utulsa
THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TULSA
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A LIFETIME OF STUDY The University of Tulsa College of Law A Century of Legal Excellence
SPRING 2023
FALL 2023
The University of Tulsa’s new Honors College prepares students to lead lives of purpose and meaning. Inaugural Dean Jennifer Frey lays out her vision for this ambitious academic program.
Student Veterans
Homecoming Awards
TU’s commitment to those who served this nation runs deep
The University of Tulsa Alumni Association recognizes 2023 honorees UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE | FALL 2023
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2027 TU CLASS OF
CLASS SIZE: 597
NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS: 151 STATES REPRESENTED: 36 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED: 17 IDENTIFY AS MULTICULTURAL: 43%
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@
utulsa
College of Law
THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TULSA
Brad R. Carson, President Tricia Milford-Hoyt, Vice President, Strategic Marketing and Communications Amanda Hodges, Creative Director Mona Chamberlin, Senior Media Relations and Editorial Director Leslie Cairns, Senior Graphic Designer Ty Lewis, Visual Resources Manager Kelly Kurt Brown, Photographer Tom Gilbert, Photographer Ace Cuervo, Photographer João Pascoal, Publication Designer
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT We recognize the Tribal lands on which The University of Tulsa’s main campus resides. We would like to honor and acknowledge the Indigenous tribes including the Ni-u-kon-ska (Osage), Kitikiti’sh (Wichita), and Kadohadacho (Caddo) Tribal Nations as the original inhabitants and keepers of the land and water of which we now call Tulsa, Oklahoma. TU recognizes that our campus is located on the Mvskoke (Muscogee [Creek]) Nation and Tsálăgĭ (Cherokee) Nation, as a result of the U.S. Indian Removal Act of 1830. We acknowledge that the university was first established as a Presbyterian School for Indian Girls with its own history and relationship to the land and campus. We recognize this foundation and assume the responsibility to educate ourselves and others on the history and importance of the land and water that we occupy.
Tyler Hughes, Graduate Assistant Sean Korsmo, Intern Lily Rogers, Writer Morgan Holmes, Writer Kristi Eaton, Writer Angela Ray, Writer To contact the publication team or comment on this magazine, please email magazine@utulsa.edu.
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ISSN 1544-5763 is published by
POSTMASTER: Please send Change of Address to:
The University of Tulsa 800 South Tucker Drive Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104
The Magazine of The University of Tulsa Office Marketing and Communications
Publication dates may vary according to the university’s calendar, events, and scheduling.
800 South Tucker Drive Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104
HIGHLIGHTS
IN THIS ISSUE 14
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The University of Tulsa College of Law A Century of Legal Excellence
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Achieving recognition Dean Jennifer Airey works to ensure TU’s Graduate School is among nation’s best
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Nursing milestone
An arts space for all
School of Nursing celebrates 50 years of growth and changes in health care
New Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Management offers an interdisciplinary focus on the music industry
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OPENING MINDS TO BETTER LIVES
New college, new energy
The University of Tulsa Honors College prepares students for far more than just work. By Jennifer Frey, Ph.D., inaugural dean The University of Tulsa Honors College
Meet Engineering & Computer Science Dean Andreas A. Polycarpou
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A home for student veterans TU’s commitment to those who served this nation runs deep
UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE | FALL 2023
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Mark your calendars UPCOMING EVENTS
NOVEMBER
MARCH
MAY
Nov. 28
March 26
May 7-12
Giving Tuesday
Presidential Lecture Series
Switchyard
Regardless of dollar amount, your gifts advance innovation, inspire creativity, address needs, launch careers, and change lives.
Scientist, musician, artist, and author Jaron Lanier joins us for a talk and Q&A at 7:30 p.m. in Lorton Performance Center.
This national festival of art and intellect features keynote speakers and performance artists at venues in the heart of Downtown Tulsa.
May 10
APRIL Nov. 30 Lights On TU
Final Bell Party
April 2
TU Alumni Association celebrates 2023-24 graduates and their families as we toast to their bright futures.
Giving Day
May 10-12
It’s the largest crowdfunding event
Mayfest
of the year for the Golden Hurricane family. Support your favorite academic programs and student initiatives!
Join us on Chapman Commons when we “flip the switch” and illuminate the campus with 1 million of blue and white lights!
Returning for its 51st year, this free festival features visual and performing arts for the whole family in Tulsa Arts District.
May 11 Commencement We honor the work done by our newest alumni at the 149th Commencement at ceremonies for undergrads and graduate students.
JANUARY April 20 Cane Crawl This annual pub crawl benefits the TU Alumni Association Scholarship Fund, which assists TU students who demonstrate financial need.
Jan. 15 Tulsa MLK Day Parade Students, faculty, staff, and alumni are invited to walk with TU students, faculty, and staff in this annual tradition in Tulsa’s historic Greenwood district.
April 20
JUNE TU Uncorked Each year, this vibrant wine festival benefits the TU Alumni Association Scholarship Fund.
Springfest This annual event is sponsored by the Student Government Association and includes food, parties, giveaways, and a concert.
For additional details and a complete list of events, scan the QR code or visit calendar.utulsa.edu.
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Opening minds to
better lives By Jennifer Frey, Ph.D., Inaugural Dean
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The University of Tulsa Honors College prepares students for far more than just work
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The Honors College at The University of Tulsa, like the honors program it replaces, focuses on liberal education, which aims to make students intellectually free and morally prepared to live fulfilling and meaningful lives. It is a truly higher form of education because it recognizes that our students are made for more than a life of work — they are hungry to know what is true, seek what is good, and appreciate and create what is beautiful. Our students will be successful in finding jobs when they graduate, but they also need to understand what their work is for and what they are living for. Job or technical training will not help them with this essential task. Liberal learning, by contrast, is designed to prepare students to face such questions and to have minds and hearts that have been cultivated to answer them with clarity and depth of vision. It is an education for life rather than for work. At its best, liberal learning prepares you to face your own humanity: to have a modicum of self-understanding and
wisdom about human life, its promise and its perils. The motto on our seal is wisdom, virtue, and friendship, because these are the positive elements that an Honors education seeks to foster in all that it does. We believe that the study of classic texts is a suitable starting point to these ends. How so? Classic texts — those that have proven their worth by transcending their time and place — raise dialectical questions for us. What’s important about a dialectical question is that it does not require a straightforward answer. If I ask what time it is, there is one correct answer. But a dialectical question is not like this. It is the sort of question that leaves one free to take either side of a manifest contradiction. If I ask whether time is linear, I am asking a dialectical question — there is more than one obvious correct answer to it. Any possible correct answer will need to take very seriously arguments for the opposing side. In liberal learning, through the study of classic texts, we grow in the traditional
art of dialectic — the art of giving and taking reasons for our positions, reasons that have been informed by the tradition that has both given us the questions and a range of many possible (but not exhaustive) answers. To study classic texts is to enter a dialectical conversation with the great thinkers of the past. This is important because it helps us see that the problems we face are not new, that wise people before us have attempted to address them. UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE | FALL 2023
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Honors College Faculty
Jennifer Frey Honors College Dean
Matthew Post Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs
Chiara Palazzolo Postdoctoral Fellow
Rich Lizardo Postdoctoral Fellow
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Studying the past in this way not only helps us better understand the present, it also shapes our minds so that we are prepared to answer these questions in new ways for future generations. Liberal learning only happens in dialogue with others — those who object, who offer a different perspective, who read the same passage but in a completely different light. Dialogical exchange has wisdom as its goal, and the best path to attaining it is through friendship. And that is what we hope every student’s experience in the Honors College will be: a place of deep friendship and intellectual curiosity, a place where students grow together through conversation and study, a place where they become more human and more humane. In the Honors College, we also recognize that conversations don’t go well unless they are entered into in the right spirit. Good conversations require intelligence, to be sure, but they also require patience and generosity of spirit. They require civility and respect for each participant. The most challenging conversations require a love of learning
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A liberal learner is someone who enjoys the art of serious conversation and who is able to speak across deep disagreement on matters that strike at the heart of our understanding of what it means to be a good human being and citizen. A liberal learner is someone who recognizes that the life of the mind is deepened in college, but it doesn’t stop upon graduation
for its own sake and a courageous heart to follow the truth — even when it leads us into difficult topics where disagreements are deep. A liberal learner is someone who enjoys the art of serious conversation and who is able to speak across deep disagreement on matters that strike at the heart of our understanding of what it means to be a good human being and citizen. A liberal learner is someone who recognizes that the life of the mind is deepened in college, but it doesn’t stop upon graduation. Our honors program has for decades graduated such people,
and our new Honors College intends to continue to carry out that legacy in new and exciting directions. We are busy building this college so that The University of Tulsa is nationally recognized as a place where liberal learning is valued and thriving.
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TU tops among new National Merit finalists and semifinalists This fall, The University of Tulsa welcomed 151 National Merit scholars to campus as new students – more per capita than any university in the country.
“We are thrilled that so many National Merit scholars enrolled at TU as firsttime college students. They recognize our legacy of high academic standards and what’s possible when students are supported holistically,” said President Brad R. Carson. “From internationally ranked STEM programs, a curriculum rooted in the arts and humanities, and a 9:1 student-faculty ratio, TU offers a unique educational experience for top students.” The university provides generous financial aid packages to National Merit finalists and semifinalists as well as a job placement guarantee for all new undergraduates, making a TU degree one of the nation’s most valuable. “When I was trying to decide which college to attend, TU was not originally on my list. I checked out the school website and was immediately attracted to the beautiful architecture. I was pleased to discover the college’s firm
commitment to liberal arts and to the classical studies,” said National Merit Finalist Georgia Rabaey, 18, of Marshall, Minnesota. Many National Merit scholars and other academically successful students are drawn to the university’s new Honors College and long-standing Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge. TURC allows the university’s youngest students to take part in meaningful research and faculty mentorship that aligns with their area of interest. Undergraduates are welcomed into labs and projects across campus and encouraged to contribute to papers and attend conferences. The new Honors College also attracts exceptional students who seek an accelerated liberal arts curriculum, focused on the study of classical texts in a vibrant intellectual community that fosters friendship, growth in excellent habits of mind and character, and service to the common good. “With a major in biology and a minor in neuroscience, I was delighted by the flexibility of the curriculum, particularly on the pre-med track,” said National Merit Finalist Abhay Bindroo, 17, of Little Elm, Texas. “After a thorough evaluation of multiple factors, such as academic excellence, inclusivity, and career alignment, I confidently made the decision to join The University of Tulsa.” UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE | FALL 2023
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The University of Tulsa College of Law
A Century of Legal Excellence The University of Tulsa College of Law has been educating students since 1923. Founded by a group of Tulsa attorneys, the Tulsa Law School, as it was then known, was first located in downtown Tulsa at the former Central High School with the law library housed at the Tulsa County Courthouse. Faculty members were Tulsa attorneys who practiced during the day and taught students in the evening. In 1925, under the leadership of acting President Franklin Dill, The University of Tulsa board of trustees voted to bring the Tulsa Law School under the university umbrella. In addition to night classes for working professionals, TU offered a sixyear program where students could earn both a bachelor of arts and law degree – a program that continues to this day. The 1950s and 1960s brought significant progress: The law library, classrooms, instructors, and administrative offices were brought together for the first time, and the first full-time faculty members were hired. The school received accreditation by the American Bar Association in 1953 and was admitted to membership in the Association of American Law Schools in 1966. At that time, the name of the institution was changed to the College of Law, reflecting its status within the university. In 1973, the College of Law moved to its current location on The University of Tulsa campus. In 2000, TU Law opened 14
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a new state-of-the-art law library known as the Mabee Legal Information Center, a stunning addition to the college’s infrastructure, which stands as a testament to its commitment to providing students with state-of-the-art resources. M. Thomas Arnold served as acting dean in 1994 and 1995 and finds “the Mabee,” as its affectionally known
among students, a reflection of a TU Law education. “The Mabee Legal Information Center exemplifies the College of Law as a whole: modern, open, welcoming, conducive to learning, service-oriented, and able to adjust with the times,” said Arnold. In 2002, the college renovated and remodeled its model courtroom, now known as the Price & Turpen Courtroom.
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Experiential Learning at its Finest In the past two decades, faculty in The University of Tulsa’s College of Law have invested in legal education through experiential learning programs that directly serve the greater Tulsa region through the establishment of several legal programs including the Tulsa Immigrant Resource Network, the Terry West Civil Legal Clinic, and the B.C. Franklin Legal Clinic.
fellowships. The TIRN fellows are recent law school alumni licensed to practice law and may represent clients in immigration and nonimmigration proceedings such as family law matters. “Our clinics are the gold standard in legal education,” said Janet K. Levit, who served as dean from 2007 to 2015. “In an era where the path to citizenship seems like an insurmountable journey, our work in immigration stands as an
Tulsa Immigrant Resource Network (TIRN)
A pivotal aspect of legal education, The University of Tulsa College of Law’s moot court simulates appellate court proceedings, allowing students to argue cases and hone their oral advocacy skills. These exercises mirror real-world legal practice, offering students the opportunity to construct compelling legal arguments and present them before panels of mock judges.
TIRN provides direct service to Tulsa’s noncitizen population. It has operated since 2008 as the second incubator program in the United States and is separately funded through a generous grant from the George Kaiser Family Foundation. In addition to direct services, TIRN, often with the assistance of law clinic students, provides education on immigration law and process to the community at large and to providers to the noncitizen population. TIRN also accepts advocacy projects that benefit the noncitizen community at large in the Tulsa area. After graduation, students can apply for one of TIRN’s two-year legal
TU Law faculty, staff, and administrators gathered with representatives from George Kaiser Family Foundation in September to celebrate 15 years of partnership in support of the Tulsa Immigrant Resource Network. TIRN provides direct service to Tulsa’s noncitizen population thanks to a generous grant from GKFF.
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essential beacon, guiding individuals through a maze of complexities and offering a path toward a better future.”
