Academic Times 2020

Dr. Vanessa Anton and teacher candidate, Kierra Warrior, were invited by State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister to participate in the Teacher Table Initiative on November 18th, 2019, in Midwest City. This event was hosted by the State Department of Education and funded by Oklahoma's Council of Chief State School Officers. The purpose of the event was to celebrate teachers and to gather feedback for the creation of a survey for teachers to gather information on recruitment.

Teacher Education held their Teacher Induction ceremonies in Tahlequah and Broken Arrow on November 14 and November 15, 2019.

Dr. Vanessa Anton, Dr. Kathy Seibold, and Dr. Tracy Thompson traveled to New Orleans December 2-4, 2019, to attend Technical Assistance and Proposal Writing Workshops. The U.S. Department of Education advertised these workshops provided by the Council for Opportunity in Education to assist with writing the SSS/TRIO proposals.

Dr. Alesha Baker, NSU faculty member in the Library Media and Information Technology Master of Science Program, published an article in the Education and Self Development Journal titled, Using Open Educational Resources and Technology Enhanced Learning for Teacher Professional Development in Ugandan Schools." The publication was a collaborative effort with Dr. Chancey Bosch from Oral Roberts University and Dr. Joshua Baker from Tulsa Community College. The article was published in December 2019 and is openly licensed so that it can be accessed and used for free.

Dr. Chen has been selected to receive the Ernest W. Johnson Excellence in Research Writing In-Training Award for the article titled Possible contributions of ipsilateral pathways from the contralesional motor cortex to the voluntary contraction of the spastic elbow flexors in stroke survivors: a TMS study. The award recognizes the best paper published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (AJPM&R) each year. He will be recognized and a monetary award will be presented at ISPRM 2020, the ISPRM World Congress and AAP Annual Meeting on Sunday, March 8, 2020 at 8 am during the AAP Awards program.

Samantha Benn-Duke was selected as a Fulbright-Hays Jordan Group Project Abroad. She will spend this semester on reading, language, and preparation, and spend the month of June in Jordan.

Sherry Been and Meagan Moreland presented at the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers Corpus Christi.

Dr. Vanessa Anton received a $1,000 check to assist with scholarships for education students on December 10, 2019.

Twelve students in Regina Wylie's Teach Oklahoma group from Spiro High School visited NSU's College of Education on December 4, 2019. This collaborative effort provided the students with a snapshot of some of the exciting things happening at NSU for teacher training. In conjunction with presentations from Lauryn Hyles(Graduate Student Worker) and Lead STEAM Associate Karen Scruggs (Student Worker), they toured the STEAM Maker Lab and the Robotics Lab where they enjoyed hands-on exploration of a variety of science and engineering kits and other emerging technologies. Dr. Tobi Thompson, Brackett Endowed Chair of Reading and Director of the Cappi Wadley Reading and Technology Center, led them on a tour of the Reading Clinic and shared with them the importance of the clinic's outreach to the community and how it is used in the teacher preparation programs at NSU. Students also toured a Social Studies Strategies class in session for a quick walk through and visit with the teacher candidates, led by Dr. Samantha Benn-Duke, Assistant Professor of Elementary Education. The Spiro students toured the sign language classroom where they enjoyed a presentation from Dr. Kelli Carney, Eddings Endowed Chair of Recruitment and Retention in Education and Associate Professor, showcasing all programs in the College of Education. Student feedback was very positive. If you know of a high school group who would like to take a tour similar to this, please let Dr. Carney know.

Dr. Min Chi has co-authored manuscripts published and available online early last December 2019. Tu, W. M., Yan, M. C., Li, Q, & Watts, J. (2019). Attitudes toward disabilities among students in college settings: A multidimensional scaling analysis with biplot. Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counseling, 25, 79-95.

Dr. Christopher Flavin, Associate Professor of English, authored a book titled Constructions of Feminine Identity in the Catholic Tradition: Inventing Women. The book examines the ways in which late classical medieval women's writings serve as a means of emphasizing both faith and social identity within a distinctly Christian, and later Catholic, tradition, which remains a major part of the understanding of faith and the self. Flavin focuses on key texts from the lives of desert saints and the Passio Perpetua to the autobiographies of Counter-Reformation women like Teresa of vila to illustrate the connections between the self and the divine.

Christopher Murphy, Associate Professor of English authored a poetry piece titled Fender, Caddy, Finn, Fenderthat was published in Spartan, a journal of minimalist prose. The piece is a semi-autobiographical tale about a lonely man and puppy companion. He also published a second piece titled The Ladies at the Armorywith Ghost Parachute.

Dr. Whitney Myers, Assistant Professor of Music, performed with guest artist Kathryn Frady and pianist Farren Mayfield in a presentation titled Shakespeare Recital. The two sopranos presented works by Verdi, Korngold, Strauss, Pasatieri, and Gounod. The music was based on Shakespeare's Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and his Sonnets.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, attended the Kansas Thespian Festival in Wichita. At the festival she participated in workshops in Costuming and Directing as well as adjudicated student auditions.

Tamara Hryshchuk just completed her dissertation entitled "High-fidelity simulation in a Neonatal Resuscitation Program: A Randomized Control Trial." Tamara's EdD is from Bradley University in Peoria, IL. Please join the nursing program in congratulating Dr. Hryshchuk!

Dr. Martha Parrott, Professor of Mathematics, provided mathematical mindset training to corporate partners who mentor math students in the greater Tulsa area on Friday, November 1, 2019, University of Tulsa.

Dr. Martha Parrott presented "Lessons Learned to Sustain a Course Level Service-Learning Experience" at the 12th Annual Oklahoma Service-Learning Conference: Intersections of Collaboration in Community Engagement, November 8, 2019.

Naixue (Neal) Xiong, Associate Professor of Computer Science, has had two papers accepted for publication: 3D Augmented Convolutional Network for Time Series Data and A New Node-based Concept for Solving the Minimal Path Problem in General networks.

Tom Rink has been elected (by acclamation) to a three-year term (Chair-elect, Chair, and Past Chair) of the Academic Division of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) beginning in January 2020.

Librarians Dr. Erica K. Argyropoulos, Mr. Karl G. Siewert, and Ms. Sarah Burkhead Whittle have been elected to serve on the executive board for the Oklahoma chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries (OK-ACRL) throughout 2020. Dr. Argyropoulos will serve as an At-large Board Member, Mr. Siewert will continue his term as Webmaster, and Ms. Whittle will serve as Secretary.

Head of Archives and Special Collections Brenda Bradford has been invited and accepted a board member position with the Tahlequah Arts Council. Additionally, Bradford was awarded a recent grant from the Oklahoma Department of Libraries for an onsite Preservation Assessment of Archives and Special Collections by a third party preservation expert and 250.00 dollars of archival supplies. This assessment lays the groundwork towards applying for environmental grant opportunities beneficial to protecting the collections.

Brandon Martin was selected to serve on the 2020 WMS Community Leadership Team for a two-year term beginning in January 2020. This team organizes community meetings, advises OCLC (a nonprofit global library cooperative) for special event topics, and fosters community conversation through the OCLC Community Center.

The Office of International Programs continues to bring in new students from all over the world to NSU. We also have a number of students transferring from our local community colleges and universities to finish their degrees here at NSU. Our office continues to be involved with recruitment at the community college level by attending Transfer Fairs and by participating in NSU Days at several Oklahoma Community Colleges. We are excited every semester about our new students and look forward to many more to come.

Our visits this semester will included Tulsa Community College, Oklahoma City Community College, Carl Albert State College, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Seminole State College, Eastern Oklahoma State College, Murray State in Oklahoma, Northern Oklahoma College, Northwest Arkansas Community College in Arkansas, and Crowder College in Missouri. NSU works closely with all these schools to make transferring a simple process for the international students.

Throughout the year, we continue to search for great students to bring to NSU. We look forward to the new student connections. It is an honor to bring the world to NSU and watch our international population grow.

Award Name: American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES Spring 2020)
Award Dates: 12/05/2019 - 04/30/2020
Award Amount: $1,500
Project Director: Ms. Alisa Douglas
Funding Agency: Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma EPSCoR through National Science Foundation
Purpose: To assist (2) students with travel expenses to the 2020 AISES Leadership Summit in Temecula, California and (6) students to the AISES Region IV conference in Okmulgee, Oklahoma.

Award Name: NSU-Mechanism of ATF5 Addition in Breast Cancer 2020
Award Dates: December 20, 0219 December 31, 2020
Award Amount: $111,138.00
Project Director: Dr. David Liu
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Purpose: To research the ATF5 survival in breast cancer cells. To understand how ATF5 is uniquely required for the survival of breast cancer cells which will reveal new vulnerabilities of cancer cells thus help to design strategies for their selective construction.

Award Name: Get Green for Blue Summer Academy 2020
Award Dates: December 18, 2019 June 30, 2020
Award Amount: $14,400
Project Director: Dr. Pamela Christol and Dr. Martha Parrott
Funding Agency: Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE)
Purpose: To offer a multidisciplinary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Summer Academy Program. The primary goals are to instill in the participants a passion for lifelong learning: to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, motivations, and commitment to make informed decisions as members of society; and to enhance teamwork, leadership, and communication skills.

Award Name: Summer Academy 2020 RACE to Space with NASA
Award Dates: December 18, 2019 June 30, 2020
Award Amount: $24,000
Project Director: Ms. Barbara Fuller
Funding Agency: Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE)
Purpose: To engage entering 8th through 12th grade students in various STEM activities designed to increase college attendance and participation in STEM fields. The Academy seeks to broaden participation of underrepresented populations in STEM fields through a commuter university summer experience.

