Message from the President
Dear Alumni and Friends:
Welcome to the Summer 2024 edition of Cameron Magazine. Cameron University employees and students continue to strive to meet our Core Values – student learning; excellence in teaching, scholarship, service and mentoring; community leadership; shared governance; diversity; and responsible stewardship of resources. As Cameron supporters, you help us realize these values in real time as we endeavor to be a driving force in the cultural and economic development of the region.
Featured in this edition is a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Cameron’s evolution from a college to a university and the legislative path that was necessary to accomplish the name change. We also honor the recipients of the 2023-2024 Faculty and Staff Awards as well as this year’s Alumni Association Awards. Please pay special attention to the newest Outstanding Aggies of Tomorrow, as I’m certain they will be making headlines for many years to come. We also meet the latest members of the CU Athletics Hall of Fame.
I’m also pleased to share in these pages the stories of Cameron faculty and staff who benefitted from our growing endowment programs. Your gifts provide important resources supporting the academic progress of our student body, giving them the skills and knowledge that they share as leaders in our local communities. Two new endowments were added this year that will provide benefits for criminal justice majors and promote participation by undergraduate students in research conferences and other high impact experiences outside the classroom. Additionally, we profile three CU students doing significant research in space physics and astronomy.
Whether it be via a traditional classroom setting, hybrid learning models, or exclusively online offerings, Cameron University continues to deliver exceptional student learning opportunities with highly qualified faculty and staff at an outstanding value. This summer I am pleased to be handing the reins over to our interim president, Jari Askins. I believe the entire CU community will join me in providing a warm welcome to her as she prepares for the fall semester.
Sincerely,
John McArthur President
Campus Update
Cameron University included in 2024 Guide to 37 Best Value Online MBA Programs
CU has been included in the 2024 Guide to 37 Best Value Online MBA Programs. The curated list was compiled by DiscoverBusiness.us, which evaluated 233 programs across the U.S. before selecting 37 programs for their commitment
to high quality, accessible and affordable MBA education. CU’s online MBA program, accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs since 2001, is cited in the guide as “a beacon of academic excellence and flexibility.”
Cameron student honored with inaugural Pioneer Award by Phi Kappa Phi
Natalie Martin, a 2023 graduate, was one of 50 students nationwide selected to receive the Pioneer Award from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. The recipients were selected based on academic achievement,
honors and awards, relevant research experience, service and leadership experience both on and off campus, a personal statement and letter of recommendation.
Comanche Battalion Cadets named Distinguished Military Graduates
Three newly commissioned second lieutenants from CU’s Comanche Battalion were recognized as Distinguished Military Graduates (DMG) by the U.S. Army Cadet Command. 2LT Tyiesha A. Carroll, 2LT Samuel N. Harris and 2LT Juan R. Reyes received the designation. DMGs are commissioning cadets who finish in the top 20 percent
2024 elementary education grad named DaVinci Scholar
Cameron University senior Kimberly Scalberg, an elementary education major from Elgin, has been named a DaVinci Scholar by The DaVinci Institute, a private partnership of leaders in higher education across Oklahoma. One of three DaVinci Scholars selected in the state, she will receive a monetary award from The DaVinci Institute in her first year of teaching in Oklahoma.
of Army graduates on the national Order of Merit List by achieving superior grade-point averages, strong performance in the Army Combat Fitness Test and proving their worth as exceptional leaders in their college ROTC training. The DMG designation will remain on their Army record throughout their military career.
Cameron earns gold designation as Military Friendly ® School
Cameron University has earned the 2024-25 Military Friendly® School Gold designation from G.I. Jobs magazine. CU was one of just 243 schools chosen for gold award status in recognition of its leading practices, outcomes and effective programs. To earn the gold designation, CU scored within 10 percent of the 10th-ranked school in the small public university category.
Dr. Susmita Hazra honored by Council for Online Learning Excellence
Dr. Susmita Hazra, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, Physics and Engineering, has been honored by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education’s Council for Online Learning Excellence. She has received the Oklahoma Online Excellence Award for Teaching.
Hazra, a STEM (science, technology, engineering
Narcan vending machine available on Lawton campus
In partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, CU has placed a Narcan vending machine at its Lawton campus. CU is the first university in Oklahoma to offer this resource, which contains Naloxone and Fentanyl test strip kits that are available to any individual at no charge. The equipment is located on the south side of the McMahon Centennial Complex.
Arvest Bank honored with Business Partnership Excellence Award from Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Arvest Bank has been honored with the 2024 Business Partnership Excellence Award by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for its long-standing support of Cameron University. The award highlights successful partnerships and cultivates the higher learning environment through State Regents’ Economic Development Grants.
and mathematics) educator, joined the CU faculty in 2017. During her tenure she has excelled in creating engaging online courses. She integrates active learning through multimedia tools, varied assessments, and communitybuilding activities. Her commitment to accessibility is evident in her ongoing efforts to improve mobile responsiveness and inclusivity for learners with disabilities across the country.
Celebrating the Business Partnership Excellence Award presented to Arvest Bank and Cameron University are (l to r), Angela Spradlin, Vice President, Business Banking Manager, Arvest Bank; Julie Cunningham, CU Director of Alumni and Development; Chancellor Allison Garrett, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education; Regent Ann Holloway; Regent Jack Sherry; David Madison, President/CEO, Arvest Bank – SW Oklahoma; and CU President John McArthur
Katie Lenhart, Strategic Partnerships Manager with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, explains the importance of making a Narcan vending machine available to the Lawton/Fort Sill community.
Dr. Susmita Hazra (third from left) is congratulated by Chancellor Allison D. Garrett, CU President John McArthur and State Regent Jack Sherry.
FACULTY/STAFF NEWS
Michael “Mick” Coponiti has joined the CU staff as Vice President for Business and Finance. Coponiti comes to CU from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, where he has served as Vice President for Business and Finance since 2006. He joined the USAO staff in 1994 and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Cameron in 1999.
John Young, formerly Environmental Health and Safety Officer, is now Director of Physical Facilities. Following his retirement from the U.S. Army, Young joined CU’s Physical Facilities division in July 2019.
CU alumnus David Kaine is now the university’s Director of Human Resources. He brings more than 15 years experience in human resources, serving as director of human resources for the Kiowa Casino before moving into general management in 2021.
Vicki Henson, Assistant Director of Financial Assistance and Coordinator of Veterans Affairs, was honored during the fall conference of the Oklahoma Veteran Education Specialist Association. She received a challenge coin by Stephen Rudnick, an approving officer with the State Approving Agency, a division of the Oklahoma State Department of Veterans Affairs, on behalf of the National Association of State Approving Agencies.
Lou Izzi has joined the university as Director of Athletics. Izzi has 25 years of relevant experience as a coach and athletic administrator, including eight years of experience as an athletic director or vice president for athletics. Izzi comes to CU from American International College (in Springfield, Mass.), where he served as vice president of athletics.
Dr. Marge Kingsley has been named Vice President for Academic Affairs Kingsley joined the faculty in 1994 and has been an associate vice president for academic affairs since 2019.