Terry West Civil Legal Clinic Supported by the Sarkeys Foundation, the Terry West Civil Legal Clinic addresses access to justice for marginalized communities in Tulsa, with a particular focus on the intersection of legal needs within these communities. While serving individual clients, students engage more broadly with the justice system and structural access to justice barriers. The clinic explores mechanisms of advocacy, including court observations, fact-finding and reporting, impact litigation, and legislative advocacy. Students may also create “know-your-rights” materials and presentations. The seminar and clinic work teach lawyering skills and explore the ethical, practical, theoretical, and strategic issues around legal advocacy and the lived experiences of individuals from marginalized communities. Students explore issues of professional responsibility, the role of the justice system in the lives of marginalized communities, their role as lawyers within this system, and ways to advocate inside and outside of the courtroom.
B.C. Franklin Legal Clinic The B.C. Franklin Legal Clinic launched in fall 2021 with generous support
Who was B.C. Franklin? 16
from the Sanford and Irene Burnstein Family Foundation and The University of Tulsa’s College of Law alumni. The clinic serves north Tulsa residents and businesses. Prior to the launch, TU Law clinical faculty and students met with community leaders, including clergy, businesspeople, service providers, and attorneys, to determine legal needs and services available. Subsequently, students in the launch semester did an in-depth assessment with residents and entrepreneurs to hear about their legal needs. In the clinic seminar, students delve into the history of north Tulsa and the impact of that history on today’s community. They study the Tulsa Race Massacre and the attempts to obtain justice for the survivors and descendants of the victims. These discussions allow students to gain an understanding of the role of the justice system in the lives of marginalized communities, the implicit bias and systemic racism inherent in
B.C. Franklin was a Black attorney who moved to Tulsa shortly before the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre to open a law office in Greenwood, the neighborhood decimated in the attack. His wife and children had remained in Rentiesville while Franklin established himself. At the time of the massacre, Franklin had a law office and lived in a boarding house, both of which were destroyed. In 2015,
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the structure in which lawyers work, the challenges of public interest lawyering, and the balance between community education and individual representation. “My classmates’ and my legal confidence soared because of handson practice and implementation,” said Nicole Mathews (JD ’23). “We didn’t just learn from theory and observation through the B.C. Franklin Legal Clinic, we learned from real people and real experiences, impacting lives by our decisions.”
Notable Alumni: Champions of Justice TU Law alumni network boasts luminaries who impact students through their in-person mentoring, career example, or legacy. Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Dana Kuehn (JD ’96) embodies this spirit through her thoughtful legal decisions. Her rulings in cases involving community well-being, environmental protection, and social
Franklin’s detailed account of the horrors of the Tulsa Race Massacre was recovered. The unspeakable brutality that Franklin witnessed did not deter his deep commitment to community service. Remarkably, in the immediate aftermath of the attack, Franklin and one of his law partners, I.H. Spears, opened an office in a Red Cross tent, assisted by Effie Thompson, a family
friend. Franklin represented north Tulsans who survived the massacre in their lawsuits against their insurance companies, the government, and other defendants for damages. Franklin exemplified legal brilliance, community service, tenacity, and resilience. To live up to his legacy is our goal, and his work continues to inspire our vision for TU Law’s B.C. Franklin Legal Clinic.
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1949
justice have positively affected the lives of countless individuals. Her dedication to upholding justice and preserving the rule of law underscores the institution’s commitment to nurturing principled leaders who make a difference in their communities. Fern Holland (JD ’96) stands out as a shining example of the college’s mission in action. After leaving Tulsa, she joined the Peace Corps and later served with the United States Agency for International Development, investigating human rights abuses under Saddam Hussein’s regime. Her tragic death while advocating for justice in Iraq serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of the work carried out by the college’s alumni. She is remembered to this day. “The Fern L. Holland Award stands as a beacon, igniting the spirits of collegiate women who embody Fern’s unyielding passion for shaping a better world and inspiring us all to carry forward Fern’s legacy of making an indelible mark on the tapestry of
society,” said Lyn Entzeroth, who served as dean from 2015 to 2021.
Building on a Century of Impact The College of Law’s centennial celebration is not only a commemoration of its history but a recognition of the profound impact it has had on the legal landscape and society at large. From its early days to the present, the college’s commitment to nurturing the best legal minds, promoting community engagement, and fostering a culture of excellence continues to shape the future of the legal profession. “As we celebrate our centennial, we honor the legacy of those who’ve come before us while shaping the path for those who will follow, ensuring the next century of legal excellence,” said former Dean Martin Belsky, whose tenure straddled the millennium (1995-2004). At the beginning of its second century, the college remains dedicated
to preparing students to navigate the complex legal challenges of tomorrow with the same passion and determination that have defined its first 100 years. Dean Oren Griffin, who has led TU Law since January 2021, emphasized three foci moving into the next 100 years: preparing students for the emerging global economy; creating a platform to support faculty through their research and writing; and drawing attention to restorative justice and the challenges of our time. “The legal profession provides an opportunity to create civil, organized debate and discussion on complex issues,” said Griffin. “Our commitment to cultivating the best legal minds is reflected in every graduate who steps into the world, armed with the skills, ethics, and determination to make a meaningful impact. We do not live to practice law; we practice law so that we can live.”
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As the Tulsa Day Center’s clinic director, Leslie Petty feels that the doctor of nurse practitioner degree she received from The University of Tulsa has helped her better serve underserved and vulnerable populations. “I am better able to design outcomes and articulate those outcomes to meet the community and funders’ questions regarding the challenges of working with the homeless population,” she said. “My doctorate took me to the next level beyond clinical care. I am equipped to conduct quality and process improvement projects and studies, which has been of great benefit in my role as clinic director.” Although Petty (BSN ’83, DNP ’20) has worked at the Tulsa Day Center for 12
years, she said the decision to get her doctorate was a no-brainer. “The TU nursing program is state of the art, ahead of the curve,” she said. “The faculty and university strive to ensure the students have what they need to be successful. In addition, they actively work with community partners to identify health care concerns and how they can better prepare the students to meet health care challenges.” This year, the TU School of Nursing is celebrating its 50th anniversary. “We’ve been graduating BSN prepared nurses for 50 years, which is a little bit unusual for nursing,” said Bill Buron, director of the school. He said historically most nursing programs focused on diploma and
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Ground breaking for Chapman Hall
associate degrees in nursing. In the early 1970s, the School of Nursing was forward thinking and helped establish the importance of a bachelor’s of science in nursing degree for professional practice. Today, the university is fortunate to build on that strong foundation and 50year history. In 2015, the university added a doctoral degree, like the one Petty obtained. In addition to two three-year DNP tracks (adult-gerontology acute care and family), the School of Nursing launched a new nurse anesthesia program in 2020. “We were excited to graduate our first nurse anesthetists in August 2023,” Buron said. “TU’s nurse anesthesia program is the first and only in the state of Oklahoma, which is significant to meet the growing needs in our state.”
Bill Buron
The School of Nursing continues to grow and plans to offer several new online nursing programs within the 2023-24 academic year, including postmaster’s, DNP specialist, and adultgerontology acute care nurse practitioner certificates; an RN-to-BSN degree; an accelerated BSN degree; and online master’s degree with four tracks (public policy, nursing informatics, nursing education, and nursing leadership). The accelerated BSN program will be designed for online learners, Buron said. The program is designed for second degree students who are interested in nursing. This program is unique in that students will complete clinical rotations in their home areas, wherever they are in the country. Online opportunities will open the door
Chapman Hall under construction
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The listening center
to many new nursing students, he said. “Maybe they’re not ready to move, they are unable to come to Tulsa, but they see the value in nursing education at TU,” he said. “If you look at our unique approach to student success and strong academic outcomes, I think it’s easy to see the value that stems from a TU education.” Buron believes that what sets TU apart from other schools is the faculty. He noted that more than 65% of the school’s faculty hold doctoral degrees in nursing. “Our faculty are a cohesive team of expert educators and clinicians who share a passion for developing the next generation of nursing leaders throughout health care settings,” he added. Additionally, the university’s Oxley College of Health & Natural Sciences has teamed with local hospitals to provide clinical faculty, so students are learning from instructors who currently practice in hospital settings. “These are nurses who are ingrained in the hospital environments, who the university credentials as nurse educators, who are then teaching our students in the clinical environment
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through a collaborative effort,” he said. The university has also started a virtual reality in nursing education program and is one of the leaders in the field, according to Buron. “We actually look and see how students are responding to clinical situations in a virtual environment. We can then debrief on their experiences to help students gain confidence in their critical thinking and clinical judgment skills,” he said, adding that they are also working closely with faculty and graduate students in the university’s Tandy School of Computer Science to develop nursing skills training software in the virtual world, technology that does not currently exist. “Virtual practice, in addition to high-tech laboratory practice in our state-of-the-art facilities, provides additional clinical preparation for TU students in realistic, simulated clinical environments,” he said. “We have expanded into new programs and specialties and grown with changes in health care, including increasing our creative use of technology to expand learning opportunities.” During the past 50 years, the School of Nursing has consistently provided
an outstanding faculty and curriculum, Buron said. “With so much to celebrate, the one thing that remains constant is our commitment to preparing outstanding, well-prepared professional nurses through our steadfast focus on the learning process and the developing
goals of each TU nursing student,” he said. One recent graduate is Daesung “Joseph” Kim (BSN ’23). “From a young age, I’ve always been passionate about helping others and making a positive impact on people’s lives,” Kim said. “Nursing provides a unique opportunity to combine my compassion for others with my interest in the medical field, allowing me to provide care and support to those in need.” He said nursing is not just a profession, but a calling to serve others with compassion, empathy and skill. “It’s a dynamic field that constantly evolves with advances in health care, and I’m committed to being a lifelong learner in order to provide the best care possible,” he said. “I’m excited about the journey ahead and the positive impact I can make as a nurse, and I’m grateful for the support and opportunities provided by TU’s nursing program.”
Professor Lisa Cromer
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Joyful Tears Mary K. Chapman Speech and Hearing Clinic offers support to the community Several years ago, Jennifer Youngberg and her husband were searching for an affordable speech therapist for their son, Oliver, when a friend told her about The University of Tulsa’s Mary K. Chapman’s Speech and Hearing Clinic. Soon, the young boy was enrolled and making strides. Oliver was also diagnosed with apraxia of speech, a speech sound disorder. During the next several years, Youngberg said the family went from understanding Oliver about 10% of the time to understanding him well when he speaks slowly. His sister, Brekken, also took part in the clinic. “It was amazing. I’ve shed lots of tears in that clinic. Good, happy, joyful tears,” Youngberg said. The Chapman Clinic just celebrated 50 years of helping community members like Oliver and Brekken as well as preparing students interested in careers in speech-language pathology and audiology. “We provide services to individuals of all ages, including speech-language pathology evaluations and services and audiology evaluations,” said Suzanne Stanton, Department Chair and Chapman Clinical Associate Professor of Speech-Language Pathology. “These services are greatly needed in our community.” H.A. Chapman generously supported
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construction of the facility, which was named in honor of his wife, who was a nurse. Since then, the clinic has served more than 100 patients a year for half a century. The Chapman Foundation continues to support the clinic, providing free or low-cost treatment to individuals who might otherwise have gone without aid. In addition to children, the clinic also works with adults who have had strokes, traumatic brain injuries, or other communication disorders. For TU students, the clinic provides on campus pre-professional experience for those studying for a master’s degree in speech-language pathology. Madaline Holder (BS ‘19, MS ‘21), who completed her undergraduate and graduate studies at TU in 2021, was a graduate assistant at the clinic. She oversaw scheduling, which helped prepare her for her current role of scheduling a caseload of 100 students. Paula Cadogan, a retired faculty member from the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, said the clinic is a vital support to the local community.
Clinic opening (1972)
“The community benefits from the state-of-the-art services provided at the clinic, including hearing evaluations, treatment of various kinds of communication disorders such as speech sound, developmental language and literacy, voice, fluency, aphasia and so forth. The community also benefits from the availability of young professionals who become employed at various locations throughout the local and state areas,” she said.
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Meeting the needs of the
HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY
The University of Tulsa’s Oxley College of Health & Natural Sciences honored Oklahoma’s first graduating class of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) with a celebration ceremony on Aug. 5. TU’s nurse anesthetist program began in 2020 in response to the critical need for trained professionals locally and regionally. “Anesthesia itself is an area where health care facilities need people. We have very few CRNAs around the country,” said Beatrice Olorunnaiye, one of the 14 doctoral candidates who graduated
from the program in 2023. “TU has really helped with the first program in all of Oklahoma. They give us access to different hospitals, so they know that there are new anesthesia providers coming into the job market.” TU is further working to prepare leads in the nursing field through a new online RN-to-BSN program. Costing less per hour than a traditional full-time, in-person experience, this degree program creates more flexibility for working registered nurses by offering TU’s top-ranked curriculum in accelerated, eight-week
courses. These students can earn a bachelor’s of science in nursing degree in as few as 12 months. “Our online program is designed to be adaptable and exceptional. Students can enter at any of five start dates throughout the year, pause, and then restart between sessions to fit the realities of their lives,” said Ron Walker (BS ‘95, MA ‘96), interim dean of TU’s Oxley College of Health & Natural Sciences. For more information about all of TU’s undergraduate and graduate nursing programs, visit utulsa.edu/nursing.
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Admission to U.S. medical schools is extremely competitive. Last year, more than 55,000 students applied, and a majority were turned away. But at The University of Tulsa, the percentage of successful applicants to allopathic programs from 2014 to 2022 far exceeded the national average.
