Former first lady and educator Kim Henry as “Rosie the Riveter� in the World War II poster.
David Boren is proud to see OU setting records. PAGE 6
Burns Hargis has a passion for creativity that cuts across disciplines at OSU. PAGE 6
Oklahoma City Chamber President Roy Williams and i2E CEO Tom Walker want to see more entrepreneurs.
A former Oklahoma Teacher of the Year and a Professor of the Year have made careers out of giving students a fair shake at life.
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Educational programs show that Oklahoma can compete Who will be the visionaries for a better educated Oklahoma? According to the state Regents for Higher Education, some 90 percent of the fastest growing jobs in the global economy of the 21st century will require a college degree. If our state is going to compete for those kinds of jobs, then it will take lead-
ership to give young Oklahomans educational experiences that are wider and more meaningful than in the past. Fortunately, Oklahoma has shown it can be creative and compete with other states through programs that have benefitted thousands of youngsters. One example is Oklahoma’s prekindergarten
program, widely regarded as the nation’s best. No state has higher participation in pre-K for 4year-olds than Oklahoma. Pre-K is particularly helpful for small fries from disadvantaged homes who get little or no educational stimulation before they’re old enough to go to school. Another example is Oklahoma’s Promise. It
started in 1996 as the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program, as scholarships for low to middle-income students. Over the past 15 years more than 90,000 Oklahomans have enrolled in the program. The best part: Students participating as early as their eighth-grade year did better in high school and
went to college at a higher rate. Both pre-K and Oklahoma’s Promise started with little fanfare. They were created by leaders who understand education is a process that is deliberative and requires great care and persistence. Today these outstanding programs have enriched student learning in
ED KELLEY Editor
Oklahoma. Building on these kinds of successes will determine what opportunities await our state the rest of this century.
ROBYN HILGER | CHILD ADVOCATE AND FORMER TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Teacher connects communities and schools BY MEGAN ROLLAND Staff Writer mrolland@opubco.com
Don’t dare tell Robyn Hilger — former Oklahoma Teacher of the Year and child advocate extraordinaire — that poverty in Oklahoma City is the reason students aren’t excelling in school. “My experience has been the complete opposite,” Hilger says. “Parents are working two jobs and taking night school because they want more, they want more for their family, they want more for their kids. Don’t put up barriers or stigmatize lowsocioeconomic kids.” She has made a career out of ensuring Oklahoma City Public School children get a fair shake at life, first in the band room, then as state Teacher of the Year, and for the past four years through a nonprofit foundation that floods the district with resources. Hilger, 33, is one cog that helps run the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools, which every year donates hundreds of thousands of dollars in competitive grants, classrooms supplies and scholarships to teachers, students and principals.
Working as a ‘translator’ As a director of programs, she gets to pair members of the public who want to assist the inner-city schools with teachers and principals in need. “I don’t know if it’s the verbiage,” she says, “but I serve as a translator a lot.” If a corporation wants to start a mentor program, she explains the logistics of the education system. If an administrator is puzzled why the community isn’t involved, she explains the corporate culture. The outcome is publicprivate partnerships that result in playgrounds for children, classroom resources, top-level training programs for teachers and funding to send students to regional and national competitions. “I never cease to be amazed by the generosity of Oklahoma City toward our city schools,” Hilger said. “The 43,000 kids in Oklahoma City Public Schools are our community responsibility.”
Engaging the public But it wasn’t always that way for Hilger. As a teacher she didn’t realize there was an outpouring of concern and support for the district until she became Teacher of the Year and it became her full-time job to engage the public in education. She said most teachers probably aren’t aware of what community support is available, and most people in the community don’t know how to reach out to teachers who might
Robyn Hilger, former state Teacher of the Year who helps run the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools, is seen at Edgemere Elementary School, where she helped a group of concerned parents organize and provide playground equipment for the school. PHOTO BY DAVID MCDANIEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
Robyn Hilger, right, reacts with delight and surprise as her name is announced as the 2005 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year. PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE
I never cease to be amazed by the generosity of Oklahoma City toward our city schools. The 43,000 kids in Oklahoma City Public Schools are our community responsibility.” ROBYN HILGER, A FORMER OKLAHOMA TEACHER OF THE YEAR WHO HELPS RUN THE FOUNDATION FOR OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
not have time to check email or return a phone call for several days. “I take all of the pieces and put them together so it works on both ends.” In May, Hilger received her master’s degree in school administration from the University of Central Oklahoma — a pursuit she began because
she thought she wanted to be a principal. “My initial intent was not to be at the foundation for more than five years, but I’ve found that it is a perfect fit for me,” Hilger says. “It truly is a dream job to be able to spend my entire time at work totally focused on helping people.”
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KIM HENRY | FORMER TEACHER AND FIRST LADY OF OKLAHOMA
Former first lady promotes involvement BY MELISSA HOWELL Staff Writer mhowell@opubco.com
Community cohesion has for eons been the conduit through which customs, wisdom and mores are passed from generation to generation. But these days, it doesn’t take an anthropologist to see that cohesion has become fuzzy. It’s a weak link — especially in the middle school years — that former teacher and first lady Kim Henry sees as a challenge for Oklahoma’s educational system. “The biggest thing that directly influences classroom performance is parental involvement. ... And for some reason, parents’ involvement with their kids’ schools tends to drop off in middle school,” Henry said. “If you go to a parent-teacher conference in elementary school, there’s a line outside. In middle school and high school parent-teacher conferences, the halls are like a ghost town.” When parents and teachers know each other and work together, and the community as a whole supports its teachers, children reap the benefits. “When I taught high school, I never saw the parents I needed to see. Parents need to have awareness that they need to stay involved,” she said. Henry’s perspective is based on unique qualifications. Not only is she an educator and wife of a two-term governor, she also grew up in Shawnee where she was well acquainted with customs, wisdom and mores — the gathering of tribal elders every day at the coffee shop, family feasts on Sundays and the shared wisdom that came from her community at the First Baptist Church.
