Academic Times 2019

Dr. Vanessa Anton, Dr. Sophia Sweeney, and Mrs. Tonya Garrett, along with colleagues Dr. Terri Debacker, associate dean, from the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Dr. Tim Taylor, director of education, from Southern Nazarene University, did a panel presentation at the fall 2018 OACTE/OEQA Annual Conference at OU in Norman. Their presentation was titled [CAEP] Self-Study Report: Lessons Learned. Pictured from left to right are Tonya Garrett, Vanessa Anton, Sophia Sweeney, Terri Debacker, and Tim Taylor.

Dr. Beth Bowin taught a seminar on November 2-3 over the link between Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse. Thirty students were in attendance. Information about the seminar will be addressed in The National Resource Center on The LINK Between Animal Abuse and Human Violence national newsletter. Phil Arkow, Coordinator of the The National LINK Coalition and Chair, Animal Abuse & Family Violence Prevention Project, The Latham Foundation and Instructor, Animal-Assisted Therapy & Activities, Harcum College & Camden County College and Instructor, Animal Abuse and Interpersonal Violence, University of Florida reached out to me pertaining to national Link recognition of the seminar for Northeastern State University.

Dr. Kurt Choate of Northeastern State University and his co-editor, Dr. Carlozzi of Oklahoma State University, recently published a book in the United States and the United Kingdom through Routledge/Taylor & Francis. Transgender and Gender Diverse Persons: A Handbook for Service Providers, Educators and Families, was published in January 2019. Experts from a variety of fields provide an accessible introduction to medical, legal, educational, and spiritual care for transgender and gender diverse adults and youth within a range of contexts, including communities and schools in urban and non-urban settings. With rich examples and personal narratives woven throughout, this is a timely reference for mental health professionals, as well as other service providers, educators, and family members seeking to address the needs of transgender and gender diverse persons in an up-to-date, inclusive manner.

Dr. Jim Ferrell (School Administration) and Dr. Stephan Sargent (Reading) were recently honored at the AdvancED Midwest Regional Conference in Schaumburg, Illinois for their work with AdvancED in Oklahoma and other states. Dr. Ferrell was awarded the Distinction of Quality Award, and Dr. Sargent was awarded the Servant Leader Recognition Award.

Ms. Barbara Fuller and Dr. Samantha Benn-Duke from the College of Education wrote and received a Faculty Research Grant, which allowed them to select six students for an exploratory trip to Little Wound School District on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Students included five undergraduate education majors: Ms. Tabitha McIntyre, Ms. Candice Yohcum, Ms. Mollie Hearn, Ms. Karissa Pierson, and Ms. Kd Scruggs, and graduate student Ms. Kristy Mar, who is a teacher in Los Angeles and is working toward her Master's degree at NSU.
 
The pre-service teachers and graduate student will develop lessons and activities that target ways of learning for Indigenous students and explore how to further teach indigenous students in a culturally responsive manner. They will then teach them in local schools. The research project will explore the perceptions and understandings of these students in relation to working with an Indigenous population in a low socioeconomic region.
 
In addition to teaching students and working with teachers, the faculty and staff recruited Little Wound students, utilizing a recruitment video made by NSU Native students and targeting Little Wound students specifically. Additionally, the team provided the students with information about the strong support that NSU offers Native students, including programs through the Native American Student Center and the Center for Tribal Studies.
 
Also attending were Dr. Rachel Green and graduate student Ms. Nikki Jones. The trip allowed students and faculty to present STEAM initiatives to the Little Wound School, attend culture sessions with their Lakota Spiritual Adviser, and begin the development of a collaboration between NSU and the Lakota in Little Wound. At the request of Dr. Teresa LaFramboise, author of American Indian Life Skills Development Curriculum and professor of development and psychological science in the graduate school of education at Stanford University, Dr. Green was able to speak to counselors and administrators about the collaboration of a project supporting life skills for their students. Ms. Nikki Jones was able to participate in recruitment for NSU and cultural projects.

Over the winter break, Dr. Moosong Kim had the opportunity to visit to Jinhua Polytechnic in China. He taught exercise psychology classes in English for two weeks. Dr. Kim was able to work with students who were passionate about health and fitness, and he was also able to talk to students about opportunities at NSU. He then traveled to Seoul, South Korea and spoke with university students majoring in physical education and exercise science about possibilities to study in the U.S.

Dr. MooSong Kim was published in the Journal of American College Health. 

DIFFERENCES IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS MOTIVATION BETWEEN A REQUIRED AND AN ELECTIVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY EDUCATION POLICY MOO SONG KIM & BRADLEY J. CARDINAL

Dr. Farina King's NSU Public History class met with UKB John Hair Museum Director Ernestine Berry as a part of the class service learning project to support the new exhibit featuring historic Cherokee documents.

Dr. James T. Lindroth, Associate Professor of Music, was invited to be a Music Performance Adjudicator at the Mason Music Invitations Band Contest in Mason, Ohio, a Percussion Adjudicator at the La Salle Music Invitational Band Contest in La Salle, Ohio, and a Percussion adjudicator at the Colerain Music Invitations in Colerain, Ohio. These events included over 60 bands from the Mid State Band Association and the surrounding area.

Dr. David Linebarger, Professor of Humanities, was featured in the Sigma Tau Delta Lecture series as he presented his latest work On Serve, a non-fiction series on tennis players, each one discussed in conjunction with a work of art, music, philosophy, or literature.

Dr. Sarah Lowman, Assistant Professor of Spanish, presented a lecture about Nahuatl histories and language by focusing on sources such as Historia de las cosas de Nueva Espa.

The Center for Women's Studies, along with the Center for Tribal Studies, the NSU Foundation, and the Department of History, screened Mankiller on November 13. Mankiller is a documentary examination of the rise of Wilma Mankiller as a Native American activist, a community organizer and leader, and the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Felicia Olaya and Gina Olaya Tsasuga, Wilma's daughters, led a discussion after the film that provided additional insight not only into their mother, but also into the American Indian Movement as they grew up participating in the movement.

Chris Miller, Associate Professor of Drama, wrote and directed the play Call of the Wild, an adaptation of Jack London's classic book. The play was presented by the NSU Drama program as an entry for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and received the honor of being held as a production in consideration for presentation at the regional festival in the spring. The play combined live actors and full-size puppets designed and created by Miller and NSU Drama students.

Dr. Christopher Owen, Professor of History, recently delivered his paper, "Willmoore Kendall, Majority Rule and the Affordable Care Act of 2010," at the Great Legislators/Great Legislation Conference at LSU-Shreveport.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, served as a judge and respondent for the OSSAA 5A State One Act Contest held in Bristow, OK. Nine schools from around the state competed in the state competition and received verbal feedback from judges following their performances.

Dr. Denis Vovchenko, Associate Professor of History and Dr. Chris Owen, Professor of History, took 6 History Club students to the WWI Museum in Kansas City. On the morning of November 11, there was a short ceremony commemorating the centennial of the war's end. It was attended by a number of international military representatives, many reenactors, and a large crowd of visitors. The museum itself has exhibits from the main participant countries including American, Austrian, French, German, and Russian weapons, uniforms, propaganda posters, etc.

Dr. Hsin-I Sydney Yueh, Associate Professor of Communication Studies, won the Outstanding Book Award for International and Intercultural Communication Division (IICD) in the 2018 National Communication Association conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her book titled "Identity Politics and Popular Culture in Taiwan: A Sajiao Generation" (Lexington Books, 2017) is a peer-reviewed monograph about a seemingly trivial communicative practice in Taiwan. However, this book advances the intercultural understanding of such a ubiquitous everyday communication through critical observation on the Mandarin Chinese term: sajiao. The IICD announced its award recipients for the best book, best book chapter, best journal article, and top papers in its annual business meeting on November 9, 2018. The book can be found on Amazon.com, and a paperback version will be available in January 2019.

Margaret Bates, MOT, OTR, Northeastern State University, Muskogee and Jeanne Gallien-Gorman, Indian Capital Technology Center, Connors State College, Muskogee presented October 14th at AOTA Education Summit, Louisville, Kentucky a poster on interprofessional education Occupational therapists and assistants learning to work together. A collaborative effort between two programs utilizing problem-based learning projects to replicate the supervision relationship role development through self-discovery.

Dr. John de Banzie was one of three judges for the student oral presentations at the Arkansas INBRE Research conference. He also served as a judge for the student poster presentations.

Dr. Cindy Cisar attended the Arkansas INBRE annual conference in Fayetteville, AR on November 2-3, 2018. She judged undergraduate student posters and attended a workshop led by Ben Busby from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) entitled Leveraging Public Sequence Databases with Next Generation Tools! .

The Biology and Chemistry Seminar series on the Broken Arrow campus hosted three speakers in the fall semester. The speakers were scientists from Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, City of Tulsa Police Department and Oklahoma State University-Center for Health Sciences. Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo organizes the seminar series. Drs. Iyer, Green and Das-Bradoo hosted the speakers for the fall semester.

Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo s research assistant, Brandy Fultz and two students, Sara Woller and Batuel Okdapresented their research at the Arkansas INBRE annual conference in Fayetteville, AR on November 2-3, 2018. Brandy Fultz received an Honorable mention in the Biological sciences category.

Dr. Das-Bradoo hosted Dr. Caleb Marlin from University of Oklahoma Health Sciences on September 24, 2018. Dr. Marlin talked to our students about graduate programs at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Das-Bradoo also hosted Ms. Tara Satterfield, a former NSU student on November 19, 2018. Tara talked to NSU students about career opportunities in Public Health.

Sydney Dorrough, instructor in the Occupational Therapy Program, presented to Woodall Public School teachers over Sensory Strategies for the Classroom as part of their professional development. The school was presented with a sensory kit provided by My Friends and Me, Inc., a non-profit organization in Cherokee County.

Dr. Richard Hasenauer, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, gave an invited address on "Characterizing non-Noetherian BFDs and FFDs" on October 20. The talk was part of the Fall Central Meeting of the American Mathematical Society, which was held at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Dr. Janaki Iyer was invited to give a talk at Tulsa Community College Southeast campus as part of the STEM Seminars on Oct 9. She gave a talk on 'Can Nanodiamonds be used to treat Infections?'

Dr. Janaki Iyer, along with Dr. Martha Parrott and six undergraduate students, visited Oliver Middle School in Broken Arrow as part of the partnership program with Broken Arrow Public Schools on October 3. The topic presented was 'A glimpse into Science' where students were introduced to the scientific method and had an opportunity to perform an experiment and analyze the results.

Dr. Martha Parrott, Professor of Mathematics, was an invited STEM panelist at a greater Tulsa area banquet event sponsored by the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance on October 25. She presented Mindset: Definitions and Misconceptions for the Barnsdall Public School District on August 13 (Part I) and October 18 (Part II). This series of professional learning sessions will continue through spring 2019.

Dr. Martha Parrott and Dr. Tobi Thompson, both DaVinci Fellows, facilitated discussions as part of the annual DaVinci Institute 2018 Fall Forum on November 8.

Dr. Martha Parrott, Professor of Mathematics, presented Inspiring Growth Mindset through High Quality Geometry Tasks at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in Seattle, Washington, November 29, 2018.

