UCOOldNorthWINTER2020

RESILIENCE

MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

ILLUSTRATION FOR PRESIDENT NEUHOLD-RAVIKUMAR’S HOLIDAY GREETING BY ANGELINA GALLEGOS, A SENIOR ARTS ADMINISTRATION MAJOR FROM LAWTON, OKLAHOMA.

ON THE COVER

“A Show of Resilience” – for a year marked with nearly immeasurable challenges, the UCO community continuously has displayed acts of kindness, strength and resolve. This issue of Old North highlights the ways in which Central endures. Pictured, UCO Dance students perform in masks, in accordance with campus protocols.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LANGAR’S LESSON IN SERVICE

Despite a global pandemic, one UCO student has continued to serve others.

FOUR DECADES OF CHANGE

After more than 40 years at Central, Kaye Sears’ love for teaching remains steady.

OLD NORTH STAFF

UCO President

Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar

Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs

Adrienne Nobles (MPA ’19)

Editor

Sarah Neese (BA ’15)

Art Director

Craig Beuchaw (BA ’92)

Photographic Services

Daniel Smith (BA ’77, MEd ’93)

Alumni Records

Wendy Lackmeyer

A SEMESTER TOGETHER

With each new challenge, the Central community banded together to adapt.

BRONZE, BLUE AND GOLDEN

Fifty years ago, Central won its battle for university status.

Old North (USPS 098-220) is published twice a year by the University of Central Oklahoma, through the office University Communications, 100 North University Drive, Edmond, OK 73034-5209.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Old North, University Communications of the University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, OK 73034-5209. In compliance with Title VI and Title VII of The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of The Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, The Civil Rights Act of 1991, and other Federal Laws and Regulations, University of Central Oklahoma does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, handicap, disability, status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures; this includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services.

This publication, printed by Southwestern Stationery & Bank Supply, Inc., Oklahoma City, OK, is issued by the University of Central Oklahoma as authorized by Title 70 OS 1981, Section 3903. 3,100 copies have been prepared or distributed at a cost of $4,246. 12/2020

STUDENTS BECOME THE

ADVISERS

A group of graduate students sets the tone for their future peers.

...a magazine published by the University of Central Oklahoma for its alumni and friends.

CENTRAL ALUMNA IN THE SHARK TANK

For alumna Jessica Jacobs Thompson, work and family life are one and the same.

SCHOLAR’S PASSION LIVES ON

One alumna’s endowment gives to Central’s next generation.

ALUMNI NOTES / IN

TO OUR READERS,

In a year full of anxiety, unending rhetoric and profound uncertainty, it was clear to me that a simple recitation of the past semester’s events wasn’t needed. While this issue does highlight ongoings of the last two quarters of 2020, it, more importantly, looks at campus life through the lens of humanity.

Something I’ve learned during this year is that while humanity is often the origin of our struggles, it’s also the anecdote.

Countless times while putting together this issue, I felt the impact of people – their strength, their collaboration, their resilience. Whether it be a seasoned teacher continuously adapting to the needs of her students, a student’s unwavering dedication to service or the concrete determination of an underdog institution more than 50 years ago, the stories of Central’s humanity were a much-needed reprieve.

While the future remains unclear, I hope you take this issue as a testimony of the community you’re a part of. As witnessed in these stories, the Central spirit isn’t dampened or crushed. It remains, because we are stronger together than we are apart.

Sarah Neese Publications Editor

FROM THE PRESIDENT

DEAR OLD NORTH COMMUNITY,

As I approached Old North this sunny, autumn afternoon, I was intrigued to see a group of people greeting a steadily growing line of cars as they drove up to the front of the Education building. As each car reached the front of the line, they were greeted by what now was clearly a group of faculty and staff, some robed in regalia, ready with cords and stoles to place around the necks of deserving graduates. A UCO photographer was poised to capture a picture as each graduate received their honor from their car seat. COVID-19 had squelched another series of commencement ceremonies to be attended by faculty, staff, friends and family. When imagining our students crossing the threshold of this important moment in their lives without the ceremonial closing to their achievement, these individuals had resolved to manifest a meaningful and simple celebration in a parking lot, with a folding table, with the smell of car exhaust. They crafted this moment out of determination, just as our students have done this year.

In a year of expansive disruption, we reevaluated our approach, impact and capacity to build the framework for innovation and progress. We embraced a new identity, as we adapted the way we taught and served to meet our new reality. Crises have a way of magnifying what lies at your core and the pandemic called us toward the best version of ourselves.

UCO has continued to innovate in the development of four new fully online programs this year, bringing our total online program offerings to 16. Additionally, UCO is leading the way in the state as we add six new micro-credentials to our catalog, with plans for dozens more in the near future. These are elements of our deliberate efforts to apply the best of what we do to advance our metro and state.

Our campus community has embarked on a reflective journey this year that will result in our first-ever Inclusive Community Strategic Plan. The systems and structures that shape the identity of our community are being explored for ways to create opportunity through equity. In continued commitment to cultural competency, we will work to foster positive changes that enhance the spectrum of diversity on campus and reflect the people we aim to serve.

