STATE Magazine, Spring 2019

GOV. KEVIN STITT REFLECTING ON HIS BEGINNINGS AS AN OSU STUDENT

VISUAL ARTS AN ARRAY OF CREATIVE ENDEAVORS ENVELOP CAMPUS

NATIVE CARE OSU TEAMS UP WITH CHEROKEES ON MEDICAL SCHOOL

WORTH THE INVESTMENT An OSU education really pays off.

68% On average, Oklahomans with a bachelor’s degree earn 68% more than high school graduates.

$1M That’s $1 million more over a lifetime.

Encourage the high school students you know to apply early for admission and scholarships. Applications open July 1.

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And options ranging from OSU’s award-winning Freshman Research Scholars program to our Top 10-rated Honors College curriculum give our students a leg up starting the minute they graduate.

okstate.edu

In T his Issue

Visual Arts The arts encompass a plethora of subjects, but in this issue, we’re focusing on the Visual Arts — paintings, sculptures, statues, photography and more. Oklahoma State University understands the intrinsic value in appreciating visual art, and we’re working harder than ever to offer more opportunities to do so. Pages 34-65

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Public Art Bringing art out from the cozy confines of museums.

2 SPRING 2019

46

55

A Heritage Honored

Dunking into Art

Harvey Pratt brings a variety of experiences to his work.

Former basketballer Desmond Mason scores with his colorful pieces

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16

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Native Care OSU-CHS teams up with the Cherokee Nation on the first tribal-affiliated medical school.

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Inaugural Season Popular Broadway touring productions, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, operatic soprano Sarah Coburn and violinist Joshua Bell are among the performers joining the New York Philharmonic during the inaugural season at the McKnight Center for the Performing Arts at Oklahoma State University.

66 ON THE COVER: Gov. Kevin Stitt remembers his college days at OSU. PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY

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Lifelong Impact Gary Busey credits an OSU professor for the basis of his success in Hollywood.

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Plus...

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Letter from the Editor

5

Socially Orange

6

President’s Letter

Flying Away

7

Wellness with Ann Hargis

Dr. Lee Bird reflects on her years at OSU as she retires.

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STATEment

30

Campus News

60

Cowboy Chronicles

78

Impact Spotlight

99

The Cowboy Way

107

Legacy Link

114

Chapter News

120

Alumni Update

124

Births & Weddings

92

102

Hall of Fame Five new members join OSU’s Hall of Fame.

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S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 3

STATE BR A N D M A NAGEMENT

Kyle Wray | Vice President of Enrollment and Brand Management Erin Petrotta | Director of Marketing and Student Communication Megan Horton | Director of Branding and Digital Strategy Monica Roberts | Director of Media Relations Shannon Rigsby | Public Information Officer Dave Malec | Design Coordinator Dorothy Pugh | Interim Editor

Lacy Branson, Codee Classen, Paul V. Fleming, Valerie Kisling, Chris Lewis, Michael Molholt & Benton Rudd | Design Phil Shockley, Gary Lawson & Brandee Cazzelle | Photography Kurtis Mason | Trademarks & Licensing Pam Longan & Leslie McClurg | Administrative Support Office of Brand Management | 305 Whitehurst, Stillwater, OK 74078-1024 405-744-6262 | okstate.edu | statemagazine.okstate.edu | editor@okstate.edu osu.advertising@okstate.edu Contributors | Kim Archer, David Bitton, Derinda Blakeney, Hayley Bondank, Kendria Cost, Kaylee Howell, Jeff Joiner, Arlette Klaric, Jacob Longan, Amanda O’Toole Mason, Karolyn Moberly, David C. Peters, Shauna Lawyer Struby

O S U A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N Kent Gardner | Chair Tony LoPresto | Vice Chair Phil Kennedy | Immediate Past Chair Blaire Atkinson | President Pam Davis | Vice President and Chief Programs Officer Treca Baetz, James Boggs, Gregg Bradshaw, Larry Briggs, Burns Hargis, Kirk Jewell, Angela Kouplen, Mel Martin, Travis Moss, Tina Parkhill, HJ Reed, Tom Ritchie & Tina Walker | Board of Directors Lacy Branson, Will Carr, Chase Carter, Paula Jimenez, Jillianne Tebow & Amelia Woods | Communications and Marketing OSU Alumni Association | 201 ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center, Stillwater, OK 740787043 | 405-744-5368 | orangeconnection.org | info@orangeconnection.org

O S U F O U N D AT I O N Lyndon Taylor | Chair Kirk Jewell | President Donna Koeppe | Vice President of Administration & Treasurer Chris Campbell | Senior Associate Vice President of Information Strategy Shane Crawford | Senior Associate Vice President of Philanthropy Stephen Mason | Senior Associate Vice President of Philanthropy David Mays | Senior Associate Vice President of Philanthropy Paula Voyles | Senior Associate Vice President of Philanthropy Jamie Payne | Senior Associate Vice President of Development Services Robyn Baker | Vice President and General Counsel Pam Guthrie | Senior Associate Vice President of Human Resources Deborah Adams, Mark Allen, Bryan Begley, Bryan Close, Jan Cloyde, Patrick Cobb, Ann Dyer, Joe Eastin, Jennifer Grigsby, John Groendyke, Helen Hodges, David Houston, Gary Huneryager, A.J. Jacques, Brett Jameson, Kirk Jewell, Griff Jones, Diana Laing, John Linehan, Joe Martin, Ross McKnight, Jenelle Schatz, Becky Steen, Lyndon Taylor, Phil Terry, Stephen Tuttle, Jay Wiese & Jerry Winchester | Trustees Shelly Cameron, Jennifer Kinnard, Chris Lewis, Amanda O’Toole Mason, Karolyn Moberly, Michael Molholt, Lauren Knori, Kyle Stringer & Benton Rudd | Marketing and Communications OSU Foundation | 400 South Monroe, P.O. Box 1749, Stillwater, OK 74076-1749 800-622-4678 | OSUgiving.com | info@OSUgiving.com STATE magazine is published three times a year (Fall, Winter, Spring) by Oklahoma State University, 305 Whitehurst, Stillwater, OK 74078. The magazine is produced by the Office of Brand Management, the OSU Alumni Association and the OSU Foundation, and is mailed to current members of the OSU Alumni Association. Postage is paid at Stillwater, OK, and additional mailing offices. Magazine subscriptions are available only by membership in the OSU Alumni Association. Membership cost is $45.

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

Letters From the Director's Desk Like so many OSU alumni, Kevin Stitt is someone who’s making an impact — on a grand scale. The 1994 graduate is a husband, father of six, successful business owner and, as a result of last November’s vote, the 28th governor of the state of Oklahoma. We wanted to learn more about his experience at OSU — perhaps the only subject not covered during his campaign — and asked to sit down and visit with him for our STATE cover story.

Thanks to the gracious assistance of Baylee Lakey, Stitt’s press secretary, we were able to secure an interview roughly two weeks after his inauguration. With multiple cameras and lights set up à la 60 Minutes, our team readied the capitol’s Blue Room for our interview. (You can view a video of our interview on OStateTV.) Flanked by Lakey and others from his team, the towering Stitt swept into the room only five minutes behind schedule and quickly shook hands with our crew. His friendly demeanor put us at ease as Wade Pearson, John Sanders and Rick Eggers prepped and did a quick sound check. Meanwhile, I showed Stitt a few college photos his friend Hobie Higgins provided for our story and chatted about how my son, Jack, was a new OSU Beta pledge, just as Kevin had been more than 25 years ago.

The interview lasted maybe 20 minutes. Afterward our photographer Phil Shockley had time to get a few great shots for our cover. We thanked the governor for the interview before he was whisked off by his team to the next meeting without missing a beat. It clearly takes a lot of energy to be governor, but the ability to impact the lives of so many Oklahomans is worth the hectic schedule for this distinguished alumnus.

We hope you enjoy the story and this entire issue of STATE! Loyal and true, Monica Roberts Director of Media Relations

Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Higher Education Act), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, genetic information, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This provision includes, but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid and educational services. The Director of Equal Opportunity has been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies.

Contact the Director of Equal Opportunity at 408 Whitehurst, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078-1035; telephone 405-744-5371; or email eeo@okstate.edu. Any person (student, faculty, or staff) who believes that discriminatory practices have been engaged in based on gender may discuss his or her concerns and file informal or formal complaints of possible violations of Title IX with OSU’s Title IX Coordinator at 405-744-9154.

This publication, issued by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the vice president of enrollment management and marketing, was printed by Royle Printing Co. at a cost of $0.97 per issue: 37,622 | April 2019 | #7727 | Copyright © 2019, STATE magazine.

All rights reserved.

STATE Magazine Higher Education Marketing Report | 2018 Publications Silver Award Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists | 2016 Best Public Relations Magazine Oklahoma College Public Relations Association | 2016 Magazine Excellence Award Member | Council for Advancement and Support of Education

4 SPRING 2019

305 WHITEHURST OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY STILLWATER, OK 74078

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

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Join the conversation on social media with the Cowboy Family.

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UNDEFEATED! #2 Oklahoma State Wrestling defeats #3 Iowa 27-12 on Senior Day!

Class of 2023 #okstate is proud to have helped Milo and put his paws right-side down. His story reminds us to stay pawsitive, no matter the obstacle!

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Congrats to these #FutureCowboys on their acceptance. We are excited to welcome the class of 2023 here at #okstate. Tag us in your #FutureCowboys posts. #okstate23

Notice anything new on campus? Just outside @OSUHumanScience stands a statue of Nancy Randolph Davis, the first African-American student to enroll at #okstate

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S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 5

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Seeing Our Visual Arts As a land-grant university, Oklahoma State University touches nearly every field of study.

This issue of STATE looks at an area that has a long, proud history at OSU but, in many respects, has been a hidden gem. That gem is the visual arts programs at OSU that have often been outside the spotlight. I’m pleased to say that is changing.

In these pages, you will also learn about Doel Reed, the man who did more than anyone else to establish the visual arts at OSU nearly 100 years ago. His impact and his work live on through the Doel Reed Center for the Arts in Taos, New Mexico.

Thanks to the OSU Museum of Art, we are advancing the work of OSU artists and showcasing the world-class work of others in various ways. This past year, we dedicated two sculptures by Oklahoma-born Allan Houser, one of the most renowned American Indian modernist sculptors of the 20th century.

This semester, we proudly dedicated a sculpture of Nancy Randolph Davis, the first African-American student at Oklahoma State. It is a testament to her determination and courage. It is only the second life-size statue of a living person on campus, with legendary president Henry Bennett being the first.

In this issue, you will learn about OSU graduate and long-time art department chair J. Jay McVicker. A painter, printmaker and sculptor, McVicker’s works can be found in major national and international collections.

Harvey Pratt is an acclaimed Native American Indian artist and winner of the National Native American Veterans Memorial design competition. This Vietnam veteran lives in Guthrie, Oklahoma. We also highlight the diverse artistic accomplishments of current OSU professor Moh’d Bilbeisi, former OSU and NBA basketball star Desmond Mason and current student Rachele Cromer.

Finally, turning to another arena, our cover story highlights the successful rise of OSU graduate Kevin Stitt from business founder to governor of Oklahoma. We congratulate Gov. Stitt on his accomplishments and wish him the best as Oklahoma’s 28th governor.

First Cowgirl Ann and I invite you to enjoy the public art across our campus. We know you’ll be pleased.

Go Pokes!

Burns Hargis OSU President

A Bocca sofa is part of the OSU Museum of Art’s gift from the estate of George R. Kravis II. For more on this addition to OSU’s art collection, see Page 42. (©Gufram/Photo. Courtesy of Wright)

6 SPRING 2019

PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY

WELLNESS

“While art is being created and placed, education and academics are being kept at the center.”

Dear Cowboy Family, Art has always been an important part of my life. Whether one is experiencing a painting, a sculpture, a dance or a play, art has the ability to keep one fully present in the moment. I believe art is an important component of wellness. Whether one observes or participates, art has the gift to bring people together and open up a world full of creativity, imagination and appreciation.

I understand the role art plays in emotion and well-being. I have been so proud of the effort Oklahoma State University has made to incorporate art into the campus beautification master plan.

As I walked through campus recently, I noticed something important to me. While it is located outside the Human Sciences building, the Nancy Randolph Davis statue faces the library.

Singing Heart in the Mother’s Garden at the Student Union faces the library.

The Pet Therapy Celebration garden was created to capture the library in

PHOTOS GARY LAWSON

the background. Orange Grove is also situated close by, and those who are participating in discussions in the group hammock are doing so with the library in full view. While art is being created and placed, education and academics are being kept at the center. I love that.

If you have not made a trip to campus in the last few years, I encourage you to make the drive. Park the car and just start walking. Start off with the Cowboy Walking Trails. They are marked by special bronze Pistol Pete medallions and were designed to increase activity among faculty, staff and students. Choose from the white trail or the orange trail, or do both.

Not only will you experience notable landmarks and incredible landscaping, but you will also experience a variety of art pieces scattered throughout the trails. Also spend some time in the labyrinth between Morrill Hall and the Bartlett Center. This tranquil area is designed to help you be “still.”

While the people of OSU have always made the university an incredibly special place, the inclusion of art is transforming the look and feel.

The future is bright ORANGE! In health,

Ann Hargis OSU First Cowgirl More information Check out the Cowboy Walking Trails at okla.st/trailmap.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 7

STATE MENT

Dear OSU Alumni and Friends, Cowboys don’t like to brag — it’s just not in our character.

And although being humble is usually an admirable trait, it can often mean the accomplishments of our students, faculty and alumni can be overlooked.

So we’re not going to brag: We’re just going to shine as bright orange as possible.

Outside of STATE magazine, one of the most visible tools the university uses to bring notoriety to the institution is our website, okstate.edu. In today’s world, our website serves as the front door for thousands of prospective students and their parents.

In January, we launched a comprehensive new website to better meet their needs and better illustrate all the reasons we are proud to be Cowboys. The site features dramatic videos of campus life from the classroom to the Colvin and everything in between. We invite you to take a look and see how the new site represents the color and the people we all know and love.

This academic year, the Alumni Association recognized over 60 deserving students and alumni for their accomplishments on campus and abroad. These individuals are the epitome of the Cowboy Code and deserve to be celebrated for the notoriety they have brought and will continue to bring to their alma mater. You can read more about them beginning on page 98.

We are also planning a new series of events across Oklahoma titled “A Night with OSU” for local alumni, prospective students and fans to come together to learn about the latest happenings on campus. Make sure your record is current with the Alumni Association and you’re following us on social media so you don’t miss your invitation!

Even though Cowboys don’t like to brag, we do make it a point to say thank you. It is extremely important we thank the alumni and donors whose investments on campus are changing the lives of our students and elevating all programs at OSU. From campus beautification and scholarships to research and the performing and visual arts, donors have stepped up in a big way. And the results are a stronger institution and the ever-increasing value of an OSU degree.

Wearing orange, recruiting future Cowboys and giving back through time and treasure are all ways we can bring visibility and recognition to our alma mater. We’re not the bragging type; we just have to play our part. When we all do that collectively, the Cowboy family is unstoppable.

Go Pokes!

Blaire Atkinson

Kirk Jewell

Kyle Wray

President OSU Alumni Association

President OSU Foundation

Vice President for Enrollment and Brand Management

8 SPRING 2019

PHOTOS P H I L S H O C K L E Y, GARY LAWSON

2019-20

SeasonTickets ON SALE NOW!

Entertain. Elevate. Energize.

The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts will open its doors in October 2019, with thrilling performances by the New York Philharmonic and Tony Award-winning soprano Kelli O’Hara. The Inaugural Season features a variety of world-class programming across genres, carefully curated for an incredible experience in a cutting-edge facility.

Ticket packages are on sale now and are selling fast.

Guarantee your seats — and the lowest prices! — when you join our family of McKnight Center subscribers.

See the full lineup of performances at McKnightCenter.org/tickets.

Box Office (405) 744-9999 McKnightCenter.org/tickets

Kevin Stitt's wife Sarah holds the Bible as he takes the oath of office at his inauguration. (Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman)

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DREAMING

BIG EARLY

New governor's time at OSU laid the foundation for his success today OSU’s Director of Media Relations Monica Roberts (above) conducted this interview with Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt.

The drive, ambition and entrepreneurial spirit Kevin Stitt brought with him to OSU as a freshman in 1990 had been with him since childhood. His years at OSU provided the formal education to expand his knowledge, create lifelong friendships and build a solid foundation for his mortgage company, Gateway. Now the husband, father of six and businessman has taken his leadership and vision from Jenks, Oklahoma all the way to the governor’s office. We sat down with a very busy Stitt just a couple of weeks after his inauguration to talk about his college days in Stillwater — a topic largely undiscovered along the campaign trail. A lightly edited transcript of the chat follows.

INTERVIEW M O N I C A R O B E R T S | PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY

Gov. Stitt, thank you so much for making time for us today, we really appreciate it. We know you have a busy schedule.

You’re welcome! It’s great to be with you guys.

Throughout the campaign and since you took office, so much was written about your political views, your family and your business. But today, we’re excited to explore a different part of your life that many people may not know about, and that’s your time as a student at Oklahoma State University. During your campaign you encouraged Oklahomans to “dream big.” And from everything I’ve read about you, it sounds like you started dreaming big as a very young boy. Even before college, you’d lie awake in bed wondering what type of college degree you’d need to be a successful businessman someday. That’s pretty unusual!

Yes! (Laughs) Tell us more about a young man who thinks that way.

You know, I guess the Lord puts different desires on everybody’s hearts, and from a little boy I always dreamed about being a businessman, and my heroes

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It was a great experience,

a lot are lifelong friends, I still work with some, and it was just a great bonding experience.

– Gov. Kevin Stitt, on Greek life at OSU

were successful business people. T. Boone Pickens; back when I was in college, Bill Gates was rising then. They were my heroes, and I was always entrepreneurial, always wanted to have my own business, and that’s why I got an accounting degree because I thought that was the best business degree I could get. I knew I wasn’t going to do accounting — maybe I should have done it for a couple of years out of college — but I thought it was a great degree to help me in my future business.

And when you came to Oklahoma State, you pledged a fraternity — Beta Theta Pi. … How did being involved in Beta shape you?

A kid from high school, Todd Lechtenberger, was a year older than me and we’d played football together at Norman High (and he) kept calling me saying, “You gotta come be in Beta!” I didn’t know anything about fraternities, just knew him and some other guys from Norman who had pledged Beta. … It was a great experience, a lot are lifelong friends, I still work with some, and it was just a great bonding experience. I was young, and they forced me to study and learn from the older ones — a great experience to meet people across the Greek system and across the university.

But it turned out to be the right decision for me.

I ended up learning a lot about sales and about self-discipline and knocking on doors, running a little business that summer. I ended up doing that for four summers, came back and recruited all my college buddies. By the time I graduated, I had 50 college kids working for me! It was a great experience for me and sort of shaped my life and belief that I could do anything I set my mind to.

Taught me a lot about leadership, working with my friends, setting goals … and so it was the right decision for me.

So on the academic side of your time at OSU, you majored in accounting. Was there a professor or adviser, anyone in particular who was a big influence on you?

(Dr. Lanny) Chastain was the head of the accounting department at the time, and I really looked up to him. There were just tons of professors — my (business) law professor was great, my stat professor — I loved statistics in school … all those folks were fantastic. I can’t remember all of my professors’ names, of course, but a couple of them did come to some of my campaign events last year. At the time, it was one of the top 10 accounting programs in the country and very rigorous, very tough.

So your former pledge brother, Hobie Higgins, told me … that after your freshman year, you were offered a pretty plum assignment by the fraternity. Some type of recruiting director job?

Yes, rush chairman! (Laughs)

Have you had a chance to visit the new Spears School of Business building on campus?

Yes, I have seen it. It’s fantastic! Very much an upgrade from the old business building I went to.

Right — for the summer, with all sorts of amazing perks for a young man. But you turned that assignment down to sell books door to door.

Tell me more about that decision.

Well, I was supposed to be the rush chairman that summer, which was the best job to have in the Greek system. You got an apartment for the summer and a $10,000 budget for recruiting events. But I just felt like for my future career, selling books for the Southwestern Company was going to be more beneficial to me, I was going to learn more. My friends at the time didn’t understand that. They said, “You’re crazy!”

If you could share one of your fondest college memories with us from all your time at OSU, what would that be?

Probably would be 1995 when I was a senior in college, and for those who can remember, you know we made it to the Final Four that year. It was in Seattle that year and you know, I’m a pilot. At the time I was a private pilot, I didn’t have my instrument rating yet — my dad to this day promises I never told him — but he was out of town, and I went to Norman and got our little Cessna 210. I was going to figure out a way to get to Seattle. I didn’t have much money and airline tickets at that time were $1,000, so I recruited one of my buddies who

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was an instrument(-rated) pilot to fly us and I sold the back two seats for fuel and we took off and headed to Seattle — it was a great trip!

Unfortunately, OSU lost in the semifinals, but it was a great experience. A great memory of college!

What’s a little-known fact about Kevin Stitt, the college student?

I got my pilot’s license the first two weeks after starting at OSU. And in the library, I did have a specific study spot. I had a little tucked-in corner where I would always get away to study.

So you were a serious student?

I would not say that! (Laughs) I was looking forward to getting my degree, so I could start a business I guess.

Since leaving OSU, in what ways have you managed to stay connected to the university?

I am a big supporter of OSU football and basketball. It is a great way to stay connected to the university and re-connect with old friends. I have also participated in mentorship programs on campus through Cru and the business school, and I look forward to staying involved with OSU in the years to come.

Throughout the campaign early on and now as governor, you’ve talked a lot about the importance of education in Oklahoma. We’d like

to hear from you about your vision for higher education.

Obviously, education is a core function of state government, and it’s something we’ve got to do a better job of. We’re ranking near the bottom in a lot of categories, and education is one of them.

I’m challenging Oklahoma to be a top 10 state — really look at other states because I don’t think we have issues that aren’t anywhere else.

For higher ed, becoming more of a research institution is something I’m focused on. I actually had lunch with (OSU President) Burns (Hargis) today and talked about what they need to move the needle, what we can do to work closely with some of our two-year schools and career techs.

The research side could really put Oklahoma on the map, working with business incubators that can flow out of that — it’s economic development with help from the grant dollars. We have to go out and find those homegrown professors who are really good at research and grants or we’ve got to go recruit them to our state and find the resources to pay them market (salary).

It’s just like any other business — let’s find out what moves the needle in our state and go get that and do it better than the states around us.

Thank you so much for your time today.

Oh, you’re welcome! Thank you!

Go Pokes!

Go Pokes!

Watch a clip of the interview: okla.st/stitt

Kevin Stitt makes his way down the Capitol steps at his inauguration. (Jim Beckel, The Oklahoman)

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 13

A BETA THETA PI BROTHER REMEMBERS STITT Kevin Stitt's Beta Theta Pi pledge brother Hobie Higgins has known the Gateway Mortgage founder and Oklahoma governor since their more carefree days at OSU.

From left

Hobie Higgins and Kevin Stitt visit Kevin's grandparents' farmhouse in Skiatook, Oklahoma.

From left

Beta Theta Pi pledge brothers Ryan Kalkbrenner, Kevin Stitt, Eric Alexander and Hobie Higgins

From left

Hobie Higgins, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Jason Whitworth, and Kevin Stitt

“He was in varsity revue, intramurals, went to parties — he definitely got the college experience!”

Higgins said.

“But if you lined up all the guys from our fraternity, you would have chosen Kevin to do something big with his life,” Higgins said. “While the rest of us were thinking about what bar we were going to for the evening, Kevin was more bigpicture and focused.

“I know Kevin was probably not the ideal pledge for a fraternity, honestly.

There’s a lot of silliness that goes along with pledgeship, and that wasn’t part of Kevin’s future-focused plan. But Kevin doesn’t quit. So many people quit, but he’s relentless!”

Higgins, it seems, owes Kevin Stitt much from their time on campus.

“Kevin and I went to a memorization seminar over in the Seretean Center, and we sat behind two Gamma Phi women. One of them liked Kevin, and she asked him to be her date for an upcoming date party. He said he’d go, but only if her friend would take me as her date! She hesitantly agreed, and today I’ve been married to her for 22 years!”

Sixteen years ago, Higgins was looking for a job, and Kevin Stitt was the first call he made.

“He was the sharpest, most visionary person I knew, so no matter

what he was doing — even if he was selling carpet — I wanted to be part of what he was doing.” They’ve remained close friends, and for the last 16 years Higgins has worked for Gateway. He oversees employee and community engagement.

“The thing about him, even back then, he was a little different. Motivated, serious and focused on the future. He was popular and went to parties, but he was more goal oriented.”

From left

Hobie Higgins with Melissa Higgins and Kevin Stitt

The thing about him, even back then, he was a little different.

Motivated, serious, and focused on the future.

– Hobie Higgins

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STORY M O N I C A R O B E R T S | PHOTOS COURTESY OF HOBIE HIGGINS

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Experience the Traditions Experience the Music Experience America’s Friendliest College Town! #FlySWO direct on American Airlines!

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NATIVE CARE

W

hen Dr. Jana Jordan walked into the exam room for her appointment with Mary Williams, she not only asked her patient how she was feeling, but she did it while in the middle of a generous hug.

It’s the usual greeting between the doctor and her patient.

For Williams, who has been a patient with Cherokee Nation Health Services since the 1970s, it’s a level of care and service that she has come to love and expect.

“It’s wonderful. I have health insurance but I choose to come here,” she said. “It’s friendly. You get to know the people, and it’s comfortable.”

Jordan, an OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine alumna, is a primary care physician at the Cherokee Nation’s W.W. Hastings Hospital.

OSU-CHS teams with the Cherokee Nation on a new medical school

“I started here as a resident 15 years ago. I like the camaraderie of the staff, I like working with the residency program, and I love my patients,” she said.

Jordan is also excited about the new developments happening soon at Cherokee Nation Health Services — the addition of the first tribal-affiliated medical school in the country.

THE PLANS In October, the OSU Center for Health Sciences and the Cherokee Nation announced the creation of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation.

The partnership will culminate with the construction of a new, 84,000-square-foot medical school facility on the Cherokee Nation Health

STORY SARA PLUMMER | PHOTOS GARY LAWSON AND OSU-CHS

Services campus in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The school is scheduled to open in 2020 with up to 50 students in its inaugural class. There will be space for up to 200 students to be enrolled over the four-year curriculum.

“The Cherokee Nation shares a mission with the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine to provide primary care physicians for rural and Left: Dr. Jana Jordan, OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine alumna, hugs patient Mary Williams during her visit at the Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah.

Above: A rendering of the recently announced OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation. The 84,000-square-foot medical school is scheduled to open in 2020.

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Above: Dr. Jana Jordan and her patient Mary Williams talk.

Right: Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker and OSU President Burns Hargis.

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medically underserved areas of the state,” said Dr. Kayse Shrum, OSUCHS president and dean of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. “What better way to achieve those goals than partnering together to bring a new center of medical learning to this part of Oklahoma?”

The new facility will include an anatomy laboratory, clinical skills lab, osteopathic manipulative medicine lab, standardized patient labs and a simulation center that will feature state-of-the-art computer programmable manikins. There will also be lecture halls, classrooms, faculty offices, study carrels and a gym/workout area.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker said establishing the OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation is the culmination of years of work and is part of the nation’s commitment to making its health care the best in the state.

“Recruiting primary care physicians to practice within the Cherokee Nation’s 14-county jurisdiction remains a constant struggle. We admire and support OSU Center for Health Sciences’ efforts to populate rural Oklahoma with doctors from rural Oklahoma. That mission will create healthier families and communities in

northeast Oklahoma and improve the lives of Cherokees for the next seven generations,” he said.