Dr. Martha Parrott has been selected to be part of the STEM professional development design team representing mathematics with the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance (TRSA). For spring 2019, their emphasis will be to develop high quality STEM professional development for northeast Oklahoma teaching professionals and school leaders. Dr. Parrott partners with Ms. Xan Black, Executive Director for TRSA.

Dr. Michael Shaughnessy attended the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) annual conference in Mobile, Alabama from 20 October through 24 October with three of his graduate students and an undergraduate research assistant. Students presented one oral presentation and two posters on their original research at the meeting. Jana Green presented an oral presentation on her Master's Thesis work entitled, "Dispersal of Small Mammals Among Islands of the Delta Island Complex in the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Vian, OK". Ryan Farney (MS candidate) and Becca Wells (undergraduate research assistant) presented a poster on their on-going research entitled, "Camera trap effectiveness in monitoring a managed feral hog population in the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge." Rusty Robison also presented a poster on his ongoing Master's Thesis work, "Habitat preferences and temporal distributions of forest dwelling bats in northeastern Oklahoma." The meeting also provided criteria for evaluating undergraduate programs in fish and wildlife biology. The NSU Fish and Wildlife program compares favorably to larger programs nationwide with respect to course offerings, research experiences and overall preparation for work in the field after graduation.

NSU recognized for outstanding services to underserved populations

(Broken Arrow, Oklahoma) - The Northeastern State University College of Extended Learning has been presented with the 2018 Outstanding Services to Underserved Populations Award from the Association for Continuing Higher Education.

The award recognizes the Healthcare Administration Certificate Program which uses an online format to make U.S. certification a possibility for international health professionals.

Students of the certificate program include healthcare professionals in Somaliland, Puntland, Kenya and the Cayman Islands.

Program instructor Mark Tozzio said the award recognizes several years of online education initiatives with developing nations in East Africa and the Caribbean Islands.

Our success in partnering with health organizations thousands of miles from Broken Arrow is based on close relationships with international individuals committed to bringing NSU's Learning Management Systems to busy professionals in their local context and convenient settings via the Internet, Tozzio said. Based on special local circumstances and economic realities, we have adapted the teaching delivery methods and costs to these learners in order to make them more relevant and affordable to distant underserved communities expanding the university's reach far beyond Oklahoma's borders.

Photo: College of Extended Learning Dean Eloy Chavez, right, and Instructor Mark Tozzio pose with the ACHE Award for Outstanding Services to Underserved Populations. The award recognizes the Healthcare Administration Certificate Program which uses an online format to make U.S. certification a possibility for international health professionals.

An interview featuring Tom Rink's opinion about "librarians and job description creep" (specifically "Should librarians be expected to carry firearms on the job?") was published in the January/February 2019 issue of American Libraries magazine in an article entitled "Other Duties as Assigned: Front-line Librarians on the Constant Pressure to Do More."

Award Name: Oklahoma Champions of Excellence 2018-2019
Award Amount: $79,175
Project Director: Dr. Luke Foster
Funding Agency: US Dept. of Education/State of Oklahoma Dept. of Education/Tahlequah Public Schools
Purpose of Award: To host a summer workshop involving NSU faculty and Tahlequah Public School faculty. This workshop will be held at NSU June 10-13, 2019 to train participants to use the DESMOS software system.

Award Name: INBRE Travel Award: Experimental Biology Meeting 2019
Award Amount: $2,000&
Project Director: Dr. Alexis Jones
Funding Agency: OSHRE/OUHSC/National Institutes of Health
Purpose of Award: Assist with travel expenses related to the Experimental Biology Meeting 2019 in Orlando, Florida (April 5-9, 2019).

Award Name: INBRE Travel Award: Autumn Immunology 2018
Award Amount: $2,000
Project Director: Dr. Kyeorda Kemp
Funding Agency: OSHRE/OUHSC/National Institutes of Health
Purpose of Award: Assist with travel expenses related to the Autumn Immunology Conference in Chicago, IL (November 16-19, 2018).

Award Name: RPI Elucidating the 4u8c Type 2 Cytokines 2017-2018, Year 1.5 of 2.5
Award Amount: $101,642
Project Director: Dr. Kyeorda Kemp
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH) through OUHSC
Purpose of Award: Research of elucidating the mechanism of how 4u8c effects type 2 cytokines.

Award Name: RPI Investigating the Role of Mcm10 2017-2018, Year 1.5 of 2.5
Award Amount: $104,907
Project Director: Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH) through OUHSC
Purpose of Award: Research of the role of Mcm10 at stalled replication forks.

Award Name: Trio Upward Bound Year 2 of 5 2018-2019
Award Amount: $40,000
Project Director: Ms. Lisa Johnson
Funding Agency: US Dept. of Education
Purpose of Award: The Upward Bound program will utilize the additional funds to provide additional STEM activities for the existing Upward Bound program.

Tulsa Transfer Project Progress

Mrs. Tonya Garrett and Dr. Sophia Sweeney facilitated an active investigation with 25 students at Centennial Middle School to determine the factor(s) that impacted a pendulum's period, the time it took for the pendulum to swing back and forth one time. Feedback from the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders was that the best part of the day was getting to create our pendulum without as many rules and that we worked the entire time. The most challenging part of the day for the two groups of students was creating a pendulum with a period of one second and figuring out the data. The workshop was one of several that NSU faculty provide for the NSU-Broken Arrow Public Schools partnership to provide enrichment to gifted students.

Dr. Meagan Moreland and Dr. Stephan Sargent have a research manuscript that has been accepted for publication in The Missouri Reader (Missouri's peer-reviewed, reading/literacy journal). The article, Differentiating Literacy Instruction with Reading Styles: A Path to Success, will appear in the next edition of this journal.

Sargent, S. E., Smith, M., & Moreland, M. J. (2019). Differentiating literacy instruction with reading styles: A path to success. The Missouri Reader, 42 (2), 36-39.

In November, Dr. Jeffery Wall, Associate Professor of Music, was invited to clinic and conduct choral festivals and concerts at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Salem College, Salem Academy, and Winston-Salem Youth Chorus in North Carolina, and the Tulsa Public Schools Honor Choir. He worked with Muskogee High School Advanced Chorale twice to help prepare them for their performance as featured honor group at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association January Conference. He was also recently invited to give clinics at Checotah High School and Cushing High School. He is also contracted to adjudicate and clinic at the Tulsa Community College Choral Festival. Dr. Wall continues his work as conductor of the professional-level chamber choir, Vox Solaris.
 
Professor of Sociology Dr. Ben Kracht presented "Ethnographic Fieldwork among the Kiowas" for the NSU HawkTalks. Kracht's presentation focused on his ethnographic and ethnohistoric research on Kiowa culture that has resulted in numerous articles and two books on Kiowa belief systems. Currently, Kracht is collaborating with a Kiowa family to publish an autobiography written by their mother, Henrietta Tongkeamha (1913-93): "Raised by the Chief's Son: Autobiography of a Kiowa Woman."

Margaret Bates, MOT, OTR/L, Instructor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator for NSU's Occupational Therapy Program, earned her first publication with an article in the American Occupational Therapy Association's Special Interest Section for Mental Health. The article Building Community Capacity for Mental Health Program Development in Underserved Populations co-authored with Quinn Tyminski, OTD, OTR/L from the Washington University School of Medicine, and Claudette Fette, PhD, OTR/L, CRC from Texas Woman's University, provided an overview of community and mental health programming projects implemented by each of the three authors. Margaret's primary research focuses on professional advocacy, interprofessional education, and community service inspired course projects leveraging community and organizational partnerships to provide practical learning opportunities for her students. One such project described in the article involved mentoring students to complete a business proposal adding occupational therapy services to a local behavioral health clinic. As a result, the community partner received a well-developed business plan, and the students developed advanced career skills while advocating for inclusion of their profession in the mental health field. Within one year of the project's conclusion, the mental health practice owner hired an occupational therapist forming an interprofessional team to address trauma-related maladaptive behaviors in children.

Dr. John Diamantopoulos, Professor of Mathematics, attended the joint meeting of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and the American Mathematical Society in Baltimore, January 13-16. While there he presented a talk in the MAA Session on Open Educational Resources: Combining Technological Tools and Innovative Practices to Improve Student Learning entitled From Animated GIFs to GeoGebra: Using GeoGebra to Create Some "Proofs Without Words". He judged the MAA Undergraduate Poster Competition and participated in two focus groups.

Dr. Karl Kruczek, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, deserves congratulations for putting together an excellent report. NSU received notification from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) that the B.S.Ed. program in Mathematics Education is Nationally Recognized until August 01, 2026.

Thomas Pienkos, a graduate of both NSU's RN to BSN (2014) and MSN (2016) programs, recently successfully completed the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) examination to become a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE). He is already a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN). We are very proud to have such a dedicated life-long learner as an adjunct faculty.

Dr. Spence Pilcher reviewed a chapter for a book entitled "Integrating Green and Sustainable Chemistry Principles into Education". The working title for the chapter was "Microwave Reactivity and Energy Efficiency in the Undergraduate Organic Laboratory".

Dr. Spence Pilcher is serving on the COLE's Oklahoma Online Excellence Award committee.

Dr. Michael Shaughnessy peer-reviewed a manuscript for the Journal of Mammalogy.

Dr. Alissa Proctor presented a poster on Effectivity of At-Home Sports Vision Training Compared to In-Office Trainings at the American Academy of Optometry Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. She presented alongside fourth-year optometry students and co-researchers Kelsey Buford and Brittany Wolthuizen.

(Pictured Left to Right) Brittany Wolthuizen, Kelsey Buford, and Dr. Alissa Proctor

It's the "Year of the Pig," and NSU's Asian students celebrated it by sharing their respective cultures at the university's annual Lunar New Year festival. Students and scholars performed traditional songs and dances, and attendees teamed up to participate in traditional games, took virtual reality tours of China, sampled a variety of teas, and tried on traditional Chinese clothes at the photo booth. A couple of additional highlights were the calligraphy station, where attendees could get their names written in an Asian language, and the appearance of the Chinese dragon, dancing through the crowd.

"I am extremely proud of the terrific talent displayed by our students and scholars, and am so grateful they chose to share their rich culture with us; a culture so steeped in history," said Stephanie Goad, executive director of NSU's Office of International Programs. "Members of our campus community are so fortunate to have access to this kind of international exposure. I hope it creates within them an awareness and a hunger to learn more about - if not travel to - Asia one day."

Award Name: Paving the Way: Green Country's Cultural & Historical Preservation
Initiative 2019
Award Amount: $11,957
Project Director: Ms. Brenda Bradford
Funding Agency: National Endowment for Humanities (NEH)
Purpose of Award: To host a two-day event (September 27-28, 2019) for community members to bring in historical materials related to Tahlequah, surrounding communities, NSU, and the Cherokee Male and Female Seminaries to be digitized for preservation and access in NSU Special Collections and Archives.

Academic Spotlight: Dr. Tiffanie Hardbarger

NSU College of Education Dean Dr. Vanessa Anton, Associate Dean Dr. Lisa Bisogno, and Principal of Stilwell High School Matt Brunk presented about creating teacher pipelines at the 2nd Annual Northeastern Oklahoma Novice Teacher Development Conference in Tulsa on February 27th.
NSU Health and Kinesiology Department offer several experiential courses that also result in professional certifications through the American Red Cross. Students have the opportunity to learn, practice, and apply lifesaving skills. Students leave the class with college credit and a tangible, widely recognized certification. This semester 9 students were certified as Lifeguards. 7 NSU students certified in Responding to Emergencies Adult, Child, and Infant First Aid, CPR, and AED. 11 NSU students certified in Adult, Child, and Infant First Aid, CPR, and AED.