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In the 2021-22 application cycle, 28 TU students from the pre-health professions program’s advising cohort applied to medical school – allopathic and osteopathic. Twenty-one of those were admitted to one or more schools around the country, including Mayo Clinic, University of Michigan, University of California-Berkeley, Drexel University, University of Colorado, University of Texas, University of Illinois, Oklahoma State University, and University of Oklahoma. Of that total, 60% of TU applicants to allopathic programs were admitted. Meanwhile, the national success rate for admission to those programs is only 39%. The average cumulative GPA of all TU admits to allopathic programs was 3.77, which contrasts with 3.75 nationally. Similarly, the average MCAT scores of TU and national admits was 511.9 and 511.8, respectively. (Parallel national admission and test-score data for osteopathic applicants and matriculants was unavailable.) The foundation of their success “Part of the reason our pre-health professions students do so well is because they already possess such strong academic skills,” said Mark Buchheim, chair of TU’s Department of Biological Science. “They also benefit immensely from faculty who provide challenging coursework, research opportunities, and mentorship.”
MILESTONES
Looking back on her path to medical school, Natasha Bray (BS ’99), dean of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation, commented that TU “played a pivotal role in my journey to medical school and throughout my medical education. The close-knit and supportive community among students, faculty, and advisers provided the perfect platform to explore various interests within an environment of academic rigor. The faculty maintained exacting standards for academic achievement, fostering the development of essential knowledge, study habits and skills for success at medical school, all while serving as invaluable mentors.” For current students, there’s also Marla Cole, TU’s pre-health career coach. Among the many ways she supports undergraduates, Cole helps with developing resumes, cover letters, and personal statements, as well as with preparing for interviews and testtaking. She also steps in to find medical professionals to shadow, volunteer opportunities, and internships. “Applying to medical school can be daunting,” Cole noted. “My role is to ensure students never feel alone on the journey.”
MILESTONES
New college, new energy Meet Engineering & Computer Science Dean Andreas A. Polycarpou
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MILESTONES
It’s not often that a university births a new college – and even more rare for that college to come into being with a new dean at the helm – but that’s exactly what’s happened during this exciting year at TU. The University of Tulsa made the strategic decision last November to shuffle departments and create the College of Engineering & Computer Science (ECS). Biological science, chemistry, physics and geosciences were moved under Oxley College to create a new health and natural sciences college. Once this new structure was determined, an extensive national search began for an authoritative leader of ECS, and Andreas A. Polycarpou was selected for the demanding role. Polycarpou left Texas A&M University to begin his term as inaugural dean on July 1. Polycarpou is renowned as both a mechanical engineer and higher education changemaker, serving nearly nine years as the department head of mechanical engineering in College Station, Texas, advancing the research and reputation of the department. TU’s new College of Engineering & Computer Science offers undergraduate and graduate coursework in chemical engineering, computer science, computer simulation and gaming, bioinformatics, computational science, data science, cyber security, electrical engineering, computer engineering, mathematics, mechanical engineering, energy transition, petroleum engineering, engineering physics, neuroscience, g eneral engineering, and biomedical engineering. “I am very interested in defining new areas of study and new degree programs that will not only serve the students and society of today, but those of 10, 20, 50 years from today. The societal needs are substantial, and engineering and computer science will play significant roles in addressing issues related to energy, cyber security, sustainability, equity, health, clean water, and economic growth. The superb faculty, students,
The superb faculty, students, infrastructure, alumni support, and strong partnerships with Tulsa entities places ECS in a trajectory to expand and make significant contributions in high impact areas of state and national importance.
infrastructure, alumni support, and strong partnerships with Tulsa entities places ECS in a trajectory to expand and make significant contributions in high impact areas of state and national importance,” Polycarpou said. Before joining Texas A&M University in 2012, Polycarpou served at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. While on a leave of absence from Illinois, he served as the founding department chair of mechanical engineering at Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates. He obtained his doctorate from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology and worked for a high-tech magnetic storage company before starting his academic career. Polycarpou’s research interests include tribology (which is the science of interacting surfaces in relative motion), micro/nanotribology, nanomechanics, microtribodynamics, and advanced interface materials. Recent emphasis has been on sustainable water-based lubricants, advanced materials for nuclear and space applications, and new generation of energy storage devices (specifically structural batteries, and supercapacitors). UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE | FALL 2023
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Materials Science and Engineering
research
Sanwu Wang, Hema Ramsurn and Michael W. Keller
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Many of the grand societal challenges of the next century will require engineers and scientists to develop new materials that enable next-generation technology. Materials that improve batteries and other energy storage systems, plastics that can be endlessly recycled, or new composites that can easily survive the return trip from space are all examples of how new materials could change future technology. TU’s College of Engineering & Computer Science is contributing to the development of new material systems and deepening our understanding of how materials behave in a wide range of environments. Hema Ramsurn, Paul Buthod associate professor of chemical engineering; Michael W. Keller (BS ’01), associate dean of research and professor of mechanical engineering; and Sanwu Wang professor of physics and engineering physics, received a $629,263 grant this fall from the U.S. Department of Energy to probe deeper into protective high-temperature coatings on carbon/carbon (C/C) composites. These C/C composites are vital in advancing high-temperature structural applications, such as hypersonic aerospace vehicles, space shuttle orbiters, rocket nozzles, heat shields, aircraft disc
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expands brakes, and nuclear fusion reactors. The multidisciplinary partnership will utilize manufacturing processes developed at TU to create materials tailored for new energy and aerospace applications. The team of researchers, which includes a staff scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is focused on uncovering the mechanisms of synthesis and degradation for coating materials used on these composites to help them survive in extreme environments. Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering William LePage (BS ’13) and his co-researchers are acquiring a custom testing instrument to understand the thermal and mechanical performance of a diverse range of materials. This new equipment is funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) Major Research Instrumentation Program award of nearly $250,000. The new, first-of-kind instrument coming to Tulsa will deliver more than 350 pounds of dynamic force, while fitting inside an electron microscope. It can also apply more than
10 mechanical loading and unloading cycles per second while heating samples up to 1600°C—the highest temperature capacity for mechanical testing among all Oklahoma universities. The team of University of Tulsa researchers will investigate thermal and mechanical effects on materials as diverse as composites used in hypersonic flight and the teeth of prehistoric mammals. At Tulsa, LePage leads the Advanced Materials Design Group (AMDG), whose mission is to understand and pioneer more durable and sustainable materials. LePage and the student members of AMDG combine unique pathways from metallurgy and surface science with advanced materials characterization techniques, with a focus on improving metal additive manufacturing (3D printing). Their work is currently funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), NASA, and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). As part of their work with ONR, the group recently pioneered a
Ahmad Amiri
new patent-pending surface treatment approach that increases the fatigue strength of 3D-printed titanium by about 30%. Ahmad Amiri is a new faculty member in TU’s Russell School of Chemical Engineering. Amiri and the researchers in his lab are investigating new materials for use in carbon fiber composites that will let the composite be both a battery and a structural component. These novel, multifunctional composites have the potential to dramatically increase the range of both electric-powered aerospace systems, like drones, and to improve the performance of electric vehicles. In addition to his work on structural battery materials, his group investigates new materials that allow batteries to stretch and bend, unlike the rigid batteries we use today. These new materials will allow batteries to be used in a range of new and unusual applications, like allowing the battery to be included in a watch band, rather than the body of the watch. UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE | FALL 2023
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Opening eyes to ST TU’s Department of Education launches Kelble Makerspace
There is a growing body of research indicating that elementary and high school students benefit from hands-on exposure to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and approaches. Yet well-prepared teachers who can make this happen are in critically short supply in Oklahoma and much of the rest of the country. “Developing a pipeline of conscientious, highly qualified teachers – as well as classroom volunteers, parents and other education stakeholders – who know how to bring STEM to life for K-12 students is a pressing educational priority,” said Josh Corngold, chair of TU’s Department of Education. Launched in fall 2023, the Kelble Makerspace in Chapman Hall is rising to this challenge. In addition to shelving, work benches, chairs, and whiteboards, there are abundant prototyping materials, such as
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notecards, tape, craft sticks, cardboard, and fabric for transforming ideas into visible, low-tech, consumable models. Once the room is fully up and running, users will have access to equipment such as a sewing machine, 3D printer, laser cutter, pliers, screwdrivers, hammers, and saws. Critical thinking and creativity Assistant Professor of Education Helen Douglass is the Kelble Makerspace’s inaugural director and the driving force behind its creation. “Right from the start, my colleagues and I envisioned this facility as an interdisciplinary zone where critical thinking and creativity would be foregrounded,” Douglass said. A main goal is to enable the creation and execution of “maker-oriented integrated lessons” that students can deploy during their field experiences and eventual work in schools and elsewhere.
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According to Douglass, the makerspace was designed as “an intersection between formal and informal learning.” She underscores the social importance of this orientation, noting that informal STEM experiences “have often been how underrepresented students have learned content; we are, therefore, innovating with how teachers are prepared by including abundant informal spaces and methods in order to leverage the assets of all students.” Broad appeal and relevance The Kelble Makerspace is at the heart of the department’s recently launched STEM education minor. It is also available for students enrolled in Design
Thinking for Schools and Communities (EDUC 2083) and Introduction to STEM Education (EDUC 2123) who are majoring in other disciplines but have an interest in STEM education. Looking ahead, Douglass and Corngold foresee expanding its reach to students in other courses and programs, such as the applied design thinking minor. With an eye on community-focused education, they are eager to eventually welcome in-service teachers and parents to specialized STEM education workshops. An open house at Homecoming 2023 included showing off the Kelble Makerspace to alumni and visitors. This was an ideal moment to acknowledge that this innovative zone was made possible through the generosity of the daughters of Eileen Kelble (EdD ’74), an alumna of and much-loved professor in TU’s former College of Education.
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$6.5M
and counting
TU’s student-managed investment fund one of nation’s largest
In TU’s Collins College of Business, expert guidance from skilled faculty combined with real-world experience prepares students to succeed in the world of business. One of the unique and exciting opportunities offered by the college is the chance to partake in the Student Investment Fund (SIF), where business students further their knowledge of financial management by investing real money in real companies. “It’s an opportunity to receive exceptional experiential learning by essentially running a small mutual fund for a semester. This bolsters the resumes of the student analysts as they prepare to graduate because not many students can go to their perspective employers 32 FALL 2023 | UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE
and say, ‘Yeah, I managed several million dollars for six months,” said Tally Ferguson, who is now a full-time applied assistant professor of finance after retiring from his role as senior vice president and director of enterprise risk management at BOK Financial. “There are very few student investment funds that are over $6 million, and ours is one of them.”
Tally Ferguson
Students participating in SIF get hands-on experience by managing an investment portfolio built by past TU students over 25 years. Through buying and selling securities and learning about asset allocations, students apply financial theories and models in making actual investment decisions and managing a real portfolio of financial assets. “Complicated. Risky. Intimidating. When people talk to me about investing, these are the words I hear most often. Even for students studying the discipline, finance can be daunting. The Student Investment Fund, along with impactful instructors such as Tally Ferguson and Dr. Anila Madhan, give confidence to students through practical application,” said Apolo Castillo (BSBA ’21, MBA ’22). “There is a high level of stress when managing over $7 million in assets. But after taking the course, I held an advantage as I began my career. The experience of running the fund with friends in an academic environment set exceptional professional standards before entering industry.” Established in 1997-98 with an initial $300,000 pool, the SIF portfolio topped
TULSA BEGINS WITH TU, AND TU STARTS WITH YOU.
Members of The 1894 Society are at the heart of student life, campus programs, and academic excellence. Thank you for leading the charge as The University of Tulsa runs toward a bold and brilliant new era. Recognition at the following levels is based on all gifts to TU, including corporate matching gifts, during one fiscal year (July 1–June 30):
out at $8 million in 2021. In the past two years, $630,000 has been paid out for scholarships and the fund weathered the market slump caused by the supply chain issues and the war in Ukraine. The fund is now valued at over $6.4 million, one of the largest in the country. Since SIF began, more than $2 million has been paid out in scholarships, providing the opportunity for current TU students to pay it forward. “Joining SIF at TU was pivotal for me, laying a solid foundation in finance that set the stage for
my continued learning. It stands out not only as the premier class at TU but also benefits from the guidance of an exceptional professor,” said Måns Ingvarson (BSBA ’23). “For those eyeing a competitive finance career, SIF is indispensable.”
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Scholar’s Society
$1,000 - $2,499
Dean’s Society
$2,500 - $4,999
Provost’s Society
$5,000 - $9,999
President’s Society
$10,000 - $24,999
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New institute advances Tulsa’s position as a
CYBER POWERHOUSE The University of Tulsa’s new Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute is undertaking groundbreaking cyber research and is poised to identify, test, and commercially deploy new cyber solutions.