NSU College of Education Celebrates Three New Endowed Chairs
All three endowed chairs in the Northeastern State University College of Education were filled by different faculty members for the first time during the spring of 2020. Endowed Chair Receptions were held in Broken Arrow and in Tahlequah on February 4 and February 6 respectively. This move means great things are in store for NSU, because each chair has unique goals that will benefit the college and the community. We are so excited and grateful for this opportunity to serve our students, faculty and the community, said College of Education Dean Dr. Vanessa Anton. These three faculty are dedicated professionals who have a long history of utilizing their strengths and creativity to serve others.

Dr. Kelli Carney is the Eddings Endowed Chair of Recruitment & Retention in Education. Her focus is to build and cultivate partnerships with schools and community groups in order to support recruitment and retention of education students.

Dr. Kurt Thomas Choate is the NOPFA Endowed Chair of Faculty Development & College Excellence. His focus is to oversee grant and research development within the college. He'll build relationships on behalf of the college, become a liaison between the college and the university grant office, and serve as point person for the college's research projects.

Dr. Tobi Thompson is the Dr. Susan E. Brackett Endowed Chair of Reading. Her focus is to ensure area children have opportunities to improve their reading skills by facilitating tutoring opportunities, supporting a lectureship series to bring experts to NSU, and providing post-graduation support to in-service teachers.

Leisure Park

On January 16th Dr. Cindi Fries, Dr. Jericho Hobson, and numerous NSU Teacher Candidates facilitated various robotics and coding activities for more than 250 students and families at Leisure Park Elementary.

TTC Visit

On January 24th Dr. Jericho Hobson welcomed TTC students to the NSUBA STEAM Maker Lab to participate in a variety of robotics and coding activities.

Women in STEM Conference

On February 13th Dr. Jericho Hobson, Dr. Cindi Fries, and numerous NSU Teacher Candidates facilitated various robotics and coding activities for more than 60 students, in two sessions at the Women in STEM Conference on the NSUBA campus.

SL students have been very active in the Deaf Community recently!

In December they participated in TSHA's (United Way Deaf Service Agency) annual Children's Holiday Party, featuring a Deaf Santa and signing Mrs. Claus. Approximately 170 Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and their families were served at this event. Our students set up two carnival-style games and really enjoyed their time interacting with the families.

On February 7th, ASL students attended a Tulsa Town Hall Lecture at the Tulsa PAC. The presentation was given by Deaf Oscar-Winning Actress, Marlee Matlin and her acting mentor Henry Winkler. Marlee shared her story and experiences as a Deaf American as well as her acting journey. Our students were also able to attend a special student forum with the Deaf Community icon.

Our ASL student organization is reaching out to the Deaf Community and ASL students from other institutions to join them for "Deaf Coffee Chats". These social exchanges allow ASL students to interact with each other as well as native ASL users.

We have even bigger things coming soon! I can't wait to share what this amazing group of students has planned in the upcoming months!

Dr. Tobi Thompson and Dr. Ingrid Massey provided professional development to elementary school teachers in Tahlequah Public Schools on January 6th. Teachers in attendance learned more about the science of reading, assessing and teaching phonological and phonemic awareness, and planning and conducting guided reading lessons. Drs. Thompson and Massey will continue to provide assistance to reading teachers in the district throughout the semester.

Dr. Mark Paulissen gave two presentations at the Ninth World Congress of Herpetology at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand in January. The first presentation was titled: Time of year affects study of gut microbiota of the lizard Sceloporus consobrinus (Phrynosomatidae) and was co-authored with former NSU biology faculty Cindy Cisar. The second presentation was titled: Aggressive behaviors and their effect on resource use by female Little Brown Skinks, Scincella lateralis and was co-authored with former NSU Honors Student Laura Myers.

The College of Science and Health Professions hosted Nobel Laureate Dr. Robert Grubbs on February 7th. Dr. Grubbs gave a lecture over his prize winning work entitled "Design and Applications of Olefin Metathesis Catalysis" as part of the Biology and Chemistry Seminar Series. Dr. Grubbs then met with students and faculty to discuss ongoing research at NSU.

Dr. Pamela Christol, Professor of Science Education, and Dr. Martha Parrott, Professor of Mathematics, were awarded an Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Summer Academy grant titled, Get Green for Blue: Outdoor STEM Investigations Connecting Water to You. This STEM program is open to students entering the 8th through the 10th grades and will be held on the Broken Arrow campus from June 22-26, 2020.

Dr. Jody Buckholtz, Associate Professor of Chemistry, gave a seminar on improving success in recruitment of Native American Undergraduates to STEM Graduate Programs at the University of Arkansas on January 31.

Dr. Martha Parrott, Professor of Mathematics, presented at the Women in STEM Conference on February 13 in Broken Arrow with her students Catie Boone, Molly Gabbert, and Anne Heine. The presentation highlighted how to develop and sustain critical STEM process skills through a mathematics lens.

Brenda Bradford, Head of Archives and Special Collections has been named an NSU Centurion 2020. A Northeastern State University Centurion is an individual whose leadership and commitment, in the course of helping others, has made a significant impact during the university's history. The honors are given to NSU alumni, faculty, staff, students or any member of the NSU community whether past or present who impacted the life of the nominator, the Northeastern community or the public at large.

Brandon Martin presented two online webinars in January & February 2020 on behalf of OCLC. The first was co-presented with James Dodd, titled Taking Control of Your Collection: Using Digby & WMS Reports to Clean Up Your Stuff, and was a reprisal of their popular 2019 OCLC WMS Global User Group meeting presentation in Dublin, Ohio. The second was a solo presentation titled Say Yes to the Request: Managing e-resource terms with WorldShare License Manager and Tipasa integrations.

Award Name: Restoring and Reclaiming Indigenous Agriculture 2020
Award Dates: January 1, 2020 December 31, 2020
Total Award Amount: $69,699
Project Director: Ms. Sara Barnett-Nsakashalo
Funding Agency: Native American Agriculture Fund

Purpose: To provide aspiring and amateur American Indian farmers training in permaculture design, with an emphasis on traditional/Indigenous practices. The project will increase participants' awareness and understanding of job opportunities in permaculture design, agritourism, and economic opportunities in Indigenous foods/restaurants.

Academic Spotlight: Xuan Li

Dr. Jericho Hobson, Dr. Cindi Fries, and teacher candidates within the College of Education presented 'Code your day - The life of a Middle School Student' to middle school students at Sequoyah Middle School in Broken Arrow.

Anita Ede was interviewed for Tulsa Kid's Magazine March issue. The title of the article was Preschool: Choosing a Place to Grow.

On March 6th, Ms. Kim Church, Mrs. Kim Phillips, and Dr. Jericho Hobson presented at Oklahoma Research Day. Dr. Ingrid Massey attended to support her Master's of Education in Reading student, Ms. Erin Swanson-Shepherd, and her fellow College of Education faculty.

Dr. Lisa Bisogno, Associate Dean of the College of Education, and Dr. Kelli Carney, Associate Professor/Eddings Endowed Chair of Recruitment & Retention in Education, presented all College of Education programs to students enrolled in the Teacher Prep program at Tri County Tech in Bartlesville on 3/9/2020.

Broken Arrow High School's Teach Oklahoma class and their teacher, Lesa Moore, toured the Tahlequah campus on 3/11/2020. Dr. Kelli Carney, Eddings Endowed Chair or Recruitment & Retention in Education/ Associate Professor provided a presentation overview of all COE programs, they toured the Reading Clinic with Janine Price, Literacy Center Administrative Assistant, and they participated in a poetry activity in Dr. Samantha Benn-Duke's LIBM 4023 class. The students were treated to lunch in the Market Cafe.

The University Singers, under the direction of Dr. Jeffery Wall and NSU Opera Workshop, under the direction of Dr. Whitney Myers, engaged in a performance and recruiting tour to Dallas January 30 through February 4. They performed as prelude choir for the North Texas Children's Chorus at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. They also performed at St. Stephen Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth. Other high school recruiting performances included Moore High School, Horn High School (Mesquite), North Mesquite High School, and Flower Mound High School.

Dr. Whitney Myers, Assistant Professor of Music, served as site coordinator for the OSSAA regional choral contest and vocal solo/ensemble contest at NSU February 25th and 29th, respectively.

Dr. Jeffery Wall, Associate Professor of Music, served the Southwestern divisional conference of the American Choral Directors Association as choral performance liaison in Little Rock, connecting the performing honor choirs for performance and musical-philosophical exchanges.

Dr. Christopher Weaver, Assistant Professor of Political Science, was selected as the 2020 NSU Honors Program Professor of the Year. Weaver was honored at the Honors Program assembly held on campus.

Dr. Christopher Clark, Assistant Professor of History, authored an article published in a widely distributed American Educational Research Association journal, Educational Researcher. The piece was also featured on the journal's main webpage. The same article was later featured in Education Week alongside an interview with Dr. Clark.

Dr. Christian Bester, Assistant Professor of Music, sang the title role in Heartland Opera Theatre's production of Gianni Schicchi in Joplin Missouri. This was the company's 21st season.

Dr. Jim Lindroth, Associate Professor of Music, judged the OSSAA Band Solo and Small Ensemble Festival at Sapulpa H.S. and the OSSAA Large Group Band Festival at Owasso H.S.