TRIBAL CARE Being a member of a federally recognized tribe, Williams utilizes its health services — regular doctor visits, medication and specialty care — at no personal cost.

“My friends are saying ‘I have to call on this, or I have to check on that,’

and I don’t have to do anything like that,” she said, adding it’s easier on her bank account. “That’s a plus. Even with insurance, health care is expensive.”

That may be one reason more and more members of federally recognized tribes are utilizing tribal health systems in Oklahoma.

When the Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital opened in 1983, it was designed for 63,000 patient care visits a year. In 2018, the hospital had recorded 410,744 patient care visits.

“For us in Cherokee Nation Health Services, the new medical school is a great recruitment opportunity,” Jordan said. “Having the medical school here, we can grow our pool of doctors who are integrated into the community already. We have already recruited a lot of the residents to stay here. The

medical school is going to fill a need for physicians, who will in turn help meet the needs of our patients. It will be a great place to have a medical school because we see a lot of complex patients and a number of diverse cases.”

The benefits will go beyond the Cherokee Nation. The Choctaw and Chickasaw nations are dealing with similar issues in their tribal health systems. OSU-COM has residency programs with Choctaw Nation Health Care Center in Talihina, Chickasaw Nation Medical Center in Ada and Northeastern Health Systems in cooperation with the Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah.

The residency programs with these tribal health facilities aim to encourage primary care physicians to return to rural and Native communities.

Dr. Ashton Clayborn is a family medicine physician at the Choctaw Nation Health Care Center in Talihina and an alumna of OSU-COM. “The Choctaw Nation puts a great emphasis on its tribal members and on their health care. If it’s in the patients’ best interest, that’s what my patients get. Working for the system has allowed me to be the physician that I wanted to be, the holistic physician I trained to be, and I can give the best care knowing that all that is available working for a tribal system,” Clayborn said. “The addition of the medical school in Tahlequah will provide an opportunity for rural students to seek an education in a town more similar to the towns where they’ve grown up. I believe it will provide students with a rural background a

Medical student Mason Two Crow (left) presents a beaded stethoscope to Cherokee Nation Deputy Principal Chief S. Joe Crittenden while Cherokee Nation Tribal Council Speaker Joe Byrd watches.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 19

better opportunity to enter rural residencies and practices in rural locations.”

During her four decades as a patient of Cherokee Nation Health Services, Williams said she’s noticed more patients in the waiting room with her, but she hasn’t seen that diminish the level of care she receives.

“Used to be, there was a stigma to tribal health care, but word has gotten out that they treat you well here, you get good care here,” she said, adding she hopes the addition of the OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation will mean more doctors for the increasing number of patients. “The partnership of OSU and Cherokee Nation will be a benefit to both.

It will draw more people here, and they’ll see it’s a good place to be. It will benefit everyone.”

LEADERSHIP NAMED To further advance this historic partnership, OSU-CHS named two key leadership positions: William J. Pettit, D.O, M.A., will serve as the inaugural dean, and Natasha Bray, D.O., M.S., is the associate dean for Academic Affairs and Accreditation.

Pettit previously served as provost and senior associate dean of academic affairs for OSU-CHS. Bray most recently served as clinical associate professor in rural health at OSU-CHS. Before joining OSU-CHS, she was the associate dean for the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine.

As dean, Pettit will lead the efforts to identify and recruit biomedical faculty and support staff for the new site and ensure the additional site meets pre-accreditation standards.

“I joined the faculty at OSU Center for Health Sciences in 2002 because I believed in its mission: to train primary care physicians for rural and underserved Oklahoma,” Pettit said. “There is no better place to educate and train future doctors for rural Oklahoma than right here in Tahlequah, where people embrace the rural lifestyle and are rural-minded. I’m excited to have the opportunity and privilege of leading this important endeavor for Oklahoma State University and for Oklahoma.”

Pettit

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FUNDING SCHOLARSHIPS Donors unite to help Native American medical students OSU Center for Health Sciences has partnered with the Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw nations as well as 13 private donors to establish multiple scholarship funds totaling more than $475,000 in honor of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation, the first tribal-affiliated medical school in the country.

The new medical school is the result of a historic partnership between OSU-CHS and the Cherokee Nation and is set to open in 2020 on the campus of the Cherokee Nation’s W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The scholarship funds are earmarked for Native American medical students.

While the new medical school will be open to all applicants, scholarship dollars designated by donors for Native American medical students will encourage American Indian candidates to pursue medicine at OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation.

“Medical school is a significant investment both in terms of time and money. We are grateful to our many supporters who are partnering with us to train tomorrow’s Native American doctors. I can’t think of a better way to attract more Native American students into medicine than through scholarship dollars,” said Dr. Kayse Shrum, OSUCHS president and OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine dean.

The Cherokee Nation committed $100,000 to support future medical students at OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation.

“When I learned that President Shrum had secured $175,000 in private donations for our new school and that those scholarships would benefit future Cherokee students, I knew that the Cherokee Nation had to join efforts with OSU to grow our own doctors. I am grateful that my good friends, Gov. (Bill) Anoatubby and Chief (Gary) Batton, have also pledged scholarship dollars in honor of this historic announcement. This is a proud moment for all of us in Indian country,” said Bill John Baker, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.

The Chickasaw Nation and Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma each pledged $100,000 to support future Chickasaw and Choctaw citizens in honor of the new partnership and school announcement.

From left: Bill Anoatubby, governor of the Chickasaw Nation; Bill John Baker, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation; Dr. Kayse Shrum, OSU Center for Health Sciences president and dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine; and Gary Batton, chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

“Making this scholarship gift was an easy decision for us. We applaud OSU-CHS’s and the Cherokee Nation’s vision to create the nation’s first tribally affiliated medical school here in Oklahoma.

We hope that future Chickasaw students will take the opportunity to study medicine in nearby Tahlequah and then return to practice medicine in the Chickasaw Nation’s 13-county jurisdictional area,” said Anoatubby, governor of the Chickasaw Nation.

“It’s an honor to be part of this historic moment and to partner with the Cherokee Nation and the Chickasaw Nation to support OSU in their vision to train tomorrow’s tribal and small town doctors,” said Batton, chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Thirteen private scholarship donors to the new medical school include: Steve and Phyllis Anderson; Robin Flint Ballenger; Mallory Spoor-Baker, D.O. and Damon Baker, D.O.; Natasha Bray, D.O., and Matthew Bray; Marnie and William J. Pettit, D.O.; Beverly and Richard Schafer, D.O.; and Cyndi Wilkett, D.O., and Matt Wilkett, D.O.

“For me it has been an honor to help establish a scholarship that combines two mighty nations — the Cherokee Nation and the OSU nation — and I have absolute confidence that my donation will strengthen the futures of both,” said donor Robin Flint Ballenger, president of the Flint Family Foundation and proud member of the Cherokee Nation. “This gift is for me a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be part of a wonderful synergy that will grow and strengthen both the Cherokees and OSU, a partnership that will continue to grow long after I am gone.”

The Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw nations have a combined financial impact of $7.2 billion in Oklahoma and are the economic engines for their respective regions. OSU-CHS is the country’s leader in training Native American physicians.

Nationally, only 0.2 percent of medical school graduates are American Indian, but at OSU-CHS that percentage is as high as 16 percent some academic years.

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Offering Immediate Help

President’s Fellows make an impact across campus

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t doesn’t take a large group to make a lasting difference, and the President’s Fellows program embodies this idea. Generous Oklahoma State University supporters each give at least $10,000 annually, allowing OSU President Burns Hargis to address the needs and opportunities that exist within underfunded areas of OSU. Although this group has only been established for five years, it has already surpassed the $2 million mark in cumulative contributions. As astounding as this is, the program’s work is not finished. There are still areas and students that the President’s Fellows program could benefit.

“Almost daily we are confronted with the reality that one of our outstanding students may be forced to leave school because of financial hardship, or we learn of a promising program that lacks funding for equipment,” Hargis said. “The President’s Fellows are generously ensuring that we can immediately address these needs.”

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Significant Changes

The program’s impact has reached across campus. In 2016, it assisted OSU’s campus beautification efforts by accelerating the construction of the Welcome Plaza. It has also provided support for six other campus beautification projects, assisted more than 30 campus programs such as the Department of Wellness and Student Disabilities Services, funded 12 research projects via Faculty Research Awards and has provided financial assistance to more than 500 students.

“I cannot put into words how fortunate we are to have a group of donors who contribute to this program each year,” Hargis said. “Their love and support for OSU is helping us achieve greatness in all areas.”

STORY KYLE STRINGER || PHOTO BENTON RUDD

Bryan Close, a 1966 hotel and restaurant administration graduate and Fellows donor, said he is pleased with how Hargis examines each area and decides where to apply support.

“He, far more than any of us, is able to observe certain, often obscure, needs of the university that rarely are known to even the most ardent donors,” Close said. “I take great pleasure in knowing that my small contribution, combined with those of other members of the President’s Fellows, will be applied to projects that can create meaningful and significant changes at OSU.”

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“You have helped make a lasting impression on my life, and for that I am forever grateful.”

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Lasting Experiences

President’s Fellows also support study abroad programs for students like Shariah James.

The psychology senior is one of seven students who received a scholarship to participate in international studies in 2018.

She was able to take part in the College of Arts and Sciences’ short-term travel course Exploration in the History of Psychology over spring break.

“Without the generous support of donors, this trip would not have been possible,” James said. During her time in Ireland, she met with locals, ate traditional Irish cuisine and visited galleries and museums. “I chose Ireland because I wanted to learn more about the country’s enchanting and rich history of psychology,” she said.

Her time abroad had such an impact that James now plans to pursue a master’s degree in international management with a focus on human resources and organizational leadership. “You have helped make a lasting impression on my life, and for that I am forever grateful.”

To support the President’s Fellows or get more information about the program, contact Mandy Heaps at mheaps@OSUgiving.com.

A President’s Fellows scholarship allowed senior Shariah James to have the experience of a lifetime in Ireland — visiting Belfast and Dublin.

PHOTO SHARIAH JAMES

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 23

Gifting a Ranch

Estate planning tool benefits farmers, ranchers and OSU

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n the late ’90s, Dr. Dennis and Marta White took early retirement from Elanco Animal Health and Eli Lilly & Co., respectively, and moved from Indianapolis to Ninnekah, Oklahoma — Dennis’ hometown.

Dennis and his brother, Jerry White, expanded their ongoing partnership in stocker cattle. After acquiring more land, Blackberry Ranch Inc. was formed.

At its height, Blackberry Ranch ran between 2,000 and 3,000 stocker calves annually in Grady County and with a few co-operators in Oklahoma and Wyoming.

They also fed yearlings in Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle and southwest Kansas.

Over the years, the family acquired even more land and adapted operations at times to take advantage of marketing opportunities, including adding Mexican steers and Angus heifers.

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“I worked around cattle most of my life, and to do this in retirement has been a blessing,” said Dennis, a 1964 (bachelor’s) and 1969 (master’s) animal science graduate.

But as much as Dennis loved running the ranch, a double-knee replacement in 2014 made the Whites reassess the work the profitable business required.

The couple divided the ranch’s assets with Dennis’ brother, leaving the couple with 429 acres as part of D&M Cattle Inc. After a couple of turns of stocker cattle and time to get the property in better condition to sell, Dennis and Marta began researching how to efficiently dispose of the property and continue their retirement in Stillwater.

After many conversations with attorneys, financial planners and the gift planning staff at the OSU Foundation, the couple found that a flip charitable remainder unitrust

would provide the flexibility and freedom they were seeking.

The gift plan provided the Whites a secured source of lifetime income (in their case, 5 percent of the trust value), allowed them to benefit the university and provided them tax benefits, including a sizeable tax deduction and avoiding capital gains tax.

The gift plan is referred to as a FLIP CRUT. It involves a donor irrevocably transferring real estate like a ranch or farm to the charitable trust, with the OSU Foundation as the eventual trustee.

The process included obtaining a qualified appraisal on the property (an IRS requirement), paid for by the donor, as well as securing an initial Phase I environmental assessment (requested and paid for by the OSU Foundation).

The Whites also hired an attorney to prepare the trust document, and engaged an auction firm at their expense to market and sell their ranch.

STORY AMANDA O'TOOLE MASON | PHOTO CHRIS LEWIS

FLIP CRUT TIPS FROM DENNIS AND MARTA WHITE Have an initial plan going into the process and allow time to get things done. In the Whites’ case, they planned their property’s sale early in the year to accommodate when ranchers plan grazing strategies and herd expansions.

Stay in close contact with OSU Foundation staff as well as the realtor/auction firm. Every FLIP CRUT transfer is different, and the OSU Foundation has gift planning experts to help along the way.

Understand that there are some up-front costs with establishing a FLIP CRUT. The list of responsibilities for donors may include paying for an appraisal, attorney cost to draft the trust and realtor/auction fees.

Designate your gift to Oklahoma State University in a way that is meaningful to you.

The Whites chose to benefit the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, where Dennis White received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the 1960s.

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“We believe that any OSU alumni or friends of OSU who are considering selling their property but still need or want cash flow should consider a gift like this.”

After the sale and subsequent closing of the property, the OSU Foundation assumed its role as the successor trustee of the FLIP CRUT. In this role, the OSU Foundation administers the trust, prepares related tax statements and distributes regular income to the Whites.

“We believe that any OSU alumni or friends of OSU who are considering selling their property but still need or want cash flow should consider a gift like this,” Dennis and Marta said.

“Additional benefits we saw were the ability to share some of our hard-earned wealth with our family and to see them enjoy it during our lifetime. We also get to participate at a higher level in more OSU projects, including the President’s Fellows, Friends of the OSU Library, Dr. Robert Totusek Lecture Series and Women for OSU.” The gift plan can be a great tool for farmers and ranchers who do not have heirs or whose heirs may not be

interested in maintaining the property or operations, said David Mays, senior associate vice president of philanthropy at the OSU Foundation.

“Selling such property outright would oftentimes result in significant capital gains tax liability that is avoided via a gift using the FLIP CRUT,” he said.

“The FLIP CRUT allows donors to make a gift of that property, get income for themselves, benefit their passion areas at OSU and get a sizeable tax deduction at the same time.”

The Whites are pleased their gift will benefit the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources after their passing through a named endowed chair, fellowship fund and research facilities support for animal science.

“I think most people who utilize these plans are looking forward to the day it turns over to the Foundation and benefits the university. We know the impact the gift will make before we’re

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gone,” Dennis said. “Like most people who go to college, you increase your value to society and to your family.

I think it’s important we give that chance to other young people through either scholarships or investing in endowed chairs.”

For now, Dennis and Marta White are enjoying their slower-paced retirement in Stillwater. They volunteer their time, mentor students, serve on various committees, support numerous causes and attend as many basketball and football games as they can.

“We love getting involved with the students,” Marta said.

To learn more about charitable remainder unitrusts and other estate planning vehicles, call the Office of Gift Planning at 800-622-4678 or giftplanning@osugiving.com.

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New Lease On Life

OSUIT makes walking paw-sible for a special pup

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eet Austen, a tripod puppy with a new lease on life.

The year-old mixed breed is missing a paw, but thanks to OSU Institute of Technology’s Orthotic & Prosthetic program, he has a chance to walk — and even run — like the rest of his four-legged friends.

Kristen Ryan and Luis Cabrera adopted Austen from Oklahoma City Animal Welfare as a puppy. “We went in looking for a different dog, and Luis pointed out Austen saying, ‘Look, he has three legs; that’s awesome!’” After visiting with Austen for a few minutes, they knew he was the dog for them.

Austen, however, was severely ill and had an infection in his leg, where his paw had been amputated after a vehicular injury. Ryan decided she wanted to save Austen’s leg.

OSUIT’s O&P program had just begun its transtibial (below-the-knee) prosthetic class when Ryan discovered it through her online search for help.

“The timing was serendipitous, and the class was excited to take on

the challenge,” said Mike Madden, Orthotics & Prosthetics instructor.

The first visit was an assessment to determine Austen’s physical needs.

Once comfortable with his physical capabilities and temperament to be a candidate, class members began developing the prototype with design characteristics similar to a human prosthetic running foot.

“The transtibial prosthetic class was involved from the beginning,” said Madden. “They fell in love with Austen, his puppy enthusiasm and his goodnatured temperament.”

Although creating a prosthesis for an animal is similar to creating one for a person, there are unique challenges with a patient who can’t speak.

“We had to use more observational skills when working through this process,” said Madden. “The dog cannot tell you what they are experiencing, so you have to deduce that through observation. The anatomy is different, as is the mode of ambulation and the

Austen prepares to be cast for his first prosthesis.

OSUIT Orthotics & Prosthetics instructor Mike Madden with the first prosthetic prototype.

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activities that a dog will engage in on a daily basis.”

The students’ education is typically focused on fabricating the devices, and they don’t always get to witness outcomes.

“I loved getting to think through and address the unique challenges posed by fitting an animal with a prosthesis,” said Tabitha Parker, OSUIT alumna.

“With an animal patient, you have to think outside the box a bit. Their anatomy is different — they have fur; and you can’t explain what you’re trying to do to help them.”

Madden said watching the students’ excitement and passion as they worked through this project was his favorite part.

“We approached the task of attaching a device to a limb from a new and relatively unexplored direction,” said Nicolas Bromley, OSUIT alumna. “Our field has many resources and research for attaching devices to human limbs, but to approach the basics from a limb that only resembles what we had

Austen is cast for his second prosthesis.

STORY L I N D S AY LY N C H | PHOTOS T Y L E R R O B E R D S AND A L A N A DAC K I W

Austen wears his active prosthetic with owners Kristen Ryan and Luis Cabrera.

previously learned meant applying the fundamentals of the concepts instead of applying previous solutions.”

There’s more to come as Austen grows and changes. Similar to athletes with an amputation, Austen already has two prostheses: one for sports and one for everyday use, both from OSUIT. “When we first got Austen, he was destructive due to not having mobility,” said Ryan. “Once he had the prosthesis, and we learned to care for a tripod, we were able to meet his needs to where he wasn’t bored and is now able to burn off that energy with normal dog activities.”

Austen now has the ability to do normal dog activities with his prostheses — playing fetch, tug of war, and chasing birds — thanks to OSUIT. “Before we knew that we were accepted, we researched costs of prosthetic legs and weren’t sure how we would pay for it. We really care for him and just wanted the best outcome,” said Cabrera. “We are grateful OSUIT accepted this challenge to help Austen live a long happy life.”

OSUIT Orthotics & Prosthetics instructor Mike Madden and owner Kristen Ryan fitting Austen with his new prosthesis for everyday use.

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Going Strong

OSU veterinarian repairs puppy’s backward paws

His upside-down paws turned right-side up, Milo the Coonhound puppy is back home in Luther, Oklahoma.

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t just 7 weeks, Milo came to Oklahoma State University’s Veterinary Medical Hospital with a congenital dislocation of his elbow joints.

Associate professor of surgery and bioethics Dr. Erik Clary and his team realigned Milo’s front elbows, placing pins across each joint for temporary stability and putting the pup in a front body splint for 2.5 weeks.

His story — and especially his photos — went viral.

“He has become quite the celebrity,” Clary noted. Media outlets around the world have spread Milo’s story.

The splints came off recently, and the pins were removed. With his elbow alignment holding steady, Milo began working with a rehabilitative therapy team led by Dr. Cara Blake to improve his joint function, strengthen his limbs and teach him how to walk correctly.

“With this next phase of treatment, there is much work to do and the outcome is still uncertain,” Clary said.

“Likely, it will be months before we can judge the final result. For now, it is only stilted ‘baby steps’ with assistance. For a dog that couldn’t walk, that’s certainly progress, but we hope for more in the weeks ahead.”

Milo’s condition is very rare. In his 27 years of doing surgery, Clary said he has seen only three patients like this.

“It has been a privilege to serve Milo and his caretaker, Jennie Hays of Oliver and Friends Farm Rescue and Sanctuary,” Clary said. “Milo is a wonderful creature who has

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STORY D E R I N DA B L A K E N E Y | PHOTOS P H I L S H O C K L E Y

touched many lives. He has also helped us educate a wide audience on the condition and its treatment possibilities.”

Hospital Director Dr. Jeff Studer noted, “Milo’s care offers a great example of the level of care available to our pets today. The collaborative effort of Milo’s family veterinarian and our team of board-certified specialists and nurses in veterinary surgery, radiology, anesthesia and rehabilitative therapy is shaping the future, not only for Milo, but for all of veterinary medicine.”

Oliver and Friends thanked OSU in a Facebook post: “We are SO grateful for everything this team of doctors have done for Milo and for our organization. … Thanks to them, our super puppy has a chance — THE BEST CHANCE! Thank you, Dr. Clary and Dr. Blake, and thank you to all of the students and technicians who helped make Milo's paws right side up, and enabled him to have a life. You went above and beyond, and we are so grateful.”

If helping animals is your passion, consider giving to the Pay It Forward Fund that supports treatment and procedures for owned and stray animals visiting the OSU Veterinary Medical Hospital. Donations to this fund are tax-deductible: okla.st/cvhsgive.

LEARN MORE

Check out Milo’s latest update at okla.st/milohome.

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

CAMPUS NEWS

OSU’s Kirksey wins national accolade Dr. Jason F. Kirksey, vice president for Institutional Diversity and chief diversity officer at Oklahoma State University, received the 2018 Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Public Land-grant Universities’ (APLU) Commission on Access, Diversity and Excellence.

The award is given to one recipient nationally who has created partnerships, broadened access and opportunity in higher education, and contributed to the achievement of diversity at all levels of an academic community.

Kirksey has served as OSU’s chief diversity officer since April 2009.

"While I am certainly honored and humbled to be individually recognized with this nationally prestigious award for distinguished service, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to a phenomenal team within the OSU Division of Institutional Diversity,” he said. “I am privileged to work alongside a group of individuals who show up every day with a commitment and a passion for improving the lives of the students, staff, and faculty we serve at OSU and beyond. The unwavering commitment of the OSU administration and Board of Regents to sustaining and enriching our culture of inclusion makes the necessary work we do that much more enjoyable and rewarding."

Kirksey, who grew up in inner-city Denver, is a first-generation college graduate. He came to OSU as a walk-on football player in 1985. He left with two bachelor’s degrees, one in political science and the other in economics, as well as a master’s degree in political science. He earned a doctorate in political science from the University of New Orleans in 1997.

In 1995, Kirksey returned to OSU as an assistant professor. In 2009, he was appointed the interim vice president for Institutional Diversity. After a

nationwide search, President Burns Hargis selected him to take over the position permanently.

Oklahoma State University is one of 10 universities nationwide to earn the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from Insight into Diversity for seven years in a row. Since 2009, Oklahoma State University has experienced a 96 percent increase in the enrollment of students of color (AfricanAmerican, Latino, Native American,

Asian American and biracial/multiracial students) and a 222 percent increase in first-generation students of color.

Since May 2010, OSU has witnessed a 90 percent increase in students of color earning a bachelor’s degree. Also, over the past decade, more Native American students earned a college degree from OSU than from any other institution in the nation.

Stay up-to-date with current OSU news at news.okstate.edu

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PHOTO P H I L S H O C K L E Y

Opioid settlement will benefit OSU-CHS drug treatment center A settlement with Purdue Pharma in the state’s lawsuit against opioid manufacturers is set to establish a nearly $200 million endowment at Oklahoma State University’s Center for Wellness and Recovery, which will go toward education, treatment, prevention and research in the fight against opioid addiction — a national health crisis.

The state has already received an initial $102.5 million payment from Purdue Pharma. Beginning in 2020, the center will receive an annual $15 million payment and ongoing contributions of addiction treatment medicine, valued at $20 million, over the next five years.

“The addiction crisis facing our state and nation is a clear and present danger,” Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said at a news conference announcing the settlement. “Last year alone, out of the more than 3,000 Oklahomans admitted to the hospital for a non-fatal overdose, 80 percent involved a prescription opioid medication. Additionally, nearly 50 percent of Oklahomans who died from a drug overdose in 2018 were attributed to a pharmaceutical drug. Deploying the money from this settlement immediately allows us to decisively treat addiction illness and save lives.”

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter (from left), OSU President Burns Hargis and OSU-CHS President Dr. Kayse Shrum announce the settlement with Purdue Pharma.

“The mission of Oklahoma State University’s Center for Wellness and Recovery is to save lives and rescue those who are struggling with addiction,” said OSU Center for Health Sciences President Dr. Kayse Shrum.

“This endowment will allow us to assist communities in Oklahoma and across the country that have been ravaged by the opioid epidemic with innovative approaches to addressing this health crisis. Now we will have the resources to create a place where people can

come together to engage in meaningful initiatives to prevent, treat and eradicate this horrible disease.”

Launched in November 2017, the OSU Center for Wellness and Recovery is Oklahoma’s most comprehensive treatment and research center for treating pain and addiction. It provides comprehensive care for those suffering from addiction while advancing treatment through education, research and policy.

OSU-CHS president named to Stitt cabinet Gov. Kevin Stitt has named Dr. Kayse Shrum, the president of Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, as his secretary of science and innovation.

He also named Jerome Loughridge as secretary of health and mental health. Both cabinet positions require Senate confirmation.

Shrum is a native Oklahoman.

She earned her doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine and has completed executive leadership and management training programs at Harvard University and Stanford University. In 2013, Shrum was named

PHOTO O S U - C H S

president of OSU-CHS, becoming the youngest and first female president and dean of a medical school in the state of Oklahoma. She holds the George Kaiser Family Foundation Chair in Medical Excellence and Service and the Saint Francis Health System Endowed Chair of Pediatrics. Under her leadership, student enrollment at the OSU-CHS has more than doubled as new academic programs have been established to meet the health care workforce needs of Oklahoma.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 31

CAMPUS NEWS

CVHS breaks ground on new classrooms

The Center for Veterinary Health Sciences broke ground for a new classroom building in late November.

“With the addition of this classroom, the CVHS will continue to be the destination for students who want to receive a high-quality veterinary

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medical education as well as those seeking continuing education,” said Dr. Carlos Risco, CVHS dean. “We are grateful for the financial support of President Hargis and Joe Weaver, senior vice president; alumni; and friends who have made early commitments toward this project.

“It is our intention to prominently honor the legacy of Dr. Roger Panciera (’53), professor emeritus and a worldrenowned veterinary pathologist, in this new classroom building. Dr. Panciera has touched the lives of generations of veterinary students and influenced the careers of many more,” he continued.

Plans include three new flexible classrooms while making room for specialized training in existing

instructional space. The new and enhanced teaching facilities will support modern teaching methods and cutting-edge technology critical to the successful recruitment and training of students, faculty and staff.

Veterinarians are the first defense against emerging infectious diseases.

They help protect the food supply and care for our livestock and beloved companion animals. Supporting this project benefits human, animal and environmental well-being. To support the future of veterinary medicine through this project or any other, contact Ashley Hesser, constituent relations associate for the OSU Foundation, at ahesser@osugiving.com or 405-385-0715.

PHOTOS GARY LAWSON

Three win OSU President’s Fellows Awards Three Oklahoma State University professors were recently announced as 2019 President’s Fellows Faculty Research Award recipients.

Drs. Sheri Vasinda, Amy Payton and Joshua Ramsey each received $20,000 for their proposals.

Vasinda, an associate professor of literacy education in the School of Teaching, Learning and Educational Sciences, wants to help secondthrough fifth-graders learn to read better by using their stories in speech recognition apps.

Payton, an associate professor in the department of Human Development and Family Science, will use the funding to help find ways to ease the stresses faced by early childhood educators.

Ramsey, associate professor in the School of Chemical Engineering, is continuing his project on targeted drug therapy.

