JAN. 26, 2012
Russell Westbrook
deadCENTER Film Festival
The Thunder star’s new contract shows the team’s committment. Page 7
deadCENTER is accepting applications for its 12th film festival. Page 3
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THE VISTA
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA’S student voice since 1903.
Scholarship
FORENSIC SCIENCE PROFESSOR HONORED WITH SCHOLARSHIP By Ben Luschen / Staff Writer Over the years, the UCO Forensic Science Institute has built a reputation for being a first-rate facility and learning environment, and has been called “world-class.” After one faculty member received a scholarship to help share UCO’s forensic expertise with the rest of the world, that moniker has never been truer. Dr. Mark McCoy, a professor in both the Forensic Science Institute and the School of Criminal Justice, was the recent recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship which will allow him to lend a hand in developing the digital forensic programs at several universities in Australia. The Fulbright Program gives merit-based grants to students, scholars and professionals from all fields who wish to study or practice their craft abroad. The program was created in the 1940s by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and is known as one of the most prestigious programs of its nature in the country. McCoy, who will be leaving for the Great Down Under on March 9, was understandably excited when he heard the news. “I was really pleased. I’ve never been to Australia and I’m looking forward to going,” McCoy said. “It’s just going to be a great experience, not only working with other faculty and scholars in the field but to meet new people and develop other relationships.” McCoy teaches many classes at UCO, but his trip won’t necessarily mean any time off for his students, as the majority of it falls on spring break. The class time he does miss will be filled in by other members of the faculty.
Dr. Mark McCoy, recipient of the Fulbright Award in Digital Forensics, poses for a photo in the Forensic Science Building Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista
As part of the Fulbright selection process, scholarship applicants are chosen by a panel based on their achievement in a certain area of study. Those who are selected are then put on a list with the rest of
the recipients in their field, and wait for a third party to claim them for their program. In McCoy’s case, that third party was Canberra University in southeastern Australia. “They have a forensic science in-
stitute, and they’re thinking about working with their information technology people and computer science people to incorporate a digital forensics program as part of that,” he said. “I’m going out there
to help with curriculum and in teaching other faculty the best ways to teach digital forensics.” Additionally, McCoy will also
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Grants
UCO RECIEVES GRANT FOR MILITARY SPORTS PROGRAM By Mervyn Chua / Staff Writer
Sgt. Daniel Lopez of Ft. Eustis, Virginia practices during last year’s Wounded Warrior Games. Photo by Kat Wells, The Vista.
WEATHER
UCO has been chosen to receive funding through an Olympic Opportunity Paralympic Fund grant by U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S Olympic Committee (USOC). The grant will allow the university to continue activities for disabled veterans of the military forces. This is the fourth year UCO has received the grant, which has to be renewed each year. With the grant, UCO has very specific things to do throughout the year. Among the specific things is to conduct a total of six disabled military camps throughout the year in three different sports: Paralympic power lifting, Paralympic archery and Paralympic cycling. These camps are all held at UCO: the Paralympic power lifting in the Wellness Center and the Paralympic archery down at the soccer field, located north of the football stadium. These camps normally run for a duration of four days. Admission for the camps is free. Participants find out about these camps through different avenues. One of the ways they can be recruited is at the Endeavour Games, a multisporting event UCO hosts for any disabled athlete. The Endeavor Games are usually held in June. The amount given in the grant varies every year and is dependent on the needs of the university. A few things are taken into con-
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sideration, including the number of camps being held by UCO as well as specific equipment needed to better the camps. This year, UCO received a total of $75,000 for six camps and a program. The program, called Adventure Therapy, is held in Lawton, Okla., where a warrior transition unit is present. A couple hours will be spent there playing a chosen sport and having fun with the soldiers. A report has to be written every quarter to USOC to inform them about the success of the events and the specifics of the budget used. “It’s a huge advantage for not only UCO as a whole but the military athletes, giving them as much opportunity as possible and making it as free of charge for them so that they have the great opportunity to get better at the sport that they love and meet an compete against fellow soldiers and veterans,” Kimo Aweau, military sports coordinator of UCO Sports and Recreation, said. “They also gain a sense of community and have the opportunity to make friends.” UCO is the only school in Oklahoma that has an Olympic Paralympic designation from the U.S. Olympic Committee. Most of UCO’s resident athletes are for sitting volleyball. The 14 members of the national team practice at the Wellness Center every morning from 7 until 9.
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DID YOU KNOW? According to Crayola, the average kid wears out about 730 crayons by his or her 10th birthday.
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