Dr. Brian Cowlishaw, Professor of English, presented a Great Decisions lecture at the Muskogee Public Library on the topic of India and Pakistan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the status of the Jammu/Kashmir region.

Dr. Virginia Whitekiller, Professor of Social Work, led her Social Work Senior Seminar class in conducting two educational presentations during the month of March at the Wisdom Keepers Senior Housing in Tahlequah. Two groups, comprised of graduating seniors, shared information on two distinct topics: "Eating Healthy on a Budget" and "Practicing Good Cognitive Health."

Scott Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, attended the Region 6 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Abilene, TX, with drama students selected to present their work at the festival. The students presented work from Pursley's fall production of She Kills Monsters by Qui Nyugen.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, alongside Hannah Truitt, Coordinator of the Sequoyah Institute, arranged for drama students from NSU, Tahlequah High School, and Stilwell High School the opportunity to engage with Broadway actress Jeri Sager in a workshop on using your voice on stage.

Dr. Iain Anderson, Professor History, is the recipient of the 2020 Honors Program Legacy Award. The legacy award goes to the Professor that has the biggest impact on his/her students. At its January meeting, all the students in the program voted for who they thought should have won.

Dr. Carolyn Cox, Assistant Professor of Social Work, was awarded the honor of being named Oklahoma Social Worker of the Year by the National Association for Social Workers.

Dr. Ernst Bekkering, Associate Professor of Computer Science, and Dr. Neal Xiong submitted the research paper An Agricultural System to More Accurately Recognize Crop diseases, WeiJian Hu, Jie Fan, BaoShan Li, N. Xiong, YongXing Du Guangjie Han, Ernst Bekkering, Athanasios V. Vasilakos, MDFC-ResNet: IEEE TII, submitted, TII-20-1007.

Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo and Dr. Richard Hasenauer have been awarded 2020 DaVinci Fellowships. Dr. Spence Pilcher was selected as a 2020 DaVinci Creativity Education Assessment Fellow. They will be recognized at an Awards Ceremony on April 3 in Oklahoma City.

Dr. Richard Hasenauer, Associate Professor of Mathematics, gave an invited address Class (semi)groups and atomicity in Prufer domains at the International Conference on Mathematics and Statistics on February 6, 2020. The conference was at The American University Sharjah in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Dr. Richard Hasenauer was awarded the DaVinci Fellowship to work on applications to cryptography of factorization in Prufer domains.

Dr. Martha Parrott, Professor of Mathematics, presented at the Sonia Kovalevsky STEM conference on March 6th in Tulsa with her students Catie Boone, Molly Gabbert, and Ladonna Ashe. The presentation highlighted how to develop and sustain critical STEM process skills.

Dr. Mark Paulissen is co-author of an article that was just published in American Museum Novitates. The title of the article is:" Hybridization between Whiptail Lizards in Texas: Aspidoscelis laredoensis and A. Gularis, with Notes on Reproduction of a Hybrid" and was co-authored with CJ Cole and HC Dessauer of the American Museum of Natural History and JM Walker of the University of Arkansas. It documents the first instance of a hybrid between two species of lizards reproducing in captivity.

Dr. Spence Pilcher is serving as the subject matter expert for a Quality Matters review of an online chemistry course from Cal State-Eastbay.

Deb Hyde volunteered to teach a mini lesson to Sara Swaim's international ESL student group so they could practice note-taking skills in a real time setting. She presented a lecture on Meteorology. Dr. Mia Revels coordinated The Nature Conservancy Nickel Preserve Winter Bird Count on February 1. Former and current NSU students participated, as well as local birders, and a van load of students from Missouri. 60 bird species were seen and great fun was had by all. The data from these bi-annual counts is used for habitat management on the preserve.

Dr. Mia Revels presented her Northern Saw-whet Owl research to a very receptive audience at the Oxley Nature Center in Tulsa on Saturday, February 8. The research was conducted by Dr. Revels and her Masters student, Abbey Ramirez from 2016-2018 and is in the process of being published in the Oklahoma Ornithological Society Bulletin.

Dr. Mia Revels presented her Northern Saw-whet Owl research to a very receptive audience at the Oxley Nature Center in Tulsa on Saturday, February 8. The research was conducted by Dr. Revels and her Masters student, Abbey Ramirez from 2016-2018 and is in the process of being published in the Oklahoma Ornithological Society Bulletin.

Dr. Naixue (Neal) Xiong, Associate Professor of Computer Science, and Dr. Ted Ward, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, submitted the research paper IoT-Driven Robust Vehicle Detection Method for Intelligent Traffic Surveillance Systems in Smart Cities, Zhiyuan Wang, J. Huang, N. Xiong, Ted Ward, IEEE Internet of Things, IoT-10204-2020.

Dr. Neal Xiong submitted the research paper "Anomaly Detection Based on Convolutional Recurrent Autoencoder for IoT Time Series," Chunyong Yin, Sun Zhang, Jin Wang, Neal N. Xiong (the corresponding author in this paper) IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems, Print ISSN: 2168-2216, Online ISSN: 2168-2232, Digital Object Identifier: 10.1109/TSMC.2020.2968516.

RESTORING AND RECLAIMING INDIGENOUS AGRICULTURE PROJECT (FUNDED BY THE NATIVE AMERICAN AGRICULTURE FUND)

Northeastern State University's Center for Tribal Studies has received nearly $70,000 in funding through the Native American Agriculture Fund for its Restoring and Reclaiming Indigenous Agriculture Project. As part of the project, CTS is hosting an eight-day intensive training for thirty participants at Camp Sevenstar on Lake Tenkiller on March 14-21 to teach aspiring and amateur American Indian farmers about permaculture design with an emphasis on traditional, indigenous practices. CTS received an overwhelming level of interest in the program from the community, collecting over twice as many applicants as there were slots for participants in this program. Participants will share their final project, a permaculture design for a local space, at a public presentation on campus on March 28th. Participants will reconnect with cultural knowledge as it relates to the development of individual gardens and farms, traditional foods, sustainability and food sovereignty. They'll also learn about job and economic opportunities related to permaculture design, agri-tourism and indigenous foods. CTS has partnered with the American Indian Resource Center, Oklahoma Farmers and Ranchers Association, Pawnee Nation College, Tahlequah Farmers Market and the Tahlequah Community Garden for this project. The project is being led by Dr. Tiffanie Hardbarger, faculty member in the Cherokee and Indigenous Studies Department.

**The first training date was held on March 7, but the residential portion of the training scheduled for March 14-21 had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The training will likely be rescheduled for late summer/early fall 

Sarah Burkhead Whittle, Librarian & Resource Coordinator for the College of Education (Tahlequah), traveled to Dallas March 6-7 to attend the North Texas Teen Book Festival, to attend workshops led by over two dozen middle grade and young adult authors, where they shared the best new books for readers and focus on practical and exciting ways to engage young readers from upper elementary through high school.

On February 27, the Office of International Programs hosted the event The stories behind the numbers explanation of the coronavirus in China in the basement of UC. Tables were set up to bring awareness about the coronavirus epidemic in China with pictures and stories focusing on what people in China did to stop the coronavirus. OIP staff members and international students also shared the CDC guidelines on how to prevent getting coronavirus.

We want to share what people on the other side of the world did to fight against the coronavirus, not only tell people how many confirmed cases each day, but also their stories," said Xuan Li, Instructional Coordinator for Asian Programs.

Award Name: OHC Willmoore Kendall: Tribune and Teacher 2020
Award Dates: February 11, 2020 October 15, 2020
Award Amount: $500.00
Project Director: Dr. Christopher Owen
Funding Agency National Endowment for the Humanities through Oklahoma Humanities
Purpose: To continue research on Willmoore Kendall, culminating in the eventual publication of Willmoore Kendall's biography and public presentation on the Kendall-Sibley debate at the Miami Public Library.

Award Name: OHC The Politics of Revenge 2020
Award Dates: February 11, 2020 October 15, 2020
Award Amount: $500.00
Project Director: Dr. Denis Vovchenko
Funding Agency National Endowment for the Humanities through Oklahoma Humanities
Purpose: To conduct research at the Russian State Military Archive in Moscow.

Academic Spotlight: Dr. Virginia Whitekiller

Academic Spotlight: Dr. Sydney Dorrough

Dr. Vanessa Anton, Dr. Lisa Bisogno, Dr. Meagan Moreland, and Dr. Tracy Thompson presented 'Grow Your Own Teachers': A University's Unique Partnership with Multiple Local School Districts at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) in Atlanta, GA.

Kim Phillips presented a virtual presentation last week at OU-Tulsa and had a poster presentation. It was titled:

• The Invisible Inmates: A Qualitative Study on How Children Serve Time Along with Their Incarcerated Mothers by Kimberly Phillips

Dr. Jason Proctor (Assistant Professor for Curriculum and Instruction, Teacher Education) and Ms. Tonya Garrett (Director of Assessment for College of Education) attended the Research Council on Mathematics Learning (RCML) conference March 5-7 in Las Vegas. Dr. Proctor presented highlights and findings from his dissertation; Ms. Garrett presented preliminary findings from her dissertation. Additionally, they attended other sessions and learned some new research-based ideas to bring into their future courses and research. This conference is highly recommended for anyone interested in mathematics education and research.