Dr. Sheri Vasinda

Dr. Amy Payton

Dr. Joshua Ramsey

Army ROTC reaches Brigade round in Ranger Challenge For cadets in the Army ROTC, the Ranger Challenge is the equivalent of a varsity sport. By that logic, Oklahoma State University’s team reached roughly the Sweet 16 in the fall.

OSU won the Task Force Plains competition at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma, in October, beating seven other schools from Oklahoma and Arkansas. The team then advanced to the Brigade level in November, finishing third in an event at Camp Bullis, Texas. The Brigade includes teams from Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. The winner qualifies for the prestigious Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at West Point.

Each Ranger Challenge is a two-day competition that includes more than nine miles of ruck marching while being tested on common soldier tasks, including marksmanship, grenadethrowing, weapon disassembly and assembly, military communication, tactical combat casualty care, land navigation, improvised explosive device identification, one-rope bridge assembly and navigation, and an obstacle course.

OSU typically has about 125 cadets, and only 12 qualify for the Ranger Challenge team. Lt. Col. David Hosler, head of the Department of Military Science, said the program is likely to field two teams next year.

“We give our best the opportunity to try out for this,” Hosler said. “We select

highly motivated cadets. We only have a certain amount of time with them, so they do a lot of the training on their own.

We could not be prouder of what they did this year. They set a new standard of performance to build on in the future."

The OSU Army ROTC Ranger Challenge Team cadets (from left): Battalion Commander Brady Friend, Keyten Kidd, Hunter Tuck, Melanie Mastolier, Command Sgt. Maj. Aidan Wright, Mung Khual, Peyton McNabb, Ryan Hostetter, Terry DeAngelo, Aaron Sosa and George Canning.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 33

ARTS V I S U A L

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CREATIVITY IN VIEW At Oklahoma State University, love for art is coming into its own. Ready for its close-up.

Its time in the spotlight, if only we take the time to see it. Feel it. Appreciate it. Love it.

From stunning sculptures enlivening the Stillwater campus to striking landscaping designed to welcome one and all, art is taking its rightful place in the public realm.

There’s more. The OSU Museum of Art, open since 2014, continues to offer impressive exhibits, free to all.

Artists are found in places expected and not so expected. Native American artist Harvey Pratt brings his range of experiences — Cheyenne, Marine, law enforcement investigator — to his work, including the upcoming National Native American Veterans Memorial. Architecture is an art itself; an architecture professor dabbling in art might not be too surprising. But one look at Dr. Moh’d Bilbeisi’s work cancels any thought of “dabbling.” So, too, the works of former NBA and OSU basketball star Desmond Mason and current student Rachele Cromer elevate expectations to new highs.

A new appreciation for J. Jay McVicker is growing and has resulted in an exhibition at the Museum of Art and a new book. And more than 30 years after his death, Doel Reed continues to stand tall in the world of art.

Impact.

Influence.

Inspiration.

Visual Arts.

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The Education of Art

S C U L P T U R E S A R E OP E NIN G E Y E S A N D MIN D S ON O S U ’S C A MP U S

“I read once that art awakens the soul.

It impacts people. It inspires people.”

OSU alumnus James Pickel has taken these words to heart. The Oklahoma City businessman, a 1972 Oklahoma State University graduate, serves on the university’s Public Art Committee and donated Allan Houser’s Abstract Orange sculpture to his alma mater last fall.

Pickel’s enthusiasm for supporting the program is as intense as the sculpture’s orange.

“I believe it is important for the community to be exposed to the arts, and this work felt like the perfect thing for me to contribute,” he said. “Having the opportunity to preserve it in the official OSU orange was the icing on the cake.”

Under the leadership of OSU President Burns Hargis, cultural amenities have taken a major step forward at Oklahoma State. The OSU Museum of Art opened in the former Postal Plaza in downtown Stillwater in 2014, bringing the university’s art collection to the public. The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, set to

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open in the fall, will attract national and international performances. Hargis has also made installing public art on the campus a focus — a visible tribute to the university’s commitment to the arts and their importance to education. The art initiative and commission of the Public Art Committee in 2015 made Abstract Orange and other works possible.

“It’s all part of the education process,” Hargis said. “As you see different genres, it’s a broadening of experience. Plus, it’s beautiful.

Incorporating public art was a mission I wanted to start, and I think we are.”

Hargis said how a campus looks also provides a competitive advantage, and Oklahoma State is perfectly suited to display sculptures and other public art.

“These kinds of pieces enhance the overall appearance of the campus,” he said. “The great thing about OSU is the buildings are not stacked so tightly together that you can’t have any perspective. You can actually appreciate the buildings and the public art.”

STORY ARLETTE KLARIC AND HAYLEY BONDANK | PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY

On the south side of the Henry Bellmon Research Center, a glass installation by California artist Gordon Huether pays tribute to the center’s six research disciplines.

The six-foot glass disks recreate petri dishes with microscopic images representing biodiversity, bioforensics, biogeophysics, biophysics photonics and synthetic chemistry.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 37

Abstract Orange

by Allan Houser.

GUIDIN G T H E WAY Abstract Orange is one of many public art displays on campus, taking art from the cool confines of a museum and making it accessible to everyone. The sculptures co-exist with the brick and mortar architectural landscape and integrate the experience of art into everyday life. Public art adds beauty, color, form and uniqueness to the campus. The works of public art function as alternative avenues for learning about history and memorializing human achievement.

And they’re available to enjoy 24 hours a day.

Every step of adding an artwork to the campus is guided by the Public Art Committee as part of the beautification program. First Cowgirl Ann Hargis serves on it with Pickel; Victoria R. Berry, director of the OSU Museum of Art; Steve Dobbs, director of OSU Landscape Services; faculty; alumni; community members; and a representative from the Oklahoma Arts Council Art in Public Places Program.

Every project is different and requires not only those willing to donate to acquire the art, but expertise in selecting and installing it as well.

“Each of our campus art installations has its own unique story,” said Berry.

Singing Heart by Allan Houser.

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TOP PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY | BOTTOM PHOTO GARY LAWSON

‘A F I T T IN G A DDI T IO N ’

A PERMANENT BARRE T T

Singing Heart was the first Allan Houser sculpture installed. The mother and child sculpture is on view in the Mothers Garden on the west side of the Atherton Hotel. Its acquisition grew out of the interest of Jeanene Jenkins Hulsey (class of ’67) and husband Ron. Jenkins Hulsey is an active member of the OSU Museum of Art’s Advisory Board and the OSU Art Advisory Council. The couple have been committed patrons of the museum since its inception. They live in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the Allan Houser Sculpture Garden is located.

“The OSU campus is widely regarded as America’s most beautiful campus, and it’s our hope that this sculpture contributes to that beauty,” Jenkins Hulsey said. “Our appreciation of Houser’s work coupled with his Oklahoma background and love for education made this sculpture seem like a fitting addition.”

Just south of the Student Union is the Welcome Plaza, an award-winning installation that serves as the gateway for OSU, greeting alumni, visitors and potential students and their families.

Commissioned in 2015, famed Texas artist Marrita Black created a mare and her colt, the embodiment of a mother allowing her child to leave her side and blaze a trail into a new life. Named Proud and Immortal, the horses are one of the most photographed areas on campus.

The public art initiative gained greater visibility with the first outdoor year-long exhibition on campus in 2017: Action Abstraction: Sculptures by Bill Barrett, curated by Berry.

“This exhibition played a crucial role in moving us along with the expansion of the campus collection and brought several donors forward,” Berry said.

Six large-scale abstract sculptures were prominently positioned across campus — in front of the Henry Bellmon Research Center, Edmon Low Library, Whitehurst Hall and the Student Union.

Although that exhibition has ended, a Barrett sculpture titled DNA IV will permanently grace the front of The McKnight Center. The sculpture is made possible by the Oklahoma Art in Public Places Act. Passed into law in 2004, the act requires eligible state capital improvement projects have 1.5 percent of their budgets invested in public art.

The act led to an earlier commemorative sculpture on the south side of the Henry Bellmon Research Center. The glass installation by California artist Gordon Huether pays tribute to both the center’s six research disciplines and to Bellmon.

The six-foot glass disks recreate petri dishes with microscopic images representing biodiversity, bioforensics, biogeophysics, biophysics photonics and synthetic chemistry. Bellmon (class of ’42) championed higher education in Oklahoma. As a twoterm governor of Oklahoma, former U.S. senator and state representative, he worked diligently to improve public and higher education systems in the state.

PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY

Bill’s Comb, 2003, fabricated bronze

by Bill Barrett.

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Jim Franklin’s sculpture honoring Pete’s Pet Posse.

P UP P Y L O V E OSU’s collection of public art also celebrates the unconditional love and therapeutic worth of simply spending time with a dog. Started by First Cowgirl Ann Hargis, 13 dogs make up Pete’s Pet Posse on the OSU campus, creating the most comprehensive pet therapy program on any college campus in the country. In recognition of the benefit of the program, Pete’s Pet Posse Celebration Garden was added in summer 2018. A sculpture by Oklahoma artist Jim Franklin on brick pavement shows a therapy dog and its handler in action, the dog leaping onto a bench to greet a student. This heavily shaded area on the northwest side of the library lawn expands the OSU community to include canines, their owners and dog lovers at large.

Kirk Jewell, president of the OSU Foundation and a founding member of the Posse along with wife Jan and schnauzer Bella, has sung the praises of this sculpture.

“It is a wonderful tribute to this very special program that touches lives all over this campus and the OSU system,” he said.

The public art on campus includes interactive sites.

The Orange Grove Active Arts area offers opportunities for creativity and physical interaction as well as relaxation.

Located along the northeast side of the Edmon Low Library Lawn in a stand of trees, this complex consists of slack lines, a hammock and a dedicated area for student and faculty art making overseen by the Department of Art, Graphic Design and Art History. Students gather here, in groups or solo, year-round.

The impact of the OSU public art collection is in its infancy. The installations encourage community, provide a starting point for conversation and enhance the experience of visitors to the university. The Oklahoma Arts Council is an invaluable partner and vocal advocate for such campus collections, envisioning their benefits spreading into communities and stimulating intellectual and cultural growth.

“Public art has tremendous value for institutions of higher learning because it reflects and advances ideals embodied in those institutions as centers of intellectual and cultural life,” said Council Executive Director Amber Sharples.

“Over time, works of public art can become synonymous with a school’s identity,” she continued. “They engender pride and unity, provoke dialogue, and become forums for offering diverse perspectives. One of the greatest values of the public art process for Oklahoma colleges and universities is that it can be an effective tool for building important bridges with local communities.”

“Public art has tremendous value for institutions of higher learning because it reflects and advances ideals embodied in those institutions as centers of intellectual and cultural life.”

A M B ER S H A R P L ES , O K L A H O M A A R T S C O U N C I L E X EC U T I V E D I R EC TO R

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PHOTOS PHIL SHOCKLEY

Welcome Plaza wins honor Oklahoma State University was presented with the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful Collegiate Award for the transformation of an unsightly area into the Welcome Plaza.

The space connects the entrance of the Undergraduate Office of Admissions in the Student Union with the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center across the street.

E N C O U R A GIN G O T H E R S Enthusiasm for public art at OSU continues to grow, with plans for more in the works. At the dedication of Abstract Orange, Hargis said he believed the donation would inspire others to “place beautiful art around our campus.”

Pickel admits he knew very little about art growing up, but has acquired an appreciation of its value, which is more than monetary.

“This campus was not known for its art,” he said. “Through the efforts of a lot of people, we are starting to make that happen. I would encourage all other alums and faculty, people involved in this campus, to consider art as something you would want to donate.

When you have a team like this (Public Art Committee), it will be easy. And frankly, with pledges and multi-year payouts, it’s affordable.’

“Art influences anyone who comes to campus,” he said. “It influences the students, the faculty, the visitors. It makes a huge impact and is one more great reason to visit the campus you are helping to beautify.”

Check out OSU’s public art: okla.st/sculptures

Steve Dobbs, landscape services manager for facilities management, said the area was once an “unsightly turf strip with a dead spot running the length of it” and poorly designed sidewalks to boot. Kyle Wray, OSU vice president of enrollment and brand management, could see this plot of land from his office window in the Student Union and envisioned an opportunity with incredible potential.

“He encouraged us to dream big and make a ‘wow’ first impression in our concept and design,” Dobbs said. “He emphasized this was the front door of the campus for so many visitors and prospective students.”

The final product has become one of the most photographed areas on campus, where students stop to pose, making the “pistols firing” sign, to celebrate joining the Cowboy family.

A Contemporary Spin Major gift from Kravis II collection puts OSU Museum of Art on the modern art map

T

he Oklahoma State University Museum of Art is a new repository of modern and contemporary art after receiving more than 600 works of fine art and design from the George R. Kravis II collection.

The collection ranges from video art to pop art, and 1930s to 21st-century design with an international representation of artists. It includes works from Roy Lichtenstein, Brian Bress, Henry Moore, Charles and Ray Eames, Philippe Starck and Oklahoman Otto Duecker.

The OSU Museum of Art exhibition Oklahoma and Beyond, held in 2017, featured a selection from the Kravis fine art and design collection. His estate selected the OSU Museum of Art to receive a majority of his fine arts collection, as well as some design objects.

“This gift is a game-changer for OSU,” said Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis. “Thanks to the generosity of George Kravis, we are now home to fine art and design objects more commonly found in prominent, metropolitan museums.

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It is an honor to be selected from among several institutions considered for this unique and diverse collection.”

Selections from the Kravis collection are on view in the OSU Museum of Art lobby. In January, the museum will debut the George R. Kravis II Gallery that will display an ongoing series of exhibitions featuring the collection.

“The Kravis collection will greatly enrich the museum’s exhibitions and programs in modern and contemporary art,” said Arlette Klaric, OSU Museum of Art associate chief curator and curator of collections. “This extraordinary gift will support his aspirations of advancing public art education, and help continue his remarkable legacy.”

Kravis, a lifetime resident of Tulsa, supported many local initiatives through the Raymond and Bessie Kravis Foundation.

Kravis contributed to several Oklahoma cultural institutions and was honored with the Oklahoma Governor’s Arts Award in 2010 as a leader and significant contributor to the arts.

PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY

Arts Honors Governor’s Awards recognize Hargises and Ramsay

O

klahoma State University President Burns and First Lady Ann Hargis and professor Chris Ramsay are among those honored for their contributions to the arts in Oklahoma with the Governor’s Arts Awards.

The Hargises received the George Nigh Public Service in the Arts Award, which recognizes Oklahoma government officials for their outstanding support of the arts.

The Hargises’ vision for the arts has transformed the university and Stillwater into a regional cultural hub through assets including the OSU Museum of Art, the Michael and Anne Greenwood School of Music, and the forthcoming world-class McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, the Oklahoma Arts Council noted.

Ramsay was honored with the Arts in Education Award, which recognizes an individual, organization, school, educator, or group for their outstanding leadership and service in the arts benefiting youth and/or arts in education.

An OSU art professor since 1990, Ramsay’s impact in education extends beyond Stillwater and the university.

His leadership in statewide high school portfolio review programs, K-12 art teacher workshops, and, among other efforts, a program to provide arts education for local Stillwater elementary students, exemplifies his devotion as a consummate educator, the council said.

Oklahoma Arts Council Executive Director Amber Sharples said the Governor’s Arts Awards honorees reflect the qualities that define Oklahomans.

PHOTOS PHIL SHOCKLEY AND GARY LAWSON

Above: OSU President Burns Hargis (left) with First Lady Ann Hargis and James Pickel at the Abstract Orange dedication. Pickel, an OSU alumnus, donated the sculpture to OSU. Left: OSU art professor Chris Ramsay

“Hard-working, selfless and devoted to causes greater than themselves, honorees deserve our thanks for their efforts in making the arts one of Oklahoma’s most robust assets,” she said. “Those selected for awards have shown exemplary commitment to impacting lives through the arts in communities and schools across our state. We look forward to meaningfully acknowledging their contributions with Gov. Kevin Stitt.”

“I am pleased to congratulate the 2019 Governor’s Arts Award honorees who come from all across our great state,” Stitt said. “I look forward to celebrating our honorees’ contributions to the arts in Oklahoma and recognizing their role in fostering a robust and impactful arts industry in our state.”

Recipients are selected from submitted nominations by the Governor’s Arts Awards Selection Committee, comprised of members of the Oklahoma Arts Council board.

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Profound Messages Art honoring individual legacies keep their memories alive

T

here are individuals who shape the course of lives, and there are others who change the course of history. In an effort to preserve their legacy, to keep their contributions from becoming buried under the weight of passing time and shifts of culture, Oklahoma State University has memorialized two such individuals: Nancy Randolph Davis and Henry Bennett.

Oklahoma State University dedicated a new life-size statue of Davis in January, honoring her as its first African-American student. The statue represents Davis in her graduation cap and gown, stepping over a threshold. It memorializes her courage when in 1949, she crossed racial barriers and went against a state law to enroll at a then allwhite Oklahoma A&M. Her bravery became the symbol that education is an opportunity for all.

She created a pathway and opportunity for all who followed her.

“For Oklahoma State, this sculpture is monumental and transformative because the message this sends is truly profound,” said Dr. Jason F. Kirksey, vice president for the Division of Institutional Diversity and OSU chief diversity officer. “It makes a statement about who we were and where we came from, but more importantly, who we aspire to be.”

For thousands of years, artists have sculpted and cast figures of people in metal and stone to honor them. While the history of memorial art is filled with examples of heroic military figures, it is also expressed in quiet art that recognizes down-to-earth leaders and pioneers. Oklahoma State has so far honored only two individuals with statues cast in their likeness. The newest is of Davis, located on the courtyard of the College of Human Sciences, while the other is of former OSU President Henry Bennett, whose statue stands east of Whitehurst Hall.

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STORY JEFF JOINER | PHOTO GARY LAWSON

Bennett was Oklahoma A&M College’s president from 1928 until 1951 and is probably best remembered for his 25-five-year master plan for campus development, which included the distinctive Georgian design for many of OSU’s buildings, including Edmon Low Library and its surrounding grounds. That’s why Bennett’s statue faces the library’s south lawn, quietly watching thousands of students. The 9-foot, 8,500-pound sculpture depicting Bennett in academic regalia, a gift of the OSU class of 1940, was cast by Oklahoma artist Bill Peterson and dedicated in 1990 during the university’s centennial celebration.

Along with the Bennett Chapel, the statue stands as a memorial to Bennett who, with his wife, Vera, was killed in a plane crash in Iran in 1951 while he was serving as the first administrator of President Harry S. Truman’s Point Four Program to assist developing nations. The program later became the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Monumental sculpture has a vexed history, but the best examples are more often down to earth, recognizing individual accomplishment and acknowledging our collective shortcomings. For OSU associate professor of art history Dr. Louise Siddons, art like the Davis sculpture not only celebrates the individual, but also the individual’s and society’s shared experiences, both positive and negative. “(In the United States) there's not the kind of cult of personality that led people like Lenin or Stalin to erect statues of themselves right and left,” said Siddons. “Honoring someone for having a groundbreaking life and being willing to stand up and be put in the position of hero is, I think, a very American thing.”

There are pioneers and visionaries who must not be forgotten. They set a standard for what is possible if someone is committed to something greater than themselves. A statute is more than cast bronze; it’s a signpost, a talisman.

“Young people coming to campus for the first time are exposed to diverse communities in more ways than they’ve ever been before, and they struggle to understand how they fit into American history and how they fit into the OSU campus,” Siddons said. “So, it’s vital for us as an institution to put up a statue that says this is our aspiration.”

By honoring Davis for bravely standing up for her right to an equal education, OSU is recognizing her role in opening the door to integration, as well as to the struggle of African-American college students who had been denied opportunity by that same institution. For Kirksey, the Davis sculpture provides a message of optimism and transformation at OSU. “That's why it’s important to understand history, because that was real (segregation and racism),” Kirksey said. “It was the nature of the times, but it doesn't make it right. We have to understand that and reconcile that with where we are today, because we don't just get to bring the good stuff forward.”

Over the past decade, OSU has emerged as a recognized national leader and a role model for its commitment to creating a culture of inclusion. The full circle of OSU’s journey is reflected in these two sculptures, and their existence signifies an even brighter future.

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Honoring His

Heritage H A R V E Y P R AT T B L E N D S HI S E X P E R IE N C E S F R O M M A N Y W O R L D S IN T O A N A R T I S T IC W HO L E

If all goes as planned, a uniquely poignant memorial dedicated to Native American soldiers throughout the United States will break ground on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., this September. And a singular concept by an amazing Oklahoman has been selected from more than 120 proposals from around the world to be the memorial design.

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STORY SHAUNA LAWYER STRUBY | PHOTOS PHIL SHOCKLEY AND HARVEY PRATT

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“This is what I tell people: This will always be our land. This is Indian country. I don’t care who owns it. This will always be our land, and that’s why we fight.”

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In 2013, Congress commissioned the National Museum of the American Indian, one of 19 Smithsonian Institution museums, to oversee the process of creating the National Native American Veterans Memorial.

Following extensive outreach to Native veterans, tribal leaders and community members that led to a shared vision and set of design principles, a juried international design competition for the memorial opened on Veterans Day 2017. A year later, Harvey Pratt, a Marine and Vietnam veteran, Southern Cheyenne peace chief and Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City (OSU-OKC) graduate, won the competition unanimously.

A forensic artist and retired investigator for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation with more than 50 years of law enforcement experience, he brought his fascinating experiences and a range of perspectives as an American Indian, artist, law officer and veteran to his design, Warriors’ Circle of Honor.

From his birth in 1941 into a closeknit, traditional Cheyenne Tribe family in El Reno, Oklahoma, Pratt seemed destined for prominence. He was born a veil baby, a term for the membranes that surround the fetus in the womb that sometimes remain wrapped around the baby after birth. Pratt’s family considered the birth significant.

“I was born in a little house in El Reno, and the women who were caring for my mother were her aunts,” Pratt said. “When they saw me with that cloak on me, they said, ‘Oh, look at him. He’s going to be a chief.’ And before I was Harvey Pratt, they gave me the name Vehunkis, which means he’s going to be a chief.”

Pratt was the sixth of seven children, growing up with a deep connection to his rich heritage and culture as a member of both the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. He was raised primarily as a Cheyenne by his mother, Anna Guerrier Pratt, who had Cheyenne, Sioux, French and English heritage. His father, Oscar Noble Pratt, who was Arapaho, died when Pratt was 9. The boy’s maternal grandfather

Left: The National Native American Veterans Memorial, designed by Harvey Pratt, illustration by Skyline Ink. Photo is courtesy of the National Museum of the American Indian Middle: Harvey Pratt in Vietnam, 1963. Pratt served in security and air rescue with Charlie Company Third Recon Battalion at Da Nang Air Base.

Right: Harvey and Gina Pratt have an art-filled adobe home near Guthrie, Oklahoma. Married for 24 years, the two work as a team on a wide range of projects. Lately, their primary focus is the National Native American Veterans Memorial slated for groundbreaking in September of this year in Washington, D.C.

and his mother’s aunt played significant roles in his traditional upbringing. Pratt learned the importance of protecting and defending home, family, tribe and land, and his grandfather schooled him and his siblings in such skills as hunting and gathering food in the wild.

Art played an early and defining role in Pratt’s life. With little money for toys, Pratt and his siblings made their own toys out of clay given to them by their grandfather. He also found encouragement from several teachers who praised his artistic creations and inspiration from his older brother, Charlie Pratt, who went on to become an award-winning Native American sculptor and metalsmith.

In the late 1950s when Pratt entered high school, prejudice against American Indians was rampant, and he ended up on the receiving end of racial epithets, threats to cut his braids and other humiliating treatment.

“People would say, ‘They’re just Indians.’ A lot of the people would … say ‘You’re not going to amount to anything,’” Pratt said.

Seeing her son suffer from such treatment, Pratt’s mother sent him to St. Patrick’s Mission and Boarding School in Anadarko, Oklahoma, where he was encouraged to live according to his culture.

Pratt found a measure of serenity at the Catholic high school and graduated in 1961.

The pain of racism is still visceral when Pratt reflects on how it affected him.

“It always just pissed me off,” he said. “I thought, ‘You know what, I’m never gonna let that stop me.

I’m going to try to be the best I can at whatever I do.

I’m not gonna let someone stop me.’”

The 1960s brought a host of challenges and changes for Pratt, with stints at Central State University (now the University of Central Oklahoma), in Edmond, and a three-year tour with the Marines from 1962-65. During his time with the Marines, Pratt served in the Third Marine Division military police in Okinawa, Japan, and in security and air rescue with Charlie Company Third Recon Battalion at Da Nang Air Base in Vietnam.

Although the first U.S. combat troops did not officially arrive in Vietnam until March 1965, Pratt and his battalion saw plenty of action. At home, the Cheyenne Tribe honored Pratt for his service with a traditional ceremony for warriors.

“That’s what Indians do. We tell our war stories.

We expect our veterans to tell us what they did to defend our family, our village, our country,” Pratt said. “It’s therapy. Indians have been treating PTSD for hundreds of years. We do a ceremony to clean and purify them so that they feel better.”

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“I want the Indian people to walk into the memorial, to touch the water and fire, tie prayer cloths and sit down and do a ceremony, to be comforted.”

During Pratt’s brief second stint at Central State as an art major, a commercial art professor derided his artwork, so he left the school and in 1965 joined the Midwest City Police Department, where he excelled. With law enforcement becoming more professional in terms of certifications, processes and record-keeping, Pratt saw an opportunity to further his career and enrolled in OSU-OKC’s police program.

“I really wanted to work in a broader horizon,” he said. “I had just started doing some forensic art, and I was getting calls from other police departments asking for help with witness description drawings and then I heard about this degree at OSU-OKC.” Pratt credits the associate degree he obtained from OSU-OKC in 1972 with paving the way to numerous opportunities.

“The associate degree gave me the concept of communications, the importance of sharing information, and gave me a background on systems, and that had a great impact on me,” he said. “It opened a lot of doors.”

Armed with his associate degree, Pratt joined the OSBI in 1972, went on to develop a special technique for soft tissue reconstruction and honed his talents as a forensic artist. That led to work on some of the most famous criminal investigations of the last 50 years, such as the 1977 Oklahoma Girl Scout murders, the 1978 Oklahoma City Sirloin Stockade slayings, and the I-5 Killer in Washington, Oregon and California in 1980-81. He also worked on the investigations of the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing in New York City and the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.

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In the early 1980s, Pratt attended the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Jim Horn was in the Behavioral Science Unit at the academy and was interested in Pratt due to his groundbreaking work in victim identification. Horn, who is also an OSU graduate, Marine and Vietnam veteran and is now retired from the FBI, said he and Pratt bonded over their shared interests and experiences and became close friends.

“We were profiling unsolved vicious, violent crime,” Horn said. “To lose a loved one to a violent crime is an unimaginable horror and trauma, but to have them disappear, never to be found, is a neverending nightmare. You just can’t overstate the value of the contribution of helping to identify a victim.”

For his many achievements, Pratt was inducted into the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2012. Although he retired in 2017, he is still considered one of the leading experts in a variety of techniques and is called on for assistance in solving crimes. He helps whenever he can.

“Harvey truly understands that we live in a world where there is good and there is evil, and I think that evil bothers him, like it does a lot of us,” Horn said. “His generosity is a big factor here. He’s a 100 percent giver.”

Pratt’s achievements weren’t isolated to law enforcement. He was recognized by the Cheyenne people as an Outstanding Southern Cheyenne and, in 1997, Pratt was chosen to become a Southern Cheyenne Peace Chief. He took an ancestral name, White Thunder, as his chief name.

Pratt has worked as a visual artist expressing the stories, art and religion of Native American people throughout his life, winning accolades and numerous awards for his artwork. When Pratt decided to enter the design competition for the memorial, he knew he would need a team of architects, engineers and contractors.

