FALL 2020
Adapt Grow
& OK L A HOMA C I T Y UN I V E RS I T Y A LU M N I MAGAZ INE
CONTENTS
Focus Alumni Magazine 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73106 405-208-7000 • okcu.edu/focus STORY IDEAS: focus@okcu.edu ALU M NI NEWS: alumni@okcu.edu Focus is produced semiannually by the Communications & Marketing and Alumni departments for alumni and friends of Oklahoma City University. OCU is an equal-opportunity institution.
University Administration Martha Burger, President (MBA ’92) George Sims, Interim Provost Jim Abbott, Assistant Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics and Director of Athletics Amy Ayres, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Talia Carroll, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Amy Cataldi, Interim Assistant Provost (MA ’98) Joey Croslin, Vice President for Human Resources and Chief HR Officer Gerry Hunt, Chief Information Officer (BS ’89, MBA ’05) David McConnell, Interim Chief Financial Officer Casey Ross (BSB ’00, JD and MBA ’03), General Counsel Lynann Sterk-Brooks, Vice President of University Advancement Kevin Windholz, Vice President for Enrollment Management and University Communications
Alumni Relations Megan Hornbeek Allen (BA ’03), Director of Alumni Engagement Kimberley Worrell (BS ’08), President, Alumni Advisory Board
Editorial Staff David Klaassen, Director of Communications Rod Jones (MBA ’12), Editor of Focus and Associate Director of Communications Aubrie Bowlan, Communications Coordinator April Marciszewski, Art Director of Focus and Senior Graphic Designer
6
Mission: A Safe Education Unusual times call for creative measures. OCU has reinterpreted everything from music rehearsals to cleaning protocols to the matriculation procession. Read our cover story to find out how
Writers
OCU is living up to its mission to create, lead, and serve, even in
Terry Phelps, Professor of English Rich Tortorelli, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
a global pandemic.
Photographers Josh Robinson, Photographer/Videographer Eric Gomez, Photographer/Videographer Assistant
ON THE C OVE R
Sophia Schölch, music performance junior Photo by Josh Robinson STORY PAGE 6
4 12 28 41
New screen acting degree offered in Los Angeles, London Moving toward greater diversity, inclusion Philanthropist Jose Freede leaves legacy in education, health ‘Creative OCU’ features new game design student work
F ROM THE PR E S IDE N T
Mass communications students wear masks as they run cameras during a Channel 23 broadcast in the OCU studio. Photo by Josh Robinson
Greetings Alumni & Friends, For OCU, 2020 has been like no other year in our history. As I write this, we are just a few weeks away from the close of the fall semester. In the midst of a pandemic, I am thankful we have been able to successfully teach in-person classes and operate the university in a way that carries out our mission. We went into this semester with a lot of questions. Frankly, sometimes we had more questions than answers. But, with a relentless desire to do things right, an attitude of grace, and a spirit of adaptability, we have succeeded. We have unfortunately seen a few positive cases, as we are not free from the challenges that all institutions of higher education are facing. But, together we have shown that we can work in the most difficult situations. I am proud of how our students have responded. I know this year is a departure from the norm, and they have handled it brilliantly. They have shown their flexibility by demonstrating innovation and resiliency. And, more than anything, they are committed to their education, to their community, and to their own health as well as the well-being of others. You will read in the pages of this issue many examples of how our students and faculty are navigating the challenges of the semester. We hold live virtual chapel on Thursdays, our dance students use
high-tech Zoom Carts in class, and our chemistry students participate in guided-inquiry activities in a unique online setting inside the classroom. While most of our courses have adapted to a safe in-person environment, we also understand the need for virtual learning experiences. More than 15% of our courses are online this semester. Many of our student organizations have seen increased participation while moving to an almost entirely virtual platform for conducting meetings, sharing philanthropic causes, and building community among their members. Our students are diligent about following safety protocols and socially distancing. They even developed their own social media campaigns geared toward their peers to encourage wearing masks. No doubt, the virus has changed how we operate, but it has not changed our dedication to creating a world-class learning environment. We know this pandemic is not over. But, no matter the condition of the virus, I know the condition of our spirit. Our university stands strong. We are resolute. We will continue to face this challenge in a way that reflects the proud tradition of OCU. While it would be easy to remember 2020 for its hardships, I will instead choose to carry the memories of how our university persevered despite the odds.
Fall 2020  1
THE BIG PICTURE
Students and employees, led by the OCU chapter of the American Association of University Professors, wrote the names of victims of police violence in chalk on campus sidewalks in September as part of the national #ScholarStrike movement, aiming to bring awareness to racism and racial injustice in all forms and work together for progress. Photo by Josh Robinson
2 
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine Photo by ______
ALUMNI
3
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine Photo by ______
U N I V E R S I T Y U P DAT E
ACADEMICS
FROM LA TO LONDON
New Screen Acting Degree Spans the Globe Oklahoma City University, in partnership with the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, will offer a new master’s degree in screen acting in two of the world’s entertainment capitals beginning in January. The Master of Fine Arts in Screen Acting is a highly specialized two-year program that will be taught in Los Angeles and London. The program starts with hands-on learning in Los Angeles’ historic Culver City, complete with internships at LA film studios. During the second year of the program, students will study in London at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts. Master class faculty members include Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth (BM Musical Theatre ’91, MM ’93, HDHL ’13), who will conduct master classes at least once a year for OCU MFA students in LA. The OCU School of Theatre’s Los Angeles location is near Amazon Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Apple+ Studios, HBO Studios, Jesse James Films, and others. The program will prepare graduates to work professionally in film, television, and other recorded media venues. “Students will learn how to develop, pitch, and produce their own content,” said OCU School of Theatre Dean Mark Parker. “The program will offer invaluable experience working alongside, and networking with, actors, directors, casting directors, agents, and producers in both LA and London.” Along with the foundational study of acting technique while studying in LA, students will engage in multiple digital media projects of their own, a range of workshops and events with industry professionals, and a research project on
an aspect of screen history or film/TV theory. Students also will screen a film project and participate in a pitching session to industry professionals. In London, students will study specific technical skills in voice, movement, stage combat, and improvisation. The program culminates with a thesis production project. For more information, contact ocutheatreauditions@okcu.edu or visit okcu.edu/mfa-screen-acting. M A S T E R C L A S S W I T H A S TA R Take it from a Broadway star—sometimes you gotta improvise. Chenoweth gave two masterclasses during the spring semester for OCU students via the Zoom platform while sheltering in place in her Manhattan home. Chenoweth accepted an appointment as artist-in-residence at her alma mater in early March, weeks before the pandemic moved all classes online. She agreed to be in residence at the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at least once a semester, working with students in masterclasses, lessons, and workshops and leading ongoing conversations on the business of Broadway and Hollywood. Even in the midst of the pandemic, Chenoweth kept one of Broadway’s most enduring ideals: The show must go on. “What a wonderful session and what a kind and generous heart,” Mark Parker, dean of the Bass School of Music, said after the first session. “Kristin Chenoweth was real, she was encouraging, motivating, and most of all, she showed all 44 of us on this call that she is committed to these students for the long haul.”
Nursing School Donates PPE to Local Hospitals Soon after the pandemic began, Oklahoma City University answered the call to support the metro area’s medical community by donating critical personal protective equipment to SSM Health St. Anthony and INTEGRIS in response to increased needs prompted by COVID-19. The Kramer School of Nursing donated 8,375 gloves as well as hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes to St. Anthony for health care professionals treating patients on the front lines of the pandemic. The Physician Assistant program donated an additional 2,000 gloves and 150 masks.
4 Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine
The nursing school also donated supplies to INTEGRIS including gloves, hand sanitizer, and bleach wipes. “After our students transitioned to online learning last spring, we saw the opportunity to give back with PPE we knew was much needed,” said Lois Salmeron, dean of the Kramer School of Nursing. “It’s an opportunity not only for our school and our students to pay it forward to the profession they will soon enter, but also for us to demonstrate the value of servant-leadership we promote among all OCU Stars.”
Serving the Community Oklahoma City University Police Chief Dexter Nelson was appointed to Mayor David Holt’s (JD ’09) Law Enforcement Policy Task Force, which was created in response to community concerns about law enforcement policies. The task force will revisit and revise the Oklahoma City Police Department’s de-escalation policy as well as the structure in place designed to provide credible and independent accountability back to the community, a responsibility currently belonging to the police department’s Citizens Advisory Board. According to the city, the task force may also consider other policies if they are necessary to accomplish improvement in the two priority areas. The task force will recommend changes to the city council and city manager for potential adoption. Nelson with his family at his swearing-in ceremony at OCU.
Online Work Leads to Theatrical Innovation
Dean Hired for Law Recruitment
Each year, Oklahoma City University awards a grant to facilitate Creative Activity, Inquiry, Research, and Scholarship and promote “critical thinking, creativity, and the ability to think holistically and across disciplines of study.” Associate professor Kate Brennan and undergraduate student Avery Bruce proved to be the perfect pair to receive the grant—despite having to collaborate remotely in a field where doing so is an extreme challenge. “Across disciplines of study” doesn’t begin to describe Brennan’s and Bruce’s “Illuminate” project. The endeavor is categorized as a myriodrama, a collection of scenes and songs that can be assembled in any order, with any number of ensemble members, and shared in any medium. “Illuminate” is the third installment of the overall work, The Infinity Trilogy. “Each scene and song operate as a unique ‘card,’” Brennan explained. “The deck can be dealt in any order, in any amount.” The artists worked with Ignition Arts, a nonprofit arts organization that encourages “collaboration across all genres of art and change-making.” Brennan and Bruce worked with Ignition Arts Executive Director and former head of OCU’s Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Performance Gregory DeCandia to create the new type of performance format. “We were scheduled to develop ‘Illuminate’ with Ignition Arts at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma in May,” Brennan said. “When the pandemic shuttered theaters, Ignition Arts moved the development online to keep everyone safe. In doing so, we created not only a new theatre piece but a new way of creating a theatrical piece.” Bruce said: “‘Illuminate’ is a story where a linear progression of time is not important, but rather time—future, past, present— can be interwoven to present a universal message that illuminates important themes in all of our lives.” To learn more about myriodrama and preview the project, visit ignitionarts.org/illuminate.
Michelle Gunter was appointed the new assistant dean of admissions for the OCU School of Law. Gunter filled the position left vacant upon the retirement of Associate Dean Laurie Jones. “We are very excited to welcome Michelle Gunter,” Dean Jim Roth said. “Her experience in recruiting will be the perfect continuation of the work of Dean of Admissions Laurie Jones. Dean Jones has been instrumental in growing our law school with her passion for bringing in a talented and diverse student body, and we know Dean Gunter will build upon the foundation she has laid. I look forward to the next class of bright law school students who will become a part of our OCU Law community.” Gunter began her career in higher education at Spelman College as a member of the housing and residence life staff, moving next to student affairs at Paul Quinn College. Prior to joining the staff of University of North Carolina School of Law, Gunter served as an attorney for survivors of sexual assault with Lone Star Legal Aid and as an admissions recruiter for Texas A&M University School of Law. “I’m looking forward to working with Dean Roth and the exceptional team at OCU Law,” said Gunter. “The school truly grows the next generation of leaders, and I’m proud to have a part in that process.”
“We created not only a
new theatre piece but a new way of creating a theatrical piece.” KATE BRENNAN
Nelson photo by Josh Robinson Fall 2020 5
BY LINDSEY MARCUS & UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Adapt Grow
&
E A R LY I N T H E P A N D E M I C , O K L A H O M A City University convened its Emergency Operations Center members and worked to prepare for numerous possibilities and keep OCU safe. Oklahoma had its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 6, and on March 11, OCU announced classes would move online following spring break for at least two weeks. A week later, all but essential university employees had transitioned to remote work, and a day after that, it was confirmed—the rest of the semester would be online. When staff began returning to campus in June, signs reminded the OCU community to wear masks, socially distance, wash hands often, use certain doors as entrances and others as exits, and adhere to lower room capacities. In July, OCU implemented a COVID-19 alert level system, deans announced plans for in-person classes, and OCU modified the fall 2020 academic calendar to end classes before Thanksgiving. The university similarly modified the spring schedule, starting it a week later in January and skipping spring break. Campus housing operated dorm move-ins by appointment only, with students cleared after taking a COVID-19 test. President Martha Burger sent a video message to the OCU community early in the semester, congratulating Stars on a safe start to the semester and taking the opportunity to encourage continued safety. “Perhaps the hardest thing of all, do not gather in big groups or crowds, not on campus and not off campus,” she said. “I know it doesn’t feel normal, but if we do the hard work now, we will be much more likely to be able to finish fall 2020 together and then come back together again for spring 2021. I’m proud of our efforts as a community and have every confidence we will continue protecting each other by adhering to the protocols.”
The annual matriculation ceremony ushered freshmen into university life. Students proceeded in small groups through campus and met in a variety of locations instead of just the Kirkpatrick Auditorium to allow for social distancing. Photo by Josh Robinson
“OCU has proven our resiliency in the face of challenges time and time again,” President Martha Burger said. “We will navigate these uncertain times with decisive confidence, remain true to our mission, and emerge from this crisis as the strong, vibrant university we have always been.” 6 Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine
ALUMNI
7
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine Photo by ______
Fall 2020 7
A Look Back From the time it was founded in 1904, the university has faced not one, but two global pandemics. In 1918, the then-named Oklahoma Methodist University was confronted with an outbreak of the Spanish Flu. Students were given an “influenza vacation,” resulting in an extended school year and the removal of all but three school holidays.