ON THE COVER KIM HENRY AS “ROSIE THE RIVETER” IN THE POSTER BY J. HOWARD MILLER The graphic arts poster of WWII-era “Rosie” was one of the first we selected to reproduce in our homage to Americana imagery. The image of Rosie was perfect — strong, brash and in your face — but not so with the “real” Rosie, Geraldine Hoff Doyle. Doyle, who recently died in December at the age of 86 in Michigan, was tall and slender, “a glamour girl,” her daughter told The New York Times. She didn’t have muscular arms, her daughter said, and quit the job in the factory after two weeks, fearing she would injure her hands and be unable to play her cello. When we decided we’d use this image for the education cover because of its strong and positive message, we asked Kim Henry to pose. True, she didn’t have dark hair, but Rosie is the embodiment of all strong women, and Henry’s dedication to Oklahoma’s youths is key. But could Henry, known as a natural beauty, pull off the “made-up” look of the World War II glamour girl in the poster? Henry emerged from the dressing room ready for her photo shoot in the iconic red polka-dot bandanna, jeans, boots, — and a perfectly made-up face. Doyle would be proud. YVETTE WALKER, OUTLOOK EDITOR
The biggest thing that directly influences classroom performance is parental involvement. ... And for some reason, parents’ involvement with their kids’ schools tends to drop off in middle school.” Kim Henry holds an image of “Rosie the Riveter” recently at The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City. PHOTO BY DOUG HOKE, THE OKLAHOMAN
KIM HENRY
“Growing up, the church was everything. My whole life centered around its activities, the choir, the youth group and going to Falls Creek in the summertime. That’s where you found your friends, in the church,” Henry said. “It kept me from making bad choices. I really credit growing up (in Shawnee) with that a lot. I was a good kid, but it all comes from the family you find in church.” She married Brad Henry at First Baptist Church and
moved to Norman, where he was a law student. In 1989, she found out she was pregnant. The Henrys decided it was time to move home. “Turned out, it was the right decision. We needed our home, our family, and that included the church here,” Henry said in a 2007 interview with The Oklahoman. A love of children — and history — eventually led Henry to become a teacher. She taught history, government and advanced placement classes at
An Oklahoma girl grows up to become ‘Rosie’s daughter’ BY YVETTE WALKER Outlook Editor ywalker@opubco.com
Matilda Butler may not have as recognizable a name as Rosie the Riveter, but she’s spent the last several years educating others about the famous World War II icon. She believes living in Oklahoma as a teen helped form her eventual interest in a group of women she calls “Rosie’s Daughters” — women born during the World War II era — and their contributions to this country. “I very much was shaped by the 1960s in Oklahoma. Oklahoma has helped shaped me to be the person I am now,” she said, speaking on the phone from her home in Oregon. Butler runs rosiesdaughters.com, a website that is everything Rosie, down to the red polka-dot bandanna. She and Kendra Bonnett have written a book, “Rosie’s Daughters: The ‘First Woman To’ Generation Tells Its Story,” and they archive excerpts from the book, women’s histories and Rosie paraphernalia, including the “limited edition” Rosie bandanna used in our photo shoot. Butler said she interviewed a number of women from Oklahoma for her book. “I wanted to sample people, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t just have people from the coasts.” Butler lived in Oklahoma City until near the end of her high school years. “I grew up on NW 20th St. and went to Northwest Classen,” she explained, adding that she would have graduated in 1960, however, she moved to Washington, D.C. in 1958, where she finished high school at National
Matilda Butler
Cathedral School. As a girl, she remembers taking a “strong interest inventory,” a survey that suggested what field would mesh with the child’s interests. “It came back and said I would be good as a forest ranger,” she said, laughing. “Most unusual for a woman. It was the late ’50s and it was a time when (women) still were on a straight trajectory. And if we veered off we were unusual,” she said. Butler said it was at her 2000 class reunion in Washington that she began to realize what a “unique generation of women we were,” but it was in Oklahoma she felt that first sense of freedom as women. “I have a number of strong memories about Oklahoma. I remember thinking that this was a young state, and (women) had a sense of independence. ... I didn’t have to do the things that women were always expected to
I remember thinking that this was a young state, and (women) had a sense of independence. ... I didn’t have to do the things that women were always expected to do. There was a sense of newness and freshness and we could try things.” MATILDA BUTLER
do. There was a sense of newness and freshness and we could try things. If I had been raised on the East Coast I would not have had that inner strength that you can do something different.” Many of “Rosie’s Daughters” were the “first woman to” do something, Butler said, explaining the title of her book. Those women were the role models for the next generation, the boomers. Butler notes this when the topic of Gov. Mary Fallin enters the conversation. “I’m delighted that you brought up Mary Fallin — the first woman to be elected governor of Oklahoma. It is a perfect example showing that while Rosie’s Daughters flung wide the doors of employment opportunity that Rosie had unlocked, women today continue to break through the remaining barriers.”
Shawnee High School for eight years before resigning to help in her husband’s gubernatorial campaign. Henry’s is a journey that gives her a unique viewpoint on education. She has seen the classroom close up. She has seen the system from a statewide perspective. And she has seen what strong relationships and a caring community can do for a child. So where as a state do we begin? For Henry, the answer is to focus the strength and insight of
communities on critical areas. Oklahoma has done much to buoy early childhood development programs, now it needs to focus on middle school issues, she said. “We’ve had a lot of reform, but we haven’t really addressed reform in middle school years. If you talk to teachers there’s a falling off in middle school. That’s when they start struggling in math and English,” Henry said. “We need to think about creating ways to address math and English issues. I’d like
to see a comprehensive study of why these kids are dropping out.” Henry also said supporting teachers can make or break a student’s desire to do well in school. “I think respecting the teachers and the system and what they’re trying to do (is vital). A lot of times teachers don’t get the respect they deserve. We think the bad ones are the norm. They’re not. We have some phenomenal teachers in Oklahoma who put their hearts and souls into it.”
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BURNS HARGIS | PRESIDENT OF OSU
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
DAVID BOREN | PRESIDENT OF OU
Head of record-breaking university has dream job BY JANE GLENN CANNON Staff Writer jcannon@opubco.com
Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis shakes hands with students as they leave GallagherIba Arena in August 2010. OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE PHOTO
Innovative businessman guides OSU BY DARLA SLIPKE Staff Writer dslipke@opubco.com
STILLWATER
— Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis says people make a living by what they earn, but they make a life by what they give. It’s a message that Hargis exemplifies, said Calvin Anthony, chairman of the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges — the board that governs OSU. “He’s been an inspiring figure for our entire community,” Anthony said. During his first three years as president of Oklahoma State, Hargis has worked to increase enrollment and student retention, foster creativity and raise more than $730 million. OSU’s 18th president is the second OSU graduate to serve as president of the university. He earned an accounting degree from Oklahoma State and a law degree from the University of Oklahoma. Hargis came to OSU in 2008 after a legal and business career. He and his wife, Ann, work as a team. Whether the couple is hosting students for hamburgers or Hargis is making a pitch for OSU’s $1 billion fundraising campaign, his passion for the university is evident. Oklahoma State is closing in on the $1billion mark in its Branding Success Campaign. Hargis said he is confident the university will get there. “When we do, we’ll probably just start again,” he said. Hargis said he loves being surrounded by students because their energy and enthusiasm is inspiring. One afternoon, Hargis noticed a group of students outside his window playing a game he didn’t recognize. Curious, Hargis went outside to watch. When the students recognized him and invited him to join their game of cricket, he didn’t decline. An advocate for creativity and imagination, Hargis has promoted entrepreneurial programs at OSU, including the start of an Institute for Creativity and Innovation. He encourages students, staff and faculty to devise creative solutions, like a student recycling initiative to clean up cans and bottles after home football games.
Cares about students, university employees Robert Sternberg, OSU’s provost and senior vice president, said one of the main reasons he took the job at Oklahoma State last year was so he could work with Hargis. Sternberg, who has a background in
ALSO ... NURTURING INNOVATION The success of Oklahoma’s future depends on creative ideas, says Oklahoma State University president Burns Hargis. Hargis has been a champion for creativity and innovation. He often talks about the importance of creativity and asks people throughout the state to help foster creativity. At Oklahoma State, Hargis has tried to bolster creativity by soliciting ideas and promoting innovative programs. In September, OSU opened an Institute for Creativity and Innovation, which is designed to promote creative thoughts and solutions across disciplines. Creativity requires a tolerance for new ideas and a willingness to take risks, Hargis says. Many creative ideas don’t work, but sometimes mistakes can lead to better ideas. Everyone has creativity, Hargis said, but sometimes society dampens that spirit. He says people have the power to affect great change by being creative. STAFF REPORTS
psychology, has studied leadership. He said Hargis possesses the qualities of a great leader, including creativity, intelligence, wisdom, analytical skills and passion. Hargis cares about his students and employees and takes a personal interest in their lives, Sternberg said. “Easily he’s the best person I’ve ever worked for,” he said. “You don’t feel like you’re working for him. You are, but he makes people feel like they’re working as part of a team.” Hargis said Oklahoma State’s mission as a land grant school is to serve the state by developing great talents. He said he is proud of the fact that freshman enrollment this year was the highest it has been since 1982 and this year’s freshman class was the university’s highest ranking class academically. Next year’s class looks to be strong, too, Hargis said. “We need more college graduates and OSU wants to do its part,” Hargis said.
