Academic Times Newsletter 2023 | NSU

EHSM Careers Conference

Graduates of NSU’s Environmental, Health, and Safety Management (EHSM) program are employed by hundreds of companies and non-profit organizations all over the world. On November 3, a large group of these graduates spent the morning discussing career opportunities in EHSM with current NSU students at the Environmental, Health, and Safety Management Careers Conference hosted by faculty from the EHSM program and the College of Business and Technology.

Students attending the EHSM Careers Conference had a chance to win one of several prizes.

EHSM alumni who participated included Brandon Robbins (VP The Ross Group, Tulsa), Amy Russell (Davis H. Elliot Company, Tulsa),  Aaron Smith (The Ross Group, Tulsa), Kenneth Bond (Oklahoma Department of Labor, OKC), Dr. Mike Thayer (OSU, Tulsa), Brooke Butler (EDF Renewables, San Diego), Emily Akin (AAON, Tulsa), Courtney Knudson (AAON, Tulsa), Kevin Cotner (The Hartford, Broken Arrow), Greg Williams (Travelers Insurance, Tulsa), Tom Rumbley (VP Amerisafe Insurance, Fort Gibson), Stacey Murray, (Environmental Works, Tulsa), Owen Lingle (HF-Sinclair, Wichita), Wesley O’Neill (HF-Sinclair, Wichita), and Chelsea Jones (Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah).

An important step in the career of an EHSM student is the completion of an internship where they receive on the job training as an EHSM professional under the supervision of experienced mentors.  Three current students who have served or are currently completing internships shared their internship experiences with other students.  Austin Fry is currently working as an EHSM intern with AAON in Tulsa.  Canyon Deem shared his experiences as a two-time summer intern with the Ross Group.  Hunter Webb told current students about his experience as an EHSM intern in the oil and gas industry with Continental Resources in Oklahoma City and southwest Oklahoma.

Executives from Amerisafe Insurance present a check to Sarah Eaker (NSU EHSM ’24), president of the student chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals.

EHSM graduates have the opportunity to work in a variety of industry sectors including hospitality, entertainment, manufacturing, construction, oil and gas, insurance and finance, medicine, transportation, alternative energy, and more.  Every industry has positions for EHSM professionals.  Graduates may also find employment and a rewarding career in a variety of government agencies at the local, state, tribal, and federal levels.  Agencies such as the Cherokee Nation, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality employee graduates of NSU’s EHSM program. 

The conference was structured into eight sessions with each session covering a separate industry sector.  Experts from each industry sector served as panelists answering student questions about careers in that field.  The morning began with an overview of the Environmental, Health, and Safety Management profession presented by Dr. Doug Martin.  For the remainder of the morning students attended sessions focused on construction, manufacturing, government sector careers, environmental management, oil and gas, and insurance and finance.  During the lunch session, which ended the conference, Chelsea Jones discussed careers with the Cherokee Nation and the environmental protection initiatives and programs administered by the Cherokee Nation.   

Students and graduates enjoyed the event and most importantly learned valuable information about careers in Environmental, Health, and Safety Management.  The event may become an annual or biennial event on NSU’s Tahlequah Campus.

Students at EHSM Careers Conference

Manufacturing Career Day in Broken Arrow

In a collaborative effort between the Broken Arrow Economic Development Corporation and leadership from various local schools, Manufacturing Career Day recently took place in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. To gain more insight into this educational event, we had the privilege of speaking with De'Andre Fahie, the Director of Talent Attraction & Workforce Development for the Broken Arrow Chamber, and Dr. Crockett, the Associate Dean for the College of Business & Technology.

The event, which aimed to introduce students to careers in the manufacturing industry, was hosted at several locations, including Union Freshman Academy, Broken Arrow Freshman Academy, BA Options Academy, and Union Alternative School. With the involvement of these institutions, the event succeeded in reaching a wide range of students and creating a lasting impact.

Manufacturing Career Day was made possible through the dedicated efforts of the Broken Arrow Economic Development Corporation, which worked closely with leadership from each of the participating school sites. The collaboration between these entities showcased a commitment to bridging the gap between education and industry, providing students with valuable insights into potential career paths within the manufacturing sector.

The primary objective of Manufacturing Career Day was to offer students the opportunity to engage in STEM-based classroom activities. De'Andre Fahie explained that the day-long event served as a platform for students to work on hands-on projects, sparking their interest in the world of manufacturing. The event's importance cannot be overstated, as it not only introduces young minds to the vast possibilities within the industry but also relies heavily on volunteers from various companies in the Broken Arrow area. These volunteers generously contribute their time and knowledge to guide and inspire the next generation.

One of the highlights of the event for De'Andre Fahie was the chance to visit the different classrooms where the activities took place and interact with the students. In one particular classroom, a group of students was fervently discussing their ideas, with one young female student taking the lead by drawing on a whiteboard. When De'Andre inquired about their project, the girl replied enthusiastically, "I am drawing out the blueprint for our design. We are going to make a robot using our candy pieces!" This moment encapsulated the essence of Manufacturing Career Day – the spark of curiosity, the joy of hands-on learning, and the realization that the event could sow seeds for future engineers and innovators.

Manufacturing Career Day in Broken Arrow serves as a testament to the power of collaboration and education in nurturing the aspirations of the youth. By offering students a glimpse into the world of manufacturing and igniting their passion for STEM-based activities, this event plays a vital role in shaping the future workforce. It is evident that the commitment of the Broken Arrow Economic Development Corporation, the partnering schools, and the enthusiastic volunteers is helping to inspire the engineers, designers, and innovators of tomorrow, ensuring a brighter future for both the students and the local manufacturing industry.

Dr. Muammad Asif

Associate Professor

Dr. Courtney Hamby

Assistant Professor

Dr. Courtney Hamby completes doctorate degree

Dr. Maria Gray, Dr. Kari Henry Hulett, Dr. Tonya Garrett at the 2023 OACTE Conference

Two programs within the College of Education and three other programs in other colleges received a $1.08 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs to fund Project DREAM (Developing Rising Educators for Autism Mastery).

Project DREAM is a unique multidisciplinary collaborative project that will provide financial assistance to qualified scholars pursuing graduate degrees in occupational therapy, school counseling, social work, special education and speech-language pathology who aspire to work in local area school districts.

"This program exemplifies NSU’s unwavering commitment to fostering excellence in education and addressing the critical needs of our community,” NSU President Rodney Hanley said. "Project DREAM is a testament to our dedication to inclusive, impactful and collaborative education."

Dr. Lisa Bisogno, Associate Dean of the College of Education, said "Project DREAM will provide the vital pre-collaborative experience for all five of these subject areas by cohesively working together through reciprocal course presentations and activities, community involvement projects and a shared research component."

The collaboration fostered by Project DREAM aims to go beyond academic requirements, encouraging diverse scholars to actively engage in projects that will make a real difference in the lives of children with disabilities. By bridging the gap between education and practice, this initiative is poised to create a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for children with special needs.

“Through these cooperative projects beyond their program requirements, scholars will not only increase their knowledge of and demonstrate effective related service strategies provided to children with disabilities, it will also have an impactful effect on children with disabilities and assist in filling the gap of many of the shortage areas within these fields,” Bisogno said.

Associate Professor, Dr. Alesha Baker, presented at the Oklahoma Society for Technology in Education (OKSTE) with two graduate candidates from the Library Media and Information Technology Program, Katie Hurst and Carla Scavo on Nov. 1. During the presentation titled, Using Hyperdocs for Collaboration to Positively Impact Learner Growth, Katie and Carla shared their experiences collaborating with classroom teachers using hyperdocs, which was an assignment they completed for a course in the Library Media and Information Technology Program. Dr. Baker demonstrated the innovative technology tool, explained the importance of content, AASL, and ISTE standards alignment during classroom teacher and school librarian collaboration, and provided additional examples of hyperdoc lessons. Presenting with candidates in the program not only makes valuable information available to conference attendees, but it also provides the candidates an opportunity to share the amazing work they are accomplishing through immersive learning opportunities provided at NSU.

(L to R) Carla Scavo, Dr. Alesha Baker, and Katie Hurst presented at OKSTE in Tulsa, OK on Nov. 1, 2023.

Throughout November, Dr. Sherry Been (Elementary Education) and Dr. Jericho Hobson (Teacher Education) mentored NSU Teacher Candidates Deedra Tucker (left) and Lauren Washburn (right) as they developed a research project and presented their posters on “Classroom Management and Incorporating Movement in the Classroom” at the annual Kappa Delta Pi Convocation.

Dr. Sherry Been (Elementary Education) presented with Dr. Meagan Moreland (Reading) at the Association for Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) annual conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The presentation was entitled, “Using Children’s Literature as Bibliotherapy for Trauma and Book Selection in the Classroom: Who Decides which Book Titles are Appropriate to Utilize in Public Education?”

Dr. Cowan (Reading) presented a workshop at Freedom Elementary School training teachers to use the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Curriculum.

Dr. Anita Ede (Early Childhood Education) was a guest reader in CAP Tulsa classrooms at the Rosa Parks Early Childhood Education Center. She read “Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes” in multiple classrooms.

Dr. Ede presented "No One Wants to Play with Me" at the Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children.

Dr. Tamra Day (Special Education) received an official NSU “Shout Out” for going “above and beyond” to help and assist both students and faculty in her department.

Ms. Rhea Fears (Clinical Education) is coordinating a special dinner as part of the Teacher Induction Ceremonies this autumn. She announced that the College of Education has eighty-three students enrolled in their student teaching/full internship in spring 2024.

Dr. Jim Ferrell recently made a presentation at the American Association for Teaching and Curriculum in Louisville, Kentucky.  He presented with colleagues from North Dakota and Florida and shared future ideas on classroom observations.  Dr. Ferrell is also leading a fall review cycle for the NELP SPA, accreditation agency for school administration programs around the country.

Mrs. Barbara Fuller (IDEA Lab Director) is bringing Briggs Public Schools to the IDEA Lab once a month on Friday afternoons.

Dr. Tonya Garrett (Elementary Education) presented at the Oklahoma Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (OACTE) with Dr. Henry-Hulett (Educational Foundations) and Dr. Maria Gray (Educational Foundations) about transformational learning and how beliefs influence enacting this leadership style.

Dr. Stephen Grissom, Department of Psychology & Counseling was asked to present a session on Adolescent Brain Development to the 2023 Annual Children's Court Improvement Conference held in Norman, OK, on 10/10/23 and in Tulsa, OK, on 10/17/23.

Dr. Jarilyn Haney (Special Education) spoke at the annual conference of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) at Long Beach, California in November.

Department of Education Leadership faculty, Dr. Kari D. Henry Hulett and Dr. Maria Gray presented “Building Online Learning Success through Intentional Community-building Course Design” at the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) 2023 Virtual Conference on October 19, 2023. Their presentation emphasized the importance of being mindful when building online courses, so the online learning community can be successful.

Dr. Heidi W. Jenkins, Assistant Professor in the Educational Leadership Department recently worked with the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability and professional school librarians from around the state to rewrite the Oklahoma Subject Area Test (OSAT) for Library-Media Specialist certification. At the most recent conference on October 27, 2023, passing scores for the new exam, which will roll out in January, were reviewed.

Dr. Bea Keller-Dupree and Dr. Beth Melles, Department of Psychology and Counseling, have a peer-reviewed research manuscript being published in December 2023 titled "How have you been?: Mental health well-being and the COVID-19 pandemic". This study explored (a) previous mental health well-being and expectancy outcomes, (b) well-being contributors and prioritizations, and (c) demographic determinants of well-being during the first year of COVID-19 and the subsequent year, all within the adult general population, using a mental health well-being model titled PERMA. Results indicated higher well-being expectancy outcomes across all PERMA factors, with positive relationships identified as the greatest contributor and prioritization. For demographic variables, preexisting mental health diagnoses may have contributed to lower well-being outcomes during COVID-19 as well as lower expectancies in the upcoming months/year of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study demonstrates how a multidimensional well-being model can facilitate concrete self-appraisals during prolonged crises.

Dr. Legnon, Dr. Gleason and Dr. Phillips are co-teaching the SKILLS program to have a smooth handoff in January when Dr. Gleason will be teaching it fully. 

Dr. Legnon (Early Childhood Education) and Dr. Christine Gleason (Elementary Education) presented to the Fort Gibson Public Schools on “Bridging the Gap: Inclusion and Autism.”

Dr. Ingrid Massey (Reading) and Dr. Tobi Thompson (Reading) were invited to serve as Program Committee members for the International Conference on Sustainable Education in Valencia, Spain next summer.

Dr. Ingrid Massey (Reading) and Dr. Tobi Thompson (Reading) are providing professional development for the preschool teachers at Maryetta School in Stilwell focusing on developmentally appropriate practices in phonics and word study. 

Dr. Brandy-Lea McCombs (Elementary Education) authored and received the “Teacher Mentoring: Overcoming One Hurdle at a Time” grant from The Make Sense Foundation. 

Dr. Brandy-Lea McCombs (Elementary Education) presented “Designing an Effective Childhood Trauma Teacher Education Course” for the Fall 2023 Oklahoma Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (OACTE) Conference. 

Dr. Kim Phillips (Early Childhood Education) shared a presentation entitled, “Falling into Early Literacy Professional Development,” at Fort Gibson Public Schools.

On November 2nd, Dr. Kim Phillips (Early Childhood Education) presented, “Designing Engaging Curriculum for a Diverse Population,” at the OACTE conference hosted on the BA campus.

Dr. Phillips attended the annual OSRHE Reading Conference in September at UCO.

Dr. Phillips will be presenting at The Consortium Fall Convening and the Oklahoma Women in Higher Education Conference in November.

Dr. Ramsey (Reading) will present a session entitled “Nonfiction Necessities: How to Engage Young Learners with Nonfiction” with Dr. Amanda Wilson (Oral Roberts University) at the annual conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in Nashville, TN.

Ms. Lori Riley (COE Assessment Director) presented two sessions at the Oklahoma Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (OACTE) Conference: “National SPA Review and State Program Review: Understanding the Process” and “CAEP Standard R.4 - Program Impact & RA.4 - Satisfaction with Preparation.”

Dr. Stephan Sargent (Reading) shared presentations at the Association for Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) annual conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico entitled: “Peer Writing in Methods and General Education Courses” (in conjunction with professors from New Jersey, Georgia, and Texas) and “Experiences in University Reading Methods Courses – Phase II” (in conjunction with Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Alva).

Dr. Stephan Sargent (Reading), Dr. Meagan Moreland (Reading), and Ms. Kristin Shipley (NSU Senior) shared “The Impact of Music Instruction on Literacy Learning in the Elementary Grades” at the Association for Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) annual conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Dr. Stephan Sargent (Reading) led the general meeting of the “College and Adult Literacy Division Meeting” at the Association for Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) annual conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Dr. Seibold will be serving as the Director of the Teacher Accelerated Program in the College of Education.

Jenny Bledsoe and Dr. Suzanne Farmer, Professor of History, took students to a play at Oklahoma Shakespeare in OKC on Saturday, November 18th. The play is Born with Teeth. Bledsoe is teaching Shakespeare-History & Comedies, and Farmer is teaching Tudor Stuart Britain.

Dr. Brian Cowlishaw, Professor of English, hosted Let's Talk about It, an Oklahoma book discussion on Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry at the Miami Public Library on November 8th.

On October 28, students in Professor of Geography Dr. Christine Hallman’s Geography of Warrior Women class visited residents at the Cherokee County Nursing and Rehab Center.  They made posters and cards, handed out Halloween candy, painted fingernails, and chatted with residents.  This type of service-learning opportunity provides students with a chance to develop communication, adaptability, and problem-solving skills along with creating community and building empathy for others.  This is the fourth year for this project and the third year visiting this particular facility. 

Master of Science in Criminal Justice students, Julia Kent and Emily Cervini, along with Dr. James Hurst, Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology, Justice Studies and Global Security, and Dr. Rebekah Doyle, Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology, Justice Studies and Global Security presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Association of Criminal Justice (SWACJ). The presentation, “Opioid and Fentanyl Overdoses in Oklahoma 2019-2021,” focused on temporal and spatial relationships between fentanyl and opioid overdose deaths. Fentanyl and opioids were found to be dissimilar in terms of growth trends as well as spatial distributions across time.

Additionally, Master of Science in Criminal Justice student, Julia Kent and Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice student, Katherine Beshears participated in an interscholastic student CSI team competition. Our students won the event, which tested numerous evidence collection and crime scene processing skills.

NSU Student Darian Johns

Katherine Beshears (left) and Julia Kent (right)

Student group which won the CSI team competition

Dr. James Hurst, Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology, Justice Studies and Global Security was elected as the incoming Treasurer for the Southwest Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

Hunter’s piece “Flight from Eden”

The Gold Award in the 41st Annual National Juried Exhibition of the Montana Watercolor Society was received by Professor of Art Lance Hunter. The MTWS Exhibition was held at the Bigfork Art & Cultural Center in Montana from October 5 until November 15. “Flight from Eden” received the highest award in the show from the juror, Iain Stewart, AWS, NWS.

Students in Dr. Michelle Martin’s HIST 4813/AMST 5413 Public History class spent time at Honey Springs Battlefield State Historic Site engaged in service learning. The students worked in the visitor center and performed living history interpretation assistance for the site’s annual education day on Friday, November 3rd. The event drew over 1,500 middle school students and teachers to the site to learn about the Battle of Honey Springs and 19th century life in the region. Dr. Martin is an Assistant Professor of History and Coordinator of the Public History Certificate program.

Students in living history presentations

Scott Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, directed a production of the play Fuddy Meers that was presented at the NSU Playhouse on November 15-18, 2023. The play is an entry in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and features student designers for Scenery, Costuming, Lighting, and Properties. Students will be able to enter their design work in the regional KC/ACTF competition in spring 2024.

Production poster for Fuddy Meers

Dr. Lindsay Silver, Assistant Professor of History, coordinated with the Center for Tribal Studies and the NSU Foundation to secure an early screening of Killers of the Flower Moon at Apex Theater here in Tahlequah. It was several months in the making but she was able to pull it off at the last minute and extend an invitation to the campus community. The release of the film coincided with Oklahoma History students reading the book for Silver’s class. Most of them attended the film and we were able to have a class discussion about both and the importance of the Osage Reign of Terror to Oklahoma History.

Killers of the Flower Moon promotional poster for screening event

On October 19, Dr. Denis Vovchenko, Professor of History, presented a paper at the 55th annual convention of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) as part of the virtual panel that he organized. The paper is titled "Brigands, Ethnoseparatists, Anarchists, or Fascists? Russian Views of the Balkan Paramilitaries (1903-1934.)"

Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Jeff Wall, served as guest clinician & conductor for the East Central Oklahoma Choral Directors Association High School Mixed Honor Choir on November 7 in Guthrie.

Dr. Ernst Bekkering attended the Information Systems and Computing Professionals (ISCAP) conference in Albuquerque, NM from November 1 to 4, and presented paper co-authored with Dr. Patrick Harrington titled  “If You Want Something Specific, Ask for it Specifically: A Comparison of Generative AI Solutions and Textbook Solutions in an Introductory Programming Course”. Dr. Bekkering won one of the top conference reviewer awards. Next year Dr. Bekkering will serve as a Papers Co-chair for IS education.

Dr. Bekkering with other recognized conference reviewers.

Mr. William Winston, Ms. Julia Green and Ms. Stephanie McNulty, undergraduate students working in the lab of Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo, presented their research posters at the Fall 2023 OUHSC Cell Biology Research Symposium. The topic of the symposium was “Advancements in Cell Biology Research”. The symposium was for two days (October 26-27, 2023) and included faculty, graduate, and undergraduate student presentations. William Winston was declared the best poster presenter among all undergraduate participants.

Will with his poster and award for winning the undergraduate poster section.

Stephanie, Will, and Julia attended the OUHSC Cell Biology symposium.

Mr. William Winston, Ms. Julia Green, and Ms. Chalisa Longden, undergraduate students working in the lab of Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo, presented their research at the Arkansas INBRE conference held in Fayetteville AR from November 3rd to 4th, 2023. William Winston was selected for an oral presentation in the biology category at the conference. Julia Green received an honorable mention among all Biology undergraduate poster participants.

Ms. Ostmo, a graduate student, and Dr. Das-Bradoo served as judges for poster presentations during the conference.

Will was selected to give a research talk.

Julia received the honorable mention for her poster presentation.

Will, Julia, Lisa and Lydia along with Dr. Das-Bradoo attended the Arkansas INBRE conference.

Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo’s graduate student, Ms. Lydia Ostmo was selected to present her research at the Oklahoma Academy of Sciences (OAS). Her talk was in the “Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” category. The OAS technical meeting was held at University of Sciences and Arts of Oklahoma at Chickasha on November 10, 2023.

Deb Hyde's GEOL 1114 Physical Geology class toured local geological sites in Cherokee County on November 3, 2023. Students put their lab work in perspective by exploring road cuts and surface exposures of various rock formations. Emphasis was placed on interpreting past depositional environments with the highlight of hunting for pyrite crystals.

The Physical Geology class at two sites during the field trip on November 3.

As part of the Mathematical Inquiry Project at Oklahoma State University, Dr. Lucas Foster and Dr. Karl Kruczek worked on a Collaborative Research and Development (CoRD) team project with Heather Lester at Connors State College and Susan Kirk at Tulsa Community College.  The goal of the CoRD project is improving entry-level mathematics at Oklahoma colleges and universities.  The project, titled “Productive Struggle, Persistence, and Perseverance” was recently published on the MIP website. Visit their website to learn more about this great research!

Dr. Tracy Freudenthaler, MPH, Assistant Professor in the MPH Program, was invited by the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) to present at the National Cervical Cancer Coalition 2023 National Conference in October. The presentation, Lack of HPV Knowledge and Barriers Among Teens, explained Oklahoma’s high cervical cancer rates and low pap screening rates, and discussed the need to educate university students about HPV vaccination.

Dr. Freudenthaler also presented a poster at the American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting and Expo in Atlanta in November. “I’m not sexually active”: Perspectives of young adults not vaccinated against HPV contribute to vaccination barriers featured feelings of safety from acquiring HPV by the majority of university students surveyed, regardless of their vaccine status. 

On Wednesday, Nov. 8th, the Student Nutrition Association (sponsored by Dr. Katy Fuller) hosted a Chili Lunch for students, faculty, and staff on the Muskogee Campus. We served vegetarian and traditional chili with all the toppings. We also had a drawing with prize giveaways. It was a fun and successful event!

Tables from the Chili Lunch in Muskogee, hosted by the SNA.

The Department of Natural Science was well represented by undergraduate, graduate and faculty members at the 2023 Arkansas INBRE Research Conference.

Tia Tafla, Jacob Castaneda, Alejandro Lopez, Jonathan Crosse-Weihe and Dr. Janaki Iyer attended the 2023 Arkansas INBRE Research Conference. Tia, Jacob, and Alejandro presented their undergraduate research during the poster session while Jonathan and Dr. Iyer served as judges for the poster competition.

Alejandro Lopez, Tia Tafla, Jacob Castaneda, and Dr. Janaki Iyer attended the 2023 Annual Technical Meeting of the Oklahoma Academy of Sciences where Alejandro, Tia and Jacob gave oral presentations related to their undergraduate research. Dr. Iyer served as a moderator for the graduate oral presentations and served as a judge for the graduate oral presentations. 

Dr. Janaki Iyer and her undergraduate student, Alejandro Lopez attended the annual OK-LSAMP 29th Annual Research Symposium where Dr. Iyer served as a judge for the oral presentations.

Tia Tafla presenting her poster.

Alejandro Lopez presenting his poster.

Jacob Castaneda presenting his research.