Courses that offer certification include PED 1081 Lifeguarding Skills, PED 4741 with the topic of CPR Training, and HED 2212 First Aid/Responding to Emergencies. Certified American Red Cross Instructors Chad Stangland Kimi Loy teach these courses. Courses are taught in blended and traditional format. Certification is offered but not required for students enrolled in the class.

Dr. James T. Lindroth, Associate Professor of Music Education, was invited to adjudicate the OSSAA Solo and Ensemble Festival on February 28, 2019 at Tahlequah High School. Middle and High School musicians from the northeastern part of Oklahoma were represented at this event. Dr. Lindroth also served as the adjudicator for the Large Ensemble Music Festival held on March 6, 2019 at Bartlesville High School. Dr. Lindroth provided detailed feedback on all performing groups and their music directors.

Dr. Benjamin Kracht, Professor of Sociology, received notification that his second book, Religious Revitalization among the Kiowas, has been nominated for the American Society for Ethnohistory's Wheeler-Voegelin book award.

Dr. David Scott, Professor of Communication Studies, was honored as one of the three best honors program faculty (with Dr. Craig Clifford and Dr. Joseph Faulds) at the 2019 NSU Honors college banquet. Elaina Ross, Instructor of Media Studies, was recognized as one of the outstanding honors alumni at the same banquet.

Dr. John Petrucelli, Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies, was acknowledged for Outstanding Contribution to Jazz Education at the 2019 Jazz Education Network Conference in Reno, Nevada in January.

Christopher Murphy, Assistant Professor of English, had a fiction piece titled The Last Great White published in Necessary Fiction.

Scott Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, attended the regional American College Theatre Festival in Abilene, TX, where two drama students participated in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship competition.

Christopher Miller, Associate Professor of Drama, has been selected as a DaVinci Institute Fellow and will be presented with a medal and a check for $1,000, which is awarded to each DaVinci Fellow to assist in completing their DaVinci proposal, later this month at a ceremony in Oklahoma City. The DaVinci Institute was created to encourage and celebrate creativity and innovations across the State of Oklahoma.

Dr. Hsin-I Sydney Yueh, Associate Professor of Communication Studies, presented a lecture at the Ohio State University Institute for Chinese Studies on March 8. Dr. Yueh examined layers of discourse about gender, identity and communication to situate sajiao into a larger interdisciplinary conversation.Assistant Professor Rebekah Doyle has published a new book, Perceptions of Emergency Preparedness Among Immigrant Hispanics: Immigrant Hispanics Residing in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Who Survived the Tornadoes of May 2013 in Moore, Oklahoma.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, directed the musical production The Robber Bridegroom presented by the NSU Drama program. Dr. Christian Bester, Assistant Professor of Music, collaborated on the production as musical director.

Dr. Jim Ferrell, College of Education, and Dr. Martha Parrott partnered on January 21, 2019 to present Building a Culture of Growth Mindset as part of ongoing professional development for the Barnsdall Public School District. Dr. Ferrell focused on cognitive demand and its relationship to mindset while Dr. Parrott emphasized the selection and creation of high quality, rich tasks.

Dr. Martha Parrott, Professor of Mathematics, presented Using Critical Thinking for Exploring Operations on March 2, 2019 to classroom teachers from Northeast Oklahoma. This institute took place at NSU-BA and reflects our partnership with the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance (TRSA).

Dr. Martha Parrott was selected and honored as a Woman in STEM on Friday, March 8 as part of the Sonia Kovalevsky Girls STEM Day. She was also an invited panelist at the event speaking to 300 girls and teachers. Dr. Parrott presented a mathematics workshop, Puzzling Pentomimoes with her students Jessica Abuelaileh and Ashley Dale for middle school and high school girls at the event.

Dr. Spence Pilcher reviewed two chapters of a new organic chemistry textbook entitled "Organic Chemistry: A Learner-Centered Approach" written by Richard Mullins for Pearson Publishing.

Dr. Michael Shaughnessy peer-reviewed a manuscript for the Journal of Mammalogy.

Naixue Xiong, Associate Professor of Computer Science, and coauthors Runze Wan; Qinghui Hu, Haijun Wang; Jun Shang, published Similarity-aware data aggregation using fuzzy c-means approach for wireless sensor networks, EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking, 2019:59, 2019, DOI: 10.1186/s13638-019-1374-8.

NSUOCO hosted the 5-State Symposium on February 9, 2019. Eight hours of COPE approved CE were offered, including many presented by NSUOCO faculty, residents, and students:

• Times I Missed: Difficult Anterior Segment Cases by Dr. Blake Carlisle, Adjunct Faculty.
• Color Vision Review by Dr. Jonathan Janzen, Assistant Professor.
• Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension by Dr. Jenny Lau and Dr. Judson Chevalier, NSUOCO residents.
• Refractive Surgery Update by Dr. Haley Kincannon, NSUOCO resident.
• Grand Rounds in Medical Optometry by Dr. April Parker, Assistant Professor, along with NSUOCO students: Seth Laster, Adam Clark, Rachel Gilliand, and Jared Holthaus.

Many of the resident doctors and the 4 th year class at NSUOCO presented posters at the 58 th Annual Heart of America Eye Care Congress held on February 15, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri.

NSUOCO brought home two grand prize awards:

• Pigmentary Maculopathy Secondary to Aromatase Inhibitor Use by Dr. Stephanie Uchida, NSUOCO resident.
• Radiofrequency Reduction of Prolapsed Orbital Fat Pads of the Lower Eyelids by Bradley Daniel and Nathan Castillo, students, and Dr. Richard Castillo, Ophthalmologist and Assistant Dean for Surgical Training and Education at NSUOCO.

Dr. Anthony Castanares is the NSUOCO Low Vision Rehabilitation resident. His poster was Low Vision Rehabilitation of Homonymous Hemanopsia Secondary to Trauma.

Dr. Megan Chee is an NSUOCO Family Practice/Ocular Disease resident and her poster was Presumed NAION with Subsequent Optic Neuritis Diagnosis.

Dr. Cassondra Lux-O Callaghan is a Primary Eye Care/Ocular disease resident at Muskogee/Tulsa VA Medical Center and her poster was 90-Day Glaucoma Secondary to a Misdiagnosed CRVO: A Case Report.

Dr. Ramya Natarajan is the Primary Eye Care/Ocular Disease resident at Fayetteville VA Medical Center and her poster was Evaluation and Management of an Aggressive Case of Basal Cell Carcinoma.

Dr. Stephanie Uchida is a Primary Eye Care/Ocular Disease resident at Fayetteville VA Medical Center and her poster was Pigmentary Maculopathy Secondary to Acromatase Inhibitor Use.

Tom Rink has been elected the President of the Oklahoma Chapter of the Special Libraries Association for 2019. Additionally, Tom will be serving as the Oklahoma Chapter Webmaster.

Li Xuan, instructional coordinator for Asian programs in NSU's Office of International Programs was one out of 61 international educators to be selected for the NAFSA Academy, held yearly by NAFSA Association of International Educators. The Academy is an intensive, yearlong training program with extensive networking opportunities and includes spring training, virtual trainings throughout the year, a fall regional conference as well as a meeting during the NAFSA Annual Conference in Washington, DC this year.

NSU is in NAFSA's Region III, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. Only six international educators from Region III were selected to represent at this year's Academy: two from Texas A&M, one from the University of Arkansas, one from University of New Orleans, one from the University of Oklahoma and Mr. Li represented NSU. Each Academy cohort receives training from a coach from its home region and participates in intensive training on comprehensive internationalization, including international enrollment management, education abroad, international student advising, and advocacy in international education. Mr. Li described the experience as invaluable, stating, I acquired a broad perspective of the international education field, made connections, and was able to network with professional peers from my field.

Academic Spotlight: Chris Miller

Prior to Spring Break, 17 NSU Academic Advisors, Jeff Walker and Julia Carlo attended a National Academic Advising conference in San Antonio, TX where two groups of Academic Advisors presented about NSU's innovative and industry-leading Academic Advising training program and how NSU uniquely mitigate student academic crises.

We especially want to thank the colleges for being willing to assist financially and help afford this opportunity for so many of our advisors. We received many positive comments throughout the conference about our camaraderie and partnerships between all advisors, regardless of advising role or location. The wide array of individuals below that supported these projects show that collaboration across the different areas on campus, is integral for our institutional success.

On behalf of the Academic Advising training committee, Josh Groomer, Ashley Gregg, Gail Vaughn, and Melissa Minor would like to thank the following individuals for their contributions toward making the "Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice: How to Season Your New Advisor" poster presentation a resounding success! We couldn't have done it without them!

• Maleah Wilson, Graphic Designer, Student Engagement
• Dr. Christine Hallman, Associate Professor of Geography, College of Liberal Arts
• Phyllis Wilmon, Administrative Assistant, Dean of Liberal Arts
• Dr. Audell Shelburne, Assistant Dean, College of Liberal Arts
• Dr. Tom Jackson, Assistant VP Academic Affairs, Academic Affairs
• Alyssa Simmons, Budget Specialist, Academic Affairs
• Julia Carlo, Director, University Advising Center

Randee McBride and Becky Robertson would like to thank all those that contributed toward making the "Young Life Crisis: Navigating Students through Academic Uncertainty"concurrent presentation a success!

• Dr. Audell Shelburne, Assistant Dean, College of Liberal Arts
• Dr. Mike Chanslor, Dean, College of Liberal Arts
• Dr. Pamela Hathorn, Dean, Gregg Wadley College of Science and Health Professions
• Dr. Jessica Martin, Associate Dean, Gregg Wadley College of Science and Health Professions
• Dr. Julie Sawyer, Exec Director, Institutional Effectiveness
• Julia Carlo, Director, University Advising Center
• Jennifer Ford, Transfer Coordinator, Transfer Student Services
• Kacy Brown, Academic Advisor, College of Business & Technology
• Ronnie Grayson, Academic Advisor, College of Business & Technology
• Teresa Allen, Administrative Assistant, University Advising Center
• Lindsay Brown, Administrative Assistant, College of Liberal Arts

The 20th Annual Celebration of Teaching event, sponsored by the College of Education and the Kappa Rho Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, was held on March 14. Over 120 high school students, teacher candidates, public school teachers, and community members were in attendance to hear Taylor Mali, one of the most well-known poets to have emerged from the poetry slam movement, speak. Mali is a TED Best of the Web speaker, and his poems are clear. They are almost always hysterically funny, often sentimental, appealing, accessible. And smart (Bob Holman). He is a vocal advocate of teachers and the nobility of teaching, having taught in one capacity or another since 1990. After Mali's keynote, attendees participated in a Q & A session while enjoying lunch. Pictured below are Dr. Tobi Thompson and Dr. Ingrid Massey, organizers of the event and sponsors for Kappa Delta Pi, with Taylor Mali.

Tonya Garrett, Director of Assessment for the College of Education, attended and participated in the 2019 Assesstivus Conference at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. She facilitated a round table discussion on how to use data to implement program changes and gave a presentation highlighting a variety of assessment instruments student affairs could use to collect data and how to effectively evaluate and create rubrics.