The pioneering spirit of our university founders permeates the vision of this institution. We have inherited their hopes, dreams and belief that we can shape our future. Our passion and persistence have developed our resilience. Our people have developed our inspiration. The stories you will read in this edition of Old North will remind you of the value of community and call you to find your place within it. We are a community of hope. I invite you to join us.

Best wishes to you,

Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar President

FOUR DECADES OF CHANGE

WRITTEN BY RACHEL BAUGH, PHOTOS BY KT KING AND LAUREN BIERI

FOR MANY, THE YEAR 2020 HAS BEEN UNLIKE ANY OTHER, remarkable for a variety of reasons and unparalleled by any in recent memory. Life at UCO drastically changed, but for Kaye Sears, Ed.D., change isn’t new.

A full-time professor of human environmental sciences, Sears is in her 45th year at Central. Over the years, she’s witnessed student trends come and go, with various hairstyles and clothing coming into style, out of style and back into style again. Sears has taught under six different university presidents and watched as the Central campus grew from a traditional commuter college to a sprawling university.

When she began her full-time position at Central in 1975, computers in classrooms weren’t a topic of discussion.

“When I started here, I didn’t know teaching online was something you could do,” Sears said.

In fact, as Sears remembers it, it wasn’t until sometime later that trenches were dug across campus in order to lay cables for the first internet and technology systems.

“I didn’t even know what online was back then,” she laughed. She recalled the first campus computer taking up almost an entire room. “My dissertation in 1979 was done on a Smith Corona typewriter: cut, paste and copy; cut, paste and copy. My computer for data was a room full of the equipment to do punch cards.”

In all these years, she thought she had maybe seen it all, and even integrated as much technology as she could in her classroom. But then, like for most of us, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and everything changed.

Up until this spring, she largely taught her courses in person, with very little instruction conducted in the online environment. However, as the pandemic revved up, it became clear that the university would transition to alternative instructional delivery, meaning, for Sears, courses transitioned fully online. She quickly moved all of her learning materials

to UCO’s online platform, D2L, and familiarized herself with Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

“I think this has been the biggest challenge I have confronted in my career, but in retrospect, living through all of it has been such a great experience for me,” Sears said. “I learned so much so fast. It has taught me many valuable life lessons and given me many new lifelong friends.”

She continues to miss her office family and seeing her students drop by to talk about news in their life or give updates on their children. But, like all of us, she’s learning and adapting.

“My kitchen table is now my office,” Sears said. “I sit down and go from 9 o’clock till 4:30 and work in my office. I actually get a lot done and I’ve enjoyed it.”

She said she has learned so much in such a short time, and even used Zoom to meet three times a week for her summer course.

“My students have been so nice and patient with me and just gracious about the whole process,” she said.

While the pandemic is likely temporary, Sears is sure that things will continue to look different.

“We will never return to our normal. I don’t know what two years from now will look like,” she said. “I think COVID has totally changed everything, and I don’t know if we will ever go back to the normal that we knew – it’s gone. I think there is going to be some very positive things though that come out of it.”

She can remember the polio epidemic and hopes one day, with the help of its own vaccine, COVID-19 will be a distant memory.

However, no matter what the outcome, Sears will carry on and keep adapting, as she has for more than four decades.

“The only thing you can ever count on is change,” she said. “We will just keep doing whatever we need to do to help our students.”

A SEMESTER TOGETHER, SIX FEET APART

PHOTOS BY LAUREN BIERI AND KT KING

THE FALL 2020 SEMESTER BEGAN IN A TIME OF UNCERTAINTY and continued hardship. With the COVID-19 pandemic reaching its then-peak in July, it was clear that Central would march on with another semester unlike any other. While societal rhetoric highlighted phrases like “unprecedented” and “once in a lifetime,” the UCO community rallied together to do what it does best – uphold the pursuit of education.

While the semester was far from easy, Central remained resilient. With each new challenge, a community of students, faculty, staff and administrators adapted together, learning with and leaning on each other along the way.

“Resilience is woven deeply into the fabric of Oklahoma. Throw us an obstacle, and we grow stronger.”

– FORMER OKLAHOMA GOV. BRAD HENRY

REVERSING THE TRENDS

Fall brought with it the need to separate from the pack. Testing for COVID-19 continued on the Central campus, in an effort to combat the upward trend of cases. Students spoke out against societal injustices, marching in a peaceful protest across campus, while later in the semester, encouraging their peers to vote in record numbers.

EXTENDING THE CLASSROOM

Heading into the first fall semester during a global pandemic, the classroom at Central transformed into a flexible concept. The Extended Classroom continued, simultaneously facilitating in-person students, in accordance with COVID-19 campus protocols, and students attending the same class virtually. Less traditional classes, like those found in the School of Music, morphed the classroom into whatever shape necessary, finding larger, more open spaces and, sometimes, leaving walls behind

PLAYING IN NEW ARENAS

Resilience reached beyond the classroom as students found new ways to do what they love. The CO-OP Esports and Gaming Arena opened its doors to physically distanced guests, providing a space for students and community members to play video, tabletop and virtual reality games and becoming home to UCO Esports. Just across Hurd Street, a show came to life, as performers used nature as their stage and trees as their curtains.

CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE

Nature had its own plans for fall 2020, sending an early ice storm across the state. After layers of ice thawed from the leaves and branches finally settled, the greater metro, as well as the UCO campus, looked a little worse for wear. Central’s Facilities team dedicated many hours of service to cleanup efforts, removing downed limbs and clearing the way for campus to move forward.

THE STUDENTS BECOME THE ADVISERS

WRITTEN BY KATIE TIMMERMAN

AS THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA Jackson College of Graduate Studies (JCGS) explores the best ways to retain exceptional graduate students, the college started at its core purpose – the students. What works within the college? How can the college connect better with its students?

Who better to ask than the students themselves?

In early spring 2019, JCGS established the Graduate Student Advisory Board, with 20 graduate students named to the inaugural board for the 2019-20 academic year. The advisory board allows graduate students to provide feedback directly to Jeanetta Sims, Ph.D., Central’s JCGS dean.

“The Graduate Student Advisory Board was established last year as a mechanism for privileging and foregrounding graduate student voices directly to the dean,” Sims said.

“We anticipate receiving valuable insights from this group for fostering a stronger graduate community at UCO.”

The board meets once in the fall and once in the spring, with board members consisting of full-time graduate students. Members also must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.70.

The inaugural board has already provided helpful insights, including feedback on graduate tuition and fees, ideas for future networking opportunities and desired services to better support the pursuit of graduate education.

For the 2020-21 academic year, 21 graduate students were named to the board, welcoming 18 new members, two returning members and one student appointed by the dean. Members represent the full spectrum of disciplines, from psychology and education to business analytics and forensic science. In addition to serving on the advisory board, each member has a faculty mentor.

For more information about the UCO Graduate Student Advisory Board, visit uco.edu/graduate.

LANGAR’S LESSON IN SERVICE

WRITTEN BY SARAH NEESE

SERVICE LEARNING AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT are foundational concepts at Central, making up one of six major pillars the university hopes to instill in each of its students. However, for UCO political science major Harman Kaur, service is already woven into her identity. Kaur is a Sikh.

“Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak Sahib Ji. He was a revolutionary social reformer who challenged cultural and religious norms in the fifteenth century in South Asia,” Kaur said. “Guru Nanak wanted to empower the common person to seek and realize God while living an honest family life, free from rituals and pilgrimages. His teachings were designed to promote equality among all humans, irrespective of caste, color, creed, gender or race.”

As a Sikh, Kaur serves as the general secretary of the World Sikh Parliament, which has 30 members from across the United States. As a member of the parliament, she helps coordinate major projects, like serving food to others in the community during a global pandemic. While the community’s need for food was intensified by the effects of COVID-19, Sikhs have been serving food to those in need long before this pandemic had a name.

Langar, in Sikhism, is the concept of serving free meals to the surrounding community, regardless of religion, caste, gender, economic status or ethnicity. Within langar, people sit and eat together, with all the ingredients donated, and the entire operation maintained and served by volunteers. The free meal promotes the Sikh tenet of seva, or selfless service.

Some of the largest gurdwaras (Sikh Temples) around the world serve more than 100,000 people every day, free-of-charge, as part of langar, and the Sikh Center of New York is known to serve thousands of people each week.

UCO STUDENT HARMAN KAUR DELIVERS FOOD TO OKLAHOMA CITY’S HOMELESS AS PART OF HER OBSERVANCE OF LANGAR. PHOTO PROVIDED.

“Langar is important, because as a Sikh, it is our duty to serve people wherever we live. It is part of my duty,” Kaur said. “The Sikh community is able to do this because of our Guru’s blessings. Guru Nanak Sahib started langar with 20 rupees, and today, the Sikh community feeds millions of people.”

For Kaur and her family within the Oklahoma City community, langar exists on a smaller scale.

“In Oklahoma, there are not many Sikhs. I was the only Sikh in my high school, and I believe I might be the only Sikh at UCO, so langar is not a massive scale as we see in Dallas and other places, but it does exist,” she said. “With me and my family’s effort, we are still able to provide langar to the communities.”

However, as the pandemic raged across the globe, langar began to look a little different. Volunteers now take extra precautions while preparing meals, physically distancing while cooking and wearing gloves and masks while preparing food. Perhaps the largest change is that the meals have gone mobile. Instead of serving food inside of gurdwaras, Sikhs have taken to the streets.

Kaur recently served members of the homeless community in Oklahoma City, wearing a mask while making deliveries. Not allowing the pandemic to halt her langar efforts, she feels that serving those during the pandemic isn’t so different from any other time of need.

“The Sikh community has always come out in other natural disasters too,” she said. “For example, whenever there has been a hurricane or the fires in California last year, Sikhs have always opened doors to the gurudwara and served langar. There are Sikh serving in Yemen and even in warzones, like in Syria.”