NSU students and faculty at the Arkansas-INBRE conference.

Lexi Baker and Makayla Baker, two senior students in NSU’s Integrative Biology program, presented a poster co-authored with their faculty mentor Dr. Mark Paulissen entitled: “Color preferences of two species of southeastern forest lizards: the Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) and the Little Brown Skink (Scincella lateralis)” at the 77th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) held in Corpus Christi, TX October 15-18. The poster presented the results of Lexi Baker’s research on the Little Brown Skink and Makayla Baker’s research on the Five-Lined Skink conducted during summer 2023. 

Lexi Baker with the poster.

Makayla Baker with the poster.

Dr. Mark Paulissen reviewed a manuscript for the African Journal of Ecology (it was on lizard movement behavior and foraging).

During a trip to the Galapagos Islands Dr. Mia Revels and a group of colleagues witnessed a Galapagos Dove "cleaning" the underside of a Galapagos Tortoise. The observations were published in Herpetological Review (Thompson, et al. 2022. Chelonoidis donfaustoi (Don Fausto's Giant Tortoise) cleaning mutualism. Herpetological Review 53 (4) 664.).

A photo of the Galapagos Dove cleaning the Galapagos Tortoise.

group photo of Dr. Revels (third from right) and her collaborators with a Galapagos Tortoise in the background.

Laura Courser presenting at the Oklahoma Ornithological Society Fall Meeting.

Laura Courser with her poster.

Steelle Stevens and Matt McElroy presented posters of their original research with Dr. Michael Shaughnessy at the annual meeting of the Southeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies held in Corpus Christi, TX from 15-18 October.  Steelle's poster was entitled, "Small mammal community assemblages in threatened Rivercane (Arundinaria gigantea) habitats of northeastern Oklahoma."

Matt with his poster was entitled, "Modelling Age of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) of Northeastern Oklahoma Reservoirs Using Fish Mass, Total Length and Otolith Mass"

On October 12-14, the NSU Speech Language Pathology faculty, Betty-Lou Barton, Tina Linn, Kaitlyn Scrapper, Ashley Talburt, and Jamie Thomas, along with several undergraduate and graduate SLP students attended the Oklahoma Speech and Hearing Association State Conference in Edmond. While there, the students were able to attend many helpful sessions on both the medical and clinical sides of speech pathology. One of our graduate students, Kailey Farris worked with Dr. Jamie Thomas to present a poster on the Readiness of SLPs to Treat Clients with Complex Communication Disorders. We are so very proud of Kailey and her work!

Kailey Farris with her poster.

Dr. Thomas and Kailey Farris

Graduate student, Kailey Farris shares her research during the poster session.

On Friday afternoon of the OSHA state conference, four of our graduate students, Kailey Farris, Emily Gottlob, Caitlin Wilson, and Hanna Holmes, competed against the other graduate SLP programs in Oklahoma in an academic bowl. We upset OSU and brought home the trophy! We are so excited to have it in the NSU SLP office. These students make NSU proud!

Kailey Farris, Emily Gottlob, Caitlin Wilson, Hanna Holmes with the academic bowl trophy.

At the 2023 American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) National Conference in Spokane, WA, Dr. Cammi Valdez served as a Mentor Judge for the Poster Competition. Dr. Valdez’s undergraduate research student, Anne Martin (Chemistry May ‘24) gave an oral presentation titled “Automated Image Analysis for Pericyte and Endothelial Cell Quantification in Diabetic Retinopathy”.

Anne Martin during her presentation titled “Automated Image Analysis for Pericyte and Endothelial Cell Quantification in Diabetic Retinopathy”.

Undergraduate Researcher Bethany Mejia (Cell and Molecular Biology Dec ‘24) in Dr. Cammi Valdez’s lab presented a poster titled “New Tool Development for Identification and Quantification of Retinal Capillary Cells in Diabetic Mouse Models” at the 2023 SACNAS National Diversity in STEM Conference in Portland, OR. 

Bethany Mejia and Dr. Cammi Valdez with the poster titled “New Tool Development for Identification and Quantification of Retinal Capillary Cells in Diabetic Mouse Models”.

Lunch with the Deans & College of Optometry Trivia Event a Success

Optometry students, faculty, staff and residents gathered for Lunch with the Deans earlier this month. Everyone enjoyed boxed lunches from Newk’s Eatery, sponsored by Bausch & Lomb. We played a fun NSUOCO trivia game that was enjoyed by all. Special thanks to Meigs Jewelry, Vidalia’s Cafe & Catering, and Kroner & Baer for providing merchandise and gift cards for our trivia champs! We appreciate the support of our community businesses.

Trivia winners left to right: 1st place - Kevin Walp (OSIV), 2nd place - David Ross (OSIV), 3rd place - Derek Bryant (OSIII), 4th place - Jennifer Jones (Staff), 5th place - Libby Graham (OSII)

The group playing NSUOCO trivia.

NSUOCO Students Receive Practice Excellence Scholarship

Fourth year optometry students, Abbie Etter and Christina Thompson, were selected as recipients of the VSP Vision Care / AAO Practice Excellence Scholarship. The students received their awards at the American Academy of Optometry in New Orleans in October.

The Practice Excellence Scholarship is a long-standing and prestigious scholarship that represents the very best in what optometry has to offer in patient care and practice management. Each year, through the American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF), VSP awards two recipients from each of the 25 schools and colleges of optometry. Scholarship recipients were selected based on the student’s commitment to enter the independent practice of optometry, and their clinical and academic performance. Congratulations to Abbie and Christina!

Abbie Etter (center) receiving the Practice Excellence scholarship award.

Christina Thompson (center) receiving the Practice Excellence scholarship award.

NSUOCO Alumnus of the Year Award Presented at Converge 2023

The “NSUOCO Alumnus of the Year” award was formed to recognize outstanding alumni contributions to the NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry. The inaugural award was presented to Dr. Carl Newton at the Converge 2023 continuing education conference held at the Hyatt Regency in Tulsa in early November. Dr. Newton is a legend in the state of Oklahoma in regards to optometry.  Dr. Newton was a part of the inaugural class of NSUOCO in 1983 and has led the charge in pushing optometry forward in our state.  As a member of the House of Representatives, he has been instrumental in pushing forward key legislation that affects the Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians (OAOP), NSUOCO, and Oklahoma optometry.  He led the charge in getting key funding for the new optometry building project passed through the house, senate, and governor signature.  Dr. Newton has been there every step of the way and has supported the Oklahoma College of Optometry in all endeavors. Congratulations to Dr. Newton and warm thanks to him for his ongoing support of the Oklahoma College of Optometry.

Dr. Carl Newton (L) receiving his award from Associate Dean, Dr. Nate Lighthizer (R).

Students and staff presenting Tribal flags at Nike N7 Indigenous Peoples' Night basketball game

The Center for Tribal Studies hosted multiple events throughout November to celebrate American Indian Heritage Month. Events included a Handgame Demonstration as well as several Make and Take Workshops in which attendees could learn how to make stickballs, flattreed bracelets, or ribbon skirts. On November 15th, students participated in a Flag Presentation in between the basketball games against Haskell. Our American Indian students at NSU represent more than 1/3 of the student population and over 30 federally recognized Tribes, so this was an opportunity to honor that diversity.

Tom Rink, Instructor of Library Services for the NSU Libraries, has been appointed to the Editorial Board of Information Outlook. Information Outlook is the quarterly online magazine of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) that is being relaunched in January 2024. The Editorial Board would work with the Association's management team to develop the quarterly themes, collect the content, and review the magazine prior to publication.

Happy Holidays RiverHawk family!

There were a lot of recent exciting announcements of grant awards that will provide for some much-needed renovations, students scholarships and services we can offer to our community. NSU has seen a significant increase in funded grants thanks to the efforts from faculty and staff across campus. These grants not only assist our institution but also the community we serve by offering things like programs to area school districts, outreach activities, equipment and facilities used by the community and other worthwhile projects benefiting our area.

Below are some of the great proposals submitted the month of November: 

• Dr. Weihaun Zhao – OSRHE Full STEAM Ahead Academy
• Dr. Nnamdi Ekesi – National Science Foundation MRI
• Dr. Deborah Petrik – National Science Foundation MRI

There are many new grant opportunities popping up that could give you exactly what you are looking for. NSU offers the Faculty Research opportunities opening soon which will be due in February. The Oklahoma INBRE are another great place for faculty to start which are open now with varying deadlines coming early Spring.

As always, let us know how we can help. YOU make NSU a great place for students and the community. I sincerely appreciate you all.

Jessica Secratt
RASP Director
(918) 444-2243

Students gathered for Trivia Night during International Education Week.

From November 13-17, the Office of International Programs celebrated International Education Week (IEW). International Education Week is celebrated globally to highlight international education, international students, and study abroad. 

This year, OIP had several events to celebrate IEW. From our Study Abroad programs, we hosted information sessions for our Short Term Study Abroad trip to Barcelona for May 2024. The International Student Organization also hosted 3 events: Trivia Night, a Spicy Ramen Challenge, and a Movie Night. Students, faculty, and staff were able to participate in our events hosted each day of the week. 

Students gathered at table during Spicy Ramen Challenge

Additionally, each day of IEW, we provided Indian spiced chai tea and coffee from various countries for the NSU community to try. Along with this, we had a trivia wheel with several international snacks as prizes for any NSU members to win.

Each year, the Office of International Programs is happy to celebrate such a wonderful week to spotlight incredible students and global education!

Academic Spotlight: Dr. Eruore Hopkins

Dr. Eruore Hopkins shares about the BA campus community involvement, students, programs offered and her role and responsibilities as BA Director of Operations and Community Relations.

As Director of Operations & Community Relations on the BA Campus, share about your role and responsibilities.

I lead efforts to provide academic support and student services to the campus. I collaborate across campus in providing campus services to students, faculty, and staff and community services to our neighbors and visitors. I partner with colleagues on all NSU campuses to ensure there are open lines of communication and continuity between the Broken Arrow campus and the other campuses. Finally, I represent the interests of NSU, especially the BA campus, and promote NSU and the BA campus within BA and its surrounding communities. I am able to do this through my participation with the Rotary Club of Broken Arrow, Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce, Tulsa Higher Educat​ion Consortium, and other local organizations and events.

​My staff consists of an Office Manager, Customer Service Clerk, Night Office Manager, and several student workers. Our office is a hybrid of Student Affairs and what was formerly known as the Office of the Dean. The academic support side of the office focuses on supporting the campus, community, faculty, and staff with operational needs. We are a centralized location on campus, in the Administrative Services building, for maintaining administrative functions. Our goal is to maintain a safe and inviting campus, operational standards, and order by facilitating communication, coordination, collaboration, continuity, and community.

The student services side of the office focuses on supporting students. We are a centralized location on campus, in the Administrative Services building, for fulfilling certain functions. Our goal is to provide as many of the same services available in Tahlequah as we can on the Broken Arrow campus. When we are unable to do so, we connect students with staff on other campuses who can assist them. We foster a collaborative community between the different university offices that are represented in our building so we can properly serve NSU BA students and prospective students.

Share about the BA campus, the students it serves, and the programs offered!

NSU BA’s campus serves upper-division and graduate students with a variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Our campus is a commuter campus geared toward assisting mainly non-traditional students with degree completion or achieving a graduate education.

How is the BA Campus actively involved in the community?

Through NSU’s participation with Rotary and the BA Chamber, the BA campus stays informed about local events that it can participate in and support. A few of the local events we have supported or participated in are Rooster Days, Rooster Days Parade, and the Cool Grilles Classic Car Show.

Additionally, we support local organizations by hosting events, conferences, trainings, and meetings on our campus and working with organizers interested in using our parking facilities during their events at the nearby BA Events Park. A few examples include the Anthem Service Dog Fest, ScotFest, and the Gatesway Tulsa Regional Balloon Festival.

NSU BA is also home to Broken Arrow Public School’s Early College High School and hosts some Tulsa Community College classes each semester. Through the College of Extended Learning’s programs, our campus hosts summer camps for children and high schoolers. The Reading Clinic, Math Clinic, Scottish Rite Masons Speech-Language Pathology Clinic, and Lesley L. Walls Vision Center are also open to the local community.

Our outdoor walking and biking trails, exercise park, disc golf course, and gazebo are open to the community for recreational use. We also offer the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program where our accounting students provide free tax preparation for low-to-moderate-income members of the community. Through a successful partnership, A New Leaf assists with our groundskeeping and with our community garden.

Teresa Hudson

New Academic Advisor!

Dr. Athena Wooldridge

New CBT Assistant Dean!

Amber Whisenhunt

Money Matters Presentation!

Dr. Rene Moquin

Completes Cybersecurity Certifications!

Dr. Gary Linn

Accounting & Finance Dept. Chair

Mary Hanafee

CBT Academic Advisor Spotlight

Curriculum & Instruction

Dr. Anita Ede (Early Childhood) presented at the Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children’s annual conference in Oklahoma City in September. Her topic was: “No One Wants to Play with Me: Teaching Social Skills in a Post-Covid World.” This focused on specific strategies teachers may implement in their classroom to help children learn empathy, problem solving, how to make friends, and how to work in a group.

Dr. Brandy McCombs (Elementary Education) completed the National Child Traumatic Stress Network 101 Online Course from The National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

Dr. Meagan Moreland (Reading) represented the university on Tulsa Channel 6 Television Station (KOTV), sharing practical strategies to integrate cooking and literacy.

Dr. Kim Phillips (Early Childhood) attended the 16^th annual Reading conference hosted by The Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) at The University of Central Oklahoma (Edmond, Oklahoma) on September 22nd with Dr. Lily Cheng, who is visiting NSU this year from China. The accompanying photo shows Dr. Phillips and Cheng enjoying the conference.

Dr. Cheng, Dr. Phillips (L to R)

Dr. Stephan Sargent (Reading) is reviewing research manuscripts for the peer-reviewed journal, Literacy, Research, and Instruction.

Dr. Rebekah Doyle

Dr. Rebekah Doyle, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, has been appointed as the Regional Higher Education Representative for the American Red Cross-Oklahoma by the Northeast Board of Directors.

Poppies created by class

Geography of Warrior Women

As part of the Geography of Warrior Women class this semester, students choose one of four options for their community project assignments. Students choosing the making and distributing Remembrance Poppies project met on September 30 to create the poppies. Marcey Mitcham, Senior Coordinators of Student Disabilities Services, and Dr. Christine Hallman, Geography professor, coordinated the event.  Poppies will be given away near Veterans Day in November.

A second event chosen by the students was the Everyday Warrior Women Panel which was held on October 12 at 6pm in the Webb Auditorium. This event is sponsored by the Geography and Political Science Department and the Geography of Warrior Women class. Students create flyers, distribute flyers, create questions, ask the panel questions, and offer small gifts to the panelists.

Warrior Women Panel event flier

Warrior Women Panel Participants

Students at Cherokee National History Museum

Dr. Michelle M. Martin, Assistant Professor of History, with students from her Public History course visited the Cherokee National History Museum. While there, the students took a guided tour and learned about how museums present history and use design elements like sound and light to create visitor response to exhibits.

On Friday, October 6, Dr. Martin and her students traveled to Okmulgee, the capital of the Mvskoke Nation with instructor Jack Reavis. The students learned about Indigenous museum and historic site curation from Mr. John Beaver, curator of the Mvskoke Council House. They had the opportunity to meet NSU alum Ms. Midge Dellinger, the oral historian for the Mvskoke Nation. She shared the importance of oral history to Indigenous communities and the historian's responsibilities in the process of oral history collection. The students learned about Indigenous space and place making and how federal Indian policy changed this process over time. This trip was supported by the Mapping Tahlequah History project.

Students at Mvskoke Council House

Sylvia Nitti, Instructor of Art, and fall NSU Art Gallery Director, coordinated a two-person exhibition by alumni Kindra Swafford and Malorie Anderson. The exhibition ran from September 15-30. Nitti also coordinated the first student exhibition of the academic year showcasing work by students Laney Cully, Helen Teal, and Briana Witham. The exhibition ran October 6-24.

September 15-30, Reception Friday, September 15, 6-8pm, Art Exhibition flier

Art Exhibition - Briana Witham, Helen Teal, Laney Cully

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Professor of Drama, via her work with the Sequoyah Institute, hosted artist Austin Dean Ashford on campus October 11 and 12 for two performances of his one-man show Island Trap. While on campus Ashford engaged in a script development workshop with current NSU Drama students and community members. Scott Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, led a crew of students in working with Ashford to design and realize the technical components for his performances at the NSU Playhouse.

Ashford working with students and community members in workshop.

Ashford with students on stage

Dr. Elaina Ross, Assistant Professor, Communication and Media Studies, led a program for the Tulsa City County Library titled Nailing your first job interview: Internship or first job focusing on Interviewing tips for teens.

Dr. Audell Shelburne, Professor of English, had four poems accepted for publication in the winter issue of an anthology titled Sequoia Speaks, by Word Poppy Press. The titles are “Golden Fleeces, “Sirens in the Desert,” Sirens in the Desert, Part 2,” and “Doing Laundry.” He also had two poems accepted for publication in the November edition of Verse Virtual, titled “Living in Denial with a Pup Named Pip” and “Growing Up.”

Dr. Jeffery Wall (Professor of Music and Director Choral Activities) presented a session on September 30th in Conway, Arkansas for the Arkansas Music Educators Association Fall Professional Development conference.

Dr. Jeff Wall presenting in Conway, Arkansas

2023 Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Conference

Occupational therapy faculty and students attended the 2023 Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Conference (OKOTA). Dr. Margaret Bates, Occupational Therapy Program Director received the Occupational Therapy Educator of the Year Award at the 2023 Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Conference (OKOTA). Quay Hosey, Reagen Push, and Niki Kennedy Occupational Therapy Students presented their poster: The Value of Occupational Therapy in the NICU at the 2023 Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Conference (OKOTA). Allison Zertuche, Maison Graham, and Savannah Dotson Occupational Therapy Students presented their poster: OT’s Role in Postpartum Care at the 2023 Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Conference (OKOTA). Brooklynn Rodgers, Faith Wylie, and Kaitlyn Krisulevicz Occupational Therapy Students presented their poster: Music Therapy in OT Practice for Children with ASD at the 2023 Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Conference (OKOTA). Additionally, Tara Ottenbacher MOT/L, Northeastern State University Occupational Therapy Alumnus received the Occupational Therapist of the Year Award at the 2023 Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Conference (OKOTA).

Dr. Margaret Bates receiving the Occupational Therapy Educator of the Year award at the 2023 Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Conference (OKOTA).

Quay Hosey, Reagen Push, and Niki Kennedy with their poster: The Value of Occupational Therapy in the NICU.

Allison Zertuche, Maison Graham, and Savannah Dotson with their poster: OT’s Role in Postpartum Care.

Brooklynn Rodgers, Faith Wylie, and Kaitlyn Krisulevicz presenting their poster: Music Therapy in OT Practice for Children with ASD.

Tara Ottenbacher MOT/L receiving the Occupational Therapist of the Year Award at the 2023 Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Conference (OKOTA).

Dr. Chris Burba co-authored a paper titled "Pressure-dependent cationic associations of ionic liquids with bentonite nanoclay" in the Journal of Ionic Liquids.

Dr. Chris Burba submitted a grant proposal titled "Development of an Optical Spectroscopy Lab for In situ Vibrational Micro-spectroscopy" to the Department of Defense Research and Education Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions.

Dr. Pamela Christol, Professor of Science, and Dr. Martha Parrott, Professor of Mathematics, are collaborators on the NSU Teacher Acceleration Grant (TAP), From Theory to Practice: Quality Alternative Pathways for Teachers. Dr. Christol and Dr. Parrott collaborated with the College of Education in the development of STEM program planning related to the project and will serve the dimension of the grant project connected to their graduate level STEM Education Certificate.  NSU is one of only two institutions in Oklahoma to receive this grant in the amount of $2.45 million from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

Northeastern State University (NSU) requested the funding to overcome three major barriers that have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and created barriers to getting and retaining qualified teachers into Oklahoma classrooms: scholarship funding for non-education professionals to earn accelerated certification with a strong focus on STEM interested teachers, creating awareness of available options to become an educator in Oklahoma, and mentoring and coaching for recent graduates and emergency certified educators to stay in the classrooms post-licensure.

Dr. Tracy Freudenthaler, MPH, Assistant Professor in the MPH Program, presented both Oklahoma university student HPV narratives: many underestimate their risk and do not know HPV risk factors and Launching the Tulsa chapter of the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC): Why Oklahoma needs to talk about HPV at the Oklahoma Public Health Association’s September 2023 conference. Dr. Freudenthaler began her term as OPHA’s President at that time.

Dr. Nathan Green, Associate Professor of Chemistry, and Dr. Martha Parrott, Professor of Mathematics are serving as program advisors and mentors of faculty across Oklahoma who are participants in the Transformative Leadership Academy 2023-2024.   The Transformative Leadership Academy (formerly known as the Educational Administrators’ Academy) provides the rare opportunity for Higher Education, Career Tech and K-12 faculty, staff and administrators to experience in-depth leadership development designed specifically for educational leaders. Drs. Green and Parrott will help foster connections between cohort members who meet monthly August 2023 through May 2024, will assist the program director by contributing their expertise and thinking to the current and future work of the ELA, and will provide feedback and mentoring support to program participants throughout the program experience.

Dr. Cammi Valdez participated in the National Alliance for Eye and Vision (NAEVR) Emerging Vision Scientist Program in Washington, D.C. to promote National Institutes of Health funding, specifically for the National Eye Institute, by Congress.

Dr. Valdez with Senator Markwayne Mullin's Deputy Legislative Director, Kaitlynn Quaofio.

During the 2023 OK-LSAMP Annual Research Symposium at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK, Dr. Cammi Valdez presented on "Being Diverse in STEM: Navigating Academia, Imposter Syndrome, and Careers."

Dr. Valdez after presentation with OK-LSAMP Scholars

Anne Martin (left) and Bethany Mejia (right), undergraduate researchers in Dr. Valdez's lab, both gave oral presentations on their undergraduate research.

Dr. Elizabeth Waring’s Field Botany class took a trip to the Tulsa Botanic Garden on September 28.

Dr. Waring’s Field Botany class at the Tulsa Botanic Garden

Dr. Elizabeth Waring gave the keynote presentation at the Oklahoma Academy of Sciences Fall Field Meeting. The title of her talk was “A Plant Love Story: From Photosynthesis to Macroinvertebrates and Chia Pets”.

Dr. Scott Wengerd, Occupational Therapy Assistant Professor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator presented: “The SOUL of OT: Incorporating Spirituality into Practice” at the 2023 Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Conference (OKOTA).

Dr. Wengerd during his presentation, “The SOUL of OT: Incorporating Spirituality into Practice” at the 2023 Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Conference (OKOTA).

Interprofessional Education with OSU

Fourth-year optometry students, residents, and faculty members participated in interprofessional education with the OSU College of Medicine on October 5 by conducting labs at the OSU College of Medicine in Tulsa and OSU-COM at Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah. They trained approximately 200 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. This is the third year we have participated in this interprofessional education opportunity.

NSUOCO student, Karlee Dearman, sits as a patient for OSU medical students.

OSU medical students taking intra ocular pressures on NSUOCO student, Cole Powlison, with the help of NSUOCO student, Logan Blowers.

NSUOCO student, Mackenzie Zora, sitting as a patient for OSU medical students.

NSUOCO student, Abbi Godding, working with OSU medical students.