Dr. Jim Ferrell was accepted to present at the national Phi Delta Conference in Washington D.C. His presentation was entitled "What Story do the Numbers Tell? How to Analyze School Data through an Antiracist Equity Lens." Unfortunately the conference had to be cancelled due to the current pandemic. Included here is a synopsis of what his presentation was to be:

Given the increasing diversity in public schools today, district leaders can find themselves struggling to address both implicit and explicit forms of racism. While having discussions concerning racial issues is often met with silence or criticism, when racism is addressed, it is done so superficially or lacking an approach that could lead to systemic change. One way to overcome the structural and systemic inequities in schools is through a comprehensive analysis of school data. By analyzing school data through an antiracist equity lens, district leaders can begin to understand how students are negatively impacted by racist policies and procedures and begin a healing and transformative process. In this interactive session, participants will understand how various forms of school data can be analyzed through what we have termed an antiracist equity lens. After an initial discussion explaining key antiracist concepts, participants will be provided with sample data and placed in groups where they will analyze the data and report on any possible equity issues revealed through their analyses. Groups will report out at the end of the session before a Q & A.

NSU's Chris Clark Article Accepted to Educational Researcher

Chris Clark, assistant professor at Northeastern State University, and coauthors, Mardi Schmeichel and H. James Garrett, researchers at the University of Georgia, had their research study published to Educational Researcher on March 4, 2020.

Clark's colleagues, while redesigning their courses for the Social Studies Education program at UGA, proposed a question regarding how teachers felt about news sources during a fake news era.

This study was the first to document the relationship between the ideology and media preferences of social studies teachers. The researchers found similarities amongst teachers who identified as conservative to those who identify as liberal.

Their study is titled Social Studies Teacher Perceptions of News Source Credibility and can be read for free at the American Educational Research Association website. It is anticipated for print publication later this year.

For more information, email Clark at clark106@nsuok.edu. To access the study for free, visit https://www.aera.net/Newsroom/Social-Studies-Teacher-Perceptions-of-News-Source-Credibility.

NSU RiverHawks Weekly April 27, 2020

Lance Hunter, Professor of Art, received the Gold Award (Best in Show) in the Mid- Southern Watercolorists 50th Annual Juried Exhibition. The exhibition was scheduled to open at the Galleries at Library Square in Little Rock on March 13th but was closed days before. Hunter's painting, "Without Reason", is featured on the cover of the printed exhibition catalog and the MSW website online. The MSW show is scheduled to run until June 27th and may still open if the situation improves.

Hunter also received the Ralph Smith Memorial Award for his painting "Toxic Beauty II" in the 153rd Annual International Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society in NYC. This exhibition was cancelled after being hung. Lance's work is featured as an award winner on the AWS website and the website has an online link to a YouTube presentation of the entire exhibition. "Toxic Beauty II" was selected for the AWS Traveling Exhibition which usually starts after the NYC show closes. The painting is scheduled to travel to six art centers and museums around the country over the next twelve months and at this time has not been cancelled.

Dr. Jennifer Edwards, Professor of Sociology, received the Jane Addams Award for Outstanding Service from the Midwest Sociological Society. This award is given to individuals who engage in service to women and girls at the university and in the community.

ACTIVITIES AFFECTED BY THE COVID-19 CRISIS:

Dr. Farina King, Assistant Professor of History and an affiliate of Cherokee and Indigenous Studies, as the Vice-President of the Southwest Oral History Association (SOHA) served as the co-chair of the program committee that organized the SOHA 2020 annual conference. SOHA was founded in 1981 to serve practitioners of oral history throughout the American Southwest and contiguous regions. Through publications, meetings, workshops and special events, SOHA supports and promotes oral history as a method for exploring and recording history, culture, and current experiences in the Southwest. Dr. King helped to develop the 2020 theme of Home(Lands) and Oral Histories of (Re)Vitalization for the original conference dates scheduled for March 27-29, 2020, at the Lied Library on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The conference has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Katie Thomas, Instructor of Communication Studies, was awarded top paper in the Forensics and Argumentation Division at the Central States Conference. The conference was cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Dr. Denis Vovchenko, Associate Professor of History, coordinated an event for the History Club and the Phi Alpha Theta history honor society to travel to Miami, OK to watch a silent movie ("Go West" with Buster Keaton) in the historic Coleman Theater. The groups were awarded funds from NSGA for the trip. The activity was cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The Department of Languages and Literature planned the annual Visions Conference for April 2020). The conference was postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Center for Tribal Studies and Native American Support Center Host Open Forum

Tom Rink has been appointed to the Editorial Board of Practical Academic Librarianship: the International Journal of the Special Libraries Association, an open access, peer reviewed journal that launched in 2011. In addition to serving on this board, Tom will also serve as a peer-reviewer for the content of this journal.

Tom Rink's name will be on the spring ballot of Beta Phi Mu, International (The International Library and Information Studies Honor Society). He will be running for the position of Vice-President/President-Elect.

International Alumni Spotlight

Hi y'all! This is Song, who graduated in May 2019 at NSU. I am working at University of Nebraska at Omaha, Nebraska after graduation. I have always thought NSU is a small but nice university throughout the five years I was there. After graduation and working at a bigger city for one year, this impression is not faded away but only gets reconfirmed. NSU is just the right size with an extremely convenient commuting distance, the up-to-date teaching/learning devices, and professional university employees. I did not really feel Homecoming when I was there but now I would say, going back to visit NSU is definitely on my bucket list. NSU has made it where I will go back HOME sooner or later after I left.

Yue Song (second from left).

The Office of International Programs has begun holding live Zoom Q&A sessions to provide support and guidance during this time to our international students. We have had several students attend and look forward to continuing holding more sessions throughout the remainder of the semester and into the summer.

Award Name: Indian Country Counts 2020
Award Dates: March 6, 2020 May 1, 2020
Award Amount: $2,500
Project Director: Brian Barlow
Funding Agency National Congress of American Indians

Purpose: The Native American Support Center will promote census activities on the NSU Tahlequah campus while pairing activities with their civic engagement programming and NSC Expert Panel Discussion and Resource Fair. This will connect/engage conversations regarding importance of 2020 Census.

Academic Spotlight: Michelle Farris

Kim, S., Kim, J., Yan, M. C., & Kang, V. Y. (in press). Korean American mother's perceptions of self-determination of primary school children with autism. Journal of International Special Needs Education.

Kim Phillips received $1600 PAN grant to present research related to her dissertation and faculty research grant at the International Delta Kappa Gamma Conference in Philadelphia on July 7-11.

Dr. Farina King, Assistant Professor of History, launched a Din Doctor History Syllabus that she is developing and working on continually to share and feature materials related to Navajo histories of disease and healing. If folks have any suggestions or come across sources/resources/etc. please let her know. Ah hee'!

Dr. King was also offered a short term residency to teach about Native American History in Japan for two weeks through the Organization of American Historians and Japanese Association of American Studies. She was originally planning to have her residency this summer, but it has been postponed to the summer of 2021 due to the pandemic.

Dr. John McIntosh, Assistant Professor of Geography, was presented an award by the Center for Teaching and Learning for his work with Technology Innovations for Teaching and Learning.

Cassie Friese, Instructor of Media Studies, as faculty advisor for The Northeastern, led the campus paper's team of students to earn six awards at the 2020 Oklahoma College Media Association competition. Awards included first place for Best Overall Newspaper and first place for Best Online Newspaper.

Dr. Christine Hallman, Associate Professor of Geography, was named the 2020 Tiffany Maher Legacy Award winner by the NSGA. Dr. Jennifer Edwards, Professor of Social Work, and Dr. Iain Anderson, Professor of History, were each named a Top Ten RiverHawk at the same awards event.

Dr. David Scott, Professor of Communication, Dr. Mike Chanslor, Dean of Liberal Arts, and Jenny Dixon(NSU alum, currently a professor at Marymount Manhattan College, New York City) had a paper that was submitted competitively and accepted to the Political Communication Division of the National Communication Association Conference this past fall. NCA is the largest and most prestigious professional organization in our communication and media studies discipline. The paper was competitively recognized as a Top Four Paper in Political Communication Research at the conference.

The paper was entitled: "U.S. Presidential Debates 1948-2016: An Issue of Interpersonal Respect and Formality." Many scholars see the contentious 2016 presidential debates as a manifestation of a decline in political civility. This article argues how presidential candidates address one another and other political leaders can reveal long-term shifts in political comity, interpersonal respect, and civility. Using content analytic techniques, this study documents trends in interpersonal address terms (ranging from the use of honorific titles to interpersonal insults) in presidential debates from 1948 to 2016. An availability sample of 210 debates (91% of all presidential debates) and 18,608 coding units reveal an overall statistically significant decline in the use of appropriate honorific titles. On a partisan level, Republican Party candidates had the most extreme disparities, demonstrating a statistically significant lower level of honorific respect during the primary debates in contrast to a higher level of respect during the general election debates. Dissimilarly, Democratic Party candidates demonstrated a more consistent level of honorific respect in both the primary and general election debates. Overall, it is speculated that shifts toward informality may be a prelude to a larger incivility spiral that will continue into the future.

The Special Libraries Association (SLA) owes its success to the many members who give their time, energy, ideas and talent to activities and programs at the community and association levels. Recognizing these individuals is one of the most important things we do, so we're excited to announce our 2020 class of honorees who were nominated by their fellow members for SLA awards.

This year, SLA recognizes 11 members with awards, including Tom Rink, who will be inducted into the SLA Hall of Fame at the SLA Annual Conference in Charlotte, NC in October.

This award is presented to SLA members in good standing at or near the end of their active professional career to recognize service and contributions to the association. Hall of Fame recognition also is granted for lengthy distinguished service to an SLA chapter or division that has contributed to the success of the association.