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The institute, launched in August, builds on the university’s internationally renowned educational foundation in cybersecurity. The cost of cybercrime is ballooning and hundreds of thousands of jobs sit unfilled in the business, government, and nonprofit sectors. “The Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute will capitalize on decades of academic excellence at TU and expand research opportunities to include the expertise needed to put the findings into market,” said TU Vice President for Research and Economic Development Rose Gamble. TU established the Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute with an initial $24 million investment to attract top-notch cyber talent; implement workforce development pipelines involving constituencies from across the state; construct and/or renovate key facilities; launch innovative research
and commercialization programs; and scale up the necessary intellectual property development, tech transfer and commercialization infrastructure in Oklahoma. Seed funding included $12 million from the American Rescue Plan Act with matching funds from the George Kaiser Family Foundation. The institute anticipates more than $50 million in additional funding over five years from public and private sources to support the critical challenges addressed through faculty, staff and student researchers solving tomorrow’s issues today. The institute will attract world-class scientists and engineers to work alongside TU’s well-connected cyber faculty in the areas of digital transformation, critical infrastructure protection, autonomous systems, and organizational security. “We are seeking corporate and public sector partners who want access to
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Rose Gamble
the best minds in the business,” said President Brad R. Carson. “Opportunities for sponsored cyber research, talent pipeline partnerships, facility development, and/or entrepreneurial ecosystem support are all crucial.” Tulsa Innovation Labs, an organization focused on tech-led economic development in the city, developed a city-wide strategy for inclusive, tech-led growth in Tulsa. “The collaboration between academia, a dedicated philanthropic sector, and the engagement of large corporate leaders in energy, finance, aerospace, and other sectors make Tulsa ripe for technological and commercial innovation,” said Jennifer Hankins, managing director for Tulsa Innovation Labs. Graduate student Jacob Hart
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A CHALLENGE
TO RELISH TURC offers innumerable opportunities for students, faculty - and new leader
One of the best parts of being a professor is having the freedom to learn new things throughout one’s career. Faculty members usually satisfy the passionate curiosity that drew them to academia through their teaching and scholarship, but administrative work can offer its own fascinations. This is one of the happy discoveries I have made over the past few months, after being appointed the “Faculty Fellow” in charge of the Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge program for 2023-24. Founded in 1994, TURC is designed to create future leaders in academia and public life through intensive research and community engagement. At the heart of the TURC experience is the practice of learning by doing: TURC Scholars pursue focused inquiry under the guidance of a faculty mentor, with the goal of making measurable contributions to a project that has tangible, real-world impact. Students in the program commit to substantive volunteer service, public presentations
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By Laura M. Stevens Chapman Professor of English
on their project’s outcomes and participation in discussions on topics ranging from grant-writing to research ethics. Thanks to the generosity of donors, they receive stipends to support them while they pursue their research and creative inquiry. TURC Scholars count among TU’s most celebrated alumni, enjoying
successful careers and accolades for their work in government, academia, the arts, philanthropic foundations, and private industry. Whatever their chosen field, they graduate with an understanding of themselves as citizens of both local and global communities, possessed with the ability and duty to work for the world’s betterment. Many people equate research with traditional STEM areas (science, technology, engineering and math). However, universities know that academic pursuits in the arts, humanities, business and law produce fruitful findings that challenge our perception of the past and shape our approach to the future. At TU, scholars are working with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation to tell the stories of the students who attended the Presbyterian School for Indian Girls, which eventually became The University of Tulsa; a business professor just published a paper on human trafficking; and a new faculty member in the law school is examining homelessness and
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legal issues surrounding affordable housing. Promising research is active in every TU college. By directing TURC, I support the program’s scholars and mentors as they pursue their research across many disciplines. It is thrilling to visit TURC teams in laboratories, libraries, studios, and offices to see what they are doing. I relish the challenge of immersing myself in the specialized discourses of such widely ranging fields as software engineering, molecular biology, and economics as well as in the liberal and fine arts that are more familiar to me as a literature scholar. These experiences have deepened my appreciation for the extraordinary research and creative endeavor my
TURC Scholars count among TU’s most celebrated alumni, enjoying successful careers and accolades for their work in government, academia, the arts, philanthropic foundations, and private industry.
colleagues are pursuing across the university. While the subjects of our projects run the gamut, one of my biggest takeaways has been how much of the research process is shared: We all strive to pose the most fruitful questions, build upon prior work while breaking new ground and learn from setbacks. I look forward to developing this program further over the coming
year, especially through place-based research options in what we will call “True Blue TURC” and “TURC Global.” My work as the TURC Faculty Fellow leaves me more impressed than ever with the dedication our brilliant faculty have to the mentoring of intellectually ambitious undergraduates. It is a privilege to work among them.
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ACHIEVING recognition Dean Jennifer Airey works to ensure TU’s Graduate School is among nation’s best
Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Jennifer Airey has many irons in the fire in her efforts to achieve R1 institution status among the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. No matter if she’s working to expand graduate program offerings or recruit more doctoral students, the bottom line is ensuring that The University of Tulsa’s graduate student experience is one of the best in the country. In December 2022, President Brad R. Carson appointed Airey as the new dean of the Graduate School, recognizing her qualifications for the task. “I work with faculty to create, strengthen and oversee our academically rigorous programs; I work with students to ensure their continued success; I work with our recruitment and admissions team to promote TU across the nation; and I represent the concerns of the graduate school and students to Provost George Justice and President Carson,” Airey said.
TU’s graduate program is continuously progressing toward an essential classification: becoming a top-level research university among the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. To meet the R1 criteria, universities should graduate an average of 80 doctoral students annually. Airey commends the faculty for their remarkable efforts in student recruitment, resulting in a strong – and unusually large – incoming class of graduate students. More than 100 new master’s and doctoral students joined TU this fall, and Airey’s optimism is evident as she anticipates further growth in the years to come. Above all, her ultimate aim is to provide an exceptional educational experience that transcends mere labels. “Graduate student research and scholarship are what matters,” she said. “R1 is an important goal, but the growth of our graduate programs is an inherent good beyond just the Carnegie classification.”
More than 100 new master’s and doctoral students joined TU this fall, and Airey’s optimism is evident as she anticipates further growth in the years to come.
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An arts space for all
New Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Management offers an interdisciplinary focus on the music industry.
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ARTS & HUMANITIES
When The University of Tulsa acquired the Hardesty Arts Center space in February, President Brad R. Carson said he envisioned it becoming “the most inclusive and engaging art space in America.” The first manifestation of this vision was the relocation of the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities programming to the main galleries located on the first and second floors. Since then, plans have been formulated for several Kendall College of Arts & Sciences programs to occupy learning, making, and exploring zones there as well. To make this possible, renovations at what is now known as 101 E. Archer (after its street address) are underway to construct classrooms, a state-of-the-art darkroom, recording studio, media production facilities, and areas for collaboration and co-working. “The result will be a dynamic learning laboratory,” said Interim A&S Dean Kirsten Olds. “Here, our students will be able to put into practice what they learn in
the classroom on our main campus in the vibrant ecosystem of the Tulsa Arts District.” Driven by an ethos of experiential learning and community collaboration, arts, culture, and entertainment (ACE) management is one of the facility’s anchor programs. Recently, ACE management added the music industry to its many areas of education. “This is one of Tulsa’s fastest growing sectors, infused with abundant energy, activity, and potential,” noted Samuel Krall, applied assistant professor and director of the ACE program. Helping spearhead this initiative is Corey Taylor (BSBA ’21), ACE management’s inaugural music industry professional in residence. A graduate of TU’s Collins College of Business and a former running back with the Cleveland Browns, Taylor is passionate about Tulsa’s music scene and excited by 101 E. Archer’s potential. Taylor, who co-founded music and entertainment company Tayburn Music with Eric Sherburn, says he “couldn’t be
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101 Corey Taylor
more enthusiastic about the brilliant advances TU is making to foster a truly innovative space for creatives. Through expression and placemaking, 101 E. Archer is an opportunity to lean into the intersection of curriculum and community engagement.” Enacting that potential is at the heart of Taylor’s first two courses. In one, he introduces students to the history and design of music venues. The other is a practicum in which students learn alongside Taylor and Sherburn as they transform a century-old church into a venue for live music, recording, and the display of art. “Corey Taylor is an inspiration for our music industry students,” noted Krall. “His energy and expertise are accomplishing exactly what we hoped: facilitating networks, spurring fresh ideas and opening career pathways in this booming sector.”
I couldn’t be more enthusiastic about the brilliant advances TU is making to foster a truly innovative space for creatives. Through expression and placemaking, 101 E. Archer is an opportunity to lean into the intersection of curriculum and community engagement. Corey Taylor
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Archer
ARTS & HUMANITIES
TU
Ryan Allen Cady Shaw Lacy Applegate Alex Isaak
Alumni
Arts in the
Tulsa has a storied history of supporting the arts and humanities, and TU alumni are present in every corner of these these important and inspiring organizations.
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ARTS & HUMANITIES
Ryan Allen OKPOP Museum
Cady Shaw Woody Guthrie Center
As director of storytelling and exhibit management for the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture (OKPOP), Ryan Allen (BA ’08) takes the helm of diverse teams – exhibits, collections, curatorial work, and education – all dedicated to crafting an unparalleled experience the ensures the realization of the museum’s mission: to inspire and empower new generations of artists, musicians, and storytellers to impact the world through the powerful force of creative expression. “As a museum, we often talk about how empathy is our true superpower,” said Allen. “Hopefully, our guests will be able to connect with and see themselves and their potential by learning about our countless amazing Oklahoma creatives.” Holding dual degrees in film studies and communications, Allen made the most of his undergraduate years by taking advantage of TU’s diverse campus resources. For example, as part of his work-study program, Allen helped relaunch Tulsa’s nonprofit independent movie theater, Circle Cinema. “I’ve tried my best to stay creative and tell stories along the way no matter what I do professionally or where I might be,” he said. “I am thankful to have been afforded those opportunities – all of which can be traced back to my journey at TU.”
Having graduated with a degree in communications, Cady Shaw (BA ’99) did not intend to become a museum expert, saying her true passion is history. “I fell into museum work while I was at Cherokee Nation (Businesses),” she said. “They were starting a cultural tourism program, and I was working on event planning, but my writing and research skills led to me creating the first exhibit, and I was hooked.” Shaw’s path led her to the Woody Guthrie Center, where she makes facility decisions, meets with donors and members, oversees staff and their exhibition work, partners with other businesses, and much more. “I like to tell people that museum work is fluid,” she said. “There are no typical days because every day is different, and I love that.” Like many TU grads, Shaw appreciates being in the Tulsa Arts District. “TU alumni are community-focused, and I think that speaks to TU’s influence of giving back to the community and creating the places that you want to be part of,” she said. “In my experience, TU graduates are dependable, creative, and passionate.”
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Lacy Applegate Tulsa Ballet
Alex Isaak Oklahoma Center for the Humanities
As the marketing director, Lacy Applegate (BA ’05) takes pride in her accomplishments at Tulsa Ballet. In 2020, she worked to stream the ballet’s archival videos online when entertainment venues faced pandemic closures. After learning Opensource Broadcasting Software, Applegate’s team tested several different sites to deliver a “sim-live” stream that provided commercial breaks where the intermissions would fall so viewers would not miss a beat, putting Tulsa Ballet at the forefront of organizations providing fine and performing arts to patrons at home. “It’s funny looking back on it,” Applegate said, “because when I filled out my TU admission application, I selected ‘Liberal Arts’ because I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to be in the service of art.” Applegate earned a degree in communications, which opens a multitude of doors for alumni. Some days, Applegate spends hours poring over spreadsheets, while other times she immerses herself in the rehearsal space, brainstorming ideas to effectively market the work of the dancers. “Other days, I’m selling literal ‘Nutcrackers’ from a merch table at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center and setting records for how many cardboard boxes I can break down during Act II,” she laughed. “That’s what I love about my job — it’s always novel and exciting.”
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Alex Isaak (BA ‘19) has been working in the Tulsa Arts District since she graduated from TU with a degree in media studies: first at KOTV-NewsOn6 on the north side of Guthrie Green, and then for the university’s Oklahoma Center for the Humanities at 101 E. Archer St. While the two organizations are different in terms of their missions, Isaak has utilized the lessons she learned inside and outside the classroom to excel in both roles. She was so successful, in fact, that earlier this year she was awarded two (TWO!) Heartland Emmy awards for her work at the television station. While Isaak humbly shares the honor with her newsroom colleagues, she also credits TU for helping to prepare her for the job as a TV producer. “TU’s media studies curriculum had a good mix of theoretical and practical coursework. I also served as director of TUTV on-andoff for about two years,” she said. “With my new job at Oklahoma Center for the Humanities, I get to do what I know best – planning and executing projects – while learning from interesting people,” she said. “Plus, as a high school theater kid, I love that a lot of these projects are in partnership with local arts organizations. I tell my family it’s an ideal version of graduate school for me!”
ARTS & HUMANITIES
From Banned Books to Open Discussions Switchyard Festival – and magazine and podcast – win attention and praise nationwide
By Ted Genoways, Switchyard Editor
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The University of Tulsa’s inaugural Switchyard Festival certainly grabbed national attention. The theme of the festival — and the first issue of Switchyard magazine and accompanying podcast — was Banned Books. Art Spiegelman, author of “Maus,” took the stage in the ballroom of the Hyatt in downtown Tulsa to kick off the event on May 30. Spiegelman opened the festival because his Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel had been removed from the school library and curriculum by the McMinn County School Board in Tennessee in January 2022, a moment that seemed to signal the opening of the current wave of book bannings across America. On stage and inside the pages of the first issue of Switchyard magazine, Spiegelman discussed the disorienting feeling of having his book banned. Perhaps even more revealing, he also created an original work of art, portraying his anger and confusion, for the cover of the magazine. “This image was not meant as a visual summation of the experience of bookbanning,” Spiegelman explained. “It’s my visceral, childish response to book-
ARTS & HUMANITIES
banning, the one I had to transcend in order to be what I tried to be, which was a spokesperson for the larger issue.” Still, that image gained traction. MSNBC host Ali Velshi interviewed Spiegelman for the network’s Banned Book Club, discussing the cover of Switchyard in great detail. The Chronicle of Higher Education praised TU for showing its willingness “to embrace the historical role of the university as truthteller — a role that public institutions in some red states, hamstrung and gagged, are finding increasingly impossible to perform.” TU President Brad R. Carson emphasized that Switchyard is not meant to respond directly to political currents, either in Oklahoma or nationally. “We’re just trying to be a great university,” Carson said. “I grew up admiring what was happening at Kenyon College or Sewanee, those great literary reviews. When I came to TU, I knew of course that [literary magazines] were in deep decline and disfavor and being eliminated at some places or radically downscaled. And I’m a believer that they’re a key part of our mission. So, I wanted to do that at The University of Tulsa, create kind of a journal like that, to lean into the winds that are wiping this kind of literary culture away.” Other headliners at that first festival included: • Maia Kobabe, author of Gender Queer, the most banned book in America; • Natasha Trethewey, the former U.S. poet laureate speaking about recent efforts to keep the Tulsa Race Massacre from being taught in Oklahoma public schools; and • MacArthur fellow Reginald Dwayne Betts, whose nonprofit Freedom Reads specializes in getting books in prisons. Besides the multiday festival, Switchyard also sponsors smaller events throughout the year. For the second issue and new season of the podcast, both focused on food, TU will host a star-studded event in Tulsa. The gathering will include Tom
Whatever topics the magazine, podcast, and festival decide to feature in coming iterations, one can only hope that they will be as courageous and timely as the conversations they’ve tackled in their auspicious inaugural year.
recorded in their restaurants in New York and Minneapolis. “Whatever topics the magazine, podcast, and festival decide to feature in coming iterations,” concluded The Chronicle of Higher Education, “one can only hope that they will be as courageous and timely as the conversations they’ve tackled in their auspicious inaugural year.” That’s definitely the plan.