Optometry Students Participate in Giving Sight Day

NSUOCO participated in Giving Sight Day on Saturday, September 23^rd with 64 students, faculty, residents and staff volunteering their time. Giving Sight Day is the annual "day of service" for Oklahoma optometrists to give back to their communities by performing free eye exams. The event aims to increase access to vision care for Oklahomans in need, engender goodwill in our communities, and introduce potential new patients to the importance of good vision care. Representatives from the Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians (OAOP) treated volunteers to lunch at The Branch afterwards.

A group of 3rd and 4th year students volunteering

Left to right: Emma Strunks, Lorrin Hooten, & Crystal Henderson

Lunch at The Branch compliments of the OAOP.

Our fabulous optometry volunteers!

Happy Fall!

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 through the Workforce Badging Initiative. Badges and micro-credentials offer a tangible resource for our students to represent competency in a specific area. A digital credential, or badge, is a portable, verified, engaging method of pulling achievements to show people what you know and what you can do. Within a digital badge, there is verifiable data that tells the world what, where, and how you earned your credential and why it matters. Micro-credentials and badging are innovative and flexible ways to showcase acquiring skills and/or competencies. They give us the opportunity to respond to training and educational needs of our students, as well as ensuring the employers in our area can be certain of the skills and competencies Northeastern State University students bring with them to the workplace. Not only can these be listed on a resume or CV, but badges can also be linked to social media websites, such as LinkedIn. This visual representation helps hiring agencies to understand what a certificate, program, or experiential learning opportunity entails. As companies are often looking for specific skills in their prospective candidates, badges help demonstrate the well-rounded nature and training our NSU alumni cultivate during their time here.

As we are a career focused Institution, we offer services, such as Career Services, to help promote Career Readiness. The National Association of Colleges and Employers defines career readiness as the attainment and demonstration of requisite competencies that broadly prepare college graduates for a successful transition into the workplace. By implementing badging into your program, you demonstrate student competency in critical workforce skills, of which promote Career Readiness. Including badges into the outcome of a course, program, certificate etc., you provide tangible representation, outside of a transcript, that offers further support as to the training of that student. 

Within the NSU website, there is a treasure trove of information that discusses our Badging initiative. However, if you would like more information on the badging process or are interested in created a digital badge, please visit the Workforce website, linked below, or contact the assessment team at assessment@nsuok.edu

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.

NSU ASSESSMENT TEAM

Email: assessment@nsuok.edu

Dr. Cari Keller, Graduate Dean/Exec. Dir. Assessment & Planning

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

HELPFUL LINKS & WORDS REFERENCED:

https://offices.nsuok.edu/academicassessment/DegreesOfExcellence/default.aspx

https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/career-readiness-defined/

https://offices.nsuok.edu/workforce-development/i-want-to-create-a-badge.aspx

A New Chapter for CTS is Unfolding 

"Serving as the Director of CTS has been one of the most rewarding times in my professional career, and I will always cherish the relationships that I have built with our students, faculty and staff over the past eight years. This work was and is very personal to me, as I am a direct product of my predecessor, as a student who received much support, encouragement, and valuable work experience at CTS.  While here at NSU, I have managed to secure $8.9 million in grant funding and have worked tirelessly to elevate the work of CTS on campus and in the community. Securing office space for CTS on campus for the first time in 33 years and obtaining $1.3 million in grant funding specifically to renovate the historic Bacone House (the original home of CTS) are some of my most recent accomplishments that allow me to depart with a great deal of pride in this work. The success I have experienced in this role could not have been achieved without the support and collaborative partnerships of so many across campus. I hope you all will continue supporting the work of CTS under its new leadership. In the words of the late Dr. Jackson, "It's been an honor, a privilege and pleasure!"  

Illustrator and Authors who spoke to area students at the 2nd Annual Green Country Children's Book Festival. Top Row: Left to Right- Evan Griffith, Brian Young, Charles Waters Bottom Row: Left to Right- MaryBeth Timothy, Traci Sorrel, Jaime Berry

Sarah Burkhead Whittle, Instructor of Library Services, Amanda Estes, Library Administrative Assistant, and Dr. Michael Jones, Executive Director of NSU Libraries, along with many dedicated NSU faculty, staff, student, and community volunteers, collaborated to host the second annual Green Country Children's Book Festival on Thursday and Friday, October 5-6. More than 660 3rd - 8th grade students, plus 60+ 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/illustrator Jaime Berry, Evan Griffith, Traci Sorell, MaryBeth Timothy, Charles Waters, Brian Young. 

In order to make this possible, the NSU Libraries received generous support from Oklahoma Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities, Cherokee Nation Business, Walmart, BancFirst, Cover to Cover Bookclub, and Anna Mae Burkhead. Thanks to the OH/NEH grant, each educator left the Festival with an Author Book Bundle, which contained one book by each of the featured authors and illustrator.

Next year's Green Country Children's Book Festival will take place on October 3-4, 2024. To find out more, please visit the Book Festival website or email bookfestival@nsuok.edu.

Temperatures are starting to cool down and everyone is getting into the Halloween spirit which will be quickly followed by the Holiday spirit. A great time to write for a grant is when you’ve had a little time to relax and think over the breaks, and our office is here to help you pull your ideas into a proposal.  A special thank you for those that took the time to prepare and submit a proposal this past month.

Dr. Steven Byers – NSF Racial Equity and Justice

Ms. Sarah Whittle – Tahlequah Community Fund

Chief James Bell – Oklahoma Emergency Management and Homeland Security

Dr. Brandy McCombs – Make Sense Foundation

Dr. Jericho Hobson – OSRHE Summer Academies

Dr. Christine Gleason – OSRHE Summer Academies

Dr. Chris Burba – Dept. of Defense Equipment

Dr. Janaki Iyer – Dept. of Defense Equipment & OSRHE Summer Academies

Dr. Elizabeth Burba – Dept. of Defense Equipment

Dr. Cammi Valdez – Dept. of Defense Equipment

Dr. Dulanjani Wijayasekara – OSRHE Summer Academies

Ms. Marissa Mitchell – Mid-America Arts Alliance

Dr. Eloy Chavez – OSRHE Summer Academies

Ms. Barbara Fuller – OSRHE Summer Academies

Dr. Jerrid Freeman – Post-Secondary Success

Dr. Carla Swearingen – Post-Secondary Success

Dr. Weihuan Zhao – Agriculture and Food Research Initiative & OSRHE Summer Academies

Dr. Nathan Green – OSRHE Summer Academies

Dr. Pamela Christol – OSRHE Summer Academies

Dr. Jim Hicks – OSRHE Summer Academies

We have high hopes for many of these submissions and love the Summer Academy season where faculty offer a great service to the youth on both Tahlequah and Broken Arrow campuses. The faculty research applications are just around the corner and would love to see some of those come in early. Feel free to reach out to me or Dr. Lucas Foster with any questions about the faculty research proposals or visit their website

As always, let us know how we can help. YOU make NSU a great place for students and the community. I sincerely appreciate you all.

Jessica Secratt
RASP Director
(918) 444-2243

Academic Spotlight: Mark Perdue

Mark Perdue shares about the Physician Assistant program, his role and responsibilities as PA Program Director, research interests, and what it’s like in his classroom!

Learn more about the MASTER OF SCIENCE IN PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDIES!

Share a little about the PA program and student learning outcomes in the program.

Northeastern State University's Physician Assistant program is 27 months in length and provides our students with an intense and effective curriculum. The first component of our program, the didactic phase, consists of interactive learning experiences that occur in the setting of the classroom and the laboratory. The clinical component of our program is facilitated by our community partners who provide clinical rotation sites. On clinical rotations, students learn through supervised clinical experiences with a wide range of patient populations in northeastern Oklahoma and beyond. Our first cohort graduated in 2022 and the class of 2023 will graduate this coming December. It is common for all PA students to have job offers upon graduation.

What are your roles and responsibilities as Director of the PA Program?

As program director, I am ultimately responsible for all aspects of the program. At a smaller program like NSU, my colleagues and I have the opportunity to perform many aspects of medical education in a given day. Our faculty and staff team at NSU PA is outstanding!

What is it like taking a class with you?

My favorite type of learning environment is interactive learning that is problem focused. This type of environment allows me to interact with students and maintain engagement while students develop their clinical reasoning skills. At the NSU PA program we have three distinctive curricular features. One of the features is our emphasis on clinical reasoning. My doctoral work focuses on developing effective evidence-based strategies for teaching clinical reasoning and we have been able to leverage that research to build out a truly effective curriculum. Another distinctive component of the NSU PA program is our training in point of care ultrasound. At our program, students learn POCUS throughout the curriculum so that students are capable of performing all of the major POCUS applications. Some schools will have a few sessions or a workshops, but our students are trained in all components of point-of-care ultrasound. Lastly, our program strives to maintain authentic learning experiences. Our students not only receive instruction in cadaver anatomy at the beginning of the program they also are trained in critical care procedures using cadavers as well.

What are your research interests?

My research interests include improving clinical reasoning skills in novice stage learners, development of medical expertise, point-of-care ultrasound, emergency medicine and curriculum development is basic sciences.

CBT Welcomes Nine New Faculty Members This Fall

Click on the names below to learn more!

Dr. Muammad Asif

Dr. Muammad Asif

Associate Professor

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Dr. Asif became a member of the Northeastern State University community in 2023, bringing a wealth of expertise. He believes that students should cultivate mastery in operations management and quantitative courses to effectively tackle the upcoming challenges. He imparts his profound knowledge by enlightening minds through Production and Operations Management and Business Analytics courses.

Following his academic accomplishments, Dr. Asif embarked on a professional journey, joining the ranks of a renowned German multinational pharmaceutical enterprise. There, he assumed the role of a Quality Assurance Officer, unraveling the essence of disparity between industry trailblazers and the laggards – a revelation rooted in the strategic leverage of operational prowess. Driven by this realization, he resolved to delve deeper, initiating his path to scholarly exploration.

His pursuit led him to attain a master's and a doctorate in Quality and Operations Management, a voyage that brought him to the University of Twente in the Netherlands. There, he studied the best practices of frontrunner companies to find an answer to the question: What makes excellent companies truly excellent? He explored how successful companies leverage operational excellence to differentiate themselves from others. His scholarly endeavors culminated in the publication of groundbreaking work in esteemed journals, including the IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, the International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, Transportation Research Part E, Journal of Cleaner Production, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, and Management Decisions, among many others.

Currently, Dr. Asif's research horizons span the realms of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Industry 5.0, a domain where he orchestrates the integration of cutting-edge technologies – such as the blockchain, digital twins, cloud computing, and cyber-physical systems – to enhance the quality of ESG disclosure. In doing so, he continues to push the boundaries of knowledge and innovation, painting a brighter, more sustainable future through the fusion of academia and advanced industry practices.

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Dr. Doris Feltham

Dr. Doris Feltham

Assistant Professor

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In the fall of 2023, Northeastern State University proudly welcomed Dr. Doris K. Feltham to the College of Business and Technology. She holds an undergraduate degree in Accounting and a Ph.D. in Management with a specialization in Accounting. Following her graduation, she gained valuable experience working as a public accountant in an auditing role. Dr. Feltham furthered her career by successfully passing the CPS exam, subsequently transitioning into the field of tax and consulting.

Dr. Feltham is known for her quote, "To learn accounting, you must do accounting." Her passion lies in teaching accounting, and she takes the time to connect with her students personally before delving into the subject matter. Her teaching style involves explaining concepts and encouraging students to practice accounting through lectures and in-class exercises. She acknowledges that accounting can be time-consuming, particularly in introductory courses.

At NSU, Dr. Feltham's primary focus is ensuring that her students leave the course equipped with new knowledge and skills applicable both professionally and personally. Her presence at NSU promises to provide valuable insights and motivation. Undoubtedly, the NSU community will be enriched by her extensive knowledge and enthusiasm for teaching for years to come.

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Dr. Sovhi Heaton

Dr. Sovhi Heaton

Associate Professor

In the fall of 2023, Northeastern State University proudly welcomed Dr. Sohvi Heaton to the College of Business and Technology. Armed with a Ph.D. in Management Studies from the University of Oxford, Dr. Heaton specializes in teaching Business Strategy and Policy. Her academic journey is nothing short of remarkable.

During her tenure at the World Bank in Washington D.C., Dr. Heaton had the unique opportunity to lead a business plan competition in Lebanon, igniting her passion for teaching. Coming from a family of educators, she discovered her calling in helping students learn how to teach themselves.

At NSU, her primary focus lies in strategic management, with secondary interests in entrepreneurship and innovation. Beyond her academic pursuits, her work at the World Bank, where she concentrated on debt relief initiatives for heavily indebted poor countries, has provided her with valuable insights into international development.

Dr. Sohvi Heaton's presence at NSU promises to be a beacon of wisdom and inspiration. Her wealth of knowledge, combined with her passion for teaching, will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on the NSU community.

Dr. David Johnson

Dr. David Johnson

Assistant Professor

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We are delighted to introduce David Johnson, who joined the College of Business and Technology (CBT) as an adjunct professor last fall and has recently assumed the role of assistant professor. With a remarkable 11-year career as a self-employed attorney and expertise in Business Law and Estate Planning, David brings invaluable real-world experience to our students.

David's passion for teaching is undeniable, and he is eager to share his extensive knowledge with our students. His practical insights from running his own law firm enrich our classroom discussions and provide a unique perspective on the legal and business landscape.

In addition to his professional achievements, David is a devoted family man, celebrating 19 years of marriage and parenting seven children, along with fostering several others. His commitment to family values aligns perfectly with our community's principles.

With a warm and inclusive teaching style, David fosters an environment where students can engage, question, and develop critical thinking skills. His dedication to nurturing the next generation of legal and business professionals is evident in his enthusiasm for teaching.

As David embarks on this new journey at CBT, we extend a warm welcome and look forward to the positive impact he will make in shaping the futures of our students. His dedication and real-world expertise are sure to enhance the educational experience at CBT.

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Dr. Kimberly Mathe-Cuellar

Dr. Kimberly Mathe-Cuellar

Assistant Professor

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Dr. Kimberly Mathe-Cuellar, a native of Edmond, Oklahoma, is an Assistant Professor of Marketing and Hospitality & Tourism at NSUOK. She received her Ph.D. in Hospitality, MBA, and Bachelor of Science from Oklahoma State University. Her prior academic appointments include Assistant Professor of Hospitality & Tourism at Virginia Tech University and Texas Tech University where she served as a research associate for the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute. She then returned to her alma mater as the founding Republic National Distributing Company Director of Beverage Education and Assistant Professor. Over the tenure of her academic career, she has published 21 peer-reviewed journal articles in top-tier publications such as the Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management and over 45 academic presentations.

Dr. Mathe-Cuellar’s passion for teaching in the areas of Marketing and Hospitality comes from her breadth of industry experience. Holding multiple marketing roles at Sonic Drive-In corporate in her early career, she has also worked for Oklahoma convenience chain OnCue as Category Manager for Beer, Wine, & Packaged Beverages and was instrumental in developing the launch of the OnCue App. Most recently, she served as Director of Trade Marketing for BeatBox Beverages, the World’s Tastiest Party Punch, which gained national fame by its appearance on Shark Tank. She has multiple beverage certifications through the Court of Master Sommeliers, Wine & Spirits Education Trust, Society for Wine Educators, and the Cicerone program and is also a Certified Hospitality Educator. She has won numerous awards, including being named the CStoreDecisions Category Management Leader in 2021 and Rising Star in Top Women in Convenience in 2020. But her most proud accomplishments include being the mother of two boys, Benjamin and Luke, and being a dedicated football coach’s wife to her husband Jacob.

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Brandi Moore

Brandi Moore

Instructor

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In the fall of 2023, Northeastern State University proudly welcomed Instructor Brandi Moore to the College of Business and Technology. Instructor Moore graduated from Haileyville High School in 2017, where she was part of a small class of 20 students. She joined NSU immediately after high school. Initially, she pursued a major in Speech-Language Pathology, but soon realized it wasn't the right fit for her, prompting her to change her major to Business. Instructor Moore successfully graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), majoring in Management with a concentration in Human Resource Management. Following her graduation, she began her career as an Academic Advisor in the fall semester and later seized the opportunity to teach at NSU.

Instructor Moore is dedicated to supporting and empowering her students in every way within her capacity to ensure their success. She encourages her students to have a genuine desire for learning, and she is always willing to assist them. She is passionate about teaching this course because it offers a curriculum that is directly applicable to the real world.

Instructor Moore aims for her students to leave her course with the understanding that they have a supportive community of faculty members within the College of Business and Technology who are ready to assist them whenever needed. She strives to instill greater confidence in her students' abilities to tackle challenging tasks.

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Sydney Nichols Rice

Sydney Nichols Rice

Instructor

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In the fall of 2023, Northeastern State University proudly welcomed Instructor Sydney Nichols Rice to the College of Business and Technology. Instructor Rice began her journey at NSU in 2012 when she enrolled as a student. She earned her BBA in Hospitality and Tourism Management, taking a few years to complete her degree. Subsequently, she returned to NSU as a student pursuing her master's in business administration, graduating in the Fall of 2020.

Since 2018, Instructor Rice has held various roles at NSU, including involvement in NSU's Staff Council initiative, before transitioning into a full-time faculty position within the College of Business and Technology.

Instructor Rice's teaching style is centered on providing students with the tools they need for success in her lectures and assignments, with a focus on retaining the information beyond the classroom. She is dedicated to imparting her in-depth knowledge in the subject area and ensuring that students acquire a firm grasp of the skills, knowledge, and capabilities imparted through the course content.

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Dr. Seth Smart

Dr. Seth Smart

Assistant Professor

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Seth Smart joined NSU's CBT faculty in 2023, bringing a wealth of expertise with him. Currently, he teaches Leadership and Supervision, along with Essential Workplace Skills. Prior to his arrival at NSU, Seth taught HR, Ethics, Strategy, and Fundamentals of Management at Oklahoma State University.

Seth's academic journey encompasses a bachelor's degree in economics, an MBA, and a Ph.D. in Management from Oklahoma State University. His passion for the field of business and management was ignited by a dedicated business professor, and insights gained from his father's nursing home business further piqued his interest.

Specializing in Organizational Behavior, Seth delves into the intricate dynamics of employees within organizations, particularly in the realm of HR. His background includes managerial roles and a tenure as a behavioral lab administrator, which enriched his research insights.

Beyond academia, Seth has coached track, cross-country, and gymnastics, reflecting his dedication to holistic growth. He is excited to leverage his diverse experiences to nurture future business leaders and contribute to the fields of organizational behavior and management at NSU.

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Tyler Utt

Tyler Utt

Instructor

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In the fall of 2023, Northeastern State University proudly welcomed Instructor Tyler Utt to the College of Business and Technology. He graduated with both an undergraduate and graduate degree from NSU. After graduating, he worked for Broken Arrow High School, where he introduced Virtual Reality Technology to high school students. Instructor Utt built and ran the Broken Arrow Esports Program from the ground up, leading many students to state and national championships as Head Coach. He also creates content for his YouTube channel.

Instructor Utt's teaching style is very hands-on. He strives to engage with all his students as much as possible to build a stronger understanding of a lesson. He focuses on modern curriculums, relying on video lessons with more direct and relatable examples.

Instructor Utt aims for students to gain a strong understanding of new technologies and their impact on business, not just emphasizing emerging technologies that can create new industries, but also current technologies and how they can enhance existing industries. Students will leave with a solid grasp of business principles to keep up with the ever-changing market.

The NSU community will undoubtedly be influenced by Instructor Utt's extensive knowledge and great passion for teaching.

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Dr. Alesha Baker, Associate Professor in the Educational Leadership Department had an article published with NSU Graduate College Alumnae, Chelsey Walters, Reading, and Michele Shell, Library Media and Information Technology, in the Theory and Practice in Rural Education Journal titled, "The Effects of Distance Learning on Teachers in a Rural Title 1 Elementary Education Setting." The article is published using a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-commercial, Sharealike license.

Walters, C., Baker, A., & Shell, M. (2023). The effects of distance learning on teachers in a rural title 1 elementary education setting. Theory & Practice in Rural Education, 13(1), 70–98. 

Dr. MooSong Kim, Associate Professor and Department Chair for Health & Kinesiology along with Ms. Sheila Fritts, Assistant Professor, along with other higher education colleagues, recently published an article entitled, “Effects of COVID-19 Mandates on College Students’ Exercise Experiences and Psychosocial Health,” in the International Journal of Sport, Exercise and Health Research.

Dr. Brandy McCombs at presentation table.

Dr. Brandy McCombs recently shared an outstanding session entitled, “Trauma-Informed Strategies for the Classroom” for Porum Public Schools in Porum, Oklahoma as a portion of their professional development curriculum.

Dr. Meagan Moreland (Reading) presented a television segment on Tulsa’s KOTV Channel 6, sharing a fun, literacy-inspired project based on the classic Doctor Seuss book, The Lorax.

Dr. Kim Phillips (Early Childhood) is reviewing manuscripts for the peer-reviewed journal, Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science.

Dr. Stephan Sargent (Reading) and Dr. Meagan Moreland (Reading) hosted a successful Student Oklahoma Education/Aspiring Teachers meeting for future teachers enrolled at NSU. President of the Oklahoma Education Association (Katherine Bishop) shared insights on teaching and the importance of the teachers’ association for teachers ranging from pre-service candidates to retired teachers.

On August 28, more than 50 students and faculty gathered in the Department of History to view and discuss an exhibit focused on the Tulsa Race Massacre. On loan from the Tulsa Historical Society, the 8-panel traveling exhibit details the tragic events of 1921 while also placing them in context of the broader history of the Greenwood neighborhood, known as Black Wall Street. Students from the department's Social Studies Education and Public History programs attended as did many others enrolled in NSU history courses. The exhibit is on display in the History suite through the end of the semester, and all are encouraged to view it. Faculty are encouraged to bring classes. For additional details contact Dr. Dave Corcoran, Assistant Professor of History and Coordinator of Social Studies Education.

Students at reception

Visitors at the Tulsa Race Massacre Exhibit

Geography, Political Science, and Social Studies Education programs held a Meet & Greet with students on August 30. This was an opportunity for all to chat and build community across disciplines. About twenty students and several faculty attended.

Dr. Christine Hallman collaborated with Dr. Samantha Benn-Duke (NSU College of Education) to present “Cultural Responsiveness: Importance, Strategies, and Assessments” on August 30 to faculty and staff at Carl Albert State College and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College as invited speakers and part of the two institution’s Title III/NASNTI Grant.

“Requiem for a Dream” by Lance Hunter

Professor Lance Hunter received the Raymond Preston Foundation Award in Aqueous 2023, a national exhibition sponsored annually by the Kentucky Watercolor Society. His painting, "Requiem for a Dream", was featured in the July 27 through September 16 exhibition. In May, the 53rd International Exhibition of the Louisiana Watercolor Society showcased his watercolor, “Time to Paint", in New Orleans. His work was also featured online and in the printed catalogs for each exhibition.

Students from TPS watching a performance of The Rock

The NSU Drama program presented an original play for children, The Rock, written and directed by Professor Drama Christopher Miller on September 5-8th. The play was performed for over 1,000 elementary students from Tahlequah Public Schools. Professor of Drama Robyn Pursley designed the costumes and props for the production and Associate Professor of Drama Scott Pursley designed the set and lights for the show.

Elaina Ross, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies was Awarded the C.W. Mangrum Outstanding Young College Teacher Award at the annual Oklahoma Speech, Theater, and Communication Association (OSCTA) conference. Ross was also Elected the Vice President of OSTCA.

Dr. Audell Shelburne, Professor of English, had two poems, titled "Committed" and "Poetic Contest," accepted for publication in a collection of amusing and humorous poetry titled Up Your Ars Poetica. He also had an ekphrastic poem titled "Suddenly the Rain" accepted for publication in late October by Loud Coffee Press Literary Magazine.