Staff members
Tiara Robinson and Jordan Wicker-Puente are the recipients of the 2023 Pickaxe Awards, which recognize full-time Cameron employees whose performance is above and beyond expectations. Robinson is an administrative assistant in the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment and Accountability, and Wicker-Puente is an information systems specialist in the Office of Financial Assistance.
Dr. Rajesh Nayak
Leah Chaffins
Bhattacharya Research Excellence Award
Excellence in Mentoring Student Research
Excellence and Innovation in Teaching
Bernadette Lonzanida
Adjunct for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching
William Schlecht
Hackler Teaching Excellence Award
Dr. Yingqin Liu
Excellence in Service
Dr. Matt Van Sant
Kristi Vallery
Excellence in Service
Tammy Loyd
Excellence in Student Success
Jehan McKnight
Excellence in Campus Stewardship
Four Cameron alumni and two faculty members have been recognized by the Cameron University Alumni Association. Rhonda Clemmer and Paul Ellwanger were named Distinguished Alumni, while Kallan Glasgow and Brett Leavell were selected as Outstanding Young Alumni. Additionally, Dr. Robert Bausch and Dr. Stephanie Boss were inducted into the Faculty Hall of Fame.
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI: RHONDA CLEMMER, CLASS OF 1989
After earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1989, Rhonda Clemmer has demonstrated her expertise in management, serving as president of Eagle Systems and Services (a federal government contractor) for more than 20 years and then as an executive vice president at The Columbia Group, where she directed marketing, branding, strategic planning and merger/ acquisition activities. She has served as a management consultant for Merich Corporation since 2014. In addition to her corporate leadership, Clemmer is the founder of Best! Mentoring, an initiative that pairs positive role models with middle and high school students. Honors include Oklahoma’s 50 Women Making a Difference, Inc. 5000’s Fastest Growing Companies in the U.S., Veteran Employer of the Year and Oklahoma’s Small Business Person of the Year. Her service to the community includes positions on the Lawton/Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Great Plains Technology Center Foundation Board and the Cameron University Foundation Board of Directors, where her last position was serving as president.
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI: PAUL ELLWANGER, CLASS OF 1976
While attending his last semester of college in 1976, Paul Ellwanger began his career with City National Bank (CNB). During his successful 44-year tenure, he served in a number of positions throughout the organization before retiring in 2020 as Executive Vice President and Chief Loan Officer. He continues to serve as a member of CNB’s Board of Directors and remains a very active leader in the community, serving on the following committees: The City of Lawton Pension Trust Authority, the Comanche County Industrial Development Authority (Chairman), the Lawton-Fort Sill Economic Development Corporation, the McMahon Memorial Auditorium Authority and the Comanche County Home Finance Authority.
In 2023, Ellwanger agreed to serve as the industry lead for Cameron University’s Banking Institute, which offers financial professionals the opportunity to participate in the program, or to be mentors, offer internships and job shadowing, or participate in financial conferences for students including those who already work at banks and credit unions.
OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNI: KALLAN GLASGOW, CLASSES OF 2009 AND 2014
As a member of the CU men’s basketball team, Kallan Glasgow distinguished himself both on the court and in the classroom. In 2009, he was named Academic Player of the Year as the top player selected for the Lone Star Conference All-Academic Basketball Team. Glasgow earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics in 2009 and a Master of Science degree in educational leadership in 2014. Glasgow began his coaching and teaching career at Cache High School in 2010, where he taught math and coached basketball. In 2013, he moved to Snyder High School, and during this tenure was recognized as the Region 4 Assistant Coach of the Year. His first principal position was at Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, where he served for five years, ending in 2021. He is now the principal at Eisenhower Middle School in Lawton.
OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNI: BRETT LEAVELL, CLASSES OF 2010 AND 2013
A member of Cameron’s Presidential Leaders and University Scholars (PLUS) program, Brett Leavell was a stand-out on the Aggie men’s golf team, earning accolades as a two-time NCAA Academic All-American and a two-time Lone Star Conference All-Conference selection. He graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice with a minor in management and subsequently earned a Master of Business Administration degree.
Leavell has been active in the Cameron University Alumni Association, previously serving as vice president. He has frequently visited campus to speak to students and to serve as a mentor for the PLUS program.
He serves as a senior managing examiner at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, where he has worked for 10 years, in safety and soundness bank supervision. During his tenure, he has served as a traveling examiner and manager responsible for ensuring sound financial condition of banks and bank holding companies in the 10th Federal Reserve District. Leavell also leads district- and nationwide risk specialist groups in the area of capital markets supervision, ensuring appropriate training, staff development, risk monitoring, and examination practices are in place to assess market and liquidity risks. He has presented to nation-wide audiences on market and liquidity risk management, including public presentations on emerging risks facing financial institutions. He also leads examiner training throughout the Federal Reserve System, focusing primarily on market, liquidity and credit risks.
FACULTY HALL OF FAME: DR.
ROBERT BAUSCH
A professor of sociology in CU’s Department of Social Sciences, Robert Bausch inspired students to pursue jobs and occupations within social service, local community building and teaching for more than 30 years. The nominator referred to Bausch as one of the most knowledgeable persons in southwest Oklahoma “when it comes to educating students on the importance of the sociological understanding of community and what it means to be a good, productive member of said community.”
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Bausch has been active in numerous state and national organizations, including Oklahoma Sociological Association (past president and advisory board member), American Sociological Association (section on Teaching and Learning membership and awards committees), editorial board member for Teaching Sociology, Mid-South Sociological Association (membership committee) and manuscript reviewer for “Teaching Sociology,” “Journal of Marriage and Family,” Family Relations” and “Sociological Perspectives.”
He has served as faculty advisor for Alpha Kappa Delta and the Sociology Club and as a member of the Faculty Senate. He has also served on a multitude of university committees. Bausch is a member of the American Sociological Association, Oklahoma Council on Family Relations and Oklahoma Sociological Association. He has been inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Kappa Delta.
FACULTY HALL OF FAME: DR. STEPHANIE BOSS
Since joining the Cameron faculty in 2011, Stephanie Boss has served the university in numerous positions. An associate professor in the Department of Sports and Exercise Science, she chaired that academic unit from 2011 through 2022 and also served as the interim chair for the Department of Education for two years. In 2023, she was appointed Director of Distance Learning. Additional university involvement includes serving on a variety of committees.
Community involvement includes membership in the Online Consortium of Oklahoma (steering committee), Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women, Congressional Youth Leadership Council, State Department of Education (curriculum reviewer for K-12 health), Fit Kids Coalition (Building Healthier Communities initiative), Live2Lead (Lawton Rotary Leadership Institute), DaVinci Institute Forum, Great Plains Technology Center (Advisory Board, Teacher Preparation), Oklahoma Women in Higher Education Conference, and Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
In 2018, Boss received the Honor Award for Outstanding Leadership from the Oklahoma Alliance in Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
The Cameron University Alumni Association’s Outstanding Aggies of Tomorrow award recognizes well-rounded and successful students who epitomize the values of a true Cameron Aggie. Selection is based on academic achievement/honors, career-related experience and extracurricular activities.
MARSHALL SADLER
A two-term vice president of CU’s Student Government Association, Marshall Sadler graduated magna cum laude in May with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. The Lawton native distinguished himself academically with consistent placement on either the President’s or Dean’s Honor Rolls.
