Academic Times Newsletter 2022 | NSU

Dr. Samantha Benn-Duke attended the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) Conference in early October in OKC. She presented a session entitled, “Native Women Educational Leadership in Rural Oklahoma: Addressing Students' Holistic Well-Being.” Dr. Benn-Duke took four NSU undergraduate students to the NIEA Student Days. 

Dr. Lisa Bisogno provided effective teacher education advocacy tips when speaking to legislation for the launch of AACTE's 75 days of Advocacy. Click here to access Dr. Bisogno's video.

Drs. Lisa Bisogno, Tamra Day, and Jarilyn Haney presented “Special Education and Related Topics” for Chouteau-Mazie Public Schools.

Professor of Education Karen Carey and former NSU Honors student Ms. Lauren York worked together through a six-credit hour arranged research course as advisor and mentee. In Summer 2022 their research was submitted and accepted for publication to a scholarly journal, the Academic Exchange Quarterly. Their work is being published in the Winter 2022/2023 edition. The title of their publication is “Gifted Education through the Lens of Legislation”.

The purpose of this action research study was to evaluate enrichment and gifted education programs in an Oklahoma public school district in comparison to Oklahoma State Department of Education guidelines. The research question which led the study was “Is the current gifted education legislation in Oklahoma effective in compelling Oklahoma public schools to provide the necessary level of academic enrichment for identified gifted and talented students?” The results of the survey demonstrated the perceived necessity of prioritizing pre-college gifted education programs in elementary, middle, and high schools.

Research on the topic led to three major themes. First, administrators are not confident in the programs they provide for gifted education. Second, administrators have a strong concern over energy and time spent to create meaningful learning experiences. Third, Oklahoma legislators need to offer direction for public schools through stronger gifted legislation, and funding should be greater and allocated exclusively to schools who have data indicating they are complying with more rigorous gifted education laws.

By creating and sustaining gifted programs supported by strong legislation, increased funding, and highly trained teachers, Oklahoma can better serve gifted students who may eventually serve society through their future careers. The benefits of this study outweighed the risks and the researchers presented data indicating that schools fall short in providing educational resources for gifted students. Another theme insinuated inconsistency exists in offering adequate services through funding to all groups of students.

Ms. Jameie Combs hosted a cookout with students and members of the Deaf community, held a monthly coffee chat with a record attendance of 41, hosted an ASL informational fair, and participated in the first language exchange with Sign Language students from the Catholic University of Malawi.

Ms. Jameie Combs was recently appointed to the Oklahoma Baptist Deaf Ministry Task Force. They have asked her to help develop a video curriculum to make churches more inclusive.

Dr. Tamra Day recently completed OER101 (Open Educational Resources - Basics & Beyond) through the Online Consortium of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE). 

Dr. Anita Ede participated in a recruitment event for a group of Tulsa Technology Center students who toured the NSU-BA Campus. As part of their tour Dr. Jericho Hobson guided them through the STEAM lab, Dr. Meagan Moreland gave them a tour of the Reading Clinic, and Dr. Lisa Bisogno took them to the Little Rowdy Childcare Center. Dr. Carney coordinated this experience.

Drs. Tonya Garrett, Jason Proctor, Tobi Thompson, Renee Cowan, and Kathy Seibold all volunteered at the Green Country Children’s Book Festival. Nearly 800 elementary students attended the event, where they were privileged to meet four authors and obtain copies of their books. 

Drs. Beth Melles and Bea Keller-Dupree’s article “’I’m a Horrible Mother’:” The Relationship between Psychoeducation, Disclosure, and Shame surrounding Postpartum Intrusive Thoughts” was accepted for publication in the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, slated for publication at the end of 2023. This study was designed when Dr. Melles’ youngest daughter, Auggie Rose, was just 6 weeks old and Dr. Keller-Dupree was five months pregnant; and was first submitted for publication when Auggie was 6 months old and Bodie, Dr. Keller-Dupree’s son, was 1 month old. Auggie turned three in August and Bodie will be three in January. Drs. Melles and Keller-Dupree are hopeful that the article will be published before their babies graduate from high school!

Dr. Brandy McCombs presented "Dual Language Learners: Strategies for an Early Childhood Educator'' at the University of Oklahoma (Jeanine Rainbolt College of Education).

Dr. McCombs attended "English Learner Summit" by First Education on November 10th.

Dr. McCombs' math lessons were published in a textbook entitled, Early Elementary Mathematics Lessons to Explore, Understand, and Respond to Social Justice. Her chapters are entitled, “Math lessons: “Don’t be intimidated by the implementation: Over time it becomes a part of your natural lesson organization.”

Dr. Kim Phillips attended the Course Equivalency Project meeting in September, representing NSU’s Early Childhood Program. This project biannually.

Dr. Sarah Ramsey will soon be presenting on phonemic awareness and phonics small group activities to approximately forty educators at Timber Ridge Elementary in Broken Arrow Public Schools. 

Ms. Lori Riley was accepted into a doctoral program and has begun a doctoral program in Higher Education Leadership through Indiana State University.

Dr. Sargent has been asked to write an article for the CARE Journal (a Special Interest Group of the Int’l Literacy Association devoted to affect in reading) which was submitted for review in late July.

Drs. Stephan Sargent, Meagan Moreland, Ingrid Massey, Sherry Been, and Tobi Thompson presented findings of their respective research at the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers in Denver, CO this November. 

A successful teacher job fair was held on October 28th at NSU-BA. Over 30 public, private, and charter schools attended, vying for NSU teacher candidates.

ASL

Our ASL II class participated in a language exchange with Malawi Sign Language (MSL) students from the Catholic University of Malawi. We enjoyed sharing signs with each other.

George Bonomali MSL instructor Catholic University of Malawi.

MSL student, Hope

NSU ASL student Gabe Berres

SNAG Golf

The COE held their annual SNAG golf scholarship fundraiser in September.  They had a record number of teams and raised $7,000 for student scholarships.  BancFirst won first place in the tournament.

Vanessa Anton, COE Dean, presents Josh Stafford, BancFirst, with their first-place tournament plaque.

Sequoyah Fellow Lecture with speaker, Roy Boney Jr., award winning artist, scholar & author event poster.

Mike Cameron, Visiting Professor of Jazz Studies, facilitated the 2022 Oklahoma Jazz Educators' Fall Clinic and Symposium held at the Jazz Lab 11-7 and 11-8. Performed a pedagogical clinic on rhythmic improvisation to invited band directors.  Coordinated logistics for artist-in-residence Nick Mancini to perform and lead masterclasses for three area high schools.  Led a saxophone masterclass to prospective All-State auditionees. 

Nick Mancini with Chris Wier in Jazz Lab

Roundtable discussion in Jazz Lab

Dr. Christine Hallman, Professor of Geography, led students in her Geography of Warrior Women class to complete three community projects.  One project involved the Celebrating Warrior Women First Responders Panel on Oct 18th.  Students created and distributed flyers, created and asked questions, welcomed the panel and the audience, and made gifts for the speakers.  Panelists included: Shawnna Roach (Cherokee Nation and Army veteran), Patti Buhl (Director of Juvenile Justice at Cherokee Nation), Raquel Murphy-Reed (Tahlequah Police) and Angie Retzloff (Tahlequah fire fighter).  Marcey Mitcham,  NSU Coordinator of Testing/Army veteran, aided in inviting some of the panelists.The second project involved visiting the Cherokee County Nursing and Rehab Center north of Tahlequah on Oct 22nd.  Students created posters, handed out Halloween candy, and visited with residents.  Later each student sent a couple of cards to the center. The third project was to make and distribute Remembrance Poppies.  Marcey Mitcham had the idea and provided materials.  Marcey, a few students, and Dr. Hallman made 58 poppies and distributed them on Nov 10th at a NSU event and on Nov 11th. All of their projects were successful and received a lot of positive feedback.  More importantly, each opportunity provided students a chance to positively impact our community, reflect, build confidence, develop a variety of soft skills, and be warriors.

“Reaching Back” watercolor painting by Lance Hunter.

Professor of Music, Dr. Jeffery Wall, was invited to clinic and conduct the Northeast Choral Directors Association Region High School Honor Choir in Tulsa on November 8th.  He worked with 125 high school singers from 25 different area high schools.

Dr. Wall conducting with HS choir students

NSU Faculty and Students at INBRE conference

Drs Sapna Das-Bradoo, Jody Buckholtz, Janaki Iyer, Dulanjani Wijayasekara, and Graduate students Lydia Ostmo, Ashley Kennedy and undergraduate students Victoria Fairchild, Hannah Taber, Rachel Gaflo and Julia Green attended the Arkansas INBRE conference held in Fayetteville AR from Oct 21st to 22nd 2022. Drs Sapna Das-Bradoo, Janaki Iyer, Dulanjani Wijayasekara served as judges for oral or poster presentations during the conference.

Ms. Ostmo, who is a graduate student of Dr. Das-Bradoo, also served as a Judge. Two undergraduate students working with Dr. Das-Bradoo presented posters. Victoria Fairchild presented a poster on Investigating polymerase epsilon’s role in replication initiation and elongation by the analysis of Pol 2 mutants while Julia Green presented a poster on Fluorescently tagging proteins to study polymerase epsilon complex.

One undergraduate student working with Dr. Wijayasekara, Hannah Taber presented a poster on Identification of the causative agent of cucurbit leaf spot disease in Oklahoma.

Rachel Galfo, working in Dr. Nathan Green's research lab, presented a poster on Conjugating Modified DNA to Thiolated Silica Nanoparticles Towards Nanoparticle Self Assembly.

Victoria Fairchild with her second place certificate.

Victoria Fairchild won the second-place award for undergraduate poster presentation in biological sciences. Rachel Galfo received an honorable mention in the chemistry poster category. Overall, this conference was very successful where faculty were able to meet with out-of-state colleagues while students had the opportunity to present their research and gain new experiences and skills on presenting.

Sayra Bryant successfully defended her doctoral dissertation on November 4, 2022 at Southern Nazarene University. This is of interest to our NSU community because Sayra received her undergraduate degree from NSU and is now superintendent of Barnsdall Public Schools. Dr. Martha Parrott supported Sayra throughout her dissertation process and served on her dissertation committee.

Dr. Wendi Middleton and Mrs. Lacey Christie (NSU MPH Graduate) were invited speakers to the Oklahoma Public Health Association's 2022 Oklahoma Partners in Public Health Pre-Conference. They were featured in the Our Students: “The Future of Public Health' section. Dr. Middleton shared her vision for what the future of public health looks like and how the NSU MPH program aligns with that vision. Mrs. Lacey Christie discussed how our program helps to prepare individuals for entering the workforce. She also discussed the value of the hands-on practicum and how she was able to secure a position at the same location. 

Jayme Myers, PA-C attended the Checotah High School’s College and Career Fair on October 26, 2022 where she spoke to 9-12^th graders about how NSU supports the growth of physician assistants in Northeastern Oklahoma to serve the underserved communities in our area. Several of the students were encouraged and inspired, especially since Ms. Myers was a graduate from Checotah High School and were intrigued to learn about the path to become a physician assistant.

NSUOCO Student Team Places Third in Academic Challenge at American Academy of Optometry 2022

The NSUOCO student team of Aaron Meyer, Jadica Piela, and Kelli Schaedel, placed third out of 24 optometry school teams at the annual EssilorLuxottica Academic Challenge Bowl at the American Academy of Optometry Meeting in San Diego, California in October.  

BRIGHT IDEAS Pitch Competition Top Five Finalist

Fourth year optometry student, Nathan Kuykendall, and his teammates Easy Anyama and Nathan Morton, were top five finalists with their company “Eyedeal Innovations” in the international BRIGHT IDEAS Pitch Competition. The BRIGHT IDEAS Pitch Competition was presented by the American Academy of Optometry Foundation in collaboration with the Innovation Council. The competition is designed to provide recognition, mentoring, and monetary reward to new or early-stage entrepreneurs with an idea or innovation that will improve eye care treatment or devices. Nathan and his team had the opportunity to pitch their idea at the American Academy of Optometry meeting in San Diego, CA in October.

Dr. Komal Patel

Assistant Professor

New Faculty Spotlight

NSUOCO Faculty Present at “EyeCon 2022”

Optometry faculty members, Dr. Carolyn Majcher and Dr. Komal Patel, presented lectures at the Texas Optometric Association’s continuing medical education event “EyeCon 2022” at the Westin Galleria in Dallas, Texas in November.

NSUOCO Residents Present Posters at the American Academy of Optometry 2022

Seven NSUOCO affiliated residents presented posters at the American Academy of Optometry’s Annual Meeting Resident’s Day on October 29, 2022. Residents and poster titles are as follows:

• Dr. Amy Neideffer: Keratoconus Stabilization Following Unilateral Corneal Crosslinking as Evidence by Untreated Fellow Eye Comparison
• Dr. Alexander Kinsinger: Treatment and Management of Epidemic Keratoconjunctivitis
• Dr. Erin Downing: Cat Scratch Neuroretinitis
• Dr. Alia Cappellani: Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis as a presentation of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
• Dr. Cole Sutherland: Early Detection and Treatment Maintains Good Vision In Patients With NVG
• Dr. Cedrick Mah: Acute Onset Hyphema Secondary to Diabetic Neovascular Glaucoma
• Dr. Matthew Bills: The Value of Careful Differential Diagnoses Consideration, Investigation in Monocular Pigmentary Retinopathy Mimicking Unilateral Retinitis Pigmentosa

Dr. Amy Neideffer presenting her poster at the American Academy of Optometry 2022.

Dr. Alexander Kinsinger presenting his poster at the American Academy of Optometry 2022.

Dr. Erin Downing presenting her poster at the American Academy of Optometry 2022.

Dr. Alia Cappellani presenting her poster at the American Academy of Optometry 2022.

Dr. Cole Sutherland presenting his poster at the American Academy of Optometry 2022.

Dr. Cedrick Mah presenting his poster at the American Academy of Optometry 2022.

Dr. Matthew Bills presenting his poster at the American Academy of Optometry 2022.

SPOTLIGHT SERIES: 

Outcomes and Competencies

Happy November!

The Assessment Team hopes that you are enjoying the Fall semester. We are continuing our spotlight series in which we highlight current practices being done in several NSU programs to inspire our readers. For November, we are discussing the BBA Business Administration Plan.

At NSU, we are committed to preparing students to be career-ready. In doing so, we have designed our programs to bridge the gap between institutional outcomes and the employer skill set. To guide this practice, career services recommends the National Association of Colleges and Employers, or NACE, competency list that encourages a career-ready mindset. These competencies were developed with employers to create a list of transferable skills actively being sought out in employee candidates. In the Assessment office, we help to provide support for these competencies using our institutional learning outcomes, the Degrees of Excellence. 

November Program Highlight: BBA Business Administration Plan - Dr. Lisa Czlonka

Our team met with Dr. Czlonka and her team during a Leadership conference. During this meeting, Dr. Czlonka discussed new exciting ventures the BBA Business Administration Plan and other Programs at CBT are moving towards in hopes of better preparing graduates for career opportunities.

November Institutional Outcome Highlight: Outcome # 2:  Integrative Knowledge 

Produce, independently or collaboratively, an investigative, creative or practical work that draws on specific theories, evidence, tools and methods from diverse perspectives.

November Competency Highlight: NACE LEADERSHIP

Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals.

How Business Administration is supporting these Outcomes and Competency

During the leadership meeting, Dr. Czlonka stated that the DOE Integrative Knowledge is measured by a variety of assessments. Students complete a team project and a peer evaluation as the primary summative assessment. Several formative assessments are embedded in class assignments that apply several evaluative tools to assess various factors influencing successful teamwork and leadership development, including tools to identify team approaches to managing diverse perspectives. As for the BBA Business Administration Plan, the main focus for students is to improve their leadership skills, accomplishing the NACE competency for Leadership. The NACE Leadership outcome aligns to the outcomes and assignments embedded in the Management and Team Skills course, located within the BBA Business Administration Plan Program. CBT is planning on making these courses required within this program.

Another additional task that measures student progress toward the DOE Integrative Knowledge outcome and the NACE competency is the inclusion of a new simulation exercise. When asked how the simulation will operate, Dr. Dilene Crockett had this to say:

All College of Business students run a simulated international company as their capstone to the common business core courses.  They must make decisions for every area of a business including marketing, management, accounting, finance, operations, human resources, etc.  Students are able to apply all of the concepts and skills they have collected through their course of study in the College.  Since the simulation is played in business schools around the globe, faculty can pull assessment data against referent groups such as schools across the globe, North American, Oklahoma, or against all NSU students who have done the simulation over the last 15 years.  Results are also available across business disciplines and by major. 

The NSU Assessment Team sends a large thank you to Dr. Czlonka for allowing us the time to spotlight her program.

What else is going on in the world of Assessment

The Assessment Team is currently working on compiling the Student Learning Assessment Reports for the OSRHE accreditation process. We want to thank everyone involved within this reporting process. Your patience and understanding has helped to make this process as smooth as possible!

If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

The NSU Assessment team is here to connect staff to best practices in assessment, aligning curriculum to match both course and institutional outcomes - whether it be syllabus, BB course prep or linking your assessments to measure within Anthology. Our team is a holistic and competent resource for new TA's learning the ropes and seasoned faculty who need a boost in ensuring outcomes and goals are aligned to the ever-evolving materials. 

We are here to help, weekdays M-F, please don't hesitate to get us working for you!

Learning Communities

The Center for Teaching and Learning hosted its first week of Learning Communities on the Tahlequah and Broken Arrow campuses. The Learning Communities are hosted once a month, on both campuses, with a morning and an afternoon session available for the convenience of the participants. The CTL Learning Communities are open to all faculty and staff interested in collaborating and building a network of support amongst colleagues, and no registration is necessary. Participants show up at the time that best fits their schedule and begins discussing topics or strategies that interest them. Topics from the first week of Learning Communities range from Open Educational Resources, Video Teaching, Innovative Teaching Strategies & Practices, Classroom Management, Online Engagement, and more! All conversations are faculty-centered, faculty-led, and faculty focused.

After a successful week of collaboration and community building, participants elected to host another week of Learning Communities for the last week of November. The following times and dates are free to join, and groups welcome interested faculty and staff members to join in on the conversation. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Broken Arrow Campus

Tuesday, November 29th, 2022 @ 2 PM
BA Admin 215 

Group A met on the Broken Arrow campus at 2 PM on Tuesday, Nov. 1st. There were brief discussions on Blackboard tools and how to utilize Book Me! and HTML links within Blackboard. Conversations then moved toward Open Educational Resources and Video Teaching. There was also talk of Interprofessional Experiential Learning. Participants of this group agreed to research these topics and present what they found that interested or enlightened them to the group at the next week.

Tahlequah Campus

Wednesday; November 30th, 2022 @ 2 PM
John Vaughan Library Room 314, CTL's Collaboration Room

Group B met in Tahlequah at the library at 2 PM on Wednesday, Nov. 2nd. Participants discussed online practices and innovative teaching strategies. Group B also discussed research writing, grants, and the struggles of creating a culture of research. For the next meeting, Group B has elected to showcase what innovative teaching practices they are currently using to explore options for each other's classroom in practice collaboratively. If there is not a current practice they are using, participants are to present an innovative practice they've researched and want to put into practice.

Thursday; December 1st, 2022 @ 10 AM 
John Vaughan Library Room 314, CTL's Collaboration Room

Group C met in Tahlequah at 10 AM on Thursday, Nov. 3rd, and was focused on Library Services: what they currently provide, what they want to provide, and wanting faculty feedback on what faculty need from the library that isn't currently being offered. There were also discussions about the current Content Experts for Research provided by the Library and how these experts could be utilized for classroom or professional use and development.

SkasdiCon

On Saturday, November 5th, the Center for Tribal Studies and Cherokee Nation Businesses partnered to offer the first ever Indigenous Comic Con event: SkasdiCon.  Skasdi is a Cherokee term used to describe something as bold, fierce, and/or outstanding.  Held in the University Center, the event included panel discussions related to Indigenizing cosplay, working for Marvel and other topics. More than thirty Indigenous vendors were on site with a variety of merchandise for sale.  Skasdicon also featured Roy Boney, Jr. Sketch Trading Day, where attendees could buy/sell/trade their sketches. The event concluded with a cosplay competition.  Some 800 individuals attended the event. 

Cosplay competition at SkasdiCon

SkasdiCon stage

SkasdiCon event banner

Mexico Recruitment Trip

From November 5 to 15, 2022, Ricardo Oropeza, Coordinator and International Student Advisor in the Office of International Programs, made a series of school visits in several states in Mexico.  He traveled to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Pachuca, Hidalgo, and Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, to visit with high school juniors and seniors as well as with college students interested in pursuing a degree at NSU.

At the American School Foundation of Chiapas in Tuxtla, Ricardo attended their annual college fair and presented a college application workshop for all of their high school seniors.  Current NSU international student, Emilia Cosatto Corzo, was formerly a student of this institution.

In Pachuca, Hidalgo, Ricardo collaborated with the EducationUSA office in visiting five different area schools, including both high schools and colleges.  Among the colleges visited was the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo (Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo).   Presentations included information about NSU's degree programs, the Graduate College, and ESL Academy. 

The trip ended in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, with a visit to the international school Picacho McGregor.  Ricardo made a presentation about NSU and led college application workshops for all the seniors at the school.

"The Office of International Programs is excited to be able to travel abroad again, and to be able to offer students educational opportunities at NSU," Ricardo said.

NSU International Programs attending the American School Foundation of Chiapas' College Fair in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico.

NSU International Programs meeting with college students from the Autonomous University of the State Of Hidalgo and discussing educational opportunities abroad at NSU.