On September 12^th, the History Club held its first movie night of the semester with eight students attending and Dr. Denis Vovchenko coordinating the event. They watched The Night at the Museum (2006) and discussed the recent scandal at the British Museum. 

NSU faculty (Betty-Lou Barton, Tina Linn, Ashley Talburt, Kaitlyn Scrapper and Dr. Jamie Thomas) and SLP graduate students have been very busy the last 3 weeks with hearing and speech screenings conducted on over 500 school students in the NE Oklahoma area. Students must accumulate over 400 practicum hours in graduate school. This service benefits the public schools in the area as well as our graduate students. In addition, 25 adults in the Muskogee area have scheduled free hearing screenings at the Muskogee campus. Please visit our webpage for more information.

Learn more about SLP!

From l to r. Shayla Best, Brittany Bunkley, Regan Hawkins, Paige Lane, Kailey Farris, Emily Gottlob, Kynleigh Hill, Sydney Matheson

Dr. Janaki Iyer and her graduate student, Mackenzie Bonnewitz, along with their collaborators were able to publish their findings on ‘Human papillomavirus-mediated expression of complement regulatory proteins in human cervical cancer cells’ in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.

Camp Biomed

Camp Biomed: A Glowing overview was organized by Drs. Janaki Iyer and Dianne Kirk from June 12 - June 16 at the Broken Arrow campus. The main goal of the summer academy was to promote the understanding of different biology disciplines and the different career options related to these disciplines. Participants prepared a DNA molecule based on jellyfish DNA that was introduced into bacteria to make them fluoresce like a bioluminescent jellyfish by. The academy also included a trip to Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences and the Tulsa Police department where students learned about different career paths. At the end of the academy, students presented their accomplishments and projects to an audience composed of their parents and peers. The Academy was successful in increasing the students’ interest in science and engineering.

The Camp Biomed team: Tia Tafla, Dr. Janaki Iyer, Dr. Dianne Kirk, and Andrew McQueen

Group activities were used in learning different scientific concepts.

Dr. Michael J. Shaughnessy Jr. had a paper accepted to The Prairie Naturalist titled, 'Effects of Abandoned Home-sites on Small Mammal Abundance and Diversity in Prairie Ecosystems'. The paper will appear in an upcoming issue of the journal.

At the 2023 OU Vision Workshop, two trainees in Dr. Cammi Valdez's lab presented their research. Erica Dotson, NSU Graduate in Psychology May '22 and Research Technician in the Valdez Lab, presented her work on "Developing and Characterizing a New Mouse Model of Diabetic Retinopathy." Luis Vazquez, NSU Graduate in Computer Science May '23 and Post Baccalaureate Researcher in the Valdez Lab, presented his work on "Using Machine Learning to Automatically Classify Pericyte and Endothelial Cells in Diabetic Mouse Models."

(left to right): Dr. Cammi Valdez, Luis Vazquez, and Erica Dotson

Dr. Cammi Valdez presented her work "Fructosemia: A New Model of Diabetic Retinopathy" on September 6th at the NSU Science and Technology Seminar Series.

Dr. Weihuan Zhao gave a post presentation at the ASME IDETC-CIE 2023 Conference (International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering) on August 20-23, 2023 at Boston, Massachusetts. The presentation is about the research on use of phase change materials (PCMs) to enhance firefighters' glove thermal protection performance.

Dr. Zhao with her poster at the ASME IDETC-CIE 2023 Conference in Boston.

Update on the CUREs Projects:

The Fellows and Mentors selected to develop course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) as part of the National Science Foundation grant program continue to work developing new CUREs for spring 2024 classes. CUREs are learning opportunities in which all students in a class will collaboratively explore a research question or problem. A description of each new CURE is below:

CUREs in Computer Science focused on Artificial Intelligence: Generative artificial intelligence (ChatGPT) is quickly becoming a part of higher education. This semester Dr. Ernst Bekkering has started using AI to generate C++ code in the introductory programming class, CS2014. In the software engineering class CS4203, it has been used to generate project requirements. In the software testing class CS 4103, it will be used to generate programs in Java to be tested as part of the course.

In the spring of 2024, students in the CS 2014 Computer Science I class will complete research projects, exploring the potential strengths, weaknesses and reliability of generative AI to write computer code. In the game programming course, CS4553, students will work on a semester-long course project, designing a game that supports learning in one of their current or previous courses.

Antimicrobial Resistance: Dr. Nnamdi Ekesi is developing a new and research-intensive section of BIOL 3224L Microbiology Lab (in Spring 2024). This new addition will focus on CURE-based approaches and employ state-of-the-art protocols to explore the issue of antimicrobial resistance within the Tahlequah community.

Where NSU students help astronomers discover "What's Out There?": Ms. Deb Hyde is developing a new and exciting project embedded in SCI 1314 Astronomy Lecture and Lab course. The Spring 2024 semester includes an exciting opportunity for students to participate in expanding human understanding of the Universe, all while earning NSU physical science lab credit. This online course is designed for both budding astronomers as well as people with little to no science background.

Scientific research with deep learning: Dr. Rui Zhang is developing an embedded research experience focused on computer and deep learning. In a special section of PHYS 4351 Special Topics in Physics during Spring 2024, the class will develop a research project together using computer and deep learning as the main tool. Students will start from learning the basics of deep learning such as Python language and Google TensorFlow. Then, students in the class will collaboratively build up a model together to research an image recognition problem in science.

The faculty developing these CUREs are supported by four project mentors, Dr. Luke Foster, Dr. Jim Hicks, Dr. Janaki Iyer, and Dr. Lizz Waring. These CUREs are made possible by a National Science Foundation Grant ($287,614) under the direction of Dr. Jessica Martin (Principal Investigator) and Dr. Martha Parrott (Co-Principal Investigator). Other interested STEM faculty are encouraged to reach out to Martin or Parrott if interested in being selected for the next group of Fellows or Mentors as part of this three-year grant award.

Derek Bryant, Valley Contax student travel grant recipient!

Student Awarded Valley Contax Travel Grant

Congratulations to Derek Bryant (NSUOCO Class of 2025) for being selected as a recipient of the Valley Contax student travel grant! This grant will help Derek attend the American Academy of Optometry 2023 conference in New Orleans in October.

35th Annual Optic Cup

NSUOCO’s Optometric Student Association (OSA) hosted the 35th annual Optic Cup golf tournament on September 9th at Cherokee Springs Golf Club. To prepare for the event, they provided an “Optometrist Sauce Talks” interview between one of our second-year students and Associate Dean, Dr. Nate Lighthizer. While eating spicy wings, Dr. Lighthizer answered questions about golf, optometry, and other fun topics.

Watch the interview here.

The event was a success with 16 teams and a total of 67 players including students, alumni, doctors and reps from Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kansas. A huge thank you goes out to the 13 sponsors and all participants. The event raised $6,700 toward student travel grants to attend Academy 2023 in New Orleans this October.

Congratulations to the 1st place team: Eddie Jones of RXO, his brother Joe and daughter Madelyn, RXO sales rep Chip Lindsey, Shemarr Thompson of Shamirlens, and NSU alum, Dr. Jackson Graham.

1st place team- Left to right: Joe Jones, Dr. Jackson Graham, Eddie Jones and his daughter Madelyn, Shemarr Thompson, and Chip Lindsey.

1st place trophy and score card!

Student, Nic Rankin playing golf.

Happy Fall!

It is that time of year again. All Assessment Reports (Program, General Education, and Co-Curricular) were due September 15. Don’t worry if you missed the submission deadline! Please read through the following information and submit your assessment reports using the links provided.

Reporting this year looks different then previous years. NSU has sunset Anthology Portfolio (formerly Chalk & Wire). Due to this change, we are reverting back to submitting paper copies of the report. Paper copies will then be submitted through a GOOGLE FORM, linked here and attached below. For convenience, we are also providing a Google document version of the report form so that you will be able to collect the necessary data for the report.

Information to Note

Program Reporting

1. Programs are expected to report the alignment of their program outcomes to the Undergraduate Degrees of Excellence Institutional Learning Outcomes.  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. We are incorporating the academic 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.

General Education

1. Programs are expected to report the alignment of their courses to the revised General Education Outcomes.

Co-Curricular

1. Programs are expected to report the alignment of their co-curricular activity to the Degrees of Excellence.
2. Click the report link below to make a copy of the report. Once completed, download and save. You can then submit using the Google form, linked below.

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, and they can help to walk you through the submission process.

Each program can click the report link to make a copy. Download and save the report. To submit the report, click on the google form link below.

Copy of Undergraduate Degree Program Assessment Report Form

Copy of Graduate Degree Program Assessment Report Form 

Copy of General Education Assessment Form

Copy of Co-curricular Assessment Report Form

Submit Reports HERE (google form)

NSU ASSESSMENT TEAM

Email: assessment@nsuok.edu
Dr. Cari Keller, Graduate Dean/Exec. Dir. Assessment & Planning

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

HELPFUL LINKS & WORDS REFERENCED:

https://offices.nsuok.edu/academicassessment/DegreesOfExcellence/default.aspx

https://offices.nsuok.edu/workforce-development/i-want-to-create-a-badge.aspx

CTS Crafting Circles 

The Center for Tribal Studies has resumed the weekly crafting circle events, held on Monday from 4 pm to 6 pm in the CTS lobby (UC Basement). This project is led by Lily Drywater, a Cherokee Senior majoring in American Indian Studies. Lily has a great deal of experience teaching traditional Cherokee crafts, including beadwork, stick balls, basket weaving, and finger weaving. This semester, Lily is organizing a featured artist at the beginning of each month for a specific craft, then she will work with participants in the following weeks to finish their projects. In August, she covered mini-mocs, September is beadwork, October will be basket weaving and November, pottery. Supplies are provided by CTS and all faculty, staff and students are welcome to attend.  

Reach Higher Finish Line Scholarship

On May 26, 2023, the State Regents renewed their commitment of $1 million in scholarship funds for adult degree completion. This scholarship program continues to provide funds for colleges and universities participating in the Reach Higher adult degree completion program. NSU will receive $106,884 through this allocation for the 2023/2024 academic year. This is an increase of $23,107 from last year. The scholarship will help Reach Higher students within 30 credit hours of completing their degrees in organizational leadership.

CEL is hosting BAPD for a Domestic Violence Seminar

CEL is hosting BAPD for a Domestic Violence seminar on October 11 at 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm.

New Student Intern - Christee Burks

New Student Intern - Christee Burks

The Office of International Programs would like to spotlight its newest student intern to the team, Christee Burks. Christee is a part of the Riverhawk Scholars Program and is the first degree seeking student in the program. Christee is a Creative Writing major and here is what she has to say about working with Team International: 

"All in all, I believe that’s mostly what I expected working in the International Office on the first day, what I have been doing, what I enjoy doing, and what I look forward to during the rest of my time working with the International Office Team."

Christee has been a wonderful addition to the Office of International Programs and we look forward to having her with us all academic year!

Study Abroad Fair! Wednesday, September 27 - 10am-2pm, John Vaughan Library. For more information, please contact studyabroad@nsuok.edu

Study Abroad Fair

Our Study Abroad Fair was held on Wednesday, September 27 from 10am-2pm at the NSU John Vaughn Library. Students were able to learn about the different study abroad programs our department has to offer, as well as participate in an informational session for faculty and staff to learn more about leading short-term study abroad trips. We also had a session for those wanting to go on our Short Term Study Abroad Trip to Barcelona.

World Fair. Bringing a taste of the world to NSU! October 17. 11am-1:30pm. UC Ballroom. World Fair was established as a way for international students to share their culture and traditions with domestic students and and staff at NSU. This year we will have a variety of Latin, America, European, African, and Asian cuisines available for students, faculty and staff to try. Office of International Programs and NAB.

World Fair

The Office of International Programs will be hosting our annual World Fair. Several NSU International Students will have the opportunity to spotlight a piece of their home country and provide an international food of their choice to the NSU Community. Come try delicious international foods and learn more about our international student community on campus. The World Fair will be held on Tuesday, October 17 from 11am-1:30pm in the UC Ballroom. All NSU Students, Faculty and staff members are invited!

FeedBackFruits Day

Join us for an exciting "FeedBackFruits Day" event on Friday, October 27th! This immersive day is packed with a variety of remote sessions via Zoom, offering something for everyone interested in enhancing their face-to-face and online teaching and learning experience through the use of FeedBackFruits. Discover why the tools have already been utilized in over 250 instances, resulting in more than 5,500 student interactions.

Dive into pedagogical training to explore innovative teaching methodologies, gain valuable insights into seamless technical integration, and hear firsthand accounts from faculty members who have experienced the benefits (and struggles) of the FeedBackFruits tool suite. Stay tuned for more details as October approaches, and get ready to expand your educational horizons on this enriching day of discovery.

Happy fall ya’ll! August was a busy month for everyone getting ready for the fall semester, closing out your summer plans, and getting geared up for students on campus. August was a great month for grant awards which will help the students with less financial burden, strengthen the community, and enhance research efforts at NSU. As fall is coming in and the weather starts to cool down, don’t forget that writing grants is a great use of your time while curling up in a fluffy blanket by the fire. Our office is here to help get a proposal together and submitted. A special thank you to the following for submissions in August.

Dr. Scott Wengerd – Oklahoma Humanities Council

Ms. Sara Barnett – Oklahoma Humanities Council

Ms. Marissa Mitchell – Mid America Arts Alliance

In addition to the submissions this past month, we received 16 award notifications! If you have not been to an employee recognition event, one of the biggest highlights is being recognized for your grant efforts and getting a small token of appreciation from our office. We understand how hard it is to find the time to write a grant, but what better season to sit inside curled up with a pumpkin latte and write!

As always, let us know how we can help. YOU make NSU a great place for students and the community. We sincerely appreciate you all.

Academic Spotlight: Dr. Christine Hallman

Dr. Christine Hallman, Professor of Geography & Sustainability Studies, shares about her journey from student to researcher/teacher, the Warrior Women Class, MS in Applied GIS, and what it's like in her classroom.

How did you become interested in geography and sustainability studies, and can you describe your journey from student to the researcher/teacher you are today?

My love of the environment began as a child in part because I spent so much time outside. My family have a farm in south central Kentucky where we raised cows and several types of crops including tobacco.  My granddaddy walked with me in the woods telling me the names of trees.  I picked up rocks on the school playground to the dismay of my mother and her washing machine.  My attachment to the natural world grew when I attended Murray State University where I took my first geology class.  Eventually I earned a double major in geology and geography.  That led to a M.S. in Geography where I studied groundwater pollution using remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).  This project grew out of a desire to protect areas of karst from pollution derived from chicken processing plants.

During a field trip “out West”, I discovered how amazing the arid landscape was so I applied and was accepted to the University of Arizona where I earned a second M.S., this time in Geosciences and eventually a Ph.D. in Geography.  Both degrees involved dendrochronology or the study of tree-rings and bristlecone pines, the oldest known trees on the planet that can be dated to the year.  I investigated the relationships between tree-rings and volcanic eruptions and later tree-rings and climate change.  While in Tucson, I became more aware of water issues and the importance of not taking water for granted.  During this time, I taught at Pima Community College, tutored college students with learning differences, was a park ranger/naturalist, and participated in countless outreach opportunities.  I was also an NSF-funded fellow where I bridged K12 and university education by collaborating with elementary and middle school teachers to provide a variety of STEM lessons to students.

My path from undergraduate to Ph.D. was not a straight route.  There was a four-year gap where I worked three or four jobs to make ends meet, giving me time to think about what I really wanted to do.  Ultimately, with many conversations with two of my mentors, Tom Harlan and Rex Adams (both dendrochronologists), I returned to complete a Ph.D. so I could teach at the college level.  As a graduate student at the University of Arizona, I was able to sample trees across Arizona and California visiting a variety of places along the way.

I applied to several regional universities and community colleges after graduating, but once I saw the Tahlequah streets signs in Cherokee and English, I knew this was where I was supposed to be.  NSU was a place where I could be connected to both the past and future simultaneously.  Since 2010 when I began my career at NSU, I have become a better educator, a more collaborative scholar, and part of a community where we all learn from each other.  My greatest teachers are in fact my students.  They allow me to be myself and at the same time see through their eyes.  I’m truly grateful for those experiences and filled with hope.

What are your roles and responsibilities as Department Chair of Geography and Political Science and Interim Department Chair of History?

For over a decade at NSU I focused on students, but with my appointment as Chair that changed.  In this position, I see myself as a bridge between students, faculty, and administration.  My responsibilities include: writing reports, attending meetings, answering lots of emails, collaborating on committees, supporting faculty, solving problems, submitting course schedules, etc.  I’m not going to lie, at times it has been bumpy particularly in the beginning, but I think I’ve had more successes than failures.  I work with a great group of faculty and that makes all the difference. The Chair position is a leadership role, and for me that means supporting others on their paths to success whether you are a professor, staff, or a student. 

How did the creation of your Warrior Women class idea come about and what guest speakers have been invited to present?

The creation of the course has two parts.  First, I always read and learned all I could about a wide variety of warrior women whether they are ancient, modern, or fictional.  I thought it would be a cool class to teach students about women students might not have learned about in school.  Secondly, as a result of my experience as an academic advocate/advisor with the NSU Indigenous Scholar Development Center from 2013 to 2016, I gained many insights into how to improve my teaching and incorporate Indigenous content but more importantly Indigenous learning methodologies into my classes.  I first taught the course in fall 2017 and within the first week of the class I knew it was something more than just a class.  Embedded in the class conversations are discussions of power, strength, identity, empowerment, and the danger of the single story.  Without fail, every fall some students find their voice and are transformed into a person with their own power who has the confidence to use their own voice. Honestly, I’m not sure how it happens.  At times, it feels like a bit of magic.

A key part of the class is that students realize that they are surrounded by warrior women.  To do this, I invite students from the previous semester to speak to the class.  This is also a way to bridge classes and for students to have a legacy from one year to another.  I have invited a variety of NSU faculty, staff, and administrators to tell stories about warrior women who inspired them.  So far this year, Marcey Mitcham (Senior Coordinator for Student Disability Services and former Army medic), Sara Barnett (Director for the Center for Tribal Studies), Dr. Sanchari Ghosh (Associate Professor of Economics), and Dr. Cari Keller (Dean of the Graduate College) will speak with our class to share their stories and experiences.  I hope to also invite former NSU Provost and retired marine, Dr. Debbie Landry who has spoken every fall.  Additionally, Tim Drost, Medieval enthusiast, visits with us bringing his swords, armor, and shields for us to try on while he shares stories of European martial arts and the evolution of medieval weaponry.  These guest speakers are in fact inspirational storytellers who share their experiences, insights, and who they are with students.  They leave a lasting impact.

A new program offered this fall is the Masters of Science in Applied GIS, and as mentioned on the program webpage, GIS is one of the fastest-growing job sectors in the US economy. What will students gain, learn and experience by enrolling in this new program?

Our M.S. in Applied GIS is a workforce-ready graduate degree with an embedded GIS Certificate.  Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a tool used to investigate a variety of real-world problems including utilizing customer behavior to locate a new store, identify criminal hot spots, locate social services, determine who is at risk during a 100-year flood, evaluate locations that are likely to produce oil and natural gas, etc.  GIS courses provide opportunities for students to enhance their problem solving and critical thinking skills along with developing new project management skills.

GIS allows a researcher to develop spatial solutions for complex problems and can be applied to almost any discipline.  The degree requires 9 credits focused in a concentration area such as sustainability, criminal justice, natural science, leadership, American studies, public relations, and business administration.  With this in mind, the Geography and Sustainability program designed the M.S. in Applied GIS where students learn not only high-level geospatial skills and tools, but also how to apply those skills to a particular professional area. 

The M.S. in Applied GIS and embedded GIS Certificate is geared toward working professionals and those who have completed an undergraduate degree.  The degree is 30 credits with 12 of those being for the GIS Certificate and can be completed online depending on the choice of concentration area.

To learn more, click here!

What is it like taking a class with you?

The first week of class, I invite students to choose topics they want to learn about in our class and then I weave them in as best as I can.  This allows students to be invested in our class.  It’s a bit of work on my part, but it’s also interesting to see what topics students choose.  Once a student shares that they speak a language other than English, I learn how to write hello and thank you in that language and include it in all class emails.  I also have a corny sense of humor that surfaces in my lectures whether in person or face to face. These are small but important ways to build community.  After I began interweaving Indigenous learning methods into my teaching framework, I removed all exams from my courses.  Assignments include reflections, open-ended assignments, critical thinking and creative homeworks, service learning (community projects), and real-world focused projects.  For a few assignments, students choose from a set of options while sometimes they choose the assessment form (e.g. video, podcast, poster, painting, beadwork, etc.).

For my face-to-face classes, they also create protocols involving how we will treat each other and guest speakers/storytellers who visit our class.  I try my best to learn everyone’s name the first week of class.  Also, language is more than just communication; it is how we see the world and process our experiences.  I learned that from Native students.  To encourage this perspective, I include a language slide that represents languages spoken by students and speakers. 

In the Water Issues course, students test water samples, keep a personal water journal, create pottery, visit the Town Branch Creek several times, etc.  Usually, Cherokee Nation Environmental Programs guides the class through water sampling, seining, and collecting data activities.  Several guest speakers also visit this class to share their experiences and passion for protecting our waterways.  A few years ago, the class removed trash from the Town Branch and every year students create posters for Earth Day events coordinated by the NSU Library Earth Day Committee led by SophiaBeverley Threatt.

In the Geography of Warrior Women class, students design memorial or monuments, create Zines, investigate comics, and develop their own heroes using a combination of Dungeons & Dragons and Champions role-playing rules.  As a part of this course, students choose one of three community projects.  This fall we are coordinating an Everyday Warrior Women Panel, visiting a local long-term care facility, and making and distributing Remembrance Poppies.  Marcey Mitcham, mentioned earlier as a guest speaker, helps coordinate some of these service-learning projects. 

My online classes are very applied with students gaining experience with GIS and analysis tools focusing on solving problems.  Students still suggest topics that I weave into the class, and they also have opportunities to ask questions relating to the course material.  In response, I make additional videos to answer their discussion board and reflection questions.  Generally speaking my online courses are upper-level and focused on synthesizing and evaluating materials, application, problem solving and critical thinking.  Building community virtually is a little more challenging for me, but I continue to try new things in order to support student success.

Dr. Sherry Been (Elementary Education) was named to the Circle of Excellence in Teaching, NSU’s most prestigious award.

Dr. Sherry Been (Elementary Education) received a grant to attend a seminar on holocaust education.

Dr. Samantha Benn-Duke (Elementary Education) served a second year as co-chair of the National Advisory Board of the College Board Native Student Advocacy Institute and host of the NASAI annual conference. The event was held in San Diego in early June. It boasted the highest attendance in the institute's history and a 99% satisfaction rate in the post-event survey. She also served as moderator for the plenary session entitled, “Nurturing Empowered Futures: Strategies and Support for Native Students.” Dr. Benn-Duke remarked, “I look forward to this conference each year. The locations always connect to tribes and include cultural events, and the plenaries and breakout sessions help me stay abreast of trends in education.”

Mrs. Jameie Combs (Special Education) traveled to Malawi (southeastern Africa) with students to present and assist local schools with sign language.

Dr. Renee Cowan (Reading) received a grant from the Oklahoma Teacher Connection (OTC), entitled, “Struggling to Thriving, Applying Relationships between Teachers and Students to Reduce Adverse Behaviors.”

Dr. Tamra Day achieved Quality Matters distinction for SPED 4433: Introduction to Children with Exceptionalities.