During his CU tenure, Sadler was the recipient of numerous academic merit awards, including the Regional University Baccalaureate Scholarship, the President’s Distinguished Scholarship and the James R. and Irene J. Lawrence Memorial Endowed Scholarship. In April 2023, he was honored as the Outstanding Associate in Science in Business student.
Sadler served as a student member of the Department of Business Advisory Board for two years and was also appointed to the university’s Curriculum Committee. Additionally, he served as an accounting tutor for the Accounting Club. As a member of the university’s ethics team, he competed for the national championship in February.
He is committed to community service through his volunteerism with Baptist Collegiate Ministries and First Baptist Church Lawton.
NATALIE MARTIN
When Natalie Martin enrolled at Cameron University as a concurrent student in Fall 2018, she followed in the footsteps of her grandparents, A.W. and Theresa Braddy, and her parents, Dustin and Mary Clare Martin – all Cameron graduates. Prior to graduating magna cum laude in December 2023 with a Bachelor of Accounting degree, she consistently earned placement on the President’s Honor Roll.
Martin has been inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and Delta Mu Delta and is a student member of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the Association of Government Accountants (AGA), and the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants (OSCPA).
In September 2023, Martin was one of 50 students nationwide selected to receive the inaugural Pioneer Award from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, recognizing academic achievement, honors and awards, relevant research experience, service and leadership experience both on and off campus, a personal statement and letter of recommendation.
Martin was a member of the winning team at the 2022 Undergraduate Government Finance Case Challenge, a national competition sponsored by AGA, and was one of the 15 nationwide recipients of AGA’s 2023 National Collegiate Leadership Scholarship Program. Martin also received a scholarship from OSCPA and was honored with CU’s President’s Distinguished Scholarship in 2023-24.
SAIGE SCHMIDT
A 2021 graduate of Lawton’s Eisenhower High School, Saige Schmidt is one of CU’s PLUS scholars. Carrying an overall grade point average of 4.0, he has achieved placement on the President’s Honor Roll each semester. Schmidt is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology.
Schmidt has been actively involved in numerous student organizations and activities. He was elected president of the Student Government Association for 2023-24 after previously serving the organization as both treasurer and vice president. Additionally, he has served as president of the Psychology Club and has undertaken an internship at Marie Detty Youth and Family Services in Lawton. With a desire to facilitate a great collegiate experience for incoming students, Schmidt is active as a Cameron University orientation leader.
As an undergraduate research assistant, he has presented his research at a variety of state and international professional and educational conferences. Schmidt indicates that presenting his research at an international conference not only allowed him to showcase his findings with a global audience of experts in the field of social psychology, but enabled him to connect with people that will help him in his future Ph.D. program.
CUAA hosts reunion for Classes of 1974 and 1999
attendees had a chance to re-live Cameron memories and catch up with former classmates before receiving a commemorative medallion.
are influencers. That’s the message imparted by Commencement speaker Natalie Shirley, a member of the University of Oklahoma, Cameron University and Rogers State University Regents, on Saturday, May 4, in Aggie Gym.
Shirley explained that there are different types of leaders, including opinion leaders – or what we know more colloquially on social media as “influencers.”
“I would argue that an influencer touches or reaches more people than a traditional leader because of the organic way influence grows,” Shirley said. She provided two examples from her life.
While visiting a sandwich shop, one of the employees said to her, “You always make us feel so good because you are always smiling.”
“The fact is that my attitude and my smile was contagious and the sandwich people were passing it on,” Shirley recounted. “I had influenced their behavior without even trying. Your reach, your sphere of influence is likely broad and deep. How you present yourself, whether it is with
dress or speech impact others around you. And how you spend your time, the goals you have set and how you view your future impact those closest to you.”
Shirley was the first person in her family to attend college and was proud to relate that her siblings followed.
“The reality is that you have tremendous power and sway over those around you. You going to college, you succeeding, you staying in college and now graduating will impact more people than if you run a large corporation because of the power of organic growth.”
Shirley then presented quotes by two Nobel Peace Prize laureates. She cited Albert Schweitzer, who said, “The three most important ways to lead people are by example, by example and by example” and Albert Einstein, who said, “Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it is the only means.”
“As graduates, go forth and lead,” she concluded. “Your family and Oklahoma need you to continue setting the example of going to college and graduating.”
Front row, left to right: Dixie Berry, Janice Ward, Aubree Walton, Theresa Joy, Jalmer Fallon, Maurice Myles
Second row, left to right: CUAA President Richard Fleming, April Maddry, Kristin Stecco, Forest Banks, Susan Smith, Sherry Dodson, Robert Dodson, Connie Cowan, Ron Waters
Third row, left to right: President John McArthur, Donald Ward, Rick Kitzrow, Ed Legako, Barry Beauchamp, Mickey Lavendar, Edward Hilliary, Terry Collom, Vice President for University Advancement Albert Johnson Jr., Darryl Gowan.
For Cameron and other state colleges, 1974 legislation meant more money
When hundreds of Aggie graduates crossed the stage May 4 to accept their diplomas, little did they know they were also celebrating a significant milestone in Cameron University’s history. It was on that date exactly 50 years ago that Oklahoma Gov. David Hall signed legislation that changed the institution’s name from Cameron College to Cameron University.
Lest anyone be confused, the name change didn’t mean the institution had achieved 4-year status. That had happened in 1968 when Cameron State Agricultural College was granted the ability to offer bachelor’s degrees. The first Aggies to receive those degrees crossed the Commencement stage in 1970. CSAC’s name was shortened to Cameron College in 1971.
Senate Joint Resolution 27 was formally signed by Hall at an 8 p.m. ceremony in Tahlequah on the campus of Northeastern State College. The ceremony was arranged by House Speaker Bill Willis, who was from Tahlequah and a proponent of the resolution. Northeastern was one of the colleges affected by SJR 27.
Ostensibly, the resolution recognized increased enrollment across the eight colleges during the 10 years previous. Some of those colleges had more than doubled in size during that decade. Giving them the name “university” would enhance their status.
“It is most advantageous to an institution of higher learning to enjoy the use of the term ‘university’ as part of its name, particularly in this era of competition for faculty members, research grants and institutional gifts,” SJR 27 read. “Each of the named colleges offers quality education generally associated with that found in universities … and it would be of great benefit to each of the named institutions of higher learning, and to the citizens of Oklahoma, if each institution were designated as a university.”
Don Davis was finishing his second term in the Oklahoma House of Representatives when the resolution came up for a vote. The tactfully worded resolution had little to do with the prestige of being a university, he said. Its real intent was financial.
“The feds (meaning the U.S. Department of Education) had changed some of its rules regarding requirements for higher education grants, and they made a distinction between the terms ‘college’ and ‘university,’” Davis recalled. “(The resolution) had nothing to do with anything other than qualifying for federal grants.”
Davis’ father, Clarence Davis, had served as president of CSAC from 1957 until his untimely death in 1960 and was a strong proponent for Cameron’s transition from junior college to four-year institution. Don himself had gone to Cameron. After 10 years in the legislature, he would be named president of Cameron University in 1980 and serve in that capacity for 22 years – longer than any of the institution’s other leaders.