NSU International Student Advisor visiting the EducationUSA office in Hidalgo, Pachuca, Mexico

International Education Week

The Office of International Programs hosted their annual International Education Week from November 14-18. During this week, multiple events were held to promote and create awareness of International Education and Study Abroad. Events during that week include: Study Abroad Informational Session, International Trivia Night, Game Night, and International Movie Night. There were approximately 10-15 students minimum at most of our events. 

Additionally, international coffee and Indian Spice Chai Tea were served each day of the week at the International Programs' office for all NSU students, faculty and staff members. 

The Office of International Programs is beyond  happy to celebrate our International Riverhawks and promote international student engagement at NSU.

International Students and domestic students participating at Trivia Night on 11/17/2022.

International Students and International Student Advisor during International Trivia Night on 11/17/2022.

RiverHawk Family,

Do you have an idea for a project that requires money, but you need help with funding? We like to encourage all full-time NSU faculty to apply for one-year Faculty Research Committee (FRC) Grants. A primary function of the FRC is to operate a faculty research grant-funding program based on the merit review of proposals submitted by faculty. FRC grant funds support research defined as scientific investigations or other scholarly activities leading to original contributions to understanding in any of the disciplines supported by NSU. Preference will be given to new faculty or those who have not previously applied for FRC funding. Those research activities may include systematic investigations of teaching methods, tools, and/or instructional strategies. Information concerning the application process can be found here.

Learn More about Faculty Research 

Faculty Research Grants are due on February 15 of each year. Please remember that all grant proposals are due to the RASP office ten business days before the deadline. We will go through each one, help with any corrections needed, and obtain all necessary signatures in the routing process.

If you are interested in writing a grant and don't know where to begin looking for funding, below is a list of funding agencies. These websites are an excellent starting ground to begin your search. Remember, our office is here to help gather materials for your application. You don't have to do everything on your own.

OSRHE OSRHE Grant Programs

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education offers several grant programs to institutions of higher education.

Grants.gov www.grants.gov

Grants.gov is a source to find and apply for federal grants. All federal agency grant opportunities are listed, making grants.gov a great place to begin searching for a grant for which you would like to apply.

National Science Foundation (NSF) www.nsf.gov

NSF is the funding source for approximately 20 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America's colleges and universities. NSF is one of the most substantial sources of federal backing in many fields, such as mathematics, computer science, and the social sciences.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) www.arts.gov 

The NEA is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; providing leadership in arts education. NEA is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts.

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) www.neh.gov

The NEH is an independent federal agency that provides grants for high-quality humanities projects. NEH grants typically go to cultural institutions, such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television and radio stations, and individual scholars.

Oklahoma Arts Council www.arts.ok.gov

The Oklahoma Arts Council awards matching grants to cultural organizations, schools, and local governments to increase resources available to non-profit organizations producing community arts and arts education programs throughout Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Humanities Council (OHC) https://okhumanities.org/

OHC provides funding and resources that support humanities education and vibrant cultural life for all Oklahomans. Eligible projects must support the OHC mission—to promote meaningful public engagement with the humanities.

Below you will find a list of a few upcoming opportunities? See something you're interested in? Reach out to our office so that we can help you with the next steps of your grant proposal! DON'T FORGET! These are just a few of the opportunities available. You can always go to grants.gov and click "go" in the top right corner for a list of current grants or do a keyword search. You can also go to any of the funding agency websites listed above and search their websites for funding or contact our office with your idea, and we can also help find funding opportunities.

Happy Holidays RiverHawks,

Jessica Secratt, secratjr@nsuok.edu Director of Research & Sponsored Programs &

Allison Hamilton, hamilt42@nsuok.edu Proposal Development Specialist

Upcoming Grants Calendar - STEM PROGRAMS

Upcoming Grants Calendar - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Upcoming Grants Calendar - Education Research and Programs

What is the mission of the Graduate College?

The Graduate College at Northeastern State University strives to maintain a standard of excellence in graduate education by offering quality programs that are relevant and responsive to the needs of the communities served by our institution. The Graduate College is committed to providing students an environment in which they gain knowledge in intellectual inquiry, critical analysis and creative problem solving while developing their professional integrity.

What support services and resources are available to graduate students?

Graduate students have access to many resources on campus. 

• Hawkreach Counseling Services - HawkReach Counseling Services offers free confidential counseling to all enrolled students. Get additional information here on hours and how to make an appointment. 
• Student Disability Services - By providing or arranging reasonable accommodations and services, Student Disability Services collaborates with the campus community to promote equal access to educational and enrichment experiences for the academic and personal growth of the students we serve. Get additional information here. 
• Center for Tribal Studies - Since its inception in 1990, the Center for Tribal Studies has become one of the central resources on campus for supporting academic effectiveness, enhancing the quality of student experiences, initiating scholarly activities, bridging communication between tribal nations and the University, and enriching the cultural heritage of the Northeastern State University community. Get additional information here.
• Graduate College Team - We are here to answer your questions! Email (graduatecollege@nsuok.edu), call (918-449-2093) or book an appointment with us today.

What is the best way to learn more about funding and scholarships for potential or current graduate students?

The best way to learn about funding and scholarships is to access the Funding and Scholarships section of the Graduate College website. This webpage holds all the current information for new and current students seeking financial services and assistance. Below are the eligibility requirements.

New Students:

• Must be enrolled in 6 hours of graduate level coursework
• Must have a minimum 2.75 overall GPA or minimum 3.0 GPA in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework
• Must be degree seeking or ACE program
  • *If awarded, may apply to tuition only
  • *New students and Transfer students are eligible to apply for this scholarship in the term that they are first enrolled in courses at Northeastern State University.

Continuing Students:

• Must be enrolled in 6 hours of graduate level coursework
• Must have a minimum 3.25 overall GPA
• Must be degree seeking or ACE program
  • *If awarded, may apply to tuition, fees, room and board, or books
  • *Continuing students are eligible to apply for this scholarship in the Fall, Spring, or Summer term.

How can students apply for a graduate assistantship, and what does a graduate assistant do?

Graduate study transitions the student into a professional scholar. Graduate student appointments, in the form of assistantships and student employee positions, facilitate this transformation by providing an experiential opportunity, combining academic knowledge in the professional environment. The Graduate College seeks to ensure graduate students are successful in the performance of their appointment duties as well as their academic pursuits. The Graduate Student Employment Handbook details the policies and responsibilities that all graduate student employees share. It does not replace policies that are stated in the Graduate Catalog. Some departments have adopted additional guidelines for graduate student employees; please check with your supervisor or department chair for more information. The applicant is responsible for contacting the appropriate administrator to apply for the position in which he/she is interested. Graduate assistant positions can be found through career services.For more information, please view the Graduate Assistant Handbook.

Eligibility

• To be eligible for the assistantship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
  
  • Be fully admitted to the Graduate College. Probationary, temporary, or provisional basis do not qualify.
  • Be admitted to a graduate degree program with a current plan of study on file with the Graduate College.
  • Additional criteria may be required by the employing department and the nature of the particular assignment.
• To maintain eligibility for the assistantship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
  • Maintain a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA. Students who fall below a cumulative 3.0 GPA will be removed from the position and permanently lose eligibility to apply for future positions.
  • Complete a minimum of six hours of graduate course work per semester. International students must complete a minimum of nine hours of graduate course work per semester.
  • Have a positive performance review and be recommended for retention by the hiring department.

What are a few frequently asked questions your office receives? 

• Is the program offered online?
  • To see a list of programs and whether they are in person or online, go here.
• How much is tuition?
  • You can use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition and fees.
• Where do I send transcripts?
  • Most universities will send official transcripts electronically.  Go to your university’s website and request an official transcript.  Have it electronically sent to graduatecollege@nsuok.edu
  • If an official transcript needs to be mailed, make sure it is in a sealed, stamped envelope from the university.  Mail to: Graduate College, 601 N Grand Ave. Tahlequah, OK 74464
• I don’t see my university in the application.
  • Start by just typing in the city of your university.  Sometimes they are abbreviated.
• What classes do I need to take?
  • Schedule an appointment with your advisor to discuss needed classes or refer to your degree plan.
• I don’t know who my advisor is.
  • Log into goNSU, click on the “Students” tab and under your “Academic Profile” you will see the name of your advisor.
• I can’t enroll for the next semester.
  • Have you completed your financial responsibility agreement?
  • Have you filled out and signed your degree plan?
  • Is your balance below $1,000?

Curriculum & Instruction

Dr. Samantha Benn-Duke (Elementary Education) attended and presented at the College Board's Native American Student Advocacy Institute.

Dr. Lisa Bisogno (Special Education) received a grant for a summer camp for children and adults with disabilities. The “See My Ability” art camp was taught by graduates from NSU’s graduate program in special education. 

Dr. Renee Cowan (Reading) and Dr. Jarilyn Haney (Special Education) received funding for an Oklahoma Teacher Connection (OTC) collegiate grant entitled, “Struggling to Thriving: Amplifying Relationships Between Teachers and Students to Reduce Adverse Behaviors.”

Dr. Christine Gleason (Teacher Education) has involved her courses in immersive learning through use of NSU’s STEAM lab and encouraged students to acquire greater knowledge of the most recent educational technology for use in their future classrooms.

Dr. Brandy McCombs (Elementary Education) prepared and presented materials for the Texas A&M Steam Conference, entitled, “Dice, Dominoes, & Cards - Oh My!” 

Dr. McCombs and Dr. Gleason had a fantastic time at SNAG Golf supporting the College of Education Scholarship Fund.

Dr. Meagan Moreland (Reading) joined Tulsa’s News On 6 in the Air Comfort Solutions Kitchen to model fun, educational crafts for the house. This time she shared “Candy Art. Watch it now!

Dr. Kim Phillips (Special Education) and Dr. Sarah Ramsey attended the OSRHE Annual Reading conference held on the campus of Rose State College. 

Dr. Jason Proctor (Teacher Education) completed the 1^st stage of The International Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE) certified educator training. He is currently proceeding in further certifications through ISTE. 

Dr. Tobi Thompson (Reading) and Dr. Ingrid Massey (Reading) are collaborating with the reading specialist at Maryetta School in Stilwell to screen 1^st-3^rd graders who may be at risk for dyslexia.

Dr. Sargent (Reading) recently accredited three schools: The Tamil School of Mooresville, North Carolina; Tongue Point Job Corp Center of Astoria, Oregon; and Almont Community School System of Almont, Michigan.

American Sign Language Studies Minor Program

The American Sign Language Studies Minor Program has been busy lately! In September we celebrated National Deaf Awareness Week with a series of informative and immersive events on campus.

Community and Career Seminar/ASL students tabling at the UC sharing information about the Deaf Community.

Deaf Awareness Week Cookout at the Zoe Davis House bringing together ASL students and members of the Deaf Community.

Members of the Talons ASL Club “Painting the Town Green” for Homecoming.

Students attending the ASL Fair hosted by Community and Career Seminar/ASL Class. Passersby could stop to play ASL games, meet a Deaf artist and Deaf outdoor enthusiast, and current ASL students, and learn beginner ASL vocabulary.

ASL II students in the new ASL Conversational Learning Space in Special Services/IDEA building funded by the President’s Ambassador Network Grant.

Each month Talons ASL Club is hosting an immersive language event bringing together ASL students and members of the Deaf Community. Our October gathering had record attendance at 41 participants!

Dr. Christian Bester, Assistant Professor of Music, performed as a guest artist with Tarleton Performing Arts in Stephenville, Texas on Wednesday, October 5th.

Dr. Suzanne Farmer, Associate Professor of History, assisted in the coordination of The Clara Luper Legacy Committee and Former Sit-Inners presentation.

Dr. Christine Hallman, Professor of Geography, assisted in the coordination for the Celebration Warrior Women First Responders Tree Dedication and Panel Discussion. This event was developed from Dr. Hallman’s Geography of Warrior Women course.

The 42nd International Exhibition of the San Diego Watercolor Society features a painting by Professor of Art, Lance Hunter.  "Pink Flamingos II" is on view at the SDWS website and at the SDWS Gallery in San Diego until October 31st.

Dr. Kimberly Lee, Professor of English, had a paper titled, "Malady and Medicines: Sandoz Family Health in the Sandhills" delivered at the Sandoz Heritage Society Conference in Lincoln, Nebraska on September 23rd. The paper focused on Mari Sandoz, a Nebraska writer, and medical practices on the Great Plains during the early 1900s.

Scott Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, directed a production of The Aliens by Annie Baker. He also designed the lighting and sound for the production and mentored two senior drama students through the scenic design process for the production. The show was presented at the NSU Playhouse October 19-22, 2022 and is the Drama program’s entry into the American College Theatre Festival for the 2022-2023 academic year. Dr. Robyn Pursley, Professor of Drama, designed costumes and properties for the show.

The NSU Drama program, along with the Sequoyah Institute, hosted performing artist The NSU Drama program, along with the Sequoyah Institute, hosted performing artist Austin Dean Ashford on campus on October 5th and 6th where he performed his self-written one-man show and presented a playwriting workshop with the drama students as well as a post-show meet and greet session with Sequoyah High School drama students. 

Professor of Music, Dr. Jeffery Wall, led two All-State Choir Preparatory Clinics recently.  One was the annual RiverHawk Pre-Audition High School Choral Workshop with students from 10 area high schools.  The other was hosted by Jenks High School and was attended by 4 larger high schools with about 80 students in attendance.

At the 65th ACS Pentasectional Meeting in Bartlesville, OK, Northeastern State University's Chemistry Program was represented by Drs. Dustin Baucom, Nathan Green, Sean Kim, and Cammi Valdez and their 5 undergraduate and 4 graduate students.

• Dr. Bacuom's undergraduate student, Matt Clark, presented a poster titled "Investigation of the Photophysical Effects of Cysteamine as an Aqueous-phase Ligand for CuInS2/ZnS Core-Shell Quantum Dots."
• Dr. Green's undergraduate student, Rachel Galfo, presented a poster titled "Conjugating Modified DNA to Thiolated Silica Nanoparticles Towards Nanoparticle Self-Assembly". Ashley Kennedy, a Master's student in Dr. Green's research lab, gave an oral presentation on "Conjugation of Gold Nanorods."
• Dr. Kim's undergraduate students, Maia Gugello and Natalie O'Guin, and graduate students, Jhawn Saul, Sarah Faubion, and Trent Brown, presented posters.
• Dr. Valdez served as session chair for the Chemical Education session and presented a talk on "3D Printing Amino Acids as a Kinesthetic Learning Tool for Biochemistry." Dr. Valdez's undergraduate student, Anne Martin, gave an oral presentation on "Automated Image Analysis Tool Development for Diabetic Retinopathy."

Drs. Sapna Das-Bradoo, Pamela Hathorn, Janaki Iyer, Jessica Martin, Cammi Valdez, Dulanjani Wijayasekara, and graduate student Lydia Ostmo attended the Oklahoma IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (OK-INBRE) Faculty Retreat in Oklahoma City on September 30, 2022. Dr. Das-Bradoo presented a talk titled, "Embedding Research into the Curriculum" and Dr. Martin presented a talk titled, "Building an Undergraduate Research Center and Conducting a Responsible Conduct in Research Workshop – the Northeastern State University Experience". Ms. Ostmo, who has worked with Dr. Das-Bradoo, spoke about her experiences as a student in the OK-INBRE programs. 

Dr. Janaki Iyer served as a judge for the poster presentation competition at the 6th Annual Joint Research Meeting held at Oklahoma State University- Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa.

Joseph Moberly and Todd Mangile from Dr. Janaki Iyer's laboratory presented their research findings at the 6th Annual Joint Research Meeting held at Oklahoma State University- Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa.

Dr. Janaki Iyer served as a judge for the oral presentation competition at the 28th Annual OK-LSAMP Research Symposium held at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater.

Interprofessional Education at OSU College of Medicine

Twenty-eight fourth-year optometry students, six residents, and four faculty members participated in interprofessional education with the OSU College of Medicine on September 29th. NSUOCO conducted labs at OSU College of Medicine in Tulsa and OSU College of Medicine at the Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah, training second year medical students and physician assistant students on basic eye exam techniques for primary care and emergency room care. This training concentrated on the use of ophthalmic equipment including slit lamps and tonometers. 120 second year medical students and 25 physician assistant students were trained at OSU COM Tulsa and 52 second year medical students were trained at OSU COM at the Cherokee Nation - Tahlequah. This is the second year we have participated in this interprofessional education opportunity.

ASCO Externship Director Meeting

Associate Professor and Externship Director, Dr. April Parker, traveled to Portland, Oregon in September to represent NSUOCO at the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) Externship Director's SIG meeting.

ACOE Invitational Conference on Professional Optometric Degree Program Standards

Assistant Dean for Clinical Care, Dr. Earlena McKee, traveled to St. Louis, Missouri and participated in the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) Invitational Conference on Professional Optometric Degree Program Standards in October.

SVOSH "Eye-talian" Luncheon Held

Student Volunteers for Optometric Service to Humanity (SVOSH) held an "Eye-talian" Luncheon on Wednesday, October 5th. Students prepared and served a wonderful Italian lunch buffet and shared photos and videos from their August trip to Roatan, Honduras. Several students who participated in the medical mission trip shared stories from their experience. They finished up the luncheon with some delicious Affogato (a classic Italian dessert consisting of sweet vanilla ice cream topped with hot espresso coffee). 

1st Annual NSUOCO Doubles Pickleball Tournament a Success

The Tahlequah Lion's Club and the Oklahoma Optometric Student Association (OOSA) held their 1st Annual NSUOCO Doubles Pickleball Tournament on Saturday, September 17th at Kaufman Park in Tahlequah. Thirty-one teams participated and approximately $2,000 was raised. Proceeds from the tournament will provide travel grants for students attending professional optometry conferences through  OOSA. For the Lions Club portion, proceeds will help provide eye care and glasses to those whose finances create a barrier to adequate care. Approximately forty patients are provided free eye exams and discounted eyewear at the NSU optometry clinic each year with the help of the Lions Club.

SPOTLIGHT SERIES: 

Outcomes and Competencies

Happy October!

The Assessment Team hopes that you are enjoying the Fall semester. We are continuing our spotlight series in which we highlight current practices being done in several NSU programs to inspire our readers. For October we are discussing the B.A.Ed. English Education Program.

At NSU, we are committed to preparing students to be career-ready. In doing so, we have designed our programs to bridge the gap between institutional outcomes and the employer skill set. To guide this practice, career services recommends the National Association of Colleges and Employers, or NACE, competency list that encourages a career-ready mindset. These competencies were developed with employers to create a list of transferable skills actively being sought out in employee candidates. In the Assessment office, we help to provide support for these competencies using our institutional learning outcomes, the Degrees of Excellence. 

October Program Highlight: B.A.Ed. English Education - Dr. Lara Searcy

Our team met with Dr. Searcy to discuss current practices within the English Education program. Dr. Searcy is currently endeavoring to update the English Education program in response to national accreditation standards updates and in reaction to current student needs. The purpose of this re-work is to involve students in their higher education and to ensure the program is exceeding the standards set by their accreditation, the National Council for Teachers of English, or NCTE.

October Institutional Outcome Highlight: DOE Citizenship

5.1 Analyze the advantages and challenges of a culturally diverse society

October Competency Highlight: NACE Equity & Inclusion

Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures. Engage in anti-racist practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism.

How English Education is supporting this Outcome and Competency

NCTE recently updated their outcomes and expectations to include more anti-racist language. The NSU English Education program has worked tirelessly to ensure equity and inclusion in its coursework so that students are able to “demonstrate knowledge of learners and learning that fosters inclusive learning environments”. The best example of this new focus is the inclusion of a new required course “Social Justice Literacies.” Starting as just a topic within the Teaching English in Secondary Schools course, Dr. Searcy noticed the desire for more discussion on this topic from her students and created a one-hour course for students within the program, Critical Issues in English Education. Again, this begat an even stronger desire for more information, so “Social Justice Literacies” was then created and offered as a three-hour elective. After positive feedback from students, this course is now required  for all in the English Education program-- though it is interdisciplinary. When asked how the  course focuses on assessment, Dr. Searcy had this to say:

The Assessment starts with a personal narrative where teacher candidates explore and then write about their own journeys toward social justice consciousness. An “orientation” is a person’s beliefs or attitudes toward a subject. Once a person’s social justice consciousness is heightened, it is likely that their social justice orientation (SJO) will increase as well. Attaining a heightened SJO involves three components: a) embracing personal history; b) sympathizing with other people’s histories; and c) a desire to end oppression of the marginalized (Sanford, 2019, p. 3). Starting with self-reflection with one’s personal history is a necessary beginning for anti-racist/anti-bias work because we know how “our own identities and experiences frame our practices and impact our teaching of ELA” (NCTE, 2021, Standard 5). From our personal history, we are then able to “apply and demonstrate knowledge of learners and learning to foster inclusive learning environments that support [...] antiracist/antibias teaching” by creating Anti-Racist Book Clubs and then “ plan, implement, and assess [...] antiracist/antibias instruction” through the creation of content unit plans that are focused on diverse text selection that relates to the diversity of the students in their field experience setting (NCTE 2021). (Assessment Report Focus).

Furthermore, in response to student feedback, Dr. Searcy and an Honor student within this program endeavored to create a safe space for students to discuss topics, so they established “NSU Read Club.” The Honor student saw a need for LGBTQIA+ inclusivity and, as part of an action project for the English Education program, established a book club that is open to all NSU students. For more information, please visit their website (link below).

The NSU Assessment Team sends a large thank you to Dr. Searcy for allowing us the time to spotlight her program.

What else is going on in the world of Assessment

Thanks to you all, we have been able to keep on schedule in our accreditation process. As many of you are aware, the Student Learning Assessment Reports were due September 15th. Our office is currently compiling these reports to submit to OSRHE and to HLC for our annual report. Additionally, the Student Learning Assessment Committee is endeavoring to provide feedback to programs in the next month!