“Sikhs are known for their helping nature. Whenever someone is in trouble in India, they always come up to a Sikh for help. Similarly, I want America to know that they can ask for help from Sikhs. We are of a loving and giving nature.”

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WORLD SIKH

HAS MADE AN IMPACT THROUGH THEIR ACTS OF SERVICE.

1,000 HOMELESS SERVED

20,000 FREE MASKS

145,000 FREE MEALS PROVIDED 50 HOSPITALS SERVED

BRONZE, BLUE AND GOLDEN

CENTRAL’S UNIVERSITY STATUS WAS WON 50 YEARS AGO

THROUGH RESILIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE

BY MIKE BRESLIN, UCO MASS COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT, PHOTOS FROM UCO ARCHIVES

APRIL 15, 2021, WILL MARK A MAJOR MILESTONE for the University of Central Oklahoma – the 50th anniversary of Central attaining university status. Though that status may seem like a given to Bronchos today, it only came about after more than five years of controversy and political struggle that tested the resilience and perseverance of Central’s leadership and champions. The result was a new chapter in UCO’s history that stands in stark contrast to Central’s humble beginnings as – quite literally – a one-room schoolhouse on the Plains.

Over its first 75 years, Central grew from an initial enrollment of 23

TWO CENTRAL STUDENTS HANG A HANDMADE SIGN TO SIGNIFY THE INSTITUTION’S TRANSITION TO UNIVERSITY STATUS.

students to a class size of 6,500. This growth saw a corresponding expansion of the school’s mission, as evidenced by several name changes over time: Central State Normal School in 1904, Central State Teachers College in 1919 and Central State College in 1939. Action by the Oklahoma Board of Education in 1919 enabled Central to start issuing four-year bachelor’s degrees; the first Bronchos to receive them graduated as a part of 1921’s nine-member cohort. It was four decades after that, in 1965, when Broncho alumnus C.H. Spearman first submitted legislation to establish Central State University. In doing so, he argued that the change would allow Central to lure more students to its campus while also attracting increased federal funding, research grants and institutional gifts. He further noted that such a move would enable the university to compete more effectively for quality faculty members, while also benefitting the state’s ability to attract industry. Unfortunately, supporters of Oklahoma State University (OSU) and the University of Oklahoma (OU) argued that a third university in the state was unnecessary and would diminish the prestige of Oklahoma’s existing university offerings. Media accounts at the time noted that some legislators were fearful that a third university would marginalize the higher education offerings in their city. If Central achieved university status, their argument stated, the five other Oklahoma colleges would “defensively” seek to do the same. The result would be multiple, mediocre universities throughout the state.

The need for program expansion at a proposed Central State University was the basis for another key argument against Spearman’s proposal. Central should not be named a university, opponents said, because it simply was not a university. Its offerings were too limited to justify the change. As of the mid-to-late-1960s, Central only offered a single master’s degree and zero doctorates. By contrast, OU offered 100 master’s and 40 doctoral programs; at OSU, the numbers were 65 and 40, respectively. Garland Godfrey – Central’s president at the time and another key figure in its fight for university status – countered that the status change was needed to expand those offerings. Underlying all of the objections were fears about what a Central State University would do to the funding for higher education in the state. As many editorials in Oklahoma newspapers noted at the time, funding for higher education in Oklahoma then was similar to what it is today - scarce. If Central were given university status, opponents said, the funds needed to expand its programs and make it a true university would strain the already thin coffers available to other schools.

Ultimately, Spearman’s proposal was vetoed by the governor. Undaunted by this initial loss, Spearman and Godfrey resumed the battle in the 1967 legislative session. Godfrey articulated an “If you build it, they will come” mindset. He noted that OU was in a similarly underdeveloped state when it achieved university status. “People from OU and OSU would say, ‘That’s [university status for Central] the silliest thing, they’re not a university’…Well, neither was the University

DR. GARLAND GODFREY SIGNS THE DOCUMENT ESTABLISHING CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY.

of Oklahoma when it became a university. You grow into a university, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

While many of the earlier objections to Central’s university status were raised in the new legislative session, numerous legislators voted for the status change regardless. They reasoned that the bill would ultimately be vetoed, and thus allow anger at its failure to be redirected to the executive branch. They were right. Spearman managed to shepherd his bill for Central State University through the legislature twice more – in 1967 and 1969. Each time he did, however, he ran into his greatest obstacle to passage – Oklahoma Gov. Dewey Bartlett.

In 1967, Bartlett rejected the notion offered by Godfrey that Central could grow into a true university if it was awarded that status. Citing financial restraints, Bartlett said that such an approach was not feasible. Undaunted yet again, Spearman and his Central allies rebounded and resumed the fight in the 1969 legislative session. Spearman reintroduced the bill, and Central began aggressively advocating for its passage. Students and university staff reached out to potential supporters via internal and external channels. The Central alumni newsletter urged alumni, parents and others to begin writing to the governor, state legislators and their local newspapers to advocate for university status. Central’s student-run newspaper, The Vista, sought to provoke strong sentiment among the student body with the use of provocative editorial cartoons, which implied unfair treatment of Central.