Dr. James T. Lindroth, Associate Professor of Music Education, had an article titled "The Hidden Curriculum: What Are You Teaching?" published in the Kansas Music Review and a second piece titled The flam build in Rhythm Scene in April 2019.

Dr. Whitney Myers performed a vocal piece in Tulsa Ballet's world premiere production of Tchaikovsky: The Man Behind the Music.

Dr. Jeffery Wall adjudicated and conducted a clinic with participating choirs in the Tulsa Community College Choral Festival. Leading up to state contest season, Dr. Wall has also visited and conducted clinics with choirs from Muskogee High School, Inola High School, Checotah High School, and Cushing High School. In collaboration with the Tulsa Community College Concert Choir, Dr. Wall led the Northeastern State University/Community Chorus and conducted a group of 51 travelers on a performance tour of Ireland where they performed concerts at St. Mary's Church of Ireland in Killarney and at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. They sang in other historic sites, cathedrals, and satisfied requests for many other impromptu performances abroad.

Dr. Farina King, Assistant Professor of History, presented with a panel on service learning with the UKB John Hair Cultural Center and Museum's new exhibit "Missing Pieces" at the Annual Symposium on the American Indian.

Dr. Christopher Clark, Assistant Professor of History and Dr. Iain Anderson, Associate Professor of History co-hosted the 2019 History Day on April 2. Middle school and high school students from around the state attended the competition day in hopes of making it to the next level of the National History Day event.

Scott Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, directed a production of And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little at the NSU Playhouse March 27-April 1, 2019. Dr. Robyn Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, performed a leading role in the production.

Sylvia Nitti, Instructor of Art, had a watercolor/Gouache painting "Facets of Blue II" exhibited in Dacia Art Gallery in New York in March 2019.

Dr. Christian Bester, Dr. Whitney Myers, and Dr. Robyn Pursley, co-devised a collaborative presentation of Schubert's Die Sch ne M llerin. The performance included voice students and members of Impressions Dance Company and was held outdoors at the Town Branch Creek on April 3 and 5.

Dr. John Diamantopoulos, Professor of Mathematics, organized the Oklahoma-Arkansas Section meeting of the Mathematical Association of American held at Northeastern State University, March 28-30.

Dr. Richard Hasenauer, Assistant Professor of Mathematics gave an invited talk at the University of Hawaii Manoa on March 24, A Characterization of non-Noetherian BFDs and FFDs.

Dr. Martha Parrott, Professor of Mathematics, received training March 20-21, 2019 by Harvard University's PEAR Institute to evaluate STEM programs using the assessment tool, Dimensions of Success (DoS), which is an overarching framework that defines key aspects of a quality STEM learning experience. Dr. Parrott is one of very few in Oklahoma to have this certification which is intended to provide feedback for strengthening STEM programs.

Dr. Martha Parrott delivered the faculty workshop session, Developing a Culture of Mathematical Growth Mindset to Increase Students Engagement, Perseverance, and Success, as part of the Oklahoma-Arkansas Section of the Mathematical Association of America conference hosted at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, March 2019.

Dr. Mark Paulissen gave an invited seminar to the Biology Department at Murray State University (Murray, KY) on April 5. The title of the seminar was "Learning in Lizards" based on Dr. Paulissen's ongoing research at NSU.

Dr. Michael Shaughnessy and MSNS graduate student Ryan Farney provided a loan of vertebrate specimens from the NSU Vertebrate Museum to the Muskogee Area Wildlife CDE held at Roland High School on April 3, 2019. The purpose of the Wildlife CDE is to stimulate student interest and to promote wildlife management instruction in the agricultural education curriculum, and to provide recognition for those who have demonstrated skills and competencies as a result of instruction in wildlife management, forestry and natural resource management. NSU's presence at the event through the Vertebrate Museum's participation helped to promote the Fish and Wildlife Program in the Department of Natural Science.

Dr. Erica K. Argyropoulos took part in a panel discussion on Jewish musical identity at the Society for American annual meeting late last month with colleagues in her field from across the country. She discussed the topic of Leonard Bernstein biography and expanding notions of Jewish American identity.

Brandon Martin, Systems and ILL Librarian at the Broken Arrow Library and Sarah Grimes-Troutt,Circulation at the John Vaughan Library, presented at a webinar on February 5, 2019 hosted by OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) on the use of their mobile app "Digby" within our library and its impact on staff workflows and student worker tasks.

Brandon Martin, Systems and ILL Librarian at the Broken Arrow Library, attended the 2019 OCLC Resource Sharing Conference in Jacksonville, Florida from March 19 through March 21. The conference allows ILL librarians around the world to connect and discuss operational workflow efficiencies, patron services, and best practices for interlibrary loan.

Check out the video log (Vlog) by NSU student Trenton Morgan, currently on study abroad to Sweden with ISEP study abroad exchange. From camping trips in the mountains to cross-country skiing to frolicking with reindeer and seeing the Northern Lights, he describes his time abroad as "life changing."

Trenton says: "There are so many great differences between what I know from home and what I've learned here. It has made me recognize more my place in a global setting. Between the beautiful trips and the wonderful people, exploring everything has been more than I could have ever imagined."

We are extremely excited for Trenton and cannot wait to hear more about his adventures in Sweden!

Award Name: INBRE Travel - New Role of DNA Polymerase Epsilon 2019
Award Amount: $2,000
Project Director: Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo
Funding Agency: Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE)/OK INBRE Match
Purpose of Award: Funds to be used for travel to Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory in New York for poster presentation at the 17th meeting on Eukaryotic DNA Replication & Genome Maintenance.

Award Name: Time Dependence of Iron-binding Compound Production 2019
Award Amount: $4,144
Project Director: Dr. Jessica Martin
Funding Agency: Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE)/OK INBRE Match
Purpose of Award: The time course of production of siderophores by marine microorganisms has not been studied and will provide valuable information that can be used to improve both purification and identification of novel bioactive compounds.

Academic Spotlight: Undergraduate Research Day: Dr. Mark Paulissen

Dr. Mark Paulissen and students share about Undergraduate Research Day.

March 7-8, students from the ASL Studies program attended a language immersion camp at Oklahoma School for the Deaf in Sulphur, OK. Students were immersed in ASL and Deaf Culture and not permitted to use their voices for 24 hours. Several other colleges with ASL programs as well as public High Schools in Oklahoma and Texas were in attendance. Students participated in a performing arts workshop put on by Deaf presenters from The Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf. NSU students performed the song "Hey, I Love You" as part of the event and brought the house down!

On Tuesday, April 20, The NSU Talons Sign Language Club along with students in the ASL Studies Program and TSHA, Inc., The Total Source for Hearing Loss and Access, sponsored the interactive experiential workshop, "Deaf, Deaf, World". The event was organized by students in the Deaf Community and Careers Seminar Course as part of a class project. Approximately 125 students, faculty, and staff participated in the event. The purpose of the event was to bring Deaf awareness to our NSU Community.

Dr. Alesha Baker and Dr. Kelli Carney from the Library Media and Information Technology Program published an article in School Libraries Worldwide, the official professional peer-reviewed (refereed) research journal of the International Association of School Librarianship. The article is titled, "The School Librarian's Role in the Adoption of Open Educational Resources."

Dr. Kurt Choate, department chair of Psychology & Counseling, was recognized on May 13, 2019, by the Oklahoma Senate and Oklahoma House as Psychologist of the Day, upon the motion of Senator Kim David and Representative Dean Davis. He received a Citation from the State of Oklahoma as they expressed their appreciation for services rendered.

College of Education Academic Advisor Lori Riley won the first ever Excellence in Academic Advising Award during the 1st Annual Advising Celebration Luncheon on May 15.

Congratulations go out to Margaret Bates, OTD, OTR/L for successful completion of her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy degree on May 4, 2019. Margaret serves in a faculty position in the Occupational Therapy Program at Muskogee.

Sydney Dorrough, M.O.T., OTR/L co-presented How Do I Treat Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder and Help My Clients Harness Their ADHD Super Powers ? at the American Occupational Therapy Association national conference on April 5 in New Orleans, LA. Additionally, she co-presented a poster The Art of Teaching: Understanding the Art and Science of Teaching with the Flipped Classroom Model at the conference.

Action-In-Muskogee (AIM), Educational Excellence Committee recognized Occupational Therapy Master's Program for outstanding performance in the Excellence in Education for May 2019. This year AIM recognized excellent teachers and volunteers in the Muskogee community who went above and beyond to help students be their best and contributed to the overall success of education in Muskogee.

Alexandria Bennett and her research mentor, Dr. Spence Pilcher, presented a poster at the NSU Undergraduate Research Day on April 23.

Dr. Janaki Iyer, Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo and Drew Breedlove attended a training session organized at the Broken Arrow campus on the experimental design, analysis and applications of quantitative PCR using Quantstudio 3 on May 9.

Dr. Janaki Iyer and her students attended Undergraduate Research Day at the Tahlequah campus and presented posters on April 23. Her students, Christina Bray and Jennifer Sharp were placed 1st and 2nd prize respectively for Sponsor's Award for Best Poster.

The Biology and Chemistry Seminar series on the Broken Arrow campus hosted four speakers in the spring semester. The speakers were scientists from Oklahoma State University-Center for Health Sciences, University of Tulsa, Chevron Philipps Chemical and Northeastern State University. Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo organizes the seminar series. Drs. Iyer, Green and Das-Bradoo hosted the speakers for the fall semester.

Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo s research assistants, Brandy Fultz and Sara Woller presented their research posters at the 26th Annual southeastern regional yeast meeting at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia from April 12-14.

Senior Cell and Molecular Biology students, Samuel Diskerud and Kevin Struble presented their research at the 2019 Undergraduate Research Day at Tahlequah. Their research was carried out under the mentorship of Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo.

Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo was selected to mentor a student through the INBRE summer mentor program. She also received an INBRE travel award to attend Eukaryotic DNA Replication and Genome Maintenance meeting at Cold Spring Harbor, New York.

Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo reviewed the Bachelor of Science (Honors) Microbiology program for the University of Delhi, India. The University is in the process of revising the undergraduate programs under the Learning Outcomes Curriculum Framework and plans to implement them by Fall 2019.

Dr. Spence Pilcher talked about chemistry and performed chemical demonstrations for three different fifth grade classes at Kansas Elementary School on May 8.

Pictured Left to right: Brittany Wolthuizen, Kelsey Buford and Dr. Alissa Proctor

Dr. Alissa Proctor presented a poster on Effectivity of At-Home Sports Vision Training Compared to In-Office Trainings at the annual College of Optometrists in Vision Development meeting in Kansas City. She presented alongside fourth-year optometry students and co-researchers Kelsey Buford and Brittany Wolthuizen. In addition, Dr. Proctor also presented a poster on Ethical Dilemma in the Therapy Room and an informational poster on the NSU-OCO Family Practice/Ocular Disease Residency.

NSUBA Librarians Karl G. Siewert and Dr. Pamela Louderback have authored an article for the Journal of Library Administration entitled, 'The Bus Proof Library: Technical Succession Planning, Knowledge Transfer, and Institutional Memory'. The article will be published in volume 59, issue 4. This is Mr. Siewert's first scholarly publication.