We are currently working towards providing another Professional Development opportunity for faculty and staff in our Annual event, Assessment Day, on January 16th, 2023. As more details become available, we will invite you and your offices to attend!

If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out. You can also schedule an appointment with our Graduate Assistant, see below.

The NSU Assessment team is here to connect staff to best practices in assessment, aligning curriculum to match both course and institutional outcomes - whether it be syllabus, BB course prep or linking your assessments to measure within Anthology. Our team is a holistic and competent resource for new TA's learning the ropes and seasoned faculty who need a boost in ensuring outcomes and goals are aligned to the ever-evolving materials. 

We are here to help, please don't hesitate to get us working for you!

Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration

The Center for Tribal Studies co-hosted another successful Indigenous Peoples Day celebration in collaboration with the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of OK (IPAO) on Monday October 10.  The event featured traditional games of southeastern Tribes including: chunkey (a game that involves risk taking and even some gambling in the early days), Cherokee marbles (a game of strategy) and stickball (focused on strength and agility). Speakers for the evening included President Turner, Presidents of the Native focused student organizations and community member David Comingdeer.  Around 220 individuals gathered for the IPD march from Beta Field to the Cherokee National Peace Pavilion, where events concluded with a round dance and dinner provided by IPAO.

Ready for more cultural events?

Be sure to look for events in November in celebration of American Indian Heritage month! 

Sarah Burkhead Whittle, Instructor of Library Services, Amanda Estes, Library Administrative Assistant, and Dr. Michael Jones, Executive Director of NSU Libraries, along with a team of NSU student and faculty volunteers, collaborated to host the inaugural Green Country Children's Book Festival on Friday, October 7. More than 700 3rd - 6th grade students, plus educators, from around Northeastern Oklahoma attended the Book Festival held in the University Center in two half-day sessions. Here, students were able to meet, ask questions, and seek inspiration from middle grade authors Ally Carter, Sarah Mlynowski, Christina Soontornvat and Brian Lee Young. 

In order for this to happen the NSU Libraries received generous support from the Tahlequah Community Fund to help with promotion and publicity and the NSU Foundation, which enabled the Libraries to purchase one book for each of the children attending the festival and also covered authors’ travel expenses.

To find out more about the Green Country Children's Book Festival please visit https://library.nsuok.edu/bookfestival or email bookfestival@nsuok.edu.

The annual World Fair was held on Wednesday, October 5, 2022. Hosted by the Office of International Programs and Northeastern Activities Board (NAB), World Fair is an annual event for current NSU International Students to display something from their home country. This year, all participants decided to provide food as their option. This event is open to all NSU students, faculty, and staff to learn more about the International Students on campus, their culture, and try international foods. 

We had a total of 26 international students representing 11 different countries, including: Ethiopia, China, Spain, Peru, Mexico, France, Australia, Kazakhstan, England, Netherlands, and Japan.  Additionally, we had the United States being represented by the OIP's Graduate Assistants and two student organizations on campus with a cultural focus, WAH (We Are Hmong) and NASA (Native American Student Association). These student groups also provided food to the World Fair. 

With an event turnout of over 180 people, the Office of International Programs is beyond grateful for the support of the NSU community. The goal of this event is to spotlight our International Students and their culture, promote awareness of International Education, and to provide a space for the NSU community to connect with the International Student community. 

The Office of International Programs is looking forward to hosting World Fair 2023 with more participating countries and international students, and more NSU members to join this event.  

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs hosted a Lunch and Learn Grant Development Workshop on the Tahlequah campus. Attendees learned to search for grants, gained insights into grant components, received samples of winning grant templates, and learned what RASP can do to help in the grant proposal process.  We will be hosting more Lunch and Learn workshops in the future and hope to see you there!

Congratulations to Mrs. Sarah Whittle for being one of the Tahlequah Community Fund grant awardees. Last September, Ms. Sarah Whittle submitted a grant proposal to the Tahlequah Community Fund grant competition to host the First Annual Green Country Children’s Book Festival. Her project was awarded and held on the NSU Tahlequah campus Friday, October 7. The Green Country Children’s Book Festival was a huge success! NSU hosted thirteen local area schools with a total of 788 students in the 4th and 5th grades and 55 educators. Each student received a free signed book that was written or illustrated by one of the four guest speakers - Ally Carter, Sarah Mlynowski , Christina Soontornvat, and Brian Lee Young.  

And a special thanks to Peggy Glenn at the Northeastern State University Foundation for being the Exclusive Presenting Sponsor of the 2022 inaugural Green Country Children’s Book Festival. Anyone who would like to make a tax-deductible donation to next year’s Green Country Children’s Book Festival, please visit www.nsugiving.com/bookfestival. Or anyone interested in volunteering for next year’s event, contact Sarah Whittle.

Happy Fall,

Jessica Secratt, Director of Research and Sponsored Programs and Allison Hamilton, Proposal Development Specialist.

What does the Educational Partnership Agreement with the NSA entail? 

The NSU-NSA Educational Partnership Agreement provides NSU students with access to NSA resources, making them more globally competitive in an emerging digital world. The partnership also opens the door to career advice, internships, and employment opportunities for our students.

You mention all students. Is the NSA interested in disciplines such as art, history, and music?

Absolutely.  The NSA sorts through tons of information on a daily basis.  Without experts in different disciplines, it is impossible to understand the information. For example, vital information may be hidden in a simple piece of art, music, or photo of an athlete.  Someone with that type of knowledge is critical in identifying the hidden information. Similarly, a history major understands cultural, historical, and religious patterns that might be critical in interpreting future actions that might be taken by a hostile group of individuals.

Where might I obtain more information regarding the internship and employment opportunities?

• The USAJOBS National Security Agency webpage lists current internship and employment opportunities.
• As of today, NSA was seeking individuals to fill positions such as a Budget Analyst, Business Financial Manager, NSA Police Officer, Compliance Officer, Psychologist, Contracting Specialist, Business Consultant, Cryptographic Expert, Network Exploitation Target Analyst, Audit Specialist, and an Applied Social Scientist. However, check the above listed website as job listings change.

What are some of the free resources provided by the NSA to our students?

• A good place to start is the NSA Press Room. I enjoyed the 9/8/22 article on Robotics and the 9/28/22 article on the National Cryptologic Museum Grand Opening.
• The Cybersecurity Advisories and Guidance webpage provides good articles on China, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Securing the Software Supply Chain, Cyber Tools, and Ransomware.

Contact Dr. Mike Wilds at wilds@nsuok.edu for more more information. 

NSU, Premier Logistics awarded Oklahoma Impact Partnership Grant

NSU PRESS RELEASE

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Northeastern State University has received an Oklahoma Impact Partnership Grant from the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development to promote high demand careers in the supply chain industry.

NSU and corporate partner Premier Logistics were among six 2022 Impact Partnership Grant recipients announced this year. Overall, the pair was awarded $164,500. Premier Logistics has a consortium of supply chain logistics companies, community partners and education partners who help to make a significant and lasting contribution to the workforce in this industry.

“These grants give business/industry and higher education an opportunity to work together to promote high demand careers that are hard to fill positions in the workforce,” NSU Dean of the College of Business & Technology Dr. Janet Buzzard said. “NSU's College of Business & Technology offers 22 online certificates in these areas that a working employee can take to upskill into these skilled positions.”

Buzzard added the certificates were designed as a way to meet workforce gaps created by new technologies and retirements.

This is the second grant NSU and Premier Logistics have received to help grow workforce opportunities in the supply chain industry. The previous grant awarded was for $100,000.

Buzzard said one highlight from last year’s grant was organizing the Supply Chain Conference at the NSU-Broken Arrow campus. The conference, delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, brought together experts from the industry and government at the NSU-Broken Arrow campus in May to explore challenges facing the supply chain sector. This included exploring ways to reestablish and protect business’ supply chains, recruiting, retaining and developing a dynamic workforce and discussing innovations and opportunities in the sector.

As part of the partnership, several scholarships were awarded last year to high school, career tech and university students to pursue careers in supply chain. There were also presentations to high schoolers regarding careers in supply chains and industry tours to provide further insight into the supply chain sector.

Buzzard said this year’s grant will allow NSU and their corporate partner to further build upon those efforts.

“The purpose of Impact Partnership Grants is to connect business and industry with workforce services through local collaboration and leadership. The application process was a road map for success and the five awardees are on their way to making a lasting difference for Oklahoma’s workforce. Special thanks to the Governor’s Council for making these grants possible,” Executive Director of the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development Don Morris said in a press release announcing this year’s recipients.

To learn more about this workforce partnership visit https://www.supplychainconferenceok.com/.

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Psychology and Counseling

Dr. Bea Keller-Dupree, from the Department of Psychology & Counseling, was interviewed by TulsaKids Magazine to learn how parents can support goal-setting for children of all-ages. The interview explored SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant/Realistic, and Time-Based), growth-mindset, and how parents can use open-ended conversations to help children and youth self-define goals that personally matter.

Check out the full article at TulsaKids Magazine.

Curriculum & Instruction

Dr. Sherry Been and Dr. Christy Reed (Elementary Education) published an article, “Exploring Diversity with Preservice Teachers: Changing our Teaching Perspective One Book at a Time,” in The Reader.

Dr. Sherry Been (Elementary Education) and Dr. Meagan Moreland (Reading) published a book chapter titled, “The Journey Through Mid-Career: Giving a Voice to Women in Academia,” in the textbook: Women in Higher Education and the Journey to Mid-Career: Challenges and Opportunities.

Dr. Lisa Bisogno, Associate Dean of the College of Education, was awarded the Oklahoma Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (OACTE) Distinguished Service Award for the 2021-2022 Academic Year. OACTE is made up of the Teacher Education administrators and directors from 23 public and private universities and colleges from across Oklahoma.

Visit OACTEOK for more information.

Dr. Tonya Garrett (Elementary Education) completed and received a certification in Dyscalculia Awareness and is in the process of completing Dyscalculia Tutor Training.

Dr. Jarilyn Haney (Special Education) assisted with the “See My Ability” Summer Camp for children and adults with disabilities that was held on the BA campus this summer.

Dr. Jarilyn Haney (Special Education) completed the Comprehensive Orton Gillingham Plus training through the Institute for Multisensory Education. 

Dr. Ingrid Massey, Dr. Sarah Ramsey, and Dr. Tobi Thompson (Reading) have created a podcast for literacy teachers called, “That’s Why We Read,” relating journalistic research to the teaching of reading and the importance of supporting students’ reading comprehension with the use of strategies. 

Dr. Meagan Moreland (Reading) shares a monthly educational presentation on Tulsa’s KOTV (Channel 6) television, sharing impactful educational practices. The latest is seen in the Channel 6 How To: Fun DIY Science Experiments for Kids.

Dr. Kimberly Phillips attended a Brain Bootcamp on September 10th in Oklahoma City. The seven hour training covered helping students deal with trauma.

Dr. Kim Phillips (Early Childhood Education) attended the National Research Conference on Early Childhood in June.

Dr. Jason Proctor (Teacher Education) was awarded the prestigious “OPEN OCO Pressbooks Grant” from the Online Consortium of Oklahoma. This funding will support his efforts to enhance the Open Educational Resource textbook he created for his course, “Secondary Teaching Methods & Practices.” 

Drs. Stephan Sargent, Sherry Been, Meagan Moreland, Ingrid Massey, and Tobi Thompson have all been accepted to present at the annual conference of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers in Denver, Colorado.

Two Oklahoma Teacher Connection (OTC) grants were awarded by OSRHE to the College of Education:

• Dr. Lisa Bisogno, Dr. Vanessa Anton, Dr. Jericho Hobson, Dr. Jodi Legnon and Dr. Kelli Carney received the Early College Teacher Pipeline grant ($7,920.75). High school students will be introduced to education as a career field during the 9th & 10th grade.  Students will work with faculty in various subject areas and gain valuable immersive learning experience. 
• Dr. Renee Cowan and Dr. Jarilyn Haney received the Struggling to Thriving:Amplifying Relationships Between Teachers and Students to Reduce Adverse Behaviors grant ($7,226.11). They will partner with Tahlequah Public Schools and Okmulgee Public Schools to provide a book study, professional development and one-on-one coaching with a cohort of ten novice teachers in the area of effective classroom management with an emphasis on evidence-based practices to reduce problematic behaviors, as identified by the National Professional Development Center (“What are Evidence-Based Practices?,” n.d.).

The College of Education held their 10th annual SNAG Golf Scholarship Fundraiser on Friday, September 9th, at the Burnt Cabin Golf Course.  They had a record number of teams and dollars raised for scholarships.  Currently, the endowment provides four scholarships per year to students, both undergraduate and graduate, in the COE, however, due to the success of this year's event, they will provide five scholarships in 2022-23.  Thanks to everyone who participated and volunteered!

Dr. Rebekah Doyle, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, coordinated a collaborative event with the Criminology, Justice Studies and Global Security and American Red Cross, along with the College of Extended Learning. The event was a Community Volunteer Symposium. Northeastern State University and the Red Cross are establishing a new partnership for the purpose of strengthening community relationships through education and community volunteer outreach that builds and facilitates community disaster resilience. This symposium was open to NSU students, citizens of the Cherokee Nation, and members of the community.

Dr. Christine Hallman, Professor of Geography, presented a lecture titled “Seeing the Earth as Sacred: Lessons from Environmental Warriors” as part of the NSUOK Libraries series on Aug 24, 2022 at the Webb Tower.

After a successful blind audition process, Dr. Benjamin Hay, Assistant Professor of Music, was appointed Principal Trumpet of Signature Symphony at Tulsa Community College in September 2022.  The Signature Symphony at TCC is a professional orchestra-in-residence with performances throughout the year that include a wide spectrum of classical and pops music.  Dr. Hay has been a member of the Signature Symphony trumpet section as the Third Trumpet since 2012, and will begin his new position with the orchestra's upcoming concert on October 1, 2022.

Chris Murphy, Associate Professor of English, coordinated a book talk and signing with author Oscar Hokeah who wrote the book “Calling for a Blanket Dance”. The event was held at the Webb Tower on September 7th.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Professor of Drama, led a day of workshops at Tahlequah Middle School in the drama classroom which is currently being headed up by NSU Drama alum Callie Hancock. Students engaged in drama activities as well as audition preparation for the upcoming school musical production.

The NSU ROTC program hosted the annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb on September 8th at Doc Wadley Stadium. The event is in honor of those who bravely gave their support and lives on September 11, 2001.

Dr. Candessa Tehee, Associate Professor and Chair of the Cherokee Cultural Studies and Cherokee Education degree programs, will provide a book discussion on her most recent publication found in the editorial compilation titled "Allotment Stories: Indigenous Land Relations Under Settler Siege." Allotment Stories collects more than two dozen white imperialism and Indigenous resistance chronicles. Ranging from the historical to the contemporary and grappling with Indigenous land struggles around the globe, these narratives showcase both scholarly and creative forms of expression, constructing a multifaceted book of diverse perspectives that will inform readers while provoking them toward further research into Indigenous resilience.

In this presentation, titled "Allotment Stories: One Cherokee Family's Perspective," Dr. Tehee will present a lively discussion of her creative nonfiction work in which allotment, religion, blood, and citizenship intersect.

Dr. Cheryl Van Den Handel, Associate Professor of Political Science, facilitated discussion on Recasting the Vote: How Women of Color Transformed the Suffrage Movement by Cathleen D. Cahill on Wednesday, September 7, at 3:30 PM at the John Vaughan Library.

Dr. Jeffrey Wall, Professor of Music, and the NSU Music Department hosted a large group of junior high school singers for the annual RiverHawk Pre-Audition Choral Workshop. The day of work occurred on September 13th at the Center for the Performing Arts.

Dr. Tracy Freudenthaler, MPH, Assistant Professor in the MPH Program, co-authored two abstracts accepted and presented at the Oklahoma Public Health Association Pre-Conference in September. This was a virtual event prior to the OPIPH Annual Conference.

• “Examining undergraduate perspectives: where will students seek help if faced with a substance problem?” (with Dr. J. Wegner) found a little over half of the participants would look to university counseling services and university personnel. However, 30.4% of the students did not know where to go in a substance crisis.
• “HPV Vaccination Uptake Study in a Rural Oklahoma Family Medicine Clinic” (with A. Elbon and Dr. Schumacher) was a small pilot study that examined provider and patient HPV communication, and patient attitudes towards HPV vaccination.

Jim Coykendall (Clemson University), Felix Gotti (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Dr. Richard Hasenauer had a paper titled Hereditary Atomicity in Integral Domains accepted for publication in The Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra.

Publication Accepted to the journal Advanced Science: LCK-mediated RIPK3 Activation Controls Double-Positive Thymocyte Proliferation and Restrains Thymic Lymphoma by Regulating the PP2A-ERK Axis
Authors: Sung-Min Hwan, Yu-Jin Ha, Gi-Bang Koo, Hyun-Jin Noh, A-Yeon Lee, Byeong-Ju Kim, Sun Mi Hong, Michael J. Morgan, Seong-il Eyun, Dakeun Lee, Jae-Seok Roe, Youngsoo Lee, and You-Sun Kim

Dr. Martha Parrott delivered professional learning through three summer institutes for math teachers across multiple grade levels in June-July 2022 at NSU-Broken Arrow. These Exponential Growth Mathematics Institutes begin each summer and continue throughout the year with multiple Saturday follow-up sessions.  These mathematics institutes are made possible by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, FlightNight, AAON, and the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance.

During the week of June 20-24, Drs. Martha Parrott (Co-PI), Dianne Kirk (PI) and Janaki Iyer (Co-PI) facilitated "Camp Biomed:  A Glowing Overview," a summer academy, funded by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.  The academy exposed students going into 8th, 9th, or 10th grades to the world of molecular biology and microbiology through highly engaging STEAM-related tasks.  One such task gave students the opportunity to introduce DNA from fluorescent jellyfish into bacteria to make them fluorescent (glow).  "Camp Biomed" faculty received an unprecedented number of student applications to attend the academy.  Twenty-four students are selected to participate.

Dr. Martha Parrott, working in partnership with the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance, was the invited speaker on September 21, 2022 for the convening of area corporate partners who will volunteer as math mentors to students in schools in the greater Tulsa area.  This is all part of the 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.  

Dr. Martha Parrott, working in partnership with Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance was the featured presenter on Saturday, September 24, 2022 at the Back to School event for P-12 classroom teachers as part of TRSA's STEMtember Celebration.  Dr. Parrott has been asked to encourage teachers as they begin a new year through inspiring conversations related to growth mindset.  Dr. Parrott is widely recognized for her presentations and seminars related to productive mindset and implications for student learning and achievement.  

Dr. Martha Parrott has been appointed to the statewide planning committee for the 15th Annual Oklahoma Service Learning Conference scheduled for April 14th, 2023 in Edmond, Oklahoma - University of Central Oklahoma.

In partnership with the Oklahoma Education Association, Dr. Martha Parrott provides support for hundreds of future teachers and in-service professionals by hosting mathematics review sessions to prepare individuals for the mathematics portion of the Oklahoma Subject Area Tests (OSAT) which is one step in the certification process whether the candidate seeks traditional, emergency, or alternative certification.  This is part of an on-going outreach opportunity not only for NSU students but also others throughout Oklahoma.  Recent workshops occurred on July 1st, 11th, and 18th, 2022.  Fall review workshops are already scheduled for October and November, 2022.   

Dr. Martha Parrott (PI), Dr. Spence Pilcher (Co-PI), Dr. Luke Foster (Co-PI), and Dr. Stephan Sargent (Co-PI) submitted a National Science Foundation Noyce Track 1 grant in August 2022 in the amount of $199, 282.  The grant proposes a Track 1 Scholarships and Stipends project that will allow the project leadership team to recruit and support mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics majors as NSU Noyce Scholars who will eventually teach in middle schools and high schools in Oklahoma. 

Mark Paulissen co-authored a note published in the latest issue of the SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST entitled: Relative abundance and possible record size of Drymarchon melanurus erebennus (Texas Indigo Snake) near the Rio Grande in Hidalgo County, Texas with James Cordes of LSU-Eunice and James Walker of the University of Arkansas.

SPOTLIGHT SERIES: 

Outcomes and Competencies

Happy September!

The Assessment Team hopes that you had a wonderful first few weeks of the Fall semester. We are continuing our spotlight series in which we highlight current practices being done in several NSU programs to inspire our readers. For September, we are discussing the BSN Nursing program.

At NSU, we are committed to preparing students to be career-ready. In doing so, we have designed our programs to bridge the gap between institutional outcomes and the employer skill set. To guide this practice, career services recommends the National Association of Colleges and Employers, or NACE, competency list that encourages a career-ready mindset. These competencies were developed with employers to create a list of transferable skills actively being sought out in employee candidates. In the Assessment office, we help to provide support for these competencies using our institutional learning outcomes, the Degrees of Excellence. 

September Program Highlight: SHP BSN Nursing - Dr. April Nelson

Our team met with Dr. Nelson to discuss current practices within the Nursing program. Dr. Nelson is currently re-working the Nursing program to better support the students within the workforce. The goal of this re-work is to create connections between the student’s previous experiences and current practices within the Nursing workforce and workplace.

September Institutional Outcome Highlight: DOE 1.5 Communication fluency

1. Construct coherent written and oral arguments for general and specific audiences;
2. Construct coherent written and oral narratives for general and specific audiences; 
3. Collaborate with others to advance an argument or design an approach to resolving a social, personal or ethical dilemma. 

September Competency Highlight: NACE Communication

Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.

How Nursing is supporting these Outcomes and Competency

During the meeting, Dr. Nelson was gracious enough to provide an in-depth look as to what the program is currently doing to support communication. As mentioned previously, the Nursing program is currently being re-worked to better support the newly improved outcomes that were freshly developed during the Summer of 2022. In doing so, Dr. Nelson has taken great care to ensure that updated terms and diverse language were introduced and incorporated into the pedagogy of several courses to ensure inclusion and student support. By utilizing current terms, the Nursing program can better prepare their students for the workplace and create scenarios that they may encounter during their internships and practicums.

