4880 education magazine[1]

2013

The official magazine of the College of Education, Oklahoma State University

A Desire to Help

Measuring an Impact Top Teacher Talks

Jennifer Mayo is on a journey to improve people’s lives around the world

Mwarumba Mwavita’s way to measure learning is getting attention

Oklahoma’s Teacher of the Year Elaine Hutchison discusses education

C O N T A C T COE MAGAZINE 3 3 5 W i l l A r d C O l l e g e O f e d u C A T i O N O k l A h O m A S T A T e u N i v e r S i T y S T i l l W A T e r , O k 7 4 0 7 8 - 4 0 3 3

[email protected]

dr. Pamela “sissi” carroll d e A N , C O l l e g e O f e d u C A T i O N

christy Lang C O e C O m m u N i C A T i O N S S p e C i A l i S T

dorothy L. Pugh e d i T O r

Ross a maute A r T d i r e C T O r

Phil shockley gary Lawson p h O T O g r A p h e r S

michael Baker Beverly Bryant A S S O C i A T e e d i T O r S

When you join the OSU Alumni Association, a portion of your membership comes back to the college to fund programs such as homecoming and other alumni events. Contact the college for more information: 335 Willard Hall Stillwater, OK 74078-4033 (405) 744-8320. education.okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, or 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. Title IX of the Education Amendments and Oklahoma State University policy prohibit discrimination in the provision of services or benefits offered by the University based on gender. Any person (student, faculty or staff) who believes that discriminatory practices have been engaged in based upon gender may discuss their concerns and file informal or formal complaints of possible violations of Title IX with the OSU Title IX Coordinator, Mackenzie Wilfong, J.D., Director of Affirmative Action, 408 Whitehurst, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, (405) 744-5371 or (405) 744-5576 (fax). This publication, #3316, issued by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the Dean, College of Education, was printed by OSU Marketing, University Printing at a cost of $4,568/4m. 10/13. #4880

A Talk with an Oklahoma Teacher

of the YearOSU alumna Elaine Hutchison discusses

her role as the state’s education ambassador.

COE Magaz ine i s a p u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e O k l a h o m a S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y C o l l e g e o f

E d u c a t i o n . I t s p u r p o s e i s t o c o n n e c t t h i s c o l l e g e w i t h i t s m a n y s t a k e h o l d e r s ,

p r o v i d i n g i n f o r m a t i o n o n b o t h c a m p u s n e w s a n d p e r t i n e n t i s s u e s i n t h e f i e l d o f

e d u c a t i o n . © Ok lahoma State Un ivers i ty 201 3

18 Freshman scholars 28 new Faculty members 30 top seniors 32 news & notes 36 in memory

OSU’s Aviation Students Are Flying High Students in the Aviation and Space program share how their internship experiences helped prepare them for their careers. 0

On THe COveR

2

A Method to Measure Student Growth

An assistant professor’s comprehensive model

is having an impact on Oklahoma and gaining notice around the U.S.

Questions About Space Answered

From ThereStillwater students

attend an OSU-hosted Q&A session with an

astronaut on the International

Space Station.

2410

Pursuing a Passion to Change the WorldJennifer mayo is on a journey to help improve people’s lives around the world.

Page 12

POrtrait by Phil ShOCklEy

M a G a Z i N E

Phil Shockley/UNiVeRSiTy MARkeTiNG

2013

The official magazine of the College of Education, Oklahoma State University

A Desire to Help

Measuring an Impact Top Teacher Talks

Jennifer Mayo is on a journey to improve people’s lives around the world.

Mwarumba Mwavita’s way to measure learning is getting attention.

Oklahoma’s Teacher of the Year Elaine Hutchison discusses education.

DO yOU knOw A

fUtUrE COwgirl

Or COwbOy?

PlEASE ShArE

with US COntACt

infOrMAtiOn fOr

Any POtEntiAl

StUDEntS. wE

will bE glAD

tO SEt UP

MEEtingS with

An ACADEMiC

COUnSElOr,

tOUrS Of thE

CAMPUS Or

OthEr ACtivitiES

tO hElP thEM

ExPlOrE MAjOrS

in thE COllEgE

Of EDUCAtiOn.

From the dean’s office

Hello from the osu campus at stillwater!

Our students cannot be that

involved without your support.

We awarded 181 scholarships this

academic year, thanks to the gener-

osity of our COE donors.

Like many other institutions, the

STEM areas (science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics) are

receiving a great deal of attention

in the College of Education and at

OSU. In this issue of Education, we

demonstrate how broadly we define

STEM to include literacy, aviation

and the health and human perfor-

mance areas, as well as science and

math. Please visit our new Center

for Research on STEM Teaching

and Learning (CRSTL) at our COE

website to learn about more of

our college’s STEM projects. And

while at the website, visit the new

Center for Educational Research

and Evaluation (CERE), which is

earning a statewide reputation for

helping school systems interpret

standardized test score data and

develop improvement plans, and

the Oklahoma Tourism and Recre-

ation Advisory Center (OTRAC),

which assists the state in determin-

ing where our greatest natural

assets are located.

While we have been busy teach-

ing and generating a record number

of grant proposals, students have

been representing us well within

the community. In 2012-2013,

255 of our prospective teachers

and school psychology students

worked in classrooms and schools

for approximately 170,000 hours

of public school-based experience.

In addition, 260 students spent

2,780 hours engaged in tutoring

Stillwater children in the Carol

and Randall White Reading and

Math Center on campus. And

57 therapeutic recreation majors,

featured in this issue of Education,

spent many hours serving Stillwater

Public Schools and the OSU Child-

hood Development Center/RISE

program with warm-water therapy,

while 41 athletic training students

provided services to schools, clinics

and hospitals, and 17 interns in

leisure and recreation management

supported the Stillwater’s Parks and

Recreation Department and other

services. Meanwhile, 175 students

enrolled in the professional pilot

program spent more than 7,500

hours in the air in our new Cessna

172s or the other planes at the OSU

COE Flight Center.

the 2012-2013 academic year was fast-paced in the college of education. our faculty and staff

focused on one guiding question: “is what i am about to do going to improve the world for a child,

teen, adolescent, adult, family or the environment?” to answer that, we sought collaborations

across programs, schools and the university to support areas that truly matter as we seek to

fulfill the land-grant mission of osu and the college of education.

We are pleased to shine a light

on the 2013 Oklahoma Teacher

of the Year, Elaine Hutchison,

an OSU alumna.

And speaking of those who teach,

we eagerly welcomed eight new

tenure-track faculty members this

fall and began a faculty development

program to support their success.

Our enrollments are strong

and our goals are set high, and

we welcome your insights, visits

and support. Thank you for your

continuing interest in the College

of Education at Oklahoma State

University, where we are proud to

be “America’s Brightest Orange!”

Warmest regards,

Dr. Pamela “Sissi” CarrollDean, OSU College of Education

PORTRAIT Phil ShockleyContaCt InformatIon

(405) 744-3373 • [email protected] • education.okstate.edu

C O l l e g e O f e d u C A T i O No k l a h o m a S t a t e U n I v e r S I t y

elaIne hUtChISon was named the 2013

oklahoma Teacher of the year at a ceremony

at the State Fair of oklahoma last year.

2 0 1 3

2

When you came back to campus to speak at the College of Education’s annual Celebration of Teaching, you talked about what a big moment that was. Why? Can you describe those feelings?I grew up in a very small rural

community where everyone knew each other. In communities like that, the school is oftentimes the nucleus of the community. When my high school had to consolidate in 1992, I suddenly realized that there were no more “Ames Wildcat” homecomings or basket-ball games to attend. That was difficult to accept when you have lived in a community your entire life, and your school is a huge part of your identity. Oklahoma State University has always felt like another home to me. No matter how much the campus grows, I still feel like the campus and the people are comforting and personable. When you feel that special connec-tion to a place, you somehow want to give back. You want to leave a legacy. As the 2013 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, I have very large shoes to fill. Sharing my passion for teaching and recruiting others as part of a purpose-driven mission is one of the ways that I feel that I can give back.

When I spoke at the Celebration of Teaching, all of those fond memories of my time here — the homecomings, Student Government Association, President’s Leadership Council, Eddie Sutton basketball — came flooding back to me. I didn’t want to suppress those feelings, but I

really wanted to take it all in that day and appreciate my love for my alma mater and my opportunity to give back at the same time.

Roughly how many presentations and events have you been involved with over the past year? What are some of your favorite experiences?This past year, I have given

approximately 35 presentations and have been involved with 31 in-state events and four national events.

This summer, I got to attend International Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., with the other state teachers of the year and 10 international teachers from all over the world. We performed pseudo space simulations and missions and were immersed in several STEM activities. I enjoyed that so much because it was informal. I got to be a student for the week, and I love to learn new information. There was an intense appreciation of culture, knowledge and all of the geeky things I love, so it was the trip of a lifetime for me.

In April, for National Education Week, I traveled to Washington, D.C., where I was recognized at the White House by President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. I am 43 years old and had never been to D.C., so you can imagine my awe. Being able to see history, art, architecture, museums, all of those “postcards” coming to life is a feeling I will never forget.

as the 2013 oklahoma

teacher of the year, oSU

alumna Elaine Hutchison

has spent the last year serving as the state’s ambassador of teaching, speak-ing to civic groups and educators across the state and beyond. Hutchi-son returned to Stillwater in April when she gave the keynote address at the College of Education’s Celebra-tion of Teaching.

Hutchison earned her bachelor’s degree in secondary mathematics education from OSU in 1992. She teaches at Fairview High School and Chamberlain Middle School as well as at the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics Regional Center.

osu alumna named state’s teacher of the Year

top teacher

PhOTO oklAhoMA STATe DePARTMeNT oF eDUcATioN

Q&A

c o n t i n u e s


PhoTo PRoViDeD

You recently took Eskimo Joe’s teacher shirts to a national conference. How were they received? When I traveled to International

Space Camp, we were asked to bring token gifts from our state to share with the other participants. A huge thanks (goes) to Stan Clark of Eskimo Joe’s, who donated teacher shirts for all of the State Teachers of the Year and International teachers. These teachers loved the shirts, and I am sure that these shirts are now all over the world. Eskimo Joe’s helped me show the generous spirit of Oklahomans, and I am grateful for their help in this endeavor. One of the Space Camp administrators was from Stillwater! He wanted me to pick up some Eskimo Joe’s bacon cheese fries to send to him as well. I have explained Stan Clark’s significant contributions to education and to OSU, and many of the teachers have investigated Eskimo Joe’s on Facebook as a result.