Dr. Anita Ede (Early Childhood Education) presented “The Online Dilemma: Balancing Convenience with Support Structures for Pre-Service Teachers”; based on research completed at the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE) summer conference in June.

Dr. Anita Ede (Early Childhood Education) served as a peer-reviewer for conference proposals for the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators fall conference.

Mrs. Barbara Fuller (Innovation and Discovery Education Academy) created a leadership academy for students who have aged out of normal summer camps but still want to be involved.

Mrs. Barbara Fuller (Innovation and Discovery Education Academy) was accepted into a residency at the Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow House.

Both Dr. Tonya Garrett (Elementary Education) and Dr. Christine Gleason (Elementary Education) attended multiple professional development sessions on teaching innovative methods of mathematics pedagogy.

Dr. Jarilyn Haney (Special Education) will present and speak at an upcoming conference of the Council for Exceptional Children.

Dr. Kari D. Henry Hulett and Dr. Maria Gray's article titled "Inquiring Minds Want to Know…About Social, Cognitive, and Teacher Presence Online" was recently published in the peer-reviewed publication Scholarly Teacher. The article addresses how faculty can intentionally design courses using the Community of Inquiry Framework to achieve greater student engagement and learning outcomes. The article is accessible via the Scholarly Teacher website.  

Dr. Jericho Hobson (Teacher Education) directed multiple summer youth academies in June on the NSU-BA campus for more than 650 youth participants. These academies employed 19 current teacher candidates, NSU graduates, area career teachers, and local high school volunteers.

Dr. Hobson (Teacher Education), along with NSU students, (left to right) Karen Quiroz, Ashley Titsworth, Lauren Washburn, Hannah Furgerson, Karena Membrila, Madison Bolles, and Brian Bristol (not pictured) provided hands on technology experiences for Ellen Ochoa Elementary students (Union School District) during LitFest.

Dr. Jodi Legnon (Teacher Education) was named the 2023 Outstanding Faculty in Teaching of the College of Education.

Dr. Ingrid Massey (Reading) and Dr. Tobi Thompson (Reading) have conducted multiple professional developments, literacy screenings, and created podcasts for teachers.

Dr. Meagan Moreland (Reading) successfully recruited multiple venues for the College of Education throughout the summer, bringing in many new students to the university.

Dr. Brandy-Lea McCombs (Elementary Education) presented “Culturally Centered Trauma Responsive Practices” to staff of Pearl House in Ghana (Africa) in June. In addition, Dr. McCombs spoke to multiple communities in Ghanaian villages about hope and its impact on our lives.

Dr. Brandy-Lea McCombs (Elementary Education) presented “Trauma Informed Strategies for the Classroom” at the Third Annual Hope Through Healing Trauma-Informed Community Summit in July.

Dr. Brandy-Lea McCombs (Elementary Education) presented “PACEs and Their Power to Buffer Chaos and Trauma in the Life of a Child” in video format to the Community of Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma in August.

Dr. Kim Phillips (Early Childhood Education) was promoted to Associate Professor.

Dr. Jason Proctor (Teacher Education) received advanced certifications in both the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and Quality Matters (QM).

Dr. Sarah Ramsey (Reading) has an article entitled, “Reading the ‘Write’ Way,” being published in the winter edition of Teaching Young Children.

Dr. Stephan Sargent (Reading) was asked to write a chapter in a peer-reviewed, edited book for the University of Wisconsin.

Dr. Stephan Sargent (Reading) assisted multiple schools with accreditation, including Colegio Albania in Colombia (South America).

Dr. Kathy Seibold (Teacher Education) presented multiple professional development sessions dealing with Transformative Learning.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Professor of Drama, and Scott Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama produced the 2023 season of River City Players. River City Players is a summer theatre production that was initiated in 1983 and celebrated its 40th anniversary season this summer. The music review productions produced this summer hosted over 3,500 audience members at the NSU Playhouse this season. Dr. Pursley serves as the Artistic Director, Stage Director, and Costume Designer for the productions. Scott Pursley serves as the Technical Director, Stage, Lighting, and Sound Designer, Production Manager, and Sound Engineer for the productions. NSU Drama students fill roles on the technical crew, front of house crew, and cast of the company. Farren Mayfield, Piano Accompanist for the Music department, serves as the Band Leader for the River City Players.

Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, Dr. Elaina Ross, partnered with the Tulsa County Library System and led a program focused on Interviewing skills and techniques in July.

Dr. Audell Shelburne, Professor of English, published two poems, "Paperclips and Other Entanglements" and "The Second Bar," in the July 2023 edition of Verse Virtual. He also had four poems--"A Different Design," "Fulgurites: Lightning in Stone," "Colors," and "Reading Pynchon"--accepted for publication in an anthology titled Alchemy and Miracles, which is due out this fall.

Dr. Jordan VanHemert, Assistant Professor/Director of Jazz Studies, performed at the Asian American Pacific Islander Jazz Festival in Newark, NJ, as well as the Elkhart Jazz Festival. He was also among invitees from all habitable continents to perform at the World Saxophone Congress in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain) this December. As a composer, the euphonium version of his piece As the Willow Tree Grows, was premiered at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference in Tempe, Arizona, by Dr. Alex Ávila, and Dr. Ávila will perform it two more times in the fall and spring semesters around the country.

Dr. Denis Vovchenko, Professor of History, published an article “From Ethnic Hatred to Religious Solidarity: the Rise and Fall of Russophobia in Greece (1830-1924)”, European History Quarterly, 53, 3 (July 2023): 495-519

Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Jeffery Wall, appeared on the Music (Ed) Matters podcast with Dr. Emily Williams Burch. He continued work as Program Chair for the Southwestern American Choral Directors Association by starting a podcast called "SWACDA Connections" to introduce membership to other choral directors, clinicians, conductors, and presenters from the Southwestern region. Finally, he conducted the local adult chamber choir, Vox Solaris, on their annual "Choir on Tap" series at Marshall Brewing Company in Tulsa with a reprisal performance with Studio House Project at Thelma's Peach in Tulsa.

Dr. Wall on Podcast promo

Dr. Wall Podcast Promo from The Music (ed) Matters Podcast Episode #160

Members of Vox Solaris choir

NSF Course Based Undergraduate Research Experiences Fellows and Mentors Left to Right Back Row: Dr. Ernst Bekkering (Fellow), Dr. Rui Zhang (Fellow), Dr. Nnamdi Ekesi (Fellow) From Row: Dr. Jim Hicks (Mentor), Dr. Janaki Iyer (Mentor), Ms. Deborah Hyde (Fellow), Dr. Elizabeth Waring (Mentor), Not Pictured: Dr. Luke Foster (Mentor)

NSF Noyce Scholarship Recipients Selected for 2023-2024

Noyce Scholars Mattie McClellan and Tyler King with Dr. Spence Pilcher and Dr. Stephan Sargent.

Noyce Scholars JaiCee Lester, Alessandra Criscione and Saabrina Albiter with Dr. Luke Foster

NSF Noyce scholarship recipients for 2023-2024 were celebrated on August 11, 2023 while also engaging in their first of several professional learning days. Scholars began their day with STEM design tasks led by Dr. Martha Parrott (PI) followed by STEM based literacy strategies shared by Dr. Stephan Sargent (Co-PI). Dr. Renee Cambiano, Professor of Educational Leadership in the College of Education, enhanced Scholar understanding of place-based education, and Dr. Virginia Whitekiller, Professor of Social Work in the College of Liberal Arts, spoke about Cultural Resilience: Student Center STEM Education. Scholars were also privileged to engage in a flat reed weaving workshop with Mrs. Vivian Cottrell, Cherokee National Treasure Weaving Artist and Ms. Sara Barnett, Director of the NSU Center for Tribal Studies.  Dr. Spence Pilcher (Co-PI) and Dr. Luke Foster (Co-PI) provided program information, facilitated initial data collection, and supported student experiences throughout the day. Scholars were welcomed and celebrated by Interim Provost, Dr. Carla Swearingen and Interim Dean, Dr. Jessica Martin. 

Noyce Scholars engage in a flat weaving workshop on August 11, 2023 in the Center for Tribal Studies

Cherokee National Treasure Weaving Artist, Mrs. Vivian Cottrell

This NSF grant supports the preparation of STEM majors who will prepare to teach middle school or high school mathematics or science and will provide much needed scholarships and unique educational opportunities to prepare STEM teachers who will serve students in our high-need areas. The intended award amount is $1,173,385 (Yr 1-5) with years 4 and 5 contingent upon availability of funding.

OSRHE Summer Academy

Dr. Pamela Christol and Dr. Nathan Green successfully facilitated a 2023 OSRHE Summer Academy, “Get Green for Blue: Outdoor STEM Investigations Connecting Water to You” during the week of May 30^th through June 3^rd. Students entering grades 8-10 investigated water quality issues through a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) lens. At the culmination of the STEM Summer Academy, participants were each provided with a stereoscope and leather-bound NSU journal to document their scientific inquiries and continue water quality research outside of the Academy.

Dr. Pamela Christol helps facilitate an activity with Jessica Brumley and Robin Roberson (off camera) from the EPA EdPASS-H2O Program.

Corbin Valsaint, Jayden Bezzell, Levi Boerger and Georgiah Xiong collect water quality data.

Dr. Nathan Green helps Talin Kumar, Bryce Madalone, and Kane Akin identify macroinvertebrates.

Summer Academy participants Marcus Johnson, Gabrielle Johnson, and Callie Bryden work through an activity on the pH of liquids as Dr. Nathan Green circulates.

Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo attended and presented her research work at the Keystone meeting on “Genome Instability and DNA Repair”. The meeting was held in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada from March 19-23, 2023. Dr. Das-Bradoo received funding from the OK-INBRE travel award and NIH supplemental grant.

Ms. Victoria Fairchild, an undergraduate student working in the lab of Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo, represented NSU at the twenty-eighth annual Research Day at the Capitol on March 28 and 29, 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.

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

The title of her poster was: Study of Pol2 mutants to examine the role of polymerase epsilon in DNA replication and initiation.

Third Place: Regional, University & Community College Category – Victoria M. Fairchild
Institution:  Northeastern State University
Hometown:  Tulsa
Research Topic:  DNA Replication

Pictured (L-R) Chancellor Allison Garrett presenting Victoria Fairchild with award.

Victoria Fairchild with her research poster at the State Capitol

Lydia Ostmo with the other participants at the proteomics workshop.

Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo’s graduate student, Ms. Lydia Ostmo was selected to participate in a workshop titled “2023 Fundamentals of proteomics for faculty and students”. This event was held at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences on March 2-3, 2023. IDeA National Resource for Quantitative Proteomics and Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation sponsored this national workshop.

Mr. William Winston, an undergraduate student working in the lab of Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo, presented his summer research at the OK-INBRE summer research symposium (SURP) on July 24-25, 2023. On July 24, SURP participants presented their posters to the judges while on July 25^th students presented their posters to the general public. There were 53 SURP participants from universities in Oklahoma (OUHSC, OSU, OSU COM, OSUCHS, OMRF, UCO, NSU, SWOSU, ECU, SE, CU). Participants were divided into seven sections and judged for a winner from each of the seven sections and for the top presenter.

William Winston was the winner of his section and was also declared the overall top poster presenter among all 53 participants.

William Winston was the winner of his respective poster section.

William Winston was declared overall top poster presenter at the symposium.

Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo’s graduate student, Ms. Lydia Ostmo participated in a workshop titled “2023 Image Data Analysis”. This workshop was organized by the University of Oklahoma and was held at OU Bizzell Library Collaborative Learning Center on August 9, 2023.

Drs. Luke Foster, Martha Parrott, and Spence Pilcher attended the 2023 Noyce Summit held in Washington D.C. held June 26-28 where they presented a poster entitled, "Increasing and Inspiring Highly Effective Secondary STEM Teachers for High-Need, Culturally Diverse School Districts".

Dr. Luke Foster and Dr. Spence Pilcher with their poster at the Noyce Summit.

Jonathan Crosse from Dr. Janaki Iyer’s laboratory represented the College of Science and Health Professions as the Outstanding Scholar and presented a talk on his research during NSU’s Undergraduate Research Day. He went on to win the Best Speaker award.

Katy Capps and Laurel Heart presented their research conducted with Dr. Janaki Iyer in the form of a poster at NSU’s Undergraduate Research Day.

Jonathan Crosse with Janaki Iyer at Undergraduate Research Day.

Drs. Janaki Iyer and Sapna Das-Bradoo hosted the orientation session for summer interns of the Tulsa Area Bioscience Education and Research Consortium at NSU’s Broken Arrow campus on June 5th, 2023.

Drs. Janaki Iyer and Dianne Kirk along with graduate student Andrew McQueen and undergraduate student Tia Tafla hosted the weeklong Camp Biomed: A Glowing Overview Summer Academy that was funded by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. The academy provided an immersive learning experience for 8th-10th grade students from different schools.

Tia Tafla, Janaki Iyer, Dianne Kirk, and Andrew McQueen

Dr. Janaki Iyer conducted enrichment sessions on different topics for the Tulsa Area Bioscience Education and Research Consortium (TABERC) summer interns as part of their internship during the summer.

Williams Salome, Tram-An Ho, and Jacob Castaneda presented their research performed in Dr. Janaki Iyer’s laboratory at the 7th Annual Joint Research Meeting of Tulsa Area Bioscience Education and Research Consortium, Oklahoma Society of Physiologists, and Tulsa Chapter of Society for Neuroscience. Tram-An Ho was awarded 2nd place in the undergraduate poster presentation category.

Dr. Janaki Iyer attended the 7th Annual Joint Research Meeting of Tulsa Area Bioscience Education and Research Consortium, Oklahoma Society of Physiologists, and Tulsa Chapter of Society for Neuroscience held at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa. She served as a judge for the poster competition.

Williams Salome and Tram-An Ho at the 7th Joint Meeting of TABERC, OSP, and SfN.

Jacob Castaneda from Dr. Janaki Iyer’s laboratory presented his findings at the annual OK-INBRE Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Symposium.

Jacob Castaneda explaining his poster and the OK-INBRE SURE Symposium

Dr. Mark Paulissen, Professor of Biology in the Department of Natural Sciences gave a presentation to Cherokee Youth at Camp T-CEK (Traditional Cherokee Ecological Knowledge) held at Camp Sevenstar in Park Hill, OK. in July. The title of the presentation was: “Amphibians and Reptiles of the Cherokee Nation”

Dr. Mark Paulissen, Professor of Biology in the Department of Natural Sciences presented a paper at this year’s annual Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists held in Norfolk, Virginia in July. The title of the presentation was: “Little difference in personality among different sexes and age-classes of the Little Brown Skink lizard, Scincella lateralis (Scincidae).”

This was the 75^th professional presentation Dr. Paulissen has given during his professional career. He served as one of the judges for the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Hutchison Award for best Student Poster in the category of Ecology, Natural History, Distribution, and Behavior at the meeting. 

Dr. Mark Paulissen, Professor of Biology in the Department of Natural Sciences and Katie Fletcher, NSU Honors Student and recent graduate of the NSU Nutritional Sciences Program have co-authored a publication in the JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY entitled: “Lack of aggressive behavior between neonates of the little brown skink lizard, Scincella lateralis” (57(1): 87-91).

The paper was based in part on results of the Honor’s Thesis Katie Fletcher completed at NSU. Publication of this paper marks the fifth consecutive decade that Mark Paulissen has published an article in the JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY (1980s-2020s).

Two neonate (newly hatched) Little Brown Skink lizards moving in a behavioral observation chamber to record their behavioral interactions (or lack thereof). An American penny lies on the center of the retreat for scale. Photo by M. Paulissen.

Mark Perdue, Clinical Assistant Professor and Program Director in the Physician Assistant Studies program wrote a chapter titled "Cardiology Case Study" which was published in the new book Clinical Reasoning for Physician Assistants: A Workbook for Certification Review and Practice Readiness (1st Edition, July 4, 2023), by Elsevier Press. The chapter covers a complex case study in peripartum cardiomyopathy. The case study is presented in progressive form with questions designed to test the reader's clinical reasoning at pivotal points throughout the case.

Dr. Deborah Petrik, Assistant Professor of Biology has been awarded $252,088 as a co-PI on a 3-year collaborative research grant entitled "Collaborative Research: Cellular and Biomechanical Mechanisms of Rapid Stomatal Dynamics in Grasses". This was funded within the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Core Programs of the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The collaborating professors involved in this work are Dr. Joseph Turner of University of Nebraska Lincoln and Dr. Charles T. Anderson of Penn State (lead PI).

This research will study how mono and polysaccharides physically interact with each other during the opening and closing of stomata in grass plants. This research has applications in being able to improve grass plants that provide edible grains to have improved drought tolerance, helping to prepare for future climate change.

Dr. Petrik will have one incoming graduate student working on this project, Qimeng Li, who received her B.S. in biology from NSU in Spring 2023. Excitingly, Dr. Petrik is also looking for multiple undergraduate students looking to perform research on this project during the fall and spring semesters for academic credit, and the opportunity exists for paid summer research stipends as well.

Dr. Petrik prefers students who have already taken genetics as the lab gives students experience in extracting DNA, performing PCR and gel electrophoresis, but she will consider well performing students who are concurrently enrolled in genetics as well.

If interested in performing molecular biology research in a dynamic environment with skilled student researchers and under Dr. Petrik's mentorship, please email her at petrikd@nsuok.edu.

Dr. Cammi Valdez gave an invited talk at Oklahoma State University at the G-RISE Biomedical Seminar Series titled "Creating New Tools to Investigate Diabetic Retinopathy." In addition, she gave a talk to the Oklahoma State University Veterinary students on "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion."

Dr. Cammi Valdez presented a poster titled "Developing and Characterizing a New Mouse Model of Diabetic Retinopathy" and her undergraduate research student Myka Heimback presented a poster titled "Investigating the Impact of Myostatin on Diabetic Retinopathy."

At the 2023 Summer Undergraduate Research Program Symposium at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, OK, Dr. Cammi Valdez's undergraduate research students Hayley Garcia (Biochemistry) and Shelby Rose (Cell and Molecular Biology) presented posters. 

Lunch with the Deans

Another fun “Lunch with the Deans” event was held over the summer semester. Students, staff, and faculty enjoyed lunch from The DogFather food truck, sponsored by our friends at Glaukos. After a great game of Knockout, the Champion was third year student, Tate Buster. Congrats Tate!

Tate Buster - the Champ; Dr. Nate - runner up

The Final 8 (left to right): Alex Clover, Dr. Kelsey Buford, Clint Kelley, Tate Buster, Dr. Nate Lighthizer, Charlea Leonard, Kaitlin Root, & Jacob Allred

Students, Staff, and Faculty at Lunch with the Deans – Summer 2023

International Society for Low Vision Research and Rehabilitation (ISLRR) Conference Dedicated to Former NSUOCO Faculty Member

The International Society of Low Vision Research and Rehabilitation (ISLRR) holds goals “to stimulate scientific research in the field of low vision and in the field of rehabilitation of people with low vision”, and “to promote the exchange of information in these fields”. To achieve these goals, they created international vision conferences, held every three years since 1996. 

Vision 2023 was held in July in Denver, Colorado, hosted by The University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and the Anchor Center for Blind Children. The last ISLRR conference held in the United States was in New York in 1999. Dr. David Lewerenz, much loved former NSUOCO faculty member (2008-2016), was honored at Vision 2023 as the hosts dedicated the meeting to him, acknowledging his efforts in hosting the ISLRR and honoring his legacy in Low Vision. 

The American Academy of Optometry Foundation also honored Dr. Lewerenz as a Diplomate and leader in the American Academy of Optometry’s Low Vision section by providing six scholarships to attend Vision 2023. We were honored to work with Dr. Lewerenz for many years and are proud of the legacy he leaves in the Low Vision sector.

Dr. David Lewerenz with a patient at NSUOCO in 2014

SVOSH Group Travels to Roatan, Honduras 

The Student Volunteers for Optometric Service to Humanity (SVOSH) group traveled to Roatan, Honduras in July. The team of thirteen students and two doctors served four days in two locations on the island, seeing nearly 500 patients! The team dispensed 189 distance prescriptions, 249 pairs of readers, and gave sunglasses and artificial tears to all patients. They referred 52 patients for cataract surgery and 46 for other needs (15 glaucoma patients received a year's supply of eye drops, 13 pterygium referrals, diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy and more).

The SVOSH team this summer included fourth-years Kylie Feightner Endres, David Ross, Kevin Walp, Mackenzie Zora; third-years Amanda Arie, Haylee Flores, Morgandy Haggard, Hayden Harness, Amy Lanzendorf, Travis Larson, Charlea Leondard, Ashley Oakley, Emma Strunks; alumni Dr. Matt Endres, Dr. Alissa Proctor and her son, Jaxon.  

Ashley Oakley and Travis Larson with patients

SVOSH group in Honduras – summer 2023

Students, Amanda Arie (L) and Emma Strunks (R), caring for patients

Welcome to the Class of 2027

Our Newest class of future ODs arrived on campus August 10th, 2023 for orientation. They took the Optometric Oath and have begun their path toward a rewarding career in optometry. Welcome Class of 2027!

Optometry Class of 2027

Class of 2027 take the optometric oath at orientation – August 2023

Data-Informed Academic Advising Strategies | Civitas Learning

Listen to the podcast which highlights the work of NSU's advising team utilizing data to support NSU's most vulnerable students, produced in partnership with Civitas Learning.

Click here to listen to the podcast!

Happy Fall!

The Assessment Team hopes that you had a wonderful welcome week and summer. We recently had the wonderful opportunity to present at NSU’s Community and Collaboration Day where we discussed what assessment reporting will look like for NSU institutionally this Academic Year. If you wish to have a copy of the slides used within the presentation, please contact our team.

NSU is currently in an assessment transition. We are moving from Anthology Portfolio to several new assessment solutions offered by Watermark! We are extremely excited about what this new system offers and the support that it provides. We are implementing three new solutions by Watermark: Student Learning and Licensure, Planning and Self-Study, and Outcomes Assessment Projects.

Student Learning and Licensure is the workhorse solution that will be implemented into almost every aspect here at NSU. Assessment data is gathered in Student Learning & Licensure by assessing, or scoring, a rubric. Faculty score rubrics as a way to evaluate key assignments or dispositions. By scoring rubrics, you can aggregate and report on rubric and standard/outcome data, and use the deep reporting filters to view and compare important subsets of these evaluations. As best practice, rubrics should follow a common rating scale. Additionally, Student Learning and Licensure offers a location for e-portfolios and field experience. The Field Experience feature of Student Learning & Licensure allows you to complete assessments of students participating in student teaching or internships out in the field. In addition to completing assessments, Field Experience also provides a time log for students to record time spent in internship-related tasks and for that recorded time to be approved (or rejected) by a supervisor or mentor.

Planning and Self-Study houses locations for strategic planning, curriculum mapping, annual assessment, and self-study reports. This convenient tool is live, so that your constituents are able to see updates as they happen within the system. Furthermore, it offers templates for program and institutional accreditors, while also being able to fully integrate into Blackboard and Banner.

Outcomes Assessment Projects streamlines data collection, scoring, and reporting on learning outcomes so you can easily organize assessment efforts and generate meaningful data quickly. With Outcomes Assessment Projects, faculty use standard rubrics to assess learning based on actual student coursework. Through its sleek interface, Outcomes Assessment Projects puts faculty experience at the heart of the assessment process so you can focus on what matters most: advancing learning outcomes.

HOWEVER these solutions will NOT be up and running for our annual assessment reporting process. So we are returning institutionally to submitting paper copies of the report form. The NSU Assessment team will be distributing an email with the AY 22/23 report form and a link to a submission form. The email has been sent to college deans and they have been tasked with forwarding this information to those responsible for reporting. The reports are due by SEPTEMBER 15. 