Student Life Once again, a pandemic has changed the way students live and learn on the OCU campus. In the spring, the Student Activities Council held online gatherings such as a meet-and-greet with pets and “Zoom Got Talent” to help students stay connected. Incoming students were welcomed in the fall with Stars Week, featuring outdoor and virtual activities. Outdoor events included a screening of “Knives Out” and an open mic night. Virtually, students participated in diversity and inclusion training and a social media challenge. Additionally, OCU offered affinity spaces for connection to students of color, students who identify as LGBTQIA+, and those desiring an interfaith community. Although the school year held many uncertainties, the Student Affairs staff remained optimistic. “Students adjusted to life back on campus and are adhering to updated campus policies, practices, and procedures fairly well,” said Dr. Levi Harrel, dean of students. “We are learning about navigating the unknown together.” Student Government Association President Abigail Banks hopes to create an environment of positivity for her fellow Stars. “I truly believe that we can make it through this semester and come out at the end better, stronger, and closer than ever before,” she said.
8
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine
RELIGIOUS LIFE Chapel is held on Facebook Live, with singing limited to soloists or ensembles, said the Rev. Elizabeth Horton-Ware, director of Religious Life. Evensong takes place in the Pavilion, weather permitting, and is shared on their Instagram account, @ religiouslifeocu. HOUSING AND MEALS Residential Life has also been busy with modifications. Beyond mask and social distancing requirements, the team removed triple room spaces from Walker Hall, increased deep cleanings, enacted new visitation policies, provided disinfectant throughout common spaces, and identified isolation housing for students as needed. Students also noticed changes in the Caf, from expanded hours and a new overflow room to PPE-wearing staff serving food. As a final measure, plexiglass shields and contactless readers were installed at all dining locations.
makeshift ceramic studio with her children playing nearby while she taught remotely. MEINDERS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Long before anyone knew what “COVID-19” meant, said Dean Steven Agee, the business school had executive classrooms equipped for distance learning, an instructional designer for distance learning, and fully online MBA programs. Using JoinProf.com, created by IT professor Dr. Robert Greve and his business partner, Luke Woodard, students can remotely participate in live class discussions. ANN LACY SCHOOL OF AMERICAN DANCE A N D E N T E R TA I N M E N T
No stranger to experiments, Dr. Stephen Prilliman, associate professor and chair of chemistry, has taken new approaches in the classroom. Small groups do guided-inquiry activities over Zoom while in the same room or in their dorms. Lab classes have extra supplies to limit how much students touch the same objects. Finding inspiration on her back porch this summer, Lynette Atchley, instructor of the class Art by Women of Color, created a
For the dance school, collaborations are socially distanced or digital. In class, students are restricted to a six-foot taped-off square, said Dean John Bedford. Students alternate between online and in-person classes and received portable dance floors. With new technology, faculty can interact remotely with students, allowing those who might be quarantined to continue classes. Campus Technology worked with dance school faculty to come up with a solution they call “Zoom Carts,” which are utility carts loaded with a big-screen television, computer, adjustable video camera, and a microphone, all controlled by the instructor. Students can participate in classes remotely in real time via Zoom. The instructor controls the camera angle with a remote and wears a headset with a microphone so students in the room and watching from afar can hear their instruction. The “Zoom Carts” themselves can be positioned in various parts of the classroom. OCU’s long-running dance companies are on hiatus, but during the pandemic, OCU has created a virtual dance company, THE STAR DANCERS, said Jo Rowan, Dance Department chair and American Spirit Dance Company director. The company, including 174 students, will perform in the virtual STAR DANCERS Christmas Kids Show,
Left to right: Incoming freshmen lined up six feet apart and proceeded through the arch on their way to matriculation to begin the fall semester. Artist-in-Residence Vincent Sandoval teaches a jazz class. Signs throughout
the university remind the OCU community to maintain social distancing and wear masks. A physician assistant student attends class with students spaced farther apart and all members wearing masks. Photos by Josh Robinson
In the Classroom Transitioning to virtual learning this past spring and preparing for the fall semester back on campus was a complicated endeavor. Deans have worked closely with Campus Technology Services to equip classrooms with technology for e-learning. Here are some other innovative ways OCU has modified the classroom experience in light of COVID-19: PETREE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Fall 2020 9
which will include 10 pieces of choreography, plus three senior solo shows and an introduction by Santa. It is being recorded with safety rules as a priority, Rowan said. OCU SCHOOL OF LAW The School of Law has also taken many precautions to keep its students safe. Students are seated at least six feet apart in classrooms, with McLaughlin Hall accommodating larger classes. Class times have been adjusted to allow for cleaning between classes and to eliminate large numbers of students arriving and leaving at the same time. First-year students have all their classes in the same room on the same day, with assigned seats. Some classes are held partly online or entirely online, and all semester exams will be taken before Thanksgiving. O C U S C H O O L O F T H E AT R E AND WANDA L. BASS SCHOOL OF MUSIC The show must go on—and indeed it will—in groundbreaking ways. Fall performances do not have live audiences but are being broadcast to audiences online. Music’s fall lineup included “Monty Python’s Spamalot Socially Distant Concert-ish Version” and a six-person opera, Mozart’s “Così fan Tutte.” Theatre planned similar socially distanced modifications for two mainstage and two StageII shows. “Applause is a beautiful thing, but, as we have all experienced,” Dean Mark Parker told students, “no joy is greater than when we and our peers grow in a cast community.” Rehearsals look a lot different, too, with mask coverings for the choir, sanitizing wipes in practice rooms, improved air quality, and
Above left: Kramer School of Nursing conducted a drive-through pinning ceremony for graduating nursing students in May. Student Keely McGough poses with professor Gina Crawford after driving through a gauntlet of cheers to receive her pin and program. Above right: The tradition of older students
10
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine
resized classes and ensembles. Costume fittings are minimized and involve face masks and shields, along with hand sanitizer. “We’re going to grab this opportunity and use the improbable to drive us quicker than ever to the remarkable,” Parker said. KRAMER SCHOOL OF NURSING The Kramer School of Nursing has many nursing programs, and Dean Lois Salmeron said each has adapted to deliver the curriculum in the best manner suited to the content and requirements. Programs that teach in person are the traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing and the BSN-to-Doctor of Nursing Practice, which require skills training and caring for “real” people in clinical sites. For other programs, students are able to attend sessions via Zoom, on campus, or a combination of the two. Although some faculty and staff are working remotely, all classes are taught in person on campus by faculty.
Giving Day None of the work of operating a university in a global pandemic is easy or simple, as the faculty and staff can attest. It requires the dedication and commitment of the campus community and the support of people who love Oklahoma City University and its students. April 30 was OCU’s first #TrueBlueOCU Giving Day online crowdfunding campaign (read more on the back cover of the magazine). Several in-person events had to be canceled, but the OCU community surpassed the $150,000 goal. Donations totaled more than $200,000 to the OCU Fund, supporting student scholarships and the university’s greatest needs.
helping freshmen move into campus housing continued this fall, but with masks, social distancing, and spaced out timing to minimize crowds. Right: Honors students gathered during Stars Week in August to meet and greet—outside, at a distance this year. Photos by Josh Robinson
Stars on the Front Lines
Several OCU alumni and students who serve as healthcare workers have been fighting the pandemic on the front lines. Left: Claire Pedulla (BSN ’19) works in a quarantine COVID-19 unit at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center ICU in April. Right: Jory Brownd (BSN ’17), an active duty Navy nurse, was called in April to serve on the USNS Mercy, one of the Navy’s two hospital ships, to free up hospital space in Los Angeles for COVID-19 patients. Read more about Stars on the front lines on OCU’s blog: okcu.edu/nova. Photos courtesy of alumni
Fall 2020 11
A ILVUEMRN D SI T Y & I NC L U S I ON
“ Part of my important work is to aid
others in expanding their perspectives, becoming curious about others, and seeking learning for themselves.”
Embracing a New Outlook BY TALIA CARROLL, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion
I clearly remember riding my pink-and-white banana seat bike from my house on Twining Drive down to the shopette to buy strawberry Mentos. It was sort of a thing to have the 30cent treat and also to enjoy the quick jaunt down the hill. Living on Tinker Air Force Base and being wholly steeped in military dependent life was rewarding for me, and it was where I was introduced to diversity, equity, and inclusion, though I didn’t have the language to describe what I was experiencing. As a result of my friendships, schooling, and interactions with people on base, I was exposed to early lessons about race and ethnicity, income inequity, and gender normativity, for example. I remember being able to stay out and play with my friends until the streetlights came on at dusk—all the while not having a full appreciation about the rich racial and cultural diversity of my friend group. We all
12
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine
learned a lot from each other, and I was never fully prepared to leave them after finding out our family would be moving to The Azores, an island chain off of the coast of Portugal. The Azores was the first stop, then Singapore, and the final assignment was Rota, Spain. Throughout my lived experiences, I was afforded the opportunity to travel extensively, continue to expand my network of friends, and learn about the deeply unique and beautiful cultures across the globe. In Portugal, on Terceria Island, my family and I would navigate the steep, hilly terrain, regularly frequenting local restaurants to enjoy some of the most amazing food I’ve eaten in my life. One year, while attending Singapore American School, I participated in “Interim Semester,” a oneweek global experience, to travel to Nepal, explore the Himalayan region, go whitewater rafting, and learn about Nepalese culture
during class with our faculty guide. While living in Spain, I committed to learning Spanish, though I can’t say I’m altogether comfortable with holding a conversation without long pauses and deep thinking about how to conjugate a verb. These selected reflections are important for you to know as I share next what it means to me to be in my role at OCU. Truly, I could have never imagined that my formative years would so heavily influence who I am today and what I have the opportunity to do in this inaugural role. At OCU, all of my personal and professional life experiences have come together, serving as a solid and meaningful foundation for how I engage on a day-to-day basis. As the new vice president for diversity and inclusion, I am charged with providing leadership for our institutional plan and goals related to diversity and inclusion.
While equity and justice are not in my title, I am committed to both, as well. You may be wondering, “What does all of this mean? Why is it important for a higher education institution to have dedicated leadership in these areas?” My direct, uncomplicated answer is that our state, country, and world are ever-changing, and it is critical for the places that help educate so many to be open and responsive to those being educated, the educators, and all who support the overarching mission to create lifelong learners who are prepared for a global context. In just thinking about the preparation for global engagement, it is not lost on me that part of my important work is to aid others in expanding their perspectives, becoming more curious about others, and seeking learning for themselves that helps them understand the dynamics of social and cultural change.
Those who are eager to pursue a degree at any level enter the higher learning space with multiple identities and experiences informing how they engage in the world including their worldview, income level, race, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, and gender identity, for example. We have the opportunity to understand how identity shapes the lived experiences of those we engage with daily. As a place for learning and supporting the growth of all, it is important and, dare I say, necessary for the university to ensure the space, practices, and policies rise to meet people where they are and also support them in their ability to engage fully in and outside of the institutional context. While what I’ve shared may seem singularly connected to students who enroll at OCU, our institution’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice needs to be a focus for the entire
community and at every level for staff, faculty, students, and engaged alumni. During this year, as I continue to learn about our institution and its members, I am excited to lead efforts alongside others who are committed to making our university more open and inclusive. Ultimately, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion team’s mission is to create a more diverse, equitable, and just community for us all and to do so through thoughtful and strategic changes that support a learning environment that promotes positive culture change. I remain excited to offer leadership during this time and look forward to sharing some exciting accomplishments over the years. The work may not always be easy. We may not always agree. We will, however, be better tomorrow than we were the day before. Photo by Josh Robinson Fall 2020 13
ACADEMICS
Physical Therapy BY R O D J O N ES
Clinical Assistant Professor Zachary Huff, at top, shows Doctor of Physical Therapy students how to check patients’ blood pressure in the new PT lab in the Dawson-Loeffler Science & Mathematics Center. Right: Dr. Maria Jones started OCU’s physical therapy program. Photos by Josh Robinson
14
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine
The first cohort of Oklahoma City University’s new Doctor of Physical Therapy program has officially joined the campus community. The new group of students got a head start on classes in July, about a month before the rest of the student body arrived for the fall semester. OCU trustees approved the 31-month program in 2017. Since then, a team of faculty has been working nonstop to build a successful program. Director Dr. Maria Jones has 30 years of experience in the field as an educator, clinician, and researcher. Jones said she and her team spent countless hours the past three years to prepare for the program’s launch. Tasks included combing the campus to find what resources it had—such as potential classroom and lab spaces— and what would need to be added to make the program work. Most classes are held in Sarkeys Science and Math Center (formerly the Sarkeys Law Center) with a customized laboratory in the Dawson-Loeffler Science and Mathematics Center. The program plans to occasionally use the recently built nursing labs in the Kramer School of Nursing. The eight-semester professional curriculum combines fulltime didactic and clinical education coursework. The program plans to admit a cohort of 36 students annually. The clinical portion of the curriculum includes service learning, integrated clinical experiences, and full-time clinical experiences. Dr. Greg Dedrick, one of the program’s six professors, said the field has a broad range of specialties: pediatrics, geriatrics, emergency room care, highly specific areas such as wound care, and work in primary education school systems. OCU’s program is geared toward developing leadership skills and study in primary practice domains, inviting students to select their own areas of interest while gaining an understanding of the practice as a whole. Dedrick, an orthopedic specialist, brings experience starting a new physical therapy program. He was the founding director of a PT program at Campbell University in North Carolina in 2012. He said OCU’s is slightly different in how much time is spent in the classroom and in the volume of lab time. Generally, students are in class from about 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. four days per week. They develop knowledge and skills throughout the semester until they transition to clinical training for realworld experience in December. Dedrick said the clinical training particularly helps the students develop communications skills in working with patients and healthcare providers. “The clinicals are in place to gain a breadth of experience and refine decision-making skills,” he said. The market demand for physical therapists is strong. Dedrick cited a jobs report study by government regulators forecasting a 15 to 20% expansion from 2030 to 2035. Such a high-demand forecast has resulted in an increased number of new programs nationwide but not necessarily in Oklahoma’s region, he said.
