9 minute read
Cowboy Way
A day of relaxation for Jerome Loughridge includes trading in his suit and tie for a pair of rubber boots, loading up his yellow Labrador and escaping to the great outdoors to fly fish and wing shoot.
Those days don’t happen often, though. His life is dedicated to service. As senior vice president for systems operations at Oklahoma
State University, Loughridge serves as a strategic advisor to
President Kayse Shrum and serves a key role in sharing the strategic vision to elevate OSU as the preeminent land-grant institution.
His upbeat personality and passion for inspiring future leaders allow him to navigate the fast-paced velocity and motion of OSU. But it’s in the peacefulness of the outdoors, listening to the whir of birds’ wings that Loughridge reconnects with his roots. It helps keep him grounded.
“I think part of humility is standing beside great things,” Loughridge said. “And so for me, the outdoors represents grandeur and a sort of magnificence and creation and a reminder toward humility.”
The Duncan, Oklahoma, native watched his parents — Bill and Sue Loughridge, both OSU graduates — model servant leadership in their community through their careers as a carpenter and a teacher.
“That’s what I esteem as the highest calling is the servant-leader,” Jerome said. “So that’s what I’ve tried to do with my career at every possible point.” A Harvard and Baylor University educated Truman Scholar, Loughridge’s studies led him to fall in love with the concept of a story. He enjoys reading about history or biographies of historical figures such as Winston Churchill, whose leadership in the face of daunting challenges continues to inspire Loughridge. With career highlights spanning from the White House to Oklahoma state government and the oilfield service industry, Loughridge has cultivated an accomplished career. What drew him to OSU was the opportunity to inspire students. Loughridge sets out to be an exemplar of the servant leadership he was raised in — both for students and his two sons. On Wednesday mornings, he can be found on the first floor of
Old Central teaching a course on Public policy during times of crisis to 22 undergraduate students. For him, teaching is the single most important thing he does because it reminds him of his ‘why’ in life. “It just reminds me that we’re not here making widgets. We’re here trying to grow young people into ethical leaders and engaged citizens,” he said.
Colossal Computing
OSU receives large NSF grant to build new supercomputer
Dr. Pratul Agarwal is the assistant vice president of research cyberinfrastructure and director of the High Performace Computing Center.
Oklahoma State University will soon be home to the largest supercomputer in the state.
Researchers at OSU recently were awarded a Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop the new supercomputer. It will be funded by a $5.7 million grant, of which NSF will contribute $4 million and OSU will contribute $1.7 million. This award, issued under the Major Research Instrumentation mechanism, is one of the largest granted to build a supercomputer.
Able to process immense amounts of data at once, this supercomputer, housed at the OSU-Stillwater campus, will be the largest not just in Oklahoma but also several nearby states. The new technology will elevate the research capabilities of the state and the nation and make OSU the leader in supercomputing for the Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas (OAK) region.
“OSU has long provided highperformance research computing to our faculty and students, driving OSU accomplishments in big data analytics, genomics and other key arenas,” said Dr. Kenneth Sewell, OSU vice president for research. “The increased capabilities this grant will create will allow us to expand our leadership to the entire region, multiplying our impact.” OSU’s current supercomputer — Pete — serves over 1,600 users from various institutions in Oklahoma, but this new machine represents a giant leap forward in technological capabilities.
“This is a big moment for OSU and HPCC,” said Dr. Pratul Agarwal, assistant vice president for research cyberinfrastructure and the director of the High Performace Computing Center (HPCC). “The new supercomputer will be powered by the latest generation computing hardware, including GPUs (Graphics Processing Units). It is being designed to address the needs of researchers across the OAK region.”
This supercomputer will enable researchers to tackle tough problems in agriculture, human and animal health, and fundamental research as well as help in educating students, Agarwal said.
“The reason supercomputers are important is that a lot of new research discoveries are now being driven by data analysis,” Agarwal said. “The volume of data which has been collected is tremendous. And we need resources that can analyze this amount of data, which is beyond a laptop and even beyond a group of computers.”
Researchers also need a resource that can analyze the data as it’s being generated, Agarwal said.
“You don’t want to be in a situation where the data is being generated in a day, and it takes several months to process it, because then you keep on falling behind,” he added. “So you need the right scale of computing to be able to keep up with research and discoveries.”