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, and they can help to walk you through the submission process.

NSU ASSESSMENT TEAM

Email: assessment@nsuok.edu
Dr. Cari Keller, Graduate Dean/Exec. Dir. Assessment & Planning

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

HELPFUL LINKS & WORDS REFERENCED:

• https://offices.nsuok.edu/academicassessment/DegreesOfExcellence/default.aspx
• https://offices.nsuok.edu/workforce-development/i-want-to-create-a-badge.aspx

CTS Hosts Culture and Heritage Event for Welcome Week

Dan Beaver (Muscogee) talks with students about his traditional war clubs.

CTS events kicked off on August 9th with the Culture and Heritage portion of Welcome Week. Students rotated through three sessions designed to highlight the diversity of Tribal cultures in the local area and to learn a bit about the history of NSU and its connection to Cherokee Nation. Sessions included Storytelling with Robert Lewis, History and Heritage, and a Tribal Showcase that featured representatives from Cherokee, Choctaw, Muscogee and Shawnee Tribes. Our next campus wide event was Gatheration held on August 23 in the UC Basement. 

Maria Souliotis, Instructor of Library Services at the John Vaughan Library, presented "If You See a Weed, Pull It: An Intuitive Approach to Weeding a Music Collection" at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Mountain-Plains Chapter of the Music Library Association (MPMLA) in Norman, OK on May 20. As the Vice-Chair of the Chapter, she also delivered the chapter's Membership Committee Annual Report at the meeting.

The Office of International Programs is excited to welcome our new International Students to the RiverHawk Family and the NSU International Student community. We had 30+ new students attend orientation this Fall coming from 13 different countries, including: Brazil, UK, Spain, Lebanon, Vietnam, China, Jamaica, Japan, Romania, Peru, Portugal, Mozambique and Cambodia.

Our international students participated in two days filled with information to help them succeed during their time at Northeastern State University. We also want to thank, on behalf of International Programs, President Rodney Hanley, Dr. Carla Swearingen, Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Dr. Iain Anderson, Interim Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs for speaking to our new international students at our Fall orientation. Thank you to everyone who presented at our orientation! We are grateful to be able to connect with our students and help them while they are here at NSU.

Academic Spotlight: Dr. Iain Anderson

Dr. Anderson shares about his role and responsibilities, his research interests, and what he enjoys most about his job as Interim Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs since beginning his new position on July 1.

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

Within that unit I collaborate with some great people to promote student success—that’s my area of emphasis. For example, I work with University Advising, University Strategies—our first-year experience course—the Office of International Programs, the Center for Tribal Studies, and the Honors Program. These programs support student achievement and encourage students to persist with their education. I also work with faculty-led committees to promote Faculty Development, Faculty Mentoring, and Faculty Research. The latter complements my role as the university’s Research Integrity Officer, aiding compliance with research and scientific inquiry protocols.

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

My research interests are pretty varied, and I’m fortunate to have presented and published in a number of different fields. I’ve always loved music, and I’ve published most frequently on African American music and American culture, including a book on experimental jazz from the 1960s and what that tells us about American culture. You’ll notice a poster of saxophonist John Coltrane on the wall if you visit my office on the third floor of Seminary Hall. I’ve found scholarly inspiration elsewhere, too. I used to teach at a small liberal arts college founded by Danish immigrants, and research classes with my students in its archive led to my work on the development of transnational identities among Danish Americans in the early twentieth century. And since coming to NSU, I’ve worked with a couple of former colleagues to develop, test, and evaluate teaching resources for secondary schools that tell Indigenous stories from Indigenous perspectives.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I’ve been in the job since July 1, and I’ve really enjoyed the variety of the work and the diversity of the people and programs I’ve worked with. It keeps things fresh and keeps me energized. Although I miss my History students, I’m still in the classroom teaching a section of University Strategies. Those classes remind me of the reasons we do what we do.

Students Earn OSHA 30 Certificate

Left to Right: Gavin Westbrook, Cash Parkerson, Cade Waltman, Tucker Edmondson, John Cockrell, Travis Smith, Sara Eaker, Walker McMahan, Caleb Loehrs, Cris Linares, Doug Martin, Brayden Taylor, Ethan Satterfield, Felix Garay.

Students majoring in the Environmental, Health, and Safety Management program at NSU can complete a variety of certifications, in addition to required coursework.  These certifications allow graduates to be more competitive when seeking employment after graduation. 

In May several students completed work to receive the OSHA 30 certification for the construction industry.  The 30-hour Construction Industry Outreach Training Program is intended to provide a variety of training to workers with some safety responsibility. Per OSHA’s instruction, the training should emphasize hazard identification, avoidance, control, and prevention, not OSHA standards. Instructional time must be a minimum of 30 hours.

The OSHA 30 outreach program is authorized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Upon satisfactory completion, participants receive a completion card and are in OSHA’s database of safety professionals who have completed OSHA 30 requirements. 

Dr. Rick Wallace, Healthcare Administration

Instructor/Lecturer, Healthcare Administration

ACHE Congress in Healthcare Leadership

Curriculum & Instruction

Dr. Brandy McCombs (Elementary Education) will be presenting “Culturally Centered Trauma Responsive Practices” to the professional staff of Pearl House in Ghana, Africa over the summer.

Dr. Meagan Moreland (Reading) and Dr. Ingrid Massey were awarded a Presidential Ambassador’s Grant (PAN) from the university to pursue scholarly opportunities in the field of reading and literacy.

Dr. Meagan Moreland conducted her monthly presentation on education for KOTV (Channel 6, Tulsa’s CBS Affiliate) on making coffee filter art and integrating it with literacy. You can view the story here.

Dr. Kim Phillips (Special Education) attended the TEach Oklahoma Conference in OKC on April 27th hosted by the State Regents.

Dr. Jason Proctor (Teacher Education) has had one of his online courses selected by Quality Matters (QM) to be a “Model Course” for all teachers across the country using QM.

Dr. Sarah Ramsey (Reading) was awarded the NSU Presidential Award, “Model the Way,” for the 2022-2023 academic year.

Dr. Stephan Sargent (Reading) is accrediting a PK-12 school in Colombia (South America) for Cognia (North Central) Accreditation.

Dr. Stephan Sargent is taking a course in the accreditation of STEM programs through Cognia (North Central) Accreditation over the summer.

Dr. Jeffery Wall Research Seminar Series event poster

Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Jeffery Wall, was invited to present at Connors State College for their Research Seminar Series on April 26th.  He will also appear as a guest on the Music Ed Matters podcast with host, Dr. Emily Williams Burch on May 10th.

Dr. Kimberly Lee, Professor of Languages and Literature, has been invited and accepted as a consultant and researcher in a new NEH grant to digitize portions of the Mari Sandoz Archival Collection at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the coming months. This will allow her to return to her alma mater, and continue working with the Sandoz materials & artifacts.

On April 19th, six social science honor societies inducted thirty NSU students into the following prestigious organizations: Gamma Theta Upsilon, Pi Sigma Alpha, Phi Alpha Theta, Triota, Alpha Kappa Delta, and Pi Gamma Mu with the following faculty advisors Dr. Christine Hallman, Dr. Cheryl Van Den Handel, Dr. Denis Vovchenko, Dr. Suzanne Farmer, Dr. Jennifer Edwards, and Drs. John McIntosh and Dave Corcoran, respectively.

Dr. Christine Hallman’s Water Issues class explored the ways water, clay, and culture are intertwined by creating pinch pots.  Dr. Clayton Keyes, Assistant Professor of Art, graciously fired the pottery.  Her class also participated in the collection of water samples as part of a study designed by Dr. Lizz Waring, Assistant Professor of Biology, to investigate the hazards of microplastics in our water.

Students on nature walk

Dr. Christine Hallman participated in a variety of Earth Day events coordinated by the NSU Libraries Earth Day Committee.  She led a Tree Nature Walk on April 17th, ring counted tree samples for a library display, and gave a presentation on April 21st titled “Our Relationships with Trees: symbols, stories, and science.  Her Water Issues students created posters for an information library display.

Students at the exhibit entrance

Students in Dr. Corcoran's History of Latin America course visited Crystal Bridges on April 26 for a guided tour of the current Diego Rivera exhibit. In course assignments prior to the excursion, students designed interactive maps of Latin America, reflected on historical and cultural borders, and considered Latin American cultural influences in Green Country. Joined by Dr. John McIntosh and Dr. Suzanne Farmer, the students also enjoyed a fantastic Cuban meal in Rogers, Arkansas before heading back to Tahlequah.

Dr. Tracy Freudenthaler, MPH, Assistant Professor in the MPH Program and a research team (Dr. Schumacher and A. Elbon at OSU) will have an article “Laying the Foundation for Quality Improvement: HPV Knowledge and HPV Vaccine Uptake and Attitudes Among Rural Clinic Patients” published in the upcoming journal Oklahoma State Medical Proceedings. This article highlights components of incorporating QI projects with medical students during their rotations. 

Dr. Freudenthaler is presenting the poster: Examining HPV perceived risk factors among young adult university students: What Influences HPV Risk?  at the 2023 Conference on Adolescent Health sponsored by the University of Michigan. 

Dr. Sallie Ruskoski attended a BSN recruiting event held at Tulsa Community College Metro Campus on April 3, 2023.

Dr. Sallie Ruskoski published "Disparate properties of Burkholderia multivorans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa regarding outer membrane chemical permeabilization to the hydrophobic substances novobiocin and triclosan" on April 25, 2023 in PLOS ONE.

55^th Annual Honors Assembly

Many NSUOCO students received awards on April 27th, 2023 at the University’s 55th Annual Honors Assembly. The following students received an NSU Honor Society Award:

2nd Year students: Jacob Allred, Amanda Arie, Derek Bryant, Tate Buster, Cori Dorrell, Haylee Flores, Grant Gamble, Madison Gerk, Alex Foree, Nathan Patron, and Jayton Salmans.

3rd Year Students: Rebecca Clover, Blayke Haggard, Bryley Banks, Dalton Cunningham, Abbie Etter, Dylan Hance, Jeremy Hutchinson, Marisa Jonas, Sabrina Le, Rachael Lockhart, Stacie Newton, Cole Powlison, Kendra Scott, Christina Thompson, and Mackenzie Zora.

4th Year Students: Brett Freeman, William Grovenburg, Morgan Newton, Wesley Rushing, Kevin Struble, Brianna Albers, Kaylee Bobbitt, Lauren Bynorth, Jenna Dougherty, Matthew Endres, Nathan Kuykendall, Cole McKnight, Aaron Meyer, Tiffanie Nguyen, Paige Nitz, Joey Nugent, Jadica Piela, Kelli Schaedel, Madeline Smith, Aubry Tackett, and Taylor Vincent.

4^th Year, Kevin Struble and 2^nd Year, Derek Bryant received Academic Achievement Awards.

NSUOCO Welcome Day Held for the Class of 2027

NSUOCO Students for the Class of 2027

We had the pleasure of hosting our incoming Class of 2027 on campus for Welcome Day on April 22nd. Students participated in orientation activities and a cookout with the current first year class. We’re excited to have them join us on campus in August.

Calvin Chandler Commissioned into US Army

Calvin Chandler Commissioned into US Army

We had the privilege of honoring 2^nd Year optometry student, Calvin Chandler, as he was commissioned into the United States Army on April 26^th. Calvin was selected as a recipient of the  highly competitive Health Professions Scholarship through the U.S. Army. This scholarship is awarded to students who apply themselves in the classroom, are leaders, and make a commitment to the Army upon graduation. Calvin will serve as an optometrist with the U.S. Army for 3 years following his graduation from NSUOCO.

Optometry Cares®—The AOA Foundation

2nd Year student, Jayton Salmans pies Dr. Jenna Lighthizer

As optometry’s premier philanthropic and charitable organization, Optometry Cares®—The AOA Foundation is committed to its mission to empower the optometric profession in providing awareness and access to health and vision care for the public. Optometry students held a fundraiser for Optometry Cares® and as an incentive, the winner of the fundraiser was given the opportunity to pie their professor. Congratulations to the 2nd year class for raising the most money, and thank you to Dr. Jenna Lighthizer for being such a good sport for the pie in the face.

OSII class with Dr. Jenna Lighthizer

“Full Scope” Magazine a Success 

The inaugural issue of Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry’s new magazine was recently published and shared with alumni and the community. The magazine was produced by the Northeastern State University Office of Communications & Marketing. A digital version can be found at https://optometry.nsuok.edu/.../full-scope_2023-issue1.pdf.

Annual Eyeball Held at Shangri La Resort

The annual Eyeball was held April 29^th at Shangri La Resort on Monkey Island. This formal event includes dinner, dancing, awards, and scholarship presentations. Students, faculty, and staff had a fabulous time as always.

OSI Class at annual EyeBall

OSII Class at annual EyeBall

OSIII Class at annual EyeBall

OSIV Class at annual EyeBall

NSUOCO Class of 2023 Commencement Held

NSUOCO Class of 2023

NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry Class of 2023 Commencement was held May 5^th at the Center for Performing Arts on the NSU Tahlequah campus. Our twenty-seven new doctors of optometry were honored as were an excellent group of residents nearing completion of their one-year residency programs. We are so proud of these students for their hard work and persistence over the past four years.

Dr. Alissa Proctor Presents Poster at COVD Meeting in Canada

Dr. Alissa Proctor Presents Poster

Dr. Alissa Proctor presented a poster entitled “Prescribing Prism for Persistent Diplopia” at the 52nd Annual College of Optometrists in Vision Development Meeting in Toronto, Canada in April.

Happy Spring!

The Assessment Team hopes that you have had a wonderful semester. Congratulations on another successful Academic Year. 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. 

We would like to take this opportunity to highlight the Workforce Badging initiative. Badges and micro-credentials offer a tangible resource for our students to represent competency in a specific area. A digital credential, or badge, is a portable, verified, engaging method of pulling achievements to show people what you know and what you can do. Within a digital badge, there is verifiable data that tells the world what, where, and how you earned your credential and why it matters. Micro-credentials and badging are innovative and flexible ways to showcase acquiring skills and/or competencies. They give us the opportunity to respond to training and educational needs of our students, as well as ensuring the employers in our area can be certain of the skills and competencies Northeastern State University students bring with them to the workplace. Not only can these be listed on a resume or CV, but badges can also be linked to social media websites, such as LinkedIn. This visual representation helps hiring agencies to understand what a certificate, program, or experiential learning opportunity entails. As companies are often looking for specific skills in their prospective candidates, badges help demonstrate the well-rounded nature and training our NSU alumni cultivate during their time here.

As we are a career focused Institution, we offer services, such as Career Services, to help promote Career Readiness. The National Association of Colleges and Employers defines career readiness as the attainment and demonstration of requisite competencies that broadly prepare college graduates for a successful transition into the workplace. By implementing badging into your program, you demonstrate student competency in critical workforce skills, of which promote Career Readiness. Including badges into the outcome of a course, program, certificate etc., you provide tangible representation, outside of a transcript, that offers further support as to the training of that student. 

Within the NSU website, there is a treasure trove of information that discusses our Badging initiative. However, if you would like more information on the badging process or are interested in created a digital badge, please visit the Workforce website, linked below, or contact the assessment team at assessment@nsuok.edu

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!

HELPFUL LINKS & WORDS REFERENCED:

https://offices.nsuok.edu/academicassessment/DegreesOfExcellence/default.aspx

https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/career-readiness-defined/

https://offices.nsuok.edu/workforce-development/i-want-to-create-a-badge.aspx

Annual Symposium on the American Indian

Featured models in the "Designing Our Futures" fashion show

The 50th Annual Symposium on the American Indian was held April 10-15 on the Tahlequah campus.  The agenda included the Native student organization banquet, a screening of the film "ᏓᏗᏬᏂᏏ (We Will Speak)", a return of the fashion show, three keynote speakers, and more than three dozen concurrent sessions. The event concluded with the powwow. The duplicated headcount for all events was just over 1,300 individuals. Demographic information collected through audience surveys (n=488) indicate about two thirds were female, 61% self identified as American Indian, and a little more than half were either in the age 19-30 or 31-45 age groups. Ratings for individual sessions were quite positive, averaging a score of 3.6 on a scale of 1-4.  While there are only a few t-shirts left, we also have stickers available for sale with this year's design for just $2 each.   

Next year's Symposium is set for April 15-20, 2024!

American Indian Graduation Convocation

The Center for Tribal Studies staff also hosted the 23rd Annual American Indian Graduation Convocation on April 19 at the Event Center Community Room. Administration, faculty, staff, graduates and their families attended the event to celebrate. Michael Stopp presented the American Indian Merit awards to Joseph Cloud (Cherokee), Melanie Taylor (Cherokee), and Tiffany Reece (Cherokee).

Brenda Bradford has been accepted to the La Wayaka Current Artist Residency Program in the Atacama Desert and National Reserve of Flamingos, Chile. She will be working with indigenous peoples inside a natural sanctuary of diverse flora and fauna to experiment creatively and artistically within unique contexts and the natural environment.

Amigos Member Conference 2023 Event Poster

Sarah Burkhead Whittle, Research & Instruction Librarian and Director of the Green Country Children's Book Festival, presented the workshop  "Town & Gown Engagement: The NSU Libraries' Plan to Develop the Green Country Children's Book Festival" at the Amigos Member Conference 2023: Libraries Plan to Succeed on May 10, 2023.

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

In November, 2022, Ricardo Oropeza, International Student Advisor in the Office of International Programs, visited the American School Foundation of Chiapas, located in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico. The American School Foundation of Chiapas (ASFC) is a private K-12 school with a diverse staff and student population, including international students and faculty. Ricardo attended an ASFC recruitment fair and began discussions of potential partnerships between ASFC and NSU.

Subsequent to this visit, meetings were held between ACFS and NSU's College of Education. In May 2023, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed creating a partnership between ACFS and the College of Education. Beginning in April 2024, NSU education majors will have the opportunity to do two-week internships at ASFC.  The Office of International Programs is very grateful to Rhea Fears, Dr. Vanessa Anton, and the College of Education for all their help in creating this partnership.

Facilitating opportunities for NSU's students to study abroad is an important goal for the Office of International Programs. We are incredibly excited to be able to have this partnership between NSU and ASFC, and hope it will lead to other opportunities for NSU students to study abroad.

Hello RiverHawks!

As we approach the end of the fiscal year, Research and Sponsored Programs would like to express our appreciation for all of the hard work and dedication put forth by all of our grantees, faculty, staff, support staff, and colleagues across all three campuses who have worked diligently with our office resulting in the growth and success of our grant funded programs. Over the past year, we been awarded grants from a wide range of areas including research, scholarships, collaborations, and creative projects to benefit NSU and its students. Together we are building a brighter future for our institution, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work alongside you all, and we look forward to continuing to support you and your important projects in the future.

Do you have an idea for a project and interested in writing a grant but just don’t know where to begin looking for funding? Reach out to our office, so we can help you with the next steps of your grant proposal!

The following is a list of a few upcoming opportunities.

We had a great turnout for the Employee Recognition Event this year! The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs would like to say congratulations, again, to all of the faculty and staff who were awarded grant funding in the 2022-2023 fiscal year. If you were awarded grant funding and were unable to attend, please come by or contact our office. We have a small reward to present you with and hope it will serve as a reminder of how much we value your hard work and dedication.

Finally, we would like to wish all of our NSU Family a safe and enjoyable summer! We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the fall.

Have a great summer everyone!

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

Jessica Secratt, Director of Research and Sponsored Programs

Allison Hamilton, Proposal Development Specialist

The following websites are an excellent starting ground to begin your search for grant funding.

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; 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.

Dr. Stephanie Jones

Assistant Professor, Management

CSCP Certification

Dr. LeShay McNack

Assistant Professor, Management

BPA State Leadership Conference

Brian Vickers

Instructor, Health Care Administration

JA Inspire/Biztown at Tulsa Expo Center

Dr. MaiAnh VuTran

Associate Professor, Technology

Dr. VuTran Nominated As SMART Evaluator

Educational Leadership

Drs. Jim Ferrell, Barbara Jones, Paula Schornick, and Ron Cambiano recently worked through the School Administration Program with the regents (OSRHE) and were awarded a $30,000 grant for badges and a micro credential program in Curriculum Administration. The program will consist of four three-day workshops offered one a semester over a two-year period. The grant will pay for community school leaders to participate free and learn how to create a quality curriculum management plan and work through the written, taught, and tested curricula.

(left to right) Dr. Henry Hulett, Dr. Gray

Curriculum & Instruction

Dr. Sally Armstrong (Teacher Education) is retiring after fifty years in education and 40 years at Northeastern State University.

Dr. Sherry Been (Elementary) was awarded the 2023 Circle of Excellence Award (NSU’s highest award for faculty) from NSU for Teaching.

Dr. Samantha Benn-Duke (Elementary) took nine AIPEC (American Indian Professional Education Consortium) students to Cherokee, North Carolina to be immersed in Cherokee culture and lifeways. Their experiences included two days in Cherokee Central Schools teaching 1st and 3rd grade students, hiking part of the Appalachian Trail, learning about medicinal plants, hiking to three waterfalls, and learning about Kituwah Mound, a site of great significance to Cherokees. On the return trip they visited the grave of Nancy Ward/Nanyehi, Beloved Woman (and 6th great-grandmother of Dr. Samantha Benn-Duke).

Dr. Lisa Bisogno (Special Education) presented a workshop for Jenks Public Schools on strategies to use for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Under the tutelage of Dr. Jameie Combs (Special Education), American Sign Language (ASL) students participated in language exchanges with Sign Language students at Malawi Catholic University and with Deaf students at Mpalakhanga Special Secondary School for Deaf Girls in Zomba, Malawi (Africa).

Dr. Renee Cowan (Reading) and Dr. Jarilyn Haney (Special Education) successfully completed their Oklahoma Teaching Connection (OTC) Grant (“Struggling to Thriving: Amplifying Relationships between Teachers and Students to Reduce Adverse Behaviors”). This grant included live Zoom PD sessions, one-on-one coaching sessions, and a book study with all participants.

Dr. Renee Cowan (Reading) participated in an interview with Michelle Barnfield for The Northeastern about National Children’s Picture Book Week.

Dr. Anita Ede (Reading) served as a peer reviewer for the National Association for Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE) summer conference proposals.

Dr. Jarilyn Haney (Special Education) represented NSU at the Oklahoma Council of Exceptional Children (OKCEC) Conference.

Dr. Haney poses with NSU Alum, John Smithson.

Dr. Meagan Moreland (Reading) attended the Oklahoma Teacher of the Year ceremony on March 1st, went to the University of Arkansas on March 2nd for a recruitment event, and recruited at a job fair in Tahlequah on February 3rd. On February 8th and April 4th, she was in Arkansas for two more career fairs. Additionally, Dr. Moreland is continuing to teach the OSAT preparation course for ELED which she taught twice in February.

Dr. Meagan Moreland represented NSU on KOTV’s (Channel 6) educational segment, speaking on Literacy Using Paper Towel Holder Flowers. You can view the story here.

Dr. Brandy McCombs (Elementary) reviewed chapters of an upcoming textbook by SAGE Publications.

Dr. Brandy McCombs expanded her trauma responsive practices consultation services with STL234 Outreaches Ltd.

Dr. Brandy McCombs completed Independent Improving Your Online Course (Statewide Systems) from Oklahoma Quality Matters, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

Dr. Brandy McCombs is engaged in outreach work to assist area families using trauma responsive practices within the home.