Program Welcomes First Cohort “I wanted to find a way to give back to my community.”
“There are not a lot of programs around us, but there is a lot of need for more health care,” he said. “The East and West Coasts are saturated, but we only have three programs in all of Oklahoma.” He said emerging areas of growth in PT are in emergency departments, critical care, and health/wellness. With COVID-19, PTs have played a critical role in rehabilitation of patients with cardiac and pulmonary complications. Sports participation is a common conduit by which students gravitate toward physical therapy as a trade, he said. One such student is Jaime Perez, who grew up playing soccer and other sports. As with many students starting out in physical therapy, Perez was surprised at how much they needed to learn right out of the gate. “It’s a lot of information thrown at you,” Perez said. “There’s not much time to slack around.” Perez started out as a medical/molecular biology major at Rogers
State University. He transitioned to a sports management degree with a business administration minor at RSU before turning his focus back to health care with OCU’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program. “I got the bug to go back to school,” he said. “I’m very active, and I like to work with people. This checks both of those boxes.” “I wanted to find a way to give back to my community,” Perez said. “There’s not a lot of understanding about physical therapy in the Hispanic community. I thought that if I do this, I could bring back what I learn to make a positive impact.” For more information or to learn how to apply, visit okcu.edu/doctor-physical-therapy/home/. Fall 2020 15
16
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine Photo by ______
F A C U LT Y
Sound & Religion Professor Jake Johnson explores sacred communities for music and meaning. BY TE RRY PHELPS
E
xcept for a few years of graduate school elsewhere, Jake Johnson, associate professor of musicology, has been at Oklahoma City University since age 12, when his mother drove him 90 miles from Holdenville once a week after school to take piano lessons with Professor Ernestine Scott. His lessons with her continued when he enrolled at OCU to pursue a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, completed in 2007. In his first year at OCU, Johnson married classmate BrieAnn, who now teaches English at Casady School in Oklahoma City. They have two daughters: Cora, 12, and Magnolia, 10. Needless to say, they all love music and theater. Johnson earned a master’s at the University of Oklahoma and a Ph.D. at the University of California, Los Angeles before returning to OCU in 2017. He teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in music history. He says he most enjoys teaching writing and “helping students find creative solutions to write about sound, which is one of the most challenging things to write about and ought to be at least as creative an endeavor as performing and writing music.” His courses include “Music and the Human Experience,” “Writing for Music,” “Music Topics Post-1970,” “Musical Theatre’s Hip-Hop Aesthetic,” and other seminars. Students in Johnson’s “Sound and Religion” seminar build relationships with Oklahoma City religious communities, attend their formal and informal gatherings, and record audio and video samples of various religious happenings. “Religious sounds can be as predictable as a Catholic Mass or the Muslim call to prayer, but when religious communities gather, they also create other sound worlds that are in some ways even more compelling,” he said. Students record funerals, potluck dinners, protests, and more everyday encounters with religion. Johnson has several publications and has presented at numerous conferences. He said he feels fortunate to be able to blend his academic and performance interests, playing piano for faculty chamber recitals and other events. As a scholar of American musical theater, he finds OCU to be a rich and rewarding performance environment. His first book, “Mormons, Musical Theater, and Belonging in America,” published in 2019, makes the case that American religion and American musical theater are intimately entwined.
A second book, “Lying in the Middle: Musical Theater and Belief at the Heart of America,” is expected in fall 2021. Johnson is interested in asking fresh questions of American music, especially focused on the lived experience of musical communities, often asking, “What job are people hiring this music to do for them?” He collaborated last year on a digital mapping initiative with scholars from Ohio State University and Michigan State University called the American Religious Sounds Project, an interdisciplinary endeavor to understand the soundscape of religious expression. The goal is “to ask, in short,” Johnson said, “two related questions: 1) what does religion sound like? and 2) what makes a sound a specifically religious sound?” Johnson served as a research site coordinator for ARSP, which gave OCU recording equipment in exchange for Johnson and his students’ providing data for the sound archive. Students establish a relationship with at least one religious community in the Oklahoma City area and arrange visits to collect audio data about them. The students record the sounds of religion including music, prayer, and meditation. They also visit the same community in an event outside of a religious space to collect sound. The point, Johnson said, is to better understand how religion and sound are intertwined in sacred and everyday ways. In 2018, Johnson worked with OCU’s Center for Interpersonal Studies through Film and Literature to screen the documentary “This May Be the Last Time,” a story of sound and hymn-singing surrounding Native American religious communities near Hughes County, Oklahoma. The documentary was directed by fellow Holdenville native Sterlin Harjo. Johnson plans to recruit teachers around the state to build a digital map of Oklahoma’s religious sounds. He hopes the data gathered could be used by elementary, middle, and high school teachers “to help Oklahoma students better understand and appreciate the relationship religion and sound share and how both have shaped the state’s history.” He is now writing an experimental biography of West Coast music patron Betty Freeman under the working title “Beverly Hills Housewife: Betty Freeman, the Music Room, and a Story of New Music in Los Angeles.” Photo by Josh Robinson Fall 2020 17
STUDENT
Peak Friendship BY AUBRIE BOW LAN
Standing at the finish line of the Camp Barnabas Half Marathon, Connor Petty heard his friend Steven Marrs say that he had always wanted to complete a marathon. Trekking 26.22 miles is a significant feat for anyone, but Marrs decided he wouldn’t let cerebral palsy keep him from dreaming big. “I know I am in a wheelchair, but why should that stop me?” Marrs asked. “I like doing stuff that makes me feel free.” Since that conversation in 2014, Petty, a third-year Doctor of Nursing Practice student, and Marrs, aka Steve-O, have crossed the finish lines of many half- and full marathons. Through their determination and shared passions, they’ve become inseparable friends. Six years later, they got the opportunity to take on the impossible. Although Marrs is an Eagle Scout and loves the outdoors, he had very few opportunities to go camping. Petty decided a hiking trip to the San Luis Peak in Colorado was their next great challenge. “We never knew how hard and long of a process that would be,” Petty said. “From the time we first mentioned it, it took us five years to complete the project.
18
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine Photos by Austin Shaw
“But it was worth it.” The adventure didn’t come easy, though. Marrs’ limited mobility required specialized equipment, an expensive provision. Through a GoFundMe page dedicated to this need, friends and family along with complete strangers got to be part of the story. They raised more than $7,700, finally making the dream a reality. “That’s when we knew we had a special friendship where we could dare to dream big, do the impossible, and invite a loving community to join in the journey,” Petty said. After years of endurance training, mental preparation, and fundraising, the duo was ready to take on their next adventure. They didn’t disregard the responsibility they had to show donors they could do it, though. Petty noted the intimidating and inspiring nature of others’ generosity in a time when generosity is more difficult to come by. Due to the pandemic, 2020 has been a financial challenge for nearly everyone. “People are looking for love, hope, and courage in this time, and we found we could be a healing hand to a world that is hurting,” Petty said. “Just by showing our friendship, we are giving people a new perspective. And now we’re bringing others on this journey with us, which can be a weight of responsibility, but there is no other place I’d rather be.” If the preparations for the trip were challenging, the hike itself was nothing short of colossal. As the group neared 13,000 feet on the second day, they realized the chair was too risky as the trail became ever more steep and rocky. “I put Steve-O on my back, and we hiked the 1.5 miles and 1,000foot climb to the summit,” Petty said. Marrs said of all the ways the two are alike, their ability to think outside the box was their biggest similarity. This came to be extremely important when fallen trees and rough terrain almost cost the group their victory. “Connor and I are both determined, so quitting wasn’t an option,” Marrs said. As they neared the top of that Colorado mountain, they felt their differences fade. They were simply two people who had accomplished the impossible together. “Being with your best friends—struggling, laughing, and finding new limits of possibility—is the best experience in the world,” Petty said. “And in the end, that’s why Steve-O and I do this. That’s why we run marathons and hike mountains. “It all comes back to friendship, and that’s the best part of every adventure.” When he’s not hiking mountains and running marathons, Petty dedicates his time to learning how to help people for a living as a nurse practitioner. His ability to go above and beyond expectations is
ALUMNI
exemplary of the Kramer School of Nursing, Assistant Professor Dr. Toni Frioux said. “Not only does he perform well academically, but more importantly, he consistently gives of himself to his peers, family, and friends,” Frioux said. “His adventure with Steven is just one example of his commitment of service to others. They set a goal together, and with their determination and fortitude, they were able to achieve something that was quite phenomenal.” Petty has found new ways to embody the Kramer mission of preparing nurses who practice with integrity, knowledge, and compassion. By taking on the seemingly impossible, he gained experience that will assist his professional development beyond the classroom. “By climbing 14,000 feet, I hoped to give Steve-O a new perspective of the world outside of his chair … to feel truly free,” Petty said. Marrs and Petty both felt inspired by their community’s support of their dream. Marrs hopes, in turn, to inspire others to dream big. “I think it will make other people think outside the box and maybe do something impossible.”
“ Being with your best friends—struggling, laughing, and finding new limits of possibility—is the best experience in the world.” C O N N O R PET T Y Fall 2020 19
BOOKS
“Nurturing Different Dreams: Youth Ministry across Lines of Difference” CO -WRITTEN BY D R. AN N E CART E R WAL KER, D EA N OF ACAD E MIC P R O GRA M S A ND EX EC U T IVE DI R ECTOR OF THE SAIN T PAU L SCH O OL OF THEOLOGY AT OC U (WI TH KATHERINE TU R P IN )
Increasingly, adolescents and young adults in the United States are racially and socioeconomically diverse, while the teaching population remains predominantly white and middle class. Youth and college ministries that are historically white struggle to provide adequate support, mentoring, and cultural understanding for students from marginalized communities. As educators from privileged backgrounds, the writers draw from their experiences in an intentionally culturally diverse youth ministry. Through engaging case studies and vignettes, they re-examine the assumptions about youth agency, vocational development, educational practice, and mentoring. Offering concrete guidelines and practices for working effectively across lines of difference, “Nurturing Different Dreams” invites readers to consider their own cultural assumptions and practices for mentoring adolescents, and assists readers in analyzing and transforming their practices of mentoring young people who come from different communities than their own. R E C O M M E N D E D : “I have been reading ‘Another Way: Living and Leading Change on Purpose,’ by Stephen Lewis, Matthew Wesley Williams, and Dori Baker. The authors help me to name just how often leadership is shaped by practices that I would describe as colonial. They propose ‘another way’ that values community, seeks discernment, slows us down, and helps us to critically reflect on how our decisions might impact those on the margins. The practices for leadership described by the writers as CARE (Creating Hospitable Space, Asking SelfAwakening Questions, Reflecting Theologically Together, and Enacting the Next Most Faithful Step), prompt me to pay attention to the driving forces behind my decision-making, to consider deeply all those who my decisions might affect, and to trust both myself and the process to generate good, true, nurturing change.”
20
Walker
“The World and the Zoo”
Roensch
BY EN G L I S H PR O F ES S O R R O B R O EN S C H
When a recent grad takes a summer zoo internship, it’s supposed to be a rebel detour before adulthood. But over the summer, the zoo and its humans deliver much more. A story of awakening exploring love, death, biology, and privilege, rich with the genius of squirrels, the grace of otters, the gorillas’ need for quiet, and the bovine dreams of whitetail deer. Funny, meditative, and deeply human, “The World and the Zoo” is a masterful short novel, carving a delicate path full of breathtaking details. Roensch wrote that he unexpectedly found himself writing about zoos and realized: “We want to experience the authentic presence of nature. … (But) the human desire to know and treasure the world is always frustrated. … We are always looking for something.” R E C O M M E N D E D : “The best book I read this summer was ‘Independent People’ by Nobel Prize-winner Halldor Laxness. It’s an epic novel about life in early 20th century rural Iceland. It’s funny, very beautiful, and very sad, and there’s lots of sheep in it.”