What does it mean to you to serve as Oklahoma’s education ambassador?Serving as Oklahoma’s educa-

tion ambassador means that I get to share my passion for teaching with teaching interns, and perhaps “reignite” that love for the class-room for all teachers through a positive message.

How do you encourage fellow teachers? What would you say to the general public about the teaching profession?I think the most important

message I can share with Oklahomans is that teaching is a profession that blesses you with many rewards beyond any paycheck we could ever receive. It allows you to build relationships,

assist others in reaching their dreams, and know at the end of the day that what you do makes a difference. It is the one profession that makes all other professions possible. It is a profession that is not always easy, but is always worth it.

Additionally, I want Oklahomans to have faith in their teachers and schools. Our

universities are working very hard to develop their teacher preparation programs to ensure phenomenal teachers, but often-times they become discouraged by others outside the profession. Our teachers are working very hard to make our schools and future citizens strong. Teachers need to know more than anything else that people have faith in them and what

they do.

elaine hutchison took shirts from eskimo

Joe’s as token gifts for other teachers during

her week at the international Space camp.

2 0 1 3

4

STEM INITIATIVES | $5 MILLIONProducing educators in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects is a high priority for the College of Education. To enhance OSU students’ learning experiences, the College has an interdisciplinary emphasis to involve all academic colleges across the university. As one of 18 universities in the STEMx Consortium – a nationwide group working together to elevate STEM subjects – OSU is encouraging students to take an interest in these increasingly technical fields.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Your support will impact countless students of all ages and extend OSU’s land-grant mission to make education available to all those who seek it.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:DENISE UNRUHSenior Director of Development Oklahoma State University Foundation400 South Monroe | Stillwater, OK 74074phone: 405.385.5663 | [email protected]

Oklahoma State University is attracting

record support as the boldest higher-

education campaign in Oklahoma state

history continues. In a little more than five

years, tens of thousands of alumni and

friends have given to Branding Success:

The Campaign for OSU.

discover your orange passion

When School of Teaching and

Curriculum Leadership faculty

members Adrienne Sanogo, Sheri

Vasinda and Faryl Kander wrote

a grant proposal seeking funds

to purchase tablet computers to

use in their courses, they were

focused on more than simply

having the newest piece of

technology.

Describing their work as

“Changing the Landscaping

of Learning: New Times, New

Tools, New Thinking,” the trio

was more interested in the effects

of using tablets in one-on-one

tutoring as well as preparing

OSU pre-service teachers to

leverage technology to enhance

teaching and student learning in

future classrooms.

The proposal won a $48,000

grant from the OSU Center for

Innovation and Economic Devel-

opment as well as an additional

$5,000 Transforming Educator

Preparation grant from the Okla-

homa Commission for Teacher

Preparation, which deemed it an

innovative preparation project.

With funding secured, iPads

were purchased for students

enrolled in the Literacy Assess-

ment and Instruction and Teach-

ing Math at the Intermediate Level

courses. As part of the classes,

OSU pre-service teachers provide

math and reading tutoring each

semester to roughly 100 K-8

students through the Randall and

Carol White Reading and Math-

ematics Center in both Stillwater

and Tulsa.

Beginning last spring, OSU

students received an iPad to use

throughout the semester as both

an instructional tool in tutoring

sessions and as a resource in

their coursework.

“These new tools have so

much potential in differentiating

teaching and learning,” Vasinda

Preparing for 21st-century classrooms

Faculty members win grant for iPads to help students learn, teach

2 0 1 3

6

says. “At OSU, we want our pre-

service and in-service teachers to

think critically about technology

integration, carefully considering

how to support their students’

learning goals and needs.”

The faculty introduced a

framework for thinking about

technology integration called

TPACK (Mishra and Koehler,

2006). In this model, students

consider their children’s content

knowledge and pedagogical

knowledge when deciding to use

a technology tool.

“Teachers are also learners,

particularly in this project,”

Vasinda says. “This is an oppor-

tunity for OSU students to prac-

tice using emerging technologies

in a thoughtful, purposeful and

effective way.”

Faculty and pre-service teach-

ers explored many applications

to use in tutoring sessions during

the initial semester of using

iPads. For example, an app called

Educreations, which records

both voice and pen strokes at

30-minute intervals, was found

to be highly effective. The OSU

students use the information

from the recordings to determine

how their tutees understand

and process math concepts. It

also helps with assessment and

making instructional decisions.

According to Sanogo, the

students being tutored were

better engaged with the iPads,

compared with previous semes-

ters when iPads were not used.

Sanogo says one tutor had

a difficult time keeping her

charge engaged.

“She recorded the session and

sent it to me,” Sanogo says. “By

listening to the session, I was

able suggest strategies for [the

pre-service teacher] to use when

the student became off task.”

The feedback proved beneficial,

and the sessions went smoothly

after that. It was also helpful

that tutors shared each child’s

recording with their parents at an

end-of-semester conference.

Utilizing iPads in the

university course has increased

collaboration. OSU students take

pictures of their work to save to

digital notebooks. In class, when

a student shares a new invented

strategy on the SMARTboard,

classmates use iPads to take

pictures of the strategy for future

reference.

“I am learning more efficient

ways to teach mathematics and

share mathematical thinking by

using the iPad,” Sanogo says.

The learning and collaboration

are ongoing. Sanogo, Vasinda

and Kander continue to collect

data to determine best practices

in preparing high quality teachers

for 21st-century classrooms.

New iPads have made a difference

for oSU pre-service teachers

tutoring students through the

Randall and carol White Reading

and Mathematics center.

GARy lAWSoN / UNiVeRSiTy MARkeTiNG


Students in the College

of Education’s therapeutic

recreation program are gaining

invaluable, practical experience

while making a difference in the

lives of children and students

with disabilities through the

Warm Water Therapy Lab.

Therapeutic recreation uses

leisure activities to bring about

a social, emotional or cognitive

change in the individual and

his or her quality of life. The

warm water therapy course is

offered each semester to give

initial, hands-on experience and

exposure to recreation therapy.

During weekly sessions for

preschool children and Stillwater

Public Schools middle, junior

high and high school students,

OSU students work one-on-one

with clients at Total Health’s

warm-water therapy pool.

The 24-foot, above-ground

pool is 4 feet deep and heated

to about 80 degrees. Jonette

Passmore, a certified therapeutic

recreation specialist, instructs

the course. Passmore also holds

an aquatic therapeutic exercise

certification.

In the water, 50 to 90 percent

of body weight is lost, making

it possible for students to work

longer and more focused without

getting fatigued, Passmore notes.

“Studies show that 20 minutes

in the warm water is about the

same as an hour on land,” she

says. “When we get the kids in

for about 30-40 minutes, it’s like

they’ve done an hour to an hour-

and-a-half workout.”

Patients have varying diag-

noses of physical or intellectual

disabilities, and exercises and

activities are tailored to meet

patient’s developmental needs.

“We work with patients on

upper and lower extremity

strength, core, balance, socializa-

tion and ambulation. We incorpo-

rate cognitive activities. It’s also

peer interaction,” Passmore says.

The therapeutic recreation

bachelor’s degree includes exten-

sive field experience. Students

complete internships in clinical

settings during both the junior

and senior years. The warm

water therapy lab offers the

highly important initial, hands-

on practical experience that can

help a student determine if this is

a career field he or she would like

to pursue and better prepares

them for internships.

The course is designed to model

what health professionals are

osu students and their patients benefit in aquatic therapy lab

Wonders of Water

An oSU student works with a young

patient in the Warm Water Therapy lab.

2 0 1 3

8

doing in the field. OSU students

are required to write notes

about what they see. Patients are

assigned to the same OSU student

throughout the semester.

OSU students are creative in

working with students. Abby

Dankert, a therapeutic recreation

major from Broken Arrow,

Okla., was able to get one of her

student clients to talk.

“[One client] doesn’t like

to speak. We invented a game

where we put [adhesive] circles

on the walls [of the pool] with

words on them. I have her read

them. She talked to me for 30

minutes,” Dankert says.

Rona Tracy’s daughter Willa

began participating in warm-

water therapy when she was 18

months old. Today, Willa is 5

years old, and Rona marvels at

the progress she has made and

how it affects her daily life.

“My daughter has Down

syndrome and very low muscle

tone. She wasn’t walking when

we started [therapy]. It gave her

a way to be mobile and increase

muscle tone [helping her toward

walking],” Tracy says. “It’s a

great way for her to exercise

and she doesn’t even know she’s

doing it. She loves getting in the

water and the attention from the

[OSU] students.”

Many of the young children

are able to participate in the

program for four years and

the progress over time is

remarkable, Passmore says.

“We had a young man

who had a brain injury

at birth. He started

[the lab] when he was about 18

months old. He was not walking

or pulling up; he was doing a

little bit of scooting,” she says.

“Through the semester, we saw

progress. He worked on pulling

up. We worked on kicking and

having him stand up on the

steps. When you put somebody

in the water, that simulates walk-

ing. Just the very first semester

we had him in the lab, he started

pulling up at school and started

trying to walk. Now he walks

by himself, and he’s learning to

swim on his own.”

Dankert is excited to be part

of the lab and the therapeutic

recreation degree program.

“We’re really working with

social and cognitive things. We

really change the quality of life,”

Dankert says. “It’s just a great

opportunity and it’s awesome

seeing the changes in our

clients.” c h R i S T y l A N G

check out the video on oState TV:

bit.ly/1g77Rpc

Phil Shockley / UNiVeRSiTy MARkeTiNG


If you could ask an astronaut anything, what would it be?