You would think that changing a college’s name would be simple, but that’s not necessarily so. For years, Oklahoma had only three universities: Langston University, Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma. Central State College –known today as the University of Central Oklahoma – later joined them, but not without a battle in the legislature.
When SJR 27 was first introduced in 1973 at the start of the 34th Legislature, it designated a name change for three institutions: Northeastern State College, Southeastern State College and East Central State College. But as word of the proposed legislation spread, other colleges were added.
On March 19, 1973, amendments added Northwestern State College and Southwestern State College to the list. Panhandle State College was added the next day. Also adopted was an amendment to change Altus Junior College’s name to Western Oklahoma State College. Others weren’t so lucky. An amendment to amend Northern Oklahoma College’s name was withdrawn. Another, to grant four-year status to Eastern Oklahoma State College, was tabled. Also tabled was a proposal to give university status if a higher ed institution was ever established at Ardmore.
And then there was Cameron.
Senator Norman Lamb was an Aggie who had played football at CSAC. Davis, who was a longtime friend of Lamb, said Norman had a soft spot for his alma mater long after he graduated. Lamb submitted an amendment to officially rename Cameron the “University of Cameron, Lawton Area” … or UCLA. Davis said Lamb’s effort was not a serious one. The amendment was tabled, but the joke lived on and to this day it is not uncommon to hear someone humorously use “UCLA” to describe Cameron.
For whatever reason, SJR 27 did not make it out of the 1973 session. It was reintroduced the next year, this time with the successful amendments from the previous session making a total of seven institutions to be renamed. The resolution passed the Senate on April 22, 1974.
The entry sign to Cameron underwent a number of changes in a very short period of time between 1970 and 1974. This sign proclaimed Cameron State Agricultural College in the late 1960s. “Agricultural” was removed and the sign, for a very brief period, read Cameron State College before “State” was also removed. This is how the sign looked in the early 1970s.
Davis
Lamb
It arrived in the House later that day. State representatives Spencer Bernard and Fred Ferrell successfully introduced an amendment adding Cameron to the list and renaming the Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts at Chickasha as the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. The House removed Altus Junior College from the language and passed the resolution. SJR 27 was returned to the Senate because of the changes and received approval on April 24. Efforts to attach an emergency clause failed, which meant the new names would not take effect immediately upon the governor’s signature, but 90 days after the legislature adjourned.
The bill was delivered to Gov. Hall’s desk on Tuesday, April 30. Hall held it until Willis could schedule the ceremonial signing Saturday night in Tahlequah, then the signed document was delivered to the Secretary of State’s office the following Monday.
The legislature adjourned on May 17, the same day that Cameron held its Commencement. Cameron College officially became Cameron University on Aug. 15, 1974, just in time for the start of the fall semester.
Enrollment was up that fall. The Wichita yearbook that year proudly proclaimed, “The black and gold and now the ‘U’.” The homecoming theme that fall was “Cameron University: Year One.” Some students began an unsuccessful movement to abolish the team name “Aggies” and rid the new “university” of mascot Ole Kim. Meanwhile, freshman Billy Wayne Burgess Jr. described that first year with the new name as “Cameron’s golden year.”
“Our first year as a university served as a catalyst,” he told the Wichita that year. “The Lawton community finally considered CU as a serious place for their children’s education. … Kids got interested in Cameron as a university itself and not just as a prep college.”
Burgess went on to a notable college career, serving as president of the student body for two years and participating on CU’s acclaimed speech and debate team. After graduation, he would become a successful lawyer, entrepreneur and newspaper publisher, and the youngest member ever appointed to the Oklahoma State Regents
for Higher Education. Burgess was a member of the Board of Regents for the University of Oklahoma, Cameron University and Rogers State University at the time of his death in 2019 at the age of 62.
Another student at CU in 1974, sophomore Rose Gillespie from Lawton, shared her thoughts about the new name.
“Psychologically, it’s our entrance into the big time,” she said. “I feel more confident as far as saying that I’m going to a university, rather than a college. … There also seems to be a change between students and faculty. There seems to be a greater working cohesiveness as far as university goals.”
But Gillespie warned that more was needed. Cameron “needs to offer more programs and more extensive studies, perhaps a graduate program.” Those words turned out to be prophetic. Although it did not happen during her time as a student, Cameron added graduate degrees in 1988, opening yet another chapter in its storied history.
- Kieth Mitchell
Although the wording of this piece of legislation filled only a little more than two pages, it’s impact was huge on the nine higher education institutions it mentions. By renaming them, Oklahoma legislators opened the door for additional funding by coming into compliance with federal grant terminology. Section 9 specifically referred to Cameron; the name change enacted 50 years ago has remained to this day.
Burgess
Gillespie
After the new name was bestowed on Cameron in 1974, the main entry sign was reworked one final time to read “Cameron University.”
CU FOUNDATION ENDOWMENTS CONTINUE TO GROW
In early March, the Cameron University Foundation gathered donors, students and faculty members for the annual Endowed Donor Appreciation Dinner to recognize how the funding provided by endowments create opportunities for generations of CU students.
Dr. Mary Dzindolet, chair of the Department of Psychology, shared the impact of the Jeff and Kevin Graham Endowed Lectureship in Psychology, which was established in November 2005 with a specific purpose – to advance the quality of education in the study of depression and suicide prevention.
When Major General Mark Graham and his wife, Carol, lost both of their sons – one as a war hero and one to suicide – they turned a heart-wrenching tragedy into hope.
In 2003, Kevin Graham was a senior ROTC student at the University of Kentucky, where he was studying
to be an Army doctor. Fearing that he would lose his ROTC scholarship if the Army knew that he was taking an antidepressant, he stopped taking the medication. On June 21, he took his life.
Nine months later, 2LT Jeffrey Graham was killed by an IED while leading a foot patrol in Khaldiyah, Iraq.
While Jeffrey was lauded as a war hero, Kevin’s legacy was the stigma associated with depression and suicide. That spurred the Grahams to embark on a personal mission to help the military community and the civilian world to learn about and prevent suicide.
Through the endowment, CU’s Department of Psychology has offered suicide prevention training (QPR, which stands for Question, Persuade, Respond) to students and staff. In addition, the department has purchased screening materials to help determine if a client at the Cameron Psychology Clinic (where
students in their last year of study see clients under the guidance of licensed professionals) meets the criteria to have the diagnosis of depression and to determine if they have suicide ideation or intent.
“These materials are critical to helping our clients, and are ideal for the training of our practicum students, several of whom have navigated their first suicidal client with a supervisor in the next room,” Dzindolet explained. “We also use the monies to provide our practicum students some additional training.”
Dzindolet acknowledged the donors in attendance,
saying, “The monies you donate to Cameron University really do make a difference.”
Dr. Danyelle Lee, an associate professor in the Department of Agriculture, Biology and Health Sciences, spoke about the “immeasurable impact” that endowments have. Funding from the Dr. Bobby Gene Vowell Endowed Lectureship and the Netherland Family Endowed Lectureship in Biology allowed her to create a research project for biology students Kathryn Gray and Cally Ruiz. The research examined the genetic diversity of elk at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.