Hello NSU! This is Dev from India, an MBA grad who never stopped dancing on-campus. I was a shy kid growing up and was not ready to explore the world outside my country. Luckily I got into NSU and the next I knew was that I wasn't the same anymore. I got the opportunity to host 5 cultural events like Holi, Diwali, Desi night in the span of 2 years along with a great learning opportunity inside the classes.

Currently I'm in India working for CISCO as an Analyst. I was an off-road motorcycle enthusiast before joining NSU and had to give it a break until I graduated with the Masters. But, once I was back home and started working, I realised I have to go after my dreams of becoming the National Champion & I was one in 2019. Even though I had a 8-5 job alongside I went on to become a National Champion, how? It's the skills & knowledge that I gained from my experience at NSU on how to manage things & be organised.

One key lesson I learnt at NSU is, If you wanna achieve something, take that first step towards it & the whole world will support you . That's exactly how I was able to host the events with the support of International office, student affairs etc on campus. I had an idea of showing my culture and the whole NSU made it happen. The best years of my life are the ones I spent at NSU.

Devaraj Venkatesh

Award Name: Great Expectations 2020-2021
Award Dates: May 1, 2020 - April 30, 2021
Award Amount: $673,518.00
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: Developing the Nearest Neighbor Model for Bridged Nucleic Acid Duplexes 2020
Award Dates: June 1, 2020 July 31, 2020
Award Amount: $4,257
Project Director: Dr. Sean Kim
Funding Agency: Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education/OK-INBRE
Purpose: The overarching goal of this research is to design highly sensitive probes that are able to discern mutated genes among a large quantity of wild-type (WT) genes. This funding will provide one undergraduate student with one-on-one mentoring and research experience while completing requirements for their degree program.

Award Name: Mcm10 and Mrc1 DNA Damaging Agents 2020
Award Dates: June 14, 2020 August 13, 2020
Award Amount: $5,997
Project Director: Dr. Sapna Das Bradoo
Funding Agency: Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education/OK-INBRE
Purpose: To provide one undergraduate student with faculty mentoring and hands-on research opportunity toward partial fulfillment of degree requirements as well as contributing to the understanding of the functional significance of Mcm10 and Mrc1 interactions.

Award Name: Investigating Cell Cycle Progression in Pol2 Deletion-Yeast 2020
Award Dates: September 1, 2020 September 30, 2020
Award Amount: $2,000
Project Director: Dr. Sapna Das Bradoo
Funding Agency: Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education/OK-INBRE
Purpose: Funds are requested for faculty to travel to the Keystone Symposia 2020: Genome Stability and DNA Repair to present research findings on cell cycle progression in Pol2 deletion mutants in budding yeast.

Congressman Kevin Hern talks about Supply Chain issues, manufacturing, China tarriffs, and more in the inaugural NSU Supply Chain & Logistics Webinar on July 30, 2020. 

The Cappi Wadley Reading and Technology Center hosted a Literacy First workshop July 21 - 24. Over 20 area teachers attended the workshop and learned best practices for assessment and data-driven instruction in literacy.  

Drs. Ingrid Massey and Tobi Thompson presented workshops to teachers in Maryetta covering dyslexia and working with struggling readers. Dr. Thompson also presented workshops on the same topics to Midway and Vian teachers.  

Drs. Ingrid Massey and Tobi Thompson will be working with Tahlequah Public Schools elementary teachers over the course of this academic year. They will be coaching literacy teachers on effective guided reading techniques. Additionally, Dr. Thompson will be continuing her work with Grand View teachers.  

Dr. Sophia Sweeney and Dr. Katherine Winsett (Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh, NC) published a book chapter titled "Effective Teaching." The chapter is in the book Higher Education Response to Exponential Societal Shifts, edited by Dr. Jerrid Freeman, Dr. Cari Keller, and Dr. Renee Cambiano of NSU. 

Dan Savage
Chair, Department of Geography and Political Science

A Zoom/Facebook Live discussion of the Supreme Court’s McGirt decision with Federal Defense Attorney Patti Ghezzi, Dean Emeritus of the University of Arkansas Law School, Stacy Leeds, Muskogee Creek Nation Ambassador Jonodev Chaudhuri, and Cherokee Nation Attorney General, Sara Hill took place on August 6 from Noon to 1:12 pm. The discussion was moderated by Sara Barnett and was sponsored by the Center for Tribal Studies, the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, and the Department of Geography and Political Science. It received around 6,000 views and over 100 shares.

Dr. Kimberly Lee, Associate Professor of English, was a featured guest on the radio program Native Americana on KBFT 89.9 FM Bois Forte Tribal Community Radio in July. 

Dr. James Lindroth, Associate Professor of Music, published an article entitled, Staying Focused, in the journal Rhythm Scene published by the Percussive Arts Society in May, 2020.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, performed in a Zoom production of Lysistrata produced by the Evergreen Theatre Collective, a new, USA online based, theatre collective, striving to keep artists active and supported during this time of darkness in theatres everywhere.

Lance Hunter, Professor of Art, was commissioned to design and create a public art mural in downtown Tahlequah. The piece is called “Below the Surface” and Hunter was assisted by two NSU students and one NSU Art alum. The piece can be viewed at the corner of Muskogee Ave and Morgan Street.

Dr. Sophia Leung was chosen by the Optometric Retina Society as one of the Larry Alexander Resident Case Report Contest Winners for 2020. Her submission entitled, “Acute Syphilitic Posterior Placoid Chorioretinitis: A Distinctive Presentation of Early Neurosyphilis” will be published in Review of Optometry.  Dr. Leung will also be publicly recognized at the upcoming American Academy of Optometry Meeting in Nashville where she will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Dr. Sophia Leung is an ocular disease/refractive and ocular surgery resident at the Oklahoma Medical Eye Group (OMEG) in Tulsa.  

Dr. Erica K. Argyropoulos led a panel discussion for the Jewish Studies Interest Group of the Society for American Music at their meeting in July 2020. The roundtable will center upon Jewish American music scholarship and activity in the 21st century.

Beta Phi Mu Honor Society (BPM) is pleased to announce the results of the 2020 elections for new board members and officers. We very much appreciate our members’ willingness to serve and to lead our honor society. 

• Dr. Emily Knox, (University of Illinois, Urban-Champaign, Alpha Chapter), is the new President of our society. 
• Dr. Cecelia Brown (University of Oklahoma, Lambda Chapter) moves to the role of Past President. 
• Tom Rink, (Northeastern State University, Lambda Chapter) is our new Vice President/President Elect. 
• Dr. Vicki Gregory (University of South Florida, Beta Phi Chapter), has been elected to serve a three-year term as Treasurer.
• Camille McCutcheon (University of South Carolina Library, Beta Omega Chapter) has been elected to a second term as Director-at-Large. 
• Dr. Mirah Dow (Emporia State University, Beta Epsilon Chapter) and Jack Fisher (Beta Beta Omicron Chapter) have been newly elected as Directors. They join our continuing board members, Michelle Demeter (New York University Bobst Library, Gamma Chapter), Dr. Gordon Baker (Beta Beta Mu Chapter) and Dr. Laura Saunders (Simmons College, Beta Beta Chapter).

Since 1948, the Beta Phi Mu International Library and Information Studies Honor Society has been recognizing the scholastic achievement and leadership potential of Library and Information Studies graduates, and fostering the values of scholarship, leadership, and service in our members. We are an Affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA) and a certified member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS). Each year we present multiple scholarships and awards for beginning studies in Library and Information Science, continuing education for Beta Phi Mu members, international research, and more. 

For more information, see: Beta Phi Mu Honor Society – https://www.betaphimu.org/ 

New International Student Orientation went virtual this year! The Office of International Programs offered two Zoom sessions to our new students. Topics included F1 status requirements, CPT/OPT, campus employment, health insurance, scholarships, classroom tips, and life in Tahlequah.  A question and answer section was also offered at the end of each session. A webpage was created which allowed students to access the materials and forms needed to participate. As part of our "new normal" life at NSU continues to change, this virtual option will continue to be a part of orientation for our new international students.

Award Name: Alternative Dispute Resolution - Early Settlement East Program 2020-2021
Award Dates: July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021
Award Amount: $92,921.00
Project Director: Mr. Anthony Dickenson
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: OK INBRE RPI II Role of the Mcm10 2019-2020, Yr. 2 of 2.5
Award Dates: May 1, 2020 – April 10, 2021
Award Amount: $156,065
Project Director: Dr. Sapna Das Bradoo
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)/OK INBRE through OUHSC
Purpose: 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: Oklahoma Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence 2019-2020, Yr. 1 of 5
Award Dates: July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021
Award Amount: $77,500
Project Director: Ms. Jenny Cothran
Funding Agency: Oklahoma Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence through the National Institute of Standards and 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: OAC 54th Green Country Jazz Festival 2020-2021
Award Dates: July 1, 2020 – March 1, 2021
Award Amount: $4,255
Project Director: Dr. Clark Gibson
Funding Agency: Oklahoma Arts Council
Purpose: To assist with artist fees for the 54th Annual Green Country Jazz Festival.

Award Name: OAC Performing Arts Series 2020-2021
Award Dates: October 1, 2020 – March 24, 2021
Award Amount: $6,800
Project Director: Ms. Hannah Truitt
Funding Agency: Oklahoma Arts Council
Purpose: To assist with artist fees for the Performing Arts Series 2020-2021.