Another exciting aspect of the Nursing program is the research initiative championed throughout a student’s time at NSU. The goal of this opportunity is for students to research underrepresented or vulnerable populations within their area of study and propose how to create inclusion. This can be accomplished either through field reporting, volunteer opportunities, or other initiatives created by the student. Dr. Nelson provided an excellent example of a recent research initiative where several students collaborated on creating inclusion for those who identify within the LGBTQIA + community and presented this research to the Nursing community. Not only did this support the outcomes within the Nursing program and the outcomes discussed within this article, it also created an authentic assessment opportunity for the students to actively participate and practice learned concepts from within the classroom. This research initiative has met great success within the program and those involved are eager for this semester’s students to get involved.

The NSU Assessment Team sends a large thank you to Dr. Nelson for allowing us the time to spotlight her program.

What else is going on in the world of Assessment

It’s that time of year, everyone! The Student Learning Assessment Reports are due September 15, 2022. Please ensure that your report is turned in on time. We will continue the practice of submitting the report through Anthology Portfolio (formerly Chalk & Wire).

Information to Note:

1. Programs are expected to report the alignment of their program outcomes to the Degrees of Excellence Institutional Learning Outcomes. The Graduate Council is piloting an advanced set of institutional outcomes, written at the competency level expected of graduate-level students. If you are completing a report form for a graduate-level degree program, please refer to the Graduate Degrees of Excellence outcomes.
2. We are using the assessment report to gather evidence on program immersive/experiential learning opportunities. If you have a required experience, such as a required field experience, practicum, capstone, research experience, or another immersive/experiential requirement, please report this in the program learning outcome assessment section.
3. This year we are incorporating the Co-curricular assessment report into the same report form so that you only need to complete one form. If your program offers a voluntary immersive/experiential learning opportunity, this is a co-curricular program, such as Model United Nations, IDEA (robotics), VITA, voluntary internship programs or courses, or other formal co-curricular experiences, please report this in the co-curricular learning outcomes assessment section.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out. You can also schedule an appointment with one of the Graduate Assistants, see below, and they can help to walk you through the submission process.

The NSU Assessment team is here to connect staff to best practices in assessment, aligning curriculum to match both course and institutional outcomes - whether it be syllabus, BB course prep or linking your assessments to measure within Anthology. Our team is a holistic and competent resource for new TA's learning the ropes and seasoned faculty who need a boost in ensuring outcomes and goals are aligned to the ever-evolving materials. 

We are here to help, weekdays M-F, please don't hesitate to get us working for you!

The Center for Tribal Studies welcomes our first four faculty mentors as part of our NASNTI grant initiatives. The goal of the faculty mentor program is to create more informal opportunities for students to engage and form relationships with faculty from a variety of disciplines.  Faculty mentors choose their area of focus, whether it be supporting one or more Native student organizations, holding office hours in the Indigenous Center, and/or supporting students engaged in research.  Rachel Buckner, the Faculty/Staff Engagement and Professional Development Coordinator, led the application and interview process, and selections were made based on interviewer notes and considering the faculty member’s area of expertise to ensure representation from across campus. We received a dozen applications for just four open positions. The first round of mentors for the fall 2022 semester include: Dr. Siewe Siewe, (Geography & Political Science); Dr. Karen Carey (Education); Dr. Fariba Ehteshami (Education: Psychology & Counseling); and Dr. Nnamdi Ekesi (Science & Health).

Continuing Education Fall Catalog

Continuing Education has released its fall catalogue. You can view it by clicking here!

Brandon Martin and Donna Graham presented a session titled "Defense Against the Departmental Departures: Coping with Employee Turnover and Optimizing Training for New ILL Employees" at the 2022 Northwest Interlibrary Loan & Resource Sharing Conference on Thursday, September 8, 2022.

The International Programs Office hosted the Annual Study Abroad Fair and Passport Day on September 7, 2022. This event is primarily for NSU domestic students to learn about the Study Abroad opportunities our department has to offer to students. All exchange students at NSU from ISEP and our partnering school, Aoyama Gakuin University (AGU), participated in this year's fair to talk to domestic students about their experience at their home universities in their home countries. We have 6 exchange students at NSU coming from 3 different countries, which include: Japan, France, and the Netherlands. Each exchange student was able to connect with various NSU students to give them their perspective on Study Abroad, and hopefully encourage NSU students to take advantage of studying abroad. We also have 6 domestic students who are studying abroad this semester in Japan, Ireland, England, and Mexico. A few of these students were able to attend the fair before flying out to their prospective countries in order to help educate their peers on the study abroad process and what that has been like for them. We also had a student, Carley Graham, who studied abroad in the Netherlands last semester who was able to share her study abroad experiences with all of the students at the fair. We are beyond thankful for all of our vendors who came to the fair and made this experience possible. Our office is proud to spotlight ISEP, Aoyama Gakuin University, Academic Programs International, Fulbright, The U.S. Post Office, The Peace Corps, International Studies Abroad, Semester at Sea, Dr. Wendorf who is leading a faculty led trip to Costa Rica in May 2023, Career Services, Bursar Services, and Financial Aid. This fair would not have been possible without them. Our office is already looking forward to the next study abroad fair in 2023 and to continue to help students pursue their dreams of studying abroad!

If you are interested in writing a grant and just don’t know where to begin looking for funding, below is a list of funding agencies. These websites are an excellent starting ground to begin your search.

OSRHE  OSRHE Grant Programs - The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education offer several grant programs to institutions of higher education.

Grants.gov www.grants.gov 

Grants.gov is a source to find and apply for federal grants. All federal agency grant opportunities are listed, making grants.gov a great place to begin searching for a grant for which you would like to apply.

National Science Foundation (NSF) www.nsf.gov

NSF is the funding source for approximately 20 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America's colleges and universities. NSF is one of the most substantial sources of federal backing in many fields such as mathematics, computer science, and the social sciences.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) www.arts.gov  

The NEA is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. NEA is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts.

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) www.neh.gov

The NEH is an independent federal agency that provides grants for high-quality humanities projects. NEH grants typically go to cultural institutions, such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television and radio stations, and individual scholars.

Oklahoma Arts Council www.arts.ok.gov

The Oklahoma Arts Council awards matching grants to cultural organizations, schools, and local governments to increase resources available to non-profit organizations producing community arts and arts education programs throughout Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Humanities Council (OHC) https://okhumanities.org/

OHC provides funding and resources that support humanities education and vibrant cultural life for all Oklahomans. Eligible projects must support the OHC mission—to promote meaningful public engagement with the humanities.

Found an opportunity or need help finding a funding opportunity? Reach out to our office, so we can help you with the next steps of your grant proposal!

Jessica Secratt, Director of Research & Sponsored Programs & Allison Hamilton, Proposal Development Specialist 

Academic Spotlight: Research & Sponsored Programs

Research & Sponsored Programs

Jessica Secratt, Research & Sponsored Programs Director, shares about the mission of the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs, support services, and funding opportunities for faculty and staff!

What is the mission of the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs?

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RASP) handles all pre-award aspects of grant proposal development. We identify ways that the University's funding can be supplemented through external sources, and assist colleges and departments in their efforts to collaborate and share resources.

What support services and resources are available to faculty/staff?

RASP can assist with one on one consultation with faculty or staff to discuss your ideas and help form it into a grant project. RASP also assists in budget development, checking the RFP for required documents, assist faculty in finding possible collaborators between colleges, and overall grant support in the pre-submission process. RASP will also submit all grant proposals to ensure they are submitted correctly.

How can faculty/staff find funding opportunities?

The Office of Research & Sponsored Programs (RASP) can assist you in identifying funding sources and exploring collaborative grant writing opportunities. RASP website also provides many search engine tools and current funding announcements. It’s a great idea to touch base with RASP on what your funding interests are so if a grant comes our way, we can share it with you as well. If you are a member of any organization be sure and sign up for their newsletters so you can get additional grant announcements.

What are a few frequently asked questions your office receives?

Does RASP get a “cut” of my grant? No. RASP is a free service provided to you by the University.

How can I make more money with a grant? Some grants offer opportunities for additional pay, course releases and summer salary. Depending on the type of grant you are looking at RASP can help identify ways to pay people for their work on a grant program.

Will RASP write grants? Typically, no. Although we try to support as much as possible, the bulk of the grant will be written by the PI (Project Investigator).

What one piece of advice would you share with potential grant applicants?

Read the full grant instructions. Once you find the right grant to write for, be sure you understand what is expected of you if awarded. Grants are a wonderful opportunity for faculty and staff to get the resources they need.

Educational Leadership

Drs. Kari Henry Hulett and Maria Gray presented a session titled, “Using Teacher Leadership Strengths to Build Community and Transform Online Learning” on August 10th at the ITLC Lilly Conference in Asheville, North Carolina. Their presentation addressed the conference theme, Innovative Strategies to Advance Student Learning.

Curriculum and Instruction

• Dr. Anita Ede, professor of early childhood education, presented “Rekindling Children’s Social Competence in a Post-Covid World” at the at the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators’ summer conference.
• Dr. Kim Phillips, assistant professor of early childhood education, presented “Left Behind Invisible Bars: How Teachers Can Support Children with an Incarcerated Parent” at the Oklahoma Early Childhood Research Symposium in June.
• Dr. Brandy McCombs, assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, presented “Connecting Pedagogy, Technology, and Content in Virtual Early Childhood” at the summer Oklahoma Research Symposium.
• In August, Dr. Tonya Garrett presented a Dyscalculia Awareness session for teachers at Krebs Public School, providing practitioners with tools to enhance mathematics instruction for K-8 students.
• Dr. Samantha Benn-Duke, associate professor of elementary education, served the last year as co-chair of the national Native American Advisory Committee and will continue to serve in that capacity during 2022-2023.
• Drs. Ingrid Massey and Tobi Thompson, of the reading/literacy program, presented professional development sessions in reading/literacy instruction for teachers and staff at Grand View, College Bound Academy, Rocky Mountain, Dahlonegah, and Maryetta. Topics included best practices for teaching reading, dyslexia interventions, and response to intervention.
• Drs. Stephan Sargent, Meagan Moreland, and Sherry Been published an article this July entitled, “A Survey Analysis of Teachers Using Newspaper in Education in a Changing Educational and Economic Climate,” in Education, a peer-reviewed journal.
• Ms. Jameie Combs, lecturer in special education, has created an immersion classroom space for the Deaf Community for the fall semester at NSU. Nearly 25-30 members of the Deaf Community in Tahlequah and outlying areas have been faithful to attend monthly "Deaf Coffee Chats" at this location.  NSU students also are utilizing this newly created space.
• Dr. Jericho Hobson, associate professor of teacher education, directed STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) Summer Youth Academies.  Over 520 area students, ages 4-12, attended. This experience has grown over the last 8 years from 5 teachers to 14 teachers this summer. Eleven of the 14 teachers were current or previous NSU students and Teacher Candidates.

Choctaw Nation STEAM Camp Visit

Twenty three high school students from the Choctaw Nation STEAM Camp visited NSU on June 22-23, 2022. As part of NSU’s Choctaw Nation Student Recruitment Camp, they toured the Innovation Discovery Education Academy (IDEA) center and participated in immersive Harry Potter themed activities led by Dr. Meagan Moreland, Dr. Kelli Carney, and Ms. Barbara Fuller along with David Fuller and Allison Grooms. Activities included making butterbeer, exploring the chemical reaction behind making slime, interactive games, and more. What a great day! Thank you to NSU’s Office of Admissions, Recruitment, and Scholarships for letting us be part of this innovative recruitment camp.

First Place in the 54th International Exhibition of Watercolor West was awarded to Lance Hunter, Professor of Art, for his painting "Reaching Back". The exhibition was held at Coastline College Gallery in Newport Beach, California from June 25th to August 13th.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Professor of Drama, and Scott Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, presented the 2022 season of River City Players at the NSU Playhouse. The series included two music review productions featuring students from around the country as well as current NSU students and NSU alumni in the River City Band. The band was led by NSU music adjunct instructor and staff pianist Farren Mayfield. Choreography was done by NSU drama adjunct instructor of dance Sydney Jennings-Lynn. This was the 39th season of the summer series that originated in 1983. 

Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Jeffery Wall, was active over the summer months as he conducted another "Choir on Tap" concert at American Solera in Tulsa with his professional-level chamber choir, Vox Solaris.  He traveled to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia on a Director's Preview Tour with a delegation of other music directors across the country to investigate performance venues, hotels, and excursions.  This is ahead of a planned Baltics performance tour with the University/Community Chorus over spring break 2023.  As Southwestern American Choral Directors conference chair, he traveled to Denver with the leadership team to continue plans for a 2024 conference.

Dr. Andrew Vassar, Fulbright Campus Advisor for students, has placed NSU's second student Fulbright, Darla Bennett, was finally fully accepted and placed in the white (colonial) city of Popayan, Columbia, teaching English for the 2022-23 academic year.

(Need help recruiting the NEXT student Fulbrighter! Send them my way vassar@nsuok.edu or Wilson 361, but thanks to Justin McBride in English for recommending Darla, as well as Lara Searcy and others like Jodi Legnon and Jason Proctor who publicized the program. Give me your energetic, pinched students yearning to travel the world for free--especially if you see someone who might be a potential candidate, say something! Darla is a creative writing student working for the City of Muskogee and teaches yoga--I need others like her!)

Dr. Denis Vovchenko, Professor of History, had an article published in a leading international journal (based in the UK). The article is titled “In Search of a Common Enemy: Russo-Turkish Cooperation and Its Discontents (1908-1923),” accepted and forthcoming in Middle Eastern Studies. The upcoming volume will be available in September.

Dr. Das-Bradoo helped organize the 6th Annual Biomedical-Neuroscience-Physiology research joint meeting at OSU-CHS on July 22, 2022. The annual event is a joint effort between Tulsa Area Bioscience Education and Research Consortium (TABERC), Oklahoma Society of Physiologists (OSP), and Society for Neuroscience Tulsa Chapter (SfN-T). NSU is one of the nine Tulsa area higher education institutes that are involved in the founding and implementation of TABERC. 

Three undergraduate students from Dr. Das-Bradoo’s research group presented their research at the 6th Annual Biomedical-Neuroscience-Physiology research joint meeting at OSU-CHS on July 22, 2022. Ms. Lydia Ostmo won second place, and Ms. Julia Green won third place among all undergraduate student presenters.

Dr. Tracy Freudenthaler, MPH, Assistant Professor in the MPH Program, and colleagues (Schumacher, Sun, Lamon, Wheeler, & Hubach) have had their abstract accepted for presentation at the American Public Health Association (APHA) 2022 Annual Meeting and Expo. This research: HPV vaccine disparities by rurality and race/ethnicity, shows those living in rural areas were less likely to have initiated vaccination and less likely to have received a health care provider recommendation for vaccination.

Freudenthaler is also OPHA’s conference planning co-chair for the virtual September Oklahoma Partners in Public Health Conference: Creating the Healthiest State: Situations and Solutions. For more information and registration details go to: Conference details Of note, students can attend for $20.

Dr. Sung-Kun (Sean) Kim, Professor of Chemistry, and his graduate and undergraduate students, Andrew Huckleby and Jhawn Saul, published a paper titled “Development of Hydroxamic Acid Compounds for Inhibition of Metallo-beta-lactamase from Bacillus anthracis,” in the peer-reviewed journal International Journal of Molecular Sciences.  

Dr. Sung-Kun (Sean) Kim attended the OK-INBRE summer undergraduate research symposium at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences on July 26, 2022. His undergraduate student, Mariana Enriquez presented a research poster at the meeting.

Dr. Elizabeth Waring along with 3 undergraduate researchers, Hunter Hodson, Viktoria Stallings, and Keegan Stallings presented research at the international Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting which took place in Grand Rapids, MI from May 14-20. 

• Hunter Hodson presented his undergraduate honors thesis work "Macroinvertebrates Prefer Native Quercus stellata Leaf Litter Over Invasive Ailantus altissima Leaf Litter"
• Keegan Stallings presented a poster on his work in Town Branch Creek titled "Bugging out: Examining seasonal changes in macroinvertebrate communities in Town Branch Creek, Tahlequah, OK"
• Viktoria Stallings presented a poster on her work with the GRDA titled "HOW FLOW DOES IT GO: COMPARISONS OF WATER FLOW, WATER DEPTH & E. COLI GROWTH"
• Dr. Waring presented on work she has been doing with BCEENet to promote the use of digitized natural history collections CURES in undergraduate labs titled "Natural History Collections are a CURE to open doors to aquatic sciences"

Dr. Elizabeth Waring participated in the River Rendezvous! on the James River (also known as the Powhatan River), as part of the River Field Studies Network. This NSF funded network is looking to increase the number of  hands-on field classes focused on river science. Dr. Waring taught students from Virginia Commonwealth University on identifying macroinvertebrates and understanding detritus-based food webs.

NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry - SVOSH Team Roatan 2022 - Back Row (left to right): Kaylee Bobbitt, Dr. Alissa Proctor (Faculty), Hunter wood, Calvin Chandler, Dr. John Gray (Alumnus), David Ross, Kevin Walp, Kylie Feightner, Dr. Hannah Sanders (Alumnus), and Jenna Doughtery.  Front Row (left to right): Noah Straub, Dr. Amie Straub (Alumnus), Mackenzie Zora, Kevin Struble, Lauren Bynorth, Ameerah Al-Sadi, Story Whitson, Aubry Tackett, Maddie Smith, Amanda Arie, and Jaxon Proctor (doing the splits).

Student Volunteers for Optometric Service to Humanity Mission Trip 2022

Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (SVOSH) is a student organization devoted to the prevention and treatment of vision care needs in impoverished areas. The primary mission of SVOSH International is to facilitate the provision of vision care worldwide to people who can neither afford nor obtain such care.

On August 3, 2022, fifteen NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry students, four optometrists (three alumni, one faculty member), and two minors boarded a flight for Roatan, Honduras.  Several students had never traveled outside of the U.S. before, most had never participated in an optometric mission trip, and all gave up a week of vacation to work overseas. After a year of fundraising and extensive planning, travel totes and suitcases were packed with glasses, eye drops, and optometric supplies. Over the course of four days of clinic at two locations on the island, over 730 patients were seen. Many patients left with much-needed glasses (distance, readers, bifocals, or sunglasses), medications, and referrals for further services. Team members returned with life-changing stories and gratefulness in their hearts.

NEW SPOTLIGHT SERIES:

Outcomes and Competencies

NSU's institutional learning outcomes, Degrees of Excellence, establish high expectations for our students' success; providing an inclusive framework for a distinctive educational experience connected to critical aspects of their future:  lifelong learning, work, citizenship and social responsibility.  These outcomes build on Lumina Foundation’s Degree Qualifications Profile and are informed by AAC&U’s LEAP Essential Learning Outcomes. They reflect NSU’s heritage, mission, and values.

PROGRAM: COE BS Psychology - Dr. April Haralson Choonoo (Phillips)

Happy Fall Semester & Welcome back!

The Northeastern State University Assessment Team is back hitting the ground running to bring you our new Academic Year 2022-2023 spotlight series. The series includes linking NACE career competencies to our own NSU institutional Outcomes the Degrees of Excellence. No need to fear, we will continue to update our loyal followers on the latest and greatest Assessment team projects, just a new spotlight and personalize the importance of assessment here at Northeastern State University.

To kick off our back to school spotlight series, we are covering the Psychology, BS program and the programs outcomes and NSU’s Degrees of Excellence

Program Chair, Dr. Dr April Haralson Choonoo (Phillips) has an impressive background receiving a Bachelors in Psychology, her Masters in Experimental Psychology and received her Doctorate in Social Psychology. We met with the Department Chair Dr April Haralson Choonoo (Phillips), she drew several connections for our team to explain how the Northeastern State University Psychology program can proactively develop oneself and one’s career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities, and networking to build relationships within and without one’s organization.

Dr. Phillips made the key connection that when it comes to our Psychology program, the primary assessment piece that ties together career competency and Degrees of Excellence is the national ACAT standardized assessment.

What is the ACAT?

Well I am glad you asked! In short- the Area Concentration Achievement Test (ACAT) assesses content knowledge and retention by students at the completion of their major field of study. Departments typically use ACAT to meet the needs for quantitative assessment data with a national reference group and for locally relevant information to inform decision making about student learning outcomes. Our Psychology department utilizes this tool to provide students with a standardized examination.  The Area Concentration Achievement Test (ACAT) is currently used by more than 500 colleges and universities to improve student learning and make data-driven decisions about their curriculum. Content areas of the Psychology test selected for inclusion represent core requirements in the major: Experimental Design, History and Systems‚ Physiological‚ and Statistics, Developmental and Personality.

Students in our Psychology program leave Northeastern State University with the knowledge to engage in diverse perspectives. They don’t just take the outcome, they are developing and growing the skillset to engage diverse perspectives and further explain alternative systems of thought; including their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences through course materials and are then tasked to put the aforementioned DOE skills to the test in the programs Area Concentration Achievement Test (ACAT).

Students can demonstrate diverse perspectives in the career and self-development competencies through students the freedom in course selection. For example, NSU’s Psychology students are exposed to a range of classroom exposure, including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations. The program allows for exposure in courses PSYC 4673 - Social Psychology, PSYC 3223 - Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination, PSYC 4343 - Psychology of Human Sexuality, PSYC 1113 - Introduction to Psychology or PSYC 3213 - Psychology as a Career to allow for familiarity with major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology. Employers are actively seeking students who apply heavy electives for a fit to their career goals - child based coursework v. forensic based coursework v. health psychology coursework to tailor to fit their long-term career goals. The NSU Psychology program guarantees consistency to a diverse outcome set that reflects each student's ability. These abilities allow students to recognize, understand, and respect the complexity of socio-cultural and international diversity for the benefit of this emerging program to produce the competencies that employers require.