Lee explained that the more than 1,300 elk roaming the Refuge today are descended from just 21 specimens that were transferred to the Refuge from Yellowstone National Park in the early 1900s. That small population opened the door to inbreeding. The research project sought to identify the impact that potential inbreeding more than 100 years ago has on the herd today.
She enumerated how the students benefitted from the project. They learned lab skills that will be useful in their future careers, and they learned to apply classroom
content to a real-world situation. In addition, because research projects rarely proceed without a hitch, the students had to apply critical thinking to figure out why some methods were not working.
Ultimately, Gray and Ruiz presented their results at a regional conference, where Gray won the award for Best Undergraduate Research Project. Ruiz was selected to present her research at Research Day at the Capitol. Lee also shared the research with the wildlife biologists at the Refuge, providing critical information that is used as those professionals implement range management plans for the herd.
This project not only inspired other students to undertake research, it spawned a new project that is funded by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and that will allow Lee to continue to involve future students in the steady of elk.
“You can start with a small idea and before you know it, the impact is far-reaching,” Lee said before thanking the donors for the contributions that made this and other student research projects possible.
Tristen Wauqua presented the student’s perspective. She began her Cameron tenure in Fall 2018 as a member of the cheerleading squad, with an eye toward pursuing a degree in radiologic technology or respiratory care.
“During that journey and after completing the prerequisites, I realized these programs were not what I
Dr. Danyelle Lee discusses the benefits of student research.
Tristen Wauqua explains how an endowed scholarship eased her financial concerns as she pursued a degree.
wanted to do as a career,” Wauqua said. She changed her major to Sports and Exercise Science.
“In my third year, COVID had taken its course. During that time, I felt I needed a break and a fresh start.”
By Fall 2021, she dropped her classes and found fulltime employment at the Medicine Park Aquarium and Natural Sciences Center. After starting in the gift shop, she was promoted to an education assistant. In that capacity, she gave tours, taught curriculum, held camps and educated the public about native wildlife.
Still, a college degree lingered in the back of her mind. In Spring 2023, she returned to Cameron to finish what she had started, re-enrolling with a new major: Interdisciplinary Studies.
benefited me when I was in high school,” she said. “That program helps those in the Comanche Nation to understand our Native language, dance, crafts and customs that are handed down from previous generations.”
Barbara Braught, president of the Cameron University Foundation Board of Directors, closed the evening by thanking the donors in attendance for their ongoing support of Cameron and its students.
“Having assistance from the Comanche Nation and FAFSA was helpful, but the McArthur Oty Endowed Scholarship assured me that I could finish my degree without having to work,” she said.
“As I look for opportunities beyond college, I would like to work with my tribe in a program that
“Thank you for being here to meet our students and faculty who are making a difference at Cameron and in the communities we serve,” Braught said.
“Through your generosity, you have opened doors for students and lowered barriers for them to pursue their educational aspirations, and you have enhanced the quality of instruction delivered by our esteemed faculty.”
She also thanked the students, faculty and staff for utilizing the endowments to enhance the learning and experiences in and outside the classroom.
Turning back to the donors, Braught said, “Cameron University remains a beacon in southwest Oklahoma because of your continued support and investment.”
– Janet E. WIlliams
The Cameron University Foundation is fortunate to enjoy the support of countless supporters whose generosity provides a multitude of opportunities for Cameron students through endowed lectureships and scholarships.
Established by alumni and community members from all walks of life, as well as by current and former faculty and staff, all endowments have one common denominator: they were created to support Cameron students.
The list of endowed programs continues to grow.
The Foundation now manages more than 70 endowed faculty positions and more than 130 endowed scholarships.
One of the newest endowed scholarships honors the late H. Glenn “Herky” Williams, a CU alumnus who was a long-time member of the Lawton Police Department. The endowment was established by his wife, Dr. Anne Williams, and his daughter, Katherine Williams. The H. Glenn Williams Endowed Scholarship for Criminal Justice will benefit full-time CU students who are majoring in criminal justice. The scholarship can be retained for up to six semesters.
The Oty McArthur Endowed Lectureship for High Impact Student Experiences is one of the Foundation’s newest endowed faculty positions. The endowment will be used to support the participation of undergraduate students in high impact experiences outside the classroom. Examples include travel to conferences by
undergraduate students and undergraduate student participation in scholarship, research or creative activities. The endowment is made possible by a gift from Dr. Karla J. Oty, director of Institutional Research, Assessment and Accountability, and President John McArthur, who both retired in July.
If you would like to ensure that Cameron students continue to receive a high-quality education derived from relevant curricula, the Cameron University Foundation would love to hear from you!
Donors have the ability to designate how their gift is used.
To learn more, call the Office of University Advancement at 580-581-2999 • www.cameron.edu/foundation/endowed
Dr. Karla Oty and Dr. John McArthur sign the agreement establishing the Oty McArthur Endowed Lectureship for High Impact Student Experiences as Barbara Braught, president of the Cameron University Foundation, looks on.
Dr. Anne Williams signs the agreement establishing the H. Glenn Williams Endowed Scholarship.
Dr. Anne Nalley greets Cameron University supporter Roberta Vowell at the Endowed Appreciation Celebration.
Critical thinking. Creative inquiry. Presentation. Those are just some of the skills Cameron University students develop as they pursue a degree. They are also skills that are frequently learned beyond the classroom while undertaking a wide array of undergraduate research.
Conducting undergraduate research allows students to exercise critical thinking as they approach the overall task. Mentored by CU faculty members, students determine a research project or interest. Each student then establishes a theorem, gathers and analyzes data, develops a conclusion based on the data analysis and presents his/her findings through poster presentations and/or submissions of papers.
During the process, students develop important skills in problem solving, independent and creative thinking and presentation. When a student commits to a research project, he/she is signaling personal initiative, dedication and intellectual curiosity – traits that are highly valued by potential employers and graduate schools.
While pursuing baccalaureate degrees in the disciplines of chemistry, physics and engineering, three students have ventured into the realm of outer space by conducting research projects related to space weather and observational astronomy.
DALTON CHASE, an engineering major utilized data from targeted satellites to understand how the sun varies across different solar cycles and the impact caused by the variability on space weather. This work will be helpful in building a framework for an empirical model for future solar activity prediction.
“I learned and gained experience in professional settings,” Chase says. “I never knew the vast opportunities undergraduate research could provide me, and I am extremely grateful to Cameron and my research advisor Dr. Susmita Hazra for allowing me to have these experiences.”
SAMPLER OF CU UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECTS
• Timothy Ballard, Frankenstein’s Symbolic Eco-Feminist Agenda
• Katherine Bartek, Queer and Transgender Representation in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”
• Jadance Black, Adenoviruses Found in Bats in West Texas
• Sean Falkenstein, Organizational Attendance Policies
• Aubrey Hewitt, The “Same Old Shit”: Seeing Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Artworks Through His Black Vision
• Connor Holt, The Social Security Trust Fund and its Viability in the 21st Century
• Landon Holley, Analyzing Ionospheric Drift Using Ionosonde Data
• Alexandra Moya, Cutaneous Evaporative Water Loss of Bats from Big Bend
National Park
• Nathalie Moro, Steady-State and Time-Resolved Spectroscopic Investigations of Texas Red Dyes in Anionic and Cationic Environments
• Kaley Muse, The Role of Trauma and Love in “Beloved” by Toni Morrison
• Brooke Nicholson, Satire in the Magical World
• Torie Ortiz-Jones, Cowden Syndrome – Why Does It Matter?