“A memorial is not a one-man deal,” Pratt said.

“It’s a group of people who work together in helping to develop and grow a concept.”

Although he didn’t know them well, Pratt recruited Hans and Torrey Butzer, of Butzer Architects and Urbanism, who are well-known for their internationally acclaimed work on the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.

Along with others on the team, Pratt also included Gina, his wife of 24 years, and Nathan Pratt, his son.

“Inclusiveness is a priority for Harvey. He is a listener,” Hans Butzer wrote in an email. “He is very focused on the central elements of the design and how these connect to as many native cultures as possible.”

Pratt’s design incorporates symbols and elements common to many native traditions: fire, water, wind, drums and the cardinal points.

It creates an interactive yet intimate space for American Indian veterans.

The overall focus is on healing. Native Americans have the distinction of serving at a higher rate per capita than any other demographic group, despite their history of harassment, mistreatment and removal by the federal government.

“This is what I tell people: This will always be our land. This is Indian country. I don’t care who owns it. This will always be our land, and that’s why we fight,” Pratt said.

With groundbreaking for the memorial slated for September, Harvey and Gina Pratt are navigating the whirlwind of work by staying focused on the purpose of the memorial.

“I want the Indian people to walk into the memorial, to touch the water and fire, tie prayer cloths and sit down and do a ceremony, to be comforted,” Pratt said.

His wife: “My hope is when they become a part of the memorial, they feel a sense of belonging, they feel peace, balance and healing. That is what we are focused on. The memorial is for them.”

From Horn’s perspective, the boy who was once told he would never amount to anything ended up spending a lifetime serving his country and people, and has now added yet another remarkable achievement to his long list of accomplishments.

“Harvey is a true survivor. He was tested when he was young, he refused to be defeated,” Horn said. “He’s proud of his heritage, he’s also a Marine and in law enforcement. It all blends for him. To call this a rare accomplishment is an understatement.”

See more with Harvey Pratt: okla.st/pratt

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Drawn to

Create A R C HI T E C T U R E P R O F E S S O R BIL B E I S I P L A N T S S E E D S O F IN S P IR AT IO N T H AT GO F A R B E Y O N D HI S F IE L D

“I think talent is whenever a person’s aspirations match their ability.

You have to work on your ability so it will match your drive and aspirations. If you want it, if you love it, you will excel at it.”

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STORY DAVID BITTON | PHOTOS PHIL SHOCKLEY

Imaginative. Inspirational. Energizing.

These are a few of the traits that best describe longtime Oklahoma State University eminent professor of architecture Dr. Moh’d Bilbeisi and the creative process for his own work and what he hopes to instill in students.

“Art is not about producing pretty pictures,” he said. “Pretty pictures are illustration. Art is whenever you are seeing it differently, you produce it and people see it through you.”

Bilbeisi carries a sketchbook everywhere he goes and draws or paints to practice his craft.

Ideas come from watching and reading news and simply paying attention to the world around him.

“I don’t believe in talent,” Bilbeisi said. “I think talent is whenever a person’s aspirations match their ability.

You have to work on your ability so it will match your drive and aspirations. If you want it, if you love it, you will excel at it.”

Bilbeisi sleeps about three hours each night, waking up about 3 a.m. to catch up on news, respond to emails, drink his morning coffee and paint.

“Whenever you see my work it looks chaotic; however, there is a methodology that is embedded within it,” Bilbeisi said. “I’m able to extract order from chaos. Sometimes I capture tragedy and beauty at the same time.”

His artwork ranges from the destructive 2018 Camp Fire in northern California to expressive portraits to eye-catching images of motorcycles and automobiles.

As a child, Bilbeisi wanted to be a racecar driver. Though that never materialized, his passion for the architectural craftsmanship has gotten him illustration work with Porsche, among others.

“People ask why vehicles like a Ferrari or Porsche are so expensive,” Bilbeisi said. “It’s because you are paying for the thought process behind it.”

THOUGHT-PROVOKING ART Bilbeisi is hopeful people viewing his art also take time to consider what it may be trying to say.

“I bare myself,” he said. “Some people get it, some don’t. Some hate it.

And that’s OK. I’m not here to make you feel better. I want to make people think.”

In addition to teaching an architectural design course, Bilbeisi initiated Advanced Graphics and Theory of Presentation — a class that asks how people visually communicate and why — and History Theory of Islamic Architecture. He said that class is unique because about 40 percent of the course is focused on culture and demographics with the rest on architecture.

“It is based on the premise that you will never understand the architecture unless you understand the culture,” he said.

Bilbeisi came to OSU as a 16-yearold international student from Jordan, earning a bachelor’s and doctorate in architecture. He began teaching at the university in 1998.

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SEE MORE Visit mohdbilbeisiart.com.

INSPIRING STUDENTS TO DREAM He doesn’t test his students through memorization or answers to true or false questions and instead asks conceptual questions, seeking to hear students’ opinions that are supported by facts.

“Educating students is what makes it all worthwhile,” said Bilbeisi, a selfdescribed Albert Einstein lookalike.

“With all the things that are going on in this world, it is nice to be in an environment in which it’s idealistic. I know how to teach students to dream and that is by inspiring them. Gaining knowledge isn’t sufficient. You need to inspire by being a role model.”

Bilbeisi has authored several books.

He calls Graphic Journaling, which introduces students to the concept and teaches them the benefits of keeping a journal, his favorite.

He has also won countless architecture awards.

“Seeking accolades for the sake of accolades is bad,” Bilbeisi said. “But it is nice at my age to start to be recognized for things I seeded a long time ago. I have won all the prestigious awards that are relevant to my research and to my interests.”

“I plant the seeds, and hopefully they will grow. OSU is a fertile environment where everyone could thrive. ”

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PASSING ON A PASSION Bilbeisi hopes some of his students have the same passion and love of architecture that he does.

“I plant the seeds, and hopefully they will grow,” Bilbeisi said. “OSU is a fertile environment where everyone could thrive. I’m at the age that my students are becoming professionals, and I’m seeing what they are capable of doing.

There is a lot of pride that goes into it. I think I live vicariously through them, which makes me very, very happy.”

Dylan Hames — a 2014 graduate who is busy designing Google office buildings while working at Bjarke Ingels Group in New York — credits Bilbeisi for much of his professional success.

“Sketching is the common language of all architects, surpassing any software or technology, connecting us with the ancients,” Hames said. “What makes Moh’d a critical underpinning for the school is that, ironically, he destabilizes. He breaks down to rebuild, often challenging young students’ perceptions of their world. There is always the other side, and it deserves equal scrutiny.

“The greatest skill Moh’d imparts on his students and possibly the calling card of OSU architecture grads in the region, is the ability to get what’s in your brain onto a piece of paper. When you study architecture, you become deeply

connected with your professors. They’re there with you in studio for five years, late into the night, and they've seen you at your best and worst.

“In First Year, Moh’d was ripping my study models and turning them upside down. In Third Year, Moh’d was sketching alongside me in the Hagia Sophia. In Fifth Year, he dispatched me to the East Coast, portfolio and journals in hand. I don't think I can imagine a path to where I am now without receiving Moh’d’s guidance.”

Bilbeisi’s wife, Suzanne Bilbeisi — a fellow professor and head of OSU School of Architecture — called Moh’d a fantastic teacher.

“Moh’d is one of those memorable teachers because of the way he can turn a phrase and bring something funny into a conversation to diffuse an otherwise tense situation,” Suzanne said. “This is because he has the gift of clarity — clarity of thought and clarity of action.”

Suzanne loves her husband’s work.

“Many people will comment on his amazing drawing and painting ability, but what they do not know is that he draws every day to hone this skill,” she said. “It is a labor of love. I have been watching him draw and paint for more than 30 years, and yet I never know what I am going to find when I walk into his studio. His creativity is boundless. He really is a gem at OSU.”

PHOTOS PHIL SHOCKLEY

Dunking Into Art DE S M O N D M A S O N F IN D S C O L O R F U L S U C C E S S O F F T H E C O U R T

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

Court. Canvas. Creativity.

Professional athlete and thriving artist: Together, they seem like two very different crafts. Most people will never be able to claim even one of them, but former Cowboy basketball and NBA star Desmond Mason isn’t most people.

Art has always been a constant in life for Mason. Starting at the age of 11, he knew art was something he wanted in his future.

During the last 30 years, Mason progressed through different mediums and techniques.

“I worked on a wheel doing pottery,” Mason said. “And then from pottery, I started sculpting. Then to become a better sculptor, I started drawing.”

When he didn’t have a pencil or clay in his hands, Mason could usually be found exercising his abilities on the court. Those skills got him to OSU on a basketball scholarship, but the art education he received here has taken him much further than the three-point line.

CREATING A FOUNDATION

SEE MORE Visit bedifferentart.tumblr.com.

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Many people remember Mason soaring through the air in GallagherIba Arena on Coach Eddie Sutton’s basketball team. That time at OSU was an important step for Mason both athletically and artistically.

Mason entered OSU as an accounting major but quickly realized he needed to pursue his true passion. He knew art classes were in the future, so he focused on learning all he could with the hopes of one day being an art teacher himself.

“Art history was big because it taught me about artists that I didn’t know,” Mason said. “But the drawing side of things was important. Learning to do hyperrealism under Mark Sisson was so much fun.”

Sisson, who still teaches at OSU, remembers Mason as a dedicated hard worker in class.

“He was a really focused and passionate guy,” Sisson said. “Even though he had all of this stuff going on in his life, when he got to class he worked.”

ART AS AN ESCAPE Mason continued to pursue both his athletic and artistic talents following his time at OSU. In 2000, he was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics and began a decade-long career in the National Basketball Association.

Throughout his time in the league, Mason always continued his pursuit of one day becoming a professional artist.

He embraced painting and drawing as an escape from his grueling schedule of playing basketball at the highest level, including taking his portfolios on the road with him.

“It was my release,” Mason said. “It was my getaway. I knew I wanted it to be something that I was going to do after sports.”

His first big art show came when he was playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Curious about his talent and his future at the craft, Mason invited an art critic from the Chicago Tribune to attend

STORY WILL CARR | PHOTOS PHIL SHOCKLEY

“Get all of that stuff you have going on inside of you out. Sometimes we don’t have anybody to talk to.

Trust me, canvas and paper listen very well.” the show. Waiting for the review was nerve-wracking for Mason, but it ended up giving him the encouragement he needed.

“He gave me a positive review, and he was a really hard critic,” Mason said.

“From then on, I was really confident in my work.”

That work has continued to expand as Mason explores different mediums to push his limits. Most recently, his art has taken a new form that’s sought after by an entirely new generation of Cowboy fans.

BUILDING A BRAND Since his early success in Milwaukee, Mason has built a following for both his artwork and his apparel design. One distinct takeaway from his paintings is the bright colors he uses throughout. Many of Mason’s early pieces were done in charcoal or pencil, but his work has evolved into explosions of color.

“If I have a choice, my stuff will always be colorful,” Mason said.

“Everyone who has purchased my work loves the fact there is so much color.

Whenever you want to make a wall pop, that’s what you do.”

Fans of his art have also followed Mason into the apparel scene through his partnership with 47 Brand, a door that was opened by Mason’s former OSU teammate Scott Pierce. Over the past two years, Mason has created OSUbranded hats and shirts for the company.

This year, 47 Brand and Mason will be releasing more items, including beanies, socks and more.

“I knew if he was given the opportunity, Desmond would give us something unique and new,” Pierce said.

“It was no surprise to me that he was able to make a really cool design.”

Mason hopes to build his brand internationally over the coming years, including shows abroad in Mexico, India, Abu Dhabi and elsewhere. He also hopes to explore an interest in photography he has developed over the years.

“I’ve always been very passionate about photography,” Mason said. “I have so many pictures. I just haven’t pulled the trigger on a show yet. I just want to grow. Constant growth.”

ENCOURAGING EXPRESSION As Mason continues to expand his art career, he is also focused on making sure his children and other kids embrace their artistic side.

“It’s all about supporting your children and allowing them to do whatever it is that they want to do,” Mason said. “I think the biggest thing from an adult standpoint is to support the kids.”

As art is continually pulled from the curriculum in public schools, Mason believes it’s important to promote the idea of pursuing the creative arts professionally.

“It’s important to get them to understand there is a way to be successful long term creatively,” Mason said. “It is a job, and it can be a great occupation. You can do some really cool things.”

Mason wants everyone to recognize we are surrounded by art if we just know how to look for it. This includes going back to his foundation as a basketball player. He even challenged former NBA Commissioner David Stern to find something that wasn’t formed by a creative mind in the NBA game.

“The jerseys are designed. The floors are designed. The buildings are architecture. The music, the lighting, the game within itself. It’s all drawn before it’s put together,” Mason said.

Even if they don’t end up with a career in the arts, Mason wants everyone to able to use it as an outlet.

Drawing from his own experience, he wants children and adults to use painting, drawing, sketching and more as therapy to get their emotions out on the page.

“Just express yourself, whatever that looks like,” Mason said. “Get all of that stuff you have going on inside of you out. Sometimes we don’t have anybody to talk to. Trust me, canvas and paper listen very well.”

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Unveiling Beauty S T U DE N T P H O T O GR A P H E R S H R O U D S W O M E N T O DI S C O V E R S T O R IE S

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STORY DAVID BITTON | PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY

Nature. Shrouded. Beauty.

Pushing back against the idea of women being shown nude in artwork, Oklahoma State University student Rachele Cromer says there’s more to beauty than the naked female form.

That’s why she shrouds her photography subjects in such fabrics as white bedsheets, black velvet and smooth satin.

The 23-year-old Oklahoma State University senior believes their beauty still shines through.

“This particular series came from me looking at European paintings and seeing how women had been portrayed throughout history,” Cromer said. “I wanted to contradict that in a way. I cover my models with a sheet so you can’t really see the person but you’re still seeing their form. It is kind of me looking more at the body as a sculpture.”

The studio art (photography) and graphic design major from Edmond has a keen eye for finding natural landscapes where she shoots the portraits.

“I prefer overcast days because the lighting is better, and I can get the effect I’m going for,” Cromer said. “I’m really interested in water right now and finding rivers or lakes I can shoot in or near.”

A FAVORITE SHOT She started out taking portraits of herself but quickly began recruiting friends and family.

Her favorite photo is of friend and fellow studio art (photography) senior Megan Crow, 21, of Perry, Oklahoma, standing in a creek a few miles off campus near Couch Park.

In the photo, Crow is draped in a white bedsheet, shot from behind, dirty water flowing by. The full-body, high-contrast photo has a pure black background, making it somewhat difficult to tell she is standing in water.

But Crow sure remembers. She stood there for about 45 minutes.

“It was muddy, cold and uncomfortable,” Crow said. “It is kind of hard to focus on posture and not getting distracted when your pants are wet.

But it is very interesting to see how the photographs turn out. The final pictures surprise me.”

IMPACTFUL PORTRAITS Hands figure prominently in Cromer’s work as well.

“I think that hands can tell a story, too,” Cromer said. “It gives a bit of an identity, but it doesn’t give you the whole person.”

Wrapped in black velvet, Cromer shot a self-portrait along the banks of Lake McMurtry, with only her right arm and hand uncovered.

Another frame Cromer made shows a friend obscuring her face with her hands in front of Arcadia Lake in the background.

Cromer hopes her images make people pause and reflect.

“I hope viewers look at my work and think about how women have been traditionally portrayed,” Cromer said.

“You can still see beauty and form without having to see everything.”

Her work has been displayed throughout Oklahoma and as part of a national exhibition at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center in Denver.

INSPIRATION ABOUNDS She has drawn inspiration from photographer Patty Carroll, who camouflaged female subjects in drapery and more for her “Anonymous Women” project.

Cromer’s photography professor introduced Carroll’s work to her.

“A lot of my professors at OSU have really had an impact on me,” Cromer said. “In particular, Andy Mattern, my photography teacher, Angie Piehl, my drawing teacher, and Ting Wang, one of my graphic design professors, have helped me grow not only as an artist and designer but also as a person.”

“I hope viewers look at my work and think about how women have been traditionally portrayed.

You can still see beauty and form without having to see everything.”

Mattern — an assistant professor of photography and digital media who helped launch the art department’s photography program in 2015 — said Cromer will be the first to graduate with a studio art BFA emphasizing photography when she graduates in May. “There is a quiet drama to Rachele’s images, although they often include only a single figure,” Mattern said. “Gesture, costume and space play big roles in her images. Rachele plays the role of conductor and often performer as well, generating her own evocative scenes that refer obliquely to notions of femininity, mystery, and the history of art.”

Angela Piehl, associate professor of painting, drawing and digital art, has enjoyed working with Cromer.

“The images she is producing are visually arresting and provoke a range of psychological responses for the viewer,” Piehl said. “Her dramatic lighting choices offer tone and additional context, and it is hard as a viewer to not project meaning into what is often left ambiguous or mysterious in her compositional choices.”

SEE MORE Visit instagram.com/cromercreative/.

A visit with Rachele Cromer: okla.st/rachel

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COWBOY CHRONICLES

Chester Doel Reed: The Early Years (1894-1924)

D

oel Reed, best-known today as a southwestern painter and printmaker, spent 35 years teaching art, mentoring students, and heading the Art Department at Oklahoma A&M College.

The Reed family, including Doel, his wife Jane and daughter Martha, moved to Stillwater in 1924. Drawing classes were required for all A&M students, but Reed’s arrival brought about the foundation of the Art Department. It was a period of transition at the college.

Bradford Knapp became president in the fall of 1923, providing administrative stability. Prior to Knapp’s arrival, there had been considerable turnover among college employees, and Reed arrived with a new crop of faculty in the School of Science and Literature.

Reed established a strong foundation for the Art Department, expanding its programming and building an impressive legacy that continues to this day. But the road he followed to Stillwater was not an easy one.

Chester Doel Reed, the eldest child of William and Anna Reed, was born near Logansport in rural Fulton County, Indiana, on May 21, 1894.

Reed’s ancestors had come to America from Ireland and eventually settled in Indiana. William was a salesman and mother Anna Anderson Reed had grown up on a small farm nearby.

In the 1900 U.S. Census, the family listed two children, Chester D. and Dorothy, but shortly thereafter, Reed abandoned his first name in favor of his middle name Doel. Reed started elementary school at the turn of the century and remembered, “You might say that it was in the first grade of school that I became interested in art. My first interest was in landscapes. I remember that I did a landscape with watercolors.

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I think it’s still in the family someplace.”

Landscape would remain an important subject for Reed throughout his artistic career.

After his family relocated to Indianapolis, Reed enrolled in Saturday morning drawing classes at the John Herron Museum and Art Institute (now Newfields), which opened in 1902. At the museum, Reed encountered the work of leading Indianapolis artists, including T.C. Steele and William Merritt Chase.

During one of his early visits, Reed admired a painting of a shipwreck with a voluptuous nude mermaid assisting a drowning sailor, telling his teacher he liked the water cascading off her shoulders. His response apparently

stunned and embarrassed the teacher, who quickly moved the class along. Like landscape, the female nude would also become a primary subject matter for Reed.

After Reed graduated from high school in 1912, he worked as an architect’s apprentice for several years.

Although he later changed his career path, Reed felt that architecture formed a strong foundation for art. By the fall of 1915, he was attending the Art Academy of Cincinnati in Ohio, explaining years later: “One of those things you can’t help.

I started out in architecture and decided I wanted to go into painting.”

Reed’s interactions with artists L.H. Meakin and Frank Duveneck,

STORY DAV I D P E T E R S | PHOTOS OSU ARCHIVES

academy director from 1903-1919, were particularly influential. Duveneck enjoyed an international reputation as a skilled teacher and practitioner of Munich-school realism. Like many artists of the period, Duveneck created etchings during his European travels, and his etching plates were eventually donated to the Academy. Meakin used these plates to demonstrate the process. In Reed’s words, “I still recall Meakin’s studio on the top floor of the Art Museum, the great press, stacks of dampened paper, the pungent odor of acids and etching ink, and an atmosphere of strangeness one associates with an adventure that may change his entire life.” During Reed’s

second year in Cincinnati, world events created a significant detour in his life.

The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917. Reed registered for military service on June 5, 1917. He requested — and briefly won — a draft exemption to continue his studies at the Art Academy. Reed enlisted on March 30, 1918, and went to basic training before joining the 47th Infantry Regiment. In April 1918, he began recording his experiences at first in his sketchbook and later in a diary. He was assigned to Company D, and his unit traveled by train to New York City in early May. In his diary, Reed described the mountains as well as the cities, finding inspiration in the New York City

skyline. He sketched scenes along the journey.

On May 10, 1918, his unit headed to France on the ship Princess Matoika.

His 24th birthday occurred two days before they reached France. Reed continued to describe and sketch towns, farms and landscapes, which led his superiors to reassign him to the Intelligence Department. Maps were needed, and so Reed was relocated to Rosay, a village west of Paris. His work was invaluable for troop movements in the area. Reed also taught others how to improve their drawing. “Have been teaching the department in sketching.

I certainly like this part of the work better than any I have found in the army,” he noted in his diary on July 4, 1918.

The idyllic scenes of the French countryside were soon replaced by the horrors of trench warfare during the Second Battle of the Marne, which began July 15. The Americans suffered 30,000 casualties in two months, and Reed described the death and destruction around him: “Nothing

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can describe the shell fire. A long wail or scream is heard first and then the explosion and flying shrapnel and pieces of shell … men are killed beside you and others torn to pieces or lay wounded, but still you can’t help them if they cry for you to come to them as they flounce around in their agony.” (July 29-30, 1918) In September, Reed was promoted to sergeant. His sketches described the distinct characteristics of German and Allied aircraft, and he made images of battle sites and town maps. Reed’s active duty ended when he was blinded and his lungs severely damaged during a mustard gas attack on the night of Oct. 12-13, 1918. His eyesight returned after several weeks, but he suffered from weakened lungs for the rest of his life. After spending nearly eight weeks in a military hospital, Reed left France on Dec. 16, 1918, aboard the infirmary ship La France. His last diary entry was written on Dec. 18: “The sea is quite rough today although a boat this size does not rock a great deal. A good many

are sea sick, but it does not bother me in the least.”

Reed arrived at the New York City harbor on Christmas Eve and was discharged on Jan. 28, 1919. Reed returned to the Art Academy of Cincinnati to complete his academic work in the fall of 1920, focusing on painting, although his primary mentor Duveneck had died in his absence.

During his last year at the academy, Reed met and married fellow art student (Elizabeth) Jane Sparks. Their first and only child, Martha Jane, was born in Cincinnati on April 23, 1922. Her birth announcement is Reed’s earliest surviving etching. Between 1920 and 1924, Reed was a rising star in the artistic communities of both Cincinnati and Indianapolis. He exhibited widely and spent time in the Brown County Artist Colony, where he created light-filled Impressionist paintings and etchings inspired by the area’s legendary natural beauty. Given his strong exhibition record and experience teaching drawing at the Cincinnati Art Academy, it was not surprising that he

was selected for a new faculty position at Oklahoma A&M. The fact that Oklahoma had a drier climate may have made the move additionally attractive because of Reed’s damaged lungs.

Among Reed’s earliest Oklahoma images is an etching of the oil field at Three Sands. He received support from the college to return to France for continued artistic study in both 1926 and in 1930. Reed also spent time in Nova Scotia and Mexico in the early 1930s, but in the 1940s, he discovered New Mexico, a popular destination for many Oklahoma and Kansas artists. By 1950, Reed had developed his signature form of conservative modernism that would remain his favored style for the rest of his career.

After 35 years as a faculty member, Reed moved to New Mexico permanently in 1959, living the rest of his life outside Taos. The rugged beauty of the mountains and high desert topography inspired his work for the rest of his career. He died in Taos in 1985 at the age of 91.

Dr. Rebecca Brienen of the OSU Art Department is writing a book on Doel Reed; she shared her research with David Peters for the essay. If you have a Reed painting, print or story that you would like to tell her about, contact her at rebecca.brienen@okstate.edu.

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A Connection Across Decades

Professor Siddons found tons of inspiration in McVicker’s work

A

rtist J. Jay McVicker died five years before Louise Siddons ever stepped foot on campus — but he still deserves much of the credit for bringing the art historian and professor to Oklahoma State University.

McVicker, a 1940/41 graduate (bachelor’s and master’s degrees) of Oklahoma A&M College, spent his career in Stillwater, including as head of the Art Department from 1959 until his retirement in 1977. He mastered several art media and became an internationally known artist during those years.

Dr. Siddons’ desire to preserve and display his artistic legacy would eventually become a driving force behind the creation of the OSU Museum of Art. She had a background in curating and academic art history, but Siddons had never heard of McVicker before visiting OSU for a job interview in 2009. As faculty members shared their pieces of McVicker’s art, Siddons found a treasure.

His unique, avant-garde combination of paintings, prints and sculptures intrigued her. The collection became a deciding factor in her joining

OSU’s faculty. She believed using the collection would be a unique opportunity to educate undergraduate students.

“McVicker was a standout to me. He was an artist who clearly was working internationally and was really well-known during his lifetime, particularly as a young artist,” Siddons said.

Once she began lecturing at OSU in the fall of 2009, she realized the collection deserved more exposure than merely in art classes.

“I started trying to figure out how to work with the collection,” Siddons said. “I discovered that the collection didn’t have a permanent home, so with the support of President Burns Hargis, several key alumni and the College of Arts and Sciences, we started to build the OSU Museum of Art.” In 2010, Siddons became co-director and founding curator of the OSU Museum of Art, shepherding it until it opened its doors in 2014. At that point, Siddons chose to return primarily to teaching but continues to use the museum to open her students’ eyes.

While she was leading the museum, she found that OSU’s few pieces by McVicker weren’t enough for an entire exhibition. Siddons began discovering more artworks and information about McVicker from all over the United States. Many pieces came from a gallery in Tulsa and other parts of Oklahoma, but she traveled as far as New York and California to learn more about the successful Oklahoma artist and his work.

Dr. Louise Siddons (center) visits with Malinda Berry Fisher, (left) and other attendees at the opening reception for the show “Centering Modernism: J. Jay McVicker and Postwar American Art” at the OSU Museum of Art. The exhibit ended in January.

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STORY KAYLEE HOWELL | PHOTOS PHIL SHOCKLEY

The exhibition, “Centering Modernism: J. Jay McVicker and Postwar American Art,” ended its run in January. While planning the show, Siddons had begun creating a catalogue to accompany it, but she realized there was much more to tell. Her book Centering Modernism: J. Jay McVicker and Postwar American Art was published in 2018.

Siddons hopes that both the book and the exhibition brought the history of Oklahoma art forward and gave it a place in American art history. She is also optimistic that more institutions will curate McVicker exhibitions in the future.

“There is certainly scope to show. The museum exhibition only went up to 1965 or so, and he lived until 2004. There are whole decades of his career still to be explored,” Siddons said.

Today, Siddons is working on other projects. Her latest is about American photographer Laura Gilpin and Navajo sovereignty. Although some people believe her new project is vastly different from McVicker, Siddons thinks an interest in overlooked art history from the area links them.

The connection between McVicker and Siddons began with a common love of art and a shared tie with OSU — and although they were decades apart, the two have influenced the story of American art history and the OSU art program. One became an accomplished artist. The other has brought that art to the 21st century.

Above left: Dr. Louise Siddons and her 2018 book, Centering Modernism: J. Jay McVicker and Postwar American Art. Above, pieces from J. Jay McVicker.

Top: Three Figures, 1950, oil on hardboard Middle: Linear-Planar, 1956, welded bronze and steel, being installed for a 1986 exhibit at OSU’s Gardiner Art Gallery.

Bottom: Solitude, 1940, etching and aquatint on paper

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 65

The McKnight Center Inaugural Season

Cirque Mechanics will be bringing thrills and excitement to The McKnight Center Nov. 22-23.