Award Name: Summer Mentor 2019 - Das-Bradoo
Award Dates: 05/21/2019 - 07/12/2019
Total Award Amount: $2,200
Project Director: Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo
Funding Agency: OK INBRE through OUHSC/OSRHE
Purpose of Award: Funding is provided to cover summer wages for a student researcher through OUHSC and to provide laboratory supplies for the NSU faculty mentor.

Award Name: Great Expectations NSU-GE 2019-2020
Award Dates: May 1, 2019 - April 30, 2020
Award Amount: $ 978,517
Project Director: Dr. Linda Dzialo
Funding Agency: Other Sources-Private Foundation
Purpose of Award: To teach innovative and inspirational education techniques to school teachers in order to help revolutionize the classroom educational experience of children.

Award Name: TABERC Summer 2019
Award Dates: 06/01/2019 - 07/31/2019
Award Amount: $1,500
Project Director: Dr. Janaki Iyer
Funding Agency: Tulsa Area Bioscience Education & Research Consortium (TABERC)
Purpose of Award: To develop bioscience research in Tulsa and surrounding communities by providing summer internships at local universities and community colleges.

Award Name: Oklahoma Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence 2019-2020
Award Dates: July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020
Award Amount: $48,414
Project Director: Mr. Subramanian Karupiah
Funding Agency: Oklahoma Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence through the National Institute of Standards & Technology-U.S. Department of Commerce
Purpose of Award: A Manufacturing Extension Agent working out of the NSU-BA campus, will assist local manufacturers in various ways to make their businesses more successful.

Award Name: Summer Mentor 2019 - Deole
Award Dates: 05/21/2019 - 07/12/2019
Total Award Amount: $2,200
Project Director: Dr. Ratnakar Deole
Funding Agency: OK INBRE through OUHSC/OSRHE
Purpose: Funding is provided to cover summer wages for a student researcher through OUHSC and to provide laboratory supplies for the NSU faculty mentor.

Educational Leadership

Dr. Lucas Foster and Dr. Karl Kruczek, Assistant Professors of Mathematics, co-authored a new book entitled "Elementary Statistics" published by Great River Learning. This book will be used in the new course Elementary Statistics offered at NSU for the first time in Fall 2019 as part of the new Math Pathways initiative in Oklahoma. The digital edition is available this fall with a print edition soon to follow.

Dr. Martha Parrott, Professor of Mathematics, conducted high engagement, critical thinking mathematics sessions for high school students participating in the Native American Leaders Camp in Tahlequah on June 21 -22. This camp was made possible by a grant program written by the Oklahoma State Department of Education for the purpose of college and career readiness for Native American high school students in four school districts in Oklahoma. The project leader was Christopher Smith, an NSU alumni who is now a college and career readiness specialist with the Oklahoma State Department of Education. With funding made possible by partnerships with Flight Night, The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance, Dr. Martha Parrott hosted two summer institutes for mathematics teachers the weeks of July 22 and July 29 on the campus of NSU-Broken Arrow. The institutes, Exponential Growth Mathematics Professional Development, were directed toward elementary and secondary teachers from school districts throughout Oklahoma.

Dr. Martha Parrott presented on August 6 The Growth Mindset Coach: Empowering Students to Achieve as part of a two-year, ongoing district-wide, professional development project with the Barnsdall Independent School District.

Naixue Neal Xiong, Associate Professor of Computer Science, was coauthor on four articles submitted and published over the summer.

Drs. Earlena McKee, Alan McKee, and Latricia Pack attended the Association of Optometric Contact Lens Educators (AOCLE) Meeting from May 30-June 2, 2019 in Portland and Forest Grove, OR. The meeting was hosted by Pacific University College of Optometry. The focus of the meeting was "Rethinking Contact Lens Education in 2019/default.aspx".

Dr. Latricia Pack attended a B+Lieve Symposium on June 7-8, 2019 in Orlando, Florida to learn about a new monthly replacement soft contact lens for astigmatism and presbyopia correction called the Bausch + Lomb Ultra Multifocal for Astigmatism.

Dr. Erica K. Argyropoulos presented her research at the first international symposium on Bob Dylan, hosted by the Dylan Center in Tulsa. The landmark conference was the first of its kind in the world, featuring presentations by academics from a multitude of fields, music journalists, and an insightful keynote address by The Byrds founder, Roger McGuinn. With widespread national and international representation among attendees, the event encouraged rich multidisciplinary dialogues at paper sessions, exhibits, examinations of materials from the Dylan Archives, and workshops on pedagogical inquiry and research practices. Dr. Argyropoulos's presentation grew from her previous work in popular music and Jewish identity and was titled Exiled Man : Bob Dylan's Complicated Relationship with American Jewishness.

Head of Archives & Special Collections, Brenda Bradford is one of ten cultural heritage professionals internationally chosen to attend the, Leadership of Cultural Heritage Stewards in Challenging Circumstances in The Hague, Netherlands November 3rd 9th, 2019. The Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative and the Prince Claus Fund offer heritage stewards from its networks a high-quality leadership development program, customized for challenging scenarios caused by conflict or disaster.

Training will include multi-disciplinary sessions from guest lecturer professionals in fields that complement leadership and project development. Participants will spend several days with a small group of peers learning together from a professor of Leadership Studies and an experienced international project development professional. Each participant brings a project idea on which they want to build a communication and management strategy and project implementation. The instructors devoted time to lecture, group exercises, and advice on participants projects. Sessions are complemented by discussions with cultural heritage leaders, bringing classroom lessons to life and providing networking opportunities. The course culminates with participants engaging in a mock review panel with international donor organizations and verbal feedback session with the donors. A series of follow up webinars is planned for the spring and summer of 2020 to further support participants moving forward on the business side of the preservation of cultural heritage.

This training program is sponsored by The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) Italy, the Smithsonian Institution, USA and the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development (PCF) Netherlands in a collaboration effort to enhance capacity for emergency preparedness and response for cultural heritage worldwide in order to safeguard cultural heritage damaged or threatened by conflicts and natural disasters, and jointly promote the integration of cultural first aid in humanitarian efforts.

In late August, 2019, the Office of International Programs organized a recruiting trip to Japan. Dr. Debbie Landry, Provost and VPAA; Dr. Cari Keller, Dean of the Graduate College; and Mr. Li Xuan, International Recruiter traveled. The group departed from Tulsa on August 27. The itinerary included visits to Tokyo, Okinawa, and Fukuoka.

In the past, NSU had a large contingent of Japanese students on campus. The majority of those students came to NSU as a result of a relationship with National College Network (NCN) in Fukuoka. This trip is intended to be a first step in the work of re-establishing our relationship with NCN and attracting Japanese students to NSU again. In addition, it will provide an opportunity to begin building a strong alumni organization in Japan.

The group also attended recruitment fairs sponsored by Education USA in Okinawa and Tokyo. Education USA is a service of the US State Department with over 425 student advising centers in 178 countries. Their goal is to promote US higher education to international students by providing accurate, comprehensive, and current information about opportunities for study in the US. They sponsor recruitment events around the globe. Education USA is a valuable resource and one that the Office of International Programs is eager to be a part of.

Hopefully, this will be the start of a productive relationship with Education USA and with National College Network. If you have questions, please contact:

Dr. Roger Collier Acting Director of International Programs colliere@nsuok.edu

Award Name: OK INBRE Equipment 2019-2020
Award Dates: 05/01/2019 - 04/30/2020
Total Award Amount: $25,000
Project Director: Dr. Janaki Iyer
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)/OK INBRE through OUHSC
Purpose of Award: Funds will be utilized to purchase the Odyssey Fc imager. This equipment will aid researchers in completing nucleic acid and protein-related experiments efficiently and reproducibly.

Award Name: Great Expectations - OSDE 2019-2020
Award Dates: 07/01/2019 - 06/30/2020
Award Amount: $ 400,000
Project Director: Dr. Linda Dzialo
Funding Agency: Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE)
Purpose of Award: To teach innovative and inspirational education techniques to school teachers in order to help revolutionize the classroom educational experience of children.

Award Name: Trio Upward Bound Yr 3 of 5 (2019-2020)
Award Dates: 09/01/2019 - 08/31/2020
Award Amount: $287,536
Project Director: Ms. Lisa Johnson
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education
Purpose of Award: The Upward Bound program will provide services and projects that increase the likelihood that students will complete high school as well as earn post-secondary credits in high school with the ultimate goal of completing a program of post-secondary education.

Award Name: Alternative Dispute Resolution- Early Settlement East Program 2019-2020
Award Dates: July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020
Award Amount: $91,376
Project Director: Mr. Randy Hoerschgen
Funding Agency: State of Oklahoma Supreme Court
Purpose of Award: To provide mediation services according to the Dispute Resolution Act and other directives and forms provided by the Administration Director of the Courts. Dispute mediation services shall be provided to northeast Oklahoma as determined by need.

Award Name: Oklahoma Humanities Council- 48th Annual Symposium on the American Indian 2019/2020
Award Dates: 08/01/2018 - 04/30/2019
Award Amount: $5,000 Outright Funds + $1,000 3rd Party Match Total = $6,000
Project Director: Ms. Sara Barnett-Nsakashalo
Funding Agency: Oklahoma Humanities Council
Purpose of Award: Funding will be utilized to assist with scholar fees, facilities, and other costs associated with the 2020 Symposium on the American Indian.

Award Name: Student Support Services Year 5 of 5 2019-2020
Award Dates: 09/01/2019 - 08/31/2020
Award Amount: $332,028
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education
Project Director: Lena Deere
Purpose of Award(s): To provide student services to those who meet the federal eligibility criteria and demonstrate academic need in order to successfully complete a program of study at NSU. To provide a comprehensive system of support services such as counseling, tutoring and academic enrichment activities.

Award Name: Enabling Self-Efficacy in Single Mothers 2019-2020
Award Dates: 06/15/2019 - 05/30/2020
Award Amount: $5,000
Project Director: Ms. Julia Carlo
Funding Agency: Women's Foundation of Oklahoma
Purpose of Award: To provide workshops and on-on-one consultations with single mothers for financial literacy, computer literacy, career preparation, and a variety of self-efficacy resources.

Award Name: Educational Talent Search - Tahlequah (2019-20) Yr 4 of 5
Award Dates: September 1, 2019 - August 31, 2020
Award Amount: $267,995 (4.25% Increase Awarded)
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education
Project Director: Ms. Diane Walker

Award Name: Educational Talent Search- Broken Arrow (2019-20) Yr 4 of 5
Award Dates: September 1, 2019 - August 31, 2020
Award Amount: $267,995 (4.25% Increase Awarded)
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education
Project Director: Ms. Diane Walker
Purpose of Award(s): To identify disadvantaged youths with potential for post-secondary education, encourage them to complete secondary school and undertake post-secondary educational training. To publicize existing forms of student aid. To provide tutorial services for youths being encouraged to undertake or re-enter programs of post-secondary education. This program is part of TRIO.

Award Name: American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES Fall 2019)
Award Dates: 07/17/2019 - 10/31/2019
Award Amount: $4,288
Project Director: Ms. Alisa Douglas
Funding Agency: Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma EPSCoR through National Science Foundation
Purpose of Award: To assist students with travel expense to the 2019 AISES National Conference in Milwaukee, WI - October 9-12, 2019.