The NSU Assessment Team sends a large thank you to Dr. Phillips for allowing us the time to spotlight her program.

The NSU Assessment team has remained hard at work to make preparations to bring faculty additional resources, as we put on a SLO (Student Learning Outcome) Bootcamp on August 10th for Community Collaboration Day at NSUBA. Our SLO Boot Camp had a driving focus of ensuring staff members were offered in-person aid, alongside resources to assist faculty in developing assessment strategies from developing student learning outcomes through the assessment plan and assessment report.

The NSU Assessment team is here to connect staff to best practices in assessment, aligning curriculum to match both course and institutional outcomes - whether it be syllabus, BB course prep or linking your assessments to measure within Anthology. Our team is a holistic and competent resource for new TA's learning the ropes and seasoned faculty who need a boost in ensuring outcomes and goals are aligned to the ever-evolving materials.

We are here to help, weekdays M-F, please don't hesitate to get us working for you!

CTS Looking for Faculty Partners

Professional Development Opportunities Available

NSU, Hispanic Small Business Association partner to offer business courses in Spanish

PRESS RELEASE

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Spanish-speaking business owners in Oklahoma are encouraged to enroll in professional development training this fall.

The Northeastern State University Broken Arrow campus has partnered with Uma Center and the Hispanic Small Business Association to offer courses in professional development for business startups in Spanish virtually this September through November.

Founder and CEO of the Uma Center Dr. Martha Isabel Zapata said while there are a number of business courses being offered they are not available in Spanish. She added for many Latinos in Oklahoma, specifically in Tulsa, they experience a language barrier because English is their second language.

“So that becomes a barrier for people who want to get an education,” Zapata said. “Latinos are very entrepreneurial. They want to start a business but they need the tools and offering these courses in Spanish is a way to support the Hispanic community’s entrepreneurial spirit.”

She added offering the courses virtually is also important as it provides prospective and current business owners the flexibility to do the courses when they are available.

NSU College of Extended Learning Dean Dr. Eloy Chavez said the series aims to equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools necessary to start a business and/or strengthen and grow an existing business. He added this falls in line with the university’s mission to aid diverse members of the community seeking to get ahead in today’s economy.

Topics covered as part of this series include identifying the ideal customer, defining the value proposition, developing and validating a prototype product, exploring types of business structures, clarifying the business model and pricing structure, basic understanding of financial statements, branding and marketing strategies. Zapata said participants who complete five courses will be eligible for a certificate.

Course instructors include Ramiro Peña, who works as a business consultant and corporate trainer for the Hispanic Small Business Association. The organization supports Tulsa's Hispanic community through business education, technical assistance, community relations development and mentorship. 

Peña has more than 25 years of experience working as a human resources and development executive for large oil and telecommunications companies in South America. He has also been a corporate instructor in the areas of human resources, leadership, coaching and employment law.

Joining Peña to deliver the courses this fall is Zapata. She is the founder and CEO of the Uma Center Inc., a non-profit organization started by the Hispanic SBA to support Tulsa's Latino community through business education, technical assistance, networking and mentorship.

Zapata worked as an organizational psychologist in her home country conducting recruitment, selection and training for national and international corporations. She also established the first entrepreneurship academy in Oklahoma, in partnership with Tulsa Technology Center and 36 Degrees North, with classes entirely in Spanish. In addition, she owns a consulting firm that develops educational materials for the Hispanic market and advises businesses on how to serve Latinos in culturally relevant ways.

For more information about the series and to register for courses visit https://academics.nsuok.edu/continuingeducation/spanish_business_courses.aspx. Interested participants can also contact Peña at 918-609-0987 or Zapata at 539-589-0435.

###

The Center for Teaching and Learning is looking to foster a community of support amongst faculty and staff. To provide a designated space for this, CTL is looking to house and facilitate on-campus Learning Communities comprised of faculty and staff members that will meet three times a semester to discuss topics related to the scholarship of Teaching and Learning. These conversations would be participant-led, focused, and engineered to their physical and online classroom successes as colleagues. 

Organized by CTL's Academic Services Coordinators, Erik Harris and Lakin Keener, these Learning Communities aim to connect faculty and staff to each other through "unconference conference" discussions that aim to foster a network of support, educational research, and community engagement. An Unconference Conference style of learning is meant to act as an alternative to the traditional conference format. This alternative format is self-organized, where participants draw on each other's collective experiences and expertise to challenge and share successes from one classroom into another (www.theunconference.net). The discussions that take place in the hallways of a conference offer experience, depth, and insight from someone of the same profession; it is trusted and tested. The CTL Learning Communities aim to offer experience and networks similar to those built in conference hallways but across NSU's three campuses and online classrooms. 

The Learning Communities are expected to meet three times a semester, and groups will be selected and organized based on participants' availability. These communities will be available on all three campuses and in multiple sections to best accommodate willing faculty and staff. To be a part of one of these Learning Communities, please express your interest by reaching out to the Center for Teaching and Learning via email at ctl@nsuok.edu or by calling their office at 918-444-5855.  

New Faculty Orientation

New Faculty Orientation (August 8th) allowed us to share the day with the new faculty for Fall 2022.

Of the 46 new faculty, 25 partook of the day's activities. The morning started with welcomes from President Turner, Dr. Landry (Provost/Academic Affairs), Dr. Jerrid Freeman (Student Affairs), Dr. Green (President Faculty Council), and Chelbie Turtle (President, NSU Student Government Association). The remainder of the morning introduced the new faculty to information critical to their early success. Informative sessions continued into the afternoon with a pleasant break for lunch enhanced by the presentation of Cherokee Storyteller Robert Lewis. Mr. Lewis did an incredible job of captivating all in attendance with his style of Cherokee cultural storytelling. 

The Center for Teaching and Learning would like to thank all the faculty and staff who participated in scheduling the event. We would also like to thank the faculty and staff who presented or facilitated sessions. It was our pleasure to have had the opportunity to welcome another wonderful cohort of faculty to NSU!

osiyo.tv

Community and Collaboration Day

Community and Collaboration (August 10th) was a great success, thanks to the faculty and staff of NSU! 

The event resulted in what we believe to be record numbers both for presentations and participation. We met the event's goals while the essence of NSU was on full display!   

The Center for Teaching and Learning wants to thank Dr. Pam Fly and Academic Affairs for the help with lunch and Dr. Eloy Chavez and the Broken Arrow staff for the logistical support. It was nice to see so many people enjoying each other's company!

26 presentations: Over 4 break-out sessions
51 presenters: of which 6 presented multiple times
141 Faculty Registered: This has to be a record! All presentations were well attended.
Networking Opportunity for All: Lunch alone had over 140 participants.

Meet our New Team Member!

Meagan Jaramillo

Administrative Assistant

Welcome back to the beginning of a new year, RiverHawk Family! The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs had a great turnout at our Lunch and Learn event on the Broken Arrow campus July 28, 2022. Faculty and staff from all three campuses joined us, discussing a few grant 101s. Watch for more Lunch and Learn events by the RASP team in the future.  Our office also teamed up with Susan Evans from the Office of Grants and Contracts and Peggy Glenn from the NSU Foundation on August 10 and contributed to the annual Community Collaboration Day. Thank you to all who signed up and participated!

If you are interested in writing a grant and just don’t know where to begin looking for funding, below is a list of funding agencies. These websites are an excellent starting ground to begin your search.

OSRHE  OSRHE Grant Programs - The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education offer several grant programs to institutions of higher education.

Grants.gov www.grants.gov 

Grants.gov is a source to find and apply for federal grants. All federal agency grant opportunities are listed, making grants.gov a great place to begin searching for a grant for which you would like to apply.

National Science Foundation (NSF) www.nsf.gov

NSF is the funding source for approximately 20 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America's colleges and universities. NSF is one of the most substantial sources of federal backing in many fields such as mathematics, computer science, and the social sciences.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) www.arts.gov  

The NEA is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. NEA is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts.

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) www.neh.gov

The NEH is an independent federal agency that provides grants for high-quality humanities projects. NEH grants typically go to cultural institutions, such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television and radio stations, and individual scholars.

Oklahoma Arts Council www.arts.ok.gov

The Oklahoma Arts Council awards matching grants to cultural organizations, schools, and local governments to increase resources available to non-profit organizations producing community arts and arts education programs throughout Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Humanities Council (OHC) https://okhumanities.org/

OHC provides funding and resources that support humanities education and vibrant cultural life for all Oklahomans. Eligible projects must support the OHC mission—to promote meaningful public engagement with the humanities.

Found an opportunity or need help finding a funding opportunity? Reach out to our office, so we can help you with the next steps of your grant proposal!

Have a great school year!

Jessica Secratt, Director of Research & Sponsored Programs & Allison Hamilton, Proposal Development Specialist 

Academic Spotlight: 2022 New Faculty

As we begin the fall semester, we welcome these faculty to NSU. We are proud to have them join our faculty community, a distinctive group of scholars and educators deeply committed to academic excellence and student learning. We are excited to have them join us as we continue our mission of service to northeastern Oklahoma and the world.

Read more by visiting the Academic Affairs New Faculty page!

2022 New Faculty

Dr. Samantha Been-Duke will be giving a presentation entitled Native Boys and Braids: How Can Educators Facilitate Learning and Support?

This is in response to some national incidents of Native boys being bullied and even attacked by having their braids cut off. The presentation will be at The College Board's Native American Student Advocacy Institute conference in June. It will be held in Phoenix. Dr. Been-Duke serves on the conference planning committee.

Dr. Sherry Been, Dr. Jodi Legnon, Dr. Jericho Hobson, and Dr. Cindi Fries published an article this spring in The Field Experience Journal.  The title is “An International Internship to Develop Undergraduate Teacher Candidates”.

This article explores a study investigating an international internship and the impact this experience has on undergraduate teacher candidates. The teacher candidates taught at an international school in Europe for eight weeks as a part of their degree program. They were immersed in the culture of the international school and the community, providing diverse cultural and language teaching experiences. The findings of the study revealed themes: developed a more profound sense of effective teaching, that child development is the same for children around the world, and contextual knowledge of culture and community support teaching and learning. This study highlights the significance of international field experiences as an option for teacher candidates within their undergraduate experiences.

Dr. Kimberly Phillips and Dr. Kyong-Ah Kwon (University of Oklahoma) published to the Journal of Prison Education and Reentry entitled The Impact of Parenting Classes on Incarcerated Mothers. 

With growing public attention to the problem of mass incarceration, many individuals want to know about the vast rise in women’s incarceration rates; particularly concerning, the increase of mothers in prison. For many mothers, the only source of hope and motivation they have while involved in the criminal justice system is the connection with their children. This article demonstrates that educational programs focusing on parenting can help incarcerated mothers renew their parental role upon release from prison. The target audience for this article includes, but is not limited to, correctional facility administrators, family counselors, educators, and anyone with an interest in parenting after prison. This article can also serve as a platform to advocate for quality parenting classes for incarcerated mothers.

Read more here!

Masters in Counseling

The Masters in Counseling program received its report concerning our self-study submitted for our upcoming CACREP site visit. The self-study had no mandatory revisions or clarifications and because of the outstanding job by Dr. Keller-Dupree and the counseling faculty our site visit has been moved to the spring of 2023.

Dr. Brett Fitzgerald, Associate Professor of Criminology, Justice Studies and Global Security, with Master of Science in Criminal Justice student, Noreen Swank, and Dr. James Hurst, Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology, Justice Studies and Global Security presented at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences in March 2022. The presentation, “Crossover Youth and Diversion in Oklahoma” focused on disparities in dispositional outcomes of juveniles referred to the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs during 2018-2019 school year. Child welfare youth were found to be significantly less likely to be diverted away from the juvenile justice system in comparison to non-child welfare youth.

Native Circles Podcast

Dr. Farina King, Associate Professor of History, has continued to share and highlight the Native Circles podcast through the NSU Center for Indigenous Community Engagement social media platforms. The Native Circles podcast has featured NSU faculty, Candessa Tehee and Samantha Benn-Duke. In the recent episode, it features Dr. Tehee's "Allotment Stories":

Dr. Candessa Tehee is a Cherokee Nation citizen who earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Oklahoma. She is also an accomplished artist who was recognized as a Cherokee National Treasure for finger weaving in 2019. She previously served as the Executive Director of the Cherokee Heritage Center, as the Manager of the Cherokee Language Program, and worked in the Office of Curriculum and Instruction at the Cherokee Nation Immersion Charter School. She joined the faculty of Northeastern State University in Fall 2016 as a professor in the Department of Cherokee and Indigenous Studies. She currently serves as the Coordinator for the Cherokee Cultural Studies and Cherokee Education degree programs. She is the District 2 Tribal Councilor of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council.

See Candessa Tehee, "ᎪᎩ ᎤᏗᏞᎩ ᏗᏛᎪᏗ ᎾᏂᏪᏍᎬ ᎶᎶ: You can hear locusts in the heat of the summer," in Allotment Stories: Indigenous Land Relations under Settler Siege (2021) edited by Daniel Heath Justice and Jean M. O'Brien. Find the book at the following link: https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/allotment-stories

In a previous episode, we feature Dr. Samantha Benn-Duke's research about Native American women in education:

Samantha Benn-Duke, PhD, has been a public educator for more than 30 years, serving 17 of those years in public classrooms and 7 years as an administrator. She was named the 2017 Oklahoma Indian Educator of the Year by the Oklahoma Council for Indian Education. She also served as the president of the Oklahoma Council for Indian Education and was the first Gaylord-McCasland Teacher Fellow for the Oklahoma Hall of Fame Museum. Samantha’s research and passion include advocating for Native American and other minority children and more effectively meeting their learning needs.

You can access the episodes of the podcast and learn more at the following websites: Check out the podcast at https://nativecircles.buzzsprout.com and the official podcast website at https://nativecirclespodcast.com/.

Dr. James Lindroth, Professor of Music, published an article entitled “Time Management for Percussionists” in the May 2022 edition of Rhythm Scene Journal by the Percussive Arts Society.

Dr. Whitney Myers, Associate Professor of Music, represented Tulsa Opera on April 28th by singing the National Anthem at the Tulsa Drillers game.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Professor of Drama, and Scott Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, will produce the 2022 River City Players season in June and July 2022 at the NSU Playhouse. River City Players has been a summer theatre performance series presented on campus since 1983. The Pursley team has been leading production of the series since 2005. Robyn Pursley serves as the Artistic Director, Stage Director, and Costume Designer for the two productions each season. Scott Pursley serves as the Production Manager, Technical Director, Production Designer, and Sound Engineer for both productions. Farren Mayfield, Adjunct Instructor of Music, also works with the summer company as the Band Director and plays keys in the band for each production. Sydney Jennings-Lynn, Adjunct Instructor of Drama, serves as the Choreographer for both productions.

Dr. Lara Searcy, Associate Professor of English, was named Graduate Faculty Mentor of the Year at the 2022 Employee Recognition event.

The Social Work Department and Haruv Institute Presented a workshop panel titled The Influence of the Opioid Epidemic on Children at the W. Roger Webb Auditorium April 22, 2022.

The Department of Criminology, Justice Studies, and Global Security hosted a Criminal Justice Fair on the Tahlequah campus. Over 40 agencies from Oklahoma and neighboring states attended. In addition to the information and networking portion of the fair, there were also demonstrations of working with a drug dog, drones and other various equipment and vehicles used by the various law enforcement agencies. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation also led a crime scene demonstration.

The Sequoyah Institute presented two professional touring shows during the month of April. Motones vs. Jerseys featured an audience interactive evening of 1960s rock and roll music and Jukebox Saturday closed the performing arts series season with an evening of big band era music. The final performance included a select group of NSU Jazz Studies students on stage with the professional musicians. For both productions, students from the NSU Drama program provided technical support backstage and Scott Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama served as technical director for the events.

Dr. Pamela Christol and Jericho Hobson at at GWCSHP table.

On April 22^nd, Dr. Pamela Christol and Dr. Jericho Hobson attended the Earth Day event at Chandler Park in Tulsa. This event had 400+ K-6 students, their teachers and parents engaged in hands-on activities that inspired them to protect their planet. Information was provided about opportunities such as the “Get Green for Blue: Outdoor STEM Investigations Connecting Water to You” Summer Academy and the “STEM Inside Out” Tulsa Public Schools Academy, as well as the NSU STEM Education Certificate and Science Education Master’s Program.

Ms. Lydia Ostmo, an undergraduate student working in the lab of Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo, represented NSU at the twenty-seventh annual Research Day at the Capitol on March 29 and 30, 2022.

There were 21 students, representing 15 colleges and universities, gathered on the State Capitol’s second-floor rotunda to showcase the outstanding research being conducted on Oklahoma’s campuses. Members of the State Legislature and Capitol guests visited students’ poster displays to learn more about the research projects, which covered important topics including ecological damage, nutrition, and cancer research.  Research posters and oral presentations were competitively judged by an independent panel. The panel selected the top seven researchers in three categories—one overall winner, three regional university winners, and three research-intensive institution winners. 

Lydia won third place in the Regional, University and Community College category.

The title of her poster was: MCM10 and POLe interaction reveals potential for understanding cancer and FILS Syndrome.

Third Place: Regional, University & Community College Category – Lydia Ostmo
Institution: Northeastern State University
Hometown: Tulsa
Research Topic: DNA Replication

Pictured (L-R) Lydia Ostmo and Representative Bob Ed Culver

Lydia Ostmo presenting her poster and at the State Capitol

Lydia Ostmo with her certificates

Included in the photo: Sierra Campbell, Tatum Ewing, Alyssa Fields, Gunnar Guinnip, Kaylin Littledave, Cenia Lor, Abdullah Mallah, Makenzie Mashburn, Desiree Matthews, Bethany Mejia, Jase Nash, Sallie Nguyen, Blair Scroggins, Brody Teague, Quan Yan

Drs. Cammi Valdez and Jessica Martin hosted an Early Research Experience for first and second year undergraduate students during the month of April. The project was funded by the Oklahoma IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence. Fifteen undergraduate students participated in the month-long experience, learning laboratory techniques related to research in the areas of cell biology, biochemistry, and inorganic chemistry. 

Senior undergraduate student DeAnna Cameron assisted with the project.

Dr. Valdez (2nd from right) receiving the award includes Genentech sponsors: Dr. Matt Meldorf, Dr. Galin Spicer, and Dr. Kay Smarzinski (from left to right) as well as ARVO Foundation Board Chair, Dr. Joel Schuman (far right)

Dr. Cammi Valdez has been awarded the OK-INBRE Summer Mentoring and Research Training (SMaRT) Grant to support two early research students, MacKenzie Bethel and Hanna Russell. 

During the 2022 ARVO (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology) Conference in Denver, CO, Dr. Cammi Valdez received the Genentech Career Development Award for Underrepresented Minority Emerging Vision Scientists, which comes with $100,000 in research funding over two years.

20^th Annual Undergraduate Research Day

The 20^th Annual Undergraduate Research Day was held on the Tahlequah campus on Tuesday, April 19, 2022.  A total of  26 Posters and four Oral Presentations were presented by  thirty-seven students mentored by nineteen faculty mentors. The research projects were judged by panels of judges to determine Outstanding Scholars and Runners-Up for the College of Science and Health Professions and winners of the poster competitions. All the poster winners were students from the College of Science and Health Professions. The following awards were given out to CSHP students at the conclusion of the day’s events.

2022 CSHP Outstanding Scholars and Runners-Up

College of Science and Health Professions Outstanding Scholar: Carlos Cuza-Martinez
Faculty Mentor: Sapna Das-Bradoo
Paper: DNA Polymerase Epsilon Holoenzyme is Disrupted by Pol2 Mutation, Resulting in a Reduced Rate of DNA Replication Initiation and Elongation

College of Science and Health Professions, Runner-Up: Luan Nguyen
Faculty Mentor: Richard Hasenauer
Paper: The Fundamental Theorem of Homomorphisms for Semigroups

College of Science and Health Professions, Runner-Up: Hunter Hodson
Faculty Mentor: Elizabeth Waring and Katherine Wollman
Paper: Comparison of Macroinvertebrate Communities Found in Invasive and Native Tree Leaf Litter

Poster Award Winners

Sponsor’s Award for Best Poster; First Place: Lydia Ostmo
Faculty Mentor: Sapna Das-Bradoo
Poster: Revealing Potential for Understanding Cancer and FILS Syndrome Through Study of MCM10 and Polymerase Epsilon

Sponsor’s Award for Best Poster; Second Place: Ally Head
Faculty Mentor: Janaki Iyer
Poster: Observing the Effects of Progesterone on the Infection Ability of Escherichia coli in Bladder cells

Sponsor’s Award for Best Poster; Third Place: Madison Wrather and Raina Wrather
Faculty Mentor: Michael Morgan
Poster: Use of Hypomethylating Agents in Metastatic Bladder Cancer Cells in Conjunction with Lysosome Inhibitors

Student’s Choice Award for Best Poster: Melissa Vera
Faculty Mentor: Cammi Valdez 
Poster: 3D Printing in Diabetic Retinopathy: An Educational Tool for Low Vision and Blind Audiences

Hello,

All of us here at the NSU Assessment Team wanted to let you know that we are here for any and all faculty to rely upon. 

Our sole purpose is to ensure that your current student learning outcomes & student learning goals are useful to your course and aligned for easier assessment reporting among departments. 

The NSU Assessment Team Functions with a core goal to provide aid to staff. In an effort to better serve our university we respectfully request an opportunity to set a time where we may review each and every faculty member's current assessment strategy. Our team would make the most of a brief discussion with each faculty member to demonstrate the benefit of using the Anthology Portfolio to store assessment data for easy access and reporting.