Colicchio, winner of multiple James Beard Awards and longtime host of Bravo’s Top Chef, and Sean Sherman, winner of last year’s Beard award for best new restaurant and this year’s Julia Child Award winner, discussing topics ranging from the Farm Bill to food insecurity to decolonizing American cuisine. At the end of the evening, the new season of the Switchyard podcast will launch with episodes featuring Colicchio and Sherman that were
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STUDENT LIFE
A home for
STUDENT VETERANS TU’s commitment to those who served this nation runs deep
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STUDENT LIFE
Ensuring that student veterans receive maximum support while working toward their degrees is a priority for many on The University of Tulsa’s campus. President Brad R. Carson is an Iraq veteran and Bronze Star recipient who was appointed acting under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness at the U.S. Department of Defense in 2015. Today, he works closely with utulsa staff to ensure wrap-around services go above and beyond, incorporating key elements that contribute to an exceptional support system. Brittany Minor (DNP ‘23), received her doctorate of nursing practice in 2023, attests to the attentiveness of staff members such as Veteran Affairs Director Matthew Ingram, who also serves as interim dean of students. Minor emphasized Ingram’s willingness to help when urgent financial problems arise, the veterans center works with the bursar to ensure financial aid is released to cover impending bills.
“Elsewhere, stuff like this has been confusing and complicated. Here, it’s the easiest process,” Minor said. “I can call or email Matt, and it’s taken care of.” Having served in the U.S. Army for 30 years himself, Ingram is dedicated to ensuring benefits are effectively provided for veterans and their families. He also prioritizes veteran outreach, leveraging his network to spread awareness of TU’s outstanding support system. “What I’ve realized is veterans really love to help other veterans,” said Ingram. “So, I network with other veterans to make sure they’re aware that the TU has a fantastic group of students and an incredible support system in place. Additionally, I ensure our students are connected to veteran service organizations within the state that are available to assist them in their academic, personal, and professional journey.” At the heart of this support system is one of the most recognized Student Veteran
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Association (SVA) chapters among private universities in the region. As the largest and most active chapter in Oklahoma, it serves as a place of refuge for students like Peggyann Kennedy, a creative writing junior and secretary for the campus chapter. “Whenever I visit the Calvin C. McKee Student Veteran Center, I feel like I am known and understood, and that any veteran who walks through the door is there for me,” Kennedy said. Current SVA President and Marine Corps veteran Carl Sullivan noted how the SVA community provided him with the direction he needed to navigate college, form meaningful friendships, and create lifelong memories. “In October 2022, I was selected as one of the top 1% of student veterans to attend the SVA Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C., for an intense threeday leadership course and a tour of the White House,” said Sullivan, a computer science senior. Veteran and law school student Logan Hartz echoes Kennedy’s and Sullivan’s sentiments, saying he’s a member because “TU SVA helps keep the good
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times good, and the tough times manageable. It all comes back to feeling supported.” This sense of support is upheld by the university’s faculty and staff, who ensure student veterans’ success and aid them in achieving their academic and career goals. Through cohesive and caring approaches, TU continues to be a beacon of support, empowering
student veterans on their educational journey and fostering an environment of camaraderie.
WATCH VIDEO
Back
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Left to right: Peggyann Kennedy, Matt Ingram, Brittany Minor, and Carl Sullivan
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STUDENT LIFE
Mexico is JumpstartTU’s newest destination
JumpstartTU is a one-week international experience designed to serve as an introduction to the University of Tulsa’s academic and campus life through an intensive, transformative trip. While some might find an international trip to be an unusual introduction to college life in Tulsa, Vivian Wang, vice provost for global engagement, explains it this way: “Jumpstart TU is the gateway to TU, a truly global university. We take our freshmen beyond borders to broaden their horizons, building unwavering confidence and cultivating a deep appreciation for cultural understanding.” JumpstartTU started in the summer of 2017 when the first freshmen ventured to Panama. Until this year, Panama was the only destination offered. Last year, the program added Mexico to its choices of travel. Wang says the decision to add Mexico was grounded in key partnerships: “TU wants students to see where they can potentially come back to for study abroad programs, which help to enhance partnerships and TU’s global presence. Expanding to Mexico is part of TU’s strategic plan to expand its destination offerings, making JumpstartTU even more impactful globally.” 54 FALL 2023 | UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE
Professor of Spanish Bruce Willis was glad to serve as a faculty leader and travel to Mexico. “Hosting the program in San Luis Potosi, Tulsa’s sister city since 1980, allows us to strengthen the bond between our communities while showing students a vibrant, midsize city in central Mexico that’s quite unlike other tourist areas,” he said. “Students gained hands-on learning experiences at a mental health clinic in the city and learned about ecotourism while enjoying the many stunning waterfalls of the La Huasteca region of San Luis Potosi state.” Said first-year student Abigail Chow of Jenks, Oklahoma: “Having the opportunity to immerse myself in another culture through JumpstartTU’s trip to San Luis Potosi, Mexico, has developed a deeper love for experiential learning within me. I learned the power of language and networking that motivated me to pursue a minor in Spanish.” In addition to her educational inspiration, Chow wants to incorporate “the enthusiasm for community engagement and celebration” she experienced in San Luis Potosi into the TU campus. “The type of experiential
STUDENT LIFE
TU marks 25 years of partnership with Germany’s Siegen learning JumpstartTU promoted during our trip united my peers and me from all walks of life together as we were thrown into a new environment with new experiences and exploration,” she said. Wang notes the importance of JumpstartTU to the success she’s witnessed firsthand among the students who embark on this immersive journey. “More of these students take advantage of studyabroad programs, courses, and exchange programs later in their college careers. They are more likely to pursue a foreign language and be leaders on campus, helping other students, and serve as peer advisers for study abroad programs,” she said. TU hopes to expand JumpstartTU to more students and more locations in the coming years, including a trip to Germany next year. “The hope is to eventually offer five countries for destinations available to students,” Wang said. “At TU, the world is our classroom. We are not just preparing our students for college; we are preparing them for a world without borders.”
In November, The University of Tulsa celebrates the 25th anniversary of its partnership with Siegen University in Germany with a visit by a delegation from Siegen during Homecoming Week. Research and educational synergy, amazing student exchange opportunities, enhanced collaborative research, career and internship opportunities, and so much more have come out of this global relationship. The autumn of 1996 marked a significant milestone as Siegen’s inaugural exchange students came to study at TU. This educational journey was made possible by Lewis Duncan, then-provost of TU, and Albert Walenta, former rector of Siegen. Their commitment to global studies led to the General Agreement for Cooperation, a pact that laid the foundation for a mutually beneficial partnership that took effect Feb. 3, 1998, and has been renewed every five years since then. This program holds the distinction of being TU’s longest-running exchange program, offering bilateral student exchange and sending more than 70 students with majors primarily from the German language; international business and language; international engineering and language; and international science and language programs. On the other end, Siegen has enriched TU’s campus by sending more than 100 students from majors across all colleges. One notable participant in the TU-Siegen exchange program is esteemed alumnus Eric Marshall, the visionary behind Marshall’s Brewing Co. Marshall’s journey in Siegen no doubt left a mark on his path to becoming a successful businessowner and brewmaster. TU’s dedicated faculty members also benefit from the valuable partnership with Siegen. Professors like Laura Stevens, Victor Udwin, Mike Troilo, and Lara Foley have had the opportunity to contribute to the academic exchange by teaching or visiting Siegen. The idea for this collaboration emerged when Udwin and former
Professor J. Markham Collins and were searching for a German partner institution to facilitate exchanges between students in the Collins College of Business and German majors. In the partnership’s early phases, Udwin played a pivotal role by serving as the instructor of record, evaluating his students’ performances while they lived with German families, fully immersed in the culture. Looking ahead, the future of TU and Siegen is brighter than ever. More faculty and student research exchanges and internships are on the horizon. Siegen will be a location for JumpstartTU, a study abroad program for incoming first-year students, starting in summer 2024 with travel courses scheduled for next academic year. Fostering long-lasting and enriching relationships like these reflects TU’s mission to provide an unparalleled experience for students, staff, and faculty. The campus’ commitment to gaining global perspectives will continue to grow as TU forges additional partnerships akin to the one with Siegen.
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STUDENT LIFE
BACK TO SCHOOL
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TU welcomed students back to campus with a carnival, Waka Flocka Flame concert, outdoor movie night, Sip-n-Slide event and fireworks!
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STUDENT LIFE
Moove Over!
New Chick-fil-A, Starbucks offer additional campus dining options Students, faculty, and staff are excited about the popular new dining options being served up on campus this fall. In September, Chick-fil-A reopened in a new location in the Student Union that features a larger kitchen and an expanded menu capable of satisfying more diners for longer hours. (Chicken breakfast biscuits, anyone?) The menu for the Pat Case Dining Center has also undergone an expansion with the arrival of Simple Servings. Offering allergenfree meals curated by an on-site registered dietician, these main dishes and sides are prepared without gluten, milk, peanuts, and other common allergens. Finally, to much anticipation, the state’s largest Starbucks is opening in McFarlin Library! The library’s former computer lab was upgraded and relocated to the Student Union to make room for the new Starbucks, which features a complete menu of coffee, tea, bakery treats and more to provide a much-needed energy boost to campus just in time for pumpkin spice latte season.
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INSIDE TU
TAKE THE HOLIDAYS BY STORM Check every box on your gift list this season with exciting sports, cozy clothing, sophisticated sips and a new board game to delight Golden Hurricane fans! utulsa.edu/giftguide
Clockwise from bottom left: Goldie Plush. bkstr.com/tulsastore Men’s and Women’s Basketball Season Tickets. Tulsa Athletics. tulsahurricane.com Tulsa Golden Hurricane Script Hoodie. Homefield Apparel. homefieldapparel.com 10 oz. Yeti Rambler Lowball. bkstr.com/tulsastore Red Flag Rum. Select retail locations Tulsa Monopoly. utulsa.edu/giftguide Reign ’Cane T-shirt. Homefield Apparel. homefieldapparel.com Landfall Napa Valley Wine. landfallnapa.com Engraved Brick. Add your name alongside thousands of alumni who have spots uniquely their own across campus. tulaumni.com
INSIDE TU
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AT H L E T I C S
NEW MASCOT
Gus T. made a grand entrance as the official mascot for the Golden Hurricane this August at the football home opener. A freshman himself, Gus T. led the team onto the field alongside the first-year students, a TU tradition known as the Freshmen Storm. Reminiscent of the late 1990s and early 2000s, TU has brought back a mascot that personifies a hurricane. The muscular supporter is decked out in TU apparel and is topped with a smiling hurricane head. Selected after a fan vote, the name “Gus T.” emerged victorious in the polls. Following the retirement of Captain Cane, Gus T. now proudly represents the Golden Hurricane and is winning over fans wherever he goes.
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AT H L E T I C S
Mascot
TIMELINE
1977
The inaugural Tulsa Hurricane mascot made its debut in 1977 under the moniker “Hurc, The Golden Hurricane,” a name later modified to the beloved “Huffy.”
1997
@lynnhernandez • 14 min ago
Love it!! #ReignCan e!
#TulsaRocks!
In 1997, Captain Cane emerged, replacing Huffy and bringing the Golden Hurricane embodiment to life.
Early 2000s
Moving into the early 2000s, after a redesign, Captain Cane continued to represent the Golden Hurricane, however his frowning face was replaced with a friendlier one.
2009
Bonnie Williams • 2 hrs ago
This is the best!!!
In 2009, Captain Cane adopted a new identity, this time in the form of a superhero.
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AT H L E T I C S
GOLDEN HURRICANE BASKETBALL Influx of newcomers gives Tulsa men a new look After a challenging 2022-23 campaign, The University of Tulsa men’s basketball program will have a different look for a new era of Golden Hurricane hoops this season. The Hurricane was tasked with replacing 96% of its scorers from last season. Sophomore Jesaiah McWright and senior Ari Seals are the only returners from a Tulsa team that finished 5-25. Second-year head coach Eric Konkol turned to the transfer portal to help build out the squad, grabbing six four-year college transfers, two junior college transfers and four true freshmen in addition to the two returners. Konkol started with a pair of players who are familiar to his style of basketball in guards Cobe Williams
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and Keaston Willis. The two played most of their careers under Konkol at Louisiana Tech and join Tulsa with one year of eligibility remaining. Williams is a talented ball-handler who can score and play hard-nosed defense, earning two Conference USA all-defense team honors and an AllConference USA selection in his time. Willis brings an exceptional jump shot with 295 3-pointers made in his career and 1,601 points. Konkol moved quickly in the early period of the portal opening, grabbing small forward Isaiah Barnes and guard Chauncy Gibson around the same time he brought in Williams and Willis. Barnes spent his first two seasons at the Michigan where he redshirted in 2021-22 and was featured in 15 games this past season.