Award Name: OCIC Project Aware 2019-2020
Award Dates: August 1, 2019 - May 29, 2020
Award Amount: $72,000
Project Director: Dr. Elizabeth Keller-Dupree
Funding Agency: OCIC - Osage County Interlocal Cooperative through the U.S. Department of Education
Purpose of Award: To provide (6) practicum students a monthly stipend with a basis requirement of (20) hours per week of service to the OCIC Project Aware. Stipends will be equivalent to $1,200 per month, which includes wage and fringe.

Academic Spotlight: Brenda Bradford

The College of Education held its sixth annual COE SNAG Golf Scholarship Fundraiser on Friday, September 6th at Burnt Cabin SNAG Course. Faculty and Staff, along with community members gathered for this event. The money raised is for COE student scholarships. COE faculty and staff worked hard to make this event that benefits NSU students happen.

Dr. Vanessa Anton presented a congratulatory letter from President Turner to NSU COE alum and Teacher of the Year 2020 finalist, Terri Guthridge, in Oklahoma City on September 17th. Terri is an English teacher at Grove High School and we are very excited that she was in the top 12 in the state. She has been an educator for 20 years and has been in her current position for eight years.

Dr. Vanessa Anton was invited by Superintendent Hofmeister to serve as this year's Oklahoma Teacher of the Year finalists.

Dr. Christy Reed and Dr. Anita Ede co-presented at the OKAEYC conference in Edmund, OK on September 14. The top1ic was: Positive Classroom Management and Creating an Anti-Bias Culture in Early Childhood Classrooms.

Dr. Vanessa Anton was elected and will serve as the Oklahoma Association of Colleges for Teacher Education president during the 2019 20 year. The membership is made up of the deans/directors of teacher education from the 23 universities across the state who prepare teachers. Robin Fuxa, OSU, past-president presented her with the OACTE gavel in Oklahoma City.

Dr. Ronald Chioldi, Professor of Piano, recently co-authored the 11thedition of Keyboard Musicianship: Piano for Adults, published by Stipes Publishing. The longest running group-piano college textbook in the country and the 2ndhighest selling, Keyboard Musicianship guides the music major through four semesters of beginning piano. Book 1 was published in March of 2019. Book 2 will be published in March of 2020.

Dr. Jeffery Wall continued his work this summer as artistic director and conductor of Vox Solaris Chamber Choir of Tulsa and Broken Arrow. He was also appointed as Repertoire and Resources Chair for the University and College division of the Oklahoma Choral Directors Association.

Dr. Ben Hay, Assistant Professor of Music performed with the Professors of the Southeast trumpet ensemble at the International Trumpet Conference in Miami, FL in July. Also, his high school student Oliver Robinson won the Junior Division of the International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition at the same conference.

Dr. Clark Gibson, Assistant Professor of Music, announced the release of his new album Tri-Colored Eyes. His fourth release as a leader, Tri-Colored Eyesmarks the reunion of Gibson with one of his earliest collaborators, Pat Bianchi.

Lance Hunter, Professor of Art, had a painting showcased in the latest edition of the Splash: Best of Watercolor books published annually by North Light Books. Toxic Beauty II is featured in Splash 20: Creative Compositions which was released late July. The Splash book series is a popular anthology of contemporary watercolors selected from international submissions each year by the book's editorial staff.

Dr. Richard Hasenauer, Associate Professor of Mathematics,with coauthor Dr. Bethany Kubik had a research paper titled Tau-atomicity in quotient rings of size four accepted for publication Tamkang Journal of Mathematics.

Dr. Sung-Kun (Sean) Kim, professor of chemistry, published the article Novel Peptide-Based Inhibitors for Microtubule Polymerization in Phytophthora capsici in the peer-reviewed journal International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Dr. Sung-Kun (Sean) Kim has been serving as a special issue editor of the journal Frontiers with the research topic Interactions between small molecule ligands and target enzymes.

Dr. Shaughnessy and three students (2 graduate, 1 undergraduate) had papers accepted for presentation (2 oral, 1 poster) at the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Conference being held 27-30 October in Hilton Head, SC.

Dr. Mia Revels and Abbey Ramirez published "HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL (Aegolius acadicus) IN OKLAHOMA THROUGH 2015/default.aspx" in BULLETIN OF THE OKLAHOMA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, VOL. 52 SEPTEMBER 2019 NO. 3. There are 16 records of Northern Saw-whet Owls in Oklahoma through 2015, occurring from 1933-2015. These records depict a seasonal window from 3 November to 29 January. This paper sets the stage for the publication of further studies on Northern Saw-whet Owls conducted by Dr. Revels and Ms. Ramirez since 2015.

Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo attended and presented research poster at the NIH/NIGMS IDeA Central Region conference at Oklahoma City from June 12 to 14, 2019. Her research assistant, Sarah Woller also presented her research poster at the conference.

Dr. Mark Paulissen reviewed a manuscript for HERPETOLOGICAL JOURNAL, an international journal of Herpetology.

Dr. Alissa Proctor lectured on Saturday, September 7th at the Primary Eye Care Update on the topics of Avoiding Pediatric Pitfalls for the Primary Care Optometrist and Judicious Prescribing.

In August, Dr. Richard Castillo, NSU-OCO ophthalmologist and Assistant Dean for Surgical Training and Education traveled to the offices of the American Optometric Association in St. Louis where he co-chaired a 2-day meeting with Optometric Educators from across North America dealing with optometric lasers and surgery.

Dr. Castillo chaired the annual summer workshop of the American Society of Optometric Surgeons, which was held in Charlotte, NC. Dr. Castillo currently serves as President of the Society.

Dr. Castillo was further invited to attend the August meeting of the Arkansas State Board of Optometric Examiners in Little Rock, AR where he was asked to speak on issues related to surgical and laser credentialing for Optometric Physicians.

Finally, Dr. Castillo traveled to Nashville, TN to teach advanced optometric laser and surgical procedures at a state Optometric association meeting.

Tom Rink, a Director on the University of Oklahoma's School of Library and Information Studies Alumni Association Board, in his second year of a three-year term, was elected as Secretary of the Board for FY 2019-2020.

Head of Archives & Special Collections Brenda Bradford won first place in photography, for the second year in a row, at the 14th Annual Cherokee National Holiday Art Show 2019.

The Office of International Programs received notification that two NSU students were awarded Brad Henry International Scholarships for the Spring 2020 Semester Study Abroad Program at Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK. The students are Vivian Carrell, a geography major from Fort Gibson, and Lorance Washington, a media studies major from Broken Arrow. The students were nominated by President Steve Turner. They will receive funding for tuition and lodging for a full semester of study at Swansea University, as well as a stipend to help with other expenses such as airfare and passport fees to and from the UK.

The Brad Henry International Scholarship program was established by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education in June, 2008. The Regents provide a stipend for students selected to participate in semester-long study or research programs affiliated with Swansea University. Recipients are selected by a committee of State Regents staff based on their excellent academic performance, outstanding communication skills, exemplary character, and exceptional leadership, maturity, and judgment.

If you have questions, please contact:

Dr. Roger Collier
Acting Director of International Programs
colliere@nsuok.edu

Award Name: OAC Performing Arts Series 2019-2020
Award Dates: 07/01/2019 04/26/2020
Total Award Amount: $6,800
Project Director: Ms. Hannah Truitt
Funding Agency: Oklahoma Arts Council
Purpose of Award: To assist with artist fees for the Performing Arts Series 2019-2020.

Award Name: OAC Indigenous Arts Series 2019-2020
Award Dates: 07/01/2019 06/30/2020
Total Award Amount: $2,743
Project Director: Ms. Sara Barnett-Nsakashalo
Funding Agency: Oklahoma Arts Council
Purpose of Award: To assist with artist fees for the Indigenous Arts Education Series.

Award Name: OAC 53rd Annual Green Country Jazz Festival 2019-2020
Award Dates: 07/01/2019 04/30/2020
Total Award Amount: $3,607
Project Director: Dr. Jeffery Wall
Funding Agency: Oklahoma Arts Council
Purpose of Award: To assist with artist fees for the 53rd Annual Green Country Jazz Festival.

Award Name: OAC NSU Chamber Series 2019-2020
Award Dates: 07/01/2019 04/03/2020
Total Award Amount: $1,900
Project Director: Dr. Jeffery Wall
Funding Agency: Oklahoma Arts Council
Purpose of Award: To assist with artist fees for the NSU Chamber Series.

Award Name: OK-INBRE Involvement of the ID4 2019-2020
Award Dates: 07/08/2019 04/30/2020
Total Award Amount: $30,778
Project Director: Dr. Michael Morgan
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)/OK-INBRE through OUHSC
Purpose of Award: To perform research on the involvement of the ID4 in increased chloroquine sensitivity of metastatic cancer.

Award Name: OK-INBRE Gold Nanorod-Aptamer Biosensors 2019-2020
Award Dates: 07/08/2019 04/30/2020
Total Award Amount: $28,780
Project Director: Dr. Nathan Green
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)/OK-INBRE through OUHSC
Purpose of Award: This project proposes to develop a robust solution-based biological sensor that resists photo-bleaching and can be easily modified for different small molecules and proteins of interest at low limits of detection. These sensors could potentially translate to uses in biomedical research and field-deployable devices.

Award Name: OK-INBRE RPI II Role of the Mcm10 2019-2020 Yr. 1 of 2.5
Award Dates: 07/08/2019 04/30/2020
Total Award Amount: $129,866 (Year 1)
Project Director: Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)/OK-INBRE through OUHSC
Purpose of Award: This project will use yeast and human cells to study how these conserved proteins work to protect the genome and to study the molecular consequences when they are disrupted.

Award Name: Joy Harjo Lecture and Reading 2019
Award Dates: August 22, 2019 September 30, 2020
Award Amount: $1,000
Project Director: Mr. Christopher Murphy
Funding Agency: Oklahoma Humanities through the National Endowment for the Humanities
Purpose of Award: The College of Liberal Arts and the Center for Women's Studies will bring U.S. Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo, to visit the University, lecture, and give a reading of her work. She will focus mainly on the creative writing classes at NSU.

Academic Spotlight: Sara Barnett

Mrs. Jericho Hobson and Dr. Cindi Fries have committed to a second-year partnership with Ator Elementary School in Owasso. Jamie Flemming, the school's Library Media Specialist, is a phenomenal collaborative partner for our Teacher Candidates and shares her STEAM equipment, grant writing knowledge, and welcomes them to engage with her and their students at any time.

Dr. Cindi Fries, Jericho Hobson, and teacher candidates presented STEAM activities to over sixty 1st, 2nd, and 5th-grade students at Ator Elementary School in Owasso. Students engaged in learning about coding robots with BeeBot and Ozobot, going on a VR underwater adventure, and bringing pictures to life with Quiver.

On October 15, Mrs. Jericho Hobson welcomed students from the Broken Arrow Early College High school to the NSUBA STEAM Maker lab. They participated in a variety of learning games and activities.

Dr. Jim Lindroth, Associate Professor of Music, adjudicated Music Festivals at Kings H.S., Ohio and Campbell County H.S., Kentucky. The festivals included workshops with each band director.

Dr. Christian Bester, Assistant Professor of Music, performed at the National Opera Association TEXOMA Conference Concert at Southern Methodist University and presented his work at the Pan American Vocology Association conference in Santiago, Chile.