Historical Dictionary of the Arab Uprisings C O -WR I T T EN BY PO L I T I CA L S C I EN C E PR O F ES S O R A N D C HA I R DR . M O HA M ED DA A DAO UI ( WI T H AO M A R B O UM )
The Arab uprisings that swept the Middle East and North Africa in the period from 2011–2012 left an indelible mark on the socio-political landscape of the region. But that mark was not consistent across the region: While some countries underwent dramatic popular social and political changes, others teetered on the brink or were left with the status quo intact. Street revolutions toppled despotic regimes in Tunisia, Libya, and momentarily in Egypt, while mounting serious challenges to authoritarian regimes in Syria and Yemen. Algeria’s entrenched bureaucratic-cummilitary authoritarian system proved resilient until the recent events of early 2019 which forced the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika before the end of his term on April 28, 2019. As in Algeria, protesters in Sudan succeeded, after months of demonstrations, in overthrowing the government of Omar al-Bashir. Several
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine Book descriptions largely provided by the authors and publishers
Daadaoui
Arab monarchies still appear stable and have managed to weather the tempest of the Arab revolutions, albeit not without fissures showing in the edifice of their states, accompanied by some minor constitutional changes. Where Tunisians, Egyptians, Yemenis, Syrians, and Libyans demanded regime changes in their political systems, protesters in the Arab monarchies have called on the kings and emirs to reform their political system from the top down, indicating the sizable monarchical advantage. “Historical Dictionary of the Arab Uprisings” contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on the terms, persons, and events that shaped the Arab Spring uprisings. R E C O M M E N D E D : “I am reading ‘Leo Africanus’ by Amin Maalouf, a memoir of the eponymous Renaissance era traveler and diplomat. The novel is a fascinating narrative of that era from Leo Africanus’ perspective in which he details the fall of Muslim Andalusia, the Moorish exile to Fez, and later travels to Cairo and Rome. I like the rich description of the traditions and customs of the time, and the geopolitical analysis that Leo offers of the main political protagonists like King Ferdinand of Spain, Sultans Selim I and Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire, and Popes Leo X, Adrian VI, and Clement VII. It is an important time in the history of Europe and the Middle East that the novel weaves in the story of Leo Africanus.”
“Finding Frances” BY KELLY VINCENT, RE D E ART H MFA CR E AT IVE W RITING ST U D E N T
This novel for teens takes an authentic look at the far-reaching impact domestic violence has on its victims, with an average 15-year-old girl embarking on a journey that helps her find strength she never knew she had. Retta Brooks thinks her life is on track after convincing her overprotective mom to stop home-schooling her and allow her to go to Buckley High. She comes home from a night out with friends to find that her whole world has changed, and now she has to figure out who she is, who she can trust, and why her mom lied. R E C O M M E N D E D : “I recently read ‘Hold Still’ by Nina LaCour, a heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting novel about a teen girl’s recovery from her best friend’s suicide. I love the emotional depth of LaCour’s books, and this is probably her best.”
Vincent
“OKLALUSA: The Story of the Black State Movement in Oklahoma Territory”
Jackson
BY EDDI E JAC K S O N ( B A ’ 6 5, J D ’ 9 6 )
From the reddest of the red states comes the untold but true story of men and women with fleecy locks and dark complexions who seek to make Oklahoma Territory a black state. They begin with the black Indians in Indian Territory and reach out to the industrious classes of the five million ex-slaves ensconced in the South. White people are sharply divided among those who fear and those who support the idea. The action is furious, and the issues reach deep into the White House, where a man called the “Bright Jewel of the Negro race” vies to be appointed governor by President Harrison. Oklalusa explains the reasons for the 28 allblack towns and lays the groundwork for Black Wall Street. Here is insight into some of the origins of the race problems that plague the country still. R E C O M M E N D E D : “Currently reading ‘Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow’ by Yuval Noah Harari, which challenges medical, religious, and economic dogma. It provides creditable inspiration for new thought about maintaining youth and reaching for immortality.”
Daniels
“Luck of the Draw” BY JAC K DA N I EL S , F O R M ER EX ER C I S E PHYS I O LO GY PR O F ES S O R A N D O C U’ S F I R ST T R AC K A N D C R O S S C O UN T RY COACH
Daniels’ autobiography ranges from his studies and athletics to his roles as husband and father. As he considered his life, he realized luck had led him along his path, including to South Korea with the U.S. Army. There, he learned about the sport of modern pentathalon, which includes cross country horseback riding over 25 obstacles, fencing, pistol shooting, swimming, and running. Daniels went on to win two Olympic medials, a World Championship, and two U.S. National Championships in the sport. He has worked as an Olympic Games commentator in Canada and a national track coach in Peru, conducted research with Nike, and coached Olympic athletes. Fall 2020 21
ALUMNI A L L V O I C E S AT T H E TA B L E
Alumni Invited to Pitch in Talents, Interests
Join Forces with Fellow Alumni See more alumni in your area on the map than you expected? Consider creating an alumni chapter! For chapter inquiries, Alumni Advisory Board involvement, and volunteer opportunities, visit okcu.edu/AlumniVolunteer. BY AP RIL M ARCISZEWS K I
Megan Hornbeek Allen (BA Religion ’03) wants alumni to know they have a place, they will be taken seriously, and they have opportunities to get involved, ranging from one-time events to longer-term volunteerism. “I think the alumni voice is critical to a long future,” said Hornbeek Allen, Oklahoma City University’s alumni engagement director. “There is something immeasurable about the resources that the OCU alum provides to current students.” The Alumni Association remains free, and the alumni board has been renamed the Alumni Advisory Board to reflect its role of supporting university goals, Hornbeek Allen said. As the board kicks off with newly elected leaders this fall, it is focused on fundraising, student recruitment, and alumni events/engagement. “If you don’t see yourself on one of these three committees, I still want to know where you see yourself,” she said. New board President Kimberley Worrell (BS Dance Management ’08)
22
wants to get a diverse representation of alumni involved this year. “Alumni engagement is indicative of the health of the university,” she said. Worrell and her husband, Erick (BA Public Relations ’07), met at OCU, got married in the Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel, and want to see the university succeed, she said. “Almost every professional connection I’ve made since I graduated has been through an OCU relationship one way or another,” said Worrell, director of development for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. “It’s important for alumni to stay engaged with their university so students can have the same or better experience than they did.” Hornbeek Allen has worked to build a sustainable structure for alumni involvement. The board presidency is a two-year commitment, one step down are committee chairs, and volunteer opportunities range from one-time events to ongoing committees. “I want to make sure everyone sees themselves as having a place in the
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine
“I want to
make sure everyone sees themselves as having a place in the Alumni Association.” MEGAN HORNBEEK ALLEN
Alumni Association and nobody is in a position of burning themselves out,” she said. “You can find a role where you have a skill set. You don’t necessarily have to have a role that’s a long-term commitment.” Hornbeek Allen is working to make existing alumni chapters official so OCU can support them and provide them with information and so chapters and OCU can collaborate. She also wants to create new alumni chapters and establish a liaison at each chapter to share information between OCU and local alumni. That will also allow chapters to share ideas. Club and chapter kickoff events may shift online for now, and homecoming has the potential to be even bigger than last year with a virtual format, she said. As an alumna, Hornbeek Allen values tradition and sees a bridge between history and the future, with diversity and the ongoing progress in race relations. “I think there’s something special about OCU,” she said. “OCU made me. I think these ideas are in me because of OCU.”
ALUMNI
A Nexus of OCU Strength in a Texas Town BY AP RIL M ARCISZEWS K I
Eastland, Texas, measures 4.4 square miles and boasts 4,000 residents. It’s in one of the least populated counties in Texas, about halfway between DallasFort Worth and Abilene off Interstate 20. It wasn’t exactly the place Ronald M. Duncan (MBA ’91) expected to find two other Oklahoma City University alumni among city leaders. “I didn’t even know Jason was an OCU grad until he came into my office,” Duncan said. “Same thing with Ted. All of a sudden, they were staring at my wall and looking at my diplomas. It’s interesting that in our small town, there’s three of us.” Duncan is Eastland’s city manager; Jason Cochran (BS Elementary Education ’97) offices about three blocks away as the Eastland Independent School District superintendent; and Ted Matthews (MBA ’84) works about five blocks away as the CEO of Eastland Memorial Hospital. Any given month, Duncan sees both of them at two or three meetings. “It says something about OCU,” he said. “Cream rises to the top.” All three men had different OCU experiences: Duncan got a graduate degree at Fort Sill while in the Army, Cochran received his bachelor’s on the main campus, and Matthews earned an MBA at night while working in oil and gas. But Cochran thinks the OCU philosophy of servant-leadership permeated each of their experiences. Cochran liked the small-college experience with “a good Christian foundation, global perspective, relevance, and acceptance across the board.” He enjoyed the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and a campus culture that appreciated the arts. He met his wife, Danielle Cochran (BA Broadcasting ’00), on campus. His OCU connections set him on his career path, starting when a former education professor convinced him to teach math at a new private school. Matthews, too, said attending OCU was “the best thing I could have done. It has paid huge dividends throughout my career.” He learned
theory but also the nitty gritty financial skills he needed to be successful. The program was friendly to working professionals, and Matthews enjoyed a camaraderie with his classmates and professors. “They took such a vested interest in me as a student.” One semester, a class he needed wasn’t being offered, and the dean offered him private tutoring so he could graduate on time. “It was just a period of time that brings back really good memories,” Matthews said. Duncan appreciated that his MBA from OCU wasn’t from a “diploma mill”—“it was a solid program with great instructors,” he said. He was able to apply the lessons immediately in the Army and also as a comptroller. “If you’re going to a private institution, go to a good one,” Duncan said. “OCU gives you a value.” Duncan pointed to Cochran as “head and shoulders” above his predecessors and Matthews as creative and impressive in being able to make a small, rural hospital thrive in a time when rural hospitals are closing. He sees OCU in both of them. “If you look at the quality of graduates, it speaks for itself,” Duncan said. “It rounded out my education to the point I was fully prepared to take my career to the next level.” It’s clear Matthews takes a lot of pride in Eastland. He touches on Eastland’s industry and growth, good schools, “active and engaged” healthcare system—and the network of leaders dedicated to advancing the rural community. “There’s a lot of energy here,” he said, and right in the heart of it are three OCU graduates, working toward their goals together.
“ It says something about OCU. Cream rises to the top.”
Center photo, left to right: Local attorney Jim Farrar (JD ’80), Ron Duncan, Ted Mathews, and Jason Cochran in front of the Eastland County Courthouse. Read more at okcu.edu/focus. Photo courtesy of Ron Duncan Top photo courtesy of the City of Eastland Fall 2020 23
CLASS OF 2020
OCU’s Newest Alumni Graduating this spring looked like less pomp and circumstance and more improvisation and Zoom celebrations. OCU asked faculty, staff, family, and friends to send messages honoring graduating seniors. The tributes are available at okcu.edu/shoutouts. Here is a sampling.
Senior dancers, managers, teachers, and entertainment impresarios, I miss your eager, smiling, sweaty faces. It has been rough without you. Dear students, you have such discerning minds, disciplined bodies, and beautiful souls. Use your gifts to create goodness in a world that badly needs ethical, energetic intelligence. … Go and choreograph a beautiful life of goodness. Love, Jo Rowan
1
Leondre (Lattimore), you’re a powerhouse, my friend, and you will always be a Clara Luper Scholar. Go forth and conquer! —Russ Tallchief
Ellissa (Bailey), when we connected my first year on campus in career services, you wanted to pursue engineering post-grad at an HBCU. It was such a joy to watch you grow individually and professionally these last two years and see you pursue your initial goals. I am so proud of you and know you have a bright future ahead of you. Congrats! —Tiffany Smith Derielle (FitzGerald Keiser)! You did it! … We are beaming with pride for your accomplishments. Your perseverance and determination to pave the path to have a way to help others and make a difference is achieved! With great love and pride, Mom, Dad, and James Congratulations, Taylor Stephens! … We are overwhelmingly proud of you and can’t wait to see your amazing journey unfold! We love you! —Your adoring family and friends
24
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine Photos provided by family, friends, and OCU employees
1
2
3
4
Congratulations Austin (Wyatt),
4
We are so proud of all your accomplishments and for growing into the incredible young man that you are. Watching you follow your dreams and work hard to attain your goals has truly been one of the greatest things to witness. Mom & Ryan
2
Melissa (Eldredge), … Often over the years, your mother has asked me, “Did you ever dream you would have a daughter that would accomplish …?” The answer has always been “No.” Simply, you don’t dream the inconceivable. …
Jordan (Knapick), you are walking sunshine and joy. … Wherever you go and whatever you do, I know you will succeed! Monica Hiller
5
Emily (Carpenter), thank you for everything you’ve done for the university! With your kindness and work ethic, your future has no bounds! —Garrett Stancil
5
—Your daddy 3
Vlad (Izda), congratulations! It has been a privilege to work with you, have you in my classes, and see you progress over the last four years. … you will have a very bright future. —Laurie Kauffman Suzannah (Suzy) Newsom, children will be so fortunate to be in your class! Thanks for choosing to be a teacher. — Liz Willner Fall 2020 25
AT LU HM L ENTI I C S
2-Time NCAA AllAmerican
577
free throws — an OCU record
43
points made in a game in 1956: Reed’s career high-scoring game and OCU’s singlegame record
“If he can make 30 points a game, I think he ought to have pie.”
1,885
points, 1955– 1958, an OCU record at the time
ABE L EM ONS
1,108 rebounds, 1955–58
RECORD-SMASHER
1950s Icon to Join Hall of Fame
7th
Hall of Famer with OCU ties
BY R I CH TORTORELLI
Hubert “Hub” Reed, who became an all-American basketball player at Oklahoma City University, will be inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame with the class of 2020. The induction ceremony was postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Hub Reed was one of the iconic players who created the tradition of success that is OCU basketball,” Athletic Director Jim Abbott said. “More so, he is a humble, Christian man who has made such a significant impact in the lives of those that he has come into contact with. Hub is an OCU legend, and we are thrilled at his induction.” From 1955 to ’58, Reed averaged 23.3 points and 13.7 boards a game through 81 career games. Reed produced 25.5 points and 15.4 rebounds a game as a senior, ranking eighth nationally in scoring. Reed, a 6-foot-10 center, topped Oklahoma City with 30 points playing against Wilt Chamberlain in an 81–61 loss to No. 2 Kansas in the 1957 NCAA Southwest Regional final. Reed led OCU to a three-year mark of 53–28 with NCAA Tournament appearances in 1956 and ’57. He manned the pivot during the first
26
three years of a legendary head-coaching career for Abe Lemons. “If he didn’t send me on a recruiting trip, I’d go with him,” Reed said of his coach. “Abe was a funny story every mile, I don’t care how far we went. I thought the world of him. Paul Hansen, we called him the great fox. Between the two of them, we thought we had the two best coaches in the world. And between the two of them, we really did. Abe, he would joke and tell you jokes, but when you walked onto the court, it was a different thing. You had to adjust to that.” Lemons said of Reed: “He always starts every meal with a piece of pie and glass of milk. I think he could eat a whole pie. Ask him what kind of pie he likes, and he says, ‘Just pie.’ I know they say pie isn’t good for you when you’ve got to play, but I give him all he wants. He thinks he ought to have pie, and if he can make 30 points a game, I think he ought to have pie, too.” Following his college career, the St. Louis Hawks selected Reed 14th overall in the 1958 NBA Draft. Reed played for the Cincinnati Royals, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Detroit Pistons.