Central advocates didn’t rely solely on passion to make their case in 1969. They disseminated new, objective data that wasn’t available in 1965 to make their case. The late 1960s saw a huge spike in enrollment at the college, as the student population mushroomed from 6,500 in 1965 to more than 10,000 near the end of the decade. Advocates noted that a 10,000-plus student population was simply too big for a college structure to support it. They further noted that, despite earlier cost-based arguments against university status, the change would not cost the state any additional money. Part of this argument was supported by a $3 million federal grant that had been received to double the size of the campus.

Unfortunately, just four days after the federal grant was received, Bartlett once again vetoed the Central State University measure. Despite getting the bill through both houses of the legislature once again, Spearman and Central seemed unable to sway Bartlett, despite signs earlier in 1969 that the governor might acquiesce. In spite of growing support for Central’s increased status, the future looked bleak so long as Bartlett held a veto pen. Luckily for Central, that was about to change.

Gubernatorial candidate David Hall of Tulsa openly supported university status for Central and other Oklahoma colleges while campaigning for the governor’s office. When he upset Bartlett in the 1970 election, he made good on his promise. During the 1971 legislative session, Spearman once again got the bill for university status through the Oklahoma House of Representatives, while fellow Broncho alumni Bryce Baggett and Cleeta John Rogers did likewise in the senate. Members of both chambers assured the state that a third university would not drain funds from OU or OSU, and Hall echoed that pledge when signing the bill into law April 15, 1971. After six years of political battles, Central’s perseverance and resilience finally paid off, and Central State University came into being.

In the years that followed, UCO has unquestionably grown into a full-fledged university. It currently boasts approximately 15,000 students, supported by nearly 1,000 full-time and adjunct faculty. It offers 122 undergraduate and 78 graduate majors and hosts roughly 200 student organizations. All made possible by the resilience and perseverance of one dedicated alumnus.

Pictured bottom left to top right are newspaper clippings depicting local and student media’s coverage of Central’s bid for university status. Pictured bottom right is a letter sent to UCO then-president Garland Godfrey from faculty member Myra Cunningham, congratulating Godfrey on the achievement. News clippings

EXTENDING A LEGACY

WRITTEN BY KANDACE TAYLOR, PHOTO PROVIDED

WHEN LT. COL. OREN PETERS stepped foot on the Central campus this June, the visit was much different from those in the past. Not only was the alumnus and longtime university supporter wearing a face mask, but he also had to stand far apart from the group he set out to visit. For a social 99-year-old, the pandemic has been one of the worst things Peters has experienced. Despite the virus, he has remained healthy, active and as generous as ever.

Peters has shaped his life around giving back. Knowing he wanted to become a soldier when he was just a kid, he eagerly enlisted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard at the age of 18. In less than a year, he was a private first class and a high school junior when his infantry division was activated.

What followed was 511 days in combat during World War II, where he participated in eight major campaigns and four amphibious operations. When Peters returned home at the age of 21, he realized he had missed a lot. He completed high school and soon after married his sweetheart, Lucile.

He was too old to play high school football, so he sought a coaching position at Edmond High School. He ended up coaching football, basketball and track. The students loved Coach Peters and even voted him as class president while he was coaching football. Peters made a point to instill an appreciation of volunteerism in his students. He encouraged them to seek out the variety of opportunities that were available to them.

He recalls telling them, “Volunteer. Find out what’s going on and do it. I volunteered for everything because I wanted to do it all. If you only see but don’t do, nothing gets done. You should ask for the job then do the job. If you volunteer, you get to try it… that’s been my life.”

It was around this time that he decided to pursue a physical education degree at Central State College. One of his most exciting school projects was organizing Edmond’s first junior high basketball team – a concept he pitched to his university professors that was approved for course credit. He graduated from Central in 1950.

Prior to his graduation from Central State, he reenlisted into the Oklahoma National Guard and then served in the 45th Division in the Korean War in 1951. Serving his country is something deeply rooted within him, and he has a volume of colorful stories that could fill several books.

After retiring from the Army, Peters became involved with the Boy Scouts of America as Scoutmaster – a role he proudly served for 21 years. In addition to being registered with the Boy Scouts

for a total of 80 years, his community involvement is extensive: he is a distinguished Eagle Scout; serves on the National Boy Scout Community Relations Task Force; is involved with Kiwanis, where he works with 11 classes of third-graders in the Bringing Up Grades program; is a member of Masonic Lodge 37; and, has served the Edmond Chamber of Commerce and numerous other civic and community groups. His tireless dedication to his community earned Peters the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UCO Alumni Association in 2019.

To further his already impactful legacy, Peters created the Lt. Col. Oren Lee Peters Endowed ROTC Scholarship, the only scholarship within the UCO Foundation that awards ROTC students. The first recipients of the scholarship will be awarded in spring 2021. To celebrate the creation of the award, Peters visited the UCO ROTC Broncho Battalion this June – face mask and all. The battalion is extremely grateful to Peters and looks forward to awarding a deserving cadet next spring.