The Department of Music conducted choral workshops for the OMEA Middle School and High School All-State Choirs on the NSU Tahlequah Campus. Vocal music faculty members Dr. Christian Bester, Dr. Whitney Myers, and Dr. Jeffrey Wall each worked with students throughout the day on preparation for their All-State choir auditions.

Dr. Jeffrey Wall, Associate Professor of Music, served as a Guest clinician for the choir at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, OK. Dr. Wall was also recently appointed as the Oklahoma Choral Directors Association College/University Repertoire & Resources Chair.

Dr. Mike Wilds, Professor of Criminal Justice, is leading a study abroad trip focusing on international and environmental law. The trip departs Ft. Lauderdale on Royal Caribbean to Key West and Nassau where students will be meeting with the Nassau Police Department to make a contribution to rebuild the Grand Bahamas Police Department after the hurricane.

Chris Miller, Associate Professor of Drama, began his work as the 2019 DaVinci Scholar with a two-day workshop focused on design, directing, acting, and writing original plays. Tahlequah High School was the first in a series of ensemble-based, new play development workshops that will culminate in a showcase of original ten-minute plays created by area high schools at the NSU Drama High School Theatre Festival, January 30th, 2020.

Dr. Robyn Pursley and Chris Miller, Associate Professors of Drama, provided critiques and adjudication at the OSSAA 5A Regional One Act competition in Wagoner, OK.

The Sequoyah Institute hosted over 600 middle and high school students for an educational outreach presentation by the performing arts group Artrageous at the NSU Center for Performing Arts. Students and teachers interacted with the artists and were provided with a sampling of the full production followed by a Q and A with the actors.

Dr. Denis Vovchenko, Professor of History, shared a presentation titled "Fulbright Experience" at Faculty Council HawkTalk. In his presentation, Dr. Vovchenko shared his experience of finding and using a Fulbright grant to perform research in and around Bulgaria.

Julie Nevins, Adjunct Nursing Faculty was recognized at the Oklahoma Nurses Association convention. She will be serving as the local Region 3 President for 2019-2020. Julie's nursing background is focused on Home Health.

The Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Association annual state conference was held at the Muskogee Civic Center September 20th -21st with over 250 occupational therapists and assistants from Oklahoma and surrounding states in attendance. The Northeastern State University Occupational Therapy Program played a pivotal role in the conference. Dr. Margaret Bates, NSU OT faculty, chaired the conference committee, headed up all organization efforts, and presented. Additionally, Dr. Julie Estes and Dr. Sydney Dorroughboth presented at the conference, NSU OT students from cohort 5 presented over the use of crafts and media as therapeutic mediums, and the majority of students from cohorts 5 and 6 volunteered as presenter assistants, ushers, and student organization booth vendors. Students gained real-life experience with disseminating knowledge, volunteering, and advocating for the profession.

Tamara Hryshchuk is a full-time faculty who joined the NSU Nursing Program as of Fall 2019. She received the 2019 Nursing Research Award from the Oklahoma Nurses Association at the annual convention in Norman, OK on October 3, 2019. Tamara was recognized for her ongoing doctoral research related to High-fidelity simulation in a Neonatal Resuscitation Program: A Randomized Control Trial.

Dr. Michael Shaughnessy participated in the 2019 Oklahoma BioBlitz held at Sequoyah State Park from 4-6 October. The Mammalogy class attended the event as well where Dr. Shaughnessy gave presentations on Oklahoma mesocarnivores and fluorescent light tracking of rodents.

Dr. Richard Hasenauer, Associate Professor of Mathematics, refereed an article for the Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics.

On September 21, Dr. Martha Parrott, Professor of Mathematics, hosted a mathematics review session to prepare individuals for the mathematics portion of the Oklahoma General Education Test (OGET).

Dr. Martha Parrott presented a mathematics session that brings attention to productive growth mindset within a context of high quality measurement tasks in Nashville, Tennessee October 2 -3, for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Dr. Martha Parrott, working in partnership with Ms. Xan Black of the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance, and Dr. Helen Douglas of the University of Tulsa, has been asked to plan, develop and move forward the greater Tulsa Area Me & My Math Mentor program. This innovative program, which pairs P-12 school partners with adult volunteers from many Tulsa businesses, has already been shown to positively increase student math outcomes as well as relationships with peers and adults. Part of Dr. Parrott's continued role will be to coach business partners as they mentor students from various school districts. She will examine ways to increase student impact over time and then develop and monitor a plan for reaching program goals.

Dr. Martha Parrott delivered mathematics professional learning to support increased content knowledge to mathematics teachers across grade levels on two consecutive Saturdays, October 5 and 12, as a follow-up to mathematics institutes she hosts every summer on the NSU-BA campus. Funding is provided by Flight Night and the Schusterman Center.

Dr. Martha Parrott presented Math Mentors 2.0: Building Community Partnerships to Increase Student Success at the Oklahoma Association of Colleges of Teacher Education conference on Thursday, October 10th on the NSU-BA campus, the host site for the conference in 2019. She presented with Ms. Taylor Smith, Ms. Xan Black, and Dr. Helen Douglas.

Dr. Erica K. Argyropoulos was recently commissioned by Cambridge University Press to author a chapter on Leonard Bernstein's relationship with Israel for an upcoming compendium on the musician's diverse life and career endeavors. This builds upon her previous work concerning the role of Jewish American identity in the careers of Bernstein and other musicians.

Brandon Martin presented two sessions regarding inventory management and interlibrary loan software integration at the 2019 OCLC WMS Global Community + User Group Meeting in Dublin, Ohio on October 16-17, 2019.

World Fair

The Office of International Programs hosted this year's NSU World Fair on Monday, October 14, 2019, at the Second Century Square. International students from Saudi Arabia, Argentina, China, Japan, and Nigeria participated along with Hmong students and the International Student Organization. This event is a great opportunity to expose students, faculty, and staff to the diverse cultures that are a part of the campus community. One of the favorite aspects of World Fair is the traditional style cuisine that is prepared by the students for the attendees to sample. Throughout the event, each group displayed traditional items of their culture and also was given the opportunity to play traditional cultural music of their choice. Each year this event is presented, it is always moving to see the pride showcased from our culturally diverse student population.

2019 Study Abroad Fair & Passport Day

With over 20 tables of information presented, the annual Study Abroad Fair was hosted by the Office of International Programs in the John Vaughan library this year on Wednesday, October 23rd, 2019. The fair provided information about study and travel abroad opportunities for students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community. Faculty-led trips, ISEP, CISAbroad, Semester at Sea, Go Global, Peace Corps, Fulbright, Study in Japan, China opportunities and NSU departments were presented at the fair this year. For students who are curious about what it's like to study abroad but aren't sure where to begin, NSU Study Abroad Fair is where they can have their questions answered and kick start their journey. Whether students are interested in studying, working, interning or volunteering, in nearly any geographic area of the world, the Study Abroad Fair provides a chance to talk to study abroad advisors, faculty who are leading a trip, NSU departments and even former study abroad students. Attendees can also start the process of applying for their passport on site with the U.S. Post Office.

Award Name: Grow Your Own Teachers Partnership 2019-2020
Award Dates: September 1, 2019 May 5, 2020
Total Award Amount: $7,957.40
Project Director: Dr. Lisa Bisogno
Funding Agency: Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Purpose of Award: The goal of this award is to form partnerships with multiple school districts and to provide high school students the opportunity to explore their interest in the field of teaching by enrolling in our concurrent Explorations in Teaching course (EDUC3000).

Award Name: American Crossroads: Digitizing the Vascular Flora of South Central U.S.
Award Dates: September 1, 2019 August 31, 2023
Award Amount: $10,252
Project Director: Dr. Elizabeth Waring
Funding Agency: OU through NSF
Purpose of Award: This project will be directed by five major regional herbaria, which together will oversee the participation of 36 other regional large and small herbaria. OU's Robert Bebb Herbarium and NSU's Joe M. Anderson Herbarium are part of the Texas and Oklahoma Regional Consortium of Herbaria (TORCH). The digitization of local specimens from these combined herbaria will help in species and habitat conservation and management, as well as provide research experiences for one graduate and two undergraduate students at NSU.

Award Name: STEM Educational Talent Search Tahlequah 2019-2020, Additional Funds
Award Dates: September 1, 2019 August 31, 2020
Award Amount: $40,000
Project Director: Ms. Diane Walker
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education
Purpose of Award: The project will intensify the ACT Prep-STEM, visit museums and other sites related to STEM fields/STEM knowledge. The project will increase access to STEM coursework with hands-on learning opportunities, including STEM trips and career experiences.

Award Name: STEM Educational Talent Search Broken Arrow 2019-2020, Additional Funds
Award Dates: September 1, 2019 August 31, 2020
Award Amount: $40,000
Project Director: Ms. Diane Walker
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education
Purpose of Award: The project will intensify the ACT Prep-STEM, visit museums and other sites related to STEM fields/STEM knowledge. The project will increase access to STEM coursework with hands-on learning opportunities, including STEM trips and career experiences.

Award Name: NASC Native American Support Center 2019-2020, Yr. 4 of 5
Award Dates: October 1, 2019 September 30, 2020
Total Award Amount: $345,985
Project Director: Ms. Shelly Dreadfulwater
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education
Purpose of Award: Implementation of the NASC Native American Support Center. This center will assist in the retention, intervention, and referral services of at-risk Native students as well as provide internal academic advising, personal and academic coaching, tutoring, and mentoring. Primary goals of this center are 1) increase Native American student retention, 2) develop a peer-to-peer college persistence mentoring program; and 3) provide a source of culture, connection, and care for Native American students on all three campuses.

Dr. Cindi Fries, Associate professor in the College of Ed, and NSU teacher candidate students engaged children and families in STEM activities during the Oct. 22, 2019, NSU Broken Arrow Fall Festival. The event was open to the community and NSU faculty, staff and students. The teacher candidates planned hands-on activities which involved fishing with Nintendo Labo, exploring the solar system in augmented reality with the Merge Cube, navigating the race track with Dash robot, coding the Bee Bot to get through a 3D maze, and to bringing drawings to life in a with the Monster app using the Osmo system. The children experienced a lot of accidental learning on a fun evening at NSUBA.

Article written by Dr. Anita Ede. All too often teachers spend so much of their day reacting to behavior issues that they wonder if there will ever be enough time to teach the curriculum in their lesson plans. This article discusses practical strategies teachers can implement to create positive learning environments, including: Classroom layout, center placement, avoiding "too much too soon," setting boundaries, setting schedules, etc.

On October 11, ELED student Sarah Garrett and SPED student Lexi Fields accompanied Dr. Tobi Thompsonto the DaVinci Fall Forum at Redlands Community College in El Reno. There, they heard Dave King, CEO of Exaptive, speak about mapping and strengthening creativity networks. His philosophy is to make the strange familiar and the familiar strange. During break-out sessions, Sarah and Lexi had the opportunity to collaborate with professors and innovators from across the state on how to increase collaboration and creativity in higher education.

Dr. Cindi Fries, and 10 NSU teacher candidates from the College of Education, were invited to participate in the October family STREAM evening event at Highland Park Elementary School, in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The NSUBA College of Education STEAM Maker Lab provided 5 STEAM activity stations and were one of many organizations who provided age appropriate activities with emphasis on science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and math for this community event. The seeds of curiosity for STEAM topics, and for attending NSU, were planted with both adults and children.