• Ryn Swinson, Gender Performance and Heteronormativity in “Fried Green Tomatoes”
• Gina Welborn, How Fiction Authors Can Use Cultural Communication Differences to Enhance Conflict in Dialogue
• Emily Womack, Finding Literary Freedom
JENNIFER LANE, a physics major, analyzed the light curve of exoplanets (planets in other solar systems). She is part of an exoplanet watch program via NASA’s partnership with the MicroObservatory Robotic Telescope Network at the Center for Astrophysics/Harvard & Smithsonian and Las Cumbres Observatory, a network of 25 telescopes at seven sites around the world. Exoplanet research gives scientists crucial hints for determining whether and where life might exist elsewhere in our solar system, as well as teaching us about how exoplanets were formed and evolved.
“Conducting undergraduate research has been helpful for me by making me get out of my comfort zone,” Lane says. “It has challenged my critical thinking skills as well as presentation skills. Doing research over a topic I found very interesting is an enjoyable experience and boosted my confidence.”
SHEKAYLA LOVE, a chemistry major, analyzed data from four robotic telescopes on variable stars, which are located millions of light years away. Starlight is the only data available from that distance, so analyzing those lights can provide information about distance, mass, size, and composition. This research is significant as it gives information about stars, their life cycle and perhaps about our universe.
She also worked on another space weather project using ionosonde data from around the world. Ionosondes are like ultrasounds; they send signals to the sky, and the returning signal gives information about the electron composition and irregularities. These parameters vary with the activity of the sun and Earth’s magnetic fields. Understanding the ionosphere is extremely important for satellite communication, a technology that is omnipresent in daily life.
“One of my biggest academic accomplishments is publishing my research work in a peer-reviewed journal,” Love says. “I am very thankful to Dr. Hazra, Cameron University and the Department of Chemistry, Physics and Engineering for giving me this opportunity.”
The Cameron University Athletics Hall of Fame added a group of new honorees to its roster earlier this year. The Class of 2024 consists of baseball pitcher Stephen Reagan, Aggie supporters Von and Betty Rohde, mascot Jason Terry and volleyball player Deb Vosler.
STEPHEN REAGAN
When Stephen Reagan arrived at Cameron State Agricultural College, he aspired to join the men’s basketball program but wound up on the baseball squad instead. The talented left-hander posted a 3-1 record in 1965 and a 4-4 standard with a 2.15 ERA in 1966. That year, the Aggies won the NJCAA Region II Championship and represented Cameron in the national tournament in Grand Junction, Colorado. After earning an associate in science degree, Reagan earned a scholarship to the University of Arkansas, then subsequently became a dental assistant in the U.S. Air Force. He then earned master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Oklahoma, serving as a professor in advanced dentistry in the College of Dentistry at the OU Health Sciences Center. Reagan and his wife, Alice, reside in Norman.
VON AND BETTY ROHDE
Von and Betty Rohde began their journey with Cameron Athletics in the fall of 1991, when Von was invited to accompany CU’s men’s golf team to a tournament in Arizona – an experience that became the first of many. Since then, the couple has volunteered their services at numerous Aggie home golf tournaments. They became friends with John Jeter, a professor of accounting at Cameron and his wife, Peggy, who were the parents of CU’s award-winning golfer Jason Jeter. Avid Aggie fans, the Jeters turned the Rohdes on to CU’s basketball teams, where they became supporters of the women’s program. The Rohdes have enjoyed countless hours supporting the Aggie student athletes for decades, enthusiastically telling people they have extended family all over the world. Von and Betty reside in Lawton, where they can still be found in the stands cheering for the Aggies.
JASON TERRY
As the man in the mascot costume, Jason Terry fully embodied Ole Kim from 2015 to 2017, bringing school spirit to the Cameron community, those who attended athletic events, and the greater Lawton Fort Sill area. He was present at all home athletic events in Aggie Gym, bringing energy and enthusiasm in support of the Aggies. Terry had previously worked at Disney World as a variety of characters, which helped him in his role as Ole Kim. He was equally skilled at interacting with college students, older fans, and young kids. His commitment to Cameron Athletics didn’t stop there, as he was seen out in the community spreading the word of Cameron and bringing a cheerful warmth to everyone’s day. Terry won several awards while serving Cameron and earned a bachelor of science degree in sports and exercise science. He resides in Aubrey, Texas.
DEB VOSLER
Deb Vosler played for the Cameron volleyball team from 1977 to 1979 after transferring from Eastern Wyoming. During her time as an Aggie, she had a significant impact on the volleyball team. The year prior to her arrival, the team went 5-24, but Vosler led the way for a huge turnaround as the team finished 30-16 her first year. During her senior year, the team posted a 41-9 record. Vosler was a two-year captain and was the team leader. She led the team in hitting, but it was her setting that had the most impact to the team’s success. During her stint at Cameron, the team won two Oklahoma Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women championships.
After earning a bachelor of science degree in science education, Vosler earned a master’s degree in education from Southwest Oregon State, then subsequently taught high school science for 27 years.
Due to damage sustained over the course of her volleyball career, Vosler underwent the amputation of one of her lower legs. She became a pioneer in sitting volleyball in the Paralympic Games, winning a bronze medal as a member of the 2004 U.S. team in Athens, Greece. Vosler currently resides in Eyota, Minnesota.
IN MEMORIAM
James R. “Dick” Adams (’70), Lawton
Ferris Paul Allgood (’52), Sandy, Utah
Scott Askew (’83), Walters
Shirley F. Atkinson (’80), Lawton
Stewart Blair Avant, Beach City, Texas
Billy Avery, Odessa, Texas
Ronnie G. Bagwell (’76), Lawton
Billy Joe Barker (’57), Wichita Falls, Texas
Dack Weston Bennett (’94), Tulsa
Dorotha R. Bonner (’52), Lawton
Tracy Bowen (’01), Pensacola, Fla.
Phillip Wade Briney (’99), Kansas City, Kan.
James Harry Brock, Lawton
Eric Darnell Brown (’90), Lawton
Mary Brown (’87), Duncan
Frederick Bruner, Wewoka
Robert Doyle Bruner, Niceville, Fla.
Bruce W. Bryan, Anchorage, Alaska
Oma Lynn Buchanan, Cooperton
Larry Gene Buchwald (’61), Faxon
Yolanda Gale (Malone) Burt (’88), Cleveland, Ohio
Terry Lee Byrd, Altus
Toni Caicco, Lawton
Jennifer Lou Sutton Carr, Lawton
Alphonso Lydell Chapman (’82), Lawton
James Thomas “Tom” Charles, Lawton
Kandi Nichole (Gower) Clark, Wichita Falls, Texas
Karen Leigh Cloud, Comanche
Dennis Eugene Collins, Duncan
Doris Rogene Copeland, Purcell
Harold Crow (’61), Lawton
SFC (Ret.) Kyle Cunningham (’09), Lawton
Theda Jan Reeder Deaver (’75), Granbury, Texas
Donovan J. “Don” Demarta, Lawton
Michael Denney, Grove
Joyce Denton, Cache
Roger Doucette (’81), Fort Belvoir, Va.