Award Name: OAC Indigenous Arts Series and Powwow 2020-2021
Award Dates: August 1, 2020 – April 30, 2021
Award Amount: $2,500
Project Director: Sara Barnett
Funding Agency: Oklahoma Arts Council
Purpose: To assist with artist fees for the Indigenous Arts Series and Powwow.

Award Name: OAC NSU Chamber Music Series 2020-2021
Award Dates: July 1, 2020 – February 8, 2021
Award Amount: $1,495
Project Director: Dr. Jeffery Wall
Funding Agency: Oklahoma Arts Council
Purpose: To assist with artist fees for the NSU Chamber Music Series.

Award Name: Inbre Support for Student Research 2020
Award Dates: May 1, 2020 – April 30, 2021
Total Award Amount: $25,696
Project Director: Dr. Jessica Martin
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)/OK Inbre through OUHSC
Purpose: OK-Inbre funds to offset the loss of summer mentoring funding and to provide funds for other student research projects.

Award Name: Alliance for Minority Participation Yr 1 and 2 2019-2021
Award Dates: August 1, 2019 – July 31, 2021
Award Amount: $42,481/year
Project Director: Dr. Jody Buckholtz
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation through Oklahoma State University
Purpose of Award: A subcontract to contribute to the national agenda to increase the number of underrepresented minorities receiving B.S. degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Award Name: OK Inbre Equipment 2020-2021
Award Dates: May 1, 2020 – April 30, 2021
Total Award Amount: $25,000
Project Director: Dr. Janaki Iyer
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)/OK Inbre through OUHSC
Purpose: This instrument will aid in enhancing the research of faculty members at Northeastern State University and will be made available to all faculty members in College of Science and Health Professions. The Synergy H1MF will enhance the mission of the institution by providing students and faculty with access to an innovative, sensitive, and versatile instrument.

Award Name: Synthesis and Characterization of Fluorophore-encapsulated Liposomes 2020-2021
Award Dates: May 1, 2020 – April 30, 2021
Award Amount: $12,384
Project Director: Dr. Janaki Iyer
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)/OK Inbre through OUHSC
Purpose: This collaborative project with OSU College of Veterinary Medicine will aid in learning a new technique that can be used in research as well as providing the knowledge to incorporate the technique in teaching curriculum, while also providing one undergraduate student with hands-on research experience.

Academic Spotlight: Dr. Jericho Hobson

Dr. Vanessa Anton, dean of the College of Education, was named the recipient of this year's Jane Morse Service Award by the Oklahoma Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (OACTE).  This award honors those who have made significant contributions in the field of education and provided outstanding leadership and service.

Dr. Vanessa Anton received a plaque recognizing her year as president of the Oklahoma Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (OACTE) in 2019-2020.  This professional organization is made up of the deans/leaders of the 23 Oklahoma universities that provide teacher education programs across the state.  She will continue to serve on their executive board as past president during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Dr. Lisa Bisogno assisted in hosting the first virtual American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Day on the Hill as a member of the Government Relations & Advocacy Committee on September 9, 10, 15, & 16.  She also co-presented Keeping Educator Preparation at the Forefront in a COVID World with Dr. Larry Daniel, Dean of the University of Texas Permian Basin.

Dr. Jim Ferrell and Dr. Sherry Been are holding a Book Club reading and discussion for the College of Education Common Read, White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin DiAngelo.

October 28
2:00pm
Zoom Link: https://nsuok.zoom.us/j/98169276865

For more information contact: 
Dr. Jim Ferrell at ferrellj@nsuok.edu
Dr. Sherry Been at been@nsuok.edu

Dr. Min-Chi Yan has been accepted to serve as a proposal reviewer for the American Education Research Association (AERA) 2021 annual meeting.

Dr. Ray Hasselman, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, has developed a webinar series of panel discussions focused on the 2020 Pandemic in NE Oklahoma. The first webinar was scheduled for September 25th. Dr. Hasselman moderated the panel discussion which included Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr, Tulsa Deputy Mayor Amy Brown, Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith, and Tahlequah Mayor Sue Catron. 

Dr. Benjamin Hay, Assistant Professor of Music, assisted by collaborative pianist Lyndon Meyer, performed a faculty trumpet recital on August 31. The performance was streamed via the Department of Music's YouTube channel. Dr. Hay performed a program of contemporary works for trumpet and piano that included compositions by Persis Vehar, James Stephenson, Joseph Turrin, and Mirosław Gąsieniec. Dr. Hay also be gave the world premiere of "Go Forth" by James Stephenson during the season opening concert of Tulsa's Signature Symphony. This work was commissioned by a consortium of trumpeters from across the United States to loving memory of Stephen Goforth, a prodigious trumpeter and teacher in the Tulsa area. Stephen passed away suddenly from a tragic accident in early May. Dr. Hay and Dr. Will Koehler (instructor of trumpet and horn at Tulsa Community College) led the effort to commission this new work. The concert took place at the Tulsa Driller's baseball stadium on Saturday, September 19 at 7:30 p.m.

The NSU Trumpet Studio, under the direction of Dr. Benjamin Hay, is collaborating with trumpeters from across the state and the country throughout the Fall 2020 semester. Through the use of Zoom, NSU trumpet students are collaborating with the trumpet studios of the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, and Oklahoma City University to create monthly masterclasses. These classes feature panel discussions with the collective professors as well as performances by students from each studio, respectively. Additionally, the NSU Trumpet Studio will be welcoming guest artists Dr. Christopher Wilson (Principal Trumpet, Pittsburgh Opera) and Dr. Sarah Herbert (Assistant Professor of Trumpet, Western Kentucky University) for masterclasses.

Dr. Farina King, Assistant Professor of History, collaborated with the Museum of Native American History to feature NSU Alum and first Native American female engineer Mary Golda Ross (who has passed on) with her relative Gayle Ross by highlighting Ross's collections at the NSU Archives. The recording of the conversation will be one of the events of this virtual cultural celebration to take place Oct. 1-3.

Dr. Benjamin Kracht, Professor of Sociology, has a new book being published. "Stories from Saddle Mountain: Autobiographies of a Kiowa Family," has been accepted for publication by the University of Nebraska Press. Book release is set for Fall 2021. The book includes the edited and annotated autobiographies of Henrietta Tongkeamha (1912-93) and her son Raymond (1942-), plus an introduction and chapter introductions. This project began three years ago after he learned that Lisa Tongkeamha LaBrada had a copy of her mom's memoirs, written over 50 years ago. After arrangements were made to publish it, he learned that Raymond also had written his life story, which he agreed to include in the book; both provide rich details about Native lifeways in twentieth century southwestern Oklahoma.

The attached photo was taken in late May 2018, after they spent the afternoon looking through family photographs to include in the book. L -> R Dr. Kracht, Carlos and Lisa LaBrada, Raymond Tongkeamha. 

The College of Science and Health Professions acquired a Hitachi H-7000 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) as a donation from the University of Tulsa. The addition of this microscope makes NSU one of two facilities that has electron microscopy capabilities, with resolution near the atomic scale, in Northeastern Oklahoma. Dr. Nathan Green helped to transfer and assemble the TEM with the help of BA facilities. 

Former NSU Honors Student Laura Myers and her faculty mentor Dr. Mark Paulissen, Professor of Biology in the Department of Natural Sciences, submitted a paper entitled: “Aggressive behaviors and their effect on resource use by female Little Brown Skinks, Scincella lateralis” to the JOURNAL OF NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY.

Dr. Janaki Iyer was a panelist at the Bridging the Distance discussion panel and served as moderator for the poster session at the 3rd annual joint meeting of TABERC, Oklahoma Society of Physiologists and Tulsa chapter of Society of Neuroscience.

Mackenzie Bonnewitz, Alissa Eberhard, Shelby Haught, and Alexia Horkley presented posters on their research conducted with Dr. Janaki Iyer at the 3rd annual joint meeting of TABERC, Oklahoma Society of Physiologists and Tulsa chapter of Society of Neuroscience.   

Dr. Janaki Iyer reviewed a manuscript for the journal Cancers, a peer-reviewed open access journal published by MDPI.

Dr. Martha Parrott presented a virtual webinar, "Developing a Growth Mindset Learning Community" to corporate partners, school partners, families and other stakeholders in May 2020.  Her well attended webinar was part of the TRSA Elevate and Educate spring- summer offerings to provide support and encouragement to those navigating implications of COVID-19. 

Dr. Martha Parrott and her colleague Dr. Helen Douglass, University of Tulsa, continued their work virtually in support of their corporate partners as part of the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance Math Mentor U program in June 2020. Summer efforts focused on creating a sustainable, virtual platform for mathematics training resources.    Corporate partners typically spend 30 minutes  a week in various schools encouraging mathematical thinking among students through game play.  Program outcomes show positive student gains not only in academics but also higher daily attendance and lower chronic absenteeism.  

Dr. Martha Parrott delivered professional learning through three summer institutes for math teachers across multiple grade levels in July 2020. These Exponential Growth Mathematics Institutes begin each summer and continue throughout the year with multiple Saturday follow-up sessions.  While typically hosted on the NSU-BA campus, these institutes were transitioned to a virtual format for summer 2020 as a result of COVID-19 but the hope is to return to in-person training again when feasible.  These mathematics institutes are made possible by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, FlightNight, AAON, and the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance.   Due to generous funding for summer 2020, we expanded our offerings from previous summers to impact even more teachers.  

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education has awarded a summer academy grant for mathematics and science in the amount of $14,400 to Dr. Pamela Christol and Dr. Martha Parrott.  This funding for summer 2021 will make possible Get Green for Blue, a STEM outdoor education, water quality- water conservation academy for high school students.     