OSU’s new performing arts center to present a variety of productions in 2019-2020 Popular Broadway touring productions, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, operatic soprano Sarah Coburn and violinist Joshua Bell are among the performers joining the New York Philharmonic during the Inaugural Season for The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts at Oklahoma State University.

At a special event in March at the Starlight Lounge in the Student Union, the center’s Marilynn and Carl Thoma Executive Director Mark Blakeman unveiled the lineup and announced curated ticket packages.

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“This is an exciting day,” OSU President Burns Hargis told donors at the event and viewers watching on social media. “We’re pleased to give the public the opportunity to purchase ticket packages to The McKnight Center’s diverse range of programming. The McKnight Center will be a beacon of art and culture for this region and will provide a space for families and community members to engage with and experience some truly exceptional performances.”

The Inaugural Season offers an array of programming opportunities in the cuttingedge performance facility and outdoor plaza.

STORY MCKNIGHT CENTER STAFF | PHOTO MAIKE SCHULZ

Broadway’s An American in Paris and The Buddy Holly Story are on tap, as is violinist Joshua Bell performing with the London-based chamber orchestra The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Tony Award-winner and Oklahoma native Kelli O’Hara will kick off the season during the Opening Night Gala and Concert, lending her luminous talent to a performance with the New York Philharmonic.

“It’s not a coincidence that we opened with an exceptionally talented Oklahoma native and the New York Philharmonic,” Blakeman said.

“Like the performance, our center will marry

international quality with a regional flair, creating something that is truly spectacular.”

During its opening week, The McKnight Center will host a weeklong residency of the New York Philharmonic, where audiences can see the symphony perform in Oklahoma for the first time in over 30 years. Additionally, the Philharmonic’s ongoing partnership with OSU will provide valuable educational opportunities for Greenwood School of Music students, including master classes with musicians and management.

“The McKnight Center will provide many opportunities for students and those in the

INAUGURAL SEASON PERFORMANCES Showtimes and ticketing information available at McKnightCenter.org

NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC Oct. 12 | Featuring Kelli O’Hara, Oct. 13 JONATHAN BISS, BEETHOVEN PIANO SONATAS Oct. 25; Oct. 27; Nov. 15; Feb. 20-21; March 27-28

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Silent film with live organ performance | Oct. 31

CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL

Anne-Marie McDermott, Edgar Meyer, Joshua Roman and the St. Lawrence Quartet | Nov. 7-10

CIRQUE MECHANICS: 42Ft — A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels | Nov. 22-23 RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: The Musical | Dec. 12 PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND | Jan. 30, 2020 1964: THE TRIBUTE, BEATLES TRIBUTE BAND | Feb. 14 THE ACADEMY OF ST. MARTIN IN THE FIELDS WITH JOSHUA BELL | Feb. 26-27 AN AMERICAN IN PARIS | March 5 THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY | April 2 SARAH COBURN | April 4 ANDRÉ WATTS | April 17 ANDRÉ WATTS WITH THE OSU SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Directed and conducted under the baton of Thomas Dickey | April 19 Additional performances may be announced throughout the season.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 67

community to experience world-class programming from some of our nation’s finest performers in a state-of-the-art performance space,” Blakeman said.

“Our vision is that the center will become a hub for varied and vibrant performances that will make a lasting impact on everyone who experiences them,” said Ross McKnight, OSU alumnus and philanthropist. “We believe that The McKnight Center will be truly transformational for our community, our university and our state, and we’re beyond excited to see this cultural legacy come to life this fall.”

McKnight, along with his wife, Billie, made a transformational $25 million gift to create the one-of-a-kind program endowment. Since that time, 21 families, friends, alumni and others have provided gifts of at least $1 million to support the endowment as Patron donors.

Many of those donors attended the March 2 event, where Blakeman shared messages from artists and performers who will visit Stillwater during the 2019-2020 season.

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“I’m so thrilled and honored to be a part of The McKnight Center’s Inaugural Season,” said soprano artist Sarah Coburn, a 1999 Oklahoma State music education graduate. “This is such an exciting time for OSU and really the whole state of Oklahoma. It is so exciting to think about the impact the amazing performances will have on the generations to come.”

The announcement helped culminate The McKnight Center’s second annual Chamber Music Festival and featured a live performance by the St. Lawrence String Quartet and famed pianist Anne-Marie McDermott. McDermott, who has served as the artistic director of The McKnight Center’s Chamber Music Festival and will return for the third installment in November, talked about how she has fallen in love with the mission of The McKnight Center.

“This is one of the greatest honors for me to be asked to bring chamber music to this community and to be a part of this Inaugural Season,” she said.

“It’s just been a great discovery to meet so many people with so much passion for chamber music.”

PHOTO TOP CHRIS LEWIS | PHOTO RIGHT CHRIS LEE

Curated ticket packages were released for sale at the event and online, and donors were later invited to The McKnight Center’s main performance hall to “meet their seat” and select where they would be enjoying performances beginning this fall.

“I am just in awe of who will be coming to Stillwater,” said 1979 alumna Helen Hodges, a McKnight Center Patron donor who was visiting from San Diego for the week’s events.

“I get the chills thinking about what will be available here at OSU. It’s incredible.”

The McKnight Center’s first performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12.

Anne-Marie McDermott and The St. Lawrence String Quartet performed during The McKnight Center’s season announcement on March 2.

TO LEARN MORE about the Inaugural Season, including sponsorship opportunities and ticketing information, call 405-744-9999 or visit McKnightCenter.org/tickets.

Jaap van Zweden will lead the New York Philharmonic in October, kicking off The McKnight Center’s Inaugural Season.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 69

World-Class Experience Gained

The Chamber Music Festival’s master classes create a lasting impact for students

M

onths ahead of its grand opening, The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts continued to make an impact across Oklahoma with its second-annual Chamber Music Festival. From Feb. 25 through March 3, the festival visited Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Dallas and Stillwater and included performances from Grammy-nominated and internationally known musicians. The weeklong event gave attendees the chance to experience intimate performances and music like never before.

“We loved bringing this year's stellar lineup to chamber music lovers across the region,” said Mark Blakeman, the Marilynn and Carl Thoma Executive Director of The McKnight Center.

“As we draw closer to The McKnight Center’s October grand opening, events such as the Chamber Music Festival serve as a beacon for the center and the high-quality performances it will offer Oklahomans.”

Perhaps the most impactful aspect of the Chamber Music Festival were the master classes coordinated by The McKnight Center. These sessions allowed students to interact directly with world-renowned musicians, receiving direct feedback and correction for their work.

Dr. Howard Potter, head of the Greenwood School of Music, explains how these master classes can be life-changing experiences for students.

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“Students will learn new approaches to problems, see and hear up-close world-class performers, make personal connections with them and be inspired to reach for the stars for the rest of their lives,” Potter said. “The impact the master classes are having is just beginning to scratch the surface. I would estimate that once this all gets fully up to speed, we will have about 50 master classes per year, each with about 100 students in attendance.”

This year’s first master class featured worldrenowned violinist Alexander Kerr and violist Lesley Robertson. Each musician brought their own style and approach to teaching and assisting students.

Kerr, an accomplished and versatile violinist, is an active chamber musician who has collaborated with countless musicians at festivals around the world. His expressive and charismatic style was evident as he interacted with OSU music students.

Kerr began by asking questions about what the student wanted to improve or fix. He was detailed and involved with his advice and played through pieces with students to show them exactly what he was seeking. He constantly gave compliments and incredibly detailed feedback while students like Thomas Neely were performing.

Neely, a fifth-year violin performance major, worked alongside Kerr at Bennett Chapel.

Second-year master’s student Monet Royal (left) receives instruction from renowned violist Lesley Robertson.

S TO RY KYLE STRINGER || P H OTO S GARY LAWSON

“The impact the master classes are having is just beginning to scratch the surface.”

Fifth-year senior Thomas Neely (left) learns new approaches from accomplished violinist Alexander Kerr.

Kerr gave tips to correct a wobbly sound Neely felt he had. Kerr used the idea that playing violin is a combination of athletics and physics to show Neely how to commit to what he was doing with his left hand and remedy some of the issue.

Neely absolutely loved the master classes.

“It’s great to get experience from other teachers and other professors. There is always a new aspect of something that we haven’t discussed before,” he said.

He added that the fresh perspective allowed him to discover new approaches to playing.

“Alexander Kerr brought up things that I haven’t even thought of approaching in my own practice,” Neely said. “It’s kind of opened up a whole different side of the music for me to look at.”

Robertson, a renowned violist and founding member of the St. Lawrence String Quartet, used her own experiences and past challenges to give students context to her critiques. Her main points were centered around grabbing the audience and telling them a story with the instrument.

Monet Royal, second-year master’s student in viola performance, said getting advice from famed professionals was an invaluable experience.

“It’s always nice to meet with other professionals who are playing in these big orchestras,” she said.

“It makes a huge difference getting their insight on our performance technique.”

“It’s kind of opened up a whole different side of the music for me to look at.”

Royal believes attending a master class can have a lasting impact on her playing.

“I definitely feel like the things Lesley Robertson showed me today will help me going forward,” she said. “And even the comments on pieces that I didn’t play or the instruments that I don’t play definitely still apply to what I’m doing on my instrument.”

Both Potter and Blakeman expect master classes to be a draw for the music programs at Oklahoma State University. The McKnight Center’s Inaugural Season begins in October with a partnership with the New York Philharmonic, which includes master classes for students. Blakeman said that when looking at visiting artists, The McKnight Center made an effort to invite world-class performers who have a passion for teaching.

“There will be incredible performance opportunities and great learning experiences unique to students at the Greenwood School of Music that are being made possible thanks to The McKnight Center and the partnerships we are building,” he said.

LEARN MORE See Page 66 for information on The McKnight Center's Inaugural Season and visit McKnightCenter.org for ticket information.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 71

Lifelong Impact

Actor Gary Busey credits OSU professor for his platform of power in the movies

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STORY SAMANTHA HOMANN | PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY

G

ary Busey was only a single credit away from graduation when his music dream lured him to California from Oklahoma State University, yet he never forgot the impact OSU had on him.

In Stillwater, he studied theater under Vivia Locke, the legendary head of the Department of Theatre. The 600-seat Vivia Locke Theatre inside the Seretean Center for the Performing Arts bears her name.

“My teacher, Vivia Nail Locke, was instrumental in giving me the platform to stand on to do the motion picture business with power,” he said.

Busey, a Tulsa native, accepted a football scholarship from Kansas State College of Pittsburg, now known as Pittsburg State University, but transferred to OSU after a knee injury. After leaving OSU, he toured with the Rubber Band before transitioning to acting.

He has been in over 150 movies, making his major film debut in 1974’s Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in the title role of 1978’s The Buddy Holly Story and also appeared in Lethal Weapon, Predator 2 and Point Break.

Last November, Busey returned to OSU. He gave talks for both the Department of Theatre and the School of Media and Strategic Communications, as well as one open to the public. He also attended the OSU football game against West Virginia.

It was his first trip to Stillwater since 1966.

“I am regretful of one thing,” Busey said.

“When I got nominated for the Academy Award, I didn’t come back here and walk into (Locke’s) class, giving her the honor of my nomination. I give that to you, Vivia.

You are the reason I was nominated.”

A severe motorcycle accident in 1988 left Busey with a fractured skull and brain damage, forever changing his life.

He had to re-learn how to talk, walk and play the guitar. Busey spent over three months in the hospital.

“I am very spiritual,” Busey said.

“After my death during my brain surgery, in 1988, I went to the other side. I was surrounded by angels.”

Busey has returned to the film industry and continued making music. Recently, he broke into the realm of writing, publishing his first book, Buseyisms: Gary Busey’s Basic

Instructions Before Leaving Earth. In it, he talks about his life and his famously unique personality.

“You don’t embrace who you are, you are it,” Busey said. “You don’t think of reasons to hold onto that have nothing to do with your truth. Don’t do that. That will disengage you from your power.”

He wants to inspire others to chase their own dreams, reminding them to have fun in life and enjoy all the little moments.

“We are all human beings,” Busey said. “We are all as simple as we can be and as powerful as we can be. We just need to find out where our power is. I will tell you where it is: It is in your heart.

It’s in your spirit. It’s in your behavior.

It’s in your love. It’s in your ability to smile, no matter what is going on.”

Busey suggests getting the most out of every situation and following your dreams until they become a reality. That’s how he transitioned from musician to actor.

“Things come to you without warning,” he said. “When those things come to you without warning and you feel good about it, take it. Go with it, grab it, go, run. That is where you belong. That goes for all you folks out there, when you have a desire burning in your heart, follow your heart, go for the desire.”

He remains grateful for everything that OSU has offered him, including an honorary lifetime membership presented to him by the OSU Alumni Association.

“This is the grandest university in the whole country. You have found a great place for yourself here,” Busey said.

Busey will never forget the lasting impact that OSU has had on his life or the people who helped set him on a path of art, creativity and freedom.

“You don’t fail, you just find a better way to do it, and I am living proof of that and Vivia Locke set my compass to success, honor, revelation and art,” Busey said. “And art is only the search; it is not the final form.”

To watch interviews with Gary Busey, visit okla.st/ busey1 and okla.st/busey2.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 73

Baking Up Success

Lan McCabe applies her chemical engineering degree to her cookie business

Lan McCabe is one smart cookie.

T

he 1997 Oklahoma State University chemical engineering graduate went from testing water quality as a hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey to crunching numbers as a chief estimator for construction firms to baking and decorating cookies as an entrepreneur out of her Oklahoma City home.

“When you walk by homes sometimes you can smell the dryer vent, but when you walk by my home you smell cookies,” McCabe said. “People call me the cookie monster because I am obsessed with cookies.”

The 44-year-old with a bright smile and an upbeat personality established Sweets on the Side after guests at her daughter’s first birthday party raved about her almond sugar cookies. Her second pregnancy led her to focus more on her family and make her side business full-time.

“I miss construction and the guys, but I don’t miss the time away from my family,” McCabe said. “I love being there for Sophia (age 9) and William (age 5).”

“Owning my business and working on my terms really is the American dream,” McCabe said.

McCabe, who was born in Da Nang, Vietnam in 1974, was forced to flee her homeland in April 1975 during the final days of the Vietnam War. Her mother, Hoa Doran, vividly remembers their escape.

“I couldn’t hold Lan freely in my arms because we ran like heck and I didn’t know what would happen if I dropped her so I tied her really, really tight to the front of my body,” Doran said. “In my

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head I said, ‘If she dies, I’ll still have her body.’ Thank God nobody was lost.”

The refugees ended up settling in Massachusetts, quickly finding work, learning English and buying a home.

McCabe thrived in math and science courses and arrived at OSU in 1992 as a straight-A student.

“The chemical engineering degree gave me the freedom to experiment, which helps me in my baking,” the first-generation college student said.

“The kitchen is like a lab, and you can play with things. I like to experiment off the beaten path and see what happens. I love that side of the engineer mindset in general. I don’t think a lot of people would take the time to experiment if they didn’t have some kind of background to understand how ingredients would react. That’s chemistry.”

Exploring creative pathways continues into cookie design as well.

Clients often give McCabe a theme and allow her to choose among such effects as air brushing, water coloring, stenciling, adding luster dust or wood grain effects.

“I love that the cookie is my canvas,” McCabe said. “Sometimes I know what I’m going to design before I sit down, but sometimes I don’t. It’s from that moment that I find a great idea, and that’s where the greatness happens. I love that I can express myself, and I can sell it.”

Her cookie business has grown steadily the past four years, thanks in part to its Instagram page, which

STORY DAV I D B I T T O N | PHOTOS GARY LAWSON

“My mom’s cookies are perfect art that you can eat.”

— Sophia McCabe, 9

showcases her creativity and craftsmanship skills.

“Our cookies are not an everyday thing,” McCabe admitted. “They are not something you need; they are something you want to add something special to your occasion. My husband says I need to advertise my business, but I let my cookies do the talking.”

Bill McCabe said he just loves seeing his wife happy.

“It has been a lifelong dream of hers to own her own business,” he said. “I’m proud of all her accomplishments.”

McCabe’s Instagram posts caught the attention of the Food Network, earning her a spot on an episode of Christmas Cookie Challenge, which aired in November.

“Success is in the things that I do and the people I see and meet during the journey along the way,” McCabe said.

She loved talking with fellow Pokes while leading a cookie decorating event

for the OKC Metro OSUAlumni Chapter in December.

“I’ve always found that just about everyone from OSU is a friendly soul,” McCabe said.

She has enjoyed leading children and adult cookie decorating classes at businesses in the Oklahoma City metro area the past few years but hopes to have a place of her own soon.

“I want to find a space where the kids not only decorate cookies, but they learn how to bake, too,” McCabe said. “It is a life skill that teaches them to read, comprehend and think.”

She is grateful people enjoy and appreciate the effort she puts into her cookies.

“I’m just an average person that likes what I do and I do the best that I can,” McCabe said. “I’ve learned that whatever I go through in life to just take it in and enjoy the moment. It is funny how life spins you.”

Delicious Details To order Lan McCabe’s cookies, know this: • Minimum order of two dozen is required.

• Prices range from $36-$60/ dozen.

• Two to four weeks’ notice is needed.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit sweetsonthesideokc.com Call 405-753-4028 Email hello@sweetsonthesideokc.com

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 75

O S U

Our campus to cherish

OSU’s beautiful campus isn’t by accident. From a topiary boot and annual plantings to transforming a fallen tree into a landmark, your support helps us cultivate beauty everywhere. An investment in campus beautification ensures ours is always a campus to cherish.

T O L E A R N H O W YO U C A N H E L P, V I S I T : 2

OSUgiving.com/beauty

STUDENT NEWS

IMPACT Spotlight

Hometown: Shawnee, Kansas Major: Studio Art Minors: Art History and Psychology

Cultivating Artistic Career Opportunities Since its opening in 2014, the Oklahoma State University Museum of Art has provided students and community members the opportunity to examine and appreciate original artworks in an innovative facility designed to promote learning and creative thought. It also opened the door for art students to gain valuable experience and access career-altering internships.

Audrey Gleason Class of '19

How has the OSU Museum impacted your time in Stillwater?

I’m definitely going to cry when I leave the museum on my last day of work before I graduate this spring.

I have grown so much here both professionally and personally since I started in August 2016. I've met my closest friends and mentors working here, and I would consider my education from the museum to be just as important as the actual degree I will receive from OSU. What are your OSU Museum of Art responsibilities?

As one of the education interns, I develop programming for all audiences. I lead tours, design hands-on activities and collaborate with other arts leaders in Stillwater to make the museum as accessible as possible. Specifically, I am in charge of planning and executing Second Saturdays, a monthly event that encourages visitors to engage with the exhibitions through hands-on projects. I started and lead another monthly event, Final Friday Art Crawl in downtown Stillwater, which brings together arts organizations and local businesses that offer special events on the last Friday of every month.

How was your experience as an intern at Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE) in New York City?

It's cheesy to say but interning for ULAE was the best thing that ever happened to me. OSU alumnus Bill Goldston sponsors each intern, so all of my expenses were paid for.

During the week, I helped out around the printmaking studio in Bay Shore, and on weekends, I was free to take the train into Manhattan to soak up all the art I could handle. As an intern, I ran errands and kept the studio clean, while also helping operate the presses, archiving and observing when artists collaborated with the printers.

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Occupation: Director and chief curator, Oklahoma State University Museum of Art

Vicky Berry

How would you say the museum has impacted OSU art students?

Although it is difficult to measure, I believe we have helped students gain a broader worldview beyond what they can experience in Oklahoma through our exhibitions and exposure to direct contact with visiting artists and scholars.

The Department of Art, Graphic Design and Art History has always offered excellent programs. With our partnership, we can provide more variety and bring additional resources to expand our program’s reach regionally and nationally.

What museum programs are explicitly designed to get students involved?

As a university art museum, it is our mission to serve students. We have a student advisory group to provide feedback and help us develop exhibitions and programs that are relevant. Our Final Friday Art Crawl is a direct result of this committee. OSU students (many of them are art students) came up with the idea, and they develop activities for each of our events. They solicit community partners and contribute to the Downtown Stillwater Cultural District planning activities.

What type of internship opportunities does the museum offer to students?

We offer a variety of internships — cataloging collections and research of collections, all on site throughout the U.S. Working with our academic colleagues, we provide for-credit internships in museum education and collection management.

The Public History program provides a practicum student each spring. Our general approach is to provide experiences that expose students to all aspects of the museum. We even include a session on grant writing in the arts.

Occupation: Head, Department of Art, Graphic Design and Art History, Oklahoma State University

Dr. Rebecca Brienen

Which aspects of the museum are the most beneficial to OSU? Students from across campus work in the museum, gaining valuable hands-on experience. They are also gaining access to internships both at the museum and with their partners across the country. The programming is crossdisciplinary — engaging students from food science and art history to zoology and Africana studies. Students and faculty are invited to think outside the box by the types of exhibits and activities sponsored by the museum. The museum also enriches the community; all of the museum’s programming and exhibitions are free and open to the public.

How closely do the museum and the Department of Art, Graphic Design and Art History work together?

We work together all of the time; Art Department faculty and students curate exhibitions, and each semester one of our students pursuing a master’s degree in art history completes a museum rotation, whereby they gain hands-on experience in all of the museum’s departments. This spring, Dr. Louise Siddons and her students have curated an exhibition that draws from the museum’s permanent collection.

What major difference has having a facility like the OSU Museum of Art in Stillwater had?

With the opening of the museum, Stillwater has become an important destination for people interested in seeing and experiencing high-quality art exhibitions and programming.

The OSU Museum of Art also works closely with other local institutions, from the Stillwater Community Center and Library to the Prairie Arts Center (community arts programming), which OSU assumed management of in 2017.

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

Beyond the Books

OSU-Tulsa’s Center for Poets and Writers aims to share the power of words

T

he vision for the Center for Poets and Writers at Oklahoma State UniversityTulsa goes beyond bringing award-winning authors to town: The center aims to share the art of writing and its power to change lives with the community.

A ninth-grade boy stares blankly at a sheet of paper in front of him, at a loss about what to write.

Author RJ Young crouches in front of him, making eye contact and hoping to spark a personal connection.

“What’s the first thing that comes to your head?”

Young asks, red-framed reading glasses hanging from the front collar of his gray hoodie. “Whatever it is, write it down.”

In between interviews with national media outlets as the New York Times, NBC News and National Public Radio, Young carves out time each week to work with KIPP Tulsa University Prep High School students, encouraging and challenging them to find their voices and express themselves on paper.

Author of the internationally acclaimed 2018 memoir Let It Bang: A Young Black Man’s Reluctant Odyssey into Guns, Young is an OSU doctoral student and a member of the inaugural class of teaching artists at the Center for Poets and Writers at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa.

Because of its presence on the OSU-Tulsa campus, the KIPP Tulsa high school was the first to participate in the center’s new Teaching Artists initiative. The school’s mission to prepare students from underserved communities for college made for an ideal partnership.

“It’s a natural fit to bring local K-12 students together with OSU graduate students and alumni,” said Dr. Lindsey Smith, associate professor of English and interim director for the center. “Our teaching artists are published authors who help students connect with writing and language in creative ways they may not have experienced before. Our teaching artists’ expertise enhances what our K-12 colleagues are doing to serve young people.”

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STORY KIM ARCHER | PHOTOS RYAN JENSON, DR. SARAH MILLIGAN AND CENTER FOR POETS AND WRITERS AT OSU-TULSA

Above: Brandon Hobson (from left), author of National Book Award finalist Where the Dead Sit Talking, Dr. Lindsey Smith and Dr. Emily Hull record the Dear Oklahoma podcast.

Left: Author and teaching artist RJ Young (right) works with a KIPP Tulsa College Preparatory student on creative writing.

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Modeled after a similar program in Houston, the center’s Teaching Artists initiative connects writers to the community and provides a resource for funding-starved local schools struggling to boost students’ reading proficiency.

The center aims to help Tulsa-area children become better readers and writers.

“The research is clear that writing — including creative writing — is a critical predictor of future success,” Smith said. “Not only does excellence in writing increase academic achievement, it also instills self-confidence and a greater understanding of our shared humanity.”

Immersing students in the craft of writing helps them develop critical thinking skills, creativity and empathy. Studies also show that writing boosts cognitive growth and organizational skills while nourishing the love of learning.

Center for Poets and Writers teaching artists are currently serving in Jenks, Sand Springs and Tulsa schools.

But the program’s focus isn’t only on youth.

Teaching artists also provide adult instruction, such as noncredit workshops on filmmaking, poetry and publishing.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 81

(

“Our vision for the Center for Poets and Writers at OSU-Tulsa is to create a place where people can discover and learn the art of writing and its power to change lives.”

)

DR . LINDSEY SMITH

LITERARY ARTS OUTREACH Founded by Oklahoma author Teresa Miller, the Center for Poets and Writers moved to OSU-Tulsa the year the school was founded in 1999. After Miller’s retirement, OSU-Tulsa selected Smith to lead the center in 2017.

Smith has carefully but enthusiastically forged ahead with new ideas while honoring Miller’s rich legacy.

She continues to bring renowned writers to Tulsa, with a particular focus on Oklahoma and Native American authors.

Among Smith’s first guests were Arigon Starr, a member of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma and the creator of the Super Indian comic book series, poet and author Allison Hedge Coke and 2018 Oklahoma Poet Laureate Jeanetta Calhoun Mish.

But Smith’s greater vision is to establish the organization as Tulsa’s premiere literary arts outreach center.

“It’s the right time for Tulsa to have a literary arts outreach center akin to those in destination cities across the country,” Smith said. “A city’s cultural life is important to increase tourism, but it also educates and inspires the community.

Creating a literary arts outreach center is the logical next step to expand OSU’s land-grant mission of community outreach here in Tulsa.”

EXPANDING INFLUENCE To reach readers and writers where they are, Smith established the Dear Oklahoma podcast and the Words on Air web series, both popular digital mediums that can connect a wide and varied audience with notable Oklahoma-centric authors.

Dear Oklahoma, she said, is her favorite new project, partly because of her partnership with Dr. Emily Hull, visiting assistant professor and director of the Deep Roots: Oklahoma Authors Oral History Project at OSU’s Edmon Low Library and Kelly Burley, director of public radio station KOSU. The podcast is available on the library’s website as well as on iTunes, TuneIn and Stitcher.

“We all share a passion for Oklahoma and a desire to promote and support writers who hold up a mirror to our communities,” Smith said. “We hope the podcast inspires others to consider what they would say if they wrote a letter or other creative piece to our state. Maybe someone listening will get a nudge to keep writing.”

Words on Air features conversations with renowned writers such as Black Panther comic creator Christopher Priest and award-winning Oklahoma author Rilla Askew.

Each episode offers new insight into a writer’s work. The series can be directly accessed by computer or mobile device on the OSU-Tulsa website and OStateTV, a boon for those who can’t make it to a venue for readings and a free resource for teachers to supplement their curriculum.

Regardless of the avenue used to reach the public — whether digital or in person — the center’s broader goal is to make Tulsa a city that is just as enriching for writers as it is for readers.

“The literary arts are not only a reflection of society, but they bring the community together through the expression of shared experiences,” Smith said. “Our vision for the Center for Poets and Writers at OSU-Tulsa is to create a place where people can discover and learn the art of writing and its power to change lives.”

Dr. Lindsey Smith (from left) teaching artist Clemonce Heard and chef Matt Owens plan a menu based on Heard’s poetry for the “Poets' Dinner” fundraiser.

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Th ank you to everyone wh o ch o se to

on April 9 & 10! Together, the Cowboy Family can accomplish so much .