Edwin Drummond, Lawton
Robert Daniel “Danny” Dumos, Velma
Lowell “Ju-Ju” D. Edmonds Jr. (’93), Lawton
Floyd “Rocky” Eveland Jr. (’11, ’12), Walters
Cary B. Farris, Wichita Falls, Texas
Dorothy Ford (’82), Marlow
David G. Fraser (’77), Edmond
Janell Marie Fisher, Hinton
Yvette Franklin, Lawton
Tommy Frazier, Cache
Dorothy “Nixie” Gilley, Walters
Thomas Eugene “Tom” Glover (’04), Frederick
Joe Edd Gomez, Lawton
Robert Gonzalez, Keller, Texas
Morris Flurry Goodrich, Duncan
Charles Arthur Grant (’82), Lawton
Lenora Ann Grant (’77), Lawton
Jarod Grice (’13), Denton, Texas
James Henry “Jim” Hanna (’85), Lawton
Ronald Eugene Heath, Norman
Robert Hendry (’78), Waldorf, Md.
Sallie Holden, Alexandria, Va.
Charles “Chuck” Holler, Eufaula
Joanne Holley (’80), Tyler, Texas
Lucille Ann Huffine, Lawton
Marvin Lee “Marty” Huffmaster (’81), Lawton
Kenneth Scott “Scotty" Hughes, Lawton
James Dean “Jackie” Hunter, Anadarko
Frances Hutchins, Stecker
Johnny W. Johnson, Midlothian, Texas
Roy E. Johnson, Jr., Gatesville, Texas
Benjamin D. Johnston, Norman
Herbert Lee Jones (’77), Oklahoma City
Larry Eugene Keas, Yukon
Larry “Keith” Kelman (’71), Lawton
Thomas Franklin Kerr (’92), Lewisville, Texas
William Max Kerr, Yukon
Karen Dana Thompson Khuen (’86), Lawton
Thomas Pabst Kissick (’64), Lawton
Roma Glenn Knight (’49), Lawton
Hannah Marie Kopaddy, Lawton
Jeremy Lamar, Tipton
Thelma “Maxine” Holder Ledford (’51), Lawton
Jerry Bob Lemons, Walters
Della June Liles (’51), Oklahoma City
LTC (Ret.) Michael L. Lipe (’75), Royse City, Texas
Kimberly Little, Walters
Tracy Lorah (’04), Altus
Lloyd “Randy” Randall Major (’68), Houston, Texas
Dennis McAdoo (’90), Lawton
Mary “Loretta” McCalmant (’53), Duncan
Wanda Pahdoco McDaniel (’59), Jacksonville, Fla.
Howard McGlaufin, North Conway, N.H.
LeMonte Franklin “Monte” Merritt (’76), Oklahoma City
CW4 (Ret.) Dennis Gene Moore (’82), Lawton
Carl Willis Morse, Houston, Texas
Lynda R. Noland, Lawton
Eloise Timmons Neal (’90), Lawton
Cova Newman (’90), Lawton
Ronald Dan “Ronnie” O’Rear, Wellington, Texas
Laura Pace, Apache
1LT (Ret.) Robert Zachary Parker (’93), Columbia, Tenn.
Charlotte Payne (’73), Gladstone, Mo.
Ruby Jean Petty, Webb City, Mo.
Bobby Eugene Philips, San Diego, Calif.
Sheila Rogers Pooe, Wichita Falls, Texas
David Howard Richardson (’65), Snyder
Albert Wilson Rickey, Lawton
Barbara Jean Harrell Carothers Robertson, Lawton
David Bryan Rollins, Lawton
Vernon Clark Rulison (’67), Frisco, Texas
John Perry “Johnny” Runyan, Cache
Randy Sellers, Edmond
William Henry Shoopman, Denton, Texas
Larry Dean Smith (’82), Duncan
Joseph “Mike” Smith (’79), Cache
Ralph Edward Snodgrass, Apache
Danny Sparlin (’71), Lawton
Glenda Marie Stanton, Lawton
Kenneth “Kenny” Stears, Lawton
William A. “Bill” Stephen, Lawton
Donald Thomas Stilley, Lawton
Randy L. Stoltenberg (’90), Lawton
Inez Patricia Halvorson Sullivan (’05), Woodward
Roderick George “Peach” Holden Takewahpoor (’86), Lawton
Marjorie Louise Taylor, Lawton
Bill R. Tenopir (’59), Geronimo
Teresa Dawn Thomas, Broken Arrow
Vickie Lynn Haywood Thomas (’04), Tyler, Texas
Jerry Linn Thompson (’59), Elk City
Lillian Sue Thompson (’90), Fletcher
Ruth Ann Toehay, Carnegie
Billy Joe Towery, Broken Arrow
Fred George Vasquez (’75), Arlington, Va.
David Stephen Vaughan Sr. (’87), Union, S.C.
James David Via III, Chicago, Ill.
Robert I. “Bob” Wagner Sr., Franklin, Ohio
Raymond Watkins (’76), Scottville, Ill.
Jeffery Weems (’84), Clayton
Paul Arthur “Bogus” Wege Jr. (’84), Lawton
James White (’70), Duncan
Donna Sue Wiley (’68), Norman
Lakesha Latonia Williams (’00), Lawton
Don Wise, Knoxville, Tenn.
Kyle DeNise Woods (’97), Marlow Ariane Kay Yoder, Ishpeming, Mich.
Donna Young, Lake Frederick, Va.
CU SUPPORTERS, FACULTY AND STAFF
William B. (Bill) Buxton, Duncan
James Eason, Lawton
Melanie Eason, Lawton
Cynthia “Cindy” Ann Evers, Ocilla, Ga.
Rudia Halliburton, McAlester
John Stephen Jeter, Nashville, Tenn.
Kimberly Diane Saul Johnson, Lawton
Carolyn Virginia Lindsey Kinslow, Lawton
Granville Doyle Long, Lawton
Richard McComas, Lawton
Robert “Bob” McGlothlin, Lawton
Virgil “Bud” Mowrey, Lawton
Rebecca Louise “Becky” Pazoureck, Lawton
Bobby Sheets, Hobart
R.C. Shipley, Duncan
ALMA MATTERS
Alumni who received more than one degree are listed by year of most recent degree. Those who attended but did not graduate are listed under the year they would have graduated; or in some cases, the last year they attended. If you have changed your address, have a new job or have other news to share, contact the CU Office of Alumni Relations, 2800 W. Gore Blvd., Lawton OK 73505, 580-581-2988; alumni@cameron.edu; or on the web at www.cameron.edu/alumni.
1990s
Chris Deal (BBA ’90), Duncan, retired as president and CEO of the Duncan Chamber of Commerce earlier this year. He had served in that position since January 2011.
Stacy Robinson (BS ’90), Cache, was named Cache District Teacher of the Year. She has been teaching at Cache Public Schools for 15 years.