“Do you ever have fears or get nervous about being in space?”

“What do you like most about being an astronaut?”

“Do you believe NASA will create technology that will allow humans to explore outside our solar system?”

Stillwater Middle School sixth-graders asked those ques-tions — and more — of Kevin Ford, commander of the Expedi-tion 34 Mission for NASA. Ford was aboard the International Space Station; the students were at the Wes Watkins Center on the Stillwater campus.

The OSU College of Education and NASA Education Projects teamed up to facilitate the unforgettable experience for the students, known as a downlink, in November. NASA selected only six downlink partners during 2012. In Stillwater, more than 400 students participated.

In preparation for the event, OSU faculty worked closely with Stillwater administrators and science teachers to plan a meaningful event. As part of a course, about 40 OSU teacher education students taught lessons about mass and weight in science classes.

sending Questions to space

space station astronaut piques — and satisfies — kids’ curiosity in nasa program at osu

2 0 1 3

10

MOrE infOrMaTiOn

The downlink was streamed live at www.ostate.tv; more than

6,500 unique users visited the site during that time. The downlink

program is archived, along with additional NASA educational content

suitable for teachers to use in classrooms.

Watch on WWW.ostate.tv

oSU’s longstanding relationship and important work with NASA:

bit.ly/HdUzbL

Watch the archive of the NASA downlink with expedition 34:

bit.ly/1hcTCOp

Classroom Extra: learn about astronauts and the international

Space Station: bity.ly/1al8DL6

“The purpose [of the down-link] is to use the International Space Station as an educational tool for students,” says Steve Marks, coordinator of OSU’s NASA Education Projects. “Hopefully, it gave students the chance to visualize what their future might be.”

In addition to the downlink, NASA education specialist Brian Hawkins spoke to the students, selecting a few to try on space suits and helmets and taste space food while on stage.

In all, students asked 16 ques-tions, watching Ford intently as he answered them from space. To conclude the downlink, he demonstrated zero gravity with a somersault, to the delight of a cheering audience.

c h R i S T y l A N G


A senior majoring in health education and promotion at Oklahoma State University, Jennifer Mayo’s journey to improve impoverished lives has taken her from southeast Oklahoma to remote villages in India and Africa.

At age 12 in Sulphur, Okla., she began saving for a trip to India. Neither Jennifer nor her mom can remember exactly what sparked her interest, but she was serious enough to open a bank account for the purpose.

where every woman put 50 cents into a pot. If a

farmer needed a new net, [the women] were able to

loan him the money he needed.”

Mayo lived in India until March 2012 before

moving to Ghana for two months. There, she lived

in a village accessible only by a two-hour ride. The

conditions there were dismal.

“There were children dying of malaria. The

water is bad, and there is no electricity. These

people live in mud huts. They are the poorest of the

poor and don’t have access to many things beyond

the basics like fruit and vegetables,” Mayo says.

While overseas, she discovered her passion for

health education. She learned about Oklahoma

State University’s health education and promotion

degree program in the College of Education and

began taking courses online. She returned to the

United States in April 2012 and moved to Stillwater

that fall to continue working toward her degree.

The lack of access to such basic needs as clean

water and health care, especially with the preva-

lence of disease, remained etched in her mind.

“When I got back, my mindset was constantly,

‘How can I change that?’”

Before long, she had an idea.

changing the Worldosu senior follows her passion to help improve lives

The TripAfter her first two years of college at different

universities in Oklahoma, Mayo decided it was

time to make the trip in September 2011. She

purchased an open-ended airplane ticket on a

Monday and left Saturday without even a detailed

plan of what she would be doing. Her focus was on

helping in any way she could and learning in the

process while sharing her Christian faith.

“I had always wanted to experience [India] and

figure out what I wanted to do,” Mayo says.

When she arrived, Mayo was offered help getting

acclimated from the Asian Rural Life Development

Foundation before she set out on her own. Mayo lived

in villages in the northeastern state of Assam, working

on many things, including water, agricultural, educa-

tional, health and Bible translation projects.

“Whatever a village needed, I did.”

Despite restrictions (local custom allowed her

to speak only to women) and limitations (no

knowledge of the language), Mayo still found ways

to help. For example, she led a group of women in

one village in establishing a loan group.

“[The women] didn’t know how to work for

themselves or save money. We set up a loan group

PORTRAIT BY Phil Shockley

c o n t i n u e s

2 0 1 3

12

The IdeaDuring Mayo’s “Health Behavior Theory” class,

taught by Chandra Story, a discussion centered on

condom manufacturing and how condoms

are marketed.

“I raised my hand and — I don’t know why

I said it — but I asked, ‘Do they make reusable

condoms?’ ”

As some classmates chuckled, Story said she did

not think so.

“She literally lit up as she started talking,” Crew

says. “Her passion was evident.”

Mayo shared her idea about the reusable condom.

“The idea seemed innovative, and it sounded like

something the Riata Center would be interested

in,” Crew says.

Crew encouraged Mayo to check into the Riata

Center for Entrepreneurship in the Spears School of

Business at OSU. Riata supports entrepreneurship

across disciplines at Oklahoma State.

clockWiSe FRoM

UPPeR leFT: The

residents at Pearl

house, a girls’

home in Africa that

Jennifer Mayo helped

establish, pose for the

camera; children in an

indian village hang out

by a water fountain;

children pack a school

in Ghana; a woman

who lost her leg sits

in Ghana.

oPPoSiTe PAGe:

Jennifer Mayo poses

with one of the

women she lived

among in Ghana.

PhOTOS COURTESY JeNNiFeR MAyo

“The more I thought about it, I realized it’s actu-

ally a good idea,” Mayo says. “Some people don’t

have access to getting a bulk number of condoms,

and they are going to [prioritize other things]

before contraceptive use.”

She did some online research and even called

manufacturer Trojan, which confirmed that a reus-

able condom was not on the market. Still, the idea

was set aside for awhile.

Later in the semester for a different class, Mayo

asked Michelle Crew, the College of Education’s

career services consultant, to review her résumé.

During their conversation, Crew asked her about

her experiences abroad.

Mayo followed through and visited with Craig

Watters, an entrepreneurship faculty member and the

center’s interim director, during the spring of 2013.

“I pitched the idea to him, and he immediately

loved it,” Mayo says.

Watters and Mayo visited with representatives of

OSU’s School of Materials Science and Engineer-

ing on the Tulsa campus, which offers educational

training opportunities for master’s and doctoral

degrees. Mayo became the first undergraduate in

the Riata Fellows Program, a universitywide entre-

preneurship initiative.

The team of engineers working on the mate-

rial includes Ranji Vaidyanathan, the Varnadow

Professor of Materials and Science and Engineering,

2 0 1 3

14

post-doctoral fellow Krishna Bastola and under-

graduate Trisha Buck.

The objective is to create a condom that is good

for around 100 uses. It would have to be boiled

for around 20 minutes after each use, but it would

not require a special cleaner. In late August, engi-

neers completed the first round of nearly a dozen

prototypes of material for the reusable condom,

producing some promising possibilities. Engineers

believe the material may have other uses as well.

The FutureThough there is a lot of work still to be done,

the project’s momentum continues to build. The

National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators

Alliance tabbed Mayo as one of just 22 University

Innovation Fellows from across the country. The

program says it “supports the next generation

of innovators striving to improve the lives of

underserved populations in developing countries

worldwide.”

“All I know is I’m trying

something and people are on

board. We are meeting a need for

somebody. I have a huge bucket

list, even if this doesn’t work

out,” she explains.

Mayo, who avidly watches

TED talks, was excited to be

afforded the opportunity to share

her project and message during

the TEDx OStateU event in

October 2013.

Mayo is set to finish her

coursework in the spring 2014

semester and will do a full-time

internship before graduating this

summer.

“The health education and

promotion program has really

helped me,” Mayo says. “The

faculty [members] have been

great about incorporating

international perspectives [into discussions and

curriculum].”

Mayo is clear that she prefers village life and

plans to go back after graduating.

“What I really hope to do is encourage people to

think outside of our American, Oklahoma box. I

want people to go and see for themselves. Seeing it

in person is different. It’s life-changing.”

SEE iT

Visit OState.tv to watch Jennifer Mayo’s presentation

at TeDx oStateU in october 2013.

The group is navigating through the patent process

for both the idea and the material.

“The focus is on people without access,” Mayo

says. “It’s not for novelty purposes; it’s for disease

prevention.”

Mayo has established a limited liability company

called Pearl Health, named for Pearl House, a girls’

home in Africa that Mayo helped establish. In addi-

tion to reusable condoms, Pearl Health is working

to create reusable catheters, gloves and other health

products for developing countries.


In an ideal world, Keith Reed

would pursue a master’s degree

in bicycling.

Reed, a resident of Perkins,

Okla., and a longtime employee

of Oklahoma State University, is

passionate about cycling and the

difference it has made in his life

over the last 10 years.

“It has been life-changing

for me,” Reed says. “It has

been important not only to my

physical health, but also for my

mental and spiritual well-being.

The more I do, the more neces-

sary it becomes for me.”

During the summer of 2011,

Reed pursued the lofty goal of

biking across North America.

The journey began at Acadia

Park in Bar Harbor, Maine, and

concluded 66 days and 4,138

miles later in Cannon Beach,

Ore. Along a route he planned,

Reed, Gena Wollenberg, an OSU

doctoral student in nutritional

sciences, and Anna Kinder

visited 13 states, a Canadian

province and numerous monu-

ments and parks.

“The experience was amazing.

We met and interacted with so

many people. We were treated so

well, invited to stay in the homes

of strangers,” Reed says.

“Even though I was a passion-

ate bicyclist before the cross

country ride, the trip really

helped me understand the poten-

tial for bicycling to enrich lives.”