On April 9 and 10, Oklahoma State University students, alumni and friends came together for 1,890 minutes to support their orange passions. For 31.5 hours, campus programs and units took part in OSU's Give Orange event by sharing how Cowboys from across the globe can help them achieve their goals and bring success to OSU. Every gift given during those 1,890 minutes was counted toward Give Orange.

To see the impact from this year's Give Oran ge, vi si t

Congratulations DEBBIE & KENNETH BAKER!

BECOME A

Homecoming Champion The OSU Alumni Association needs your help to endow

“AMERICA'S GREATEST HOMECOMING CELEBRATION!” Your gift will help us keep Homecoming OSU's greatest tradition for future generations of Cowboys.

To learn more go to

ORANGECONNECTION.org/EndowHomecoming

SCHOLARSHIPS

The 2019 Masterpiece Moments: A Grand Tour of Europe auction and fundraising event on May 4 was a hit success! Thank you to everyone who attended, organized and sponsored this incredible journey through the art of Europe. Proceeds from the evening will benefit the OSU Museum of Art’s exhibitions and educational programming.

Hosted by the OS U M U S E U M o f A R T A DVO C AT E S

For a recap of the evening, and a full list of our generous sponsors, visit

OSUgiving.com/MasterpieceMoments

Growing Awareness

GET INVOLVED

Contact James Ambrose at 405-385-5182 or jambrose@osugiving.com to learn how you can benefit the Greenhouse Learning Center.

Five things to know about the Greenhouse Learning Center

O

klahoma State University soon will be home to a new state-of-the-art learning facility that will help provide students and faculty with cuttingedge educational and research opportunities. Set to open in 2019, the Greenhouse Learning Center is not only a great opportunity for current and incoming students, but it also adds value to the university.

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The Greenleaf Nursery Head House was named in recognition of the Oklahoma-based company, which gave a $1 million gift to the project. The nursery’s president and CEO, Randy Davis, is an OSU alumnus, along with Austin Kenyon, chairman of the board.

"Agriculture and the horticulture industry in Oklahoma, and nationally, have been greatly enhanced by the graduates from Oklahoma State University," Davis said. "They are welleducated, diverse students who can think, make decisions, and make our companies and industry more successful."

STORY MALLORY VAUGHN | PHOTOS KKT ARCHITECTS AND TODD JOHNSON

Here are five things to know about one of Oklahoma State’s newest projects.

1

4

The Learning Center is more than just a single greenhouse. In total, there will be six new greenhouses with the Learning Center, including a separate house for entomology studies and research.

The facility also will feature a new modern classroom, office, plant prep area, storage area for soil and chemicals, and a large foyer for club meetings and student gatherings. The project is expansive and will be of great benefit to students and professors.

Stillwater and Oklahoma will feel the benefits of these new state-of-the-art greenhouses.

The Learning Center also will aid in community development. Students will be able to cultivate higher-quality produce and plants for fundraising opportunities. Additionally, children will be able to come to the greenhouses and watch their own plants grow during special camp sessions.

2

Lastly, the Greenhouse Learning Center will beautify campus and attract students. The new facility will match OSU’s architecture better than the existing greenhouses, initially built for cotton research more than 50 years ago. In the 1980s, they were transferred to the horticulture and landscape architecture department for teaching purposes. New greenhouses will help OSU recruit and retain students interested in studying plants and agriculture.

Cutting-edge technology will prepare students for their future careers. The Greenhouse Learning Center will feature front-line technology that is standard for commercial horticulturalists. Some of these features are new irrigation systems, intense climate and humidity control components, and new ways to use hydroponics. Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants in sand, gravel or liquid, and uses 90 percent less water. Students and researchers will be able to produce more using fewer resources.

3

The Greenhouse Learning Center will affect generations of students on campus. While the new space will mainly be used by horticulture and landscape architecture students, many other fields of study will utilize the Learning Center. For example, students studying agricultural education, natural resource ecology and management, entomology and plant pathology, and plant and soil sciences will use the Greenhouse Learning Center.

5

Left: Caroline Nelson, 2017 graduate and current Extension program educator for the horticulture and landscape architecture department, works prior to last year’s annual poinsettia sale. The new Greenhouse Learning Center will help students enter the horticulture industry as prepared professionals.

Below: This architectural rendering depicts the new Greenhouse Learning Center at OSU, currently being built just north of University Health Services at Farm Road and Lincoln Street.

GOING UP Watch the construction of the new greenhouses at okla.st/ghouses.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 91

Flying off to Retirement

Lee Bird is leaving a legacy of health and wellness and crisis management at OSU

F

rom her 18-plus years on the job at Oklahoma State University, Dr. Lee Bird has a list of academic accomplishments nearly 10 pages long. She has influenced untold numbers of students as vice president of student affairs. She’s the pebble dropped in the pond, where one ripple leads to the next and the positive consequences cannot be measured, only appreciated.

On Jan. 4, Bird officially retired.

Bird got her start in higher education as a college counselor four decades ago.

“I loved it,” she said. “Then I went into housing and loved it. Then I did housing administration and loved it.

I have loved everything I’ve done in student affairs.”

When Bird came to OSU from St. Cloud, Minnesota, she fell in love with the campus and students.

“The students were incredibly engaging,” she said. “The opportunity to work with these students has been remarkable. I think vice presidents choose whether they will be ‘tower people’ or ‘people people.’ I think the joy comes from allowing students in your office. About half of my day has been with students, and that just doesn’t happen on other campuses.”

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STORY SHANNON G. RIGSBY | PHOTO GARY LAWSON

(

“I think the joy comes from allowing students in your office. About half of my day has been with students.”

Bird likens being the vice president of student affairs to being the mayor of a unique, moderately sized community.

People need a place to eat, a place to lie down, health care, somewhere to relax, other people to connect with. Over the last two decades, there have been changes in what the university offers and what the students need.

“It’s not just providing services,” she said. “We are doing some great research on resilience. We are not just the fun people. It’s also real-life issues of health and wellness and crisis management.”

Under Bird’s leadership, the Threat Assessment Team has evolved into the Behavioral Consultation Team. In a crisis, help is requested at the moment of critical need. With the BCT, the goal is to identify struggling students and intervene much sooner.

“I’m very proud of the research we’re doing on wellness and student resilience,” she said. “I’m proud of what we’ve done in promoting engagement, which helps with the mental health issues and resilience. There’s a lot to be proud of. I have great departments, great people, great programs, great students.”

Bird and a former student created a program that takes their knowledge of student affairs to China. They set their sights on the university at Fudan, which Bird calls the Harvard of China.

From there, they created an international symposium on student affairs that’s entering its 11th year. OSU student services leaders go to China to teach classes. Then, more than 50 senior student affairs administrators from all over China come to OSU in an intensive one-week symposium.

Bird and her directors lead classes on student conduct, career services and the American delivery of health care to students.

She’s also proud of OSU facilities, from the transformation of the Colvin Center and Seretean Wellness Center to the Student Union.

“What we’ve done with the Wellness Center, renovating that and the new equipment there — those are amazing facilities,” she said. “Now it’s one program called the Wellness Program.

And the Union. We’ve won best Student Union in the country at least four times in the last 10 years. Unheard of.”

)

“Retirement” does not carry the typical meaning for Bird.

She’s a First-Amendment champion who speaks nationally on the subject.

With a colleague in Tulsa, she is updating her 2006 book, The First Amendment on Campus, which has served as a handbook for university administrators on first amendment issues.

She’s also volunteered with the Red Cross for 48 years and hopes to join its disaster services. She’s renewing her EMT license. The classes for that started five days after she left OSU, giving her just enough time to paint the kitchen and garage first, she said.

She decided to leave while she still loved the job, when she could look back on a career well-spent.

“The best part of all of this has been working with the students and creating programs that help sustain them, work through the issues and help them grow into great human beings,” Bird said.

“What has kept me here has been great students and great staff.”

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GIFTS MAKE ART THE CENTER OF LEARNING AT THE OSU MUSEUM OF ART AND THE EDMON LOW LIBRARY

The Southwest in Motion: Navajo, Pueblo, and Hopi Paintings from the Charles Little Collection On view June 11 – September 14, 2019 at the OSU Museum of Art Faculty Curators: Louise Siddons and Trever Holland Exhibition made possible through the generous gift of Charles Little, an extensive collection of Native American Art.

Cliff Bahnimptewa (Hopi, 1937–1984), Eagle Kachina Dancer, 1982, watercolor on paper, 19 x 14 inches. Gift of Charles Little, 2016.004.009.

The Edmon Low Library and OSU Museum of Art share the recent gift of the Maxine and Jack Zarrow Collection.

This special selection of works will provide dynamic opportunities for OSU — by advancing research resources, new exhibitions and interdisciplinary learning experiences.

Edmon Low Library AND BRANCH LIBRARIES

Dennis Belindo (Navajo, 1938-2009), Three Brothers, 1990, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 24 inches. From the collection of Maxine and Jack Zarrow.

OKLAHOMA NEEDS DOCTORS LIKE YOU Choose a career in medicine and make a difference.

OSU-trained physicians work and live in every county in Oklahoma, providing excellent patient care to generations of Oklahoma families. Learn how the College of Osteopathic Medicine at the OSU Center for Health Sciences can help you achieve your dream of becoming a doctor.

Learn more about applying to medical school at health.okstate.edu.

1111 West 17th Street | Tulsa, OK 74107-1898 | 918-582-1972

Leisure Learning Classes July 22-26 | Taos, New Mexico

Oklahoma State University’s Doel Reed Center for the Arts invites

you to participate in a weeklong educational experience in beautiful Taos, New Mexico. These classes, designed by expert instructors for inquiring adults, provide you the chance to explore the art, culture and recreational experiences that multicultural Northern New Mexico offers. Classes can be a combination of lectures, discussion, hands-on activities and visits to local sites. Summer courses start at $600. Enroll before the June 22 deadline by visiting drca.okstate.edu.

Flyfishing — Beginning and Intermediate Marc Harrell, Veteran Angler (Course fee of $700)

Contemporary New Mexico Cooking Dr. Carol Moder, Ann & Burns Hargis Professor at OSU and Doel Reed Center Director

Drawing Canyon, Sage and Sky Sara Schneckloth, Artist and Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina

Nuclear Bomb and the Land of Enchantment Ed Walkiewicz, Professor Emeritus of English at OSU

Holly wood’s Southwest Dr. Jeff Menne, Associate Professor of English at OSU

New Mexico Native Plant Ecolog y Sylvia Rains Dennis, Botanist and Restoration Ecologist and Educator for Wildlandance and Yampa Restoration

And make sure you don’t miss out on our Fall 2019 Leisure Learning Courses from September 26 – 28!

For further information on courses or logistics, contact: Carol Moder | carol.moder@okstate.edu | 405-612-8295 Hollye Goddard | hollyesue@cox.net | 602-465-1644

2018 2019

Sage Becker, Keota, Iowa Animal Science Conner Blatt, Edmond, Oklahoma Chemical Engineering Danya Brewer, Emporia, Kansas Psychology Jordan Cowger, Kansas City, Missouri Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Kayleigh Crane, Fishers, Indiana Animal Science Clay Daily, Mayville, Michigan Animal Science Sarah Katelyn Desharnais, Coconut Creek, Florida Chemical Engineering DaLacy Dockrey, Dale, Oklahoma Agricultural Economics and Accounting Emily Dawn Fry, Stillwater Biological Science Shelbi Gambrell, Meeker, Oklahoma Elementary Education Emily Gietzen, Pryor, Oklahoma Microbiology and Psychology Blake Giles, Edmond Electrical Engineering Caroline Kathleen Graham, Midwest City, Oklahoma Microbiology/Cell and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Cardin Hart, Edmond Chemical Engineering Madeline Hawkins, Carrollton, Texas Industrial Engineering and Management

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The Oklahoma State University Alumni Association recognized 44 students as OSU Seniors of Significance for the 2018-2019 academic year.

Peyton Hillery, Wichita Falls, Texas Accounting Samantha Howe, Sulphur, Oklahoma Animal Science Anna Hurlbut, Lincoln, Nebraska Management Science and Information Systems and Mathematics Muwanika Jdiobe, Jinja, Uganda Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Zachary Kensinger, Enid, Oklahoma Political Science and Philosophy Rebecca Lane, Beulah, Colorado Chemical Engineering Jasmyn Lee, Lawton, Oklahoma Civil-Environmental Engineering Brittany Lippy, Lineboro, Maryland Animal Science Luke MacNaughton, Edmond Chemical Engineering Savannah Martin, Duncan, Oklahoma Microbiology/Cell and Molecular Biology Brooks McKinney, Spiro, Oklahoma Communication Sciences and Disorders Rachael Indah Merkel, Stillwater Mechanical Engineering Adam Morgan, Tulsa Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Sarah Oliver, Ardmore, Oklahoma Biochemistry Vishnu Patel, Stillwater Finance

Amairani Perez Chamu, Tulsa American Studies Joanna Quiah, Edmond Biosystems Engineering Alma Rios, Buffalo, Oklahoma Biochemistry Stephanie Rojo, Edmond Economics and Strategic Communications Samantha Shafer, Muskogee, Oklahoma Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Addison Skaggs, Perryton, Texas Sports Media and Strategic Communications Patrick Steichen, Tulsa Mechanical Engineering Summer Stevens, Perry, Oklahoma Design Housing and Merchandising Carson Taber, Edmond Marketing Colton Tubbs, Hartshorne, Oklahoma Mechanical Engineering Cole Verble, Edmond Psychology Karlie Wade, Perry, Oklahoma Agricultural Communications Vanessa Wiebe, Hooker, Oklahoma Agribusiness and Agricultural Communications Rachel Williams, Grapevine, Texas Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Microbiology

STORY W I L L C A R R | PHOTO OSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

THE COWBOY WAY

Steve Dobbs, director of Landscape Services in Facility Management at Oklahoma State University, is responsible for one of the most-loved parts of the Stillwater campus — the beautiful landscaping.

The landscaping, strategically composed of bright orange accents with an array of plants and unique arrangements, is often one of the first things visitors notice.

Dobbs knows the important role landscaping plays in recruiting students and making people feel at home, and he used this knowledge in contributing to the Welcome Plaza, which was recognized with the Collegiate Award from Keep Oklahoma Beautiful.

Green Thumb

Dobbs uses his vast knowledge of horticulture and his green thumb to create beautiful spaces all over campus. Part of his role is designing projects for special occasions such as OSU’s 125th anniversary as well as creating the Formal Gardens and the Native Corridor.

When designing the grounds, he said his team looks at “space connectedness and cohesiveness, access points, traffic flow, aesthetics, enhancing building architecture, standardizing materials and design, green space versus hardscape balance, tree canopy coverage, tree protection and much more.”

Orange Heart

Dobbs’ thumb may be green, but his heart is a bright orange! He grew up competing in 4-H and often visited OSU in competitions. He ended up earning a degree in horticulture from OSU. After graduating, Dobbs worked for Extension, educating people on gardening and was the host of Oklahoma Gardening television show from 1990-1995. He traded in his orange to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Arkansas, and again while working for the University of Florida and the University of Arkansas in Fort Smith. In 2010, Dobbs returned to work for his alma mater in his current role. Dobbs is also quick to credit the entire landscape services team for their hard work in maintaining and landscaping the campus grounds.

The Shoes

With more than 850 acres and 3,000 trees to maintain, Dobbs spends a lot of time walking around campus.

The best way for him to monitor how projects are coming along and what areas need improvement is by walking thousands of steps each week.

Always Learning

Reading trade magazines helps Dobbs keep up-to-date with the latest industry trends, ensuring OSU remains cutting-edge. Dobbs is just as passionate about teaching as he is learning, and he has written 11 books on various horticulture topics. He wants to make OSU’s landscaping educational as well as beautiful. Quick Response codes can be found throughout the gardens for people to scan to find plantspecific information. The gardens are used in many of OSU’s botany and horticulture studies.

STORY KAYLEE HOWELL | PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 99

Taking The Reins

Blaire Atkinson becomes first female president of the OSU Alumni Association In September 2018, the OSU Alumni Association Board of Directors named Blaire Atkinson as the organization’s 14th president and first female leader. Atkinson is a business administration graduate who previously served as the senior associate vice president of development services at the OSU Foundation. She is a lifelong Cowgirl and sat down for a Q&A for STATE magazine readers.

Where did you grow up as a child?

I grew up on a farm in Vici, Oklahoma. I graduated (high school) with approximately 34 kids, and I am still connected with most of them today. Vici is a very supportive and familyoriented community. I am so grateful for my upbringing there and for the large family support system I have in western Oklahoma.

You met your husband at OSU as well, right?

Yes, I met my husband, Matt, when I was a junior.

We had mutual friends who connected us. It’s funny – one of my criteria for who I wanted to date was that he needed to love OSU. He is passionate about OSU, which was nice because he is someone I can share this experience with.

We just passed 14 years of being married.

Where did you get your love for OSU? I am a legacy, as both my parents attended OSU. My dad graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine and still works as a veterinarian in Vici. I can remember driving around in western Oklahoma with my dad, listening to Cowboy football on the AM radio and fell in love with OSU. It’s hard not to love a university that feels like the same supportive community I left in Vici.

Where did life take you after you graduated?

I started at Bank SNB as an intern my senior year and was offered a full-time position after graduation. A few years later, Matt was working in OKC, and we were getting ready to have our first baby. We wanted to be in the same city, so I accepted a job with Dobson Communications.

When it was bought by AT&T, I got a job at an O’Reilly Auto Parts as the HR and safety manager.

What makes OSU stand out in your mind?

Being a Cowboy means you are part of a special family, and it’s not just about what you accomplish but how you accomplish it. For me, it aligns with my personal family upbringing as well.

How did your family end up back in the Stillwater area?

The reason we moved back was because we were expecting our third child, and Matt had been transferred to Stillwater. We definitely wanted to raise our kids in a small-town environment near orange country. I ended up getting an HR position at the OSU Foundation and later transferred into development services.

Can you talk about your time as a student at OSU? As a student, I attended many sporting events and was active in a couple of student clubs. But I tried to work as many hours as I could while I was in school. I enjoyed working and wanted to be completely self-sufficient. I did change my major a few times, as I had always thought I wanted to be a math teacher/coach, but landed in business instead.

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What is your favorite aspect of your new position?

The people and the mission! The Alumni Association staff are some of the most hardworking and orange-loving people you will ever meet. The more time I am here, the more

INTERVIEW W I L L C A R R | PHOTO GARY LAWSON

Blaire Atkinson and her family (clockwise from Blaire): daughter Morgan, 8; son Wyatt, 11; husband Matt; and son Westin, 9.

I understand the true heart of what the Alumni Association is to OSU, and it’s that tireless commitment to promoting and preserving the traditions and values that sets us apart. I am excited to be a part of reinforcing that core culture to alumni, students and legacies.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

A lot of my time is spent with my family. My husband and I have three children: Wyatt, 11, Westin, 9, and Morgan, 8. They are active in sports, and Morgan also plays piano. We are always running all over the state for basketball, football, softball and baseball.

What do you look forward to the most at the Alumni Association?

There is something different about being a Cowboy, and at the association, we promote and protect those values and traditions that set us apart. There is so much opportunity ahead of us, and I look forward to helping grow enthusiasm and pride in Oklahoma State for all legacies, students and alumni of our beloved university.

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Hall of Fame

OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY

T

2019

he OSU Alumni Association welcomed five new members to the Oklahoma State University Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Feb. 8 in the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center. The university’s highest honor celebrates outstanding lifetime achievement in society and professional life. This year’s honorees were Joseph Eastin, Jennifer M. Grigsby, AJ and Susan Jacques, and Neal McCaleb.

Visit okla.st/HOF2019 to watch the induction video for each honoree as well as the full ceremony.

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STORY WILL CARR | PHOTOS PHIL SCHOCKLEY AND GENESSE PHOTO

JOSEPH

Eastin Joseph Eastin graduated from OSU in 1992 with a degree in business administration. Eastin then went on to receive his master’s degree in business administration from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 2015.

Eastin, ISN’s CEO, has been with the company since its inception in 2001. Headquartered in Dallas, ISN is a software and service company that manages and combines performance, safety and compliance data for oil and gas, manufacturing and other capital-intensive organizations. ISN has 600 employees and serves 70,000 companies in more than 80 countries. Eastin brought experience from the telecom, engineering software and energy industries in joining ISN. Eastin also continues to give back to his alma maters and his community.

He serves on several boards at OSU, the American Board at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and the Lamplighter School in Dallas. He has also served in multiple capacities with the Lone Star Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization, including education chair and then chairman in 2016.

Over the past few years, Eastin has been recognized and honored by OSU and the Dallas community. In 2012, Eastin was inducted into the OSU Spears School of Business Hall of Fame. He has been instrumental in establishing OSU’s Eastin/ ISN Center for Career Readiness, providing students a professional development framework to enhance their competencies and career readiness. In 2018, Eastin was invited to join the prestigious Salesmanship Club in Dallas, a service organization dedicated to transforming kids’ lives.

During his leisure time, Eastin spends time with his wife, Monica, and four children. When he’s not coaching or cheering from the sidelines of his children’s extracurricular activities, Eastin is either enjoying the great outdoors or spending quality time with family and friends. He is also a life member of the OSU Alumni Association.

“I had a great experience at OSU. It was great for me to get exposure to people from across the state and the country.”

JOSEPH EASTIN

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JENNIFER M.

Grigsby

Jennifer M. Grigsby graduated from OSU in 1991 with a degree in accounting. She earned a master’s degree in business administration at Oklahoma City University in 1999 and currently is executive vice president and chief financial officer of Ascent Resources LLC, an independent natural gas and oil company.

Grigsby began her career as an accountant for Deloitte & Touche LLP and Commander Aircraft Co. In 1995, she joined Chesapeake Energy and ultimately served as the company’s senior vice president of corporate and strategic planning and senior vice president, treasurer and corporate secretary. She went on to serve as CFO at American Energy – Woodford LLC and chief executive officer at American Energy – Minerals LLC. Grigsby is also a principal and co-founder of Amethyst Investments LLC, a passive financial investment company.

In the community, she serves on the board of directors of the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, the United Way of Central Oklahoma, Leadership Oklahoma City, the Petroleum Club of Oklahoma City and CrossFirst Bankshares. She is also a member of the executive committee of the Dean’s Council for the Spears School of Business, the Eastin Center for Career Readiness Advisory Board and the OSU School of Accounting Advisory Board. Grigsby served as chair of the OSU Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2013-15 and chair of the OSU Foundation Board of Trustees from 2015-17.

Grigsby was inducted into the Wilton T. Anderson School of Accounting Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Spears School of Business Hall of Fame in 2013. One year later, she was recognized as one of the “100 for 100” graduates of the Spears School of Business and as a Distinguished Alumna by the Meinders School of Business at OCU. Grigsby and her husband, Steve, reside in Edmond, Oklahoma, with their two sons, Reid, 18, and Jack, 15. She is a life member of the OSU Alumni Association.

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“I am very proud of my OSU education and the many doors that it has opened and continues to open for me professionally.”

JENNIFER M. GR IGSBY

AJ AND SUSAN

Jacques

AJ and Susan Jacques both graduated from OSU in 1975 — Susan with a degree in recreation and AJ in agricultural economics. At OSU, AJ was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho, and Susan was a member of Pi Beta Phi. AJ had a successful career as an oil and gas producer and contractor for more than 35 years, including serving as the president of Atlas Drilling LLC in Woodward, Oklahoma. In addition to starting Atlas, AJ also started Cheyenne Drilling Company and built it into a multistate drilling operation with 17 rigs. Susan worked as a middle school teacher and received her middle school science degree from St. Mary of the Plains College in 1987.

The couple have volunteered on various boards and councils. Both are members of the OSU Board of Governors. AJ serves on the Alumni Board for Alpha Gamma Rho. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and the Board of Trustees for the OSU Foundation. Susan is an active member of the Pi Phi Alumnae Club and the Friends of Music Board. She is also on the Events Committee for Women for OSU. Over the years, AJ and Susan have been honored multiple times. The OSU Foundation recognized them as Proud & Immortal Society Inductees. They are also members of the OSU Heritage Society. AJ was honored as the Alpha Gamma Rho Outstanding Alumnus, and Susan was inducted into the OSU College of Education, Health and Aviation Hall of Fame in 2014.

The couple has continued to contribute to OSU throughout the years, including gifts to the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, McKnight Center, OSU Athletics, and the College of Education, Health and Aviation.

AJ and Susan reside in Stillwater.

They have two daughters and three grandchildren. They are both life members of the OSU Alumni Association.

“The best choice, from the bottom of my heart, that I’ve ever made was deciding to come to Oklahoma State University.”

SUSA N JACQUES

“I’ve been blessed to have had the opportunity to attend and graduate from this fine university, which gave me a solid foundation on which to build a career.”

AJ JACQUES

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NEAL

McCaleb

“To say I found myself at this institution is an understatement. I began to realize as a student here that I could achieve things beyond my modest capability.”

NEA L MCCA LEB

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Neal McCaleb graduated from OSU, then Oklahoma A&M, in 1957 with a degree in civil engineering. He has served as a civil engineer in both the private practice and public service forms for more than 60 years.

Upon graduation, McCaleb got involved with the Oklahoma interstate highway system. He joined the Oklahoma City Engineering Department as the assistant city engineer before starting his engineering consulting firm in 1961.

McCaleb served in many different roles for the state of Oklahoma over the next few decades, including being appointed the state’s first secretary of transportation by Gov. Henry Bellmon while still serving as the director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. While in this role, McCaleb oversaw turnpike expansion throughout the state.

In 2001, McCaleb was appointed as the assistant secretary of the interior by President George W. Bush. While serving in this position, McCaleb was the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He advocated for the improvement of tribal nations through the implementation of tribal sovereignty and economic development.

This position allowed McCaleb to continue a passion he had pursued throughout his life — the advocacy of rights for American Indians with a focus on the Chickasaw Nation. In the 1960s, he served as the vice president of Oklahoma for Indian Opportunity and on the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission. He was later appointed to the National Council on Indian Opportunity by President Richard Nixon and the President’s Commission on Reservation Economics by President Ronald Reagan.

In addition to all of these contributions, McCaleb has served on the board of the Oklahoma Academy, including as chairman.

He is also a member of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and the OSU College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Hall of Fame.

McCaleb and his wife, Georgeann, reside in Edmond, Oklahoma. They have four children and 13 grandchildren.

Outstanding SENI RS The OSU Alumni Association is proud to honor 15 students with the 2018-19 OUTSTANDING SENIORS AWARD. This award recognizes students who distinguish themselves through academic achievements; campus and community activities; academic, athletic and extracurricular honors or awards; scholarships; and work ethic.

After reviewing the students’ applications, the Alumni Association Student Awards and Selection Committee met with 43 Seniors of Significance who were honored in fall 2018 and selected 15 for this prestigious honor.

The 2018-19 Outstanding Seniors were honored at a banquet April 25 at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center.

Visit okla.st/OS19vids to see interviews with each Outstanding Senior.

DANYA BREWER Emporia, Kansas Psychology Brewer was president of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Student Council and coordinator of its Freshman Student Council. She was also the head of judicials for the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and an undergraduate representative on the CAS

DALACY DOCKREY Dale, Oklahoma Agricultural economics and accounting Dockrey was the director of the Student Government Association’s Cowboys Cousins and vice president of Chi Omega women’s fraternity.

She was also an ambassador for the College of Agricultural Sciences and

EMILY DAWN FRY Stillwater Biological science Fry was a four-year student athlete as a member of the OSU Pom Squad and a member of the Mortar Board Senior Honor Society. She was also a member of the President’s Leadership Council and named a top 50 freshman by the

CAROLINE K. GRAHAM Midwest City, Oklahoma Microbiology/cell and molecular biology and biochemistry Graham was the president of Alpha Epsilon Delta and vice president eternal for the National Residence Hall Honorary.