Dan Jacobsma (BS’ 92), Elk City, was appointed district attorney for the 3rd Prosecutorial District by Gov. Kevin Stitt. He had served as the first assistant district attorney for the district since 2019.
Stoney Mathis (AAS, BS ’92), Columbus, Ga., was named police chief for the City of Columbus. He had served as interim police chief for several months. He was previously police chief in Chattahoochee Hills, Ga., and Fairburn, Ga.
Kelly Mims (BS ’92), Lawton has released “Moments that Matter: Navigating the Path of Educational Excellence.” In the book, Mims recounts her career and offers tips to educators. She is the assistant principal at Eisenhower High School in Lawton.
Mara Wiggins (BA ’92), Walnut Grove, Minn., was honored with the Cathy Cowan Award for University and Community Service by Southwest Minnesota State University. She is a professor of library and a university librarian.
Nate Meraz (BA ’92), Elgin, was named District 13 Superintendent of the Year by the Oklahoma Association of School Administrators. He is the superintendent at Elgin Public Schools.
Jamie Polk (MED ’96), Oklahoma City, was named superintendent of Oklahoma City Public Schools. She joined OCPS in 2019 as assistant superintendent following 25 years with Lawton Public Schools.
Darcy Reeves (BBA ’96), Marlow, was honored with the Community Service Award during the 45th annual Oklahoma Governor’s Arts Awards. Reeves has served as executive director of the Chisholm Trail Arts Council for more than a decade.
Christian Morren (AA, BM ’97), Norman, was honored with the 2024 Clifton Ware Group-Voice Pedagogy Encouragement Award. The honor was presented by the National Association of Teachers of Singing.
2000s
Lynn Cordes (BA ’01), Lawton, was recognized with the OASA District 13 Assistant Superintendent/Central Office Administrator of the Year award by the Oklahoma Association of School Administrators. She is executive director of communications for Lawton Public Schools.
Tamara Richardson (BS ’02), Stillwater, has served as the employee assistance psychologist at Oklahoma State University since 2018.
Sheila Treadwell (MEd ’02, BS ’97), Snyder, received a grant from the Cyclone Education Foundation. The grant was used to purchased items for Sensory Play in her PreK classroom.
Christen Humphries (BA ’03), Comanche, was the featured artist at the Chisholm Trail Arts Council Art Gallery. More than 100 pieces of her artwork were displayed.
Matt Griffin (BA ’06), Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, has worked as an archeologist and environmental contractor at the Bucholz Army Airfield Runway.
Veronica Hodgson (BM ’03), Lawton, is now the director of music ministry at First United Methodist Church in Duncan. She is an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and sits on the board of International Voice Teachers of Mix. Hodgson operates a voice and musical theatre studio in Duncan.
Justin Janz (BS ’03), Snyder, was chosen as the 2012 Oklahoma Coaches Association Small School West All State Volleyball Coach of the Year. This was his first year coaching/ teaching at Snyder, where his team ended their season with a record of 21-9.
Melissa Taylor (BS ’03, AAS ’02), is the principal of Blake Primary School in Parker, Ariz. She previously taught at schools in Indianapolis, Ind., and Oklahoma.
Carrie J. Garrity (MBA ’06), Anchorage, Alaska, is now a director at the accounting firm of Thomas, Head & Greisen. A certified public accountant, she has been with the firm since 2014.
Jennifer Viechweg-Horsford (MBA ’06, BS ’02), Brooklyn, N.Y., received the Caribbean Impact Award from Caribbean Life magazine. A native of Grenada, she is the founder of Leaders Engaging in All-Round Development & Cycles of Resilience Canarsie Street Team.
Joslyn Wood (MEd ’09, BS ’00), Lawton, was recognized as Woman of the Year by the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women. She is an educator, realtor, volunteer firefighter and founder and president of Ellipsis.
2010s
Kyle Luetters (BA ’10), St. Louis, Mo., has been approved by the Internal Revenue Service as an Enrolled Agent. It is the highest credential awarded by the IRS.
Giselle Greenidge (MS ’12, BA ’11), Maryville, Mo., has been elected as an executive council member for the Southwestern Sociological Association. She is an assistant professor of sociology at Northwest Missouri State University.
Channa Bylerly (MS ’13), Duncan, was named District 15 Superintendent of the Year by the Okahoma Association of School Administrators. She has served as superintendent of Duncan Public Schools since July 2022.
Trey Caldwell (BBA, AS ’13), Lawton, was named vice chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee. He is completing his second term as a member of Oklahoma’s House of Representatives.
Neila Ettienne (BA ’15, BA ’11), St. David, Grenada, was appointed press secretary for the Office of the Prime Minister. She was previously a support officer for Grenada Schools, Inc.
Cheyenne Cole-Scheuer (BA ’18), Helena, Mont., is now the community outreach coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Montana.
Jeff Elbert (BA ’18), Lawton, was named Secondary Teacher of the Year by Lawton Public Schools. He teaches math and media production at Lawton High School.
Justin Rose (BA ’19), Lawton, is the digital content manager at KSWO-TV.
2020s
Caitlin Anders (BA, AA ’20), Oklahoma City, was named to the NextGen Under 30 program, which recognizes young Oklahomans who are making an impact. Anders is the digital content manager at Oklahoma City Museum of Art and a board member of the Cameron University Alumni Association.
Dani Carson (BA, AA ’20), Apache, released a new video, “Easy Way Out,” in December.
Danika Christopherson (’20) Oklahoma City, was selected as Miss Oklahoma USA. She will vie for the Miss USA title in September.
Darcy George (BS ’20), Hobart, is the current Miss Great Plains and competed for the title of Miss Oklahoma in June. She is a teacher at Altus High School.
Summer Palmer (MBA ’20, BACC ’18, AS ’17), Mountain View, received her certified public account license from the Oklahoma Accountancy Board.
Erica Hill (MS ’21, BS ’15), Temple, is now the superintendent for Temple Public Schools. She was an elementary teacher for the district in 2016, become principal at Temple Elementary in 2011 and principal at Temple High School in 2022.
Tiffany Angell (BS ’22), Lawton, is a health educator at the Comanche County Health Department.
Spencer Brown (BBA ’22, AS ’21), Tomball, Texas, has donated more than $20,000 through his non-profit organization Sanctuary 212 to MIGHT Technology and Learning Center. The donation will be used to provide a shelter for homeless high school students.
Mateus Ceolin (MS ’22), Tucson, Ariz., is an assistant coach for the men’s tennis team at the University of Arizona.
Joseph Kirk (BBA ’22, AS ’21), Louisville, Ky., has been named assistant coach for the men’s and women’s golf teams at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Alyssa Cox (BFA ’23), Marlow, is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art at Texas Woman’s University. Her artwork has been exhibited at galleries throughout Oklahoma and Texas.
Misti Tyler (MS ’24, BS ’01), Frederick, was named Teacher of the Year for Frederick Public Schools. She teaches 6th grade English at Frederick Middle School.
CURRENT STUDENTS
Nicolas Raso, Lawton, was selected to perform in the 2024 Oklahoma Music Educators Association’s All-State Orchestra. A junior at MacArthur High School, he is a concurrent student at CU.