It is our responsibility to display this new electronic tool that can easily be linked to Blackboard Assignments and will benefit new faculty hires, students and our university for years to come.

Our goal is to ensure that faculty understand how to access and utilize Anthology Portfolio for assessment reporting. Our team is are here weekdays and would love to make ourselves available to help beginners get a feel for the program or assist veterans that require a second set of eyes on assessment reporting.

Below is our link where staff can book and appoint with our Assessment GA's to build confidence in assessment reporting through Anthology Portfolio. 

https://offices.nsuok.edu/academicassessment/contactus.aspx

Please help us to make sure all faculty staff members know we exist and can help serve as a liaison between assessment reporting and Anthology, after all, “Assessment is today’s means of modifying tomorrow’s instruction”- Carol Ann Tomlinson.

Wishing you all the best for a successful 2022-2023 academic year!

NSU Assessment

Cari Keller, Graduate Dean/Exec. Dir. Assessment & Planning
TQ Campus Office: Administration 111
918-444-2220

Karrine Ortiz, Graduate Assistant
BA Campus Office:  Student Affairs 225
Phone: 918-449-6128

Melinda Polly, Graduate Assistant
BA Campus Office: Student Affairs 227
Phone: 918-449-6124 

NASNTI Grant Update

Interested in mentoring students in research or taking them to a professional conference? Let us know! Also, look for information on upcoming professional development opportunities for faculty and staff available with the NASNTI grant, including training related to data equity and academic coaching.  If you are interested, please contact Sara Barnett, barnet11@nsuok.edu or x4356.

Brenda Bradford won 1st place in photography in the 2022 Cherokee Nation Trail of Tears Art Show and was acknowledged in April by CASA's Volunteer Spotlight for her work as a CASA of Cherokee County volunteer child advocate. 

Catherine Davenport, Social Sciences Librarian at the Tahlequah campus, has been appointed to a 2-year term to the ACRL's Politics, Policy, and International Relations: Communication and Publications Committee.

Guangzhou College of Technology and Business Approval

In May 2022, after two years of joint efforts by the working teams from NSU and Guangzhou College of Technology and Business (GCTB), approval was received from the Chinese Ministry of Education to form the GCTB-NSU Joint Institute of Technology at Guangzhou College of Technology and Business. The Joint Institute will build programs between NSU and GCTB in the following three majors: information systems, business analytics, and cyber security.

The GCTB-NSU Joint Institute of Technology at Guangzhou College of Technology and Business was one of 22 joint institutes approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education in 2022, and one of the only two joint institutes approved between universities in China and Universities in the U.S. The other approved joint institute in the U.S is between Northern Arizona University and Shanghai Normal University.

GCTB, founded in 1995, is a private university approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education. In 2022, the university was ranked in the top 30 of the "Competitiveness Ranking of Private Undergraduate Universities in China" and top 2 in Guangdong Province. GCTB currently has 27,611 full-time students, including 26,864 undergraduate students. GCTB has 14 teaching units offering 30 undergraduate majors, including economics, management, engineering, literature, art, and education.

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs has had an exceptional year. The mission of  RASP is to help identify possible grants and assist faculty and staff in developing, editing, and submitting grant applications. We had two major goals for this year. 

• Increase the number of faculty and staff serving as principal or co-principal investigators
  • Last year: 43 PIs or Co-PIs
    • This year: 72 and counting
• Increase the amount of funding being applied for
  • Last year: Total funding pursued amount was $3.6 million
    • This year’s amount: $15.2 million and counting

Work on behalf of the PIs and Co-PIs this past year has:

• created 159 jobs.         
• funded faculty research and staff development.
• provided for student support services.
• paid for student internships.
• expanded a Native American Support Center.
• and created a childcare center on campus –  just to name a few.

We would like to recognize all of those who have worked with our office to pursue grant funding this year. The numbers and data we have listed is from April 15, 2021 to April 15, 2022.  Thank you to all of the faculty, staff, administration, and support staff that help make these grants possible by providing data, guidance, and support from beginning to end. We could not do this work on our own.  You are all Rockstars!

Those who have been awarded:

Those who have pursued funding - many of which are still pending

We would like to congratulate the Director of Research and Sponsored Programs, Ms. Jessica Secratt on receiving the 2022 Northeastern State University Rising Star Award!

Academic Spotlight: Dr. Pamela Fly

Dr. Pamela Fly, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, shares about her role and responsibilities and the importance of HLC accreditation.

As Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, share about your role and responsibilities, and how you support the mission of Academic Affairs.

My responsibilities encompass several areas that support the mission of providing high quality undergraduate and graduate programs. These include facilitating institutional accreditation and federal requirements, curriculum processes from proposal through board approvals to HLC notification, academic calendar and catalog updates, academic policy and extensive reporting at the state and national levels, all types of program review, academic budgets including technology for teaching and learning, and the occasional student or faculty concern. I work closely with several offices on campus including the Registrar’s office for curriculum, policy and commencement, Institutional Effectiveness for reporting, and Communications and Marketing to ensure NSU accurately represents itself to the public.

In working with partner institutions and external constituents, I review and provide feedback on transfer articulations and have been a point person in various grant-related efforts such as the Tulsa Transfer Project and the Equity Transfer Initiative. I have served as chair of the Oklahoma Blackboard Consortium board, vice chair of the Tulsa Higher Education Consortium, and on several RUSO/OSRHE committees.

I love my job because no day is ever the same, and I can make a positive difference, impacting the work and lives of many although they may never know it. It’s the equivalent of being an academic ninja!

What are your research interests and specialties, and how did you become interested in them?

My research interests arise from two separate phases of my life. My experiences as a high school English teacher led me to classroom discourse, constructivist theories of learning, and socio-cultural influences on learning. I’ve always been fascinated with how people learn and create meaning from texts and the contexts that surround them. It’s a puzzle, and I strive to know how to identify the clues.

My second field of interest is teacher education policy and reform which arose from my time working at the state and national level on accreditation. Watching people who have never stepped foot in a classroom make policy about what goes on there can be a real motivator to be a positive contributor to the conversation. Extrapolate those experiences to the institution, and you can find my passion for accreditation in all sizes and flavors.

This year, NSU received formal notice of its continued re-accreditation by HLC. What is HLC, and why is it important that NSU maintains its accreditation?

The Higher Learning Commission is the largest of six regional institutional accreditors.  Accreditation validates that the institution is meeting expected criteria in all aspects of its operations – mission and service to the public, academic programming, finances and resources, governance, and administration.

Maintaining accreditation means that NSU meets state and federal expectations for quality in student learning, degree components, course delivery, and student support. Meeting those expectations means that NSU can distribute federal financial aid which helps students reach their educational goals.

In addition to your position as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, you also serve as the HLC Accreditation Liaison Officer. What is your role in working with HLC and the university to prepare for HLC's 10-year comprehensive site visit?

The ALO is responsible for staying current with HLC policies and providing oversight for submission of annual institution updates as well as submitting substantive change information. As the primary point of contact, the ALO facilitates communications with HLC and the institution regarding complaints, updates, and official documents.

Beginning a year before the comprehensive site visit, I worked with an executive team of campus leaders and their criterion committees who drafted the self-study, revised and edited the document so that it read from a single voice, and made sure that every exhibit link and webpage was current and presented NSU truthfully and in the best light possible. I compiled the federal compliance report and wrote the branch campus explanations. I worked with the site team chair to establish the visit logistics and then responded to questions and document requests before, during, and after the visit up until the final report was submitted.

What comes next to prepare for HLC's 2031-2032 site visit?

There are two major events prior to the next comprehensive visit – the Assurance Review in 2025-26 and the Quality Initiative in 2027–2029. The Assurance Review is a mid-point check and evaluates whether the institution is still meeting the criteria. NSU will submit another self-study and exhibits for that off-site review, and I am already collecting materials. The Quality Initiative will be a continuous improvement project of the institution’s design and will be decided later.

Counselor Education Comprehensive Examination (CECE)

Twenty-eight students from our Psychology Department completed Counselor Education Comprehensive Examination (CECE) on Saturday, April 2. Dr. Johnny Mark Kirk submitted their testing data to be added to the national database to compare our NSU scores against the national mean.

NSU students had a 100% pass rate and surpassed the national average overall and across all eight content areas!

We are so proud of our students and continue to be so pleased with the trends that we have observed with our Counseling students' CECE and NCE outcomes over the past couple years.

Drs. Kari Henry Hulett, Renée Cambiano, Maria Gray, and Sophia Sweeney along with graduate students, Leslies Varghese (M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership) and Sara Ryals (M.S. in Leadership), presented a panel discussion entitled, "Graduate Program Perspectives: Building a Community of Inquiry through Mentorship and Inclusion" at the 2022 Oklahoma Learning Innovations Summit virtual conference on April 15th. The proposal, "What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Leading in the Online Classroom," submitted by Dr. Kari Henry Hulett and Dr. Maria Gray was accepted as a roundtable discussion at the 2022 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development conference in Austin, Texas, which will be held in May.

Dr. Kari Henry Hulett, Assistant Professor, and Dr. Maria Gray, Associate Professor, educators in the Educational Leadership department, served as panelists for the “Empowering Women in Leadership and Stem Conference” The conference was held at Cameron University on April 6, 2022. Following their keynote presentation, Lead Where You’re Planted: Discovering your Transformational Leadership Strengths and Applying them Now, both Drs. Henry Hulett and Gray were among six panelists from the fields of education, business, and leadership to answer audience questions about effective leadership strategies, women in leadership, and leadership and culture. The conference was made available to the local community, with attendees ranging from faculty, students, staff, and community members.

Dr. MooSong Kim published an article, Prevalence of School-Based Extracurricular Sport and Physical Activity Participation among Children with Disabilities in the International Journal of Disability, Development and Education. 

Dr. Kimberly Phillips presented a poster titled, Lessons Learned Inside the Yard: The Impact of a College Education on Incarcerated Mothers at Oklahoma Research Day on March 4^th at Cameron University, Lawton, OK via a virtual format. Oklahoma Research Day is a premier annual event celebrating student and faculty research, creative, and scholarly activities. The event has grown in numbers and in stature with contributions from all Oklahoma institutions of higher education, including many collaborative contributions from national and international academic and research institutions.

Dr. Sophia Sweeney and Dr. William McComas (University of Arkansas) published their article Early Elementary (K-4) Teachers' Perceptions of the Developmental Appropriateness, Importance, and Potential for Classroom Inclusion of Key Nature of Science Aspects in the Journal of Research in Science Teaching. Many thanks to Dr. Kurt Choate for input on establishing the reliability of the questionnaire.

Oklahoma History Day

After two years of covid-related disruptions, Oklahoma National History Day returned to Northeastern State University campus for in-person competition on April 5, 2022. Students from across the Green Country region, competing in either Jr. (middle school) or Sr. (high school) divisions, presented research projects around the 2022 theme, Debate & Diplomacy in History. Supported by their dedicated social studies teachers, students filled the University Center on the Tahlequah campus and offered thoughtful analyses on historical topics. Across categories, they demonstrated impressive research skills and articulated important links between past and present. Teams of judges, drawn from NSU faculty and staff, evaluated group and individual projects, determined those that advanced to next round (state-level) of competition, and offered encouragement for all. Organized through the Social Studies Education program within Department of History, this annual competition is grounded by collaboration among educators and aims to elevate the teaching history and the social studies in Northeast Oklahoma.

Dr. Jennifer Edwards, Professor of Sociology, was presented the 2022 SWS Mentoring Award by The Sociology for Women in Society on April 1st at the SWS conference banquet in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. 

Dr. Virginia Drywater-Whitekiller, Professor of Social Work, Dr. Eun-Jun Bang, Professor of Social Work, and Dr. Jennifer Edwards, Professor of Sociology were each named 2021-2022 honorees for the Circle of Excellence.

Dr. Jennifer Edwards, Professor of Sociology, and Dr. Suzanne Farmer, Associate Professor of History, have an article “Patterns of Social Relationships and their Outcomes: The Case of Ireland” that was accepted for publication in the International Social Science Review journal, forthcoming in June.

The Department of Languages and Literature presented the 2022 Visions Conference on April 8th and 9th in Seminary Hall and via Zoom. Dr. Suzanne Farmer, Associate Professor of History gave the Keynote presentation at the event.

Dr. Lance Hunter, Professor of Art, recently had a painting featured in the Rockies West National Exhibition at The Arts Center in Grand Junction, Colorado. “Crimson Snow” received First Place in this exhibition sponsored annually by the Western Colorado Watercolor Society. 

Dr. Farina King, Associate Professor of History, organized the Mapping Tahlequah History Workshop with co-director of the project, Dr. John McIntosh, Associate Professor of Geography, on April 4, 2022. King and McIntosh hosted Dr. Brenden W. Rensink, associate director of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies and the creator of Intermountain Histories, as the keynote speaker who discussed how to involve the public through digital history projects. The event brought together NSU faculty, staff, students, and the broader community, including partner local historical organizations and Cherokee scholars to support the initiative of digital mapping of historic places in Tahlequah. The sponsors of the workshop include the National Endowment for the Humanities, the College of Liberal Arts, the Department of History, the Department of Geography and Political Science, and the Center for Teaching and Learning. 

On April 7, 2022, NSU students Jarren Fourkiller and Charlee White presented their research with mentor Dr. Farina King regarding Railroads in Indian Territory between the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century for the NSU Symposium of the American Indian. Their presentations have been accepted for the Railroads in Native America Gathering and Symposium, which they will attend at the Union Station in Ogden, Utah, in May 2022 with scholars and public intellectuals from throughout the country.

Dr. Farina King has been featured in the following articles:

“Virtual discussion on Indigenous studies will celebrate completion of Kansas Open Books project,” The Lawrence Times, March 21, 2022. This article announces a webinar that Dr. King participated in recently, featuring the Kansas Open Books project and Indigenous studies sponsored by the University Press of Kansas. Her first book, The Earth Memory Compass, was published by this publishing house.

“‘Returning Home’ compiles Diné students’ art, poetry,” Navajo Times, March 10, 2022. This article is not accessible online, but it features Dr. King’s recent visit to the Rehoboth Christian Schools to work with educators' professional development and to provide a public presentation about her new co-authored book Returning Home (co-authored with Mike Taylor and James Swensen and published by the University of Arizona Press). She also visited and spoke to the Window Rock High School about the book and this research on the Navajo reservation in early March.

Dr. Kimberly Lee, Professor of English, presented papers at the Conference of College Composition and Communication on March 10th, and at the Symposium on the American Indian, April 8th. Both papers focused on educational strategies for Native American Graduate students in Academe.

Dr. Dan Savage, Professor of Political Science, was named the 2022 Dr. Tiffany Maher Legacy Award winner and Dr. Christine Hallman, Professor of Geography, and Dr. Jenny Bledsoe, Professor of English, was named among the Top Ten RiverHawks!

"Attraction” by Art Instructor Sylvia Nitti, was included in the “select 50” of Portrait Society of America’s 2022 International Competition. Attraction was selected out of 2300 submissions.

Dr. Cheryl Van Den Handel, Associate Professor of Political Science was featured in a news article in the Tahlequah Daily Press. She is the presenting scholar for the book club series "Let's Talk About It: Woman's Suffrage" featured once a month from March to September 2022. The series is provided by a grant from the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information, please refer to the library website: Home - Let's Talk About It: Women's Suffrage - LibGuides at Northeastern State University (nsuok.edu)

Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Jeffery Wall, adjudicated the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association State Choral Contest in Norman on March 30th.  He then traveled to Russellville, Arkansas to serve as conductor-in-residence at Arkansas Tech University April 4-5. He worked with the student conductors and the choirs.

Belize Police Department International Studies in Criminal Justice Annual Training Symposium

Dr. Mike Wilds, Professor of Criminal Justice, presented at the Belize Police Department International Studies in Criminal Justice Annual Training Symposium held in Belize, Central America in March 2022.  He addressed “Transnational Criminal Organizations” and “Firearms Identification.”  Adjunct NSU professors Mike Moyer, Jackie Smithson, and Stacey White joined in on ZOOM to present in various panel discussions related to “Criminal Gangs and Organized Crime,” Firearm Tracking and Identification, and Transnational Criminal Activity.  In addition, NSU Student Katie Holt (founder of Moms 4 Moms) joined the panel presentations via ZOOM to discuss First Responders and PTSD.

According to Dr. Wilds, the goal is to create a partnership among NSU, the Belize National Police Department, and Belize University where NSU faculty and students present, on an annual basis, training materials while on study abroad trips or via ZOOM. Dean Chavez is also examining the feasibility of launching a non-credit certificate online program designed specifically for Belize officers who desire to gain a better understanding of criminal justice in the United States.

Dr. Wilds also serves as the Chairman for the Curriculum Review Board for the Council for Law Enforcement and Education (CLEET) in Oklahoma and is a Team Chair for the Higher Learning Commission Peer Corps (that reviews other academic institutions for HLC accreditation).

Dr. Denis Vovchenko, Professor of History, gave a talk at the Muskogee Public Library ("Myanmar & ASEAN) as part of the federally-funded Great Decisions lecture series on April 7.

Happy Spring All,

This month all of us here at the Assessment Team wanted to take a moment of your time to ensure we relay the importance of the assessment challenges in higher education.

Together, we can overcome assessment challenges faculty and adjunct staff feel by giving each program a voice. A voice is beneficial to our team and the assessment process because it allows for gathering accurate and reliable data. The NSU Assessment Team creates a programmatic assessment process by using the very best practices available through Anthology (Chalk and Wire) to achieve our results for coming generations. The NSU Assessment Team ensures that we are able to meet with each and every faculty member, who desires our assistance, to understand and develop what needs your attention when it comes to continuous improvement in assessment results. 

Our goal is to ensure that at NSU, assessment allows our institution and staff to measure the effect of teaching efforts and make further adjustments and by repeating this process. Together, we as a team can unlock a continuous cycle of improvement. The NSU Assessment Team understands that a specific  area that may appear difficult when it comes to assessment, is the common goal of keeping students motivated. We can strive to incorporate motivation in many ways, but the most successful method  is by ensuring an incorporation of values or more simplistically, the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of education. It is important to understand program outcomes that align with the course's goals, for example, there may be 100 students, however there are numerous reasons why each student is taking the course.

Another challenge that assessment has faced is remote learning. Regardless of whether the pandemic is interfering with how, when and where education is taking place, programs and institutions remain accountable to their students, faculty and stakeholders, and they must continue to provide substantiation that students are gaining value from their experiences. Further, the evidence from assessment shows whether students are achieving the desired learning outcomes, providing a practical, objective roadmap for continuous improvement.

Please do not hesitate to contact our office if you have any questions. You can reach us at 918-449-6124 or 918-449-6128, or email our team at assessment@nsuok.edu. 

Our most recent Webinar Series covers Assessment Instruments 101, Performance Based Assessment Instruments & Non-Performance Based Instruments information, recordings of each webinar are available upon request. 

Gather here and we will work hard to provide you with the education to go far!

NASNTI Grant Update: We are coming back to the Library!

Maria Souliotis served as a conference correspondent at the Music Library Association's 2022 Conference, which took place over Zoom in March. Her account of one of the conference sessions appears in Issue 214 of the Music Library Association Newsletter.

Sarah Burkhead Whittle, Instructor of Library Services, co-presented, “Making an Open Information Literacy Textbook: A Case Study in OER Collaborations Between Four Academic Librarians” with Adam Brennan (Tulsa Community College - Metro campus), Jamie Holmes (Tulsa Community College - Southeast Campus), and Calantha Tillotson (University of Tennessee-Knoxville, formerly East Central University) for the Oklahoma Library Association Conference in Tulsa, OK, on March 10, 2022, and the simultaneous virtual conference. These presentations were about their lessons learned collaborating and co-authoring the Open textbook, The Insiders: Information Literacy for Okies Everywhere, which is freely available and encouraged for instructional use at The Insiders: Information Literacy for Okies Everywhere.

The Office of International Programs held a variety of events throughout the month of April.  We would like to highlight three of them.

On April 6, the International Student Advisor, Ricardo Oropeza, and seven international students from NSU attended International Student Recognition Day at the Capitol in Oklahoma City. International Students were able to meet with representatives of the International Team at the Capitol and meet other international students from multiple Oklahoma universities. There were 111 students from 44 different countries representing International Education in Oklahoma. The students and OIP were proud to represent NSU and the International student community on our campuses.

During the week of April 4-8, the OIP celebrated Student Employee Appreciation Week. The department has seven student workers, including two International Students. All student workers assist our office with daily duties in order to keep the department functioning at the best level possible. The OIP staff is grateful to have such hardworking, dedicated, and committed students in our office.

On May 13, the International Programs Staff met with the Director of Academic Relations for the Fulbright Program, Dr. Julie Taylor. She, along with Dr. Andrew Vassar, Fulbright Advisor for NSU, were able to visit the International Office and discuss potential opportunities to heighten study abroad, research, and teaching opportunities for NSU faculty and students, as well as International faculty and students interested in NSU.

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs would like to congratulate this year’s Faculty Research Committee Grant recipients.