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine Photo courtesy of University Archives
SAC Athletes of the Year
Mark Shaw Sooner Athletic Conference Men’s Athlete of the Year • Senior from Ormsby, Middlesborough, England • Two NAIA men’s cross country individual championships • Led Stars to their second consecutive national championship in 2019
NAIA Coach of the Year COMPETITIVE CHEERLEADING Alicia Bailey collected the honor after guiding OCU to its fourth consecutive NAIA Southwest Qualifying Group Championships title in 2019–20. The Stars posted three scores of 85 or better, an average score of 81.56 in six competitions, and a season-best score of 89.00. Eight Stars took all-American nods. Bailey has led the Stars to two national championships. OCU has finished as NAIA runner-up twice under Bailey. She has mentored 35 all-Americans.
Athletes Score Academically OCU raked in its most academic all-Americans in a year with eight in 2019–20 from the College Sports Information Directors of America. Golfer Melissa Eldredge received 14 academic All-American and scholar-athlete awards at the national, regional, and district levels. Tyler Williams became a first-team CoSIDA NAIA baseball academic all-American, while his teammate Peyton Crispin made the second team. OCU softball student-athletes Kennedy Jackson and Baileigh Loux boasted academic all-American acclaim. Oscar Kipkoros, Michal Roguski, and Mark Shaw gave OCU its first cross country and track and field academic all-Americans and its most academic all-Americans in one sport since Julie Benanzer, Sally Cole, and Mindie Meek were named CoSIDA women’s soccer academic all-Americans in 2001–02. Eighty-two OCU players have been named CoSIDA academic all-Americans over the years.
Rower Competes in European Under-23 Champs OCU rower Andrija Simeunovic qualified for the European Under 23 Championships at Sports Park Duisburg. Simeunovic, a rising sophomore from Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia, competed in the double (2x). He finished fifth in the C final race.
Calling All Former Student-Athletes
Abby Selzer Sooner Athletic Conference Women’s Athlete of the Year • Sophomore from Thomas, Oklahoma • Two-time Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-American, NAIA All-American, first-team allconference, all-SAC Tournament • Second-ever female SAC Athlete of the Year and second Star to win the honor
OCU is looking for all former student-athletes to join our alumni database. Former student-athletes will be featured in a “Where Are They Now?” section, highlighting their lives and career paths. The database will allow OCU to keep alumni up-to-date on reunions organized by OCU and others, along with other opportunities to connect with the department and former teammates, coaches, and staff. Anyone who participated in varsity or junior varsity athletics, former coaches, and student managers is invited to participate. For more information, or to share additional information, contact Chris Maxon, associate athletic director, at camaxon@okcu.edu or 405208-5431.
New Coaches Men’s Basketball Tim Kisner • Former assistant at John Brown University (Ark.) • Previously a college head coach and professional player
Women’s Basketball Brett Tahah • Former head coach and athletic director for Frontier High School in Oklahoma • Played for OCU in college as part of the Fab Four, making her the first athletics alum-turned OCU coach
Men’s and Women’s Soccer Billy Martin • Worked as the assistant to Brian Harvey, OCU’s soccer founding coach, for 19 years • 1992 OCU graduate • Former Rose State College coach
Men’s Wrestling Nate Gomez • Member of the national championship University of Central Oklahoma team
Race photo by Zach Shore • Selzer photo by Josh Robinson Fall 2020 27
IN MEMORY
Josephine Wyndham Freede April 1, 1927–Sept. 3, 2020
L
ongtime philanthropist Jose Freede, beloved for her generosity, charm, and wit, died after a short illness. She was a native of Plymouth, England, and became a U.S. citizen in 1954. She valued education and healthy living, contributing to many endowed chairs and scholarships, including at Oklahoma City University’s Meinders School of Business and the Kramer School of Nursing. OCU awarded Freede an honorary doctor of humanities and letters in 2000. She gave her first gift to the university in 1990 for the former Mardi Gras Ball (now Awards of Excellence). She helped establish the Henry James Freede Wellness Center and established the Henry James Freede Professorship for Teaching Excellence in the Meinders School of Business with a $1 million gift. In 2006, Freede began providing support for the Kramer School of Nursing for scholarships and capital projects. She also supported the Marianne Vannatta Race with the Stars scholarship fundraising event. She received the OCU Societies Norick Hulsey Gallery Society Award in 1996. Freede received her Chartered Society of Physiotherapy degree before training at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopedic Hospital in England. She met her late husband, Henry, an orthopedic surgeon, at the hospital. She came to the U.S. in 1950, and they married in New York City. The
couple then returned to Oklahoma City. They built their home in Edgemere Heights in 1953, and Jose Freede insisted on installing a commercial-sized air conditioner after enduring the heat of Oklahoma summers. She lived in that home until she passed away. Freede was proud to be a resident of her adopted state of Oklahoma. She and her husband donated to numerous state and local causes, including the dome on the State Capitol and the bridge in Bricktown. Freede also established the Henry J. Freede Liver Clinic at Baptist Integris Hospital and gave to Mercy Hospital, St. Anthony Hospital, and others. In addition, Freede was philanthropic to the arts. During the 70th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Orchestra League, Freede was honored at the Maestro’s Ball for her service to the league and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. She also donated to the renovation of local theaters and supported various fundraisers for the arts and education. She also took a great interest in politics. She served as the first president of Oklahoma City Republican Women’s Club and founder of the Oklahoma Chapter of Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge, chartered in 1978. She was the first president of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Center Museum’s Docent Council and received the NCWH and Annie Oakley Society Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jose Freede valued education and healthy living, proudly adopted Oklahoma as home, and served in arts and politics.
28
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine Photo courtesy of University Archives
Harvey Smith Mercer Jr. Dec. 7, 1923–March 23, 2020 Harvey Smith Mercer Jr. was born and raised near Wheatland, Oklahoma, lived his adult life in Oklahoma City, and passed away of natural causes. Mercer (BS Business ’49) was the oldest OCU business school alumnus before he died. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1941 to 1945, stationed first at South Base in Norman and later in Pearl Harbor, where he served at
CINCPAC headquarters working for Admiral Nimitz. He was proud of his service and, being a gifted storyteller, told many thrilling stories about his World War II experiences. He met many of his lifelong friends while in the Navy. Mercer loved living in Oklahoma, and as an avid historian, he delighted in telling about growing up on a farm and about his grandparents’ contributions to early Oklahoma City. He was a successful insurance agent from 1960 until he retired at age 89. His business took him all over the state, where he made many friends.
Donald G. Brown Aug. 27, 1933–Aug. 8, 2020 Donald G. Brown, born in Geary, Oklahoma, served as Oklahoma City University’s baseball coach from 1976 to 1981 and led the university to a 181–126 record. In 1977, Brown led OCU to a 39–15 mark as the Chiefs set program records by hitting 52 home runs and striking out 232 batters. Brown oversaw significant steps in the program’s development, including renovations to OCU’s baseball facility and the “I enjoy start of the construction of the C.R. Sutton getting out Baseball Complex, OCU’s indoor hitting facility. He was an assistant to head basketball coach in the field Paul Hansen for four years. in the sun “The Oklahoma City University baseball and wind. I program would not have the national respect and prestige it has today without Don Brown,” love teaching Coach Denney Crabaugh said. “He and his baseball.” teams brought the program into the national spotlight. He was a great coach but more DON BROWN importantly, a great man who loved baseball and his players. He was a good friend, and we had many conversations over the years talking baseball and OCU. I will miss him and those conversations.” Brown coached high school and college baseball for 41 years. He directed his teams to a 828–359 record. OCU inducted Brown into its Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993. “I like coaching baseball more than anything else I’ve done,” Brown told The Oklahoman upon his retirement from coaching at age 69. “I enjoy getting out in the field in the sun and wind. I love teaching baseball.” Brown coached basketball for 22 years and served as a football official for the Southwest Conference for 15 years. He competed in baseball and basketball at the University of Central Oklahoma. Brown photo courtesy of University Archives Fall 2020 29
IN MEMORY
Dato’ Dr. Choong Tuck Yew Sept. 26, 1938–May 20, 2020 Dato’ Dr. Choong Tuck Yew earned an MBA from Oklahoma City University’s Kuala Lumpur program in 1995 and was awarded an honorary doctor of commercial science in 1999. An accountant by trade, he became an influential member of the Malaysian business community. Among his many accomplishments was becoming chief manager for the Central Bank of Malaysia. Dato’ Dr. Choong was appointed to the board of directors of Poh Kong Holdings Berhad as an independent non-executive director in 2004 at the age of 76. He was promoted to senior independent nonexecutive director in 2005. He was a chartered member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants and a member of the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He was also a fellow of the CPA Australia, a fellow of the Malaysian Association of the institute of Chartered secretaries and Administrators, a fellow of the Chartered Taxation institute of Malaysia, and a chartered fellow and chartered audit committee
director of the Institute of Internal Auditors, Malaysia. In the early years of his career, Dato’ Dr. Choong worked as an accountant in several companies. In 1968, he joined Bank Negara Malaysia (Central Bank of Malaysia) and, in 1987, was appointed as the chief manager of the Central Bank of Malaysia. In 1990, he was seconded as the managing director of Visia Finance Berhad, a finance company. He was later the deputy chairman of a private investigation company. His other business interests included directorships at UOB Asset Management (Malaysia) Berhad, and SCC Holdings Bhd. Dato’ Dr. Choong was a council member of the World Association of Detectives and a life member of the International Professional Security Association and Asian Professional Security Association. He had been a guest speaker at various conferences in Malaysia as well as abroad. In 2014, he was conferred the Darjah indera Mahkota Pahang, which carries the title of Dato’.
Danny Charles Masters Dec. 15, 1943–Feb. 25, 2020 Danny Charles Masters was born in Olestee, Oklahoma, to RB and Betty Ruth Masters. He graduated salutatorian of his Duke High School class of 1962 and later attended Oklahoma City University on a Great Plan Scholarship, graduating with a philosophy degree in 1967. Masters learned the value of hard work as a teen working for his family’s custom harvesting business. In 1969, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, achieving the rank of captain and serving in Cuba. After his service, he served as commissioner of health at the Oklahoma State Department of Health. He also managed a familyowned business, the University Park Apartments in Weatherford. Masters married Elaine Roubik in 1982, together raising teenagers,
30
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine
a new role for Masters, which he loved. (Roubik was the inaugural dean of the Kramer School of Nursing.) In 1986, Masters’ entrepreneurism kicked in as co-owner/operator of the Indy 1500 Gun and Knife Show in Indianapolis. Together, he and his business partner and loyal friend celebrated their 150th trade show last year where many lifelong friendships were made. Masters served 25 years as a board member for the Oklahoma Foundation for the Disabled, on the OCU alumni board, and as a scholarship contributor for the Kramer School of Nursing. He was an avid fan and donor to the Lyric Theater. Danny was a member of Faith Bible Church. He married Dianna Giles in 2005, both having lost spouses to cancer.
Elizabeth Ann Hedrick Feb. 13, 1944–June 24, 2020 Elizabeth Ann Hedrick was born in Camden, Arkansas, to Maurice William “Sully” and Evelyn L. Sullenberger. She was a former associate vice president for administrative services at Oklahoma City University. In 1967, Elizabeth married her childhood friend, Walter Evan Hedrick. Their happiest adventure was raising their daughter, Shelle, born in 1979. Hedrick focused on helping others through her family, profession, and community. Liz and Walt were house parents for the first juvenile shelter in the state. When Hedrick received Oklahoma’s first Emergency Teaching Certificate, her lifelong
career in education began. She founded the first preschool daycare for children with special needs in McAlester; taught in Pauls Valley, Midwest City, and Norman; served as Norman schools’ director of personnel; and worked for OCU for 15 years. Hedrick was an innovator and motivator dedicated to giving people opportunities to be their best. In retirement, she focused on volunteering, serving on The Christmas Store board and making more than 100 baby blankets every year for families in need. Hedrick was passionate about the mission of Bridges of Norman, a nonprofit serving high school students in family crises by providing housing and support services so they could pursue their education without obstacles.