Dr. Brandy McCombs recently completed on “Strategies for Safe, Supportive and Healthy Schools,” as well as “Beyond Trauma Informed Presentations.”

Dr. Kim Phillips (Special Education) completed and participated in a study hosted by the University of Oklahoma dealing with “Trauma Sensitive Care for Infants, Toddlers, and Two-Year-Olds.”

Dr. Jason Proctor (Teacher Education) completed an advanced Quality Matters (QM) course resulting in a “demonstration course” that other NSU faculty may use as a guide.

Dr. Jason Proctor (Teacher Education) attended the Spring 2023 Instructional Coaching Summit presented by First Education.

Dr. Stephan Sargent (Reading) is assisting multiple PK-12 schools with their school accreditation process throughout the spring.

Dr. Stephan Sargent (Reading) and Dr. Meagan Moreland (Reading), along with an expert guest speaker, hosted an event for members of the Student Oklahoma Education Association/Aspiring Teachers entitled, “Financial Planning for Teachers.”

Dr. Kathy Seibold (Teacher Education), Dr. Kari Henry Hulett (Educational Leadership) and Dr. Renee Cambiano (Educational Leadership) presented, “Building Opportunity for Learning through Critical Reflection: Implementing a Rubric that Supports Career-Critical Competencies” at the 2023 Oklahoma Learning Innovations Summit.

Dr. Tobi Thompson is coaching teachers in Grand View Public Schools as they implement an English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum.

Dr. Tobi Thompson (Reading) recently shared “Freedom of Speech vs. Freedom to Read: The Dangers of Censorship” with current and retired teachers near Claremore, Oklahoma.

The Homeland Security and Emergency Management Student Organization

The NOAA weather radio was presented to Andy Stone (center) by Dr. Rebekah Doyle (left) and Mackenzie Moore (right), President of the student organization.

The NOAA weather radio was presented to Andy Stone (center) by Dr. Rebekah Doyle (left) and Mackenzie Moore (right), President of the student organization.

The College of Liberal Arts had seven faculty members named Top 10 RiverHawks by the NSGA this year.

The College of Liberal Arts had seven faculty members named Top 10 RiverHawks by the NSGA this year.  (from left: Dr. Chris Weaver, Dr. Becky Doyle, Jack Reavis, Dr. Robyn Pursley, Dr. Jennifer Edwards, Kyle Vareberg, Dr. Dave Corcoran)

Dr. Christian Bester, Assistant Professor of Music, had two voice students place on April 1st at the Oklahoma NATS Chapter voice competition held at OSU. Student Joe Ray - 1st Place; Student Payden Kilgore - 3rd Place. Both were in the Freshmen Men category.

Cassie Freise, Instructor of Media Studies, and The Northeastern student media outlet attended the 2023 Oklahoma College Media Association conference April 13 at Oklahoma State University.

NSU competes in the Diamond Division with the following schools:

• Diamond
• East Central University
• Northeastern State University
• Northwestern Oklahoma State University
• Oklahoma Baptist University
• Oklahoma Panhandle State University
• Southeastern Oklahoma State University
• Southern Nazarene University
• Southwestern Oklahoma State University
• University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma

Results:

• Overall Online Newspaper - 1st Place NSU The Northeastern
• Advertising - 1st Place Sarah Johnson/Angel Ford - NSU The Northeastern
• Sports Reporting - 2nd Place Melanie Rice - NSU The Northeastern
• General News and Reporting - 2nd Place Mackynzie Enyart - NSU The Northeastern
• Multimedia Reporting, Podcast - 1st Place Ray Walsh/Angel Ford - NSU The Northeastern
• Multimedia Reporting, Podcast - 2nd Place Place Mary Jane Hudson/Angel Ford - NSU The Northeastern

On April 5th, three employees from Cherokee Nation Environmental Programs guided students from Professor of Geography, Dr. Christine Hallman's Water Issues course through several experiential learning activities including seining for microorganisms to determine water quality, collecting water quality data, and using instruments to collect water flow information.  The employees also shared their experiences in the field and lab along with advice for those interested in environmental issues, chemistry, and sustainability careers.

Dr. Tiffanie Hardbarger, Associate Professor of Sociology, attended the Indigenous Scholarship, Activism, Science, and the Arts in Climate Justice for Planetary Health Governance" Symposium at the University of Victoria. The event focuses on bringing together international and local indigenous perspectives for a critical discussion about our shared futures in the context of planetary health governance. This symposium offers Indigenous perspectives on enacting/embodying climate justice via Indigenous-led resurgence for planetary health. The goal is to enable knowledge exchange between academics, activists, researchers, students, and civil society to advance Planetary Health collaborations in research, the arts, and activist practice.

Fish Tales II

The 156th International Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society in NYC features a painting by Professor of Art, Lance Hunter.  "Reaching Back" will be on display April 3-28th at the Salmagundi Club Galleries on Fifth Avenue and is published in the AWS exhibition catalogue. Another painting by Hunter, "Fish Tales II" received the Gold Award in the Mid-Southern Watercolorists 53rd Annual Exhibition which runs from March 3 to April 28 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. His painting is featured on the cover of the MSW exhibition catalogue and on their website.

Dr. James T. Lindroth, Professor of Music, was invited to be an adjudicator for the Oklahoma Arts Institute's percussion entrance auditions for their summer music program.

Chris Murphy, Associate Professor of English, brought a group of students to ECU's Scissortail Creative Writing Festival. They were all chosen to submit in Scissortail's undergraduate creative writing contest, which is a statewide contest with various undergraduate institutions participating. It's the second year in a row that NSU students have taken 1st, 2nd, and Honorable Mention, and the second year all our students placed in the contest.

NSU students placed:

1st overall--Leslie Phelps

2nd overall (tie)--Hannah Cowan

Honorable Mention--Jesse Thomas

Finalists--Liz Moua, Nathaniel Williams

Arsenic & Old Lace event poster

Dr. Lara Searcy and three NSU graduate students: Brogan Spears (M.Ed. Instructional Leadership, English: Spring 2021), Karrine Ortiz (M.A. English, Rhetoric), and Kevin Shank (M.A. English, Rhetoric) presented about Text Complexity Rationales at the national Summit on the Research of Teaching and Young Adult Literature. The summit is facilitated by members of the National Council of Teachers of English's ELATE Commission on the Study of Adolescent Literature. 

Associate Professor of Political Science, Dr. Cheryl Van Den Handel's Feminist and Social Activism class has been busy this semester creating events, making posters and displays featuring their activist projects. Two Zoom panels featured guests from the Demand Project discussing human trafficking and one on MMIW on 4/13 featuring Dr. Farina King and Candessa Tehee and others discussing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Students presented tables in the UC on Breast Cancer Awareness, domestic violence, and violence against immigrant women at the US Southern Border, which also featured library displays. Two of her other students presented an open mic at the Hedge in Tulsa, "Our Bodies, Our Stories" where women offered their abortion stories. The consciousness-raising class is a wonderful and unanticipated success.

Dr. Cheryl Van Den Handel and Dr. Christine Hallman, Professor of Geography, presented a panel discussing the legacy of Dr. Brian Rader on March 30th. Next year's recipient of the Dr. Brian Rader Memorial Scholarship was presented to Rachel Hughes. And the Geography and Political Science Dept. was presented with a memorial portrait to display

Dr. Cheryl Van Den Handel presented two lectures in the Great Decisions series at Muskogee Public Library in March and April, one on Latin American Politics and one on Sea-Level Rise and Human Migration.

Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Jeffery Wall, led a group of 23 travelers from the University/Community Chorus on a performance tour overseas to Tallinn, Estonia and Riga, Latvia over spring break. They performed twice as part of the American Celebration of Music in the Baltics, performing American choral music abroad to full, appreciative audiences. They took in the sights, learned history, culture, architecture, and the beauty of these two European cities while representing NSU, Oklahoma, and the United States.  They also had the opportunity to have a cultural exchange with a local choir while in Tallinn.

Group photo in front of Riga Lutheran Cathedral in the heart of Old Town Riga

Audience view of St. John's Church in Riga, Latvia

Dr. Erin Dolan from the University of Georgia, presented “Promoting Equitable Access to Undergraduate Research: What is the Treatment is a CURE?” in Tahlequah on April 7, 2023.

The workshop was well attended by NSU faculty from a variety of disciplines along with faculty from nine other institutions including:  Tulsa Community College, Murray State College, Connors State College, Oklahoma State University, Rogers State University, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Community College, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, and Southwestern Oklahoma State University. 

Dr. Jim Coykendall accepts a recognition plaque following his L. P. Woods Endowed Lecture for Mathematics in Tahlequah on April 12, 2023.

Dr. Tracy Freudenthaler, MPH, Assistant Professor in the MPH Program was published in the Ulster Medical Journal (Ireland). “From a Vintage Journal (1890): Dr. Whitla’s Urticaria Case and Dr. J.A. Lindsay’s Notes on Asthma” is part of a series of medical history articles that examines late 1800’s medical practices and patent medicines.

Article Link

Dr. Freudenthaler will also have an article published in the March/April edition of The Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association. “Human Papillomavirus (HPV): Interrupting the Timeline of Confusion” features key changes in HPV indications and protocols that are likely adding to the publics’ confusion and vaccine hesitancy.

Interprofessional Education at OSU-COM

First-year optometry students and Associate Professor, Dr. Sarah Krein, participated in an interprofessional educational lab at OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU-COM) at Cherokee Nation. OSU-COM professors and staff, Dr. Barta, Dr. Stively, and Bridget VanFleet, and OSU-COM student, Ryan Emmert, welcomed our optometry students into their anatomy lab for a once in a lifetime experience. Students enjoyed a comprehensive review of the ocular and orbital anatomy, visual pathway interactive lessons, and a hands-on guided dissection through the orbit. This was the first time this experience was included as part of the NSUOCO Ocular Anatomy and Physiology course.

2023 NSUOCO Student Bowl

Each optometry class put on their construction gear in anticipation for the groundbreaking of our new optometry facility. The winner of this high-stakes contest of optometric knowledge will go on to compete at the national level at the Optometry’s Meeting 2023. OSIII, Blayke Haggard, was the Champion and will travel to Washington DC this summer to participate in the 32nd Annual AOSA Optometry Student Bowl. This year’s school spirit award went to the 2nd year class. Well done Class of 2025!

Student Bowl Participants (L to R) Corbin Lill, Cameron Williams, Blayke Haggard, Abbie Etter, Madison Gerk, Nathan Patron

OSI Class Cheering their teammates on

OSII Class Spirit

OSIII Class cheering section

NSUOCO Capitol Day

NSUOCO students and residents, along with NSUOCO faculty, and members of the Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians (OAOP), met with a variety of Oklahoma legislators to discuss important matters relating to optometry, patient care, and Vision Plans on April 5th. Over 80 students and doctors were present at this year’s OAOP Capitol Day.

Research Published in the Journal of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development

Optometry Professor, Dr. Alissa Proctor, and current Clinical Faculty, Dr. Baylee Moles and Dr. Courtney Simon, recently published a research project conducted when Dr. Moles and Dr. Simon were 4th year optometry students. The project, entitled “Comparison of the BEST of the Randot Circles,” was published in the March 2023 issue of the Journal of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD). 

View the article here!

Developing stereopsis (depth perception) is an important step in childhood visual development and evaluating stereopsis is a vital component of a comprehensive eye exam. The Bernell Evaluation of Stereopsis Test (BEST) is a newer test designed to measure stereopsis without the use of polarized glasses. The study revealed that BEST was more efficient than Randot^® when measuring stereopsis in adults (optometry students as part of an optometry research project during the height of the pandemic). COVID-19 brought a new set of challenges in eyecare, and the fact that BEST does not require polarized glasses improves efficiency by eliminating the need to disinfect glasses between patient use.

Spring “Lunch with the Deans” Event

Optometry students, faculty, staff, and residents gathered for our quarterly “Lunch with the Deans” event on March 29th. We had delicious box lunches from Newk’s Eatery thanks to our generous sponsor, MacuHealth.  Everyone had a great time eating lunch and enjoying the spring weather while watching as staff and students tried their hand in the Cash Cube (loaned to us by Oklahoma Medical Eye Group). We had five lucky winners of gift cards and prizes thanks to our generous community. Thank you to Meigs Jewelry, Nine One Eight Salon, Vidalia’s Cafe & Catering, Too Fond of Books, RiverHawk Nutrition, Morgan’s Bakery, Tahlequah Lumber, Boulevard LLC, and Tahlequah Walmart for your generosity and support of the optometry program!

Optometry students, faculty, staff, and residents gathered in front of Optometry building

Staff, Josh Smith, in the Cash Cube

4th year student, Jacob Musto, in the Cash Cube

Staff: Josh Smith, 1st place

OSIII student: Mackenzie Zora, 2nd place

OSI student: Ryan Kerr, 3rd place

OSII student: Tate Buster, 4th place

OSIV Student: Jacob Musto, 5th place

Happy Spring!

The Assessment Team hopes that you have had a wonderful semester thus far. As we get ready for finals and the end of term, know that the Assessment Team is here to offer support for our faculty and staff.

The trail run for the Badge “Authentic Assessment Part One” has ended. We want to thank everyone who has participated. Make sure to check your emails for the Badge you have earned. If you missed this opportunity, or wish to participate, be rest assured that you can! We are planning to relaunch this badge, and its counterpart “Authentic Assessment Part Two”, during the Summer Semester!

Below is more information on how to earn the "Authentic Assessment Part 1" Badge.

To earn the Badge, you will complete an activity articulating the value of authentic assessment, identify the key elements of an authentic assessment, explain how it differs from traditional assessment, and explain how it improves student performance. Additionally, you will modify an existing authentic assessment, or develop an authentic assessment based on these criteria. Earners will choose an appropriate lesson or instructional unit and student assessment they have created and will revise it to become an authentic assessment opportunity for students.

The learning outcomes for this badge are:

1. Articulate the value of utilizing authentic assessments to simulate experiential learning opportunities.
2. Identify the elements of authentic assessments.
3. Develop an authentic assessment.

If you wish to take part in this badge, please reach out to the Assessment Team at assessment@nsuok.edu and we can add you to the course in due time!

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!

HELPFUL LINKS & WORDS REFERENCED:

• Degrees of Excellence
• NACE Career Readiness Defined

Youth Emergency Preparedness camp free for high school students.

The camp will be on the BA campus from June 5-9, 2023. Click here for additional information.

On Thursday, April 13, the Office of International Programs hosted the International Student Graduation to celebrate all students finishing their degrees or exchange programs and their upcoming graduation at Northeastern State University. This event included the attendance of Dr. Turner, President of Northeastern State University, Mrs. Penny Turner, First Lady of Northeastern State University, and Dr. Jerrid Freeman, Vice President of Student Affairs.

There were eight international students who were recognized at the event, five of them were seniors receiving a Bachelor's degree this Spring, one graduate student receiving a Master's degree, and three exchange students. Countries represented at the event include: Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, and Sweden. 

All students received an academic stole with a pin of their country flag by Dr. Freeman, as well as a congratulatory certificate by President Turner. The Office of International Programs is incredibly happy to be able to celebrate and recognize our graduating and exchange international students.

Hello RiverHawks! This past year, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs had the honor of working with over 74 faculty and staff on all three campuses as well as collaborators from the community and other universities to make a significant impact on our campus and communities. Some of the accomplishments by NSU faculty and staff include grants that support programs for new and practicing school teachers, a variety of summer academies, camps, festivals, faculty trainings and workshops, mental health and substance abuse services, research efforts, technology improvements, and a variety of student support services like on-campus childcare. Grants awarded this year will provide over $130,000 per year in scholarships over the next four years and create a multitude of jobs and immersive learning opportunities for students.

The total impact of grant funding for NSU was approximately $10,868,593 from April 1, 2022 through April 1, 2023. We would like to thank all of the faculty and staff that have pursued funding opportunities – many of which are still pending.

Those receiving grant awards from April 1, 2022 – April 1, 2023 are:

Dr. Vanessa Anton, Dr. Samuel Asante, Dr. Alesha Baker, Dr. Eun-Jun Bang, Ms. Sara Barnett, Dr. Lisa Bisogno, Dr. Christopher Burba, Dr. Janet Buzzard, Dr. Michael Cameron, Dr. Kelli Carney, Dr. Pamela Christol, Dr. Jenny Cothran, Ms. Elizabeth Cotrill, Dr. Renee Cowan, Dr. Dilene Crockett, Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo, Ms. Lena Deere, Dr. Linda Dzialo, Dr. Nnamdi Ekesi, Dr. Lucas Foster, Dr. Nathaniel Green, Dr. Jarilyn Haney, Mr. Erik Harris, Dr. Pamela Hathorn, Dr. Jericho Hobson, Dr. Janaki Iyer, Dr. Halil Kaya, Dr. Sean Kim, Dr. Dianne Kirk, Dr. Debbie Landry, Dr. Jodi Legnon, Dr. Nathan Lighthizer, Dr. Douglas Martin, Dr. Jessica Martin, Ms. Marissa Mitchell, Ms. Callie McAtee, Dr. John McIntosh, Dr. Michael Morgan, Dr. Martha Parrott, Dr. Doug Penisten, Dr. Spence Pilcher, Dr. Jason Proctor, Dr. Nikki Rader, Dr. Richard Reif, Dr. Sallie Ruskoski, Dr. Stephan Sargent, Dr. Sheila Self, Dr. Allen Shamow, Dr. Siewe Siewe, Mr. Jerol Skinner, Ms. Denise Tyrell, Dr. Cammi Valdez, Dr. Jeffery Wall, Dr. Dulanjani Wijayasekara, Dr. Kim Williams, and Dr. Weihaun Zhao. 

And those who have pursued awards and/or have awards pending are:

Ms. Sara Barnett, Mr. Austin Beard, Dr. Christian Bester, Dr. Jenny Bledsoe, Dr. Tina Bolton-Linn, Dr. Christopher Burba, Dr. Elizabeth Burba, Mr. Michael Cameron, Dr. Eloy Chavez, Ms. Jameie Combs, Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo, Dr. Tamra Day, Dr. Fariba Ehteshami, Dr. Nnamdi Ekesi, Dr. Christine Gleason, Dr. Jarilyn Haney, Dr. Timothy Hart, Dr. Benjamin Hay, Dr. Jericho Hobson, Dr. Janaki Iyer, Dr. Michael Jones, Dr. Sean Kim, Dr. Jessica Martin, Ms. Leigh-Anna Miller, Dr. Michael Morgan, Ms. Callie McAtee, Dr. Brandy-Lea McCombs, Ms. Jessica Secratt, Dr. Amanda Stuckey, Dr. Cammi Valdez, Dr. Denis Vovchenko, Ms. Sarah Whittle, Dr. Dulanjani Wijayasekara, and Dr. Kimberly Williams.   

We would like to thank the faculty, staff, and support staff that help make grants possible by providing data, guidance, management, and support from the beginning to the end. Receiving grant funds wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and dedication of you all.

Academic Spotlight: Dr. Suzanne Farmer

Dr. Suzanne Farmer shares about her research interests, innovative focus in the classroom, and her role and responsibilities as Director, Center for Women's Studies.

As Director of the Center for Women's Studies, share about your role and responsibilities.

As Director of the Center for Women's Studies, I facilitate programming on campus related to women's issues and achievements. Whether we are hosting a drive to assist with local charities or bringing a speaker to campus, my goal is always to highlight women's accomplishments and create forums to discuss issues women face in Oklahoma, the region, and the world. In addition, I am always driven to help make NSU students socially responsible global citizens. I also serve as the Program Coordinator for the Women's and Gender Studies minor program and faculty advisor of the Zeta Alpha chapter of Iota Iota Iota, the national women's studies honor society. 

How did you become interested in your field?

I am a historian, and I have always loved history. I chose that as my field of study before officially enrolling in college. While in college, I decided to pursue a Ph.D. in history to share that love of history with students, and I felt a calling to be a teacher and a scholar. I earned my Ph.D. in History at The University of Mississippi in August 2011, which was the same month I started at NSU. I bring much of my historical background into my Director of the Center for Women's Studies role. History is traditionally male-dominated, and I was the first tenure-track female historian hired at NSU. I believe that women have much to offer in any pursuit they choose to endeavor, and it is essential for our students to know that there are still glass ceilings to be broken. We can learn from the generations of women that have come before us in our pursuit of equality. Most of our programming highlights women who are still living and who have made history through their endeavors. 

What are your research interests and specialties?

I am an Early Modern European historian with a concentration in Early Modern Britain. My specialties span the early modern period from the Renaissance through the French Revolution and Napoleonic era, and include the Atlantic World, Enlightenment, and revolutions. My research interests include absolutism, the emergence of political economies in Restoration Britain, and the relationship between Enlightenment and revolution, whether in politics, economy, or society.

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

I have recently submitted an article for review that focuses on the ways in which Charles II engaged in absolutist practices as the restored English monarch throughout his reign, whether we are talking about his manipulations of the English Parliament or his control of the municipalities. In a recent conference paper, I also looked at the question as to whether or not the emergence of free trade theory during this same period came from supporters of the Crown as an alternative Tory political economy. 

I, along with my colleague, Dr. Jennifer Edwards, Professor of Sociology, am writing an article about the value of establishing a Centers for Women's Studies at regional universities. In addition, over the summer, I am starting a new project that will look at women's participation in the English Enlightenment and their role in cataloging knowledge. This exciting endeavor will require new archival research and engagement with new sources that have not been explored through this lens.

Share about innovative focus experiences in your classroom.

Teaching early modern European history is a challenge because although the very foundations of our own government, economy, and society reside in this period, students can sometimes feel disconnected from the period. Therefore, even in survey courses, I have students engage with source material from the period we are studying, providing some hands-on experiences for students that teach them historical skills and practices. Students analyze documents, engage with visual sources, and listen to oral interviews whenever possible. 

I also create immersive learning experiences for students whenever possible. For example, when I teach Renaissance-Reformation, I take students to the Philbrook Museum in Tulsa, which has an incredible collection of Italian Renaissance art. Rather than lecture about artistic technique, we study the actual paintings and discuss techniques and themes of the art.  In my Atlantic World class, a central theme is cultural exchange. One way of illustrating cultural exchange is to look at the metamorphosis of foodways due to the interaction between the Americas, Europe, and Africa. I host students for an Atlantic World supper, where we eat the quintessential Atlantic World dish, gumbo. It is a true melting pot of a dish that is served with rice and cornbread. By the time we have this supper, they have learned the vital role of rice and corn in the Atlantic World economy and how enslaved Africans brought rice and okra seeds in their hair to the Americas. 

I am also a proponent of immersive service learning experiences. For example, in the Atlantic World course, students spend time at the local historical site, Hunter's Home, a nineteenth-century plantation. Students have helped plant the kitchen garden and the corn fields, providing a valuable service to a historical site with limited resources. Still, it also teaches students about living conditions on the plantation, nineteenth-century planting practices, the immense work required of the enslaved people who lived on the plantation, and how much maintenance it takes to run a historical site.

Dr. Mai Anh VuTran

Associate Professor, Technology

Certified Hazardous Material Manager

Lindsey Price

Senior, Business Administration

Courtney Hamby

Assistant Professor, Management

Society for Human Resource Management Certification

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA)

Northeastern State University’s partnership with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) has had another successful year with the support from College of Business faculty, Amber Whisenhunt. There have been numerous taxpayers in the NSU community that have benefited from VITA, in order to have their taxes completed for free.

This partnership has also enabled current accounting majors an experiential learning opportunity during their degree. Incorporated into the accounting tax practicum course, students are able to gain 10 weeks of tax return experience with real world clients.