Dr. Cindi Fries attended the annual conference in Norfolk, Virgina, for the education honor society, Kappa Delta Pi (KDP). She presented a successful workshop on "Traveling the world with grants and scholarships for educators." While at the conference Dr. Fries was presented with an award in honor of her 15 years of service to KDP as an NSU chapter counselor.

Dr. Reed and Dr. Ede presented at the Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children annual conference in Edmund, Ok on September 14. Their topic was: Positive Classroom Management and Creating an Anti-Bias Culture in Early Childhood Classrooms.

Dr. Reed and Dr. Ede were part of a workgroup that constructed the wording for the Play-Based Kindergarten bill being proposed by Representative Jacob Rosenkranz on October 26.

Dr. Tobi Thompson, Dr. Ingrid Massey, and Ms. Tonya Garrett presented a workshop on "Promoting a Growth Mindset Among Teachers Through Community-Based Partnerships" at the 2019 OACTE/OEQA Annual Conference in October on the NSU-BA campus. Attendees participated in a variety of activities focusing on collaboration with in service teachers as a way to increase student success in literacy and math.

The NSU College of Education hosted the annual Oklahoma Association of Colleges for Teacher Education conference on October 10-11, 2019 on the NSUBA campus. The two day conference included a legislative panel and breakout sessions focusing on the theme 'Ready on Day One: Advocating for Teacher Quality'.

Dr. Bea Keller-Dupree, Associate Professor of Psychology & Counseling, was selected as 1 of 15 national fellows for the Counselor Educator Academy (CEA). The CEA is a leadership academy through the National Career Development Association (NCDA), a division of the American Counseling Association. The CEA convened in June 2019 in Houston, Texas to explore improvements to career counseling education in graduate training programs. She is also working as a research team member on a collaborative project with other CEA fellows. She will present her fellowship research project at the NCDA Conference and next CEA convening in Summer 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Dr. Kurt Choate, the incoming Endowed Chair of Faculty Development and College Excellence, Psychology and Counseling, and Dr. Tracy Thompson, Assistant Dean, College of Education, attended a two day grant writing workshop on November 7th and 8th in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The workshop, hosted by Grant Writing USA, aims to "dramatically enhance performance in the areas of grant writing, grants management and grant maker research." Northeastern State University was one of three academic entities represented at the event, along with multiple law enforcement and emergency management organizations from across Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri. Dr.'s Choate and Thompson were able to receive many valuable grant writing tips and tricks, as well as discuss common errors, omissions, and other details that affect grant funding approvals.

Oklahoma Humanities Magazine (Fall 2019 issue) published the scholarly and creative works of Dr. Christopher Malone, Professor of English, and Stephen Cates, a graduate student in the M.A. in English program. Dr. Malone's essay is entitled A Literary Take on Time.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, served as a judge and provided oral critiques for the OSSAA 6A State One Act competition in Putnam City. Nine high schools from around the state competed for the state championship title.

Scott Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, directed a stage production of She Kills Monsters, by Qui Nyugen at the NSU Playhouse. The play is the 2019 NSU Drama Participating Production entry for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

Dr. Bryan Raya and the Music Department hosted the OSSAA 5A/6A Marching Band Regional East Contest at Doc Wadley Stadium. Eighteen high school bands from across the state performed at the competition. 

Dr. Whitney Myers, Assistant Professor of Music, and Dr. Christian Bester, Assistant Professor of Music, travelled with their voice students to compete at the Texoma Nats 2019. Three students were semi-finalists at the competition: Lissie Franklin and Megan Jacobs both students of Dr. Whitney Myers and Myklind Reyes-Sosi, a student of Dr. Christian Bester.

Dr. James T. Lindroth, Associate Professor of Music Education, had his article titled Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Percussionist published in Percussive Notes. Percussive Notes is an international peer-reviewed journal of the Percussive Arts Society.

Dr. Jim Hicks, outgoing president of the Arkansas-Oklahoma-Kansas section of the American Association of Physics Teachers, attended the annual fall meeting in Ottawa, Kansas. Dr. Hicks was chosen to serve on the AOK-AAPT constitution committee.

Dr. Michael Shaughnessy attended the 2019 SEAFWA conference in Hilton Head, SC. Two graduate students and one undergraduate student in his lab presented their original research at the meeting.

Dr. John de Banzie attended the Arkansas INBRE Research Conference where he served as a judge for both the oral and poster student presentations.

Dr. Chris Burba along with two NSU students majoring in chemistry, Kylie Feightner and Amelia Shupe, presented research at the Oklahoma Academy of Science Technical Meeting in Edmond, OK.

Seven of our residents were selected to present posters at the American Academy of Optometry 2019 Orlando held in October. Posters were selected based on complexity, uniqueness, and presentation.

Dr. Sophia Leung presented a poster on Bilateral optic neuritis warrants ruling out MOG-antibody associated demyelinating disorder. Dr. Leung is the resident at Oklahoma Medical Eye Group in Tulsa. In addition to this outstanding accomplishment, Dr. Leung was selected for the Academy's International Keratoconus Academy Resident Fellowship Travel Grant.

Dr. Laura Chan presented a poster on Presumed Papilledema Secondary to Epidural Blood Patch and Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis." Dr. Chan is an NSUOCO Family Practice/Ocular Disease resident.

Dr. Andrew Henderson presented a poster on Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Optometry's Role in Collaborative Care. Dr. Henderson is the BVA/nJoy resident in Edmond-Oklahoma City. In addition to this accomplishment, Dr. Henderson was one of the recipients for the Allergan Travel Fellowship.

Dr. Julia Fitzpatrick presented a poster on Retinal Arterial Macroaneurysms in Patients with Multiple Systemic and Ocular Vasculopathies. Dr. Fitzpatrick is a resident at the Amarillo VA Medical Center.

Dr. Garcia-Manfredi presented a poster on The Management of Ocular Complications with Scleral Contact Lenses Secondary to Radiation Treatment of a Maxillary Sinus Melanoma. Dr. Garcia-Manfredi is the resident at Womack Army Medical Center, Ft. Bragg, NC

Dr. Dana Rhea presented a poster on Bilateral Papillitis as the Sole Presenting Sign of Neurosyphilis in a Patient with Undiagnosed Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Dr. Rhea is an NSUOCO Family Practice/Ocular Disease resident. In addition to this accomplishment, Dr. Rhea was one of the recipients for the Allergan Travel Fellowship.

Dr. Sarah Truman presented a poster on An Atypical Presentation of Cerebrovascular Accident with Left Homonymous Hemianopsia. Dr. Truman is a resident at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center.

Dr. Sophia Leung, Oklahoma Medical Eye Group resident, distinguished herself by providing a presentation at the 2019 Fall OAOP meeting entitled "Bilateral Optic Neuritis and MOG-AD." This presentation was part of the "Ophthalmic Potpourri" talk by OMEG.

Dr. Richard Castillo, OD, DO, NSU-OCO Ophthalmologist and Assistant Dean for Surgical Training travelled to Chicago, IL to accept the 2019 Distinguished Service Award from the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO). Dr. Castillo was honored in an evening ceremony and named Distinguished Friend of the College, for exemplary service to the institution and profession of Optometry. He is the first ophthalmologist to ever receive this honor from ICO. As part of his more than two decades of professional outreach to optometric institutions, state associations, and other industry stakeholders, Dr. Castillo has been at the forefront of professional advancement through his advocacy, educational programs and unswerving support of the optometric profession. (left) Dr. Mark Colip, President of the Illinois College of Optometry presents Dr. Castillo with the 2019 ICO Distinguished Service Award.

In late October, Dr. Castillo travelled to Pikeville, KY, home of the Kentucky College of Optometry, where he presented an educational program to students on Ophthalmic Laser Procedures. Later that evening, Dr. Castillo was also the guest speaker at a joint meeting of the KYCO Private Practice Club & American Society of Optometric Surgeons (ASOS-KYCO Chapter).

Dr. Castillo currently serves as the NSU-OCO Surgery Club faculty sponsor and is the founding President of the American Society of Optometric Surgeons, a 501 (c)(3)non-profit organization composed of private Doctors, faculty, and students of Optometry with sustaining members throughout North America, the Caribbean, and Europe.

Dr. Latricia Pack co-authored a textbook chapter on "Soft Lens Care and Patient Education" in the Clinical Manual of Contact Lenses, Fifth Edition, Copyright 2020.

Dr. Latricia Pack attended the annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry in Orlando, FL October 23-26, 2019. She represented NSUOCO as faculty liaison, recruited residents for NSUOCO residency programs, and acquired continuing education hours needed to maintain Oklahoma optometry licensure.

Dr. Matt Krein received his fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry.

Brenda Bradford returned from a Leadership Course for Cultural Heritage Stewards at the Hague. The course was sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute and the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development. Brenda worked closely with the Director of Grants for the Smithsonian, representatives from various ambassadors' offices, and participants from around the world. She was one of ten students selected and the only one from the United States.

Yen & Li at Regional NAFSA Conference

NAFSA: Association of International Educators is a non-profit professional organization serving approximately 10,000 for professionals in all areas of international education. Every year, NAFSA's annual national and regional conferences provide a multitude of educational offerings for international education professionals at all levels of experience and in every specialty. These opportunities help participants develop the knowledge, skills, and ideas needed to better serve their organization or institution and move forward in their professional development.

In early November, Yen Dang - International Student Advisor and Xuan Li - Instructional Coordinator of Asian Programs had an opportunity to present at the annual NAFSA Region III (includes four states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas) conference in Addison, Texas on the topic "Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Small Regional Universities." The presentation received positive feedback from the audience who are professionals in the international education field. "It was a session that touched my heart. The presenters demonstrated a passion for serving our international students," said the reviewer.

NSU Celebrates International Education Week

Northeastern State has more than 30 countries represented on our campus. Not only that, but NSU is actively sending students for educational purposes around the world. NSU joined with the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Education, and many colleges around the nation to celebrate the diversity of our campuses and bring awareness of the opportunities to study abroad.

To celebrate, the NSU International Programs held many events during the week, such as Diwali, a festival of lights held in India to honor Ramachandra, the incarnation of the god Vishnu. Throughout the entire week, the Office of International Programs was at different locations around campus during the morning giving out free international coffees and teas! From Vietnamese and Arabic coffee to Chinese, Indian, Thai, and Japanese Milk teas, we had a little taste of everywhere around the world. The NSU Wah club held a bottomless "Pho Night" fundraiser during International Education Week to share more about pho, or traditional Vietnamese noodles, and the Hmong culture. The Indian movie Dangal was shown in the UC Redbud Room to close out the week. It is about a former wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his two wrestler daughters who struggle towards glory at the Commonwealth Games in the face of societal oppression. Not only did this movie share with students and faculty about Indian culture, but it showed how one can triumph over being a minority in one's culture.

There were many fun, educational experiences during the week. We hope we will see you next year!

Staff Council hosted the first annual Zombie Run on November 1st. The event was held as a fundraiser for the Green and White Scholarship and took place on the Tahlequah campus. More than 40 runners registered for the Zombie themed run, a great turnout for a first time event! Staff Council would like to thank all of the volunteers who made this happen, as well as those who donated supplies/funds.

Academic Spotlight: Dr. Julia Kwok