Reed, who has a bachelor’s

degree from OSU and serves

keith Reed’s passion for two wheels spills over to boost stillwater

Bike Friendly

2 0 1 3

16

Maine provided the starting point for keith

Reed’s trek across on America on his bicycle

(inset). Photos include the starting point of

Acadia National Park (top left), lewiston,

Maine, (above) and an early sunrise along

the Maine coast (right).

PhOTOS COURTESY keiTh ReeD

as the horticulture educator

with the Cooperative Extension

Service for Payne County, soon

had an opportunity to make an

impact for bicyclists in his own

community.

Kevin Mussett, a longtime

Stillwater bicycling advocate,

approached Lowell Caneday,

OSU Regents Professor in leisure

studies, to ask for assistance in

securing bicycle-friendly status

for Stillwater. Caneday was

quick to make the connection to

Reed, who is pursuing a master’s

degree in the College of Educa-

tion’s leisure studies program.

As part of his creative

component, Reed compiled an

application on behalf of the

city of Stillwater to the League

of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle

Friendly Community program.

The program “is a tool for states,

communities, business and

universities to make bicycling a

real transportation and recre-

ation option for all people.”

A number of factors gelled

to move Stillwater forward as

a bicycle-friendly community.

While Reed was responsible

for compiling the 88-question

application, he is quick to point

out that the process required the

support of city and university

officials, including Stillwater

Mayor John Bartley and city

transportation director Jason

Peek, among others. The process

led to the formation of the Still-

water Bicycle Committee.

The League of American

Bicyclists awarded Stillwater

“Bicycle Friendly Community-

Bronze Level” status in the fall

of 2012. Stillwater is only the

third city in Oklahoma and one

of 259 nationally to achieve the

designation.

Many positive steps continue

to happen. OrangeRide, a new

bicycle rental program, is now

available at OSU, and a campus

bicycle committee has formed

at OSU as well. The city also

re-striped the roadway on Hall

of Fame Avenue near Boone

Pickens Stadium to include

bicycle lanes.

Reed is slated to complete his

master’s in May 2014. Though it

will not be in bicycle, the degree

is allowing him to focus on an

area he is most passionate about

in bicycling.

“The majority of the course-

work I have chosen has a signifi-

cant application to bicycling, much

more than I ever imagined when I

began the degree,” Reed says.

His work has affected the Still-

water community and bicyclists

for years to come.

“The BFC project was the

perfect opportunity for me to do

a small part to give residents of

this area a better chance to expe-

rience the power of a bicycle,”

Reed explains. c h R i S T y l A N G


GAbbY bAIRElementary education • First-generation college student

Tulsa • Jenks High School

On choosing OSU …

“Once I saw the passion that these professors and advisers have

for teaching and preparing educators, the decision was easy — I

knew OSU was the place where I belonged.”

On receiving the Thomas J. Smith Recruitment Scholarship …

“I had already decided to come to OSU when I received the

scholarship, but it was such an encouragement to me to know that I

had people who were supporting me outside of my family. The day I

found out that I was going to get this financial assistance to help me

reach my goal made me realize that OSU really wanted me to be a

part of its family.”

On her favorite part about being a freshman at OSU …

“My favorite part is the desire to learn that everyone seems to

have. When I sit in the classroom, the students want to be there; they

want to succeed. That changes the environment of the whole class-

room for the better.”

MATTHeW CHAMbeRlInelementary education and special education

Springfield, Mo. • Kickapoo High School

On choosing OSU …

“I chose the College of Education at OSU

because of all the schools I looked at, I knew Okla-

homa State University would give me the greatest

chance to reach my full potential as a teacher.”

On receiving the Thomas J. Smith Recruitment

Scholarship …

“Receiving the scholarship strongly influenced

my decision to come to OSU because it showed me

that the College of Education had confidence in my

abilities. Knowing the university trusted me meant

the world to my confidence.”

On his favorite part of being a freshman at OSU …

“In my short time at Oklahoma State University,

getting involved in activities such as flag football

and church to complement my class schedule has

been beyond wonderful.”

The College of Education emphasizes recruiting bright and talented high school students to pursue their degrees and

dreams at OSU. The Thomas J. Smith Freshman Recruitment Scholarship, established in 2011 by Jill and Jeff Hough, has

given the college another tool to reward and entice outstanding students and future leaders who plan to pursue a COE major.

Gabby Bair, Matthew Chamberlin and Macy Gleason all received the Smith scholarship. Kelsie Patterson is a Nationl Merit

Scholar. A peek at their thoughts, hopes and dreams:

introducing Freshman scholars

clockwise from left, Macy Gleason, Matthew

chamberlin, kelsie Patterson and Gabby Bair all

received oSU scholarships for their freshman year.

2 0 1 3

18

MACY GleASOnSecondary science education

Mannford, Okla. • Mannford High School

On choosing OSU…

“First, I was drawn to the College of Education

because of the personnel who work there. People

like [academic counselor] Leslie Evans, [prospec-

tive student services coordinator] Becky Wilber

and [associate dean for undergraduate studies] Dr.

Robert Davis made the decision process as enjoy-

able and smooth as possible. … They made me feel

like a valued member of their college before I ever

joined the OSU family.

“Furthermore, I chose OSU because it is a

world-class university with great credentials. … To

me, college was not just about getting a degree, but

also about gaining experiences that will grow me

as a person.”

On receiving the Thomas J. Smith Freshman

Recruitment Scholarship …

“Receiving the Thomas J. Smith Freshman

Recruitment Scholarship definitely influenced my

decision to attend OSU. Undoubtedly, this scholar-

ship helped my family and me out in a huge way

financially.”

On her favorite part of being a freshman at OSU…

“My time at OSU so far has been more enjoyable

than I could ever imagine. My favorite would prob-

ably have to be meeting such quality people. From

students to staff members to faculty, the people

at this great university have made my experience

incredible.”

KelSIe PATTeRSOnnational Merit ScholarSecondary education, mathematics

Flower Mound, Texas

Flower Mound high School

On choosing OSU:

“I visited multiple schools when

I first began the college-finding process, and at that

point, OSU was probably third on my list out of only

three. … However, as I spent more time in Stillwater

and with College of Education administrators, I fell

more and more in love with the university and with the

program. … Nowhere else did the dean of the college

stop by simply to introduce herself while I was in town.

Nowhere else could we laugh and joke while discussing

my options. Nowhere else were people so loving, caring

and willing to find their students the best road possible

in order to help them succeed.”

How did receiving the National Merit Scholarship influ-

ence your decision to come to OSU?

“While I was in love with the campus before I knew

for sure about the final scholarship offer, I would be

lying if I said that it had no impact on the matter. With a

sister in college and another in high school, scholarships

were essential to my decision. … The National Merit

Scholarship is a blessing to me and my family that I am

thankful for every day.”

On her favorite part of being a freshman at OSU:

“My favorite part has to be the camaraderie of every-

one here. … Here at OSU, we’re just one big family,

and that’s something that I would never give up for

anything.”

On choosing to pursue education as a major and career:

[After telling questioners her major:] “I got responses

of how I’m too smart to just be a teacher, or that that

profession did not make enough money to be worth it. …

What is wrong with having people who are intelligent as

educators? Aren’t those the people we should want teach-

ing our children? Teaching, helping and serving others

are all things that I am passionate about.”

TO dOnaTE

every day, donors affect the lives of students on the

oSU campus. Because donors alleviate some of the

financial burden of college, students have time to study

and interact with professors and fellow students. They

can study abroad and accept internships. And even

before students realize the vast impact of scholarships

on their lives, they know someone believes in them,

supports them, encourages them and welcomes them

into the oSU family. you can choose to be in that role for

an oSU student by starting a scholarship in the college

of education. contact Denise Unruh at the oSU Founda-

tion at 405-385-5663 or [email protected].


Invaluable practical and

internship programs are a hall-

mark of College of Education

programs, and the aviation and

space program is no exception.

It has built strong connections

with many industry leaders,

resulting in placement of its

students in internships with

those companies.

“We strongly support and

encourage student internships,”

says assistant professor Chad

Depperschmidt, who coordinates

the undergraduate aviation and

space program. “Internships

offer an exceptional opportunity

for students to expand their

knowledge, gain professional

experience and to network

within the industry. The avia-

tion program has longstanding

relationships with local, state,

national and international

companies and organizations,

which have provided excellent

pipelines for aviation students to

gain experience and professional

employment.”

Three aviation students have

agreed to share their experiences

in preparing themselves for

careers through their internships.

Stefan Ralston was fascinated by flight as a child

— and his interest didn’t dissipate as he grew up.

“Recent growth in corporate and manufactur-

ing segments [of the aviation] industry and the

prevalence of aerospace investment in Oklahoma

validated my decision to study aviation,” he says.

Ralston completed a Bachelor of Science in aero-

space administration and operations with an option

in aviation management in May.

While at OSU, Ralston won an international

internship with Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg,

aviation internships help prepare students for career opportunities

Flying High

stefan Ralston

Stefan ralSton won an internship with lufthansa Technik in Germany.

PhoTo PRoViDeD

2 0 1 3

20

PhoTo PRoViDeD

Germany, which offered him

an opportunity to develop his

German language skills.

During the summer of 2011,

Ralston worked in the corporate

aircraft division, where he was

able to gain a wide range of

experience. He developed monthly

controlling reports and gener-

ated diagrams, protocols and

standards in English and German.

Ralston analyzed global economic

currency trends concerning busi-

ness aviation. He collaborated

with international subsidiaries and

in the process, met representatives

from Germany, Switzerland and

the U.S.

“The internship definitely

enhanced my German language

skills and my ability to work in

a global setting,” Ralston says.

“I learned to better define my

career goals within a vast aero-

space industry.”

Ralston notes that he often used

his internship experience in class

discussions and related the course

material to his summer abroad.

Currently, Ralston is part of a

yearlong work and study abroad

program as part of a professional

student exchange in Germany.

Shasta Sheets grew up near

an airport and fell in love with

aviation at an early age. At OSU,

she majored in aviation manage-

ment, graduating in December

2012. She is now pursuing a

master’s degree in aviation and

space and an aviation security

certificate while working at

DeBee Gilchrist, an aviation law

firm in Oklahoma City.