CENTRAL ALUMNA ENTERS THE SHARK TANK

WRITTEN BY KANDACE TAYLOR, PHOTOS PROVIDED

ALUMNA JESSICA JACOBS THOMPSON

(BS ‘12) has had an exciting post-graduate life. She spent some time in Costa Rica for language school, worked for several companies using her kinesiology degree and got married. Now, she’s on to the most thrilling pursuit yet – helping her family grow a business. Luckily, her family got just the jumpstart they needed after an appearance on ABC’s “Shark Tank.” Thompson and her family created First Saturday Lime, a company that specializes in eco-friendly insect repellent. The business venture stems from the Okarche, Oklahoma, family’s farming roots that date back generations. First Saturday Lime was developed after the family saw the need to create a pesticide that was tough

Q: Why did you choose UCO?

A: My mother is a professor in the psychology department, so UCO has always been a part of my family. I wanted to get a great education and knew the kinesiology program was for me.

Q: What were you involved with at Central?

A: I was on the Women’s Track team and in the Kinesiology and Health Studies Club. I also joined the Delta Zeta sorority for a year.

Q: What was the outcome of your “Shark Tank” appearance?

A: We got a deal with Mr. Wonderful (Kevin O’Leary). We are so grateful for the opportunity and excited we got to participate.

on pests but not on humans and pets. Thompson and her family are looking forward to the next steps for First Saturday Lime, following their appearance and resulting investment on “Shark Tank.” Before things get too crazy, the UCO Alumni Association had a chance to talk with her and find out more about her “Shark Tank” experience, as well as her cherished days at Central.

Q: How were the Sharks in person?

A: The Sharks were everything you see and more. The entire pitch and questions lasted about two hours and it gets edited down to five minutes for TV. It was intense!

Q: What advice do you have for student entrepreneurs?

A: It’s all about being brave enough to get started and never giving up. Everything after that falls into place.

Q: How did UCO help you along your newfound entrepreneurial journey?

A: Juggling school, track, work and a social life taught me to be tenacious. All my wonderful professors pushed me to work hard and challenged me daily. I love UCO, and I always love meeting alumni and sharing stories about my time there.

Q: What are the next steps for First Saturday Lime?

A: We have set out to provide the world with an alternative to pesticide. We have our work cut out for us, but we are excited to see where the journey takes us. We hope to make the world a better place and grow the company.

Q: Do you have any parting words for students?

A: Enjoy your time at UCO. It goes by in a moment. I am so appreciative of the lessons I learned and the friends I made while attending the university.

SCHOLAR’S PASSION FOR EDUCATION LIVES ON

WRITTEN BY KANDACE TAYLOR, PHOTO PROVIDED

FOR 40 YEARS, Sandra Malin Mayfield, Ph.D., dedicated her life to teaching. The last 29 years of her life were spent teaching at the University of Central Oklahoma. Over the course of her storied teaching career, Mayfield impacted no less than an estimated 10,000 students – a noteworthy legacy. Her foresight as a reputable mentor and educator inspired Mayfield to set up an endowment through her estate plans with the UCO Foundation to benefit students with financial need.

In the classroom, Mayfield was always thrilled to foster her student’s passion for learning. She was disheartened when she learned some students were unable to continue their studies because of a lack of finances. Today, the Dr. Sandra Malin Mayfield Endowed Scholarship will benefit qualifying students pursuing a degree in English – the scholarship making it possible for Mayfield’s indelible impact to continue to positively affect students.

Born in 1941, in southeastern Oklahoma, Mayfield became a voracious reader as soon as she was able to read. Those early days spent reading a copious number of books at the Idabel Public Library instilled within her a passion for the written word.

Before coming to Central, Mayfield taught high school English and French, and collegiate-level English at both Oklahoma Baptist University and University of Oklahoma. As she neared the completion of her doctoral studies, she became a certification consultant with the Oklahoma State Department of Education where she spent six years, working with school superintendents and college and university personnel, evaluating and granting teaching

certificates to qualified prospective classroom teachers. Mayfield did not waver on her fervent belief in a quality education for every child.

Mayfield continued to make her impact on education in Oklahoma at UCO. She spent four years as the chair of the Department of English and served as the founder and director of the interdisciplinary women’s studies program, which is currently recognized as an academic minor. A devoted researcher of John Milton, Mayfield was selected as a John Milton Scholar by the National Institute for the Humanities. This selection subsequently opened the door to her membership in the International Milton Conference and selection by the Oxford University Round Table, where she gave a paper on the place of academic women in positions of leadership. Through her dedication and love of educating, Mayfield also served as faculty adviser to UCO’s award-winning chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, a national honorary society exclusive to exceptional students and scholars in the areas of English and the humanities. She was always willing to mentor both undergraduate and graduate students of English literature.

Mayfield retired from Central in 2014. Following her retirement, she spent years of laughter, happiness and joy with confidant Dr. Marlene Ryals White, a sister educator and UCO alumna. The pair gardened and giggled through many close Scrabble matches. In 2018, education in Oklahoma lost a true innovator upon Mayfield’s passing. Mayfield’s impact will continue to be felt at Central as her endowment will benefit future scholars of English literature – just as she had intended.