• Toni Hail, Carolyn Cox, and Eun-Jun Bang – Exploring Effectiveness of Online Learning in Social Work Education from the Student Perspective
• Dustin Baucom – Ligand effects on blinking of CuInS2/ZnS Quantum Dots
• Alissa Baker – Preserving and Revitalizing Cherokee Language Through Community Collaborations
• Michael Morgan – Improvement of AML Treatment via Chloroquine and Hypomethylation Inhibitors
• John McIntosh, Siewe Siewe, and Christine Hallman – Spatiotemporal Impacts from Rafting and other Recreational Activities on Water Quality at High Use Areas on the Upper Illinois River Pilot Study
• Janaki Iyer – Comparing the Expression of microRNA in Bladder Cells Infected with Non-pathogenic Escherichia coli
• Rui Zhang – Detect Galaxy Clusters on X-ray Images with Deep Learning Algorithm

A primary function of the Faculty Research Committee (FRC) is to operate a faculty research grant-funding program based on a merit review of proposals submitted by faculty. FRC grant funds support research defined as scientific investigations or other scholarly activities leading to original contributions to understanding in any discipline supported by NSU. Those research activities may include systematic investigations of teaching methods, tools, and/or instructional strategies. All full-time NSU faculty are encouraged to apply for one-year Faculty Research Committee (FRC) Grants. FRC Grants are due annually in mid-February. Information concerning the application can be found here.

NSU | Faculty Research

Academic Spotlight: Dr. J. M. Kirk

Dr. J. M. Kirk, Department Chair, Psychology and Counseling, Associate Professor, College of Education and Co-Coordinator for Social and Behavioral Sciences Lab, shares about the Psychology & Counseling Program.

Learn more about the program today by clicking on the link below!

Department of Psychology and Counseling

How did you become interested in psychology?

If you had told me in the 1990s I would be a college professor I would have thought you were delusional. I was a professional firefighter with the Tulsa Fire Department. I was an OKC Bombing First Responder and the trauma of that event led me down a dark path. Eventually Mental Health Counseling and work on mt PTSD redirected my life towards becoming a Therapist. When I was given the opportunity to adjunct classes when I was a clinician I found I truly enjoyed being back in the classroom. My career and personal experiences inform my teaching. I am a model for perseverance and changing life courses through education and try to instill this perspective in my students. 

Share about innovative focus in the classroom.  

I believe most effective professors have had to roll with social and technological changes. The pandemic, virtual classrooms and the digital generation have all impacted how professors transfer knowledge to learners. How students receive information and the formats such as video or Wikis are changing how teachers effectively reach more of the classroom. In addition to these innovations I am a proponent as is the Department of Psychology and Counseling (P&C) in Experiential Learning. We have numerous research teams with approximately 10 students doing research with faculty mentors. Our Directed Research and Directed Readings courses have taken students into real world situations such as the Attorney General’s office or other career venues to complete academic projects that at the core of the student’s passion and goals. The faculty in P&C does not adhere to the "Sage on the Stage" model. Alternately our faculty model experiences and guide service learning projects that take education out of the classroom and create a space in the real world for immersive learning. 

What are your research interests and specialties?

Currently I have students who are Examining the Mental Health Impacts of Physical Therapy, Understanding the Impact of Electronic Media on Face-to-Face Relationships and Identifying the Psycho-emotional Elements of an Addictive Personality. Dr Beth Bowin and I are looking at how animals mediate a stress and pain stimulus by measuring EEG patterns and hormone, Cortisol and Alpha Amylase, changes. There are numerous other faculty and faculty-student collaborations ongoing within P&C

What type of grants and/or projects are you working on now?

We have numerous faculty who have published in the past 2 years, Drs Keller-Dupree and Yamaguchi, or who have received grants, Ms. Alissa Baker and heading up new initiatives. Dr Steve Byers and myself are working with The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma to create a culturally aware and competent program. This program identifies and scholarships CNO students who enroll in or MS in Counseling program, attend Cultural Competency conferences, are mentored through the program and then return to CNO Behavioral Health systems as therapists. Dr Keller Dupree has a similar program with Tulsa Public Schools and we are in discussion with other districts to create more partnerships. Dr Paul Cooper has been working on a partnership with CROEKS that will offset educational and living expenses for students with stipends in return for an employment commitment of 2 years. P&C continues to foster community partnerships, address community employment needs and provide exceptional opportunities for our students. I am lucky to have such a dedicated innovative faculty as colleagues.

L-R Bottom Row: Emily Akin, Stacey Murray, Genesis Roybal-Smith, Becky Gladd, Amy Russell, Courtney Knudson, Eddie Tierney, Darren Smith L-R Top Row: Cale Schreiner, Dakota Arnold, Hunter Webb, Elijah Girty, Colin Adams, Doug Martin, Micah Moles

Environmental, Health, and Safety Management (EHSM) is an exciting profession.  Northeastern State University’s EHSM program provides students with the opportunity, upon graduation, to work in a variety of industries/organizations, earn great salaries, and provide important services to their employers and communities.   EHSM saves lives and improves quality of life in our homes and communities.

On February 18^th students, staff, alumni, and faculty from the EHSM program, and the College of Business and Technology, shared their passion for Environmental, Health, and Safety Management with 200 students from Broken Arrow High School.  Students who participated in the day’s events are in the “early college” program on NSU’s Broken Arrow campus.

Instead of a “speaker centered” presentation, faculty and alumni from the EHSM program developed an interactive, immersive experience.  After a brief welcome and introduction by Dr. Doug Martin, the BA students were able to move from activity to activity and learn about a variety of topics related to the EHSM profession.

The event’s immersive activities addressed workplace injuries, ladder safety, exposure to harmful chemicals, heavy equipment hazards, industrial pollution, noise hazards, musculoskeletal injuries, CPR and First Aid, equipment used to prevent falls, and the dangers associated with equipment maintenance.   In addition to the “hands-on” activities, an information table was available with NSU brochures and information about the EHSM program.   Participants who visited the information table were able to enter their name into a drawing for a variety of NSU related prizes such as an NSU Teddy Bear and a gift card to the NSU bookstore.  Our final hurrah was the drawing of prize winners.   Students seemed to enjoy the experience and hopefully left the event knowing something about a profession or career path they may have never considered. 

Planning and presenting the “Exploring EHSM” program for the BA students was a team effort.  Current NSU students helping with the event included Colin Adams, Elijah Girty, Justin “Hunter” Webb, Genesis Roybal-Smith, and Cale Schreiner.  Several alumni also donated time and materials for the activities.  Alumni present for the event were Courtney Knudson, Amy Russel, Micah Moles, Stacey Murray, Emily Akin, Dillon Weer, and Dakota Arnold.  Becky Gladd and Donna “Susie” Radomski, College of Business support staff, also put in several hours of work preparing the activity tables and they helped on the day of the event. 

From left to right: Jennifer Gambrell, OEQA; Renee Launey-Rodolf, OEQA; Goldie Thompson, OSRHE; Aiyana Henry, OU; Robin Fuxa, OSU; Lynn Gangone, President AACTE; Bryan Duke, UCO; and Vanessa Anton, NSU.

Dr. Vanessa Anton, COE Dean, presenting at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) annual conference

Dr. Kelli Carney at AACTE conference around table with three other attendees

Dr. Lisa Bisogno with other AACTE conference attendees

Jameie Combs, Instructor of Curriculum and Instruction, has started a new service for the Deaf Community in the Special Services building. She collaborated with Barbara Fuller, Director of the Innovation & Discovery Education Academy (IDEA), to utilize one of their spaces.  They had their first ASL Coffee Chat this week and had over 20 attendees.  

For more information about ASL Coffee Chat, please contact Jameie at 918-444-3791.

Dr. Christian Bester, Assistant Professor of Music, recently had two articles published in the NATS Journal of Singing.

Dr. Jeffery Wall, Professor of Music, traveled with and supervised 8 vocal music students who participated in the Southwestern American Choral Directors Association Collegiate Honor Choir under the direction of guest conductor, Dr. Amanda Quist from the University of Miami.  They spent 2 days of intensive rehearsals preparing for a performance in Little Rock at the Robinson Performing Arts Center.  Dr. Wall also served as Interest Session Chair for this SWACDA Little Rock conference, February 28-March 3.

Clayton Keyes, Assistant Professor of Art, will be in two concurrent exhibitions at the 2022 NCECA (National Council for the Education of Ceramic Arts) which take place this year in Sacramento, CA. “Not-so-Guilty-Pleasures” at the Kondos Gallery and “Tree of Ceramics” at the Natsoulas Gallery. He will also be a featured demonstrator for the John Natsoulas Gallery in Davis California.

Assistant Professor of English, Dr. Maureen Johnson’s Interchapter “A scholar anew: How cancer taught me to rekindle my embodiment research,” will be published in a forthcoming edited collection Our Body of Work: Embodied Administration and Teaching. The book is available for pre-order at Utah State University Press. https://upcolorado.com/utah-state-university-press/item/6123-our-body-of-work. Dr. Johnson will also be a co-moderator for a panel, “Equity, Inclusivity, and the Future of Rhetorical Publications: A Roundtable Discussion” at the 2022 Rhetoric Society of America Conference in Baltimore, MD. The panel will include journal editors from several journals within the Rhetoric and Composition field.

Christopher Miller, Professor of Drama, Dr. Robyn Pursley, Professor of Drama, and Scott Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, collectively presented an evening of four one-act plays during the week of March 8-11, 2022 at the NSU Playhouse. These productions are the first on stage at the Playhouse since February 2020. Miller directed Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter, R. Pursley directed Aaron Sorkin’s Hidden in this Picture, and S. Pursley directed two companion pieces by Ellen Byron, Graceland and Asleep on the Wind. Dr. Pursley also performed the role of Bev Davies in the play Graceland.

Isaac Palmer and Lake McClary perform in The Dumb Waiter

Daniel Stout and Carly Johnson perform in Asleep on the Wind

Ally Chambers and Mishael Bynum perform in Hidden in this Picture

Robyn Pursley and Carly Johnson perform in Graceland

Dr. Farina King, Associate Professor of History, presented a book talk co-sponsored by NSU Libraries with support from the American Library Association and NEH on March 9.

Lance Hunter, Professor of Art, received the Gold Award, the highest honor in the 52nd Annual Juried Exhibition of the Mid-Southern Watercolorists for his painting, Seeing Red. The MSW exhibition will be on display at the W.F. Laman Library in North Little Rock, Arkansas from March 4 until April 29. Seeing Red was previously featured on the cover of Watercolor Artist magazine in April 2015.

Dr. Denis Vovchenko, Professor of History, delivered two lectures for the federally sponsored "Great Decisions" series at the Muskogee Public Library - "Space Race" and "Putin's Russia and the USA." He also has had a scholarly article accepted for publication by a leading international (UK-based) journal - European History Quarterly. It is titled - "From Ethnic Hatred to Religious Solidarity: the Rise and Fall of Russophobia in Greece, 1830-1924."

Happy Women’s History Month!

The Assessment Team strives to be a resource for faculty and staff, promoting benefits and training for the betterment of our institution. Our current focus surrounds the topic of badging and how this may increase engagement within different programs. However, what is badging? Badges are accessible and portable “micro-credentials” that employees can use to represent their accomplishments. Badges represent a way of acknowledging achievements or skill acquisition at a more granular level than a college degree. Credentials, the use of badges in higher education, continues to gain traction as a way to acknowledge achievement and establish qualifications in various professional fields. The benefits of badging include: demonstrating an organization's investment in employees and their development, promoting employee achievement and recognition, both within and outside of the organization, and helping find and recruit employees with the skills they need. 

In order to establish a series of badging within NSU, the assessment team has been collaborating with several other offices and programs to re-introduce this reward to current faculty and staff. Topics that are under consideration include, but are not limited to: Faculty training, Andragogy, Instructional Strategies pertaining to engagement and motivation, Student Learning Outcomes, Assessment, and Curriculum Alignment. 

Please do not hesitate to contact our office if you have any questions. You can reach us at 918-449-6124 or 918-449-6137, or email our team at assessment@nsuok.edu. 

Gather here and we will work hard to provide you with the education to go far!

49th Annual Symposium on the American Indian

Northeastern State University’s annual Symposium on the American Indian in April will focus on celebrating the next generation of Indigenous scholars and community leaders. The 49th annual Symposium on the American Indian will take place April 4 to 9. This year’s theme is “Fulfilling Our Ancestors’ Dreams.”

This year’s keynote speakers include University of Washington Tacoma associate professor Dr. Robin Zape-Tah-Hol-Ah Minthorn, director of Student Programming and Research for American Indian Graduate Center Dr. Corey Still and Megan Redshirt Shaw, founder of the Natives in America literary publication.

In addition to the keynote presentations, throughout the week the public is invited to hear from other speakers who will share their Indigenous perspectives on various topics such as art, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and the judicial system in Indian territory. Other events planned include a screening of the film “The Thick Dark Fog,” a Cherokee Language teaching demonstration and annual powwow to conclude the symposium. Events will be primarily in-person but several virtual sessions are also planned, including two of the keynote speeches.

Find out more at www.nsuok.edu/symposium

The Center for Tribal Studies is excited to announce the availability of two new databases through the John Vaughn Library

The Center for Tribal Studies is excited to announce the availability of two new databases through the John Vaughn Library, which were acquired with the funding received through our new NASNTI (Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institution) grant award.  Each year, the grant will purchase one new database with Indigenous focused content.  Special thanks to Sophia Beverley Threatt, who did all of the research and negotiated with the vendors to make this possible.  

History Vault: American Indians and American West, 1809-1971 (ProQuest) - Perpetual License
Read more at History Vault
This module of the History Vault focuses on two major collections of the twentieth century, records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and records from the Major Council Meetings of American Indian Tribes. In addition to these twentieth century records, it features a number of excellent collections on American Indians in the nineteenth century, with a focus on the interaction among white settlers, the U.S. federal government, and Indian tribes.  The History Vault collection is a perpetual license, purchased through the Center of Tribal Studies through their grant. Our sincere gratitude to them for working with us to assist in providing resources for our community. NSU Libraries will cover the hosting fees following this year.

North American Indian Thought and Culture – ProQuest ( 1 year subscription)
Read more at Alexander Street/ProQuest

Alexander Street/ProQuest: Brings together more than 100,000 pages, many of which are previously unpublished, rare, or hard to find. The project integrates autobiographies, biographies, Indian publications, oral histories, personal writings, photographs, drawings, and audio files. Essential resource for serious scholarly research into the history of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Canadian First Peoples.

Karl G. Siewert, Instructional Librarian for the College of Education in Broken Arrow, has been certified as an instructor for The Carpentries, and is now qualified to teach workshops in the Data Carpentry, Software Carpentry, and Library Carpentry curricula, including the Unix shell, OpenRefine, Git, and R.

Dear NSU Community,

Welcome back from Spring Break everyone!  The Research and Sponsored Programs team hopes you were able to spend some quality time with friends and family over the break, and that you’ve returned to school relaxed, recharged, and ready for the final few months of the 2021-2022 school year! This last half of the spring semester is always packed with things to do around campus and around town. Enjoy all the fun and warmer weather that lies ahead!  

The following calendar is a list of upcoming grant opportunities.  The calendar includes the funding agency, links to requests for proposals (RFPs), descriptions, and deadlines. If you are interested in applying for any of the grants listed, please contact the RASP office.

This is not a complete list of funding opportunities.  You can go to grants.gov and in the top right corner click “go” for a list view of current grants or search for keywords.

Our office is happy to help you find a grant to pursue!
 
Best, 
Jessica Secratt – Director of Research and Sponsored Programs
secratjr@nsuok.edu                                                    
918.444.2243

Allison Hamilton – Proposal Development Specialist
hamilt42@nsuok.edu
918.444.2029  

2022 NSU DaVinci Awards

We are pleased to share about our 2022 NSU Campus DaVinci Awardees! Read more about their project and what receiving the award means to them.

2022 NSU DaVinci Awardees

CBT Student Profile: NSU Non-Traditional Business Student Obtains An HR Certificate Along With His Degree

Jeremy Ledbetter and Dr. Jim Phillips shaking hands

Jeremy Ledbetter, an NSU non-traditional student augmented his career by obtaining an NSU Human Resources Management Certificate, along with his undergraduate degree.

Jeremy Ledbetter began his career in public service working for a local municipality soon after graduating high school. Ledbetter loves working for the public, and after getting married and having a child, he knew he wanted to do more. Ledbetter pursued a degree in business from TCC with the intention of transferring to NSU to complete his bachelor’s degree. Attending college as a husband and father made him a non-traditional student, which required him to work professionally while also attending classes whenever he could. Ledbetter enjoyed the development process and enjoyed working with others to develop their skills, and after a mentor recommended that he focus on Human Resource Management at NSU, he continued to progress into management with his municipality which helped him acquire a new perspective that allowed him to excel in the management of his team. After earning his bachelor’s degree from NSU, Ledbetter attended a presentation regarding the HRCI and SHRM certifications at the behest of his advisors. The presentation motivated Ledbetter to work on obtaining his SHRM-CP, and he completed the HR Management certification from NSU for a portion of his final credits. Ledbetter completed his certification exam in July and is excited to use the new tools and credentials he has worked so hard to earn.

Dr. Katherine Mangione (Middle Tennessee State University) and Dr. Sophia Sweeney presented Exploring the Nature of Science via Remote Instruction: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly at the School Science and Mathematics Association Annual Convention in October 2021.

Dr. Virginia Drywater-Whitekiller, Professor of Social Work, co-authored the chapter "Leaning on and from the land: Indigenous Perspectives University Land-Based Learning" in the book Unsettling settler colonial education: The transformative Indigenous praxis model, Editors: Pewewardy, C., Lees, A., and Minthorne, R. Columbia Teachers College Press.

Dr. Jennifer Edwards, Professor of Sociology

Dr. Jennifer Edwards, Professor of Sociology, was named as a co-recipient of the Sociologists for Women in Society’s 2022 Feminist Mentoring Award. The SWS Feminist Mentoring Award was established in 1990 to honor SWS Members who are outstanding feminist mentors. While the word “mentoring” is commonly used to describe a faculty-student relationship, this award has shown the breadth of ways that feminists do mentoring. In establishing the award, SWS recognized that feminist mentoring is an important and concrete way to encourage feminist scholarship.

Dr. Clark Gibson, Assistant Professor or Music and Director of Jazz Studies will be playing with The Clark Gibson Quintet at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, AR on March 5th.

LINK TO TICKETS!

Dr. Gibson was awarded “Outstanding Collegiate Jazz Educator” for 2021

Dr. Gibson was also recently awarded “Outstanding Collegiate Jazz Educator” for 2021 by Oklahoma Jazz Educators. He received this award during the All State Jazz concert at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association convention.

Christopher Miller, Professor of Drama, presented a playwriting workshop for Verdigris High School students at their school campus in January.

Author Talk Professor Christopher Murphy "Flash Fiction, Oklahoma and Burning all the Time" event poster.

Revel & Pray. It'll Be Okay! A concert of choral music from the University Singers event poster.

Dr. Jeff Wall, Professor of Music, directed the University Singers group in collaboration with Collinsville High School Choir and presented their work at a performance on the Broken Arrow Campus in February.

The United Nations Association of Eastern Oklahoma presents Virtual Global Conversation on: Human Trafficking

NSU's Department of Geography and Political Science, and Center for Women's Studies, co-sponsored an event organized by the United Nations Association of Eastern Oklahoma. The event was a Virtual Global Conversation on Human Trafficking on Wednesday, January 26, at 6:00 pm.

History Department

The History Department continued its annual Ballenger Lecture series generously funded by COLA. We organized the visit of our first international speaker - Dr. Victor Taki (Concordia University, Edmonton, Canada). He gave a talk on his two cutting edge historical monographs with significant contemporary policy implications - "Russia’s Balkan Entanglements" (Redbud Room, February 7). Taki was born and raised in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, a small Eastern European country bordering Romania and Ukraine. He received his PhD in Comparative history of Central, South-Eastern and Eastern Europe from Central European University (Budapest, Hungary) in 2008. Since then he has held a number of teaching and research appointments at Carleton University, Dalhousie University, University of Alberta and the King's University. His research explores Russia's relations with Romania and Ottoman Turkey from the perspective of the history of empire and nationalism, cultural history of war and the history of population politics.

Dr. Mike Chanslor, Dean of CoLA, Dr. Iain Anderson, History Dept Chair, and Dr. Victor Taki.

Dr. Victor Taki presenting at Ballenger Lecture Series

Dr. Gerald Miller presenting at Biology and Chemistry Seminar Series

Dr. Gerald Miller from Regional Medical Laboratory at Tulsa was the speaker for Biology and Chemistry Seminar Series on February 11, 2022. Dr. Miller talked about SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, immunology, and vaccinations. Dr. Sallie Ruskoski hosted the speaker. Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo organizes the seminar series on the Broken Arrow campus.

Lydia Ostmo holding Arkansas INBRE certificate

Dr. Das Bradoo and students at Arkansas INBRE conference.

Many NSUOCO 4th year students and residents presented posters for the Clinical and Scientific Poster session at the Heart of America Eye Care Congress in Kansas City, MO this month. From the 4th year students there were 11 original research and 10 contact lens cases presented.

Student research posters presented were as follows:

Happy Black History Month!

The Assessment Team here at Northeastern State University wants to make sure that we honor and cherish Black History Month by acknowledging and representing contributions of African Americans that have been historically overlooked in higher education.

For academic leaders, it is important to understand that faculty of color, and any faculty who study topics that are not considered central to a discipline, face significant hurdles.  In an effort to better serve Black History Month, we spotlight Dr. Jonathan Holloway, U.S. Historian, Yale graduate, known as a “research powerhouse'' to his peers and is now the first Black President of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Below is a link to the online article celebrating Dr. Holloway, where you can further see the wonderful accomplishments of his academic works. 

DR. J. HOLLOWAY LINK: 

We now move to update the NSU community on our Anthology Training for faculty to integrate Assessment to this 3rd party source. The NSU Assessment Team is working hard to develop a 3 tier approach that will serve to archive and improve the accessibility of assessment data for faculty and course analytics. 