She was also the vice president of the Student Wellness Council and president

108 S P R I N G 2 0 1 9

Dean Seek and Search Committee. Her community involvement includes working in patient access services for Stillwater Medical Center, volunteering for the Stillwater Humane Society, and spreading awareness and education about breast cancer research. Brewer was also honored with the Stockton Scholarship and the Panhellenic Sorority Achievement

Scholarship. She was a member of Psi Chi, Order of Omega and Phi Kappa Phi.

Natural Resources (CASNR). Dockrey’s community involvement includes a CASNR legislative internship in agriculture and being a member of the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Encounter, class XVI. She was a member of the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation Board and chair of the Oklahoma AgCredit Student Board. Dockrey was honored as a Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar

and was an OSU Truman Scholarship Institutional nominee.

Freshman Representative Council. Fry also co-authored two national refereed research articles and presented at the National Society of Behavioral Medicine in San Diego. Her community involvement includes working with Coaches Versus Cancer and serving as a research assistant for research on emotions and cognition in health. Fry was named a Wentz Research Scholar and a member

of the Phi Kappa Phi International Honor Society.

of Phi Eta Sigma. Graham’s community involvement includes being a religious educator for kindergarten and high school students and volunteering at the Ministries of Jesus Free Dental Clinic. She also served as a youth group leader and was an oral health volunteer at OUCOD Kids Day. Graham was honored as volunteer of the year for the SWACURH region and was a Green Student Initiative

Grant Winner. She also placed third in the CAS’ three-minute thesis competition.

After graduation, Brewer hopes to attend medical school in 2020. She aims to become a neurologist and wants to serve lower-income areas.

After graduation, Dockrey plans to begin a career at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. She also hopes to become a certified public accountant in Oklahoma.

Upon graduation, Fry will pursue a doctorate of physical therapy at the University of Oklahoma.

After graduation, Graham will be attending the University of Oklahoma’s College of Dentistry to become a dental surgeon.

STORY WILL CARR | PHOTOS OSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

MADELINE HAWKINS Carrollton, Texas Industrial engineering and management Hawkins was the president of the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT) Student Council and an academic coach for the college. She was also treasurer for the Student Government Association and a

MUWANIKA JDIOBE Jinja, Uganda Aerospace and mechanical engineering Jdiobe served as a senator for the Student Government Association and a member of the CEAT Student Council. He was also the central regional ambassador for the National Association of Engineering Student

REBECCA LANE Beulah, Colorado Chemical engineering Lane was the executive director and traditions executive for the Student Alumni Board. She was also the campus involvement advisor and CEAT senator for the Student Government Association. Lane attended the National

JASMYN LEE Lawton, Oklahoma Civil-environmental engineering Lee was the CEAT student council representative for the Chi Epsilon civil engineering fraternity and a community mentor for OSU Residential Life. She also served as president of the OSU Hip Hop Dance Crew and was a mentor

SAVANNAH MARTIN Duncan, Oklahoma Microbiology/cell and molecular biology Martin served as the freshman representative council coordinator for the Student Government Association Executive Cabinet and secretary for the Blue Key Honor Society. She was also vice president for the Mortar Board

RACHAEL INDAH MERKEL Stillwater Mechanical engineering Merkel was a founding member and treasurer for the University College Student Council. She was also the senior library ambassador and spoke in the Inform Your Thinking series. Merkel’s community involvement included

member of the CEAT’s Executive Board.

Hawkins served the community as a big committee member for CowboyThon, volunteer at Stillwater Middle School and participant in the Stillwater School Supply Drive. Hawkins was honored as a W.W. Allen Scholar and an Outstanding Industrial Engineering Undergraduate.

She was also an accelerateOSU Business

Plan Scholarship recipient and a Mortar Board Honor Society inductee.

Council, representing Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. Jdiobe’s community involvement included serving as a mentor in Parker Engineering Hall and volunteering for the Into the Streets program. He also served as a member of Love Stilly and volunteered with the Center Church. Jdiobe was honored as Student Government Association Outstanding Senator and a Wentz

Research Scholar. He was also named a Grand Challenge Scholar and an Outstanding Senator for the Residence Hall Association.

Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., and participated in the Cowboys in Cambridge study abroad program. She was a participant in the CEAT study abroad program in South Korea and Malaysia. Lane was honored as a Women for OSU Student Philanthropist & Scholar, as well as a Top Ten Freshman Woman.

She was also named a CEAT scholar, and

both a Panhellenic Outstanding Junior and Sophomore.

for Inspiring Successful Engineers. Her community involvement includes serving as president for the Mount Zion Baptist Church God Renewing Our Women (G.R.O.W.) Ministry, volunteering for Into the Streets and serving senior citizens at Oakwood Living Community with the OSU National Society of Black Engineers.

Lee was honored as a Women for OSU Student Scholar and an Oklahoma Louis

Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (OKLSAMP) Scholar.

Honor Society and vice president of philanthropy for Pi Beta Phi. Martin’s community involvement included volunteering on a Global Medical Brigades mission trip in San Gabriel, Nicaragua, and being an Oklahoma Girls State counselor. She was honored as a Women for OSU Student Philanthropist of the Year and a Wentz Research Grant recipient. Martin was also a Mortar

Board Top Ten Freshman Woman, and a Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Department Outstanding Senior.

participating in Into the Streets and volunteering at Relay for Life. Merkel also worked with Feed My Starving Children, the Humane Society of Stillwater and the Harvest II canned food drive. She was honored as a Niblack Research Scholar and was presented the Women’s Faculty Council Research Award. Merkel also received the Honors College International Certificate and won OSU’s

PricewaterhouseCoopers Accounting Challenge.

After graduation, Hawkins plans to pursue a master’s of philosophy in industrial, systems, manufacture and management at the University of Cambridge.

After graduation, Jdiobe will continue his education in graduate school at OSU.

Upon graduation, Lane will be moving to Houston to work for ExxonMobil in the Global Midstream division.

After graduation, Lee is moving to Houston to work for ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company. She also plans attend graduate school part time.

Upon graduation, Martin will begin medical school to pursue her passion for serving rural and medically underserved communities in Oklahoma.

Merkel graduated from OSU in December 2018 and works at Intel, managing multiple mechanical systems that directly affect tools and process at a high volume-manufacturing site.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 109

Outstanding SENI RS SARAH OLIVER Ardmore, Oklahoma Biochemistry Oliver was the present and philanthropy chair of the Honors College Living Learning Program in Stout Hall. She was also a small group leader for The Table Campus Ministry and served on the OSU President’s Leadership Council. Oliver

AMAIRANI PEREZ CHAMU Tulsa American studies Perez Chamu was the vice president of the Hispanic Student Association and the field coordinator for the United We Can Program. She was also a member of the President’s Leadership Society and the Diversity Committee for

JOANNA QUIAH Edmond, Oklahoma Biosystems engineering Quiah was president of the OSU chapter of Alpha Epsilon and served as a CEAT ambassador. She was also the chairwoman of the OSU Academic Integrity Panel and the director of the OSU Bioeconomy and Sustainability

ALMA DELFINA RIOS Buffalo, Oklahoma Biochemistry Rios served as the president of Chi Omega and was a President’s Leadership Council facilitator. She was also the president of the Order of Omega and served as the chaplain for the Blue Key Honor Society. Rios stayed involved

COLTON TUBBS Hartshorne, Oklahoma Mechanical engineering Tubbs served as the vice president of committees for the CEAT Student Council and a member of the Mortar Board Honor Society. He was also the internal vice president and vice president of programming for FarmHouse Fraternity.

110 S P R I N G 2 0 1 9

was also a Noble Summer Research Scholar in plant science. Her community involvement included being the food drive coordinator for the Glencoe Food Pantry and facilitating a local blanket knitting effort for South African AIDS orphans. Oliver was honored as a National Truman Scholar Finalist and was a Women for OSU Student Philanthropist

Scholar. She was also a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

OSU-Tulsa. Perez Chamu’s community involvement included serving as vice president for Dream Alliance Oklahoma and as a member of the Greater Tulsa Hispanic Affairs Commission’s Education Committee. She was also a representative of ACTION Tulsa and worked with the American Red Cross. Perez Chamu was honored as a 2019 Outstanding Senior of Significance for American Studies

and received the 2018 Tomas Rivera Excellence in Education Award. She also received the 2017 Aspiring Americans Scholar Award.

Expo. Quiah’s community involvement included volunteering with Blue Thumb, Into the Streets and the Humane Society of Stillwater. She was honored with the ASABE Stewart Engineering Humanities Award and was named a Cowboys in Cambridge Scholar. Quiah also won first place in the CEAT undergraduate threeminute thesis competition.

After graduation, Quiah will attend North Carolina State University for her master’s in biosystems engineering.

She will also be working on a National Science Foundation project studying the impact on bivalves in the ocean on scour mitigation and erosion.

with the community by volunteering as the small group leader for CLUE camp and working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She was also a volunteer with the Buffalo Community Theater and Buffalo Lady Bison Athletics. Rios was honored as a Top Five Candidate for OSU Homecoming Royalty. She is also proud to be a naturalized citizen of the United States of America.

Upon graduation, Rios will be applying for medical school. She hopes to serve others as a rural family medicine physician.

Tubbs served his community by volunteering at the Stillwater YMCA and with Life Church Switch. He also worked with the CEAT peer mentor program.

He was honored as a Wentz Research Scholar and a CEAT Scholar. Tubbs was also a Phillips 66 Shield Scholar and was a Top 20 Outstanding Freshman Man.

Upon graduation, Tubbs will be moving to Houston to enter the five-year leadership development program with Phillips 66.

After graduation, Oliver plans to pursue a juris doctorate to prepare for a career in intellectual property and patent law.

After graduation, Perez Chamu intends pursue a graduate degree in film production and apply for the Tulsa Artist Fellowship.

PROVIDING ENERGY. IMPROVING LIVES. At Phillips 66, protecting our people, our environment and our communities guides everything we do. That’s why we’re a committed partner with Oklahoma State University and a strong supporter of the OSU Alumni Association, contributing $500,000 to OSU annually. We are proud to be a part of the OSU “Cowboy Family.”

Phillips66.com

Phillips66.com

© 2018 Phillips 66 Company. All rights reserved.

© 2018 Phillips 66 Company. All rights reserved.

CM 18-0058

New Life Members

The OSU Alumni Association would like to recognize and thank the following individuals who are now connected for life to Oklahoma State University through their new life memberships purchased in 2018.

Learn about the benefits of becoming a life member at okla.st/forlife or call 405-744-5368.

*An asterisk designates life members who joined as OSU students.

Allison Adams, ’16 Mackenna Adams, ’18 Micah Adams, ’17 Saydee Adams, ’18 Gladys Adofo, ’83 Brenna Adolph, ’18 Cara Agan, ’17 Melissa Agnew, ’14 Alicia Aguilar V., ’18 Alexandra Akers, ’17 Emily Albert, ’18 Michael Albright* Kelly Allen, ’10 Micah Allen, ’18 Amy Allison, ’10 Travis Allison, ’09, ’11 Julie Anderson, ’84, ’88 Rick Anderson, ’85, ’94 Terry Andrews* Stephen Angle, ’17 Jennifer Apple, ’18 Taylor Arnett* Blaire Atkinson, ’04 Matt Atkinson, ’06 Don Ayres Rebecca Bailey, ’12, ’14 Emiley Bainbridge, ’09 Russell Bainbridge III, ’10 Larry Bair, ’78, ’82 Bob Baird, ’91 Michael Balenti, ’08 Kristin Ball, ’18 Wade Ballagh* Caitlin Baney, ’16 Eneth Banks, ’69 Andrew Barnes, ’18 K.C. Barnes II, ’18 Matt Barnes, ’01 Ryan Barnett, ’10 Cathie Barney, '73, ’81 Ronald Barney Melea Barrick, ’18 Gary Bastemeyer, ’81 Abigail Bechtold, ’18 Christopher Becker* Chase Beratto, ’12 Emily Beratto* Gloria Berry, ’18 Daniel Bigbee, ’18 Matthew BilyeuSohigian, ’07, ’17 Kaleb Blackford* Annie Blackmon, ’16

112 S P R I N G 2 0 1 9

Eston Blair, ’18 Brady Bluma* Taylor Boatman, ’18 Erin Boatsman, ’99, ’03 Chad Boeckman, ’05, ’11 Alexandria Bond* Paige Bond, ’17 Barry Bonham II, ’93, ’00 Brent Bonner, ’02 Andrea Boothe, ’04, ’08, ’10 Donna Bost, ’64 Sherry Boyce, ’90, ’94 Grant Brchan, ’11 Bowe Brewington* Colleen Brinton* Ashley Brooks, ’18 Kourtney Brooks, ’16 Rob Brossett, ’93 Ben Brown, ’06, ’09 Clara Brown, ’18 Kaeley Brown* Rebecca Brown* Emily Bruner, ’18 JC Bryan, ’17 Tamzin Bryan, ’17 Bailey Buckmeier, ’18 Gwenlynn Budzene Mary Bumpus, ’16 Cole Bundy* Sadee Burchfield, ’18 Amy Burd, ’03, ’07 Legand Burge III, ’92, ’95, ’98 Taylor Burmeier, ’18 Jordan Burns, ’17 Paul Bussert, ’18 Lindsay Campbell, ’96 Troy Campfield, ’18 Michael Carolina, ’67, ’71 Nicholas Carpenter John Carroll, ’63 Berma Carter* Tianna Carter, ’17 Jordan Cash, ’14 Rick Cassens, ’16 Jordan Cassidy, ’09, ’13 Kade Castleberry, ’18 Jenifer Caudle, ’18 Brandon Charnecki* Dewayne Claus* Elyssa Claxton, ’15, ’18 Quenton Clay, ’18 Noah Clayton

Camari Close Chris Coffey Sandy Cohlmia, ’68 Joshua Cole, ’11 Christian Coletti* Andrew Collier, ’14 Emily Collier, ’14 Paige Condren* Kristi Conner, ’96 Duain Cook, ’09 Katie Coon, ’18 Alanna Cooper, ’02 Brian Cooper, ’14 Mackenzie Cooper, ’18 Alanis Cordova, ’18 Derrick Corey, ’94 Jill Corey, ’96 Alexis Courtney, ’18 Dean Cox, ’09 Hannah Cox* Kira Cox Susan Cox, ’92, ’11 Cynthia Craig* Kim Craig, ’88 Hugh Crethar Travis Critchlow, ’08 Kathleen Cullinan, ’16 Megan Curtis* Connor Cusack, ’17 Katie Daniel* Andrew Danker* Christopher Dao, ’18 Hannah Darr, ’18 Kelly Davenport, ’18 Brett Davis, ’05 Caleb Reese Davis, ’17 Colby Davis* Dominique Davis* Mary Davis Morgan Davis* Randy Davis, ’76 Cassidy Day* Cody Dean, ’18 Johnathon Dean* Kelsey Decker* Janet DeHoogh, ’84 Jeff DeHoogh, ’85 Erika Delk* Codi Demere, ’17 Grant DeWitt, ’18 Jimmy Dickinson, ’17 Joseph Diclementi, ’17 Elizabeth Dillingham*

Kelyn Disel, ’14, ’17 Matt Divine, ’18 Sarah Dixon, ’18 James Dominici Jr., ’18 Maria Dominici Kenneth Dornblaser, ’77, ’80 John Dorris, ’16 Reed Doss, ’18 Samuel Downey* Lane Driskill, ’18 Courtney Dudley, ’16 Lana Duke, ’18 Kenny Duong* Isaac Dyer, ’18 Jenny Dyer, ’18 Tim Dyer, ’84, ’86 Jimmy Eakle, ’16 Connor Earl-Choate* Elizabeth Elliott, ’18 Kasey Ellrich* Cordelle Elsener, ’18 Brian Elston, ’85 Zach Estes, ’16, ’18 Kathryn Ewing, ’18 Abigail Faith, ’16 Larry Faulkner Jr., ’94 Robin Faulkner Briana Feist* Madison Fellers* Tanner Felts, ’18 Marissa Fennell, ’18 Jessee Ferrell* Julian Fields* Aaron Fife* Benjamin Firth* Connor Fischer* Denise Flaspohler, ’95 AJ Flusche, ’10 Steven Flynt, '88, ’16 Beth Fogg* Christy Ford, ’84 Eric Ford Jr., ’84 Nicholas Foster, ’18 Sonya Franklin, ’16 Glenn Freeman, ’80 Grant Freeman* Jordan Freeman* Kathryn Friederichs, ’18 Taylor Friedman* Davis Frohrip* Emily Fry* Alicia Fuksa, ’18

Mandy Fuller Roger Fuller, ’98 Michael Furlough, ’96 Kaitlin Gallagher, ’18 Rachel Gamble, ’18 Kathleen Gardner, ’73, ’76, ’80 Ashlyn Garis* Chelsea George* Lincoln Gibson* Micah Gillezeau, ’17 John Gilmore, ’16 Kelsey Gingerich, ’06, ’09 Todd Gingerich, ’08 Cali Givens, ’18 Robbyn Glinsmann, ’00 Meranda Golbek* Jacoby Gonzales* Jarrett Gonzalez* Chris Gootos Sr., ’16 Madison Goswick* Josh Gower, ’16 Tyler Grace* Betsy Graham, ’06 Carter Graham, ’93 Pete Graham, ’78 Caleb Green, ’18 Ethan Green, ’14 Lacy Greening, ’16, ’18 Megan Gregory, ’15 Ross Greiten* Danny Grellner, ’93 Kerri Grellner, ’94 Carly Griffith Hotvedt, ’06, ’11 Bailey Grimes, ’18 Jeffrey Gruntmeir, ’06, ’16 Justin Gulledge, ’03 Tiffany Gulledge, ’06 Kyle Hadley, ’13 Paige Hadley, ’13 Bill Hall Jr., ’82 Garrett Hall, ’18 Nancy Hall, ’83, ’84 Thomas Hall, ’17 Emma Hands, ’18 Karl Hansen, ’90 Darcy Hargis, ’14 Ki Hargis, ’14 Jocelynn Harris* Dionne Harrison* Jessica Harry, ’16

Madison Hartley* Chelsea Harwell* Christie Hawkins, ’89, ’93, ’98 Gage Heath, ’18 Randy Henry, ’18 Kylan Hensley, ’18 Isaac Hernandez Moreno* Rebecca Herrera* Scott Herring* Samuel Hibbard, ’18 Jessie Hickey, ’18 Frances Hicks, ’18 Adam Hoak* Gayle Hobaugh, ’08 Deborah Holle, ’74, ’77 Shari Holloway, ’91 Robin Holly, ’07, ’10 Alex Holt, ’18 Teddi Homan, ’18 Verdo Hooker Jr., ’55 Jessica Hoover, ’18 Kalee Horn* Jeffrey Horrocks, ’09 Chad Hotvedt, ’16 Nicholas Hrdlicka, ’18 Derek Hudelson, ’17 Harry Hueston* Jake Hughes* Candace Hume, ’09 Jill Hundley, ’16 Lauren Ihnat, ’16 Bradley Ingram* Mike Ingram, ’18 Steve Irby, ’69, ’72 Julian Irwin* Taylor Isbell, ’15 Jeremiah Ivy* Abby Jaynes* Evan Jefferson, ’18 Jody Jobe, ’78 Logan Johns* Chad Johnson, ’04 Elizabeth Johnson, ’18 Jordan Johnson Sarah Johnston, ’07 Zach Johnston, ’18 Brent Jones, ’71 Craig Jones, ’89 Rachael Jones, ’16 Shana Jones, ’13 Shelby Jones Stephanie Jones Bailey Jordan, ’18 Lori Jordan, ’89 Lawton Jung* Nathan Kadavy, ’14 Alan Kaneshige, ’85 Carol Kaneshige David Kavanaugh, ’97 Cooper Kelley, ’18 Michael Kelsey, ’90, ’92 Jessica Kendrick* Susan Kenslow, ’77 Willie Kersey* Jake Ketring* Imran Khan, ’18 Megan Kibler, ’18 Taylor Kilbride, ’18 Alicia Kimberlin, ’06, ’07

Lindsay King, ’16 Salena King, ’18 Matthew Kline* Cynthia Klumpp, ’82, ’85 Mike Klumpp, ’76, ’84 Naveen Kodadhala, ’07, ’09 Brice Koons* Larissa Kozlowski* Chrystal Kramer, ’16 Randy Kramer, ’16 Katie Kroll, ’18 Grayson Kuehny, ’18 Logan Kunka, ’18 Justin Lacy, ’04, ’09 Katie Lacy, ’17 Luke Lamle* Allison Lang* Nathan Laszlo* Devyn Lavoie, ’16 Ronald Lee, ’83 Susan Lee, ’83 Jonathan Leeper, ’18 Vance Lewis, ’12 Maddi Linam* Amy Lindeman, ’00 Fred Lindeman, ’99 Whitney Lisenbee, ’14, ’16 Bobby Lisle, ’70 Nancy Lisle, ’70 Jennifer Litchfield* Quinn Llewellyn, ’18 Manny Lockyear, '17 Alexsis Long* Holly Long* Daniel Lopez, ’08 Becky Lorton, ’81 Briar Lostlen* Micah Lovelady* Robert Lovin, ’17 Susan Mack, ’87 Justin Maes, ’16 Catherine Major Michael Major, ’85 Wiley Malson* Jenna Maltbie, ’18 Courtney Manly, ’18 Karen Mannix, ’87, ’90 Amanda Manville* Courtney Mapes* Joshua Maples, ’17 Joseph Marigny Brown, ’16 Ugene Marshall, ’95 Hanna Martin* Kelly Martin, ’18 Courtney Mason* Tyler Mason, ’17 Tina Mathes, ’17 Ambra Matheson, ’18 Larry Mattox, ’07 Sarah Mattox, ’06 Julie Maune, ’03 Tanner Maune, ’03 Caitlin McBride* Roxie McBride, ’97 John McCall, ’16 Patrick McCarty, ’72 Kaden McCombs, ’16, ’18 Laurie McCormick, ’97

Anna McCrarey, ’16 Sara McCullough* McKinzie McElroy, ’18 Jonathan McGill* Rachael McKean, ’17 Miranda McKee* Elisabeth McKenzie, ’18 Austin McKiel* Summer McLaughlin* Alexie McMath* Christie McMeans, ’18 Travis McMorrough, ’16 J.D. McNutt, ’76, ’86 Brooke McWilliams, ’17 Aaron Meaux* Rachel Meinders* Rainn Melton* Alisa Menke, ’86 Indah Merkel* Brent Meyer, ’92 Leann Meyer, ’91, ’93 Albert Meza, ’18 Alexis Miller, ’18 LaDonna Miller Terry Miller, ’78 Joanie Milleret, ’96 Leighton Millican* Christie Millis, ’89, ’90, ’93 Hannah Mills, ’16 Angel Molina, ’18 Andrew Moore* Becki Moore, ’04 Kimberly Moore, ’96 Ann Morgan, ’06, ’11 Johnny Morgan Jr., ’96 Brandi Morman, ’16 Cooper Morris, ’18 Katie Morrison, ’18 Lance Morrow, ’16, ’17 Russell Morrow, ’16 Amber Most* Baylee Moster, ’18 Robert Mouser* Pryse Mullenax, ’18 Taylor Muller, ’18 Macy Mullinax* Katherine Murphy, ’16 Addison Murray, ’17 Joseph Murray, ’10, ’13 Jennifer Myers* Raghav Nargotra, ’17 David Nash, ’95, ’05 Renesia Nash, ’97 John Navarro Jr., ’18 Aron Neeman, ’99 Bre Nesmith* Thomas New* Kris Newman Terry Newman Dan Niles, ’18 Steve Norman, ’85 Taylor Norris* Damon Nunn, ’03, ’16 Courtney O'Connor, ’17 Caitlin Oakleaf, ’18 Samantha Oard, ’16 Merritt Ogle, ’18 Payton Ohradzansky, ’18 Andrea Olson, ’18 Sandra Opalka, ’06

Kathleen Otto, ’95 Andrew Outhier, ’15 Lacy Owens* Madelyn Owens* Alicia Palmer, ’18 Joshua Pankratz* Austin Parker* Emily Parks* Sherry Parks, ’79 Miranda Parr* Alexander Perry* Macy Perry, ’18 Stormy Perry, ’18 Jerry Peters, ’79 Joshua Peters, ’17 Sandi Peters, ’79 Alex Pfeifer, ’18 Morgan Pfeiffer, ’14, ’16 Travis Phelps, ’07 Shania Phillips, ’14, ’17 Kaitlyn Pierce, ’18 JJ Pine, ’14, ’16 Paige Pine, ’13, ’17 Elizabeth Pittman* Dakota Plumlee* Valerie Poor* Cole Popplewell, ’17 Jillian Prather, ’09 Angela Pregler, ’05 Matt Pregler, ’02 Lacey Quadrelli, ’16 Alyssa Rackley* Nathan Ramseyer, ’18 Jeff Randel, ’85 Blake Raper, ’91 Catelyn Rappsilber* Jordan Ray* Angela Record* William Resides* Randall Reyes, ’75, ’77 Vicky Reyes, ’75 Beckie Rhoades, ’18 Gianna Ricci, ’18 Jim Rich, ’95 Patty Rich, ’94 Christina Richey, ’18 Caden Riggins* Kyanne Robinson* Kathryn Rodman, ’17 Morgan Rogers, ’18 James Rohweder, ’18 Jessica Roper* Samantha Roper* Madison Rorex, ’18 Abigail Ross, ’18 Anna Ross, ’18 Valerie Ross, ’92 Cheyenne Royal, ’18 Rebecca Ruiz Madison Rutherford, ’18 Adrian Saenz, ’16 Caleb Samson* Melanie Samson, ’12 Gary Sandefur, ’74, ’78 Kathy Sandefur Leah Sander* JP Sarver, ’15 Amanda Savig* Heather Sayre, ’16 Chazz Schapansky, ’18 Jenelle Schatz, ’75

Katie Schrammel, ’16 Libby Schultz, ’18 Aaron Seal, ’18 Brett Seggerman, ’18 Jarrod Sestak, ’17 Benjamin Sewell* Dylan Shadoan* Elizabeth Shafer, ’18 Denise Shaw Paswaters, ’85, ’93 John Sheets, ’08 Katy Sheets, ’10 Stan Shelden, ’68 Claire Sheppard* Jon Short, ’92, ’96 Patty Short, ’93 Logan Shreve* Ashtyn Shugart* Jacob Sitton, ’18 Kristy Slater, ’07, ’10 Mark Slette, ’18 Addison Smith, ’10 Cadlyn Smith* Ciara Smith* Kathy Smith, ’87 Laney Smith* Mallory Smith, ’10 Marah Smith, ’18 Rachel Smith, ’18 Stacey Smith, ’10, ’16 Taylor Smith* Trenton Smith* Ty Smith, ’18 Val Smith, ’80 Lacy Smith-Morgan, ’91 Chelsi Sparks, ’16 Taylor Sparks, ’17 Carolyn Spiceland Royce Spiceland, ’72 Gene Spillman Jr., ’70 Gatlin Squires* Stephanie Stafford, ’18 Jay Stallsmith, ’91 Allie Standridge, ’17 Shanna Standridge, ’88 Dakota Stanglin, ’16 Charles Staples* Andrew Starkey, ’18 Kara Stead* Sarah Steele, ’17 Andrew Steffen, ’16 Amy Stegall, ’06 Stu Stegall, ’07 Jerad Stephens* Laura Stephenson* Garrett Stevenson, ’18 Jane Stewart, ’93 Carla Stinnett, ’97 Nate Stinnett* Shanyn Stinnett, ’18 Derek Storm, ’04 Kelly Stoup* Mackenzie Stout I, ’11, ’16, ’17 Benjamin Strickfaden, ’18 Clayton Stringer, ’18 Kyle Stringer, ’18 Matt Stroemel, '84, '88 Amber Sturgeon, ’01, ’03, ’08 Scott Sturgeon, ’04

Nicole Sump-Crethar Autumn Sutton* Patricia Swiderski, ’94 Chase Tabor* Joseph Taggart, ’13, ’18 Danielle Taylor, ’17 Hayley Taylor* Ashli Teague* Eric Thibodeaux, ’88, ’89, ’91 Kelsey Thomas, ’17 Kara Thomason, ’14, ’18 Anthony Thompson, ’16 Jacob Thompson* Zachary Thompson, ’16 Joshua Thompson-Lipe* Ron Thrasher, ’89, ’90, ’92 Jack Tidwell, ’17 Ashlea Tillison, ’16 Linda Tisdell Matthew Treat* Daniel Troxel, ’17 Lora Turner* Miles Turner, ’18 Kaylee Tyson, ’18 Bailey Underwood, ’18 Megan Valdez, ’18 Katherine Valentine, ’18 Gregory Van Pelt* Marty Vance, ’95 Scott Vance, ’97 Beth Vanden Berg, ’16 Steven Vekony, ’17 Terry Vickrey, ’79 Caitlin Villalon* Gloria Vogt, ’74 Michael Vogt Eric Vosburgh, ’93 Gretchen Vosburgh, ’93 Achille Wade Devin Waldrep, ’18 Carrie Walker, '03 Carson Walker* Shiloh Walker, ’03 Beverly Walker-Griffea, ’83, ’87, ’04 Bryce Ward, ’04 Haley Ward, ’09 Julie Ward, ’08 Devin Warren, ’16 Heather Warren, ’97

Nicco Warren, ’98, ’99 Gay Washington, ’78, ’81, ’96 Emily Waters, ’18 Hope Watkins, ’17 Justin Watley, ’16 Bailey Watts* Jack Webb, ’92 Claire Weger, ’18 Rhonda Weldon, ’88 Jim Westermeyer, ’84 Cooper Westland, ’18 Cheyenne White, ’18 Christy White, ’16 Donna White Steve White, ’87, ’88 Meghan Whitefield, ’07 Martin Wigg, ’18 Quen Wilczek, ’85 Wayne Wilczek, ’88 Denny Williams, ’11 Jeff Williams, ’16 Kaitlyn Williams, ’16 Matt Williams, ’16 Melissa Williams, ’99 Reid Williams* Vince Williams, ’16 Abigail Wilson* Cameron Wilson, ’87 Cindy Wilson Derryk Wilson, ’96 Ryan Wilson, ’87, ’90 Kendall Wilson-Henson, ’18 Hannah Winemiller* Kenneth Wolgamott* Jacob Wood, ’18 Dalton Woodring, ’18 David Woodrum, ’12, ’16 Alan Woodward, ’94 Mackenzie Woodward* Bill Worden, ’96, ’06 Alec Wright* James-David Wright, ’18 Jer Wright Joel Wright, ’18 Bailey Wroten, ’16 Barbara Yeats, ’16 Doyle Young, ’72 Jay Young, ’07, ’08 Jeff Young Andy Zahl, ’18 Matthew Zembraski, ’18

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 113

CHAPTER LEADER PROFILE

Alison Rose, Boston Chapter Originally from Rhode Island, Alison Rose was the first member of her family to attend OSU. “The majority of my friends in Boston went to Oklahoma State,” Rose said.