Cobe William
AT H L E T I C S
Keaston Willis
Gibson redshirted his true freshman season at Clemson and scored more than 1,700 points in his prep career. Redshirt freshman guard PJ Haggerty was the next to join the Golden Hurricane after a season at TCU. Haggerty was a combo guard and former Mr. Texas Basketball. He averaged 28 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.7 steals his senior year of high school. The Crosby, Texas, native appeared in six games for the Horned Frogs. Salt Lake Community College transfer Jared Garcia signed with the program in early May and has two years of eligibility left. Garcia is a 6-foot-8 forward who made 19 starts in 32 games last season, averaging 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Bruins. He started his career in
Charlotte, playing two seasons with the 49ers. The Hurricane were still missing an interior defensive presence, and in late June, Konkol got his man in 7-foot-1 Mohamed Keita out of St. John’s. Due to an injury, Keita played in only seven games and will have all four years of eligibility remaining. In the November early signing period, Tulsa got the signature of Pearl River Community College’s Carlous Williams, who has two years of eligibility remaining. The other four newcomers are all true freshmen. Jarred Hall and Matt Reed signed letters of intent in the November early signing period. Hall is a decorated prep athlete and was named Tennessee 4A Mr. Basketball. Reed brings a lot of size at 6’9” and is capable of scoring from anywhere on the court and defending multiple positions. Although the summer mostly brought in transfer targets, Konkol did pick up a commitment from SPIRE Academy guard Tyshawn Archie in late June. He was the fifth guard, third true freshman and seventh Texan of the recruiting period for Tulsa. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 17.0 points and 4.5 assists in his lone season at Spire Academy. If there’s one certain thing heading into this year, it’s that this Hurricane group brings a ton of athleticism and much more size into the 2023-24 season.
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After back-to-back 17-win seasons, Tulsa women look for a healthy year The Tulsa women have high hopes heading into the upcoming basketball season with the return of some very familiar faces. In a 2022-23 season plagued by injuries, the team still managed to put together a second straight winning season under second-year coach Angie Nelp, posting 17 wins in back-to-back years. Despite losing two seasoned veterans via graduation Maddie Buttle and Maya Mayberry, Tulsa’s prospects for another winning campaign in 2023-24 sets up nicely with the return of its top two scorers, juniors Temira Poindexter and Delanie Crawford. Last year, Tulsa was off to an impressive 15-3 record when injuries sidelined three of the top eight Golden Hurricane players, thus taking away 21.4 points and 14 rebounds from the lineup. Jessika Evans missed 19 games, Katelyn Levings 16, and Ahrray Young 10. Evans, Levings and Young are each expected to return in 2023-24. Young averaged 8.6 points and 5.0 rebounds en route to being named to The American’s all-freshman team, while Evans added 6.8 points and 5.1 rebounds with Levings turning in 6.0 and 3.9 totals. Tulsa’s two leading scorers last year – Poindexter and Crawford – are each Oklahoma high school products. Poindexter, from nearby Sapulpa, averaged a teamleading 16.1 points and 5.4 rebounds, while becoming a first-team American Athletic Conference performer after picking up AAC Freshman of the Year and all-freshman team accolades a year earlier. From Piedmont, Crawford ranked behind Poindexter with an 11.1 scoring average, while totaling a team-high 90 assists. Crawford was also an AAC all-freshman team selection in 2021-22. If there’s a silver lining from last year, it’s that a number of younger players had to step up much quicker than expected, thus
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gaining valuable playing experience for the upcoming season and beyond. Tulsa was the youngest team in The American a year ago and seventh-youngest in the nation. TU had five freshmen and four sophomores, making up 64.2% of the roster. Sophomores, Caroline Lyles, Hadley Periman and Cam Mathews saw their playing minutes jump, while junior newcomer Katia Gallegos also played an important role down the stretch after missing 10 of the first 14 games. The quartet played some big minutes and showed moments of brilliance on the court. In all, Tulsa returns 69.8% of its minutes and 68.7% of its scoring from a year ago. Nelp and her coaching staff added five newcomers to fill any holes in the Hurricane lineup with senior transfer Caranda Perea, junior transfer Amira Young and freshman Mady Cartwright, Elise Hill and Queen Ikhiuwu. With the new additions and a more seasoned and healthy group of returners, Tulsa has a very promising 2023-24 season ahead.
AT H L E T I C S
2023-24 Women’s Basketball HOME Schedule Nov 10 WBB v New Orleans Nov 12 WBB v Northwestern State Dec 5
WBB v Central Arkansas
Dec 10 WBB v Florida Dec 15 WBB v Texas Southern Jan 2
WBB v Tulane
Jan 6
WBB v Temple
Jan 20 WBB v Wichita State Jan 24 WBB v Rice Feb 4
WBB v North Texas
Feb 14 WBB v UTSA Feb 21 WBB v UAB Feb 25 WBB v South Florida Mar 2
WBB v SMU
2023-24 Men’s Basketball HOME Schedule Nov 1
MBB v Oklahoma Christian
Nov 6
MBB v Central Arkansas
Nov 11
MBB v Incarnate Word
Nov 16 MBB v Jackson State Nov 20 MBB v South Carolina State Dec 5
MBB v Loyola-Chicago
Dec 16 MBB v Missouri State Dec 19 MBB v Mississippi Valley Dec 22 MBB v New Mexico State Dec 29 MBB v SW Oklahoma State Jan 4
MBB v Memphis
Jan 14 MBB v Tulane Jan 17 MBB v UTSA Jan 31 MBB v Wichita State Feb 7
MBB v North Texas
Feb 11
MBB v UAB
Feb 17
MBB v Rice
Feb 25 MBB v Charlotte Marw 9 MBB v South Florida
FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION, VISIT TULSAHURRICANE.COM UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE | FALL 2023
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2023-24 UNIVERSITY OF TULSA BASKETBALL
SEASON TICKETS NOW ON SALE
Men’s Basketball starting at $99 Women’s Basketball starting at $50
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AT H L E T I C S
Young’s group sets sights even higher this year
Be The One became the Tulsa women’s golf team’s motto in 2022-23 as the Golden Hurricane reached the NCAA championship field for the first time since 2008. Tulsa was one of six breakthrough teams – teams not among the so-called power 5 conferences to make nationals in women’s golf – in 2023. “As a team, we sat down before the season and talked about that fact. We came away with why can’t we Be The One? So, that was our goal for the entire season. We set little goals along the way, but to achieve that goal – making the NCAA championship – was big,” said head coach Annie Young. Since Young has been at the helm, Tulsa has won seven tournaments, won one conference title and set records for best season stroke average, most rounds of par or under and the best par 3, par 4 and par 5 scoring totals. “It was definitely a team effort throughout the year. Everyone stepped up at a different time,” added Young. Now, the focus turns to the current 2023-24 campaign as five returning golfers will be joined by Texas A&M freshman transfer Allyn Stephens and freshman Norah Seidl from Austria. Tulsa’s five returning golfers turned in sub-75.0 stroke averages and as a team
TU Women’s averaged a score of 290.0 in 38 rounds for a new school record. “If we think just because we made nationals last year that we’ll automatically make it, we’re not going to be near as successful,” Young said. The two newcomers will join fifth-year senior Lilly Thomas, a pair of juniors, Lovisa Gunnar and Sydney Seigel, sophomores Grace Kilcrease and Jenni Roller, as well as redshirt sophomore Hannah Robinett. Kilcrease had a sensational first season with seven top-10 finishes and a teambest 72.4 stroke average. Thomas earned
all-conference honors for the third straight year in 2023 with a 72.7 stroke average, eight top-20 finishes and her first career win. Gunnar and Seigel each took another huge step by improving their scoring averages by more than one stroke from their freshmen seasons. Seigel had a 73.3 stroke average with six top-20 finishes and Gunnar tallied a 73.6 average with seven top-20 performances. Roller had two top-15 finishes, while Robinett sat out the season. Tulsa could Be the One to go farther in 2023-24. UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE | FALL 2023
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HOMECOMING
Homecoming 2023 Honorees The University of Tulsa Alumni Association recognizes alumni, staff, and students for exceptional accomplishments
Distinguished Alumnus Danny Chappelle Williams (JD ’91) For Danny Chappelle Williams (JD ’91), choosing to attend law school was more than just a career decision. “I’m a third-generation lawyer. My grandfather, Peter Addison Chappelle, came to Tulsa in 1913 and was one of the three lawyers that represented plaintiffs whose houses and businesses had been destroyed during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre,” he said. “My uncle was a practicing lawyer when I was in college and in law school, so the law school was always an integral part of my life.” Williams was inspired to attend The University of Tulsa’s College of Law by his uncle, Carlos J. Chappelle (JD ’80), the first black presiding judge in the 14th District Court in Tulsa. “I would visit during the summers and go to court with Carlos. I got a chance to see where the law school was, sit in on a couple of classes. TU just seemed like a natural fit to me. When I got accepted, the first people I called were my grandparents. My grandfather said he would pay for law school if I chose TU. So, I came to TU on the Chappelle Scholarship, and the rest is history.” When Chappelle died in 2015, Williams helped establish the Judge Carlos J. Chappelle Memorial Law 70 FALL 2023 | UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE
Endowment Fund in his honor. Following graduation from TU Law, Williams worked in a series of impressive legal roles, including serving as the assistant district attorney for Tulsa County, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and more recently as a partner with Conner & Winters, LLP. Presently, he is a partner with Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers PLLC, which serves as general counsel to Oklahoma’s largest financial institution and maintains a dedicated mission to promoting social, civic, and business development in Tulsa through substantial pro bono services. Outside of his legal work, Williams is active in the Tulsa community, serving as a commissioner for the Tulsa City County Library and Booker T. Washington Foundation for Excellence. “TU is important because it’s the university of the city. TU’s identity is intertwined with the city of Tulsa,” he said. “The fact that we have new leadership with President Carson and what he’s done to reinvigorate TU and the students and the campus, I really see TU as the center of Tulsa and that continue as it expands over the next few years.”
HOMECOMING
Distinguished Alumnus James D. “Dave” Rader (BS ’80) Two things have always been important to Dave Rader (BS ’80): community and football. That’s why he knew The University of Tulsa was the right school for him. “Our house was two miles from campus, so TU was always there. It was 1966, and my dad asked, ‘You want to go to a TU game?’ I thought it was a great idea! So we went,” he said. Rader was hooked. While at TU, Rader was a quarterback and part of the 1976 Independence Bowl team. He was the starting QB in 1977 but was injured in the third game. For the 1978 season, he started all 11 games for a 9-2 record. He was appointed TU’s head football coach in 1988 at age 31 and was the youngest head coach in NCAA Division 1 at that time. Rader served as head coach until 1999, coaching the most games in TU history. “One of the best things about coaching is that there comes a time where almost every student-athlete changes and becomes more responsible and more mature. From that point, they value their education more, and they recognize more fully the value of being a responsible person and making a
positive difference,” Rader said fondly. Following stints as a coach at Alabama and Mississippi, Rader turned to the private sector and served as vice president of marketing at Pacer Energy Marketing and director of marketing and business development at Excellence Engineering. In 2008, Rader received the Merve Johnson Integrity in Coaching Award. In 2011, his book Missing Page from the Playbook – Fundamentals Behind the Physical, Mental, and Emotional Elements of Commitment was published. In 2016, he was elected to serve in the Oklahoma Senate, representing District 39, and was re-elected in 2020. He chairs the Senate Republican Caucus and Finance Committee and sits on the Energy and Education Committees, as well as the Joint Committee on StateTribal Relations. Rader was named 2019 Oklahoma Legislator Award by the Oklahoma Sheriff’s Association and 2022 Oklahoma Legislator of the Year by the Oklahoma State Medical Association. “TU provides a foundation that allows students a chance – an opportunity – to many who might not have that opportunity at a higher education
through an activity like athletics,” he said. “TU, in my opinion, is the best in this state and one of the best in the country. We haven’t lost that. I still see graduates around town making a difference.”
J. Paschal Twyman Award James D. Miller (BS ’66) Throughout his life, Jim Miller (BS ’66) has abided by the motto: “work hard, play hard,” something that is more than evident in his extensive career both on and off campus. For almost 40 years, Miller worked with the Arthur Andersen accounting firm, at one point one of the world’s largest multinational accounting and consulting firms, both in their Oklahoma
and Portugal branches. For 15 of those years, he served as the managing partner of the Oklahoma practice. After retiring from Andersen, he worked three years as a litigation consultant to a large New York City law firm. Much as in his professional career, Miller has applied his “work hard, play hard” approach to his support of his alma matter. Miller remains steadfast in his
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HOMECOMING commitment to The University of Tulsa. In addition to serving as the former president of the TU Alumni Association, Miller is also a member of the Chapman Legacy Society, the Circle Society, and Kappa Alpha, and is a Champion Level member of the Golden Hurricane Champions Fund. He proudly boasts that he attends every home basketball game; and for his outstanding contributions to TU, Miller was named a 2002 Distinguished Alumnus.
“My experience at TU and later in the business world at Arthur Andersen taught me that, to be successful, not only did I need to work hard but I needed to work smarter,” he said. “I practiced leverage, empowering delegation, and direct honesty and feedback – among other things. Always focus on finding a better way to attack a problem, learn from others, and be willing to pass on your approach to others. Always try to lead by
positive example. Genuinely follow up and care about your people and how they are doing.” Reflecting on how he has navigated his career, he recounted what a senior partner at a New York City law firm said about him: “Jim, you are usually correct, never in doubt.” That comment is imprinted on Miller’s business card.
Ms. Homecoming Schnea Bates Nealy (BA ’97, MA ’00)
TU is committed to ensuring its students succeed, and there is no one more committed to that mission than Schnea Bates Nealy (BA ’97, MA ’00), Ms. Homecoming 2023. First joining the TU family as an undergraduate, Nealy went on to pursue graduate work at the university before returning to work as an academic coordinator. Now associate athletics director for student success, she works directly with student-athletes to ensure they flourish inside and outside the classroom.