Supercomputing also allows scientists to ask questions that cannot be answered by any kind of data collection or any kind of experiment. For example, modeling what happens to materials at extremely high temperatures, Agarwal said. The OSU-led proposal was a joint effort between OSU, Arkansas State University, Wichita State University, Kansas State University, the University of Tulsa, the University of Central Oklahoma, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the Great Plains Network.
Outside of providing the resource to the OAK region, OSU also will use the supercomputer to contribute to research through consortia such as Open Science
DR. PRATUL AGARWAL, ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE AND DIRECTOR OF THE HIGH PERFORMACE COMPUTING CENTER
OSU’s current supercomputer, Pete, serves over 1,600 users across the state.
Grid consortium (https://osg-htc.org/) and PATh.
IMPACT
Spotlight
Women for OSU Rewards Students for Academic Excellence and Service
The Women for OSU Endowed Scholarship is a prestigious award that recognizes academic, philanthropic and volunteer activities among OSU's students. Women for OSU awards annual scholarships to students who are passionate about making a positive impact in the world around them.
For more information and to support Women for OSU scholarships, visit osugiving.com/women. Hometown:
Edmond, Oklahoma
Major: Physiology - Pre-Medical Science
Women for OSU Endowed Student Scholarship Mortar Board Scholarship Delta Dental of Oklahoma
Pre-Dentistry Endowed Scholarship Watson Family Foundation Chi Omega Scholarship
Chloe
Scheitzach
Senior
How have scholarships impacted your time at OSU?
In reality, my experience at Oklahoma State and my future would look nothing like it does if it was not for receiving scholarships. I have been able to spend time volunteering at a local food pantry, helping Stillwater residents with household chores and commuting to Tulsa to assist at a nonprofit dental clinic because I was able to rely on the financial support I received from donors.
What was your reaction when you learned you would be receiving the scholarships?
The poor lady on the phone probably thought I was having a heart attack on her. I remember every detail of that phone call because it was the day my life changed. This was the first time someone outside my family or friends had believed in my dreams and recognized the hard work and dedication I had put forth to accomplish them.
What would you say to the donors who made your scholarship possible, if given the chance?
If I was given the opportunity to speak to the donors who made my scholarship possible, I would not be able to articulate my appreciation for them and what they stand for. They instilled belief and confidence in someone that needed the inspiration to continue serving others and pursuing difficult dreams. Because of their generosity, they have started a ripple effect of kindness.
Hometown:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
Major: Horticulture
Kayla
Morrison
Graduate
Women for OSU Wirt June Newman Memorial Scholarship Jerry F. Benton Memorial Scholarship
How have scholarships impacted your life?
Scholarships have been a huge part of my success at OSU. I am a mother of three and commute one hour daily to Stillwater to attend classes. Without scholarships, I would have not been able to afford gas, books and tuition. They also have shown me support along my journey, pushed me past my boundaries and provided me with colleagues in the field of horticulture I would have never met without the scholarships.
How is your scholarship going to help you reach your career goals/dream job?
This scholarship will allow me to maximize my college experience through volunteer opportunities, service learning and allowing me to spend my free time with my husband and kids instead of at a part-time job.
What would you say to the donors who made your scholarship possible, if given the chance?
If I had the chance to thank my donors, I would tell them I appreciate their support. This scholarship has not only allowed me to bloom in life, but it has also shown my kids that with hard work and dedication, all things can be made possible.
Hometown:
Belize City, Belize
Major: Language Literacy and Culture
Ike and Marybeth Glass Women for OSU Endowed Scholarship Randall and Carol White Excellence in Literacy Endowed Fellowship
Denise
Neal
Graduate
What made you choose OSU?
OSU offers the diverse training I need to become a literacy expert in my country, Belize. I wanted an opportunity to get the best learning experience to prepare me for assisting teachers in Belize. Also, OSU allowed me to learn online, which is convenient for me as a single mother with a child diagnosed with Rett Syndrome. Lastly, the institution respects my culture; I always felt like I belonged, which is essential for all students.
What was your reaction when you learned you’d be receiving your scholarship?
I felt blessed and filled with gratitude. God heard my prayers, and He answered me. I was getting anxious about how I would make my upcoming semester payment, and I silently said Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication let your request be made known to God.”
What would you say to the donors who made your scholarship possible, if given the chance?
I want the donors to know that they are making it possible for me to accomplish my dreams. Because of their generosity, I will be able to complete my studies at OSU and assist my country in educating teachers, guiding policymakers in making essential decisions in education and developing students to become critically literate.