Dr. Mark Paulissen, Professor of Biology in the Department of Natural Sciences has been invited to submit a paper for publication in a special issue of the journal BEHAVIOUR devoted to Cognition Science in Reptiles. The special issue is scheduled to be published in 2021.

Dr. Neil Xiong published two papers with colleagues. Grant Duvall, Neal Xiong, GAPP: Inventory Tracking Applications in Mobile Networks, IEEE SMC 2020, CA, Oct 2020 & Zhiyuan Wang, Jifeng Huang, Neal N. Xiong, Xiaoping Zhou, Xiao Lin, Theodore Lee Ward: A Robust Vehicle Detection Scheme for Intelligent Traffic Surveillance Systems in Smart Cities. IEEE Access 8: 139299-139312 (2020).

Center for Tribal Studies and Native American Support Center Host Open Forum

The American Indian Higher Education Forum held on Friday, August 28 virtually hosted over thirty participants to discuss approaches for tutoring, mentoring, and student services during COVID-19. Participants included NSU students and tutors, Tribal Higher Education departments, scholarship representatives, and professionals from institutions across the country. Student tutors were able to share their current experiences regarding their duties as tutors, and noted decreases in the number of students that are requesting services, as well as their efforts to make their tutoring sessions accessible in a virtual space. Some discussion amongst professionals and scholarship representatives included making college fairs virtual, exploring options for student engagement other than zoom, and some mandating student involvement in their mentoring programs. The discussion was organized, led and moderated by Sky Wildcat, Student Services Coordinate for the Center for Tribal Studies.

A forum was also held September 25 at 1:30pm. The forum featured student panelists from varying institutions discussing their expectations from institutions during COVID-19, as well as their current experiences. The forum was open to the public.

Study Abroad Association | 360º Global Learning and Virtual Study Abroad

August & September Grants

Academic Spotlight: Dr. Clark Gibson

Dr. Clark Gibson shares about the Jazz Studies Program.

Health and Kinesiology Department

Journal of American College and Health.
The title is "Physical activity facilitators, barriers, and life challenges among Native American freshmen". 
Kristian E. Marshall, MooSong Kim, Maria Kosma & Susan Frusher
To cite this article: Kristian E. Marshall , MooSong Kim , Maria Kosma & Susan Frusher (2020):
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1784905
Published online: 24 Jul 2020.

College of Education

On September 23, 2020, Dr. Vanessa Anton, Dean of the College of Education, presented virtually at the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education's (AACTE) State Leadership Institute.  State leaders from three states (Delaware, Florida, and Oklahoma) shared advocacy activities and resources, and encouraged attendees to think beyond their own state boundaries.  She was joined on the panel by Dr. Carrino Gorowara (Delaware), Dr. Scott Hewitt (Florida) and moderator Dr. Robin Fuxa (Oklahoma).   

Dr. Vanessa Anton served on the Conference Advisory Board for the 2020 Critical and Creative Thinking Conference hosted by the University of South Florida.  In addition, the following faculty presented at the virtual conference held in September 2020:
Barbara Fuller and Dr. Vanessa Anton, 75 minute interactive workshop, Engaging Students in Reflective and Independent Thinking
Dr. Jason Proctor and Dr. Kathy Seibold, 75 minute interactive workshop, Critical & Creative Thinking About Technology Use in PK-12 Classrooms 
Dr. Jaymie VanMeter, Chelsea Threadgill, Veronica Clyburn & Kelly Dunbar Davison, panel presentation, Creating a New World for Expressive Education

Many College of Education faculty recently participated in AACTE's 2020 Washington Week Virtual Conference and the 'Day on the Hill,' to discuss legislative priorities with State Congressman Kevin Hern. Faculty were able to take the opportunity to advocate for the teaching profession and discuss pressing topics in the education field. The Zoom meeting organized by Dr. Lisa Bisogno, representative from OACTE and NSU faculty, was hosted in collaboration with Northeastern State University, Oklahoma State University and East Central University faculty representatives. Participants included (from left to right in picture) Dr. Robin Fuxa, OSU; Dr. Lisa Bisogno, NSU; Dr. Jericho Hobson, NSU: Dr. Renee Cambiano, NSU; Dr. Physliss Issacs, ECU; Dr. Kelli Carney, NSU; Ms. Chrissy Liotta, Assistant to Rep. Hern; Dr. Jodi Legnon, NSU; Dr. Christy Reed, NSU; Dr. Vanessa Anton, NSU; Dr. Anita Ede, NSU; Ms. Kristin Korte, NSU; Dr. Tracy Thompson, NSU; and State Congressman, Representative Kevin Hern, Oklahoma. 

Dr. Been and Dr. Christy Reed attended the OACTE Fall Virtual Conference.

Dr. Ede and Dr. Christy Reed attended the Gardner Institute Conference in October regarding Motivating Learners Virtually. 

Kim Phillips presentation was entitled Implementation of Culturally Responsive Practices in an ECE Classroom and the OACTE Annual Conference was held on October 29-30, 2020 via zoom.

Kim Phillips attended the OELA Culturally Responsive School Practices to Promote the Success of Native American English Learners Webinar on November 12.

Dr. Christy Reed attended NAEYC's Annual Conference virtually November 8-10.

Dr. Min-Chi Yan has been accepted by the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA) to serve on the Bias Review Committee for the Certification Examinations for Oklahoma Educators (CEOE) program. On behalf of NSU, Dr. Yan will participate in two virtual conferences while serving on the Bias Review Committee.

Dr. Min-Chi Yan, Ph.D. co-authored paper has been accepted to present in the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting in April of 2021. Titled "School Outcomes of Students with and At Risk for Disabilities in Poverty: An Evaluation of School-Based Interventions in the U.S." 

Kim, S., Kim, J., Yan, M. C., & Kang, V. Y. (2020). Korean American mother’s perceptions of self-determination of primary school children with autism. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education.

Dr. Virginia Drywater-Whitekiller, social work professor at Northeastern State University, Fulbright Canada alumna, and an American Indian Alaska Native consultant in educational and program development services, presented as a part of the Fulbright Canada Speaker Series on October 29th at 5:00 PM (EDT) "COVID-19 in Indian Country as Viewed through the Seven Generations Principle."

Dr. Christine Hallman, Associate Professor of Geography, led students in creating community projects honoring veterans. As part of the Geography of Warrior Women class, students completed a project in one of two options. Option #1 related to interacting with residents at Brookdale, a long-term care facility in Tahlequah while Option #2 involved celebrating women veterans and/or women who participated in the WWII home front. Students choosing Option #1 made a window visit on a Saturday in October, created short uplifting videos, and cards to send. For Option #2, students created posters of veterans, active duty, or those involved specifically in WWII in some way. Students also provided narration to go along with their poster. The display is available in the John Vaughan Library on the Tahlequah campus through mid-December.  These experiential educational opportunities are key to students learning about warrior women, developing their own voices and sense of empowerment, and building community.  

Professor of Art, Lance Hunter's painting, “Snow Melt ”, is featured across the opening pages of the Figure & Portraits section of a new art magazine. The Best of Watercolor 2020 is a special issue magazine that showcases the work of leading American and international watercolorists. The new magazine format was created by Golden Peak Media which publishes The Artist, Watercolor Artist and Southwest Art magazines. The Best of Watercolor 2020 can be purchased at bookstores and online at the Artist Network website. “Snow Melt ” previously received an award in the Georgia Watercolor Society National Exhibition in 2019.

Dr. Hsin-I Sydney Yueh, Associate Professor of Communication Studies, published two peer-reviewed journal articles in 2020. “Theorizing Vernacular Discourse in Sinophone Transnational Space” in the journal of Critical Studies in Media Communication is a critical analysis of transnational popular music production in Asia. “Beyond Cultural China: The Representation of Taiwan in U.S.-based Speech Communication and Journalism Research” in the International Journal of Taiwan Studies is a thorough literature review of how Taiwan is presented in the two important academic disciplines. The earlier version of the second article also won the top paper award for the division of Chinese Communication Studies at the 2020 National Communication Association conference. 

September 25-27 the NSU Forensics (Speech and Debate) Team co-hosted a virtual speech and debate tournament with Tulsa Community College. It was one of the first tournaments of the competition season and also one of the first virtual tournaments ever. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, national forensics organizations have decided to not allow in-person tournaments so regional tournaments are having to adapt. Our tournament was unique in that it was a hybrid of synchronous and asynchronous. Our debate events were held on Friday using a synchronous format. Saturday and Sunday we held two separate tournaments for Individual Speech Events asynchronously. Our tournament (the T-Town Swing) was attended by 14 different teams from 9 different states. 

Christopher Murphy, Associate Professor of English, presented Conceit: The Third Foundation of Fiction, a Craft Talk/Workshop at the Nimrod's Conference for Readers and Writers through the University of Tulsa. From worldbuilding to metafictional devices to rare points-of-view to extended symbol and metaphor, conceits can enrich and distinguish a work of fiction, and, at times, guide it as much as character and plot. This workshop will define the term, outline some uses, and provide tips and examples that can help you with conceit in your own fiction or in editing the work of others.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, performed the role of Kristine Linde in Evergreen Theatre Collective’s production of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House in October. Evergreen Theatre Collective is a new, USA online based, theatre collective, striving to keep artists active and supported during this time of darkness in theatres everywhere.