NORMAN — University of Oklahoma President David Boren hit a milestone this year: He became the second longest-serving OU president, behind George Lynn Cross. He marked his 16th anniversary by announcing he planned to shoot for being the longest serving. Boren, 70, said Cross, who was president for 25 years, from 1943-68, was his mentor, his teacher and his friend. “I think he would approve of me setting out to break his record,” he said.
Top rankings Setting records is nothing new for Boren. Under his leadership, OU now ranks in the top 10 in the country in attracting National Merit Scholars, with a record 225 National Merit Scholars in this year’s freshman class — 29 more than the previous OU record. Since coming to OU, he has helped start 20 new programs, increased the number of endowed faculty chairs to more than 560 from 100, overseen $1.9 billion in construction projects and taken private fundraising efforts to new heights, garnering more than $1.9 billion in gifts and pledges since taking office in 1994.
Coming back Many were surprised when Boren, a former Oklahoma governor, abandoned a still thriving political career as a U.S. senator to accept the OU presidency. To Boren, it was the job of his dreams in the place he loved best. “Molly and I missed Oklahoma. We wanted to come home,” he said. Boren believed he could render the most service to Oklahoma by coming back to the university where both he and his wife had obtained their law degrees. He wasted no time in proving his worth. Together, the Borens literally have transformed the appearance of OU’s three campuses, creating gardens and parks and installing sculptures, fountains and benches designed to create a sense of community.
Making a home A condition of Boren’s employment was the renovation and return of Boyd House as the official presidential residence. Built in 1906 by OU’s first president, it had been used for other purposes for the past 27 years. Boren wanted no house in suburbia, but rather a home near campus, where he could walk to his office and regularly mix and mingle with students on their way to class. Another condition was that he be allowed to teach. He’s garnered an undergraduate teaching prize for the introductory course in political science he instructs each semester. Through his efforts, he has created one of the premier Honors Colleges in the country. Boren also has helped expand OU’s international exchange and study abroad opportunities, making OU one of the top programs in the nation, establishing an International Programs Center and a new College of International Studies, adding an undergraduate degree in Arabic and Chinese Studies and endowed chairs in seven new geographic areas. He has spearheaded efforts to revive old traditions such as Sooner Yearbook, Homecoming and OU’s national championship-winning
University of Oklahoma President David Boren shakes hands with Julia Wynn, recipient of a scholarship bearing his name during the New Sooner Convocation at the Lloyd Noble Center in August 2010. PHOTO BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE
debate program. Under his leadership, a rapidly growing Research Campus has resulted in record-setting funding for externally sponsored research, spinoff businesses and an increase in patents.
Seen everywhere In short, Boren’s thumbprint is everywhere on Norman’s main campus, as well as the Health Sciences Center campus in Oklahoma City and the OU-Tulsa Schusterman Center. The job is not without challenges. Boren admits to frustration over the need to increase tuition and fees to compensate for state bud-
Because of the economic recession, managing the budget without sacrificing quality education for our students is an even bigger challenge than it was 10 years ago.” UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESIDENT DAVID BOREN
get cuts to higher education. “Because of the economic recession, managing the budget without sacrificing quality education for our students is an even bigger challenge than it was 10 years ago,” he said.
Despite the challenges, his level of energy and enthusiasm for the job show no sign of slacking. “I have about eight more years to go” to catch up with Cross, he said. And probably more than a few other records to break along the way.
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W. STEPHEN DAMRON | OKLAHOMA’S PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR
Professor of the Year loves learning BY DARLA SLIPKE Staff Writer dslipke@opubco.com
W. Stephen Damron, an animal science professor at Oklahoma State University, was selected as Oklahoma’s 2010 Professor of the Year. Damron has taught for 29 years. His wife, Rebecca, is an assistant English professor at OSU and director of the OSU Writing Center. Their daughter, Aubryana, is a freshman at OSU majoring in hotel and restaurant management and their son, Joshua, is a junior majoring in chemistry. Q: What do you enjoy about teaching? A: I very much like the idea of taking what needs to be learned and turning it into something people want to learn. I like the contact with people who are in transition to new phases of their lives. Students are exciting, a little frightened, and open to suggestions. I like feeling that I am of service to society by being of service to them. Q: Why is the land grant education system so important to you? A: I grew up on a farm in Tennessee the oldest of three children. My father died in a plane crash when I was 14, and my mother was left to raise us. She worked at public work to provide for us, and I ran the farm. I managed and worked on the farm until I went to graduate school. For my B.S. degree, I lived at home and attended the University of Tennessee at Martin, which was five miles from our home. I went to graduate school at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and earned both my M.S. and Ph.D. there. I am a product of the land grant system. I would not have been able to afford an education any other way. I never forget that. Somebody has to make the world function, and I think people educated in the land grant system are especially suited to that. I think the land grant-educated are very results-oriented. We think in possibilities but we focus on outcomes. What we offer is a chance for people from every station in life to acquire the greatest leveler to the playing field ever conceived — an education. Education gives people the opportunity to take their skills, abilities, and potential, and make them better, add to them, find a place to use them and get on with it. My students change the world — literally. Q: What do you do to try to inspire your students? A: I am a lover of learning and I want others to be, also. When I was in graduate school, I took mineral nutrition from Dr. Jane Savage. Mineral nutrition had never been one of my favorite topics until then. Dr. Savage got a kick out of mineral nutrition and she made the room come alive with excitement over the topic by the simple willingness to share her own enthusiasm. It meant so much to her that I felt like it needed to mean more to me. It occurred to me that not only were the intricacies of the topic at hand indeed interesting but so was the entire topic of mineral nutrition. I still love mineral nutrition. What a gift! I try to give others that same gift. Q: What are some of the most memorable experiences of your career? A: These are always related to students and former students. When I see a former student that has gone out into the world and been successful and done good things, or one that has faced some great challenge with grace and style, or one who lives outside of themselves by giving back to the people around them in significant
W. Stephen Damron, an animal science professor at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, was selected as the 2010 Oklahoma Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE
and laudable ways, I am the happiest guy on the planet. I am a sucker for happy endings. Q: What is your hope for your students? A: I want them to be happy and healthy and successful. I know that sounds trite, but sometimes the simplest wishes are the best. Beyond that, I want them to be honest and upright citizens. I hope that they will do good things for
others — contribute to the greater good while they tend to their own affairs. I want them to give back to society. I want them to remember the people that have helped them, and in gratitude, I want them to help others. And, I want to know how they turn out. I love getting calls and letters and emails from former students. Q: What are some of
your hobbies and interests? A: I really like livestock shows and rodeos. My family surprised me with tickets to a rodeo for my birthday this year, and it was fantastic. I like vegetable gardening, reading ... mystery and suspense novels, traveling — especially to places I have never been before — and tending to the chores on our small farm. I actually think that mowing pastures is fun.