THE DR. SANDRA MALIN MAYFIELD ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP WILL BENEFIT THE FIRST GROUP OF QUALIFYING STUDENTS WITH SCHOLARSHIPS IN FALL 2021 BECAUSE MAYFIELD INCLUDED CENTRAL IN HER ESTATE PLANS. WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE THE MONEY TO MAKE A GIFT NOW, YOU CAN ALWAYS LEAVE PART OF YOUR ESTATE TO THE UCO FOUNDATION SO YOU CAN HELP FUTURE GENERATIONS.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN FURTHERING YOUR LEGACY THROUGH THE GIFT OF AN EDUCATION, CONTACT

BRENDA KNOTT, ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UCO FOUNDATION, AT 405-974-3561 OR BKNOTT1@UCO.EDU.

CENTRAL LIFETIME MEMBERS

We want to keep in touch with you!

We appreciate your dedication to the UCO Alumni Association as a Lifetime Member. As the university continues to progress forward, we are excited to offer readers the convenience to read Old North on their phone, tablet or computer while also being more eco-conscious.

To continue receiving Old North without interruption, we ask that you update or verify your contact information by calling 405-974-2771 or visiting centralconnection.org/register. This will also ensure that you will stay connected to member benefits as well as receive our monthly e-newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on all things Central.

If you feel the digital version of Old North magazine is not the best option for you, a limited number may be available to be mailed. Please notify the UCO Alumni Relations office with your preference.

Did you know there are other benefits available to you? Benefits include:

Checking out up to five items from the UCO Library Discounts on student performances at Mitchell Hall and the UCO Jazz Lab

Discounted membership to the Wellness Center And more!

Discover all Lifetime Member benefits at centralconnection.org/benefits.

Thanks for being a dedicated Broncho for life! We look forward to your response by Jan. 19, 2021.

EARNING HALL OF FAME HONORS

Col. Stanley Evans (BBA ’77) was inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame and received the Maj. Gen. Douglas O. Dollar Award for his civic contributions to Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma at large. Evans served for 32 years in the U.S. Army, after enlisting following graduation from Douglas High School in 1964, eventually rising to the rank of colonel. Following retirement from the Army, Evans attended the University of Oklahoma School of Law, where he now serves as assistant dean, nearly two decades later.

In 2019, Evans was named as the Rita Washington Lifetime Service Achievement Award recipient at the 2019 Juneteenth Music and Arts Festival in Oklahoma City. During his childhood in Oklahoma City, Evans participated in Clara Luper’s civil rights sit-in movement, sitting at the Katz Drug Store counter in 1958. As part of his military career, he was the first African American to serve in command at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, as well as dean of the Army’s Command and General Staff College. Evans is known across the community for his pro bono legal work, scholarship provisions and service to the community.

LEADING THE NATION’S NAVY

Gregory J. Slavonic (MEd ’77) was appointed as the acting under secretary of the U.S. Navy by President Donald Trump. In this current position, Slavonic serves as the deputy and principal assistant to the secretary of the Navy, as well as chief operating officer and chief management officer for the U.S. Department of the Navy. Before the appointment, Slavonic served as the assistant secretary for the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, as well as chief of staff for U.S. Senator James Lankford.

Slavonic first enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a seaman recruit, later retiring at the rank of rear admiral in the U.S. Navy Reserve. During his military career, he served in combat deployments in Vietnam, Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Before retirement, he was the Navy’s sixth special assistant to the chief of information and director of the Navy Reserve Public Affairs program. Notably, also during his service, Slavonic was co-chair for the design and building of the USS Oklahoma Memorial at Pearl Harbor to remember the 429 sailors and marines who served on the battleship and lost their lives Dec. 7, 1941.

ALUMNI NOTES

’68 Stan Brownlee (BS ’68) was appointed by Gov. Stitt to the Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) Board of Regents. From Enid, Brownlee was reappointed to serve another five-year term on the board.

’73 Judge Rick Woolery (BEd ’73), who recently retired, received the Oklahoma Bar Association’s Joe Stamper Distinguished Service Award for his longtime service to the association and his contributions to the legal profession.

’86 Shirley Erp (BS ’86) became the new chief information security officer for the City of Austin in Texas. A longtime cybersecurity professional, Erp will manage the city’s Information Security Office, where she will be responsible for executing the citywide information security program, which includes keeping the city’s information, data and technology infrastructure safe and running.

’86 Monty Grider (BS ’86, MEd ’91) was elected McIntosh County Commissioner District 2 in Oklahoma.

’87 Paul Beavers (BS ’87) was named the chief technology officer at PCS Software, which provides software for the trucking industry. Beavers previously served 22 years at BMC Software.

’88 Tracie Collins, M.D. (BS ’88) was appointed as the secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health by New Mexico’s Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Prior to her appointment, Collins served as the dean of The University of New Mexico College of Population Health. She also chaired the Department of Preventative Medicine and Public Health at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita, Kansas. In addition to her degree from Central, Collins earned her MD at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, with an internal medicine residency, followed

ALUMNI NOTES

by ambulatory care and general internal medicine fellowships and a Master of Public Health from Harvard University, as well as a Master of Science in health care delivery from Dartmouth College.