During the spring of 2013,

Sheets had a fulltime intern-

ship at the Tulsa International

Airport with the Tulsa Airport

Authority’s marketing divi-

sion, which has been a strong

supporter of OSU’s aviation and

space program.

Sheets helped with customer

service issues such as check-in

at ticket counters during peak

hours. She also compiled market-

ing research for air service and

business development, and she

introduced school groups to

airport operations by leading

guided tours. Sheets’ duties also

included event planning, media

communications, the airport

volunteer program and conduct-

ing and tabulating customer

surveys for passenger feedback.

shasta sheets

ShaSta SheetS

spent the spring of

2013 as a full-time

intern in marketing at

the Tulsa international

Airport.

c o n t i n u e s


“I really learned how to be

comfortable and confident in a

professional office environment,

as well as how an airport works

and all of the manpower and

many different jobs it takes to

make an airport operational,”

she says.

Sheets says the opportunity

to network has opened her eyes

to new career plans: Meeting

a Federal Air Marshal Service

employee sparked her interest in

working for that agency.

“My coursework and experi-

ence definitely prepared me for

my internship. It was neat to take

what I have learned at OSU and

put it into action in an airport.”

Aviation runs in Heather

Rivera’s blood. Her grandfather

is a pilot, and her brother is an

aircraft mechanic.

“The first time my grandfather

took me up in his plane, it was

love at first flight,” Rivera says.

Rivera majored in aviation

management and obtained a

private-pilot certificate before

graduating in May 2013. She was

selected as one of the College of

Education’s Top 12 Seniors.

During the spring of 2013,

Rivera worked with Southwest

Airlines as a flight operations

safety intern.

At Southwest, Rivera worked

closely with the voluntary safety

programs and created educational

materials for pilots. One of

her favorite and most valuable

experiences was a business trip to

Seattle to discuss plans for a new

airplane with Southwest pilots.

“The internship was

completely unforgettable,”

Rivera says. “I met so many

wonderful people that taught me

so much about how Southwest

Airlines operates and succeeds.

The company is truly made of

the best people.”

Rivera earned an offer for a

full-time position upon gradua-

tion and is now a crew scheduler

with Southwest.

Heather Riveraheather rIvera turned her

internship with Southwest Airlines into

a full-time position after graduation.

PhoTo PRoViDeD

2 0 1 3

22

Teachers and students at South Lebanon Elemen-

tary School in Lebanon, Pa., wanted to help when

they saw the devastation left behind by the torna-

does that tore through Oklahoma in May.

Not knowing exactly what to do, teacher and

enrichment facilitator at South Lebanon Elemen-

tary John Mohn contacted the College of Educa-

tion Outreach office at Oklahoma State University.

He was unsure what kind of reaction he would get.

“As it turned out,” Mohn says, “I could not

have asked for a better response.”

Mohn and his colleagues and students at the

Pennsylvania elementary school collected new

and gently used books. The books were originally

earmarked for schools in Moore, but having reached

capacity on book donations, Moore recommended

Little Axe. More than 50 families in the Little Axe

area lost homes or sustained major damage.

In July, 62 boxes of books, weighing 2,496

pounds were delivered from Pennsylvania to Still-

water free of charge by R&L Carriers.

A few weeks later, staff from the College of

Education drove the books to Little Axe for the

final delivery.

Pennsylvania school sends boxes and boxes of books to oklahoma

Reaching out to Help

An elementary school in Pennsylvania

sent 62 boxes of new and gently used

books to areas in oklahoma that were hit

by tornadoes in May.

PhoTo PRoViDeD


educator’s method of measurement makes an impact on school district — and more

a model for student growth

A research model designed by Mwarumba

Mwavita is making a significant impact on one

Oklahoma school district and gaining notice

across the state and around the country.

Mwavita, an assistant professor in the Research,

Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics (REMS)

program and director of the Center for Educa-

tional Research and Evaluation, developed a

comprehensive model for mapping student achieve-

ment growth. His unique, big-picture approach

tracks student growth in a single school year and

considers a variety of factors that can influence

student achievement.

Mwavita has worked closely with administra-

tors, teachers and students in the Western Heights

School District, an independent school district west

of Oklahoma City, over the last four years, imple-

menting the model and analyzing the data to better

understand challenges and find effective solutions.

“Most studies have been working only on

mapping students’ growth from year to year,

[comparing] different students,” Mwavita says.

“For instance, a third-grade student in one school

year is compared to third-grade students in the next

class. The same students are not tracked over time.”

STORY BY chRiSTy lANG / colleGe oF eDUcATioN PhOTOGRAPhY BY GARy lAWSoN / UNiVeRSiTy MARkeTiNG

As part of Mwavita’s model, students are pre-

tested at the beginning of a school year, given a

medium test in the winter and finally a third test

in the spring. The test is standardized, computer-

ized and adaptive to individual ability. It has

been aligned with Oklahoma’s Priority Academic

Student Skills (PASS) test but can easily transi-

tion to the state’s new Common Core Standards.

The test is also diagnostic, revealing if a group of

students does not understand a concept.

“It helps enhance instruction, indicating what

teachers should focus on,” Mwavita says.

“This assessment model is data-based, but goes

well beyond the normal testing program,” says

OSU Regents Professor Dale Fuqua, also a profes-

sor in the REMS program. “It provides timely

feedback to both students and teachers.”

The immediate feedback motivates students,

helps them track progress and set goals. It is also

valuable for parents.

“Parents are well served by having immediate

results several times a year to inform their partici-

pation in decision-making and use of interventions

with students,” Fuqua says.

In the sophisticated system, all of the data

gathered is recorded and accessible electronically

c o n t i n u e s

2 0 1 3

24

“A beauty of the model is that you can see it is more accurate and fair for teachers. You can see growth even if [students] aren’t achieving at the average. Teachers are not ‘graded’ in the same way for

students who only spend two months of the year in their class. It truly looks at the impact the teacher has on the student in the time they teach them.”

— Mwarumba Mwavita

mwarUmba mwavIta has also helped out on a project to determine how to open the world of science to children who have autism.

by teachers and administrators. It has led to a

culture where Western Heights depends on data

for decision-making, and it has proven powerful

for teachers.

More and more, discussion about education

centers on evaluating teachers for effectiveness.

Mwavita has seen strong buy-in from Western

Heights’ teachers and students.

“We’re big believers in adaptive testing,” says

Western Heights Superintendent Joe Kitchens. “We

absolutely believe that it’s critical to know who

students are when determining whether a teacher is

successful or not.”

Teachers are trained on how to read the data.

They have instant access to the data, allowing

them to immediately respond by designing instruc-

tion to meet students’ needs.

“A teacher has these students for one year,”

Mwavita says. “Within that one year, you can

evaluate a teacher’s effectiveness [with] that test

after controlling for other variables such as initial

ability, parental involvement, whether they are in

special education classes or have free and reduced

[price] lunch status. If you put all of them into the

model and what will remain is not explained by all

2 0 1 3

26

of these other variables, we can use that residual

effect to predict the teaching impact.”

Western Heights had battled mobility, with

students entering and exiting the district through-

out the year. This drove the decision to test

students at the beginning of the year on all the

content that will be covered. It helps teachers know

where their students initially stand academically.

“Dr. Mwavita has been so critical in helping us

understand how to look at this data in a proactive

way, to use it in a proactive way,” Kitchens explains.

Another element of this model is creating and

supporting Professional Learning Communities.

The communities meet outside the normal school

day and formalize an opportunity to share infor-

mation among teachers, learn more about students

and identify how their needs can be met in the

classroom and beyond. Teachers are compensated

for their time and work.

“[Mwavita] has a great way with teachers,”

Kitchens says. “His ability to interact with them

in regard to what they see and what action they

may take, I think, may be the most important

thing of all. He has a unique capacity to put people

at ease and to have an open discussion about what

the real issues are and what can be done on behalf

of students.”

Mwavita came to Oklahoma State University

from Kenya to pursue a doctorate in educational

psychology, specializing in REMS. After complet-

ing his Ph.D. in 2005, he accepted a visiting assis-

tant professor position at OSU. He has also served

as Western Heights’ director of school improve-

ment and instructional research and continues to

support the district while working at OSU. His

research interests are focused on mapping student

achievement growth and improving student perfor-

mance and teacher education.

His work has been noticed nationally. He

communicates regularly with the U.S. Depart-

ment of Education’s National Center for Educa-

tion Statistics and has been asked to present at

professional development work-

shops, showcasing the work

with Western Heights in terms

of growth modeling and chang-

ing the culture of the school.

“It is not one size fits all, but

the principles of the model will

work across school districts,”

Mwavita says. “Each school

may have its own unique chal-

lenges, and the model will take

that into account.”

For instance, if a district has

many high-achieving students,

the model can help determine

how best to challenge them to

continue to accelerate and moti-

vate learning.

“A beauty of the model is that

you can see it is more accurate

and fair for teachers,” Mwavita

says. “You can see growth even

if [students] aren’t achieving at

the average. Teachers are not

‘graded’ in the same way for

students who only spend two

months of the year in their class.

It truly looks at the impact the

teacher has on the student in the

time they teach them.”

The work is a strong example

of the university’s land-grant mission being carried

out. Currently, Mwavita and his colleagues at OSU

have continuing conversations with other school

districts in the state as well as Oklahoma’s State

Department of Education.

“There is passion for making a difference in [the

schools] in the state. Our job is to be resourceful

to all stakeholders,” Mwavita says. “How can we

best serve the citizens of Oklahoma and be efficient

in making a difference in our schools?”

That’s the question that guides the work.

the Center for Educational

research and Evaluation (CErE)

is a self-supporting center that

provides methodological expertise

in research, evaluation, statistics

and psychometrics to support the

research, teaching and outreach

missions of Oklahoma State Univer-

sity with a major focus on support-

ing programs and initiatives that

benefit Oklahoma residents.

CErE supports faculty and student

research on campus by offering

consultation, tutoring and profes-

sional development services,

and external grant and contract

evaluation.