Somebody has to make the world function and I think people educated in the land grant system are especially suited to that. I think the land grant-educated are very resultsoriented. We think in possibilities but we focus on outcomes.” W. STEPHEN DAMRON,
OSU ANIMAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR
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JANIS WALKINGSTICK | MOORE WEST JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
Moore West Junior High School special education students Sam Sweeten and Will Scott fill butter trays as they work on their vocational training at Alfredo’s Mexican Cafe in Moore. PHOTOS BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN
Teacher prepares students for work by having students prepare for lunch BY AMANDA ALFANOS Staff Writer aalfanos@opubco.com
MOORE — Every other Wednesday eight Moore West Junior High School students take a bus to a nearby Mexican cafe. They don’t go to eat lunch, but to learn about working in a restaurant. The students, ranging in age from 12 to 17, are in Janis Walkingstick’s special education class. Walkingstick, 56, first developed outside vocational training opportunities for her students in 2009. “The federal government pushes for transitional training at age 14,” she said. “But it’s pretty unusual for junior highs to start this type of training.” Walkingstick approached Kory Allen, coowner of Alfredo’s Mexican Cafe, about partnering with the school by allowing her students to observe the employees on the job. “But the owner said, ‘Why don’t we let them work side-by-side?’ ” Walkingstick said. “In the beginning it was a tough transition for the students, but it’s old news now.” Eighth-grader Julyan Cunningham, 16, said she was nervous to work at the restaurant at first, but she has adjusted. The students help the
restaurant at 2713 S Interstate 35 Service Road prepare for lunch. Jobs include taking chairs off tables, wiping tables and menus, setting out pre-wrapped silverware, dusting shelves and filling butter bowls. Walkingstick’s passion for her students is apparent, Allen said. “That’s a great act to help them and empower them to have a job in some way and to eventually be on their own and independent,” he said. “She’s awesome.” The greatest impact the program has had on the students is teaching them to work together, said Principal Michaele Benn. “So many children will move to group homes, and if they have that skill going in — not only getting along individually in the world, but with other people in the world — it will be so helpful,” Benn said. Walkingstick also arranged a training opportunity for students this year with a local Mazzio’s. The students fold pizza boxes for the restaurant a few days a week. A bus drops off loads every two weeks at the school, Walkingstick said. Outside vocational training for students won’t stop here. Walkingstick said she wants to expand the program next year by finding funding to provide a full-
Moore West Junior High School special education student Chelsea Salcido cleans booster seats as she works on her vocational training at Alfredo’s Mexican Cafe in Moore.
time bus on school property and partnering with additional businesses. “All of the work we do is volunteer-based,” she said. “You have to really solicit your program to partner with these businesses. That’s really what it’s all about.” Walkingstick is a pioneer who isn’t afraid to think outside the box, said April Daniels, her coteacher. “She’s never afraid to get no for an answer,” Daniels said.
Janis Walkingstick talks with her special education students from Moore West Junior High School after they finish their vocational training at Alfredo’s Mexican Cafe in Moore.
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GREATER OKLAHOMA CITY CHAMBER PRESIDENT ROY WILLIAMS AND I2E CEO TOM WALKER
Chamber, i2E create alliance for entrepreneurs BY PAULA BURKES Business Writer pburkes@opubco.com
A new partnership between the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and an organization that brings innovations to enterprise aims to grow and strengthen entrepreneurial efforts in the state. Effective March 1, the chamber has loaned an executive, Josh O’Brien, to i2E to concentrate on entrepreneurial development over the next two years. “We want to provide more in-depth services to entrepreneurs to make them stronger,” said i2E CEO Tom Walker. Those services, he said, may include helping startups build stronger business plans by providing executives-in-residence to management teams that may number only a few people.
Organized sources Chamber President Roy Williams also hopes to build more organized sources of private capital in Oklahoma, from angel investors and others. “Pooling capital is critical when we don’t have a lot,” Williams said. Funding sources for entrepreneurs typically start at credit cards or family and friends, he said, and progress to angel capital, seed money from organizations such as i2E, venture capital and finally to conventional capital or, for companies brought public, an initial public offering.
A different strategy Recognizing 95 percent of Oklahoma businesses employ 100 or fewer, the chamber two years ago began incorporating entrepreneurial development into its strategy, Williams said. As chairman of the i2E board, Williams soon learned i2E had parallel goals, which led him and
Roy Williams, president and CEO of Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, and Tom Walker, president and CEO of i2E, pose in the newly renovated offices of i2E in Presbyterian Health Foundation Research Park. PHOTO BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN
BACKGROUND We want to provide more in-depth services to entrepreneurs to make them stronger.” I2E CEO TOM WALKER
Walker to create the alliance versus having overlapping programs. Funded 60 percent by the state, i2E over the past 13 years has helped more than 500 companies statewide raise more than $400 million in private equity capital.
Getting grants The organization recently landed one of two million-dollar three-year
grants from the Federal Economic Development Agency (EDA), which required a $1 million match that was supplied through Oklahoma City’s economic development authority, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, the Oklahoma Business Roundtable and i2E. The EDA hopes i2E will build a program that can be replicated, Williams said.
ROY WILLIAMS Roy Williams became the president and chief executive officer of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber on Jan. 1, 2004 after first serving a twoyear stint as executive vice president of economic development. Under his leadership the chamber waged successful campaigns for a $121 million makeover of the Oklahoma City Arena and construction of a practice arena for the NBA Thunder, MAPS 3, and wooed major employers including Boeing’s C-130 maintenance
program. Before his arrival in Oklahoma City, Williams held executive leadership positions with chambers of commerce and economic development organizations in Texas, Arizona, Ohio and Oklahoma. His resume includes positions with the Texas governor’s office, the Texas Department of Commerce, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. STEVE LACKMEYER, BUSINESS WRITER
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
OUTLOOK VISIONARIES | EDUCATION & CAREERS
SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2011
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DERRICK PARKHURST | OWNER OF ‘COCO,’ EXTOLS THE BENEFITS OF OPEN-AIR ALTERNATIVES TO THE OFFICE OR COFFEE SHOP
Shared work space is bringing entrepreneurs together at ‘Coco’ BY PAULA BURKES Business Writer pburkes@opubco.com
When Robert Frantz picked up his dog from the kennel after a recent week’s vacation, the owner told him they’d have to square up on his bill later because their computer system had crashed. He knew just the person who could fix it, Frantz said, referring her that very Saturday morning to information technology (IT) expert Sean Fenton, who was on the job the next day. Frantz and Fenton have adjacent offices at The Oklahoma City Coworking Collaborative, or known familiarly as “Coco” by them and the some 70 other people who office there at 723 N Hudson in Oklahoma City’s Midtown Village — reborn with nearby restaurants and bars, a yoga studio and more. Derrick Parkhurst leased the 7,500-squarefoot space two years ago, painting the walls in bright oranges, greens and blues, and adding several modern desks to its 4,000-squarefoot open area, a kitchenette and windowed walls that separate a private boardroom and nine executive suites. The shared work space — with free Wi-Fi, coffee and a dedicated parking lot — is meant as an alternative to doing business in a coffee shop packed with strangers, Parkhurst said. “Here, we bring people together who are working in similar businesses,” he said. “We may, for example, connect a Web developer with a Web designer. They’re in separate businesses, but they need each other.” Most are in their 30s and have technology in common, though Frantz, 47, is a patent agent who primarily serves clients in Austin, Texas, and Cambridge, Mass., and another member, Sarah Atlee, is an acrylic painter who uses her suite as her studio. In addition to managing Coco, Parkhurst runs two other businesses from the space — developing social media software for diabetics and other patient populations and producing training and other videos for businesses. Other members develop applications for iPhones. In all, some 70 entrepreneurs use the Coco, which is available through memberships that start at $30 a month for up to three hours a day and rise to $200 a month for a reserved desk in a wall-less office and $600 a month for a private suite. The central meeting room space also is available to members; one demonstration launch for Java contractors drew 200 attendees. “I like the energy here,” Frantz said. “It buoys your spirit to make a referral or when you hear someone got a contract.” Said Fenton, “You’re pretty much guaranteed to have a fascinating conversation with just about anyone you talk to.” Fenton plans to partner with other small IT firms to better serve his customers. “I wouldn’t have considered it,” he said, “if not for Coco.”