John Sawyer March 21, 1971–May 10, 2020 Oklahoma City University musical theater alumnus John Sawyer (BM ’93) made his Broadway debut in the Frank Wildhorn musical “The Civil War,” recorded a solo album titled “The Real Me,” and worked as a real estate agent in Tulsa, his hometown. John Bedford, dean of the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment, remembered Sawyer as talented, generous, and respected. OCU’s American Spirit Dance Company collaborated with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic for Yuletide Festival in about 2000, working with
Sawyer as a guest star. Both a singer and dancer, Sawyer performed “Singin’ in the Snow” to the music of “Singin’ in the Rain.” A star of the original movie “Singin’ in the Rain,” Donald O’Connor, was friends with Bedford and Professor Jo Rowan, writer and director of the show. “John was always concerned about the quality of his performances,” Bedford recalled. Before one of the performances, Bedford told him O’Connor would be attending. “That night, John delivered one of his best performances of ‘Singin’ in the Snow,’” Bedford said. “As he struck his final pose, he looked up at the box were Donald and his wife, Gloria, were seated to see Donald standing and giving him an enthusiastic double thumbs-up!”
Our Condolences 1940s Harvey S. Mercer (’49) 1950s Carl Don Manning (’51) Charles D. Neal (’53) Genie A. Tumilty (’53) Wilbur E. Thorsen (’55) Kenneth L. Kofoed (’56) Jess J. Smethers (’56) Martha Proctor (’56) Wayne E. Schooley (’56) Lyle G. Ambler (’57) Giles E. Gere (’58) William K. Stone (’58) Eudenea B. Newcomb (’59)
1960s Clair F. Jones (’60) Coye G. Bray (’61) Eugene T. Cox (’61) Willis P. McCoy (’62) Michael H. Christy (’63) Billy Jayne Granger (Deaton) (’65, ’69) Eldon D. Lyon (’65) John T. Ivester (’65) Joel C. Bernard (’65) John W. McGaw (’67) Bob G. Bates (’67) Danny C. Masters (’67) Ronald L. Buckelew (’68)
Leroy W. Kitch (’69) 1970s James A. Huff (’70) James C. Brant (’70) Robert R. Kurz (’70) Lewis E. Childress (’71) Richard D. Cato (’71) Harold J. Collins (’75) William D. Putnam (’75) Robert A. Forbes (’75) William W. Gorden (’75) Lucy A. McKenzie (’77) Patrick C. Jackson (’77) Edward W. Dzialo (’78) Rickey P. Andrews (’79)
Frank Bourland (’79) John D. McDermott (’79) Daniel T. Sprouse (’79) 1980s Phyllis D. Walta (’80) Robert F. Lower (’80) Tommy Duncan (’81) Walter Gaidaroff (’81) Eric G. Melders (’82) Robert N. Naifeh (’83) Thomas E. Batista (’84) Richard T. Waddingham (’85) Evelyn A. Reiss (’85) Donald K. Keen (’87) Randy P. Conner (’87)
John L. Jeter (’89) 1990s Richard B. Douglass (’90) Juanita P. Mithlo (’90) Georgia Pitts (’91) Mary Adjei (’93) Mary K. Kunc (’94) Barry N. Hollis (’95) Fang Yan (’99) Sonja R. Porter (’99) 2000s Paul A. Foster (’00) John R. Pevehouse (’04) Steven N. Hall (’07)
Fall 2020 31
CLASS NOTES
Share Your News Send personal and professional developments, along with large photos, to alumni@okcu.edu.
Read All About It Alumni news available 24/7 at okcu.edu/alumni/news.
Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. Tim Colbert (JD ’76), former district judge and Chickasaw tribal legislator, will be inducted into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame.
1980s
Donald Jordan (BA Speech Theatre ’80) was interviewed for an American Theatre magazine story about how theater companies are handling the pandemic, and he mentioned his CityRep partnership work with OCU on a racism awareness project. Sam Houston (JD ’85) is the new publisher of the Hood County News in Texas.
The OCUNYC alumni chapter presented “The Stars Align” concert featuring more than 100 OCU performing arts alumni and students to raise funds for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The concert featured Kristin Chenoweth (BM Musical Theatre ’91, MM ’93, HDHL ’13) and Kelli O’Hara (BM ’98, HDHL ’15).
1950s
The Oklahoman published commentary about the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, highlighting Hub Reed’s (BA Physical Education ’58) speech as the “favorite part of the day.” The Black Chronicle featured Sylvia Ruth Townsend Menser (BA Psychology ’58) as the Editor’s Pick Front Page profile for her teaching legacy.
32
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine
1960s
Darlington Public School in El Reno honored Terry Davis (BA ’65) for her 42 years of teaching and serving as its first kindergarten teacher. A column by OCU trustee Jane Jayroe Gamble (BM ’69, HDHL ’11) in The Oklahoman headlined “Sometimes Surrender is the Pathway” includes a story from her time as a student at OCU. Another column in the series was about Phil Busey Sr. (BA History/Political Science ’74, JD ’77).
1970s
An article by Terry Zinn (BA Speech Theatre ’71) about former voice professor Florence Birdwell appeared in Senior News & Living. The Oklahoma City Community Foundation elected Pete White (JD ’73) to its board of trustees. Steven M. Angel (JD ’76) received the Albert
RealClearDefense posted a report by Charles Barham (MBA ’86), a retired U.S. Army colonel, about the Department of Defense Humanitarian Assistance Program. The Rev. Greg Tolle (BA Religion ’88), pastor of First United Methodist of Wagoner, Oklahoma, was interviewed for the story “Ministers Called in Different Ways to Serve” in the Muskogee Phoenix. Jan Gaddis (JD ’88), a Duncan, Oklahoma, attorney, was appointed to serve on the state’s Forensic Review Board. LaVonda Jones (MBA ’89) was promoted to executive vice president and president of the Ada, Oklahoma, market/CIO for Vision Bank.
1990s
Jill Campbell (MBA ’90) was elected to the Georgia Power board of directors. Trustee and alumnus the Rev. Dr. David Wilson (BA Mass Communications ’90) was appointed as assistant to the bishop’s office for the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference of the United Methodist Church.
FRIENDS FOREVER Several alumni from the early ‘70s have been gathering on a regular basis a few times every year. These small reunions include, from left, Judy Thomas Rogers (BM Music ’72), Sherri Mullins Alley (BM Music ’72), Carla Hodges Cruson (BA Piano ’72, MAT Education ’73), Linda Hawkins Grantham (BA Early Childhood Education ’72, MAT Education ’79, MBA ’91).
Rick Reimer (MBA ’91) retired as director of the Northeast Tech Claremore Campus after 33 years with the Oklahoma school. Kristin Chenoweth (BM Musical Theatre ’91, MM ’93, HDHL ’13) was a guest on the Actors Fund and SiriusXM Broadway show “Stars in The House,” a series featuring stars of stage and screen singing and performing live from home on social media to promote support for those most vulnerable to the effects of coronavirus. Chenoweth also was a guest on the “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” show on Bravo, where she donned her tiara from her Miss OCU victory. Destan Owens (BM Musical Theater ’91) was a featured guest on the YouTube live-stream fundraiser “Black Lives Matter: A Virtual Celebration of Black Theatre Artists.” Chris Harrison (BA Mass Communications ’93, HDFA ’15) was a participant in a DePaul University online class project that was covered in a Chicago Tribune story. The Athletic website featured Harrison in a story headlined “Why ‘The Bachelor’ franchise and ex-football players are the perfect match.” The Rev. Linda Harker (BA Religion ’93) announced her retirement as senior pastor of McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church in Norman, Oklahoma. Charles Wagner (MBA ’93), senior vice president and chief information officer for the Franciscan Alliance Inc. hospital system, was listed as a 2020 CTO of the Year by the Indianapolis Business Journal. Terri Avinnaq Walker (MEd ’94) was named superintendent of the Northwest Arctic Borough School District in Alaska. The Kansas City National Security Campus named a scholarship award in memory of Lt. Darwin DuPree (MPA Music ’94). Michelle Dolan (MM Musical Theater ’95)
was appointed director of development and stewardship for Kansas Wesleyan University. North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore (JD ’95) was the keynote speaker at the Reagan Day Dinner in North Carolina in March. William (Bill) L. Bullock, Jr. (MBA Finance ’96) was named executive vice president and chief financial officer for ConocoPhillips. Louis Ross (MA Criminal Justice Administration ’96) was named chief of campus police for Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma. Dave Tomasi (MBA ’97) was named chief commercial officer of Bayer Consumer Health’s North America region. Kerry Anne Schultz (BS History, BA Political Science ’98), a manager and attorney with Fountain, Schultz & Bridgford, PLLC, was appointed to Florida’s Judicial Nominating Commission for the First Circuit. Kelli O’Hara (BM ’98, HDHL ’15) did a live-stream benefit performance on “The Rosie O’Donnell Show.” She also participated in a live-stream concert celebrating Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday. Judge Ron Griffin (JD ’99) received a 2020 Heritage Of Odessa (Texas) Community Statesman Award. Jennifer M. Grigsby (MBA ’99) was highlighted in the Greater Tulsa Reporter column headlined “Women are Playing Vital Roles in Energy.”
2000s
Col. Kevin L. Sellers (MBA ’00, JD ’05) retired from the United States Air Force with 29 years of honorable service. Beau M. Patterson (JD ’01) joined the Phillips Murrah P.C. firm’s Dallas office as a counsel attorney. The Greater OKC Chamber’s Velocity “Audacity”
podcast/video series did an interview with Coop Ale Works founder Daniel Mercer (BSB Economics ’01). JC Shine (BS prior learning & University Studies-Technical Management ’02, MBA ’06), a technical officer in the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Section at the International Civil Aviation Organization, presented an overview of unmanned aerial vehicle model regulations before a trade group. Kyle Dillingham (BM Instrumental Performance ’02) and Peter Markes (BM Instrumental Education ’01) were guests on the RFD-TV show “WoodSongs,” where they mentioned their goodwill music trips after meeting as music students at OCU. Margaret Creighton (BS Dance Management ’02, MBA ’06) was named executive vice president for Positive Tomorrows, a school established for children who are experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City. Former OCU basketball player K.T. Turner (BA Criminal Justice ’03) was named the associate head coach for the University of Texas Longhorns. Ben Russ (JD ’04) was appointed to the board of directors for FTS International, Inc., an independent hydraulic fracturing service company based in Fort Worth, Texas. Anita Reynolds Howard (JD ’05) made history when she became the first African American person and first woman to be named district attorney of the Macon Judicial Circuit in Georgia. Erick Worrell (BA Public Relations ’07) was named executive director of marketing and PR for Oklahoma City Community College. Tim Peerbolte (BS Education ’07), a theater teacher for Greenwood High School in Arkansas, was interviewed for a news story about teaching arts during a pandemic. Fall 2020 33
CLASS NOTES the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota, featured Yukon attorney Pamela Kennedy (JD ’10) and her fused glass artwork.
1
John Ratliff (JD ’07) was appointed city attorney for Lawton, Oklahoma. 1 Kelly Williams (BS Psychology ’08), board president of Family Builders, presented Oklahoma First Lady Sarah Stitt with the Advocate of the Year Award at the Hope for Families Luncheon. Pictured are Kate Bacon, Family Builders executive director; Stitt; and Williams.
Chaz Wolcott (BPA ’10) performed in “Broadway in Franklin” in March at the Black Box in Massachusetts. Wolcott also choreographed a 3D Theatricals production of “Newsies” as part of the 3D+U Thursday lineup.
Jacob Leighton Burns (BFA Film Studies ’10), Zachary Burns (BFA Photography ’10), and Vinnie Hogan (BM Composition ’08) were interviewed about their film “Shifter” for the Indie Horror Rising podcast. Jacob Leighton Burns also participated in a Virtual Orbiter screening of the film as part of the Other Worlds Film Festival.
Judge Trevor Pemberton (JD ’08) was appointed to the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals.
Sasha Hutchings (BPA Dance ’11) was among several guest stars performing with a “Hamilton” Zoom flash mob on the “Some Good News with John Krasinski” show. Hutchings appears in the film version of “Hamilton,” which was released this summer on Disney+. She is also a host of a new talk show series on BroadwayWorld TV called “Chaos Twins,” which premiered in June.
Crowe & Dunlevy named Jennifer Willey (JD ’08), Zane Anderson (JD ’12), and Paige Masters (JD ’12) as directors in the firm.
Greg Butz (BM Music/Emphasis in Business ’11) was hired as an associate with Sumner Schick, a Dallas-based law firm.
Matthew R. Schultz (BA Theatre Performance ’09), a financial advisor with Principal Life and Principal National Life Insurance companies, earned the Retirement Income Certified Professional designation from The American College of Financial Services.
2 The Claremore Daily Progress featured Rogers County (Oklahoma) Associate District Judge Kassie McCoy (JD ’12) in its “Know Your Neighbor” series.
Clinton Normore (MBA ’08), former OCU director of multicultural student affairs, was promoted to vice president of diversity and inclusion at A.T. Still University in Kirksville, Missouri.
The Oklahoman and El Dorado News-Times ran feature stories about Teresa Ritchie (BS Nursing ’09) and her journey to help in a New York City hospital’s ICU during the COVID-19 outbreak.
2010s
Singer and actress Heather Harris (BM Vocal Performance ’10, MM Musical Theater ’13) was the mistress of ceremonies for the Texas Cinderella Miss pageant. Red Lake Nation News, the news source of
34
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine
Former OCU runner Aleia Gordon (BS Biomedical Science ’12) was the subject of a KXII Sports Rewind in Ardmore. Brandon Cooper (JD ’12) opened a new law practice in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Andrew Byrd (MBA/JD ’12) is leading the new Kansas City, Missouri, office of Generational Group, a mergers and acquisitions advisor for privately held, middle market businesses. Bailey Perkins (BA Political Science ’12), vice chair of the Oklahoma Women’s Coalition, moderated a panel discussion with a group of leaders called Black Women Voices on issues of race and justice.