Originally intending to become a television news anchor, Nealy heard about a job opening at TU and realized what she really wanted to do with her life and career. “People ask me, ‘What is your calling?’ And I think for me it boils down to making a difference in the lives of others,” she said. “Just the other day, I had a student text me and say, ‘Ms. Schnea, I don’t know if you remember me, but thank you for making an impact on my life.’ I hadn’t spoken to him in probably 10 years, and it made me want to cry. I thrive on that. Not every student will be that way, but the ones who are keep you going, to know you are making a difference.” The difference Nealy has made comes through in the positive and productive environment of the Office of Academic and Student Services (OASiS). The OASiS team works with over 400 studentathletes, and 80% of them earn a 3.00 or higher grade-point average. In addition to being a member of the
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Nealy is a member of the Golden Hurricane Champions Fund and served on the committees for New Student Orientation, TU Homecoming, and TU Uncorked, which raises scholarship funds for TU students. Off campus, Nealy has served on the board of directors for Youth at Heart Inc. and Teens Excelling Beyond. Nealy brings a passion for academic excellence and student-athlete development to the TU community, and her representation of the Golden Hurricane is bright and evident to all those around her. “It’s funny. My family lives in St. Louis, so I FaceTime them a lot. For some reason every time I talk to my brother, I have a TU shirt on,” she said, laughing. “He said to me once, ‘Are the only clothes you have? TU shirts?’ I guess I wear my TU shirts a lot.” Looking to the future Nealy would like to leave a legacy of academic excellence. “I am honored and amazed to be following the others who have received this award,” she said.
The Spirit of TU Award salutes alumni of exceptional spirit and devotion to The University of Tulsa. Forrest and Sharon Cameron (BSBA ’74 and BSBA ’68, respectively) are longtime supporters and friends of TU. They first met at a 1964 Golden Hurricane football game when TU beat Oklahoma State 61-14. They have been attending games and other campus events ever since! For his considerable contributions to TU Athletics, Forrest was presented an honorary membership in the TU Letterwinners Association in 2022. This is only the second time the university has bestowed the Spirit of TU Award.
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HOMECOMING
2023-24 Jess Chouteau Outstanding Seniors
Julian Abhari
Malia Aurigemma
Carter Dierlam
Campbell Eckhardt
Hannah Grenier
Jackson Habrock
Lynsey Mendenhall
David Seo
Mia Sisul
Matthan Tharakan
2023-24 Top 10 Freshmen
Nick Elliott
Kinlie Gililland
Ben Golla
Evan Kamriguel
Anna Lackner
Sievhoung Ly
Gwenith Madhan
Chetna Mandurai
Ethan McFarland
Lauren Wyand
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Class
notes
Class notes are a way to share what’s going on in your personal or professional life with your TU classmates.
1960s Ron Lancaster (BS ’64) played football for TU and later coached football state champions in Enid, Jenks and Sallisaw. He is regarded among the top 20 coaches in Oklahoma high school football wins. Ron was inducted into the Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Tulsa Public Schools Athletics Hall of Fame in June of 2023. William E. Dunstan (MA ’66) of Chapel Hill spoke in April at the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. He spoke about the mysterious 1901 disappearance of Nell Cropsey from her riverside home in Elizabeth City. William has written two books on the murder: Nell Cropsey and Jim Wilcox: the Chill of Destiny and Haunted: Jim Wilcox Remembers Nell Cropsey. He recently discussed his books on Erik Rivenes’ true-crime podcast “Most Notorious” (No. 308). He conducts research and writes as a visiting scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ron Reneker (BA ’68) proudly reported that the following TU alumni were awarded the Significant Sig Award, recognizing living alumni whose exemplary achievements have brought great honor and prestige to the Sigma Chi fraternity. Fewer than 1% of initiates receive the honor. The following TU Sigma Chi brothers were contemporaries and received the award: Ray Bender (BS ’66), Frank Eby (BS ’69), Dick Frazier (BS ’70), Robert “Hap” Fry (JD ’67), Steve Ganzkow (BS ’69), Joe Moeller (BS ’66), Jim Pool (BS ’68), Ron Reneker (BA ’68), Bruce Riddle (former student), and John C. Warner (BS ’69). 74
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Steve Turnbo (BA ’68) was inducted into the Tulsa Public Schools Athletics Hall of Fame in June. He was an AllMissouri Valley conference selection while at TU and received All-American baseball honors at Northeastern A&M. He spent much of his career establishing connections in Tulsa through his work in public relations and leadership development at Schnake Turnbo and Frank and through his involvement in various boards, including the TU Board of Trustees.
1970s Larry Byrd (BS ’72), Les Rogers (BS ’71) and Roger Whitaker (BS ’71) were inducted into the McLain Hall of Fame for 2023. The alumni were multi-sport athletes at McLain High School and helped TU finish as College Baseball World Series runner-up in 1969.
Darrell Gilbert (BFA ’72) married Chris Wright at the Tulsa Fire Museum on
April 22. After a short cruise to the Western Caribbean, the couple is living northwest of Sand Springs. Dale Campbell (BS ’73) retired from John Zink Hamworthy Combustion after 49.5 years of service as a senior design engineer. Peter Bernhardt (BA ’73, JD ’76) was recognized with the 2022 Arizona Authors Association Literary Award, placing first and second in the published category for his novels, The Stasi File and Kiss of the Shaman’s Daughter. His novel Red Romeo is currently under consideration for the 2023 literary award. Gilbert (Tim) Cameron Jr. (MTA ’74) published three books, including The Forty-Day Word Fast, with more planned. Previously, Tim worked as director of Graduate and Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid at Oral Roberts University and as a high school principal at Tulsa East Central and Sapulpa schools. He completed his tenure in education as head of school at Metro Christian Academy. Bob Campbell (BS ’74) worked for Tulsa cable TV in the early years of cable and financed cars for two years before beginning his 30-year career at Southwestern Bell Telephone, SBC and
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AT&T. He is pictured with his wife, Linda, who attended TU for two years. Rick Engles (BA ’76) was inducted into the Tulsa Public Schools Athletics Hall of Fame in June. While at TU, he had a 46.5 punting average, setting a TU record that stood for 43 years. Drafted in 1976, he played in the NFL for three seasons. In May of this year, Rick was also inducted into the TU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Rod W. Sippel (BS ’78) is U.S. District Judge of the Eastern District of Missouri and attended TU Uncorked in St. Louis and caught up with U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kathy Surratt-States. Her sister is TU alumna Dr. Eleatha L. Surratt (BS ’81), who recalls Sippel as student body president during her years at TU.
so Dave could pursue his graduate studies and later moved to San Francisco and parted ways. They reunited after more than 30 years, married, and now live near Lake Tahoe.
his days cooking, hiking, playing tennis and pickleball and communing with friends. Rick and his husband, Anthony Scafaro, traveled this summer with stops in Oklahoma, Michigan, Ontario, Ohio, California, Oregon, and Washington, culminating in the TU-Washington game in September. Lewis Berkowitz (JD ’81) wanted to share with other alumni that he credits his move to Oklahoma on Aug. 1, 1978, as the best move of his life. “I can’t say enough how good Oklahoma has been to me.” Jean M. Birbilis (MA ’81) is the 2023 president of Division 29 of the American Psychological Association. She is a professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, where she has been a full-time faculty member since 1990. She also maintains a part time private practice as a licensed psychologist in St. Paul.
William J. Wenzel (JD ’78) is a member of the Pullman and Comley Alternative Dispute Resolution practice and has been recognized by the 2023 New England Legal Awards presented by the Connecticut Law Tribune. His team received the “Litigation Department of the Year – Specialty” award. He rejoined the firm when he retired as a superior court judge in 2022.
1980s Richard B. Miller (BSBA ’80) is enjoying two years of retirement by spending
Leanne Greentree (BED ’83) and David Moroney (BSBA ‘83) were married on May 26 at Incline Village, Nevada. They dated at TU, where David was a Kappa Alpha and Leanne was the Kappa Alpha Rose. The couple moved to Phoenix after graduation
Mary Jo McLearySpeaker (BS ’83) and John Paul Speaker (BS ’83) recently celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary with a bike trip in Spain and Portugal. Mary Jo is currently serving on the TU Alumni Association’s Board of Directors. Barry Lewis (BA ’83) was inducted into the Tulsa Public Schools Athletics Hall of Fame in June. He was recognized for his 40-year career as a sportswriter. Working for several Tulsa publications over the years, Barry was honored with various media awards including the National Sports Media Association’s Oklahoma Sportswriter of the Year award in 2015. Daniel Crawford (JD ’85) received the Distinguished Service Award from the Tulsa County Bar Association and the Hicks Epton Law Day Award from the Oklahoma Bar Association. The latter is typically reserved for County Bar Associations. This marks the 35th consecutive year that Daniel participated in the Law Day “Ask a Lawyer” program. Ken Parks (BSBA ’85) will join GE Vernova as the new CFO this fall. The company is preparing to spin off as an independent public company leading the energy transition in 2024. Ken has been CFO of Owens Corning since September 2020. Don Rubottom (JD ’85) of Tallahassee has been appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to be chair of Florida’s Public Employees Relations Commission. The
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Commission has jurisdiction over state employee civil service matters and all public sector labor relations. Mary Quinn Cooper (JD ’86) was recognized for her work in general commercial litigation in the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers in Business. She is an attorney at McAfee & Taft.
party logistics warehouses. Jay is a resident of Arlington Heights, Illinois.
1990s
Joseph Abraham (BSCE ’87, MA’90, PhD ’93) moved his daughter, Sadie, a TU freshman, into campus housing. Rachel Blue (JD ’88), an attorney at McAfee & Taft, was recognized for her work in intellectual property law in the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers in Business.
Jackie Ray Greife (BSCE ’86, MSE ’93) drove to Tulsa from Springfield, Missouri, to join Lisa Hutton Johnson (BSEE ’89), Shawnna Jones and Cristina Smith Williams (BA ’92) at the Motley Crue, Def Leppard and Alice Cooper concert at TU’s H.A. Chapman Stadium in August. On Aug. 9, President Brad R. Carson hosted the Tulsa Chapter of the TU Alumni Association Board of Directors at 101 E. Archer St. in downtown Tulsa, where they celebrated outgoing and incoming board members. Paula Kuykendall (BSBA ’86) will continue to serve as president of the chapter through June 2024.
John Lindsay (BSPE ’86), CEO of Helmerich & Payne, recently rang the New York Stock Exchange’s opening bell.
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Robert J. Joyce (JD ’88) was recognized for his work in environmental law in the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers in Business. He is an attorney at McAfee & Taft. Edward G. Lindsey (BA ’89, JD ’92) completed coursework for LLM (Master of Law) in alternative dispute resolution at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. With this degree, Ed becomes a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a prestigious worldwide organization of dispute resolution professionals. He will participate in graduation ceremonies in November. Ed is pictured at King’s College in Aberdeen in June. Jay Strother (BA ’89) was named president and CEO of the International Warehouse Logistics Association, which is a trade association focused on the needs of third-
Betsy Jackson (JD ’90) was the recipient of the 2023 Mona Salyer Lambird Spotlight Award presented at the Women in Law Conference in September. The award recognizes women who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession and lit the way for other women. Betsy was recently elected to the Executive Committee of Hall Estill. Hugh Coleman (JD ’94) retired after 24 years of working in county government in various capacities. He is currently practicing municipal law in Denton County, Texas. Derek Hardberger (JD ’94) was recognized for his work in the category of environmental law in the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers in Business. He is an attorney at McAfee & Taft. Garry L. Keele (JD ’94) was recognized for his work in the category of environmental law in the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers in Business. He is an attorney at McAfee & Taft. Daniel W. Munley (JD ’94) was named in the 2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers List. Daniel is an awardwinning personal injury lawyer at Pennsylvania-based Munley Law.
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Cassandra Smith (BFA ’94) accepted a visiting faculty position with the Department of Art History at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. She will be teaching contemporary art history with a particular focus on Indigenous art history. Daryl Webster (JD ’94) recently gave the keynote address at the annual police memorial wreath-laying ceremony honoring fallen police officers in Juneau and Southeast Alaska. Daryl is assistant superintendent at the Lemon Creek Correctional Center. Previously, he worked for the Tulsa Police Department, where he retired after 27 years of service.
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner in February 2023. Justin Byrne (BA ’97) was recently appointed to the board of directors of the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board. He is senior vice president, general counsel, and secretary at Canvas Energy. Kate Flavin McKinley (BSBA ’98, MBA ’00) recently became the chief business officer for Rani Therapeutics. She is also chair of the investment committee and member of the compensation committee on the board of directors for Maxwell Biosciences.
Beth Baucke Lewis (BSBA ’95) received a FedEx Five Star Award, the most prestigious recognition the company bestows, for her contributions in the audit department. Beth and her family reside in Memphis, Tennessee.
Suzanne Schreiber (BA ’95, JD ’99) was elected as state representative for District 70 in 2022 and serves on several committees. She began her public service as a Tulsa Public Schools Board member in 2014, serving as president and vice president during her eight-year term. A Tulsa Woman of the Year in 2016, Suzanne has also served on a number of local boards. She and husband, Tony, have four children, Sadie, Spencer, Stella, and Shepard, and enjoy traveling from their Tulsa home to New Mexico to spend time with family. Wendi Cariker Wolfe (BSN ’95) received her Master of Science in Nursing with a focus on women’s health nurse practitioner from the University of South Alabama in December 2022 and became a Certified
Amy Gerald (BA ’99) is the director of campaign and development operations and director of development for the Collins College of Business at The University of Tulsa. Melissa Gerald, DO (BSBA ’99, MBA ’06) completed her residency at OU Health in June 2023 and moved to Chicago where she works as a family physician at VNA Health Care .
2000s
Rhiannon Thoreson (BA ’00, JD ’09) presented a talk at TEDxUTulsa in March. Her topic was “Forgiving the Unforgivable,” which is available to watch on YouTube. Rick Martich (MBA ’01 ) was appointed president of Hydraulics, Americas and
SVP, Global Operations and Systems Sales for Helios Technologies Inc., a Sarasota, Florida-based company providing highly engineered motion control and electronic controls technology for diverse end markets. John Truskett (BA ’01, JD ’04) is a trial lawyer in Tulsa specializing in personal injury and worker’s compensation. John recently hired Camryn Matlock (BA ’23) and is grateful for six years of service from Lucinda Humphrey, who obtained her paralegal certificate from a continuing education program at TU.