Here, we bring people together.” DERRICK PARKHURST
ONLINE www.okccoco.com
Derrick Parkhurst, founder of OKC Coworking Collaborative, sits recently in the board room available to members of OKC Coworking Collaborative in Oklahoma City. PHOTO BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN
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SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2011
OUTLOOK VISIONARIES | EDUCATION & CAREERS
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
W. ROGER WEBB | OUTGOING PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
Webb has helped UCO through growth FROM STAFF REPORTS
W. Roger Webb announced his plans to retire from the University of Central Oklahoma in January, after 14 years as president, but he still has strong ideas about UCO’s future. Webb led an era of change at the university, overseeing new initiatives such as the Academy of Contemporary Music at UCO, the only industry-based music education program of its kind in the country; the establishment of the UCO Forensic Science Institute; and the opening of the UCO Jazz Lab, among other programs. His early years in law enforcement helped him in his role as a national voice on campus safety, preparedness and violence prevention. Q: What is your overall vision for the university? A: I have been blessed with the honor of serving as president of the University of Central Oklahoma for the past 14 years. As many of your readers know, a couple of months ago my wife, Jeanie, and I together decided that it is time for me to step down, which I plan to do on July 1. When I first came to Cen-
tral, I viewed my most important work as helping the university to see itself, as if for the first time, and thereby become open to the constantly changing vision of itself, which is needed for any university to pursue its mission. It’s the capacity of those I work with at this great university to be creative, innovative and nimble as the world around us changes that has allowed Central to grow and prosper as an institution of purpose and vision. Q: What accomplishments at UCO are you most proud of? A: All of the major goals we have reached at Central — and there have been many — have been accomplished by many, many people. Some would point to new buildings or programs, or to growth in enrollment or the opportunity-rich environment we have created for our students. I am proud of all of these things. But I think I look with most pride to the fact that because of the tireless efforts of our faculty and staff, now more than ever, our students take more pride in their degree from Central, confident they have made a smart in-
vestment in their future. Because of the personal relationships they’ve developed with our faculty and staff, our graduates leave prepared to become productive, creative, ethical and engaged citizens and leaders in their communities. Q: When it comes to education, what is the definition of a visionary? A: I’ve had the great privilege of working with a team at Central who each day define what it means to be visionary. In them, I see the courage to push Central beyond being a commuter school to becoming a metropolitan university, serving a diverse, growing community. I see the innovation to creatively use our resources to advance no matter what the economic climate. And, most importantly, I see in them a passion to serve our students through a transformative experience that helps them achieve their goals. Q: What does Oklahoma’s higher education system need to be more successful? A: Distinction — in the sense of differentiation — is what we must achieve to
survive and flourish. We must strive to distinguish ourselves first in how we view higher education: What it is, what it should be and how it should be provided to our students. Higher education in general must adapt to new ways of delivery. Technology will have a huge influence. If we continue to do the same things in the same environment, maybe even adding more processes, programs and buildings in the traditional sense, just as we have done for the past 100 years, we will likely fail in our responsibility to the community we serve. Because we live in an era of demand, which is growing faster than our resources, we must pursue our mission with clarity and efficiency. We accept the challenge of using our precious human and financial resources wisely. We must be more flexible and innovative, less bureaucratic and sluggish. We must pursue rather than avoid, the amazing opportunities presented by technology. And we must recognize that our mission to teach and prepare involves education in its broadest sense.
University of Central Oklahoma President Roger Webb speaks during the graduation ceremonies at the Edmond college in this photo from 2009. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVES
JOANN W. HAYSBERT | PRESIDENT OF LANGSTON UNIVERSITY
Langston leader reflects on five years in position BY YVETTE WALKER Outlook Editor ywalker@opubco.com
JoAnn W. Haysbert, president of Langston University, brought a lot of firsts with her when arriving in 2006 from Hampton University. She is the university’s first female president, and shortly after she arrived she instituted a 10year strategic plan, the first of its kind at Langston. Five years into her tenure, she reflects on the work she has done and the work she has left to do. Q: When it comes to education, what is the definition of a visionary? A: A visionary is a person who sees people and circumstances not necessarily in the state in which they currently exist but rather in the manner in which they can become once their greatest potential is fulfilled. In some regards, a visionary can be synonymous with a dreamer. You must be able to look forward and see a dream and direct or put in place the steps to make that dream a reality. For example, if you can’t see the possibility of preparing students for a global world, then you’ll never be able to do it. Q: You’ve been president of Langston University for five years. Why did you agree to head Langston? A: This was an opportunity for me to bring my experience, skills and talents to students that were in another part of the country. Most importantly, it was and still is an opportunity for me to touch the future. When I accepted this position, I accepted it with the full understanding that it would be a prodigious responsibility given the fact that I am the first African-American female president of Langston and the first in the great state of Oklahoma. It also came with immense humility because of the challenges I knew that I would face as the first woman president, but I wanted to do it because I believed that I could make a difference. Q: What is your overall vision for the university? A: One of the first initiatives I implemented was to engage the community of scholars in the creation of a joint vision that would serve as the foundation of our efforts to advance the institution. That said, our
We are definitely interested in developing our local community through the building and ownership of homes.” JOANN W. HAYSBERT
Langston University president JoAnn W. Haysbert with actor and brother-in-law Dennis Haysbert at the 2010 Scholarship Gala.