Kyle Lacy (BM Music Theater ’13) released his debut album “The Road to Tomorrow.” 3 Eileen Chase (BFA Acting ’13) performed on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” Biology professor Dr. Tony Stancampiano and his daughter, Angelina Stancampiano (BS Biology ’14), a naturalist at Sequoyah State Park in Oklahoma, participated in a webinar and were mentioned in a Tahlequah Daily Press story about the Bathtub Rocks natural feature in the J.T. Nickel Family Nature and Wildlife Preserve in Cherokee County. Steven D. Powell (BS Nursing ’14) was deployed to Puerto Rico by the Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System of the Department of Veterans Affairs for two weeks in January to help with relief efforts related to a 6.4-magnitude earthquake. Also in January, Powell began a new appointment on the Health Policy Committee of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses. He was one of two national scholarship winners to attend the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs Hill Day in Washington, D.C. Performance Today on American Public Media played music by Katie Barrick (BM Music Business ’15) during its July 17 program. Seth Sloan (JD ’15) joined Crowe & Dunlevy as an associate in the firm’s Dallas office. Dr. Sadeq AL-Fayyadh (DP Nursing ’15) had an article published in the Ethics, Medicine and Public Health journal titled “Whose Life Is It Anyway? A Reflective Dialogue between Religious and Secular Bioethical Perspectives.” AL-Fayyadh, who teaches at the University of Baghdad
2
College of Nursing, wrote to his Kramer School of Nursing professors, saying “even after five years of graduation from the KSN program, it is still fruitful, simply because it is a lifelong productive program—a program whose educational seeds continue to grow everywhere and anywhere!”
stepped into the leading role in the Sarasota Opera (Florida) production of “La Wally.”
Roy Samra (BFA Acting ’15) made his Mercury Theater Chicago debut as part of the ensemble in the musical “Priscilla Queen of the Desert.”
Daniel McClain (BBA Accounting ’17, MS Accounting ’19) was promoted to senior associate at BKD CPAs & Advisors.
Former OCU golfer Taylor Cusack (BS Kinesiology and Exercise Studies ’15) is the co-host of “Swing Clinic” on Fox Sports. Jacintha (Bachman) Webster (JD ’16) became a professor of politics, law, and society for East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma. Caitlin Crabill (MM Opera Performance ’16)
3
Madison Moody (BFA Studio Art ’17, MA NonProfit Leadership ’18) was a curator for the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition’s Momentum exhibition in March.
Mathew Hester (BFA Film Production ’17) completed a master’s in English at University of New Orleans last spring and received a doctoral fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. this fall at Texas Tech University. Grace Lewis (BM Instrumental Performance ’17) co-founded and is a double-bass instructor for the distance-learning Motivation Orchestra Camp. Oklahoma’s Nursing Times ran a feature story about Matt Logan (BS Nursing ’17), an ER nurse at Integris Community Hospital–West. Rutgers University–Camden fine arts grad student Patience Williams (BA English ’17) was a semifinalist for the Fulbright Scholarship competition. Williams was named a Fulbright Teaching Fellow in the highly competitive Netherlands program. 4 Abby McBroom (BMIE ’18, MM ’20) was appointed assistant orchestra director at Putnam City North High School in Oklahoma City. McBroom was featured on the cover of an issue of Bass World, the magazine for the International Society of Bassists. Nicolette Winterscheidt (MS Physician Assistant Studies ’18) is one of the providers for Oklahoma State University’s telemedicine psychiatric services for students. KFOR in Oklahoma City featured law alumnus James Blaise (JD ’18) and his inspirational story of how he became a lawyer. Abby Peek (BFA Acting ’19) performed in “Young and With Time” at Dixon Place in New York City. Sara Byerly (BFA Acting ’19) starred in “The Library” at Carpenter Square Theatre in Oklahoma City. Cassidy Jasperson (BS Elementary Education ’19), coach of the state’s first high school girls wrestling program in Broken Arrow, was interviewed for a story in The Oklahoman headlined “How Girls’ Wrestling is Taking Another Step Toward Inclusion in Oklahoma.” The Journal Record’s Oklahoma Joe column featured Claire Pedulla (BS Nursing ’19), a registered nurse at the OU Health Sciences Center, on her experiences in treating COVID-19 patients.
4
Oklahoma’s Nursing Times ran a feature story about Gretchen Chafey (BS Nursing ’19), a nurse at Integris Community Hospital. Erin Davis (BA English ’19) was accepted into the graduate English program at Tulane University. Laura Leigh Turner (BM Music Theater ’19) earned her first Broadway credit with the role of Karen Smith in the Tony-nominated hit “Mean Girls.” Vanessa Martinez (JD ’19) joined the Stange Law Firm’s Oklahoma City office as junior associate attorney. Laley Freeman (BA ’19) was hired as youth director for Bartlesville First Church. Film production alumni Mary McLain (BFA ’19) and Hannah Rogers (BFA ’20) served as student liaisons at this summer’s at-home version of the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, usually held at Quartz Mountain. Associate professor Bryan Cardinale-Powell was also a member of the film faculty at OSAI. Allen S.D. Zomonway (MA Nonprofit Leadership ’19), hospital administrator at Ganta United Methodist Mission in Liberia, was featured in a United Methodist News story headlined “AU (Africa University) Health Care Grads on COVID-19 Front Lines.” Dr. Eman Alslman (Ph.D. Nursing ’19) published an article in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health titled “Alexithymia, Fibromyalgia, and Psychological Distress Among Adolescents: Literature Review,” based on Alslman’s dissertation research. Fall 2020 35
A LOUNM H ONR I R O L L O F D O N O R S
T
E
HE R W T E OG
A
RL
CH
NG
D
Create • Lead • Serve
O E T HE W
S I N C E T H E F O U N D I N G O F O U R U N I V E R S I T Y I N 1 9 0 4 , this enterprise of United Methodist higher education has been sustained by donors who realize they are investing in the future by supporting our students. Oklahoma City University is privileged to recognize our donors for the 2019–20 year, and we invite you to join us in honoring them for their generous support of the university. These individuals and organizations are as diverse as the student population they support with their contributions, yet they have a common goal of sustaining a mission which has resulted in thousands of exceptionally equipped servant-leaders for our community and our world. Our staff has worked carefully to ensure that this list of donors who have made cash gifts of $1,000 or more between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020, is as accurate as possible. If you know of an error or omission or have questions regarding this information, please call the OCU Office of University Advancement at (405) 208-7000. K E Y : s Member in memoriam « Current or former OCU employee Bright Society member
36
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine
ALUMNI
Founders C U M U L AT I V E G I F T S O F $1 MILLION OR MORE Founders are an exceptional group of donors who have earned a place of distinction through their commitment to Oklahoma City University and their remarkable generosity, which continues to advance the university’s mission. Each has made cumulative gifts of $1 million or more.
Annual Giving Annual support provides a vital source of institutional momentum, allowing OCU to enhance learning opportunities, provide financial assistance to students, meet emerging needs, and take advantage of new opportunities. The university is pleased to be able to recognize those who have shown exemplary support through their gifts between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020.
Ann Simmons Alspaughs Wanda L. Basss Martha Burger« Phil and Cathy Busey Chesapeake Energy Communities Foundation of Oklahoma Devon Energy E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation Estate of Jeroldine Zachritz Clark Estate of Jimmie Heatley Close Estate of Marvin and Ena Dawson Estate of Mary Clary Sargent Estate of Vivian Wimberly Jose Freedes Gerald Gamble and Jane Jayroe Gamble Harris Foundation, Inc. Hatton W. Sumners Foundation, Inc. Jeanne Hoffman Smith Inasmuch Foundation
Ronnie and Shahnaaz Irani Clara E. Joness Lou C. Kerr/The Kerr Foundation, Inc. Kerr-McGee Corporation, Inc. Ann Lacy Cathy Leichter Pete Wert and Lynette Lemon Wert Larry and Susan Lemon Martha J. Lemon Tan Sri Dr Lim Wee Chai Tom and Judy Love The J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation, Inc. Paul and Jonalee McLaughlin Charles E. Mehrs Herman and LaDonna Meinders Norick Investments Marjorie J. Noricks Ronald and Margaret Norick Oklahoma City Community Foundation
Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. Foundation Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation The Robert A. Parman Foundation F.M. Petrees Margaret E. Petrees Robert & Ruby Priddy Charitable Trust Robert Glenn Rapp Foundation Sarkeys Foundation Bill and Pam Shdeed Dick Sias The Chickasaw Nation The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
Jim« and Annetta Abbott Rob and Autumn Abernathy AccessLex Institute Ad Astra Foundation David and Kathie Aelvoet Aetna Life and Casualty Foundation Steven C. Agee« Michael Agusta Kalani and Alexandra Ah Loy All America Bank American Fidelity Assurance Co. American Fidelity Foundation Robert and Nancy Anthony Architectural Design Group, Inc. Sue Ann Arnall Arvest Bank Ascent Resources Management Services, LLC Atrium Finance II, LP—Oklahoma City Renaissance William« and Dana Ayers Angela E. Bachman Troy and Marlene Bailey Brian and Julia Bakeman Kevin Baldwin Ballard Miller Foundation BancFirst John Baransy Terry Baransy Rose Barber and Geoff Hefner Ron and Debbie Barnes Jerry Bass« Louise L. Bass Carter and Cara Baumert David and Laura Beal Mark and Teena Belcik«
Dale Bennett Better Business Bureau of Central Oklahoma Inc. Jim and Joann Booher Boston Avenue United Methodist Church Dennis and Chris Box« Breckenridge Group Architects/ Planners Mark L. Britton« Broadhurst Foundation John and Donna Brogan Tom Brown« Bob and Karen Browne Martha Burger« Bob Burns Phil and Cathy Busey Bybee Foundation Carol Byrd Cagle Family Investments LLC Stephen and Ruthanna Cagle Rod and Peggy Campbell Pat Capra Joe and Lori Carter Catholic University of Oklahoma Cecil Cy Pres Settlement Account Benjamin and Eno Chang« Chase and Shyla Chappell Chase Enterprises, Inc. Chesapeake Energy Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes Gaming Revenue City of Oklahoma City Clements Foods Foundation Ed and Matilda Clements Emogene Collins«
ConocoPhillips, Matching Gift Program Traci Cook CorrLabs Bill and Mary Ann Corum Jim and Cathy Couch Joe and Valerie Couch« Cox Communications Brian Cox Denney and Susan Crabaugh John and Jane Crain Brian Craven Clint and Sarah Croasdale Crossroads District of the Oklahoma Annual Conference UMC CSAA Insurance Group Brad and Patricia Curtis Jim and Mickey Daniels Mark and Jackie Darrah Kyle Dean« Al and Rita Dearmon Michael Decker Delaware Resource Group of Oklahoma, LLC Dexter Johnson Educational and Benevolent Trust Paul and Ann Doolittle DRH Health Foundation Dick and Cynthia Dugger Duncan Regional Hospital, Inc. Walt and Ann-Clore Duncan E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation Echols and Associates David Echols Carl and Susan Edwards Fall 2020 37
HONOR ROLL OF DONORS El Dorado Corporation Robert and Nancy Ellis Enable Midstream Partners Bryce Engelbert« Matthew and Jill Epperson Estate of General James L. Wade Estate of Joella Utley Estate of Martha Ellen White Estate of Norbert E.F. Gordon Estate of Rev. Gene McCornack Russell Evans« Tricia Everest Express Employment Professionals Faith United Methodist Church of Tulsa Brad and Celine Ferguson Christopher and Jacqueline Fiegel First National Bank of Oklahoma First United Bank of Ada Melinda Fitzgerald Paul and Debbie Fleming Chad and Jessica Ford Frank S. and Julia M. Ladner Family Foundation, Inc. Jose Freedes Toni D. Frioux, DNP, APRN-CNP, FNP-C« Frontier City Partners, LTD. Fulmer Sill William Scott Gallagher Gerald Gamble and Jane Jayroe Gamble Helen M. Gaudin« Gene Nelson Family Designated Endowment Fund General Board of Higher Education & Ministry of the UMC Gilbert and Alena Gibson Michael Gibson« Robert Gilliland and Ann Felton Gilliland Josh Gilmore Sarah J. Glick, Esq. Steven and Carol Goetzinger Harry Goldman and Jettie Person David and April Gonzalez Vicki Gourley Keith Grant Linda (Hawkins) and Nathan Grantham Great Plains Coca-Cola Greater Oklahoma City Chamber Lydia Y. Green Steve and Jennifer Grigsby Barry and Renee Grissom Eric Gronningsater Mo and Jacque Grotjohn Gungoll, Jackson, Box & Devoll, P.C. H. A. and Mary K. Chapman Charitable Trust Julia Carrington Hall Pat and Melanie Hall Irene Ham Hampton Inn Hotel—Northwest OKC
38