Maura Guten (BA ’02), president and CEO of the Child Advocacy Network, joined campaign chair Kala Sharp (BSBA ’99) and board member Paula Kuykendall (BSBA ’86) in leading a renovation and expansion that tripled the agency’s operating space. The nonprofit capital campaign raised nearly $11 million for the organization that provides counseling, medical exams, advocacy, and support services. Maura said the new facility provides more space for staff and extra offices for partnerships with Tribal law enforcement and investigators. Tiffany Wardlow (BSBA ’03) recently joined The University of Tulsa as associate director of alumni engagement. Tiffany previously worked at Union Public Schools in advising. Jimmy Hart (BSBA ’04) was selected for the 2023-24 class of Leadership Tuscaloosa, a nine-month leadership development program. Jimmy is president of marketing and communications at Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports. UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE | FALL 2023
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Angelene Ripley Wright (BFA ’05) was named Small Business Person of the Year by the Tulsa Regional Chamber at the Small Business Summit in September. She is the owner of Ida Red General Store. Calvin Moniz (BSBA ’06, MBA ’08, JD ’15) was appointed to the board of directors of Kendall Whittier Inc., which is a homegrown organization incorporating selfsufficiency for TU’s neighbors through food security, nutritional health, and well-being.
Lesley Jacobs Robinson (BA ’06) is founding director of Kendra Scott’s Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. She was a recent finalist for the “Austin Under 40 Awards” in youth and education. The award recognizes Austin’s emerging professionals and mentors who make an impact in the community. Sharolyn Whiting-Ralston (JD ’06) is general counsel, vice president of human resources and corporate secretary at Samson Resources II, LLC. She was recently honored with the 2023 Mona Salyer Lambird Spotlight Award presented at the Women in Law Conference in September. The award recognizes women who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession and lit the way for other women.
Leslie Steinbeck Blanchet (BSBA ’06) recently started a new role as account director at Saxum, a public relations and strategic communications firm. Leslie served in the TU Office of Alumni Engagement for eight years, most recently as the director of alumni engagement.
Lauren Hutter Conway, DO (BS ’07) is an assistant professor with the Department of Pediatrics at the OU-TU School of Community Medicine. She is a member of the medical team at the Children’s Justice Center in Tulsa and board certified in general pediatrics and child abuse pediatrics.
Ann Keele (JD ’06) recently returned to private practice at Hall Estill after serving as special judge for the 14th Judicial District for the State of Oklahoma from 2019-23. She is also the 2023 recipient of the Neil E. Bogan Award from the Tulsa County Bar Association.
Brian Kane (BA ’08) was nominated with his team of editors for an Emmy award for their work on Top Chef. The nomination was for “Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program.” Brian was in one of the original cohorts for TU’s Film Studies program.
Monica Rhodes (BA ’06) was appointed by President Joe Biden as an expert member to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, an independent federal agency that promotes historic preservation values and advises the president and Congress on national historic preservation policy. 78 FALL 2023 | UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE
Derek Pettifer (BSBA ’08), CPA, accepted a position as assistant controller at ClearSign Technologies, a publicly traded
clean energy company that offers lowemissions boiler burner products in the refining and petrochemical industries. The company recently relocated from Seattle to Tulsa. Kaiti Greenwade (JD ’09) was appointed circuit judge for the 31st Judicial Circuit by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson. She previously served as an associate circuit judge in Green County. Moton Hopkins (BSBA ’09) is a new member of the ForbesBLK, a platform and community that amplifies the voices of Black entrepreneurs, professionals, leaders and creators. Moton is an executive board member of The University of Tulsa Alumni Association Board of Directors. Michael Sullivan (BA ’09, JD ’11) was elected as a shareholder at Denverbased civil litigation law firm Tucker Holmes PC after 10 years with the firm. Michael defends trucking companies, insurance companies and their insureds against personal injury claims in all state and federal courts in Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. He joins TU alumnus Brad Tucker (BSBA ’87, JD ’90) as a shareholder at the firm.
2010s Nicki Fuller (JD ’10) was recently appointed the executive director of Southwestern Power Resources Association, having previously served as a public utilities specialist and attorney adviser for Southwestern Power Administration. Andrew McAlester (JD ’10) is a founding member and partner at Mims, Ballew and Hollingsworth PLLC, a family law firm in Fort Worth serving all Dallas and Fort Worth counties.
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Nathan R. Taylor (JD ’10) was appointed associate circuit judge for Missouri’s 31st Judicial Circuit. The position was vacated by Judge Kaiti Greenwade (JD ’09) when she was appointed as the Division II circuit judge. Nathan is a partner at Springfield law firm Taylor, Stafford, Clithero and Harris LLP. Julia Bond Dixon (BSBA ’12) and Chris Dixon (BSBA ’12) chaired TU Uncorked 2023 with honorary chair Kathy Taylor, Genave King Rogers Dean of the Collins College of Business. The event took place on June 14 at Cain’s Ballroom and raised a record $170,000 for student scholarships with over 400 guests, local restaurants, and fine wines. Patrick Greene (JD ’12) was recognized as one of Wichita Business Journal’s 2023 “40 Young Professionals Under 40.” He is currently clerk of the board at Wichita Public Schools. John Lepine (BA ’13) and Katie McGouran Lepine (BSBA ’14) welcomed their fifth child, Calvin Devero Lepine, on Aug. 22. The Lepines live and work in North Tulsa. Isaiah Feken (BM ’14) is a teaching associate of voice and director of opera at Drake University. He spent a busy summer with performances at Central City Opera. Abigail Raiford (BM ’17) will star as Mabel in Tulsa Opera’s upcoming performance of Pirates of Penzance this fall. She recently played Elvira in Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri with the Tulsa Opera.
Thomas Porter (BSBA ’14) was recognized by the Colorado Oil & Gas Association as
an Emerging Leader at this year’s Energy Summit. Thomas is a land negotiator advisor at Oxy, RPL and president of The University of Tulsa Alumni Association Board of Directors. Thomas is pictured with lifetime achievement recipient Bart Brookman. Lauren Ybarra (JD ’14) was recognized in Chambers USA Guide, 2023 edition, receiving an “Up and Coming” rating in Insurance: Regulatory (Texas). She was previously named in The Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” in Insurance Law (2021, 2022). She practices in McGlinchey Stafford’s Dallas office. C. Bretton Crane Jr. (JD ’15) recently became a shareholder at Pray Walker in Tulsa. He joined the firm in 2019, focusing his practice on corporate governance, business, finance, and commercial transactions. Cathleen McMahon (JD ’15) recently joined the firm of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani as part of the Oklahoma team and works in commercial litigation.
’17) dressed in their best Eras outfits to attend the Taylor Swift concert in Denver. Marlina Delisa Rogers (JD ’15) moved from Tennessee, where she was compliance counsel at East Tennessee State University, to Arizona. She started a new position as associate general counsel with ASU Enterprise Partners, a private, nonprofit parent company providing services and resources to support Arizona State University’s outreach and advance its charter.
The Tulsa Chapter’s annual TU ’Cane Crawl 2023 event welcomed 200 guests and raised over $5,000 for student scholarships with a groovy 1970s theme on April 15. The event was chaired by Torri Russell (BSME ’15), pictured second from left. With Torri are Bailey Nett, Ana Bebermeyer (BSBA ’19), and Abbey Reynolds (BSBA ’14).
Ethan Mock (JD ’15) joined Pray Walker in Tulsa in 2017, concentrating his practice in energy law and oil and gas title examination. He recently became a shareholder in the firm. Matt Linscott (BSBA ’16, MACC ’17) married Taylor Montgomery on May 27, 2022, in Jenks, Oklahoma. Alumni in the wedding included Rob Riederer (BSBA ’16, MAF ’17), Alex Pagonis (BEX ’17), Michael Linscott (BSME ’13), Mason Linscott (BS ’14), Evan Plagg (BSBA ’18), and Hayden Carmen (BSBA ’16). Matt, Rob, Alex, Evan, and Hayden were all multiyear letter winners for TU football.
Sarah Hartley Pigott (BA ’15), Sara Meyer Silver (BSAT ’17), Mackenzie Smith (BSPE ’16), and Emma Hug Bissmeyer (BSME
Mackenzie Smith (BSPE ’16) married Zachary Fournier in a private courthouse ceremony. They plan to celebrate with friends and family in their new home state of North Carolina in 2024. UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE | FALL 2023
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Jared Starkweather (BSME ’16) is working as senior service and reliability engineer at Upwork in Baltimore, Maryland.
Elijah Beal (BSBA ’18) and Meghan Spivak (BS ’16) were married in August in Kansas City, Missouri. They were joined in celebration by many TU alumni. Meghan and Elijah met at the “Old U” in 2014.
Teresa Stastny (BSBA ’18) launched a new podcast, “Becoming Obsessed,” a collection of conversations with some of her favorite people. New episodes drop every Friday and may be found on Spotify and Apple. Connor Hagen (BSBA ’19, MBA ’23) is the new alumni engagement coordinator in the Office of Alumni Engagement at TU. Previously, Connor was an account manager for SelectOne Insurance. 80 FALL 2023 | UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE
Alex Isaak (BA ’19) recently received two Emmy awards recognizing her coverage of the shooting at the Saint Francis medical complex in 2022. She was honored at the Heartland Chapter of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences 2023 Emmy Awards. Alex was a newscast producer at KOTV-NewsOn6 before becoming program coordinator at TU’s Oklahoma Center for the Humanities.
Fareshteh Hamidi (JD ’19) recently joined the firm of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani. She works in the Oklahoma City office and is a member of the employment law, professional liability defense, insurance, tort and product liability, and trucking and transportation practice groups. Fran Trujillo, FNP-BC, ADM-BC (DNP ’19) was the only Latina to graduate from the first Doctor of Nursing Practice cohort in 2019. Her DNP clinical research project prompted her to start implementing parts of her project into clinical practice and into her new business model. She is the founder of Trujillo Multi-Healthcare in Tulsa.
2020s Chalmer T. Bitsoi (MJEL ’20) recently accepted a position as the principal engineer with Navajo Tribal Utility Authority’s Water/Wastewater Department in Fort Defiance, Arizona. Claire Lenz-Dean (BA ’20, JD ’23) was published in the spring 2023 edition of
the Tulsa Law Review, with her comment, That’s Your Name, Don’t Wear it Out: How NCAA Athletes Can Avoid Crossing the Invisible Line Between Name and Brand. Claire graduated from the TU College of Law in May 2023 and begins her law career as a federal judicial clerk in September 2023. Khalil Rozell (BSBA ’20) attended DePaul University College of Law graduating in May 2023. Khalil is currently a litigation assistant in a firm in Chicago. He plans to stay and work in the city as an attorney after passing the bar exam this fall. Rashad Akhundzada (MSBA ’21) is a senior marketing analyst at Elevance Health, formerly Anthem BCBS, ranked 22nd on Fortune 500 companies list.
Steven Aston (BSBA ’21) and Isabelle Sublett (BS ’21) were married July 22 in Tulsa. They met their freshman year in Helmerich Hall and started having lunch together. For four years, they enjoyed game nights with their closest friends, sports, and study dates. “We will always love the special place where we met,” said Izzy. Steven is a land associate for Citizen Energy, and Izzy is a second-year graduate student and assistant at TU’s Communication Science and Disorders Department. Samuel Athey (BA ’21) wrote six fantasy novels in a series called Kings of Reality.
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’21), Joey Zitzman (BSBA ’18, JD ’22, MBA ’22), and Cameron Borens (BS ’21). Jihan Aldada (BA ’22) recently got engaged in Destin, Florida
Adam Breaux (BEX ’21) married Caroline Miller (BSN ’22) in March 2023.
Madison Walters (BA ’23) works for New Noise Magazine as a writer and photographer. Locally, she is a receptionist and marketing associate for TulsaPeople magazine. Madison is pictured covering a show earlier this summer. Madison Cotherman (MBA ’22) is the new donor engagement and major gifts director at the Tulsa Area United Way. Previously, Madison was the director of annual and affinity giving at TU.
James Williams (BSBA ’21) and Morgan Wilson (BSBA ’21) were married on July 8 in Tulsa. Alumni in the wedding party included McKenzie Corley (BSBA ’18), Isabelle Sublette Aston (BS ’21), Mary Katherine Gamez (BS ’22), Lauren Agpoon (BSBA ’22), Claire Lenz-Dean (BA ’20, JD ’23), Carol Lott (BS ’22), Megan Herrington (BS ’23), Steven Aston (BSBA
Kyle Garrison (BA ’23) is working at the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma as the distribution coordinator for direct services. Camryn Matlock (BA ’23) is working at Truskett Law, a personal injury firm in Tulsa. Bryson Miller (BME ’23) began his career as a teacher at Jenks West Intermediate School this fall.
The Legacy Photo at Bayless Plaza is a tradition of celebrating a new chapter for incoming students and honoring the alumni parents, grandparents and loved ones who wrote their own TU story before them.
Our online version of Class Notes provides you the opportunity to update your information as you wish. If you are interested in submitting your news directly to TU, please use the following QR code, or you may send your Class Notes by mail to:
and your Golden Hurricane
Office of Alumni Engagement 800 S. Tucker Drive • Tulsa, OK 74104 tualumni@utulsa.edu
classmates do, too! Submit your Class Notes at TUAlumni.com/classnotes
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YEAR-END GIVING 2023
At the end of every year lies an opportunity to reflect on what was important in the past and determine where to place priorities in the future. The University of Tulsa has big plans and needs your support to continue to make strides on a national scale. Research is the key to change, and TU is bringing in prize-winning scholars and millions in grant money. The colleges are expanding world-class programs in energy, cyber, and engineering while growing the liberal arts with new academic programs in music, historical trauma, and philosophy and religion. The university isn’t only positively impacting students’ lives, it’s transforming the campus and community. Alumni and other donors make these advances possible. TU is grateful for annual contributions that fuel student success this year and beyond. Brad R. Carson President
College of Law
utulsa.edu/givenow UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE | FALL 2023
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800 South Tucker Drive Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104
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