vision is to become a more academically advanced, research-competitive, and student-centered regional campus that spawns innovation, generates new technologies and ideas, and produces talented graduates for the global marketplace of tomorrow. Q: You’ve instituted a 10-year strategic plan for Langston. You’re at the halfway point. What was the goal, and are you on track to reach it? A: My guiding mantra, which was introduced during my inauguration, is to move the institution from excellence to greatness — which can best be attained when we complete our ambitious 10year strategic plan that is premised on eight strategic objectives. They are: academic excellence, student development, teamwork and trust, faculty enhancement, financial strength, state-of-the art technology, public relations, and enhanced physical infrastructure. Yes, we are on track to reach it. As a matter of fact, we are more than halfway through seven of our objectives and on the eighth one, information technology, we are more than 90 percent complete. Q: Langston is Oklahoma’s only Historically Black College or University. You also worked at Hampton, another HBCU. Why are HBCUs still needed today? A: HBCUs are needed today primarily because more than most institutions of higher education, they have proven to be effective in educating those students who are underserved and disadvantaged. It’s the type of institution that has a proven record of success for taking students where they are and moving
them to where they should be. In our institutions, most of our students come with socioeconomic barriers, be they financial, health, family hardships or educational obstacles. The HBCU, by virtue of its mission and nurturing nature, is a second-chance opportunity. That is not to be confused with the idea that our students can’t perform. These are students who lack access, not aptitude. For them, college is a choice that reflects their identity — it is a statement about how they see themselves, who they are now, and who they will become. They are drawn to the HBCU because they see reflections of themselves powerfully displayed in these environments. It is where they meet strong role models and mentors and see themselves as central to the educational enterprise. Q: State and local officials and community leaders joined you recently to announce the completion of the repaving of old State Highway 33 and the initial paving of sidewalks along the “Miracle Mile” in Langston. What other things would you like to see happen to the city of Langston that would benefit the university? A: First and foremost, our ultimate goal is to do what is perhaps unprecedented anywhere else in the nation, and that is for a university to take the lead in creating a college town. We have already completed phase one of this project with the completion of Miracle Mile. Phase two includes the expansion of City Hall and a newly integrated town park that will include a softball field that will be
used by our softball team. We are looking at bringing in those goods and services that will attract not only the residents but our community of scholars, as well — businesses such as a drycleaners, a bank, a grocery store, a carwash and eateries. Additionally, we are definitely interested in developing our local community through the building and ownership of homes. In so doing, we will not only increase our population, but also expand our tax base, which will ultimately result in the upgrading of our town services, and perhaps even lead to the building of a charter school for our children. Q: Last year at the university’s scholarship gala, you said you accomplished your greatest goal: to get your actor brother-in-law, Dennis Haysbert, to come to Langston. Do you hope to get more celebrities to visit Langston students? A: Absolutely. In fact, I
think our greatest challenge for the gala committee and the institution is to answer the question, “who are we going to get now?” And, we are working on that, and
the public can expect to see a celebrity entertainer and a celebrity host that they are familiar with each and every year at the Langston University gala.
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
OUTLOOK VISIONARIES | EDUCATION & CAREERS
SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2011
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Oklahoma colleges and universities Oklahoma City
1. Oklahoma Panhandle State University • Goodwell • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Agriculture and education • Contact: High School and Community Relations, (580) 349-1310 or (800) 664- 6778, ext. 1310, www.opsu.edu
2. Northwestern Oklahoma State University • Alva; branches in Enid and Woodward • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Liberal arts and sciences, Master of Education and Master of Counseling Psychology • Contact: Office of Recruitment, (580) 3278546, www.nwosu.edu
3. Northern Oklahoma College • Tonkawa; branches in Enid, Stillwater • Type of institution: Two-year college • Emphasis: Associate degrees in art, science and applied science • Contact: Coordinator, High School & College Relations, Tonkawa, (580) 628-6668, or Enid, (580) 548-2353, or associate vice president of Stillwater Campus, 744-2246, www.north-ok.edu
4. Oklahoma State University • Stillwater • Type of institution: Four-year comprehensive research university • Emphasis: Agriculture, arts and sciences, business administration, education, engineering, architecture and technology, human environmental sciences, veterinary medicine • Contact: OSU Office of Undergraduate Admissions, 744-5358 or (800) 233-5019, ext. 1, www.okstate.edu
5. University Center at Ponca City • Ponca City • Type of institution: Two-year, four-year and comprehensive university, degree programs delivered through distance education • Emphasis: Course work for associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in a variety or subjects from multiple institutions • Contact: (580) 7622856, www.ucponca city.com
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University • Bartlesville • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Liberal arts • Contact: Enrollment Services, (918) 335-6219, www.okwu.edu
7. Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College • Miami; branches in Grove, Vinita and Jay • Type of institution: Two-year college • Emphasis: General edu-
cation, technical/occupational technical, terminal and transfer programs • Contact: Recruitment Office, (918) 540-6291 or (888) 464-6636 (gogoneo), www.neo.edu
8. Rogers State University • Claremore; branches in Bartlesville and Pryor • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Business administration, business information technology, liberal arts, social and behavioral sciences, applied technology, nursing, game development • Contact: RSU Claremore, (918) 343-7777; RSU Bartlesville, (918) 338-8000; RSU Pryor, (918) 825-6117, www.rsu.edu
9. Northeastern State University
To read more on state colleges and universities and get the latest news, go to NewsOK.com.
sciences, graduate studies, liberal arts and science/technology • Contact: (580) 581-2289 or (888) 454-7600, www.cameron.edu
15. University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma • Chickasha • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Liberal arts • Contact: 574-1357 or (800) 933-8726, www.usao.edu
10. Oklahoma State University — Okmulgee
• Seminole • Type of institution: Two-year college • Emphasis: Two-year
• Muskogee • Type of institution: Four-year college • Emphasis: Professional programs and liberal arts • Contact: Office of Admissions, (918) 781-7353 or (918) 683-4581, www.bacone.edu
12. Western Oklahoma State College • Altus • Type of institution: Two-year college • Emphasis: Technical education and academic transfer programs • Contact: Office of Admissions, (580) 4772000, www.wosc.edu
13. Southwestern Oklahoma State University • Weatherford; branch in Sayre • Type of institution: Four-year university, master’s, pharmacy doctoral • Emphasis: Professional/ liberal arts • Contact: (580) 7743782, www.swosu.edu
14. Cameron University • Lawton; branch in Duncan • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Business, education/behavioral
• Ardmore • Type of institution: Off-campus consortium of colleges and universities • Emphasis: General education, business, education and liberal arts • Contact: (580) 223-1441, www.ahec.osrhe.edu
17. Seminole State College
21. Connors State College
undergraduate college • Contact: 382-9950, www.sscok.edu
• Warner; branch in Muskogee • Type of institution: Two-year college • Emphasis: General studies, occupational, transfer • Contact: (918) 463-2931, www.connorsstate.edu
18. East Central University
22. Eastern Oklahoma State College
NEWSOK.COM/OKLAHOMA-COLLEGESAND-UNIVERSITIES
16. Ardmore Higher Education Center
11. Bacone College
• Contact: (580) 7452060 or (800) 435-1327, www.sosu.edu
ONLINE
• Tahlequah; branches in Broken Arrow and Muskogee • Type of institution: Four-year University • Emphasis: Business, technology, social sciences, math, sciences, optometry, education, language and the arts • Contact: director of Office of High School and College Relations, (918) 458-2130 or (800) 7229614, www.nsuok.edu
• Okmulgee • Type of institution: Two-year technical college • Emphasis: Technical • Contact: Admissions Office, (918) 293-4680 or (800) 722-4471, www.osuit.edu
Tulsa
• Ada • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Liberal arts and sciences • Contact: (877) 310-5628 or (580) 559-5628, www.ecok.edu
19. Murray State College • Tishomingo • Type of institution: Two-year college • Emphasis: Transfer programs and technical/ occupational programs • Contact: (800) 3420698, ext. 155, www.mscok.edu
20. Southeastern Oklahoma State University • Durant • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Business, liberal arts and sciences, teacher education and aviation sciences
• Wilburton; branches in McAlester, Idabel, and Antlers • Type of institution: Two-year college • Emphasis: Liberal arts • Contact: (918) 465-1811, www.eosc.edu
23. Carl Albert State College • Poteau; branches in Sallisaw and Idabel • Type of institution: Two-year college
• Emphasis: General studies, vocational and compensatory • Contact: (918) 647-1452, www.carlalbert.edu
24. Southeastern Oklahoma State University — McCurtain County Campus • Idabel • Type of institution: Branch campus • Emphasis: Lifelong learning • Contact: (580) 286-9431 or (580) 584-3932, www.se.edu/mccurtain/
25. Wayland Baptist University • Altus • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Business, occupational education • Contact: (580) 481-5243 For a list of Oklahoma City and Tulsa metroarea schools, see Page 14.