Our mission is to first assist faculty in guiding performance based assessment. The goal is to better understand and develop what an appropriate assessment would like to match their course outcomes. We would then transfer this information to Anthology and use the implementation of rubric based assessment measures to the archival unit. Second, we seek to move objective testing into a rubric based format to equip staff to develop a rubric with data that can be easily interpreted in years to come through Anthology (Chalk & Wire). We wrap this up with scaling across courses within programs or departments, our final goal is to develop and train faculty to chain results and assessing scalability generally requires an assessment of a range of considerations, including feasibility, acceptability, sustainability and, most importantly, adaptability (i.e. to suit the needs of the context in which it is to be scaled up), which are often difficult to asses from traditional assessment measures. 

Stay tuned as we have many projects in the works from Assessment in Badging to Retention Improvement through Assessment!

Please do not hesitate to contact our office at 918-449-6124 or 918-449-6137, our email is assessment@nsuok.edu. 

Gather here and we will work hard to provide you with the education to go far!

Words Referenced:

https://higheredconnects.com/ black-history-month/

https://health-policy-systems. biomedcentral.com/articles/10. 1186/s12961-019-0494-2

Dr. Julia Kwok, Dr. Brian Jackson and NSU students (Matthew Acee, Alice Sharteer, Ronald Jones and Marci Watts) attended Mr. Karl Rove's Presentation on America's Challenges at the Tulsa Performing Art Center on Jan 14, 2002. The presentation was sponsored by the Sandra West Memorial Fund and the Tulsa Town Hall. As a former Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush and a Wall Street Journal columnist, Mr. Rove reviewed our nation's political course and discussed challenges America faces in the new decade. NSU students, Matthew Acee (MBA) and Alice Sharteer (ACCT) led the Students Forum with Mr. Karl Rove. Ms. Betty O'Connor, the Community Relations Director of Tulsa Town Hall appreciated how professional and prepared Matt and Alice were at the Students Forum. 

Dr. Jennifer Edwards, Professor of Sociology, coordinated a sociological research symposium hosted on the NSU campus. The event took place on Wednesday, December 1st. Six students representing sociology, criminal justice, and American studies presented research and Dr. Rebekah Doyle served as the keynote speaker.

Dr. Joseph Farmer, Associate Professor of English, had an article published in the current edition of Mississippi Quarterly (73.3), entitled "Resistance and Reconciliation: Whiteness, Will D. Campbell, and the Ex-Poor White Writer." 

Dr. Christine Hallman, Professor of Geography and Sustainability Studies, is coordinating the giving of Christmas/Holiday cards to nursing home residents, veterans, and the local hospital. She has received over 200 cards (many handmade) from faculty, students, and staff to distribute. Specific student organizations include Alpha Pi Omega, Phi Sigma Nu, the President's Leadership Class, and Model United Nations.

Watercolor Artist magazine published a painting by Lance Hunter, Professor of Art, in the Winter 2022 issue. His painting, Without Reason, was featured in the "The Best of 2021" article that highlighted the top award recipients from the twenty leading national and international watercolor exhibitions in the United States. Professor Hunter received First Place in the 81^st Annual International Exhibition of the Northwest Watercolor Society based in Washington. His painting was also listed as one of the top five watercolors created by an American artist in 2021 in the online publication American Watercolor Weekly.

Dr. James Lindroth presented at the Percussive Arts Society International Conference (PASIC) on November 13, 2021. His session was titled Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Percussionist.  

Sylvia Nitti, Instructor of Art, had an Oil Painting "Parakeet" accepted in the 2021 Portrait Society of America Juried Art competition.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Professor of Drama, coordinated the annual Lights On ceremony on December 7th in Beta Field. The event included performances by NSU groups as well as community groups and was attended by over 200 spectators.

Dr. Elaina Ross, Assistant Professor of Media Studies, had an article recently published in Breastfeeding Medicine examining breastfeeding mothers' perceptions of support in the workplace and workplace outcomes.

Dr. David Scott, Professor of Communication co-authored a Peer-Reviewed Article: Argumentation and Advocacy (Issue: 3-4; Volume: 57; 2021) - "U.S. Presidential Debates 1948–2020: An Issue of Formality and Respect" with Dr. Mike Chanslor, Dean of Liberal Arts,  and Jenny Dixon. Jenny is an NSU graduate who is now an Associate Professor at Marymount Manhattan College in Brooklyn, New York.

Argumentation and Advocacy is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by Taylor & Francis, that was edited by Mitchell S. McKinney from the University of Missouri. The journal's focus is on moving the study of argumentation forward, including articles which are theoretical and critical in the broad subject areas of argumentation theory, public argument, critical and cultural perspectives, and forensics and pedagogy. The journal includes reviews of pertinent books. It includes the arts and sciences of civil debate, dialogue, conversation, and persuasion. It covers studies of rules of inference, logic, and procedural rules in both artificial and real world settings.

The article investigated the level of formality in presidential debates. Using content analytic techniques, this study documented trends in address terms (ranging from the use of honorific titles to interpersonal insults) in presidential debates from 1948 to 2020. An availability sample of 241 debates (94% of all presidential primary and general election debates), including 21,857 coding units, reveal an overall decline in formal communication via the use of appropriate honorific titles and subsequent growth in informal and disrespectful references. Incivility spiral theory offered an interpretative framework that linked the increase in informal patterns of communication to the growing level of incivility in debate discourse. Within this framework, it is speculated that a shift toward informality could be linked to a larger incivility spiral that will continue into the future. Beyond the link to incivility, it was also argued the shift toward informality had a range of unique negative consequences. Publisher Link:

NSU GIS Day

In mid November, the Geography Sustainability Studies program and the Department of Geography & Political Science sponsored NSU GIS Day. GIS (Geographic Information Systems) consists of computer software and technology that allows users to investigate a variety of spatial questions and issues.  The four speakers (all NSU alum and Geography graduates) included Rachel Taylor (Cherokee County 911), Gena Barnwell (Meshek & Associates), Lorelei Burnside (Natural Sciences grad student), and Rhonda Baber (Tahlequah Public Works Authority).

Reconnect to Nature Walks

In collaboration with NSU Grounds, the Geography & Political Science Department coordinated two Reconnect to Nature Walks (one in November and one in December) where we explored campus, its history, and its geography during the months of November and December.

Dr. Chris Burba, Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Natural Sciences, published an article titled "The Effect of Fluorinated Solvents on Physicochemical Properties, Ionic Association, and Free Volume of a Prototypical Solvate Ionic Liquid" in ChemPhysChem. The paper is co-authored with Kylie Feightner (NSU), Dr. Ming Liu (North Carolina State University), and Dr. Ayman Hawari (North Carolina State University).

Dr. Chris Burba, Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Natural Sciences, is a co-PI on a grant proposal titled "Solar Desalination using Mie-Resonator Nanoparticles for Wastewater Reuse." The funding agency is the Oklahoma NSF EPSCOR Research Seed Grant Funding Opportunity. The proposed research is a collaboration with Dr. Mari Andiappan (PI) and Dr. Kaan Kalkan (co-PI), both at Oklahoma State University.

Dr. Pamela Christol and Dr. Nathan Green were awarded an Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Summer Academy Grant titled, “Get Green for Blue”.

Dr. Pamela Christol and Dr. Jericho Hobson submitted an Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Education Grant titled “STEM Inside Out”.

Dr. Tracy Freudenthaler, MPH, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Professions, has submitted an article “J.A. Lindsay’s Tonics and Tinctures for Cardiac Care (1889-1904)”, for publication consideration by The Ulster Medical Journal (Ireland). This piece features vintage medications and remedies (many of which are deemed unsafe today) which were commonly used in management of patients with heart conditions during the late 1800’s in Ireland. 

Dr. Jericho Hobson and Dr. Pamela Christol submitted an outdoor education-focused grant to the Integrated-Learning Network, Opportunity Project Grant for Tulsa Public School students.

Dr. Martha Parrott (Mathematics), Dr. Dianne Kirk (Health Professions), and Dr. Janaki Iyer (Biology) have been awarded a grant by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to host a summer academy for high school students summer 2022 on the NSU-Broken Arrow campus.  The primary goal of Camp BioMed: A Glowing Overview is to illuminate an exciting and possibly unfamiliar world of science and mathematics to enthusiastic high school students through scientific inquiry and experimentation.  Additional goals will be to support students' analytical reasoning, critical thinking, and communication skills as part of the process. This STEM outreach initiative will potentially encourage students to consider coursework while still in high school that will prepare them for STEM related majors and careers later in their academic journeys.  

Happy Spring Semester All,

This month the Student Learning Assessment Team and the CTL invited faculty and staff who lead co-curricular programs to participate in a professional development event on Best Practices in Student Learning Assessment. Upon careful planning and hard work, we are thrilled to announce that our University Professional Development Day for Academic Assessment was January 17th from 1-3 pm via Zoom Webinar.  Our goal was to help establish best practices and feedback for faculty to use Anthology (Chalk & Wire) for assessment and what types of assessment are best to gather the skills you wish your students to provide alongside the strategies. 

We held a Plenary Session to aid in Best Practices Using Assessment Strategies to Positively Impact Student Persistence and Success presented by Dr. Erin Bentrim, followed by Breakout Session A: Using Anthology Portfolio to Assess Student Learning in General Education, alongside Breakout Session B: Using Anthology Portfolio to Assess Student Learning in Degrees and Co-Curricular Programming. If you were unable to attend, please know it is never too late to reach out for help with assessment outcomes & goal planning, as we can get copies of this recorded event sent directly to anyone interested. We are available Monday through Friday and can meet in-person or via Zoom to better accommodate the busy schedules of staff and students.

We were able to combine honoring Dr. King Jr. Through Higher Education & Development on this day by sharing the expertise, experience and knowledge of our presenters, we seek to honor the memory and message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by living and implementing our values in alignment with his dream for education. Dr. King Jr. said, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”

In 1947, while a student at Morehouse College, King penned an article for the campus newspaper, The Maroon Tiger. His most notable article was titled, “The Purpose of Education.” In that article, he said: “It seems to me that education has a two-fold function to perform in the life of man and in society: the one is utility and the other is culture. Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life.”

Many of you may have participated in our Day of Service events, reflecting on reconciliation and equality. We continue that offering through professional development designed to support your work as educators. Well designed assessment strategies are one of the strongest tools in identifying and understanding learning differences and gaps among your student populations. 

Below is a link to Dr. King Jr’s “The Purpose of Education” article:

"PURPOSE OF EDUCATION" ARTICLE

Using Assessment to Drive Student Success
Erin M. Bentrim, PhD
Senior Education & Training Specialist – Assessment, Education Services
ebentrim@anthology.com

Erin M. Bentrim is a Senior Education & Training Specialist for Assessment at Anthology, Inc. Her higher education portfolio includes management level positions in Institutional Research & Effectiveness, Academic Assessment, Student Affairs Assessment, and Strategic Planning. In addition to her administrative roles, Dr. Bentrim has experience teaching graduate and undergraduate level courses in diverse subject matters including psychology, higher education administration, and educational statistics. Dr. Bentrim is a founding member of the Student Affairs Assessment Leaders (SAAL) organization which serves individuals responsible for implementing assessment on their respective campuses. Dr. Bentrim holds a PhD in Educational Psychology & Research, an MEd in Student Personnel Services, both from the University of South Carolina, and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wofford College where she earned a BA in English.

General Education Assessment with Portfolio
Jessica Dawes, MS.M.
Consultant, Anthology Portfolio
jdawes@anthology.com

Jessica has a BA in Secondary Education from Lake Erie College and an MSM in Organizational Leadership from MVNU. Her entire professional career has been spent in Higher Education. She worked as a Chalk & Wire administrator since 2005 and joined the company in 2014 and joined Campus Labs in 2018. In addition to her Chalk & Wire responsibilities at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, she taught several courses and did some work in curriculum design. She fell in love with assessment, data reporting and is always looking for innovative ways to communicate data to stakeholders about program improvements and ways to monitor student growth.

Program Assessment with Portfolio
Cheryl Irish, Ed.D.
Senior Education & Training Specialist, Education Services
cirish@anthology.com

Cheryl Irish, in her current role as Senior Education and Training Specialist at Anthology works alongside professionals in higher education to implement Anthology solutions including Portfolio.

Cheryl previously served in several roles in higher education including Professor,  Assistant Dean, Director of the School of Education, and Director of Accreditation and Assessment. She received an undergraduate degree in Biblical Studies and Elementary Education from Corban College in Oregon and graduate degrees in Special Education (Assessment, Curriculum and Instruction, and Assistive Technology) from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater (M.Ed.) and University of Cincinnati (Ed.D.). In each role, Cheryl taught courses in special education and led assessment and accreditation efforts - including administration of the school’s data management system.

She has public and private teaching and administrative experience in P-12 and higher education and her research interests include Third Culture Kids (TCKs), assistive technology, and positive behavior supports. Cheryl loves to travel with teams of students and graduates and has served children and families who are supported by special education services in P-12 schools around the world.

NASNTI Grant

The Center for Tribal Studies is pleased to move forward with the hiring process for part time and full time positions funded through the $2.2 million NASNTI grant award. The NASNTI project seeks to enhance these services by providing additional staff and resources to offer a more comprehensive set of services to support the academic, personal, and cultural development of the students at NSU, while also ensuring high-quality, culturally relevant professional development opportunities for faculty and staff to further enhance the American Indian student experience. The program is funded through September 2026 and is an extension of the Center for Tribal Studies.  The search is currently underway for three full time positions:  Student Engagement Coordinator, Retention Specialist, and a Faculty and Staff Engagement and Professional Development Coordinator.  CTS will also be looking to fill four faculty mentor positions in the coming weeks, as well as other part time staff positions.  Questions about the NASNTI grant and services can be directed to 918-444-4350 or tribalstudies@nsuok.edu.

2022 Advanced Placement Summer Institute

Continuing Education has renewed its agreement with the College Board in offering 2022 Advanced Placement Summer Institute for high school teachers. Registration opens February 1st!  The first two weeks of the four week program are in June on the BA campus.  The July workshops are delivered virtually.  Click here for more information.

Spring 2022 International Student Orientation

The Office of International Programs held their Spring 2022 International Student Orientation on January 6th and 7th. The OIP welcomed four new international students, three of them being International Exchange students studying at NSU for one academic semester, and one degree-seeking student starting her freshman year at NSU. Countries represented at NSU from our new international students include: Japan, South Korea, Finland, and Mexico.

During orientation, we have been able to connect our students with different departments on campus and provide all the necessary resources, tools, and information for academic and legal success, as well as providing resources to maintain an overall healthy and positive well-being. Our International Programs staff is always motivated to maximize success and happiness for all of our international students at NSU. 

“Maria Souliotis has been elected by peers as the Chapter Liaison for the Mountain-Plains chapter of Music Library Students and Emerging Professionals (MLStEP), an affiliate organization of the Music Library Association (MLA). Maria will be working with MLStEP leadership to facilitate networking, career, and social opportunities for MLStEP members. As the Mountain-Plains chapter is the largest regional chapter of MLStEP & MLA, Maria will be representing students and early-career professionals from 13 states (AZ, CO, ID, KS, MT, NE, NV, NM, ND, OK, SD, UT, & WY) and Alberta, Canada.”

"The Oklahoma Community of the Special Libraries Association has elected Tom Rink as the President-elect for 2022.  He will then serve as President in 2023, and Past President in 2024.  Tom continues to serve as the Webmaster of the Oklahoma Community as well."

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday as we did here in RASP. Our office has been so blessed this past year with outstanding, hardworking, and kind faculty that we have the honor of assisting. If you haven’t written a grant yet in your time at NSU, faculty research grants are a great starting point.

The NSU Faculty Research Committee (FRC) is pleased to announce that it is once again time for faculty to consider submitting proposals for FRC grant funds. FRC funds support research defined as scientific investigations or other scholarly activities leading to original contributions to understanding in any of the disciplines supported by NSU. Research activities may include investigations of teaching methods, original research, or creative projects. The grant application form, guidelines for grant applications, and information regarding FRC can be found at the NSU FRC website.  

Remember, our office is here to help in gathering materials for your application. You don’t have to do them alone. Grants are a great source to find funds for:

• Money for student workers or researchers

• Summer Salaries

• Release Time

• Supplies

• Travel

• Project support

And much more! A few key dates that are coming up for some popular proposals:

• Oklahoma Arts Council located here will be due to our office no later than February 5^th.

• OK-INBRE located here (most due to our office February 15^th)

• Oklahoma Humanities located here (most due February 15^th)

• Faculty Research Proposals (due February 15^th)

In addition to these opportunities, I encourage you to either download the grants.gov app on your phone or do a keyword search in grants.gov for many other great opportunities.

I sincerely appreciate all your work on the grant proposals we had last year. I know it is a lot of work, but hopefully we can help it be worth your time.

Jessica Secratt and Allison Hamilton

Academic Spotlight: Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

Dr. Martha Parrott shares about the Department of Mathematics & Computer Science.

Visit the Department of Mathematics & Computer Science page today by clicking on the link below!

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE

Share about the Mathematics and Computer Science Programs!

The study of mathematics and computer science promotes discipline, creativity, precision of thought, communication skills, critical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.  These qualities are highly sought after by all types of employers.

The department offers a B.S. in Computer Science, B.S. in Mathematics (Select from Mathematics Generalist or Mathematics Education), an M.Ed. In Mathematics Education, and a graduate level STEM Education Certificate. 

We support students in their goals to become mathematicians who will use their skills to become mathematics teachers, statisticians, financial analysist, actuaries, economists, data analysts, cryptographers, as well as many other careers.  Salaries in math related careers are high and as of 2021 the ten-year projected growth rate of nearly every math related career is above the average growth rate of all careers.

We support students in their goals to become computer scientists who will be prepared to use logic and computer programming languages and technology to analyze and solve problems in information technology, scientific research and video game programming.  The degree is designed according to the guidelines set by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the two leading professional organizations for the computer science discipline.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment of software developers is projected to grow 22 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations.  The need for new applications on smart phones and tables will help increase the demand for software developers.  The health and medical insurance and reinsurance carriers industry will need innovative software to manage new healthcare policy enrollments and administer existing policies digitally.  As the number of people who use this digital platform increases over time, demand for software developers will grow.”  Source:  http://www.bls.gov/

The department’s faculty members are well qualified with most having doctorates in their respective fields. Providing programs on the Tahlequah and Broken Arrow campuses, faculty are dedicated to providing the very best educational experience for all students.  In addition, there are many opportunities for students who are interested in developing their mathematics or computer science skills in analyzing and solving problems.  Faculty engage in research and other forms of creative design and then also engage their graduate and undergraduate students in similar pursuits.  A few examples include:

• Dr. Ernst Bekkering is in the planning stage for designing a course demand prediction model.
• Dr. Ernst Bekkering and Dr. Patrick Harrington presented the paper Evolution of Assessment in the Computer Science Program at a Regional University at the Information Systems Education Conference in November 2021, and a follow-up paper Redesigning Assessment in the Computer Science Program at a Regional University has been submitted for review.
• Dr. Richard Hasenauer’s current research focuses on the relationship between factorization properties in sequence domains and their corresponding ideal class (semi)group
• Dr. Karl Kruczek is conducting a study, Personal Inventory in Mathematics.
• Dr. Martha Parrott will present her paper Reimagining the Preparation of Future Teachers during the Pandemic Shift to Remote Learning:  COVID-19 Brings Opportunity, not Barriers at the 16^th Annual International Technology, Education, and Development Conference (INTED) to be held in Valencia (Spain) on the 7th 8th and 9th of March, 2022.  (Recently transitioned to a virtual conference).

Share about innovative focus in the classroom!

Faculty in the department are the recipients of many honors and awards for teaching excellence, service, and research. They are recognized for their creativity and innovation in the classroom exhibited through inquiry, creative design, and the use of high-quality tasks supported through appropriate technology. 

The department’s instructional focus for 2021-2022 is the continued implementation and elevation of high impact instructional practices. Some of these include but are not limited to building learning communities, making routine the use of high engagement, conceptual learning experiences that result in deeper learning within students, internships, service learning to ensure relevant application of academic objectives, and undergraduate inquiry and creative activity.

Students value the opportunities to engage in research with faculty at the undergraduate level when at other institutions they may not have these opportunities until working on an advanced degree. Examples of current undergraduate research in the department include:

1. factorization in rings of integers obtained by algebraic extensions of the rational numbers (Supervised by Dr. Richard Hasenauer),
2. exploring the topic of semigroups (Supervised by Dr. Richard Hasenauer) and
3. mathematics education research which focuses on the implication of COVID-19 on student learning (Directed by Dr. Martha Parrott).

While department faculty present their creative works at international, national, and state conferences, they also involve their students in professional meetings such as the spring 2021 Oklahoma-Arkansas Mathematical Association of America annual meeting in which our NSU student mathematics teams performed very well. (Faculty members who provide support include Dr. Mark Buckles, Dr. John Diamantopoulos, and Dr. Darryl Linde).

What resources are available to students in these programs?

Kappa Mu Epsilon: Students are encouraged to become members of the Kappa Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society founded at NSU in 1931.  This honor society recognizes outstanding achievement in mathematics and spoors mathematical and other social events. Students from other majors who meet membership criteria related to their mathematics coursework are welcome to apply. (Faculty sponsors include Dr. Mark Buckles, Dr. Chuang Shao, and Mr. Austin Beard.)

Faculty Mentoring: Faculty in the department value opportunities to serve as faculty mentors to our mathematics and computer science students.  Students access information through these partnerships that would be difficult to connect with if there were not a faculty mentor.

Mathematics Tutoring for NSU Students: NSU students on each of our campuses are able to take advantage of free mathematics tutoring either in person or virtually Monday - Friday.  (Contact Dr. Darryl Linde for more information.)

Mathematics Tutoring for K-12 Students: The department is widely recognized for service to the community.  One example includes the NSU Mathematics Center which serves K-12 students on Tuesday afternoons during the fall and spring semesters.  (Contact Dr. Martha Parrott and see https://academics.nsuok.edu/mathematics/GetMathHelp for more information.)