CErE also offers leadership in

effective evaluation and account-

ability models for K-12 education,

and support through in-service and

professional development for teach-

ers and school leaders in Oklahoma.

CErE also works with business,

industry and government sectors to

provide evaluation services.

mwarumba mwavita serves

as the CErE director and all rEMS

faculty, along with graduate assis-

tants, share in the center’s work.

For more information or

to request assistance, contact

Mwavita at 405-744-8929,

[email protected]

or at his office at 311 Willard Hall.

Center for edUCatIonal reSearCh and evalUatIon


JAson DeFreitAs

Assistant professor, exercise physiology

School of Applied health and educational

Psychology

Ph.D., University of oklahoma

Formerly at oU

Jason DeFreitas has a unique set of research skills that

will be beneficial in student mentorship. He has a clear

research agenda in muscular function and neuromuscular

adaptations during training with the ability to provide

immediate productivity and successfully disseminate his

work. His research matches well with the current activities

in the program’s exercise science lab.

Jennifer Job is highly accomplished and has demonstrated

scholarly activities in several publications and has shown

leadership in her field through a journal editorship and in

professional associations. Her experience and background

lend breadth and depth to an already strong curriculum

studies program.

JenniFer Job

Assistant professor, curriculum studies

School of Teaching and curriculum leadership

Ph.D., University of North carolina-chapel hill

Formerly at UNc

tonyA HAmmer

Assistant professor, counseling (oSU-Tulsa)

School of Applied health and educational Psychology

Ph.D., St. Mary’s University

Formerly assistant professor in counseling, University of houston-clear lake

Tonya Hammer brings considerable teaching experience

to the counseling psychology program and has an estab-

lished record of publications and presentations. She has a

strong interest in service and research collaboration and

a commitment to social justice perspectives and activities

consistent with other faculty in the program.

Jam Khojasteh will further strengthen the research, evalu-

ation, measurement and statistics program. He has already

demonstrated a collaborative spirit by contributing to an

OSU-OU research team through the Center for Educational

Research and Evaluation. A specialist in education statistics

and experimental design, he has served in the Office of Civil

Rights of the U.S. Department of Education and the National

Office for Research on Measurement and Evaluation Systems.

JAm KHoJAsteH

Assistant professor, ReMS (oSU-Tulsa)

School of educational Studies

Ph.D., University of Arkansas-Fayetteville

Formerly research assistant for the National office on Research on Measurement and evaluation Systems at University of Arkansas-Fayetteville

n e W F a c u L t Y m e m B e R s2 0 1 3

28

mwArumbA mwAvitA

Assistant professor, ReMS

School of education Studies

Ph.D., oklahoma State University

Mwarumba Mwavita has an exceptional blend of

strengths in evaluation methods and experience handling

school issues. He is a leader in school assessment and evalu-

ation at a time when teachers, principals and parents need

someone who is well versed in the research and theories to

translate them in a consumable way.

CHAnDrA story

Assistant professor, health education and promotion

School of Applied health and educational

Psychology

Ph.D., University of Tennessee-knoxville

Served as a visiting assistant professor

at oSU in 2012-13

Chandra Story has a broad academic background from

her doctoral work at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville,

so she is able to contribute to the health education and

promotion program in many areas. She is student oriented

and displays positive teaching practices. Initial research

projects have demonstrated her ability to collaborate with

Native American groups.

sHAneDrA nowell

Assistant professor, secondary social studies

School of Teaching and curriculum leadership

Ph.D., oklahoma State University

Formerly a visiting assistant professor at oSU in 2012-13

Shanedra Nowell integrates her classroom experience

with university teaching methods, using technology to

prepare students for teaching adolescents in today’s world.

She has a strong interest in examining contemporary issues

with students and colleagues and demonstrates interdis-

ciplinary strength through successful work with the OSU

Writing Project.

JAne vogler CrAgun

Assistant professor, educational psychology

School of Applied health and educational Psychology

Ph.D., University of Texas-Austin

Formerly an assessment specialist, center for Teaching and learning at the University of Texas-Austin

Jane Vogler Cragun has a sophisticated understanding

of research design with experience in both qualitative and

quantitative methods. She also brings experience teaching

master’s and doctoral courses and consulting with faculty

members about how to improve their teaching while serving

at the Center of Teaching and Learning at the University

of Texas-Austin.


miKAlA AnDersonBAcheloR oF ScieNce WiTh hoNoRS iN AThleTic TRAiNiNG

Anderson, a native of Lenexa, Kan., was active in Kappa Delta sorority, SPURS, Student Alumni Board, Education Student Council and

the Honors College Student Council. She was also inducted to Phi Kappa Phi and the Mortar Board Honor Society and has been a member of the President’s Honor Roll since 2009. She has been accepted into OSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Courtney bAKerBAcheloR oF ScieNce iN leiSURe STUDieS/TheRAPeUTic RecReATioN

Baker hails from Bixby, Okla. She held leadership positions in the Therapeutic Recreation Club, serving as president, the Native American

Student Association and the OSU Gates Millennium Scholars Association. Baker also served as student representative for the Therapeutic Recreation Association of Oklahoma and for the American Therapeutic Recreation Association. She received multiple College of Education scholarships and is a longtime volunteer for Special Olympics.

CHelseA gArCiABAcheloR oF ScieNce iN SecoNDARy eDUcATioN AND MATheMATicS

Garcia was selected an OSU Outstanding Senior. A standout on the Cowgirl softball team, she received the NCAA Elite 88 Award at the 2011 Women’s

College World Series and was a two-time Academic All-American. The Moore, Okla., native was active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and volunteered her time with numerous community projects.

brooKe grittersBAcheloR oF ScieNce iN heAlTh eDUcATioN AND PRoMoTioN

A native of Pella, Iowa, Gritters was a thrower on the OSU track and field team. She earned first-team Academic All-Big 12 honors. She has volun-

teered to coach high school athletes in her hometown and with many projects in Stillwater. Gritters has also been active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

emily HAnDyBAcheloR oF ScieNce iN SecoNDARy eDUcATioN/eNGliSh

Handy served as the College of Education Student Government Association senator and as vice president of events for Educa-tion Student Council.

She was also a member of Mortar Board and Order of Omega and involved in leadership positions with OSU Greek Life. The Tulsa, Okla., native was selected to complete her student teaching internship in Lakenheath, England.

Kim JoHnsonBAcheloR oF ScieNce iN eleMeNTARy eDUcATioN

Johnson, a native of Schertz, Texas, has served as a Stout Hall residential adviser. She is president of the Student Oklahoma Education Associa-

tion, historian for the College of Educa-tion Ambassadors and a member of both the OSU Academic Integrity Panel and the Cowboy Marching Band. Johnson is active with Campus Crusade for Christ and has been selected for multiple College of Education scholarships.

Each spring, the College of Education Student Affairs Committee selects the Top Senior students who have demonstrated

exceptional qualities of leadership, academic excellence, and service, and are eligible to graduate during the calendar year.

The 12 seniors selected represent all three schools and every undergraduate major in the College of Education.

top seniors recognized for 2013

2 0 1 3

30

Justin mCCubbinBAcheloR oF ScieNce iN SecoNDARy eDUcATioN/SociAl STUDieS

McCubbin is a member of Phi Alpha Theta, a national history honors society, and a recipient of multiple scholarships at OSU. The Ponca

City, Okla., native has been active in the U.S. Army Reserves, serving in Afghani-stan. He also received the Army Achieve-ment Medal.

lAuren mCintireBAcheloR oF ScieNce iN SecoNDARy eDUcATioN/eNGliSh

McIntire served as president and secretary of the College of Education Student Council. She was also president of Chi Omega. The

Grapevine, Texas, native was a member of Mortar Board and was recognized as an OSU Senior of Significance and top 15 Homecoming Royalty. McIntire completed her student teaching intern-ship in Lakenheath, England.

HeAtHer riverABAcheloR oF ScieNce iN AeRoSPAce ADMiNiSTRATioN AND oPeRATioNS, oPTioNS iN AViATioN MANAGeMeNT AND AeRoSPAce SecURiTy

Rivera served as president of OSU’s chapter of Women in Aviation. She was captain of the Cowboy Marching Band Color Guard and active in

Alpha Eta Rho aviation fraternity. She was also a resident adviser and Resi-dential Life Ambassador. The Yukon, Okla., native received multiple College of Education scholarships.

CHAllie sweeneyBAcheloR oF ScieNce iN PhySicAl eDUcATioN

Sweeney was active in the Physical Educa-tion Club and the College of Education Student Council, serv-ing as secretary, and with Students Today,

Alumni Tomorrow. The Apache, Okla., native was also a recipient of multiple College of Education scholarships and presented at the Oklahoma Association of Health, Physical Education, Recre-ation and Dance convention.

sAm wHitleyBAcheloR oF ScieNce iN eleMeNTARy eDUcATioN

Whitley was selected for and participated in the ExCEL, an intensive yearlong student teaching internship program. He also

served as counselor and member of the leadership team at Camp Barnabas. Whitley, from Broken Arrow, Okla., was involved with the College of Education Student Council and Campus Crusade for Christ.

ZACK wrigHtBAcheloR oF ScieNce iN SecoNDARy eDUcATioN SociAl STUDieS

Wright was selected as an OSU (top 40) Senior of Significance. He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, served as treasurer of Phi Delta

Theta fraternity and competed as part of the OSU triathlon team. Prior to attend-ing OSU, Wright served in the Marine Corps, including two deployments to Iraq. The Tulsa, Okla., native completed his student teaching internship in Laken-heath, England.

outstanding graduate assistants honored

The College of Education annually

honors Outstanding Graduate Assistants

for excellence in teaching and service from

each of its three schools. The 2013 recipi-

ents of the award are:

misty steeleSchool oF APPlieD heAlTh AND eDUcATioN PSycholoGy

Steele is from Lindsay, Okla., and completed a doctorate in educational psychology in 2013. She served as a graduate teaching associate and graduate research assis-

tant in the College of Education.