Homer and Treva Hancock Carol M. Hansen Timothy and Courtney Harlin Jane Harlow Chris Harrison Nick and Susan Harroz James and Jean Hartsuck Kim and Suzette Hatfield Hatton Enterprises, LLC Hatton W. Sumners Foundation, Inc. Haupt Law, PC Robert and Sarah Haupt Suzanne Hayden Brian and Tamera Hays Healthcare Partners Investments, LLC John and Melvena Heisch« Heritage Trust Company Jeff and Kari Hill Jeanne Hoffman Smith Dan and Sarah Hogan Gary and Sue Homsey J.R. and Patsy Homsey Elizabeth and Eric Horton-Ware« Matt Houston Eric and Kami Huddleston« John & Janet Hudson Human Mode, LLC Humphreys Capital David Brahm and Karen Hunold Inasmuch Foundation Ronnie and Shahnaaz Irani Niles Jackson and Barbara Thornton JDC Consultants Joe R. Homsey, Attorney at Law, PC Bill and Ann Johnstone Maria Jones« Tom Jones and Leslie Tregillus Jerry B. Jordan Bill and Stacy Junk K&A Creative, Inc. Karl F. and June S. Martin Family Foundation Steven and Carrie Katigan Frank and Cathy Keating Mark and Gayla Kelly William and Chi Kerber Lou C. Kerr/The Kerr Foundation, Inc. Kirkpatrick Family Fund Kirkpatrick Foundation, Inc. Steve and Suzan Knight Pat and Kimberli Layden Mary and Bill Layton Cathy Leichter Levy Strange Beffort, LLC Harrison and Elaine Levy David Lim Tan Sri Dr Lim Wee Chai Darren and Jenee Lister Dan Burdette and Janis Love
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine
Tom and Judy Love In Memory of Virginia Everett Lovell, By Her Children Claudine Schwetke Loyd Jason and Carly Maderer Tim and Christina Mallory Chicoraske« Bill Massad Rachel Mathew McAfee & Taft, PC McCasland Foundation Katie McClendon Dave McConnell« Gene and Mariann McCornacks Greg and Kathy McCracken Bart and Cheryl McDonough Leroy Ball and Patricia McGarrity Rick McKee Larry and Rozia Foster Vernon McKown McLaughlin Family Charitable Fund David and Jean McLaughlin Paul and Jonalee McLaughlin Burrel and Jo Ann McNaught Bill Mee Herman and LaDonna Meinders Frank Merrick Michael P. & Eunice M. Massad Foundation Inc. Joel and Nikki Miliband Karen Miller and John Ballard George Milner Jo Beth Moad« H. Thomas Moran II Tom and Jane Moran Daniel and Andrea Morgan« Eugene and Jean Morrison Caleb and Beth Muckala Tafadzwa Stephen Munjanja J. Christopher Munley and Mr. Robert W. Munley, III J. Christopher Munley and Maria Yager Munley Bob and Laurie Munley Kyle and Ashley Murphy Carol Naifeh Jeaneen Naifeh Robert N. Naifehs Kelli O’Hara Naughton Dolores Neustadt Norick Investments Ronald and Margaret Norick Northwestern Mutual Financial Network—Oklahoma City Northwestern Mutual Foundation Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. Oklahoma Army National Guard Oklahoma Bar Foundation, Inc. Oklahoma City Community Foundation
Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church Oklahoma Employees Credit Union Oklahoma Gas & Electric Oklahoma Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc. Oklahoma State Bank Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation Valery Oswald Reji Pappy Richard and Gayle Parry Pat Layden Law Firm, P.C. Barbara Patterson Paycom Software Inc. James Peterson Danny Phan Phi Beta, Pi Iota Chapter Phillips 66 Phillips Murrah, PC Pierce, Couch, Hendrickson, Baysinger & Green, L.L.P. Marsh and Debbie Pitman Allan and Christina Polhill Ray and Pat Potts Steven Powell Presbyterian Health Foundation George Proctor and Nancy Dumoff Prosperity Bank Jeffry and Julie Puryear Quest Diagnostics Catherine Quinlan Tom Quinn and Tommy Thompson Rainbolt Family Foundation Gene Rainbolt Raising Cane’s Dr. and Mrs. George Randall Mr. George Records Records-Johnston Family Foundation, Inc. Tammie Reggio« Remington Park Judy Reyes-Henderson« Tim and Toye Reynolds Shannon L. Rich Robert Glenn Rapp Foundation Robinson Park, LLC Jacob Rodriguez Casey R. Ross« Linda Rosser and Ron McDaniel Jim Roth and Phillip Koszarek« Donald Rowlett Ralph and Sandy Sallusti Salmeron Financial Network, Inc. John and Lois Salmeron« Rick Salmeron Meg Salyer Gary and Carol Sander Paul and Kim Sanders Shelley Sanders
Eddie and Rochelle Schafer James Schmidt Janet Schmitz Charles and Jane Schneeberger Ms. Mary Schneeberger Nick Schwarz« Schwetke Property Company Bill and Pam Shdeed Dick Sias Simmons Bank George« and Ellen Sims Shelby and Adelaide Smith M.C. Smothermon Bob and Pam Spinks« SSM Health Staybridge Suites—Downtown OKC Susanna M. Stefanek Irwin and Kelley Steinhorn Brandon Brooks and Lynann Sterk-Brooks«
The Gold Star Society recognizes donors who provide support for OCU through deferred or estate gifts. Such legacy gifts can touch OCU in a variety of ways. Some donors choose to have their gift applied wherever the need is greatest, while others support endowed scholarships, professorships, or chairs. Others direct their support toward a program or project that inspires them.
Reverend Craig Stinson and Dr. Krista Jones Brent and Debi Stockwell Strata Leadership Nancy M. Strecker Victoria K. Swinney« Kevin and Suat Kian Tan Richard and Glenna Tanenbaum Marvona Easley Tavlin and Michael Tavlin Peggy Taylor Clark James Taylor Judson and Helen Temple« Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church TG Medical USA, Inc. The Chickasaw Nation The Economic Club of Oklahoma The Kerr Foundation, Inc. The Meinders Foundation
The Professional Basketball Club, LLC The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation The University of Oklahoma Foundation, Inc. Cullen and Bonnie Thomas Jack and Ann Thompson Tinker Federal Credit Union James and Elizabeth Tolbert Tree of Life Bookstores Linda Tucker United States Marine Corps. Valliance Bank Jerry and Melinda Vannatta John and Susan Vas John D. and Ginger L. Veal Visa, Inc. Randi Von Ellefson« Wal-Dot Foundation Collin and Lori Walke Anne Walker and Monty Gibson
Richard Wansley and Meredith Davison Watson Family Foundation WCM Investment Company Wells Fargo Foundation Educational Matching Gift Program West Family Foundation John and Rebecca West Kenny Wheeler Martha E. Whites Chuck and Renate Wiggin Ashlie and Larry Wilhelm« John Michael and Kathy Williams Drew and Lizette Williamson John Williford Paul and Linda Woody Kimberley and Erick Worrell Hub Worrell Karen Youmans« Zack Zuhdi«
Victor and Karen Kay Albert Betty Alden Judy Altshuler Frank Atwater Terry Baransy Susan Barber« and David Nagle Kay Bass Tom Beadles Terry and Pamela Bergdall Stephen Bird Kay Bradley Robert Bryan Bob and Chimene Burke M.K. Butler John Carey Carl and Donna Cartwright Danny and Carol Cochran George Craig« Allen Sheldon and Lisa Crone-Sheldon Joe and Sherry Crosthwait Mark and Jackie Darrah Michael Decker Catherine Dougherty Patricia J. Downing Terry Drake Larry Eberhardt« Phyllis Edson Orville Edwards Ronald and Pat Eitzen Donald« and Suzanne Emler Randy and Faith Everest Sharon G. Fore Robert and Susan Fry Nick and Sue Gales Larry and Jeannette Haag Attieson and Sharon Halbrook
Allen Harris Richard Hastings Patricia Hatamyar« Robert Henry« and Jan Ralls Henry Alan and Elisha Herndon James and Joan Hirnisey Gary and Sue Homsey Jeremy and Megan Hornbeek Allen« William and Karen Howard Ron Jacob Dixie Jensen Fred and Patricia Johnson Nancy Kenderdine« Jeffery Key Jim and Mary Kutch Ann Lacy Timothy and Linda Larason Janet Leadbetter Ruth G. Leebron Cathy Leichter Dan Burdette and Janis Love Claudine Schwetke Loyd Andrea L. MacMullin Donald and Barbara MacPherson Daniel Majors Samuel and Sally Marrs John and Kathryn McInnis Burrel and Jo Ann McNaught Doloris A. McVay Herman and LaDonna Meinders Patrick K. Miles Glenn and Mary Millard Maudie Miller and Mike Hicks Glen and Yvonne Miller Margaret L. Moedt Jim and Debbie Musick«
Sharon K. O’Roke Mark Parker« Mrs. Brenda Penwell Ray and Pat Potts Scott Preston and Sheri Herner Nancy Pryst Dr. and Mrs. George Randall Karen Rice Casey R. Ross« Dennis Rubenstein Michael and Kelcey Schag Charles and Jane Schneeberger Hugh and Shirley Scott Cheryl Seguine Garvin Senn Bill and Pam Shdeed Shelby and Adelaide Smith Wayne Stone Samuel and Deborah Suddarth Marvona Easley Tavlin and Michael Tavlin Kelly Thompson Kevin Tully Clarence and Patricia Tully Alireza Vahabzadeh Robert Van House Jerry and Melinda Vannatta Virginia K. Walker Richard Wansley and Meredith Davison Gladys B. Whetstine Charles Wisler Lisa Wolfe« and Fred Mischler Debra Worley Hub Worrell Carl and Beverly Ann Young
Fall 2020 39
GIVING
Become a Mentor AMP@OCU prepares students for careers around the globe based on professional goals and exposes them to a diverse community of skilled OCU alumni. Mentor applications open in late spring. Fill out this form to indicate your interest: okcu.edu/AMPmentor.
Lending Career Lessons BY AP RIL M ARCISZEWS K I
How can current students benefit from the wealth of professional experience that alumni have amassed? For several years, various Oklahoma City University staff members pieced together informal programs to pair students and alumni for career mentorship. Then in fall 2019, everything fell into place. The Alumni Engagement office recruited alumni mentors. The Career Services office put out an application for interested students. In a game show-style ceremony, OCU revealed a mentor for each participating student. Kanika Brown, Career Services director, put together curriculum to get the mentorship conversations started, so mentors and mentees would be prepared to discuss resumes, career exploration, interviewing skills, networking, and more. And then the magic started to happen. Erick Worrell (BA ’07) texted Megan Hornbeek Allen, OCU’s director of alumni engagement, with a message from his mentee that said: “Whoever matched us up is an angel. You’re the best mentor.” Rachel Morse (BA Religion ’96) in U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn’s office, rolled out the red carpet for thensophomore Abby Banks, who went on to be elected SGA president, Hornbeek Allen said. Multiple mentors applied to help a second year. The Alumni Mentor Program had about 30 alumni-student matches in 2019–20 and has about 35 matches this school year. “I just had no idea the impact that Jennifer could have on my life, and because of the Alumni Mentor Program, she will be in my life forever,” religious education senior Addison Saviers said of Jennifer Seal (BA and BMEd ’98). Seal said she was a lot like Saviers when she attended OCU: “very Type A.” “I have hopefully reduced her stress because she puts a lot of pressure on herself,” said Seal, president of the Putnam City Schools Foundation.
40
Oklahoma City University Alumni Magazine Photos by Josh Robinson
“Having a
mentor is important even as you go throughout your career.” KANIKA BROWN
Above, left to right: Several of 2019–20 AMP pairs and leaders celebrated the program in March. Alumna Jennifer Seal and senior Addison Saviers are paired for a second year.
When they met, Saviers asked, “How do you pick a grad school? How did you know what you were going to do?” Because of their relationship, she learned, “you don’t have to have it figured out right now.” Now Saviers is working on her graduate school application. She and Seal are continuing as a mentor program pair this year. The program “really shows me that OCU cares a lot about students moving forward in life,” Saviers said. Seal described the program as “an entrée back into the university community that gives alumni a chance to use their skills and their life lessons, even if they live far away. It could be a way for them to still be a part of OCU’s family that doesn’t really take a lot of time and doesn’t really cost a lot of money.” “I’m glad OCU offers these types of mentoring opportunities to give a more robust college experience to these kids and help them find their place in the world,” she said. Brown, who also serves as OCU’s Black Student Association adviser, wants to diversify the mentor pool in coming years so students of color have people they’d be more comfortable asking career questions specific to them, like how to wear their hair in the workplace. “Those are the students who really do need a mentor to explain to them those difficulties,” she said. “It’s a lot different being a woman of color or man of color working.” Brown sees the relationships as something that can endure even after students graduate.
ALUMNI
C R E AT I V E O C U
“ NO RTH POLE” 3D A NIMAT ION E N VIRON ME N T BY E VA N R . J. B A R R EI R O, GA M E DES I G N A N D A N I M AT I O N S EN I O R , B ASED ON CONCEPT ART BY ART IST ALYN S P ILLE R, US ED WI T H PER M I S S I O N .
“Creative OCU” highlights one branch of the university’s mission—to create—by showcasing creative student work, providing a glimpse into the unique studies and projects undertaken at Oklahoma City University. Fall 2020 41
2501 N. Blackwelder Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73106
OCU’S FIRST GIVING DAY By the Numbers TOTAL GIFTS
TOTAL DOLLARS RAISED
$201,705
381 TOTAL DONORS
362
72
NUMBER OF
First-Time Donors
CLASS WITH THE
1964
MOST DOLLARS RAISED
90
NUMBER OF GIFTS FROM
Young Alumni (2009-2019)
1988 CLASS WITH THE
MOST DONORS
YOU ARE
Thank you FOR SUPPORTING OCU’S MOST
CRITICAL NEEDS & STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS.
#trueblueocu
OKCU.EDU/GIVINGDAY