaining mentorship and guidance from a handful of professors that motivated me to succeed and helped me prepare for a future in academics. One day, I hope to help reshape our nation’s public education system.”

Madelynn Dancer is a business administration –legal studies major with a 4.0 GPA in the College of Business. A Soper, Okla., native, Dancer is a member of the President’s Leadership Council, the UCO Pre-Law Society, 2BLeaders and the Student Alumni Association and served as a University Suites resident assistant. In addition to receiving several scholarships from the UCO Foundation, she was awarded the Outstanding Freshman and Outstanding Junior Student Leader Awards, 2019 Resident Assistant Rookie of the Year and 2020 Resident Assistant of the Year.

“I was nervous coming from a small town to a bigger university, but UCO quickly became my home! I am thankful for the fantastic education I received here and the opportunities I experienced to grow as a leader,” Dancer said.

Following graduation, Dancer will pursue a legal degree with an emphasis on American Indian law at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. She plans to practice Native American law, to serve her tribe, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, as well as corporate law.

Ryan Harrel is a kinesiology – exercise/fitness management major with a 4.0 GPA in the College of Education and Professional Studies. A graduate of Cashion High School in Cashion, Okla., Harrel is an outfielder for UCO Baseball and a member of the Student-Athlete Academic Committee and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

He also received the Dr. Donna Cobb Scholarship in Exercise and Fitness Management, UCO Transfer Student Scholarship, the Mike Ciskowski 4.0 GPA Award and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Conference Academic Excellence Award.

“I have enjoyed my time at UCO. It has been a great institution for me to further my education, grow as a person and create lifelong relationships,” Harrel said.

After graduating, Harrel hopes to get a job as a strength and conditioning coach in professional baseball.

Joseph Jeong is a biology – biomedical sciences major with a 4.0 GPA in the College of Mathematics and Science. During his time at Central, Jeong, a Seoul, South Korea, native, served as vice president of the Pre-medicine and Health Professions Club and received Global Education Award and UCO Foundation scholarships.

“The dedication and mentorship of the professors were what really helped me grow at UCO. Not only do they take time out of their busy schedule to help their students, but they also provide extensive research opportunities that cannot easily be found elsewhere,” Jeong said.

“It was also a joy to be a part of a student body that promotes cooperation and not competition. Overall, my time at UCO helped me grow as a well-rounded student and person.”

Following graduation, Jeong plans to attend medical school at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine to become a physician. His goal is to serve on medical mission trips around the world, to destinations where there is a dire need for medicine.

First presented in 1994, the Class Marshal title has become a proud Central tradition. Each of the honorees will wear a bronze graduation gown and a special stole during the spring commencement ceremonies, signifying the highest degree of academic excellence.

For more information about the University of Central Oklahoma, visit www.uco.edu.

Broncho women win league golf title

BARTLESVILLE – Susana Olivares made two crucial birdies down the stretch to take control of the individual race and put Central Oklahoma back in the team lead as the Bronchos swept top honors at the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Women’s Golf Championships Friday.

UCO ended up winning the team title by one slim stroke over Central Missouri, while Olivares captured the medalist crown by four shots. The Bronchos closed with a 321 to finish the two-day, 54-hole tournament with a 933 total at the 5,921-yard, par-72 Hillcrest Country Club,.

The Mules, who trailed UCO by 14 shots entering the day, fired a finalround 308 in ending at 934. Rogers State was third in the 11-team event at 940, followed by Northeastern State (947) and Missouri Western (977).

Central earned the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Division II national tournament, which starts with Central Regional play May 3-5 in St. Joseph, Mo. It’s the fourth MIAA crown for the Bronchos, who also won in 2013, ’14 and ’15.

Olivares shot a final-round 77 in finishing with a 223 total to claim the individual title by four shots over Rogers State’s Mariana Flores.

Sydney Roberts was UCO’s only other player to break 80 Friday, carding a 79. Madison O’Dell added an 81, while Emma Shelley shot 84 and Emily Miller 88.

“That was a stressful day,” said 13th-year head coach Michael Bond, who picked up his 30th tournament win with the Bronchos. “Everybody started off pretty good, but then we hit a tough stretch and lost a lot of ground.

“Susana played great the last few holes when we really had to have her and showed just how mentally tough she is. I’m really proud of these girls for what they’ve been able to accomplish so far this season.”

Olivares was steady out of the gate in the final round, reeling off seven straight pars to start the day before hitting a rocky stretch and going sixover on the next six holes.

That left her one shot behind Flores with five holes remaining and it also put UCO second in the team standings, two shots behind Central Missouri.

But Olivares rebounded with a par-birdie-par-birdie stretch – making both birdies on par-4s – to surge in front of a fading Flores and give the Bronchos back the team lead. Olivares bogeyed the par-5 18th, but it didn’t matter.

The freshman standout became Central’s third MIAA individual champion and the first since Marla Souvannasing in 2015. It was UCO’s third tournament win in eight events this spring.

Roberts parred her first six holes of the final round, then was seven-over on the final 12 holes. She made a huge birdie on the par-4 15th hole as UCO overcame its late deficit in the team race.

Roberts ended up seventh in the individual standings at 233, marking her third top-seven finish in four conference tournaments.

OMRF Vice President of Clinical Affairs Judith James, M.D., Ph.D.

Association of American Physicians elects OMRF’s James as a member

The Association of American Physicians has elected Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Vice President of Clinical Affairs Judith James, M.D., Ph.D., as a member.

James, an immunologist and board-certified rheumatologist, leads OMRF’s Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program. The honor recognizes her excellence in the pursuit of medical knowledge and the advancement of clinical science in her 27 years as a physician-scientist.

A graduate of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and a native of Pond Creek, Oklahoma, James joined OMRF’s scientific staff in 1994. Since then, she has gained international recognition for her work in predicting and preventing lupus, a devastating autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system becomes unbalanced.

“Dr. Judith James is one of the most outstanding physician-scientists of her generation,” said University of Colorado Denver Head of Rheumatology V. Michael Holers, M.D., who nominated James for the honor. “She has performed groundbreaking research to help us understand how autoimmune diseases develop and can be treated using innovative new strategies.”

James was part of the team of investigators who first demonstrated the presence of lupus autoantibodies in the blood before clinical symptoms of the disease. Her research has resulted in OMRF’s designation as a National Institutes of Health Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, one of only 10 nationwide.

“Dr. James is a true leader in medical research,” said OMRF President Stephen M. Prescott, M.D. “She has dedicated her life to cracking the code of some of the most puzzling diseases of our time. This honor recognizes the impact she has made both in the laboratory and in the lives of patients around the world.”

James has also begun studying Covid-19 and autoimmunity. She is investigating why the virus seems to strike tribal populations disproportionately and whether it may lead to autoimmune conditions.

In addition to her scientific accomplishments, James has excelled as a mentor for students and postdoctoral fellows, with a particular emphasis on training American Indian and rural students for careers in medicine, biomedical research and related fields.

“My focus is on improving the lives of people living with autoimmune diseases, and none of it would be possible without our amazing patients and study participants,” said James. “This recognition from the AAP is truly a nod to the work accomplished by my wonderful research team that includes many investigators, research staff, analytic personnel, clinicians, clinical personnel and trainees.”

James joins eight other Oklahoma physicians — including OMRF’s Prescott and OMRF Vice President of Research Rodger McEver, M.D. — as members of the association.

The AAP’s mission is to inspire physician-led research across all fields of science related to medicine and health and to build a community of physician-scientists supporting objective science and evidence as foundations for improving patient care.