’99 Linda Sealey, Ph.D., (MS ’99) received the Oklahoma Speech-LanguageHearing Association’s 2020 Honors of the Association Award for her demonstration of noteworthy professional service and exceptional accomplishment in the field of communication disorders. Sealey is an associate professor in Central’s Donna Nigh Department of Advanced Professional and Special Services and serves as program coordinator for its undergraduate and graduate speech-language pathology programs.

’02 Jay Chaney (BBA ’02) joined Bullard & Associates as an attorney in the firm’s Oklahoma City office. Chaney is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association and the Oklahoma Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation section.

’05 Jessica Clayton (BA ’05) was named the president and chief executive officer of Daily Living Centers of Oklahoma. She previously served in executive positions at the Mercy Health Foundation and First United Bank. Clayton currently is serving her second term as honorary commander for the Tinker Air Force Base 552nd Air Control Wing.

’11 Paco Balderrama (MA ’11) was named the chief of police for the Fresno Police Department in Fresno, California, becoming the city’s first Hispanic police chief. Balderrama previously served in the Oklahoma City Police Department for 22 years, culminating in his service as deputy chief.

Want

Please send Alumni/In Memory notes, along with any accompanying photos, to University Communications, ucomm@uco.edu, with “Alumni Note” in the subject line.

IN MEMORY ALUMNI

Ralph Bullard (BS ’60)

Mary Jane Hess (MEd ’80)

Ruth Christner Hopper (BS ’47)

Margaret Bushree Querna (BS ’68)

Geneva Gilbert Young (BS ’82, MS ’84)

STUDENTS

Marissa Murrow

Miguel Angel Alvarado Sixtos

Kyle Ward

Hall Duncan, a former longtime professor of advertising, design and cartooning at Central, died Nov. 30, 2020. Prior to his time at Central, Duncan served in the U.S. Army during World War II, receiving a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. To honor his service to its liberation during the war, France bestowed their Legion of Honor to Duncan and named a town square on his behalf. After retiring from UCO, Duncan went on to illustrate children’s books and became a member of the Territory Tellers. Duncan’s connection with Central lives on through the symbolic mace carried by the university’s president during commencement ceremonies, which he designed.

IN MEMORY FACULTY AND STAFF

John Brothers

Janice Ford

Cal Francis Guthrie

Carrie Cook Hill

Ellen McKown

Carol Marie Parker

William “Billy” Stumbaugh

Julie Wallar

Richard Dana Walts

Mike McAuliffe, a UCO alumnus and member of the UCO Alumni Association Board of Directors, died Nov. 29, 2020. McAuliffe graduated from Central with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism in 1981, later earning the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UCO Alumni Association in 2005. McAuliffe was the president and CEO of Oklahoma City Events and Entertainment, which produced major events like the OKC Jazz Festival, Oklahoma BBQ Championships and the OKC Holiday River Show. Prior to forming his company, McAuliffe served as chief of staff for two Oklahoma City mayors, Ron Norick and Andy Coats. He was an involved community member and wellknown across the city and state.

Sarah Neese writes Alumni Notes/In Memory.

to highlight a birth, wedding, achievement or other important life event of Central alumni?

PARTING SHOT

The UCO Teacher Education program held a drive-through celebration for its graduating seniors, celebrating its students for their outstanding achievement.

100 North University Drive, Edmond, OK 73034

uco.edu uco.bronchos UCOBronchos

ucobronchos UCOBronchos UCOBronchos

Melton Gallery: Ada Trillo- La Caravana Del Diablo Opening Reception: Jan. 14 Panel Discussion: Jan. 15

Exhibition On View: Jan. 14–March 4

Design: [ vek-ter ] Virtual Exhibition

Launches Jan. 2

Theatre Arts: Rhinoceros  Feb. 11–14

UCO Opera: The Old Maid and the Thief Feb. 12–13

Jazz Ensembles Concerts

Feb. 17–18, March 22, 24 and April 27–28

Symphony Orchestra Concerts Feb. 25, April 1

Musical Theatre: Sweet Charity March 4–7

Wind Ensembles Concerts

March 8–9, April 21–22

UCO Choral Concerts March 13, May 1

Design: The ADDY Winners

Virtual Exhibition

Launches March 22

Kaleidoscope Dance Company Concert

March 26-28

Musical Theatre: Rock of Ages

April 8-11

UCO Opera: Cendrillon

April 16–18

Central Theatre Short Play Festival

April 22–24

Broadway Tonight: Polar Bears, Black Boys & Prairie Fringed Orchids

April 23–24

Art Senior Capstone Exhibition Exhibition On View: April 27–May 6

Dance Senior Showcase

May 6

Broadway Tonight: Ain’t Misbehavin’

May 13–15

Jazz Ensembles (2019)

Kaleidoscope (2020)

Tribes (2020)