HAnnAH yAuKSchool oF eDUcATioNAl STUDieS

Originally from Enid, Okla., Yauk completed a master’s degree in education technology with emphasis in library science in 2013. She was a graduate and teaching

assistant in the College of Education. She also received a bachelor’s degree in elemen-tary education at OSU in 2011.

melissA HulingsSchool oF TeAchiNG AND cURRicUlUM leADeRShiP

Hulings earned a doctorate in professional education studies, science education in 2013. She served as both a graduate research associate and a graduate teaching associ-

ate at OSU while pursuing her Ph.D. She is also a national board certified teacher.


college of educationnews & notes

A new minor study in coaching science is now available

to students at Oklahoma State University. Open to students

in any major program of study, the 18-hour minor provides

excellent preparation and credentials for coaching.

tim baghurst, assistant professor in health and human

performance in the College of Education, coordinates the

minor.

“We surveyed athletic directors at schools across the

state of Oklahoma, and overwhelmingly, they responded it

would be of benefit for coaches to receive coaching-specific

training during their degree program,” Baghurst says. “We

are excited to offer the coaching science minor and believe

it will improve the overall quality and effectiveness of

coaches.”

Many states require a coaching certification or endorse-

ment for coaching qualification. Completing the minor

should assist OSU graduates in landing coaching positions.

The minor includes coursework in athletic training, nutri-

tion, physical education, strength and conditioning, exercise

physiology and sport management.

For more information about the minor, contact Baghurst

at 405-744-4346 or [email protected].

The National Operating Committee

on Standards for Athletic Equipment

pledged an annual gift to support

the Dr. Donald Cooper (center front)

Endowed Scholarship in Athletic

Training at Oklahoma State University.

Cooper, now retired, was the long-

time athletic trainer and team doctor

for OSU Athletics. He helped start

NOCSAE and served as a longtime

member of its board. Cooper and his

wife, Dona, established the scholarship

in 1998 as a way to give back to OSU

and support future professionals in

sports medicine.

new coaching science minor offered

Cooper scholarship to get annual gift

COe makes top rankings

The college’s graduate programs are nationally ranked among the top

75 of Best Education Schools, according to U.S. News and World Report.

In addition, the occupational education graduate program is currently

No. 6 in the U.S. News rankings.

Ph

oT

o P

Ro

ViD

eD

Seated (from left) are Matt o’Brien, a member of the athletic training faculty; and Dr. Donald cooper and his

wife, Dona. Standing behind them are scholarship recipients emilie Troxell and Rebecca David.

2 0 1 3

32

Aric warren, associate professor,

received the National Athletic Trainers

Association’s Athletic Training Service

Award at the national symposium in

June. Warren also was selected by OSU

Mortar Board for the Golden Torch

Award.

Al Carlozzi, professor of counseling

psychology, received the President’s

Outstanding Teaching Award at OSU-

Tulsa. This award, the highest honor

for faculty at OSU-Tulsa, is presented

each year for outstanding contribu-

tions in service to students, classroom

performance and service to the campus

community.

sue Jacobs, the Myron Ledbetter

and Bob Lemon Counseling Psychol-

ogy Diversity Professor, has been

elected as a fellow in the American

Psychological Association’s (APA)

Division 17, the Society of Counsel-

ing Psychology. Fellowship in APA

requires that a person’s work has

had a national impact on the field of

psychology. For Division 17, fellows

are selected by peers, and the honor is

bestowed upon members whose contri-

butions are viewed as having enriched

or enhanced counseling psychology

well beyond the level of that normally

would be expected of a professional

psychologist.

susan stansberry, associate

professor in education technology

and associate director of the profes-

sional education unit, received the

OSU Fraternity and Sorority Affairs

Outstanding Faculty Award for

2012-13.

tim baghurst, assistant professor

in health and human performance,

was awarded the Betty Abercrombie

Scholar Award at the Oklahoma Asso-

ciation of Health Physical Education

Recreation and Dance Conference.

The award recognizes scholars who

have made and continue to make note-

worthy contributions to the scholarly

enterprise.

robert stiles Christenson, asso-

ciate professor in health and human

performance-physical education, is the

president of the Oklahoma Association

for Health, Physical Education, Recre-

ation and Dance.

tyler tapps, assistant professor

in recreation management, received

Northwest Missouri University’s

Outstanding Young Alumni Award.

He earned a bachelor’s degree at

Northwest Missouri in 2004 and

a master’s degree in 2006 before

completing his doctorate at Oklahoma

State University.

Kerri Kearney, associate profes-

sor in higher education, received the

Outstanding Faculty Award from the

OSU Center for Ethical Leadership.

Donna lindenmeier, associate

professor in leisure studies, received

the Outstanding Faculty Award in

Volunteer and Service Learning at

OSU.

tim Passmore, associate professor

in therapeutic recreation, was elected

a fellow in the National Academy of

Recreational Therapy.

mary Jo self, associate professor

in occupational education, serves as

president of the Association for Career

and Technical Education Research.

ed Harris, Williams Chair of

Educational Leadership, received the

College of Education’s International

Education and Outreach Award in

2013.

Faculty members win array of honors

lowell Caneday (left), OSU Regents Professor in leisure studies, received the

Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Outdoor Recreation Profession-

als. The award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in outdoor recreation,

research, planning, management and policy.


yoonJung Cho, associate professor

in educational psychology, and Carrie

Winterowd, professor in counseling

psychology, received the College of

Education’s 2013 Research Excellence

Award.

Online video series wins emmynAsA now, an online video series

for students, was honored with an

Emmy Award from the Lower Great

Lakes Chapter of the National Associa-

tion of Television Arts and Sciences for

production excellence in the category of

Informational/Instructional: Program/

Series or Special in 2012. NASA Now

is written, created and produced by

a team of Oklahoma State University

education and production specialists

located at several NASA Centers.

2013 grad helps with articleChris Armstrong, 2013 therapeutic

recreation graduate, published an

article in the summer issue of Stroke

Connection, a publication from the

American Heart Association and

the American Stroke Association.

Armstrong interned at Valir Physical

Rehabilitation Hospital in Oklahoma

City. He assisted his supervisor Marga-

ret Kierl on the article, which outlines

simple ways that recreation therapy can

assist in the recovery of stroke victims.

4 COe students named Seniors of SignificanceFour College of Education seniors

were selected as Oklahoma State

University Seniors of Significance for

the 2012-13 academic year by the

OSU Alumni Association. Kylie Ann

Castonguay, Chelsea garcia,

lauren mcintire and Zechariah D.

wright were recognized for excellence

in scholarship, leadership and service to

campus, bringing distinction to OSU.

Doctoral student wins $500 awardJon martens, a doctoral student

in occupational education studies was

awarded a Love of Learning Award

worth $500 from the Honor Society of

Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and

most selective collegiate honor society

for all academic disciplines. Martens

is one of 147 recipients nationwide

and plans to apply the funds toward

computer equipment to support his

doctoral dissertation.

stephen wanger (center), associate professor in educational leadership,

received the 2013 Regents Distinguished Teaching Award for the College of

Education.Wanger, who teaches in the higher education program, also received

the College of Education’s Teaching Excellence Award this year. With him are

professor Jesse Mendez, head of the School of Educational Studies, and Dean

Pamela “Sissi” Carroll.

toby brown, technology, was

selected as the Frank and Carol

Morsani Outstanding Staff Award

winner for the college.

Conference recognizes past, current studentsCurrent students and recent

graduates were recognized at the

2013 Association of College Person-

nel and Administrators Conference

in Las Vegas. lena Kavaliauskas

(Crain) was announced as Outstand-

ing Graduate Student. A pair of 2013

graduates, brian lackman and

michael Dupont, earned first place

in the Case Study Competition while

current students lacey Carnahan, ed

Pittman and Drew rizzo placed third.

In addition, 2010 graduate Amanda

Mollett was recognized as an Outstand-

ing New Professional.

2 0 1 3

34

The College of Education

inducted terry shaw and the

late Daniel selakovich into its

Hall of Fame in June, the 15th

class of inductees.

Shaw of Norman is a two-time

graduate of Oklahoma State

University, with a bachelor’s

degree in biochemistry (1968)

and an education doctorate

(1977). Shaw enjoyed a career

as an exceptional and innovative

science educator at the K-12 and

university levels. He was invited

to work on the development

team for the most widely adopted

hands-on science curriculum

in the country, the Full Option

Science System, and continues

to develop courses and provide

professional development for

FOSS in retirement.

Selakovich served as a professor

in the College of Education from

1963-1990. He received a bach-

elor’s degree in history from West-

ern State College in Gunnison,

Colo., in 1948, a master’s degree

in political science from Washing-

ton State University (1950), and a

doctorate in social science educa-

tion from the University of Colo-

rado (1962). At OSU, Selakovich

taught undergraduate courses in

social foundations of education

and social studies methods. He

also taught graduate classes in

the sociology of education and

directed the social foundations

program. He wrote seven books,

including The Schools and Ameri-

can Society, Social Studies for the

Disadvantaged and The Supreme

Court and Ethnicity in the

Schools. He died Dec. 26, 2003,

so his family accepted the Hall of

Fame induction on his behalf.

At the Hall of Fame event,

michael bradley and Dustin

Devers were presented with the

2013 Rising Star awards. Rising

Star awards are presented to

young alumni whose lives and

achievements demonstrate prom-

ise of future leadership and bring

distinction to the college.

Bradley graduated from OSU

with a bachelor’s degree in leisure

studies (2005) and a doctorate in

health, leisure and human perfor-

mance (2012). He currently serves

as an assistant professor at Eastern

Kentucky University. In 2011,

Bradley received the Outstanding

Graduate Student Award from

the National Recreation and Park

Association.