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THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
Oklahoma City-area colleges and universities Downtown College Consortium • Oklahoma City • Type of institution: Consortium of two-year and regional institutions • Emphasis: General studies • Contact: 232-3382, www.downtowncollege.com
Oklahoma State University — Oklahoma City • Type of institution: Two-year technical branch • Emphasis: Associate of science, associate in applied science and certificate programs • Contact: 945-9150 or (800) 560-4099, www.osuokc.edu
DeVry University • Oklahoma City • Type of institution: Four-year university, bachelor’s and graduate programs • Emphasis: Technological fields and business • Contact: 767-9516, www.devry.edu/locations/ campuses/loc_oklahomacity.jsp
Platt College
PHOTO BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE
Oklahoma Baptist University
Rose State College
• Shawnee • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Liberal arts • Contact: Admissions office, 878-2033 or (800) 654-3285, www.okbu.edu/admissions
Oklahoma City Community College • Oklahoma City • Type of institution: Two-year college • Emphasis: Transfer and technical/occupational • Contact: Recruitment and Admissions, 682-7580, www.occc.edu
Langston University
• El Reno • Type of institution: Two-year college • Emphasis: General, transfer and technical • Contact: 262-2552 or (866) 415-6367, www.redlandscc.edu
Redlands Community College
Southwestern College • Midwest City • Type of institution: Private college. Bachelor’s degree completion and master’s degree programs • Adult programs, online and onground programs • Emphasis: Graduate, undergraduate, and certificate programs, business, leadership, management, security, ministry • Contact: 733-3301 or (866) 342-3301, www.southwestern
• Midwest City • Type of institution: Two-year college • Emphasis: Associate in arts, science or applied science and one-year certificates • Contact: Prospective student services, 7337372, www.rose.edu
college.org
• Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Lawton, Moore • Type of institution: Private college. Vocational programs • Emphasis: Health, culinary, nursing, information technology • Contact: 749-2433 or (918) 622-1240, www.plattcolleges.edu • Langston — Branches in Oklahoma City and Tulsa • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Liberal arts • Contact: 466-2980, www. lunet.edu
PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE
University of Oklahoma • Norman • Type of institution: Comprehensive four-year research university • Emphasis: Comprehensive • Contact: 325-2151 or (800) 234-6868, www.go2.ou.edu
OU Health Sciences Center • Oklahoma City and Tulsa • Type of institution: Professional, graduate and upper level undergraduate • Emphasis: Medicine and
health careers • Contact: HSC student services, 271-2416, www.ouhsc.edu
Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College • Moore • Type of institution: Christian institution providing courses of study leading to associate or bachelor’s degrees and master of arts and ministry degrees • Emphasis: Arts and sciences, Christian vocational studies • Contact: Admissions, 9129007 or 912-9000, www.hc.edu
Mid-America Christian University • Oklahoma City • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Ministry and liberal arts • Contact: Office of Admissions, 691-3800, www.macu.edu
Oklahoma Christian University • Oklahoma City • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Liberal arts • Contact: Oklahoma Christian University Admissions, 425-
Tulsa-area colleges and universities Oklahoma State University — Tulsa • Type of institution: OSU branch offering undergraduate and graduate degrees • Emphasis: business, engineering, liberal arts, education, aviation, early childhood development, elementary education, journalism and broadcasting, health and human performance. computer science • Contact: (918) 594-8355 or (918) 594-8000, www.osu-tulsa.okstate.edu
Tulsa Community College • Type of institution: Two-year college • Emphasis: Programs designed to transfer and work force development programs • Contact: (918) 595-7834, www.tulsacc.edu
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology • Type of institution: Technical college offering diplomas and associate of applied science degrees and bachelor’s degree. • Emphasis: Aviation and related technical training • Contact: (800) 331-1204, www.spartan.edu
The Case Athletic Complex overlooking Skelly Field at the University of Tulsa. OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE PHOTO
University of Tulsa • Type of institution: Four-year comprehensive university • Emphasis: Preprofessional and professional preparation • Contact: (918) 631-2307 or (800) 331-3050, www.utulsa.edu
Oral Roberts University • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Liberal arts • Contact: (918) 495-6518 or (800) 678-8876, www.oru.edu
Phillips Theological Seminary • Type of institution: Graduate • Emphasis: Theological education • Contact: (918) 610-8303, www.ptstulsa.edu
PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE
St. Gregory’s University • Shawnee • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Liberal arts • Contact: Office of Admissions, 878-5444 or (888) 784-7347, www.stgregorys.edu
5050 or (800) 877- 5010, www. oc.edu
Oklahoma City University • Oklahoma City • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Comprehensive; liberal arts core curriculum • Contact: Admissions, 2085340 or (800) 633-7242, www.okcu.edu
Saint Paul School of Theology at Oklahoma City University
I Oklahoma City • Type of institution: Graduate • Emphasis: Theological education • Contact: 208-5757, www.spst.edu
Southern Nazarene University • Bethany; branch in Tulsa • Type of institution: Four-year university • Emphasis: Liberal arts • Contact: 491-6324 or (800) 648-9899, www.snu.edu
Southwestern Christian University • Bethany • Type of institution: Four-year college
PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN
University of Central Oklahoma • Edmond • Type of institution: Four-year university and master’s programs • Emphasis: Arts, media and design, business administration, education, liberal arts, mathematics and science, graduate studies and research • Contact: UCO Prospective Student Services/ Scholarships, 974-2727, www.ucok.edu
• Emphasis: Liberal arts • Contact: Admissions Office, 789-7661, ext. 3420, www.swcu.edu
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University • Oklahoma City, Altus, Vance Air Force Base • Type of institution: Classroom and distance learning center • Emphasis: Aeronautics, education, technology, management, operations, safety, human factors • Contact: Admissions, Oklahoma City, 739-0397; Altus, (580) 481-5991; Vance, (580) 213-7320, www.erau.edu
University of Phoenix • Oklahoma City, Norman and Tulsa • Type of institution: Fast track degree program • Emphasis: Bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral; professional certificates • Contact: Admissions, 8428007 or (918) 622-4877 www.phoenix.edu
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
OUTLOOK VISIONARIES | EDUCATION & CAREERS
SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2011
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AT A GLANCE Student-assisted startups that have emerged from the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup: I Digital Native Learning, Norman I EZ Vein, Oklahoma City I Hexakit, Oklahoma City I Innovative Solutions, Oklahoma City I LiveClassTech.com, Oklahoma City I Medtrieval, Oklahoma City I Nantiox, Oklahoma City I Secure Analytics, Stillwater I Synthesized Nano Coatings, Norman I Xplosafe, Stillwater I Zero Point Solutions, Tulsa
Blaine Pinard, a University of Oklahoma student, pitches his team’s ideas during the Innovation Awards portion of the 2009 Governor’s Cup at the Bricktown Coca-Cola Event Center in Oklahoma City. PHOTO BY SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE
Governor’s Cup rewards innovation BY DON MECOY Business Writer dmecoy@opubco.com
Since the advent of the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup six years ago, the collegiate business plan competition has awarded nearly $900,000 in cash, and $250,000 of in-kind commercialization services. About $30,000 in scholarships and $80,000 in paid fellowships have been earned by some of the more than 800 students who have tested their entrepreneurial skills. More than 26 campuses across the state have participated, and schools have built entrepreneurship classes around the competition as they seek to select the best participants. The event also has helped establish relationships
across those schools’ disciplines such as marketing, business, engineering and finance. The competition has helped create and boost more than 220 innovative ideas. Perhaps most impressively, the Governor’s Cup event has launched more than 15 entrepreneurial Oklahoma companies. Among the diverse enterprises that emerged from the competition are PreDent, which is developing a treatment to prevent periodontal disease in small animals, and Xplosafe of Stillwater, which produces a nanotechnology-based ink that changes color after detecting certain explosives. Fitness Fulfillment makes a mobile trainer employing digital technology to guide consumers
through personalized exercise routines and then tracks their workout history for them. Innovative Solutions proposes to commercialize a patent-pending intravenous IV and syringe to create a solution to a longstanding problem of systems that expose health care workers to bloodborne illnesses and patients to infection. In addition, Governor’s Cup alumni have gone on to take leadership positions in ongoing businesses such as Amethyst Research Inc. in Ardmore, Mintiva in Oklahoma City and Impact Technologies in Tulsa. This year’s competition includes more innovative ideas, including the use of human hair to strengthen concrete in areas such as Haiti that lack other
LAWRENCE K. HELLMAN | OCU LAW SCHOOL DEAN
Dean is fighting to overturn state’s wrongful convictions BY TRICIA PEMBERTON
program started and up to speed very quickly to have her,” Hellman said.
Staff Writer tpemberton@opubco.com
Oklahoma City University Law School Dean Lawrence K. Hellman is working tirelessly to open the Oklahoma Innocence Clinic this fall. He’s helped law school faculty identify and hire a new director for the clinic, and in June he will retire as dean of the law school so he can turn most of his energy to fundraising for the clinic. The Innocence Clinic, one of 50 in the nation, will work to identify and overturn wrongful convictions in the state. It is part of the national Innocence Project, a nonprofit litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. “This is something everyone can feel good about getting behind,” Hellman said. “No one wants an innocent person to be in prison. That includes prosecutors and defenders alike. Oklahoma, with 18 wrongful convictions, is among the top 10 states in the nation in known wrongful convictions of innocent people, Madeline deLone, executive director of the New York-based Innocence Project, said during a recent visit to Oklahoma City. She said those wrongfully convicted spent an average of 13 years in prison, with some incarcerated as long as 32 years. Hellman said it’s been documented that 2.3 percent of the 7,534 people who were convicted and sentenced to death in the U.S. between 1973 and
Building a foundation
Lawrence K. Hellman
2004 subsequently have been found to be innocent. That figure is just for death penalty cases. If the same math were to apply to noncapital cases, he said, that would mean 53,000 of the 2.3 million people currently in prison in the U.S. are actually innocent.
New director In March, the law school announced Tiffany Murphy had been hired as director of the state clinic. Murphy previously was legal director for the Midwestern Innocence Project in Kansas City, and a faculty member of the University of Missouri at Kansas City and the University of Missouri at Columbia. Hellman first met Murphy in 2008 when he was in the beginning stages of planning for an Innocence Clinic at OCU. “I was very impressed with her,” he said. Hellman said Murphy comes with both trial and post-conviction experience, having represented death row inmates in a number of states. She also has clinical teaching experience, has organized a clinic and established a case-intake system, and has raised funds. “It will give us a huge advantage in getting our
Hellman himself has been instrumental in raising more than $1.5 million to open and sustain the clinic for its first five years, but fundraising is a neverending job, he said. “We want to not only sustain it indefinitely but also build it into a robust project that will be able to accommodate more students and free more innocent people,” he said. In addition, Hellman has joined the recently formed Oklahoma Justice Commission, chaired by former state Attorney General Drew Edmondson. The group’s first meeting was in February. Hellman said while it will be the mission of the clinic to look backward at righting wrongful convictions, it will be the job of the justice commission to look forward to make recommendations on how the criminal justice system can be improved to reduce the likelihood that the kinds of mistakes made in the past will be made in the future. OCU’s Law School is taking enrollments from students this spring for the clinic. Enrollment is limited to eight students per semester and is only for third-year law students, Hellman said. “I expect there will be many more students applying for the clinic than there is room for,” Hellman said. “Just about every prospective student that I’ve talked to has mentioned the Innocence Clinic among the reasons they are really hopeful they get admitted to OCU,” he said. CONTRIBUTING: STAFF WRITER DIANA BALDWIN
strengthening materials; health care concepts that include both therapeutics and devices to assist both health care providers and patients; technology to reduce the time orthodontic patients must wear braces by speeding up the process of realigning teeth; a water-softening product that prevents the release of salt into groundwater; and energy proposals, some of which focus on aspects of wind energy while another proposes enhanced methods using nanotechnology to bring oil up from mature fields. The competition is underwritten by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, along with support from other local sources. It is managed by i2E, the notfor-profit corporation that mentors many of the state’s technology-based
startup companies. Two new awards are being presented at this year’s competition. The OG&E Positive Energy Award is a $5,000 award to the team whose business plan proposes the best use of energy generation or energy storage, delivery or other innovative uses of energy. That team’s faculty adviser also will be awarded $2,000. The Al Tuttle Business Incubation Award provides one graduate-level team business incubation space and services free for one year. This year’s winners will advance to the Tri-State competition in Las Vegas to compete against their counterparts in Arkansas and Nevada in mid-May. Oklahoma teams have brought home $90,000 from that event — half the
Student startups: I Anchor Sand, Blaine Pinard, Oklahoma City I Biopology, Christy Craig, Jochen Talmon, Joe Parker, Tulsa I Fitness Fulfillment, Jeff Johnson, Oklahoma City I GameRNA, Ted Goodridge, Tulsa I MintJar, Matt Ralston, Tulsa I PreDent, James Haddock and Mallory Van Horn, Oklahoma City I ZigBeef, John Hassell, Tulsa I Phanoll Holdings, LLC, Kenneth Knoll and Duc Pham, Tulsa
prize money that has been awarded. i2E President and CEO Tom Walker said the competition is designed to recognize and advance Oklahoma’s next generation of entrepreneurs. “It’s an exciting time for technology-based economic development as we witness the emergence of future business leaders through this competition,” Walker said.
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