Alissa Eberhard, a student in the Department of Natural Sciences, presented her research conducted in Dr. Janaki Iyer's lab at the 26th Annual Research Symposium organized by the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (OK-LSAMP) program.

Dr. Janaki Iyer served as an Oral Presentation judge in the Microbiology and Entomology category at the 26th Annual Research Symposium organized by the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (OK-LSAMP) program. 

As President of the national McNair Association for Professionals (MAP), Dr. Cammi Valdez moderated a panel "Bringing the Dream to Life: Legislative History of the McNair Scholars Program" with distinguished panelists Cheryl McNair (widow of Ronald E. McNair and founder of the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Educational Science Literacy Foundation) and Dr. Michael Jeffries (former McNair Director at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) and served as a panelist for the session "McNair 2.0: Lessons Learned from COVID-19 and Adjustments to Summer Research" at the 39th Annual Council for Opportunity in Education Conference. (image below)

During the 26th Annual Oklahoma Research Symposium hosted by OK-LSAMP, Dr. Cammi Valdez moderated a panel on Graduate School Preparation. OK-LSAMP supports students of color in STEM interested in pursuing graduate school.  (image below)

On October 7th, Dr. Cammi Valdez hosted a workshop on applying to external internships and REU programs for the OSU McNair Scholars Program. The McNair Scholars Program supports first generation, low income, and students of color interested in pursuing the Ph.D. 

Dr. Joseph L. Shetler, Associate professor with the College of Optometry was awarded a 40 Year Membership award by the American Optometric Association.  Dr. Shetler, an Indiana University graduate, began his career serving the Navajo Nation in Chinle, Arizona as a public service officer.  He was in private practice in western Nebraska/South Dakota for 25 years prior to accepting a position with the College of Optometry in 2013.

The time has come for a first-class program to move out of second-hand facilities. NSUOCO recently announced its vision for the future of the optometric program. Four years of programming and planning have resulted in an exciting vision of an optometry complex that serves the community, students, residents, and alumni.  The proposed 101,500-square-foot complex will feature state-of-the-art equipment, up-to-date classroom technology, and specialized clinics for low vision, vision therapy, infant vision, neuro-vision rehabilitation, primary care, and contact lenses, as well as a surgical suite for laser and office-based surgical procedures. The estimated construction cost of the new complex is approximately $26 million. The NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry is proud of its graduates and is fortunate to enjoy their ongoing charitable support. The Building Excellence: A Vision for the Future campaign is a generational call to action to all former and current students to help take the future home of the Oklahoma College of Optometry from vision to reality. Visit nsugiving.com/ocovision to learn more about this project and to lend your support. Please check out the Optometry Facebook page for additional information: https://www.facebook.com/nsuoco

Nine NSUOCO affiliated residents presented virtual posters at the American Academy of Optometry’s Annual Meeting Resident’s Day on October 10, 2020. Residents and poster titles are listed below:

Dr. Carol Chou: Scleral Lens Fitting After Unintentional Cornea Reshaping Due to Cornea-Scleral Lens Touch

Dr. Jennifer Dryden:  Objective and Subjective Improvement Following IPL Treatment for Dry Eye

Dr. Amy Bade: Radiofrequency Lesion Excision: Revolutionizing the Management of Verruca Vulgaris

Dr. Colleen Tejchma: Entire Day of Pain Needing a 4am Solution

Dr. Conner Kapperman: Suspected Auto-Immune Associated PUK in Asymptomatic Patient

Dr. Jenae Stiles: Visual Consequences of Empty Sella Syndrome Secondary to Sheehan's Syndrome

Dr. Kristen Lantz: Vasculopathic Third Nerve Palsy: A Diagnosis of Exclusion

Dr. William Cheek: Viewing Floaters Through a Different Lens

Dr. Wamika Kumar: Off-label use of Epi-Bowman Keratectomy to treat Epithelial Basement Membrane Dystrophy 

Native American Support Center staff ​Shelly Dreadfulwater, Director, and Brian Barlow, Academic Intervention Specialist, along with Center for Tribal Studies (CTS) Student Services Coordinator, Sky Wildcatto develop and present a poster at the National Symposium on Student Retention and Date Exchange (CSRDE) National Symposium on Student Retention (NSSR), which was held virtually this November. The poster presentation was titled, "It takes a Village to Retain a Student: Community Based Retention" and focused on the comprehensive support programs offered through the NASC and CTS. The team received first place for Best Poster; they will receive a plaque award and the institution will receive $500. Congratulations to Shelly, Brian, and Sky!

CSRDE - 2020 NSSR Live - 11.13.20.mp4

Brenda Bradford, Department Head for Archives and Special Collections; Blain McLain, Archives Assistant; and Derek Ryan Walker, Historical Specialist for Special Collections received scholarships through the Oklahoma Department of Libraries to attend courses offered through the Society of American Archivists. They received three of only 25 scholarships available statewide and will be attending courses on various aspects of digital archives and collections. 
 
Brandon Martin presented on September 30, 2020 about NSU's experience with their 2019 ILL software transition, titled "ILLiad to Tipasa Changeover", in the NOT Lost in Transition: Resource Sharing in Changing Times Virtual Workshop for the Central NY Library Resources Council.

Brandon Martin presented on October 7, 2020 about NSU's use of customized library catalog search boxes for a community session titled OCLC Community Roundtable: WorldCat Discovery search box customizations.

Brandon Martin has also worked with OCLC to record his 2020 Resource Sharing Conference presentation segment, Stronger Together: Integrating Tipasa with WMS, to be posted online at a later date (recorded October 13, 2020).

Award Name: American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES) Fall Online Conference 2020
Award Dates:  October 1, 2020 – October 31, 2020
Award Amount: $1,192
Project Director: Ms. Alisa Douglas
Purpose: To assist (8) students with online registrations fees to attend the 2020 AISES National Conference Hybrid event online October 15-17, 2020.
 
Award Name: Student Support Services Yr 1 of 5 2020-2021  
Award Dates:  September 1, 2020 – August 31, 2021
Award Amount:  $343,649/year
Funding Agency:  U.S. Department of Education
Project Director:  Lena Deere
Purpose:  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: Educational Talent Search - Tahlequah (2020-2021) Yr 5 of 5
Award Dates:  September 1, 2020 - August 31, 2021
Award Amount:  $277,375
Funding Agency:  U.S. Department of Education
Project Director:  Ms. Diane Walker

Award Name: Educational Talent Search- Broken Arrow (2020-2021) Yr 5 of 5
Award Dates:  September 1, 2020 - August 31, 2021
Award Amount:  $277,375
Funding Agency:  U.S. Department of Education
Project Director:  Ms. Diane Walker
Purpose:  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: Improving Chemotherapy by Potentiation of Necroptosis in AML 2020-21 Yr 1 of 3
Award Dates:  October 1, 2020 – September 30, 2021
Award Amount: $45,000/year
Project Director: Dr. Michael Morgan
Funding Agency: (OCAST) Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology
Purpose: This research will extend previous preliminary work to determine if further studies, including studies in primary Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) cells from leukemia patients, are worth pursuing in order to improve therapeutic response for AML in adults. This funding will also enable several undergraduate students to gain research experience while completing requirements for their respective degree programs.
 
Award Name:  NASC Native American Support Center Yr 5 of 5 2020-2021
Award Dates:  10/01/20 - 09/30/2021
Award Amount:  $349,543
Project Director:  Ms. Shelly Dreadfulwater
Funding Agency:  U.S. Department of Education 
Purpose:  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 persistent mentoring program; and 3) Provide a source of culture, connection, and care for Native American students on all three campuses.

Award Name: Trio Upward Bound Yr 4 of 5 2020-2021 
Award Dates:  09/01/2020 - 08/31/2021
Award Amount:  $297,600
Project Director:  Ms. Lisa Johnson
Purpose of Award(s):  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. 

Hello everyone,

Since this week is dedicated to all transfer students, I would like to introduce myself to you guys since I’m also a transfer student! This is Noor Quraish. I am an international student here at Northeastern State University who is originally from Saudi Arabia. Let me start with the idea of being a student in a different country than mine. That was MY DREAM. living a life filled with memories that one day I hope I can share them with the world. But, I’m not going to lie, although it was a dream of mine, I was scared. scared of being judged, stared at, or talked about. I did not know what to expect when I transferred to NSU. But when I did, I was just blown away with the amount of love, the acceptance of one and another without the judgments. It was just incredibly inexplicable.

One question that I get asked a lot is why I chose to transfer to NSU? To be honest there are so many reasons why I chose to transfer and join NSU. First and foremost, NSU offers my major that I have always wanted. Second, NSU looked into my GPA and offered me a scholarship which was an amazing deal for me to further my education thus, edging closer to my dreams. Looking into my GPA and offering me a scholarship right away was proof that NSU recognized my handwork and that’s why I feel so privileged to be part of the NSU community.

Last but not least, as a transferred student I have three pieces of advice that I would like to share with you guys and hopefully it would open your eyes on a different mindset.

1. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone: I know it’s easier said than done, but in my opinion, I think that getting out of your comfort zone will provide you the opportunists to grow every single day. So, take that step, or leap ,and go for it!
2. Utilize your advisors: transferring is a process, but this is what your advisors are here for. It’s their job to make you feel comfortable and excited to be where you are. Come with questions, ask them, get to know the life of the university that you’re transferring to. This is what picking a school is all about, being in a place where you feel wanted ..
3. Be patient: put yourself out there, and everything will be ok.

Noor Quraish

Dr. Nathan Lighthizer shares about the Optometry Program.