As the president of the Boston OSU Alumni Chapter, she continues to stay involved with OSU by hosting monthly events and connecting with graduates in the area.

Now working as the marketing coordinator for Henley Enterprises in Boston, Rose graduated from OSU in 2015 with a double major in marketing and management. During her last year at OSU, she interned with the OSU Athletics marketing department.

“I think that really set me up and sort of opened my eyes to some different things in the marketing community too, outside of what’s taught in the classroom,” Rose said.

Over the course of her college career, Rose was an active member of the Cowgirl equestrian team. She won three Big 12 Championships and was elected team captain her senior year.

“Being voted a captain by my teammates was really special for me,” Rose said. “I loved being able to foster the culture and be that person that girls could come to if they needed help.”

Since joining the Boston OSU Alumni Chapter three years ago, Rose has enjoyed connecting with fellow graduates who understand the Cowboy culture. When she took over as the chapter leader, she worked to increase involvement with a variety of events to interest members.

“We try to do something every month, whether it’s a happy hour or visiting a museum or volunteering,” Rose said.

Her involvement with the chapter started through finding a watch party event on Facebook shortly after moving to Boston, and watch parties continue to be her favorite events.

Rose said that joining an alumni chapter was one of the best decisions she could have made when she moved to Boston.

“It was some of the best years of my life,” she said. “It’s just really special to be able to have people who understand your college life.”

BOSTON CHAPTER

BY THE NUMBERS 404 alumni and friends 26 members 19 current OSU students from Massachusetts 1,450 miles from Stillwater

Alison Rose (center) poses with fellow OSU alumni and fans in Boston.

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STORY AMY WOODS | PHOTO ALISON ROSE

CHAPTER NEWS

Next Stop: Stillwater Senior Sendoffs welcome our newest Cowboys

H

igh school seniors bound for Stillwater are being celebrated at Senior Sendoff events throughout the summer.

Many OSU alumni chapters throughout the country host these events to allow graduates and friends to welcome the newest members to the Cowboy family.

Senior Sendoffs are a great way for incoming freshmen to meet other students attending OSU from their area, get advice from alumni and embrace their new role in the Cowboy family.

Each event is unique and planned individually by local alumni chapters.

Many of them include refreshments, raffles and more. Several chapters also provide opportunities for attendees to win OSU scholarships.

Parents of incoming freshmen are also invited to meet local alumni and ask questions about Stillwater and OSU. Visit ORANGECONNECTION. org/sendoffs to learn more about a Senior Sendoff event in your area.

PITTSBURG COUNTY

Alumni and friends in Pittsburg County participated in the Cowboy Run in March to raise money for a scholarship fund for students attending OSU from their area.

Kent Wilkins, Jean Staples and Josh Wilkins celebrated a great event at the Cowboy Run finish line in McAlester.

S TAT E M AG A Z I N E .O K S TAT E . E D U 115

CHAPTER NEWS

KANSAS CITY

The happy hour event was a great chance for OSU alumni and friends to get to know each other. From left, Mike Richards, Heidi Vosburgh, Eric Vosburgh and Amy Jackson.

The happy hour event was a great chance for OSU alumni and friends to get to know each other.

Events like these connect Cowboys across the nation throughout the year.

OKC METRO

Chef Lan McCabe offers advice to three Cowgirls at the OKC Metro Chapter’s Holiday Cookie Decorating Class.

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Chef Lan McCabe (center) poses with OSU alumni and friends at the completion of the OKC Metro Chapter’s Holiday Cookie Decorating Class event in December. For more on McCabe, see Page 76.

CHAPTER NEWS

MEMPHIS

Coach Gundy receives the 2018 AutoZone Liberty Bowl trophy after leading the Cowboy football team to victory over Missouri.

President Burns Hargis and First Lady Ann Hargis wave to OSU alumni and fans in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Parade down Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee.

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Composing a LEGACY of MUSIC THE MICHAEL AND ANNE GREENWOOD SCHOOL OF MUSIC

The Michael and Anne Greenwood School of Music will be a premier music education facility that harnesses the synergy of research, talent and incomparable hands-on learning experiences, including master classes with world-renowned artists and performers. To learn more about how you can support this exciting project, visit OSUgiving.com/Greenwood.

High schoolers—join us this summer and explore careers in health care.

For more information and to register: health.okstate.edu/com/high-school 1111 West 17th Street | Tulsa, OK 74107-1898 | 918-582-1972

ALUMNI UPDATE

’40s Morris Dean Neighbors, ’49 secondary education, ’64 master’s in psychology, was recognized by Sen. James Lankford while visiting the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. in April 2017. Morris was presented with an American flag and a citation honoring his service in the U.S. Navy. He has seven grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

’50s William J. Goodwin, ’50 entomology, and his late wife, Kathleen Turner Goodwin, ’49 art, lived an unusual life. Both served in the U.S. Army during World War II and later decided to attend Oklahoma A&M, now known as OSU. They spent their lives working and traveling.

They lived in eight different states, two different countries and visited 30 others. In 1975, William retired from the U.S. Public Health Service with the rank of captain. Kathleen died in 2010. The couple had been married for 63 years. William is now 93 and lives in an assisted living facility.

Billy Baker, ’57 management, sold his business and enjoys being retired. His favorite activity during the summer is bringing his granddaughter to Grandparent University.

Jimmy L. Dean, ’58 accounting, lost wife Marilyn after 54 years together. He is retired and lives in Oklahoma City.

Monte Hendricks, ’58 agricultural education, has retired from his career as a county extension agent.

Bill Thompson, ’59 management, and wife Catherine celebrated their 60th

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wedding anniversary on an Alaskan cruise sponsored by the Big 12 Conference last July.

Richard L. Tredway, ’59 architectural studies, ’61 master’s in architecture, and wife Cherry L. Tredway, ’61 HEECS, ’92 philosophy, will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary in August. They have had the same address and phone number for 50 years.

Their first date was to see a concert in Gallagher Hall in November 1958.

’60s John R. Bogard, ’62 agronomy, is now retired and gratefully living in Durant, Oklahoma, with wife Avon.

Roger L. Liles, ’64 master’s in European history, had his novel, The Berlin Tunnel — A Cold War Thriller, published by Acorn Press last October. He spent close to three years writing the novel. Roger became a U.S. Air Force officer in the 1960s.

Sandy Turley Bennett, ’65 interior design, and husband Gerald love staying current with OSU events. They attended Houston Brighter Orange last year. They plan on remaining active in their community in retirement.

Jerry Banks Williams, ’66 CTM, has announced her retirement as executive director of Leadership Nashville. She has been one of Nashville’s most admired nonprofit executives and will complete her 25-year run as the organization’s top executive.

While at Oklahoma State, Jerry

served in the student senate, was a Top 10 student, named Phi Kappa Phi and represented Oklahoma as a Danforth Scholar.

Guy F. Harlow, ’66 master’s in animal science, has two granddaughters attending OSU. Marisa Moore, education, will be graduating this May, and Vanessa Moore is a freshman studying microbiology.

Mike Agan, ’66 accounting, sold his house in Harrah, Oklahoma, and has moved to Edmond with fiancé Nancy.

Richard T. Crowder, ’67 doctorate in agriculture, has been reappointed as the C.G. Thornhilll Professor of Agricultural Trade at Virginia Tech. He spent many years in the food industry and served as the U.S. chief agricultural negotiator in 2006 and 2007.

He joined the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech in 2008 and has received numerous awards for his work and service.

Stan Shelden, ’68 political science, and his granddaughter, Sabrina, attended Grandparent University for seven years.

Sabrina is now a freshman here at Oklahoma State, and he is proud to say that his family definitely bleeds orange.

’70s Bud Adams, ’71 mechanical engineering, retired from NACS in 2005 and is staying busy with his beef, cow and calf operation.

He enjoys hunting and fishing, especially in the Texoma area.

Randy M. Phillips, ’71 business, is retired after devoting his career to Lemon, Shearer, Phillips & Good P.C. He and his wife, Sue, will be celebrating 50 years of marriage. They have seven grandchildren and enjoy traveling and spending time with family.

Richard T. Waterfall, ’71 history, ’77 master’s in history, enjoyed 29 years of a very rewarding teaching career throughout the United States. He is now enjoying retirement and cheering on the Cowboys from the Sunshine State.

Rhonda Sweeney, ’72 math, and Donald Sweeney continue to explore the world in their retirement, with 88 countries visited.

The latest, the Federal Republic of Germany, provided a wonderful look at Berlin, followed by 10 days in London pursuing their passion for opera, especially Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, their ninth complete Ring Cycle.

James R. Smith, ’75 forestry, retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2002. His wife, Terry Hirsch-Smith, retired from pharmaceutical sales in November 2018. The couple will be traveling, attending OSU sporting events and enjoying life.

Rick Bartholomew, ’75 architectural studies, ’90 master’s in design housing merchandise, is having fun doing contract design projects

and hand-drawn architectural rendering and home portraits.

He is also working with the College of Human Sciences on a project for the Gaylord Gallery.

Maureen Quealy Nelson, ’79 audiology, earned her doctorate in clinical audiology from Salus University in Pennsylvania.

She is a practicing audiologist in Richmond, Virginia, where she lives with her husband, Kevin G. Nelson, ’79 business administration.

Scott Burk, ’79 finance, is the sole proprietor of Burk & Co. LLC, a CPA firm in Denver. He and his wife, Susan, have two children.

’80s Brad Thurman, ’83 architectural studies, ’85 master’s in architectural engineering, was inducted into the National Academy of Construction in October. In 1993, he contributed to his alma mater by serving on the advisory board for the School of Agriculture. He was inducted into the SMPS Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2005.

He currently directs marketing, branding and business development for Wallace Engineering.

Cynthia Harvey, ’86 business administration, has retired after 37 years in the social services division for Shasta County Health and Human Resources in California.

Susan E. Miles, ’86 business administration, is continuing with her business at Rock Business Solutions in Round Rock, Texas, and growing in the accounting business.

’90s Bob Scott, ’91 agronomy, ’94 master’s in weed science, has been named director of the Rice Research and Extension Center, near Stuttgart, Arkansas. After obtaining a doctorate from Mississippi State in 1997 and working in the industry for a few years, he served 16 years as extension weed scientist for the University of Arkansas. In April 2018, he became director of the Stuttgart Research Center, overseeing the main facility in Arkansas where rice varieties are developed.

Jennifer Sternberg, ’97 Spanish, ’04 master’s in business administration, resides in Massachusetts and is the practice manager for McKinsey and Co. She is also newly engaged.

Thomas W. Bender, ’99 fire protection and safety, spent eight years at Gator Fire Equipment and obtained NICET 3 in water-based systems layout.

Recently, he moved to W.W. Gay Fire Protection. His new job involves more government contracts and industrial applications.

’00s Denny B. Kramer, ’03 doctorate in philosophy, has been named the associate dean for graduate program operations of Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences at Baylor University.

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ALUMNI UPDATE

J. Barrett Shipp, ’04 political science, has formed a new law firm with partners Joseph R. Ecke and Brian M. Cromeens.

Shipp, Ecke & Cromeens PLLC, in San Antonio. Shipp, previously a shareholder with Heinrichs & De Gennaro PC, will become a co-managing member and continue his probate and fiduciary litigation practice. The firm focuses on family, probate, fiduciary and personal injury litigation.

Josh Blyden, ’04 veterinary medicine, has been inducted into the 2019 Oklahoma Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. Dr. Blyden started his equine practice with his wife in 2009. In 2014, he expanded his business to provide broader services to his clients and horses. He has worked with international equestrian teams and hosts interns to promote and support their education.

Dannielle Maryann Moreno, ’05 veterinary medicine, and husband Pedro A. Moreno, ’05 veterinary medicine, are happily married and have two future Cowgirls. Charlotte Olivia is 8 years old, and Dannielle Jayne will be 7 in August.

David Brown, ’05 architecture, has been promoted to an associate at Pickard Clinton.

Brown has been a design member of award-winning projects nationwide. He is currently a project manager in Houston.

Ashley M. Collier, ’06 design, housing and merchandising, has opened her own real estate brokerage firm in Texas. She focuses on military and government relocations. Having sold 34 homes in the last 12

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months, she is among the top three agents in her area. She is a proud mother of one future Pistol Pete and one future OSU cheerleader.

Maj. Justin Warner, ’06 business, a U.S. Air Force pilot, has been awarded the Sheppard AFB Airman award.

Warner risked his life when he saw a vehicle go off the road, flip and catch fire. He saved fellow Air Force Lt. Col. Stephen Wolfe and his daughter. Warner received the highest noncombat award, the Airman’s Medal, on Nov. 27. The medal was established in the ’60s to recognize those who distinguish themselves for a voluntary heroic act not in combat. Warner served in Oklahoma State’s Air Force ROTC and is currently a flying training squadron instructor.

Allie Shinn, ’09 history, ’11 master’s in international studies, is the new executive director for Freedom Oklahoma. Shinn has become a leader and advocate for criminal justice reforms and LGBTQ rights. She is honored for the opportunity Freedom Oklahoma has provided to stand with her community.

’10s Rachel Howlett, ’11 architecture, has been promoted at Pickard Chilton, an award-winning international architectural practice in New York. Last year, she received a traveling fellowship to do studies in design and architecture in Scandinavia.

James Inskeep, ’13 accounting and master’s in accounting, and Morgan Shannon, ’16 aviation,

are planning a wedding and will exchange vows in September.

Allison R. Lang, ’18 natural resources ecology and management, recently published a book called Sorry Mort! You’re Just Too Short.

The book was shown on Tulsa’s KTUL (channel 8) and was officially released March 5, 2019.

Friends Alvin Stribel and Jean Stribel are retired and have three granddaughters who will be attending OSU next fall.

Chester (Chet) Lee Millstead, is feeling blessed to be celebrating 82 years of life as an Oklahoman residing in Kentucky. Chet has eight children and 17 grandchildren who help him enjoy life and keep active. He is so happy that his journey started 61 years ago at Theta Pond, courting his wife, Shirley Perry Millstead.

Stoney Stamper recently published his book My First Rodeo: How Three Daughters, One Wife and a Herd of Others Are Making Me a Better Dad. It all started when Stoney fell in love with April. After getting married, he began his journey as a newlywed and a father, documenting his story online on The Daddy Diaries blog that receives over 600,000 visits weekly. He lives in Perkins, Oklahoma, and owns TDD Media LLC.

Submit your update at ORANGECONNECTION.org/share

Two halls of fame inducting alumna Oklahoma State University alumna Maj. Helen L. (Freudenberger) Holmes, a 1936 journalism graduate, was the first Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and female military member from Oklahoma in World War II, and she’s being honored for that as well as many other accomplishments.

The Army Women’s Foundation Hall of Fame inducted her in its class of 2019. She was also inducted into the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Oklahoma Historical Society. Maj. Holmes died in 1997 at the age of 81.

As a WAAC, she originally handled public relations for the WAAC (and WAC, when it was renamed the Women’s Army Corps) in Washington,

D.C., and later worked in wartime intelligence operations.

In 1940, before her military service, she became the first woman to teach journalism at OSU. She was also the founding sponsor for the OSU chapter of Theta Sigma Phi, an honorary journalism fraternity for women that later became Women in Communications.

Maj. Holmes later served on the Guthrie, Oklahoma, City Council and as the town’s mayor from 1979-81.

Her son, William Holmes, remembers her: “Mother dedicated her life to her country, her state, her city, Oklahoma State University, her family and her friends. She was a true public servant.

All three of her children graduated from OSU.”

Photo Credit: Tina Binz

OSU alumna joins Washington Post Oklahoma State University alumna Ziva Branstetter (’88 journalism) joined the Washington Post in November as its corporate accountability editor. She leads a team focused on enterprise and business investigations. She also oversees coverage involving Wall Street and the business of space, among others.

She had been a senior editor for Reveal, a multimedia platform produced by the Center for Investigative Reporting, leading a team focused on immigration and labor issues.

Branstetter worked at the Tulsa World for more than 20 years. In 2015, she and reporting partner Cary Aspinwall (’02 media and strategic communications; now on the investigative team at The Dallas Morning News) were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in local reporting

for their series about the botched execution of Clayton Lockett. The same year, the duo helped launch The Frontier, an independent investigative outlet. Branstetter also headed an investigation that led to the indictment and resignation of Tulsa County’s seven-term sheriff.

She previously worked for the Tulsa Tribune and the Philadelphia Daily News.

She was inducted into OSU’s College of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 2015. She is serving her third term on the board of the Investigative Reporters and Editors. She and her husband, Douglas (’87 organizational administration), have two adult sons and a grandson.

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ALUMNI UPDATE

Births LeRoy Fore, ’68 accounting, and wife Linda just welcomed their first grandson, Joshua Crew Holloway. Leroy and Linda have four other granddaughters.

June Pentecost, ’80 interior design, is a proud grandma. Her son, Grant Pentecost, ’11 mechanical engineering, and wife Lindsey had Luke Levi on July 13, 2018.

Jennifer K. Palacio, ’99 English, had her daughter, Catlyn Alondra Palacio, on March 18, 2018.

Steve Gurley, ’99 agricultural education, and wife Courtney welcomed their son and future Cowboy, Kellen Gentry Gurley, on July 14, 2018.

Fore

Mandy Imgarten Bradley, ’07 agricultural communications, and husband Jonathan Allan Bradley welcomed their firstborn, Mason Allan Bradley. Mason weighed 9 pounds and 7 ounces. Grandfather Ted Imgarten, ’76 agronomy, is so proud and can’t wait to share OSU traditions with Mason.

Gurley

Schmidt

Shanna Jo Green, ’09 physical education, and former Cowboy baseball player Dean Green welcomed their little Poke, Gibson Royce Green, on Oct. 29, 2018.

Bradley

Laurie Marshall, ’10 teaching learning and leadership, and Justin Marshall, ’07 landscape contracting, had their little one in April 2018. Baby boy Asa P. Marshall is healthy and happy.

Kiley Anderson Webb, ’11 elementary education, and husband Christopher Webb, ’12 construction management tech, welcomed Claire Dianne Webb to the world on Feb. 19.

Armstrong

Grant

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Green

Fleetwood

Collier

Weddings Jarod Armstrong, ’12 sociology, and Beth Armstrong, ’12 strategic communications, completed their little family with the arrival of their baby girl, Eleanor Elizabeth. She was born on July 10, 2018, and she sure does look good in orange!

Kolby Schmidt, ’13 agricultural education, and Emily Schmidt, ’13 animal science, held their precious baby boy, August James Schmidt, for the first time on Dec. 16, 2018.

Emily Ann Collier, ’14 marketing and management, and David Collier, ’14 sociology, met their freshman year at OSU. They started dating shortly after and tied the knot in 2013. They welcomed their little Cowgirl, Lilly Collier, in November. Baby Lilly was welcomed by big brother Luke. The parents have done so many OSU activities with Luke and can’t wait to introduce Lilly to America’s Brightest Orange.

Mary Catherine Scott, ’08 nutritional sciences, married Ben Scott on July 21, 2018.

Dana Pentecost, ’11 nutritional sciences, ’16 MBA, married Austin Schaffuer in April 2018.

Price Buckley, ’17 mechanical engineering, and Mallory Hosey, ’17 architectural engineering, tied the knot on March 3, 2018, with an OSU-themed reception. They remain loyal and true to each other as well as to their alma mater.

Molly Beth Singleton, ’18 music education, and Parker Kent Fain, ’16 business management, are proud to announce their marriage. They said their “I dos” last October in Oklahoma City.

Kyle Grant, ’15 electrical engineering, and wife, Melanie Grant, welcomed baby Hunter just in time for Cowboy football. He enjoyed watching the games every Saturday with his family and friends and can’t wait to say “Go Pokes!”

Mariah McGillivray Fleetwood, ’17 human development and family science, met her husband, Jared Fleetwood, ’21 emergency management, in 2011. Big sister Briar, who is 5 years old, welcomed the couple’s littlest one, Bren, on Sept. 4, 2018. The Fleetwoods will encourage their two daughters to attend OSU and continue the orange tradition.

Buckley

Submit your update at ORANGECONNECTION.org/share Singleton

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ALUMNI UPDATE

In Memory Grady M. Chronister, ’60 business, a proud Eagle Scout and OSU alumnus, died Sept. 14, 2018.

Mr. Chronister, also a captain in the U.S. Army, began his career as an entrepreneur in the oil industry. He began Chronister Oil with Derby Super Gas stores. He sold the Super Gas chain in 1978 to Marathon Oil and built another chain, Future Gas, in several Midwestern states outside Illinois. In 1980, Mr. Chronister opened his first Qik-n-EZ convenience store in Illinois, and it still has locations today in Springfield and other central Illinois towns. His career included retail marketing, national wholesale fuel distribution, and oil trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Dr. Beulah Hirschlein,’58 HEECS, ’65 master’s in HEECS, ’78 doctorate in philosophy, died May 4, 2018. She was born Jan. 16, 1935, near Mangum, Oklahoma.

She grew up in Oklahoma and graduated from City View School, where she loved to play basketball. She continued her love for the game by supporting the OSU Cowgirl basketball team as well as the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. Her 4-H interests led her to Oklahoma Agriculture and Mechanical College. After several years

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at OAMC, she left to support her sister in Tucson, Arizona, after her brother-in-law died.

There, she met and married John Arthur Hirschlein, who was serving in the U.S. Air Force.

They moved to New Jersey for a year before she expressed a desire to return to OAMC. They both decided to attend there and had lived in Oklahoma ever since. She earned three degrees from OSU, including a doctorate in human development and family science. In 1970, Dr. Hirschlein became a professor in the College of Home Economics (now the College of Human Sciences). She taught many courses including family relations and child development, including one that was of particular interest to her: volunteerism. A strong advocate for volunteering, she worked with and served as president for many charities. She volunteered at Elite Repeat in Stillwater, a nonprofit that raises funds for numerous charities. Dr. Hirschlein was a mentor not only to her students, but to her family as well, boasting that she had five great-nieces at OSU at one time. After more than 40 years of teaching, she retired from OSU. As a result of her prolific contributions, the Oklahoma Higher Education Heritage Society inducted her into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 2012.

She left behind her beloved husband, John, who died June 27, 2018, many family members and countless friends and colleagues.

… ONE MORE THING

Collector gives OSU Native pieces

TOP: Arapaho War Dancers, ca. 1935 Carl Sweezy (Arapaho, ca. 1879-1953) Oil on canvas, 15 x 43 5/8 inches.From the collection of Maxine and Jack Zarrow.

Charles Little is giving OSU hundreds of pieces of Native American art from the 1930s to present, which are already helping students gain curatorial experience. A group of students is curating “The Southwest in Motion: Navajo, Pueblo, and Hopi Paintings from the Charles Little Collection,” which will be on display June 11-Sept. 14. Louise Siddons from the Department of Art, Graphic Design and Art History, and Trever Holland with the Department of English, are supervising, thanks to a connection made through Elizabeth Payne, director of the Center for Sovereign Nations.

“This isn’t coursework or anything,” Siddons said.

“These students just wanted to gain important research experience and to directly work on curating a show. They gain practical skills such as writing for the public, determining how to actually display the pieces, even something as simple as using a measuring tape. Producing something for a public audience is so valuable, and it makes the point of what we do in the classroom more obvious.” A closing reception will be held Sept. 5.

For more information, visit museum.okstate.edu.

BOTTOM: Talavai Katsina, 1983 Myron Beeson (Navajo/Hopi, b. 1963) Tempera on paper, 12½ x 9½ inches. Gift of Charles Little, 2018.008.001.

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A Columbia Slide Polo S-XXL | $72 B Diamond Thirsty Coaster 4-Pack $22.95 C Intramural Boyfriend V-neck Short Sleeve Tee S-XL | $28 D Ezra Comfy Terry Crew Neck S-XL | $64 E Vault Garden Flag $14.95 F ‘47 Sparkle Black Hat $26 G Gameday Couture Boyfriend Stripe Sleeve Tee S-XXL | $36 H Gameday Couture Sleevless Tie Up Tee S-XL | $36

I Nike Family Long Sleeve Tee S-XXL | $40 J Nike Vault Club Hoody S-XXL | $60 K Columbia Flash Forward Windbreaker S-XXL | $68 L ‘47 Clean Up State Visor $22 M Intramural Baseball Tee S-XL | $28 N This Cowboy Country USA Wall Mount $50.95 O Columbia Waggle Pullover S-XXL | $100 P Pete/Badge Decal Set $6.95

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