Devers earned a bachelor’s

degree in career and technical

education from OSU in 2009. He

is employed by the Oklahoma

Department of Career and Tech-

nology Education as a program

specialist: finance cluster team

leader, state Business Profession-

als of America and state DECA

adviser. In addition, Devers is a

small business owner, operating

Geekabytes LLC in Stillwater

since 2006, where he serves as

director of web and multimedia

services and computer/network

support specialist.

the College of Education encourages alumni and friends to submit nominations for the Hall of Fame and rising Star awards.

the deadline for nominations to be considered for the 2014 awards is Dec. 1, 2013. For more information on the Hall of Fame,

visit education.okstate.edu/coe-awards/hall-of-fame or on the rising Star award, visit education.okstate.edu/coe-awards/rising-star.

seeking nominations

college inducts 2 into Hall of Fame

terry Shaw (left) and beth SelakovICh, widow of Dan Selakovich

dUStIn deverS (left) and mIChael bradley


Longtime Stillwater teacher and

administrator and College of Educa-

tion alumna Edna Gladys Jungers

died March 23, 2013. She was 97.

She was born Feb. 4, 1916,

in Batavia, Wis., to Oswald and

Augusta Mehlos Voigt. She married

Capt. Richard Jungers at Fort

Monmouth, N.J., on Sept. 12, 1942.

Mrs. Jungers attended the Sheboy-

gan County Teachers College, the

University of Wisconsin and OSU,

where she completed bachelor’s

and master’s degrees in education

with emphasis in reading. She

continued her education in school

administration.

She and her husband created

the Richard P. & Edna V. Jungers

Endowed Scholarship, which helps

graduate students pursuing a degree

in either education administration or

curriculum development.

Mrs. Jungers served on the staff of

Stillwater Public Schools 21 years as

a classroom teacher, elementary princi-

pal, director of the Reading Improve-

ment Program, director of elementary

education and assistant superinten-

dent. She also worked with the Payne

County Sheltered Workshop, Big

Brothers and Big Sisters, Mayor’s

Community Service Committee and

Payne County Youth Services.

She presented programs on read-

ing at eight International Reading

Association conventions in the

United States and Vienna, Austria.

Mrs. Jungers held offices in many

professional organizations such as

the Oklahoma Reading Council

and International Reading Associa-

tion. She was elected to honorary

memberships in Delta Kappa Pi and

Phi Kappa Phi. She served as presi-

dent of Delta Kappa Gamma, Kappa

Kappa Iota, Phi Mu Alumni, the

OSU College of Education Alumni

Board and Stillwater Women’s Club.

Mrs. Jungers was also active in the

First United Methodist Church of

Stillwater, the Oklahoma Educa-

tion Association, Payne County

and Oklahoma Retired Educators,

AARP, Altrusa International,

Lahoma Club, Porcelain Artists of

Stillwater and Oklahoma, Phi Mu

sorority, GN Chapter of PEO, and

Business & Professional Women.

Some of her many honors include

Beta Sigma Phi Woman of the Year,

Volunteer Service award for Payne

Former OSU professor Alice

Claire Culotta Giacobbe, of Tulsa,

Okla., died March 28, 2013.

She was born in New Orleans and

received her bachelor’s and master’s

degrees from Virginia Commonwealth

University and her doctorate from the

College of William and Mary.

Besides teaching at OSU, she also

had been a special education teacher

with Henrico County Public Schools

in Virginia and a professor at North-

eastern Illinois University. She was

a loving wife, devoted mother and

grandmother, master teacher, patient

mentor and a great cook.

She is survived by her husband of

35 years, Dr. George A. Giacobbe;

her son, Nicholas Samuel Giacobbe

and his wife, Emilie Marie Schierloh

Giacobbe; grandson, Samuel Robert

Giacobbe; two brothers, Paul F.

Culotta and David W. Culotta;

and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her

parents, Samuel Ernest and Louise

Freeman Culotta.

— Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch

County Retired Educators, Exchange

Club Book of Golden Deeds Award

and Phi Mu National Outstanding

Achievement Award for Community

Service.

Much of Mrs. Jungers’ volunteer

service was with the Pleasant Valley

School project. She also tutored

local and international students,

volunteered at the Stillwater Medi-

cal Center, painted with oils on

canvas and porcelain, enjoyed

playing bridge and caring for her

grandchildren.

She was survived by her son, Dr.

Rick Jungers and his wife, Janette,

of Stillwater and their three children:

Matt Jungers, his wife, Megan

Miller Jungers, and their daughter,

Makinleigh, of Boston; Katie Jungers

Cuenin, her husband, Ari Cuenin,

and their daughter, Claire of Hous-

ton; and Becca Jungers of Conway,

Ark. She was preceded in death by

her husband, infant son, Dwight, her

parents, two brothers and a sister.

— Stillwater NewsPress

A l i C e g i A C o b b e

I n M E M O R Y

e D n A g l A D y J u n g e r s

2 0 1 3

36

Longtime OSU art education

professor Audrey Eleanor Oaks of

Midwest City, Okla., died Jan. 26,

2013. She was 87.

She was born April 30, 1925, in

Jamestown, N.Y., to Percy and Mable

Macey Oaks. She graduated from

Batavia (N.Y.) High School in 1943

and worked as a medical secretary for

a Batavia physician for several years

before attending Buffalo State Univer-

sity College for Teachers, where she

graduated with a bachelor’s degree

in art education. She was an art and

drafting teacher in the Attica, N.Y.,

school system from 1955-64. During

that time, she earned a master’s in

art education from the University

of Wisconsin. In 1964, she moved

to Stillwater to become an assistant

professor of art education at Okla-

homa State University while earning

her doctorate. Dr. Oaks retired in

1990 as an associate professor.

During her retirement years, she

was very active in the Payne County

Retired Educators Association, OSU

Emeriti Association, Oklahoma

Art Educators Association and the

National Art Education Associa-

tion. She was inducted into the OSU

College of Education’s Hall of Fame

in 2004. In 2008, she created an

art education professorship with a

$250,000 gift to OSU.

George A. Rowley of Edmond died

peacefully, surrounded by his loving

family, on Jan. 31, 2013. He was 85.

He was born at home on April 18,

1927, near Ringwood, Okla., and

married his high school sweetheart,

Alice Fern Doll, in 1946 follow-

ing his discharge from the Navy

in World War II. Dr. Rowley was

a loving and compassionate son

to his parents and a generous and

loving husband and father. He was

a hardworking, competitive, conge-

nial person who had many friends

throughout the country. He was a

people person and enjoyed spending

time with family and friends. He and

his wife traveled extensively through-

out the United States and abroad

after retirement.

He graduated from Ringwood

High School, received his bachelor’s

degree from Northwestern State

College in Alva, Okla., a master’s

from Philips University in Enid, and

a doctorate in education from Okla-

homa State University. Dr. Rowley

served as a teacher, coach, principal

and superintendent of schools in

Oklahoma, including stints at Black-

well, Perkins, Coyle, Crawford and

Edmond. He retired in 1988.

During his long and distinguished

career in education, Dr. Rowley

influenced and touched the lives of

countless students, colleagues and

community members. He received

many honors and accolades, includ-

ing induction into the OSU College

of Education Hall of Fame. He held

various offices and positions in the

American and Oklahoma Associa-

tions of School Administrators, and

the Oklahoma and Oklahoma

County Retired Educators Asso-

ciations. He was awarded the Very

Important Member honor by the

OCREA. Dr. Rowley was a valued

member of the Edmond community

and was named “Citizen of the

Year” by the Edmond Chamber of

Commerce in 1987. He served on

the Edmond Arts and Humanities

council, Friends of the Symphony

committee and chaired the YMCA

Sustaining Membership drive. Dr.

Rowley steered the growth of the

Edmond Public Schools with a

In 2008, due to declining health,

Dr. Oaks relocated to Midwest City

to be closer to family.

She was preceded in death by her

parents, a brother, Percy Oaks Jr.,

and two sisters, Muriel Stoops and

Beverly Nichols. She is survived by

her sister, Barbara Andrews, and her

husband, Gordon, of Del City, and

nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to the

Mable Marietta Macey-Oaks &

Percy W. Oaks Sr. Endowed Memo-

rial Art Education Scholarships at

Oklahoma State University.

— Stillwater NewsPress

steady and visionary hand from 1973

to 1988. In 2009, he was honored

by the Edmond Senior Community

Foundation as one of five Senior

Citizens of the Year. He was an

honorary lifetime member of the

Edmond Educational Endowment

and a longtime Presbyterian, attend-

ing and serving as deacon, elder and

member of various committees of

Presbyterian churches in Stillwater,

Blackwell and Edmond.

He is survived by the love of his

life, Fern; his sons, Jerry and his

wife, Linda, of Stillwater, Kenny

of Okmulgee, and Robert and

his wife, Karla, of Edmond; and

daughter Valli and her husband,

Gus Rallis, of Edmond. He is also

survived by six grandchildren, 14

great-grandchildren and many nieces

and nephews. He is also survived by

his sister, Peggy, and her husband,

L.M. Sullivan, of Edmond; and two

sisters-in-law, Willa Mae Rowley

and Mary Lou Rowley.

Contributions may be made to

the OSU College of Education for

scholarships in his memory.

— The Oklahoman

A u D r e y e l e A n o r o A K s

g e o r g e A . r o w l e y


Alumna Nancy O’Donnell was inducted into the Oklahoma

Educators Hall of Fame in 2013. In addition to earning a

master’s degree (1980) and a doctorate (1988) from OSU,

O’Donnell served as the College of Education’s director of

external relations. Also a member of the OSU College of

Education’s Hall of Fame, O’Donnell was the 1982 Oklahoma

Teacher of the Year and 1983 first runner-up to the National

Teacher of the Year.

alumna inducted into state Hall of Fame

Oklahoma State UniversityCollege of Education329 WillardStillwater, OK 74078-4033

NON-PrOFitOrGaNiZ atiONU.S. PoStaGe

P a I dStiLLWatEr, OKPErMit NO. 191

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Alumna Nancy o’Donnell (left), was inducted into the oklahoma educators hall of Fame in 2013. With her are her son charles o’Donnell Jr. (right) and 1990 oklahoma Teacher of

the year eugene earsom.

4880 education magazine[1]

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