Since 2007 on NSU’s Broken Arrow campus, the VITA program has been facilitated through different NSU faculty. Amber Whisenhunt has looked after the program since her hiring in 2019. A tax professional herself, she sees VITA as a long-term opportunity for students to improve their skills in the tax field by getting IRS training and certification while volunteering their time to help others.

An NSU alumni, who is now involved as the program manager for VITA is Victoria Annesley. After being introduced to the program while being a student, she continued to volunteer after her graduation and now works full time for the initiative. Victoria says she “loves what the program offers not only to students with hands-on learning experiences, but also helping out the community by allowing taxpayers to not have to pay fees to file their taxes.”

The VITA partnership is also a chance for students hoping to receive their Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to fulfill the requirements in order to sit for the exam. Students are able to work towards their CPA, during their college courses so they can receive their CPA faster.

Senior Anthony Zumwalt, an accounting major from Broken Arrow, is one of the students currently taking this class with the aspirations to receive his CPA. When asked about his overall experience with the course he said, “The VITA program has been a wonderful experience for me and has enriched my learning and future in several ways. First, VITA has been a valuable supplement to my tax accounting I class, acting as a sort of experiential laboratory for what is taught in the course. Secondly, my experience with the VITA program helps me fulfill the requirements to sit for the CPA exam, which is my ultimate goal. Lastly, I am a servant at heart, so having the opportunity to help lower income individuals complete their tax returns at no cost is a great way for me to give back to my community.”

The VITA program has been an important part of the NSU curriculum since its integration with the accounting program. It has made an impact on NSU's students, faculty and alumni, with those who become involved remaining active within the program. There are students that continue to volunteer their time after they complete the course and even those who are involved after their graduation from NSU.

For more information about taking the accounting tax practicum course or a volunteering opportunity, open also to non-accounting majors, please contact Amber Whisenhunt at whisen05@nsuok.edu.

NSTI Camp / ODOT Grant

Northeastern State University will host the National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) Camp for 30 high school students between grades nine to twelve. Led by the Environmental, Health, and Safety Management program director, Dr. Doug Martin, the camp will host the students on NSU’s Tahlequah campus.

The academic camp will provide the opportunity for the bright students from Northeastern Oklahoma to learn more about the U.S. transportation system through several activities, workshops and field trips.

During the camp, students will increase their knowledge through field trips to the Tulsa Port of Catoosa and to a bridge construction project. Students will also be able to attend a laboratory covering flight dynamics and aviation and complete marker-space laboratory activities. Several workshops to discuss driver safety and robotics are also on the itinerary, along with the impact of transportation on supply chain management.

With a science based educational experience, the students are positioned to broaden their horizons while exploring their interest in the U.S. transportation system.

College credit is available for the high school students attending the NSTI Camp with a variety of workshops to prepare them for their future endeavors. While getting a taste of NSU’s vibrant campus, they will build their knowledge on ACT preparation, time management, library skills development and possible career opportunities in the U.S. transportation system.

The camp will be free for students chosen to attend from the rigorous selection process. A grant from the Federal Highway Administration will cover the cost of accommodation, food and the activities planned during the students stay. The camp is also sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

Other than the vast educational development opportunities, the NSTI Camp also aims to promote team building and growth among the young minds attending. Fostering connections within the students who come from high schools around Northeastern Oklahoma will encourage future cooperation and teamwork. Recreational activities such as a ropes course and attending a play or musical will push the students outside of their comfort zone.

The NSTI camp is a wonderful event supported by the Federal Highway Administration and Oklahoma Department of Transportation. With NSU’s knowledgeable faculty and position to provide a unique insight into the U.S. transportation industry, the camp is bound to shape the future of these attending students positively.

For further information on the NSTI camp please email Dr. Doug Martin at marti223@nsuok.edu or visit the website.

Click here to learn more about the NSTI Camp!

Curriculum & Instruction

Dr. Lisa Bisogno co-presented with the AACTE Government Relations and Advocacy Committee on the topic of 'Confronting Teacher Prep Challenges: Advocacy and Strength in Numbers: A Learning Lab Series to Support Your Pathway to Teacher Preparation Advocacy' at the AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dr. Bisogno was also re-elected as chair of the AACTE Government Relations and Advocacy Committee.

Dr. Renee Cowan (Reading) is assisting at the Oklahoma School for the Blind to screen students with special needs in literacy.

Dr. Anita Ede (Early Childhood Education) is taking a course titled, The Online Classroom: Strategies for Higher Ed. Teaching and Learning, offered by Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Ehteshami’s Diversity Counseling Class hosted a cultural celebration in Tahlequah. Food presentations over diverse populations were done. Across many cultures food is a way to bring others together, and this celebration was a great example of that.

Dr. Jarilyn Haney (Special Education) and Dr. Renee Cowan (Reading) received the Oklahoma Teacher Connection (OTC) Collegiate Grant and will continue to provide professional development sessions and coaching to novice teachers during the spring academic term.

Drs. Jericho Hobson (Teacher Education) and Dr. Christine Gleason (Curriculum and Instruction) with NSU students Rachel Clousing, Hannah Furgerson, Eden Lawson, and Karena Membrila participated in the Family Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Night at Liberty Elementary School in Broken Arrow.

Dr. Brandi McCombs (Curriculum and Instruction) attended First Educational Resources’ seminar, “English Learner Summit.”

Dr. Meagan Moreland (Eddings Endowed Chair of Recruitment and Retention) represented NSU on Tulsa’s Channel 6 (KOTV) with an outstanding presentation about education. See the story on Channel 6’s website here.

Dr. Jason Proctor (Teacher Education) was officially named an International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Certified Educator in January. The process combined fourteen weeks of professional learning combined with a six-month portfolio development and peer review process.

Dr. Stephan Sargent (Reading), is a Co-PI on a multi-year National Science Foundation Grant for $1,173,385 awarded to NSU’s Gregg Wadley College of Science and Health Professions. This grant supports the preparation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors who will secondary mathematics or science. Others on the leadership team include Dr. Martha Parrott, Dr. Spence Pilcher, and Dr. Luke Foster.

Dr. Mike Cameron, Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies, hosted the annual Green Country Jazz Festival on March 5 and 6, 2023. Cameron coordinated logistics for Guggenheim 'Genius Grant' award winning saxophonist Miguel Zenon to perform with the panel of judges on March 5 and with the NSU Jazz Ensemble on March 6 as well as arranged specifics for performances and clinics of 14 area high school jazz bands.

Dr. Cameron and Miguel Zenon

NSU Student participants, Dr. Cameron, and Miguel Zenon

Ed Fite, Dr. Denise Deason-Toyne, and Barb Daily from Save The Illinois River (STIR) and Beth Rooney from the Spring Creek Coalition spoke with Dr. Christine Hallman’s Water Issues course in late February and early March where they shared their experiences, insights, and passion for waterways in eastern Oklahoma.  As a result, students engaged in conversations about environmental problems, solutions, and legal issues related to local rivers and were empowered to take an active role in resolving local water concerns.

Dr. Jennifer Edwards holding award

Dr. Jennifer Edwards, Professor of Sociology, received the Minority Mentorship Grant Award, along with NSU alumna Gemini Creason-Parker, from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. Edwards will be mentoring Gemini as she completes a research project on ban the box initiatives. Gemini earned three bachelor’s and two master’s degrees at NSU and she is currently a Ph.D student at Texas A&M University.

Dr. James T. Lindroth, Professor of Music, was an adjudicator at the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Association District 6 Solo and Ensemble Music Contest in Claremore, OK on March 4, 2023.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Professor of Drama, judged the annual Oklahoma State Shakespeare Competition held at Sand Springs High School. The competition is a state level qualifier for the National English-Speaking Union competition. The ESU National Shakespeare Competition is a performance-based education program. High school students develop analytical and communication skills by performing Shakespeare at the school, community and national levels. Since 1983 more than 360,000 students have brought the timeless works of Shakespeare to life.

Dr. Audell Shelburne, Professor of English, had two poems accepted for publication. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Redux” and “The Fool” will appear in the April 2023 edition of Verse Virtual.

Geography & Political Science Department

On March 2nd, Geography & Political Science Department hosted a virtual NSU alumni panel where two geography graduates and two political science graduates discussed their career paths and experiences after graduation.  Participants shared advice for future graduates and how important a liberal arts education has been to their success enabling them to think critically, problem solve, and adapt.

On March 6th, the Geography & Political Science Department held a GIS Workshop in collaboration with the College of Business and Technology where Dr. Siewe Siewe led a discussion on GIS applications relating to business and technology. He, Dr. John McIntosh, and Dr. Christine Hallman guided workshop participants through a site location GIS exercise.

Dr. Lizz Waring and students from the River Studies and Leadership Certificate program attended the River Management Symposium in San Antonio. Emma Mills, a senior in the integrative bio program, presented a poster on "A Three Month Assessment of Litter Levels on the Illinois River, Tahlequah, Oklahoma", Keegan Stallings, a junior in the Freshwater Science program, presented a poster on "Macroinvertebrates prefer native Quercus stellata leaf litter over invasive Ailantus altissima leaf litter" and Viktoria Stallings, a junior in the Freshwater Science program, presented a poster on "Bugging out: Examining seasonal changes in macroinvertebrate communities in Town Branch Creek, Tahlequah, OK".

From left to right, Dr. Waring, Austyn Rice, Keegan Stallings, Viktoria Stallings, Emma Mills, and Ainsley Cunningham.

Dr. Alissa Proctor

Professor

2023 Oklahoma Medal for Excellence Award Winner

Pictured from left to right: Haelyn Depreist-OSI, Aaron Meyer-OSIV, Taylor Haddock-OSI, and Cori Dorrell-OSII.

NSUOCO Students Attend Kansas Optometric Association Day at the Legislature

NSUOCO students attended the Kansas Optometric Association Day at the Legislature in Topeka, Kansas recently. At this event, students joined Kansas optometrists from across the state to advocate for eye care patients and professionals, and build relationships with government officials. Events like this help modernize and bring awareness to the profession.

Faculty, Staff and Students Invited to participate in the 50th Annual Symposium on the American Indian

The American Indian Heritage Committee invites all faculty, staff and students to attend the 50th Annual Symposium on the American Indian, to be held April 10-15, 2023. This year’s theme, “Envisioning Indigenous Futurity”, offers time to reflect on our past, evaluate the present, and look forward to the future with hope.  Through this theme, we seek to explore the concepts of futurity within a variety of disciplines, including history, cultural anthropology, leadership, Tribal sovereignty, research, sustainability, and community development, among others. We will celebrate fifty years of scholarship, broadening perspectives, community building, diversity, and culture since the annual symposium and gatherings of Native American knowledge-carriers began at NSU. Keynote schedules are listed below! All events are free and open to the public, more info can be found at NSU Symposium.

Wednesday | April 12 | 9:30 am - 11:00 am
Indigenous Community Futurity: Kin-Space-Time
Dr. Laura Harjo, Muscogee (Creek) Nation
Associate Professor, University of Oklahoma

Thursday | April 13 | 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm
Native Arts: Holding Our Futures in Our Hands
Dr. Miranda Belarde-Lewis, Zuni and Tlingit
Assistant Professor, University of Washington

Friday | April 14 | 11:00 am- 11:50 am
Land Back: Histories of Restoring Indigenous Presence
Dr. Doug Kiel, Northwestern University
Oneida Nation, Assistant Professor of History

CERT Youth Day Camp

The camp is geared to students who want to help their school and family become more prepared for emergency situations. Students will learn about community action planning and gain basic emergency response skills. At the end of the camp, all participants, including adult chaperones, will get a 20-hour Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) certificate.

The camp is a great chance for students to develop leadership capabilities while having fun. They will leave with the basic life skills needed to improve the safety and resilience in their homes, schools, and communities. Preparing these students is the greatest gift we can give them.

Thank you

Sarah Burkhead Whittle, Instructor of Library Services, attended the 54th annual Children's Literature Festival at the University of Central Missouri on March 6, 2023. Attending this long-standing middle grade book festival will further assist Ms. Whittle as she serves as the Director for the Green Country Children's Book Festival at NSU. The second annual Green Country Children's Book Festival will take place on the NSU Tahlequah campus on October 5-6, 2023, and if anyone is interested in finding out information or volunteering, please email bookfestival@nsuok.edu.

Maria Souliotis (Instructor of Library Services) authored two original haiku in a 2020 graduate student poetry competition that were chosen for republication in a special issue of Library Trends, Volume 70, Number 4. The haikus, centered on the special issue's theme ("The Joy of Information"), appear alongside winning entries by other students in the sections entitled "Interlude 2: Student Haiku" and "Interlude 3: Student Haiku." All winning haikus can be viewed in the image gallery at the blog of Dr. Jenna Hartel, one of the issue's editors.

A new passageway- I wade into this stream of Knowledge. Refreshing! Maria Souliotis Master of Library Science, Texas Woman's University (United States) (image from Jenna Hartel's Blog)

On a single string We grew a set of new pearls: The fruits of the search. Maria Souliotis Master of Library Science, Texas Woman's University (United States) (image from Jenna Hartel's Blog)

This year, the International Student Organization and Office of International Programs partnered up to celebrate International Women's Day on March 8, 2023. The International Student Organization's diplomats (Belinda Jayaprakash, Emilia Cosatto Corzo, Alisha Moldakhmetova, Jamie Lam, and Christopher Yang), provided a cake, decorations and variety of flowers to give out to all the NSU women on campus in hopes to make them feel recognized and celebrated on such an important day.

The Office of International Programs is happy to collaborate with our student organizations and to celebrate important dates such as International Women's Day.

RASP is getting excited for Employee Recognition on April 27, 2023 and ready to announce all the faculty and staff that have worked so hard to be awarded a grant this past year. Some of the grants awarded have provided for things like:

• upgrading and enhancing the technology on NSU’s campus,
• summer camps for transportation careers and other STEM interested students
• A Center for Teaching Excellence assisting aspiring or practicing teachers
• Create a resource room for students on Muskogee campus who need basic items like food and hygiene items
• Further faculty research and provide positions for students to gain immersive learning experiences
• Scholarship aid for students

And so much more. YOU have brought outside funding into the communities you serve that would not have been possible without your hard work and dedication. Faculty and staff writing grants is not easy, and much of the process is done on personal time. We want to say THANK YOU to all the faculty and staff serving on grant programs and to all the behind the scenes offices that contribute to the grant application process.

For those of you on the fence about putting the work in to write a grant, contact us. We can provide many services to make it easier and save you time. You can visit our website at https://offices.nsuok.edu/research/default.aspx or simply give us a call.

Thank you for the impact you make in our service areas to further the mission at NSU. You are all truly appreciated.

Jessica Secratt and Allison Hamilton
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

Academic Spotlight: 2023 Oklahoma DaVinci Institute Awardees

NORA Presentation

Ethics team members Cristy Hollan, Thangham Varghese, MacKenzie Moore, and Jillian Murray

During the 8-weeks of the course, students completed background research on the NORA organization and attended their annual summit, where they analyzed and collaborated to create a presentation for the NORA board. Dr. Ron Cambiano, who assisted the creation of the class said, “As a form of “flipping the classroom” the class initiative involved learning outside the traditional classroom setting and served as an effective process for further developing the student’s knowledge and skills. The immersive learning opportunity promoted learning through practical real-life business and community scenarios and allowed the student team to apply theory to practice techniques that were grounded in business subject content.” The 2022 NORA Regional Summit held on October 25, was a great experience for the students to get exposure to industry leaders and also listen to numerous guest speakers. The summit also included specialized focus groups that were led by state or national content experts and featured a facilitated discussion that allowed for interaction between summit participants and 5 NSU students. The speakers included Oklahoma State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, NSU President Dr. Steve Turner, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Futurist Gary Golden. The summit allowed students to identify common themes found within regional Northeast Oklahoma in education, housing, workforce and childcare. The summit was also a great networking opportunity for students to mingle with representatives from the GRDA, AEP Public Service of Oklahoma and Har-Ber Village Museum, among numerous others.

With a plethora of information, the class condensed and found recurring themes they identified throughout the summit. They explored the issues, barriers to change the current situation, what was working right now and new solutions they could see working. The course combined knowledge from previous business courses including problem solving, statistics and critical thinking, requiring students to apply their knowledge to a real-world situation. With this experience, students would be more prepared for the workplace by being exposed to professional focus groups, along with hearing from highly qualified speakers. One of the class students Nicole Harkreader agreed with this saying, “The NORA learning experience let me see into real problems rural Oklahoma was facing and apply what I have learned my past 3 years at NSU to gather data, analyze, and problem solve something that was real and not out of a textbook. I learned more skills during the NORA project that I can apply to a real career because it was so hands on with real life scenarios”. A final assignment was completed by all students, comparing a similar organization in a surrounding state and identifying where NORA could improve or implement new ideas to the summit. An international component, choosing a similar organization in another country, was also completed by 3 of the students to add a global perspective. This opportunity to provide students access to experiential learning is one way to ensure NSU graduates are able to adapt to the workforce easily and be better equipped to navigate their first few years after graduation successfully.

With the plans to continue and explore more experiential learning opportunities within the College of Business, there is much to look forward to for current and future students. For further information on experiential learning opportunities, internships and classes, email cbt@nsuok.edu.

Fall Ethics Competition

One of the best-kept secrets at Northeastern State University is the Ethics team. The Ethics Team consists of teams of three to five students who prepare and discuss real-life ethical cases against other teams and universities across the country. Ethics Bowl members are from all majors, ages and backgrounds across NSU. Students who are looking to improve their research and presentation skills, apply to graduate school, prepare for job interviews, or want to have fun while representing NSU are welcome to participate.

This past fall, Northeastern State University was well represented at the state and regional Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, placing 5th at the state competition and performing well at the regional competition held in Indianapolis. The state competition was hosted at the Broken Arrow campus of NSU and brought teams together to explore a variety of ethical topics from the past and present while earning course credit.

There were four undergraduate students supported by two faculty members who met once a week throughout the Fall semester, in order to prepare for the competition. The format of the competition features each team researching topics provided by the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl (IEB) Board. After learning the ins and outs of each case, the students needed to find responses for each case that could be backed up by ethical theories. This would be used when going up against another team in the competition as they have to respond to a given ethical prompt for each round. The match ups, while having similar elements to debating, differ in that you are not trying to directly compete in an affirmative and negative side, but instead have to come to a conclusion that both teams see as the correct response to the prompt with an ethical backing.

One of the faculty supporting the team, Brian Vickers highlighted that this was where the Ethics Bowl is unique as it builds the skill of, “not instantly judging a situation and instead evaluating it from the eyes of all stakeholders involved and to come together to find a common thread of right and wrong to work through, in order to collectively win.” Mr. Vickers was able to provide a unique perspective as a former participant virtually in the 2020 competition and has been involved with the NSU team as a faculty advisor.

Also coaching the team was, Dr. Tena Wooldridge. Dr. Wooldridge has been coaching the team for three years. “I love how the Ethics Bowl brings students together from different backgrounds and provides the opportunity to develop their persuasive skills- something that serves everyone well regardless of their ultimate career path. We have students who are outgoing, shy, funny, serious, male and female from all academic areas and end the semester as a sort of family with life-long friendships.”

There are many skills to gain from competing in the Ethics Bowl, from personal to professional that will benefit students in the workplace. Critical thinking and interpersonal skills are tested from the dynamic nature of the competition and needing to present your responses alongside your team. This year's participants came from various backgrounds in terms of age, major and cultures. Mackenzie Moore, a Senior graduating this Spring with a degree in homeland security, said, “I gained a lot from being on NSU’s Ethics Bowl team” with her expressing how she enjoyed being exposed to intercultural perspectives and increasing her preparedness for the workplace with this real experiential learning opportunity outside of the classroom. Mackenzie is applying to complete her graduate studies in order to pursue a career in emergency management.

With the conclusion of this year's Ethics Bowl, preparation for the next competition will begin in the fall 2023 semester. Open to all undergraduate NSU students, the Ethics Bowl is a great opportunity to build persuasive, communication and research skills while working in a team. Guided by experienced faculty, students will be able to earn up to 3 credits for participating and get the opportunity to compete for a chance to represent NSU at the National Competition, which has been accomplished once since NSU began participating in the Ethics Bowl in 2019.

Curriculum & Instruction

USDE Hawkins Project Grant

The COE has received a USDE Hawkins Project grant.  They will receive $1,512,834 over the next four years.  They will be establishing a Riverhawk Center for Teacher Excellence on the Broken Arrow and Tahlequah campuses.  The TQ location will be housed in Bagley Hall and the BA center will be in BAED.  The center will provide supplemental efforts to existing programs, scholarships, and support to undergraduate teaching majors (all 12 degrees) and Alternative Certification for Educators (ACE) students, with the objective of increasing and retaining the number of well-prepared teachers from diverse backgrounds and/or bilingual/multilingual.  According to the grant PI, Dr. Vanessa Anton, the charge will be to recruit and retain teacher candidates (undergraduate) and teachers (graduate), thereby increasing the number of teachers who will be placed in high need local education agencies (LEA's) or hard to staff schools.  They will be hiring 3 full-time employees and 8 part-time employees. Exciting!

Dr. Sherry Been shared a scholarly presentation at the Community Action Project’s (CAP) Leadership Retreat in January.

Dr. Lisa Bisogno received the $5,000 ‘Supporting Education for Students and Mothers’ that will provide curriculum for Little Rowdy and afford financial assistance to help defray the cost of attendance.

Dr. Jameie Combs has initiated multiple social immersion events for the area Deaf Community. The ASL Club, “NSU Talons,” hosts a monthly “coffee chat” with an average participation of 25-30 area participants.

Dr. Renee Cowan served as an OKLA Conference Peer Reviewer in January.

Dr. Tamra Day has submitted a manuscript based on her dissertation to the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Dr. Anita Ede completed a course in “Responsible Conduct of Socio-Emotional Research.”

Dr. Jarilyn Haney is in the process of writing and applying for two grants to benefit the Special Education Program in the College of Education.

Dr. Jericho Hobson and Dr. Jodi Legnon are participating in an Oklahoma Teacher Connection (OTC) grant that partners with the Early College High School (ECHS) of Broken Arrow and KIPP Tulsa.

Dr. Ingrid Massey and Dr. Tobi Thompson are volunteering at The College Bound academy, a charter school sponsored by Tulsa Public Schools. They recently shared an interactive workshop to aid the teachers in pedagogy of phonemic awareness and phonics.

Dr. Brandy McCombs presented, “Dual Language Learners: Strategies for an Early Childhood Educator,” at The University of Oklahoma.

Dr. Jason Proctor completed an intensive certification process to be recognized as a Certified Educator for the International Society for Technology Educators (ISTE).

Dr. Sarah Ramsey presented a professional development session focused on brain-based reading brain to the faculty at Creekwood Elementary School in Broken Arrow. She will follow this presentation with subsequent coaching and assistance as they implement phonological awareness/phonics activities in their classrooms.

Dr. Stephan Sargent has completed seven courses in school accreditation for Cognia (formerly North Central School Accreditation) and is assisting Oklahoma schools in obtaining or renewing their accreditation status.

American Indian Studies 2023 Conference

The American Indian Studies 2023 Conference was held February 1-3 at Arizona State University in Tempe. With funding from the Center for Tribal Studies, Dr. Dave Corcoran and Dr. Justin McBride brought three NSU students, all tribal citizens, to participate in this annual event. Students attended sessions, engaged in discussions, and made connections with scholars and students from across regions and nations. In one panel, "Colonial Bordering of Indigenous Spaces," Drs. Corcoran and McBride along with graduating senior Joseph Cloud presented on various aspects of the Mapping Tahlequah History Project, which is based at NSU. Graduate student Kaleb Proctor and senior Leslie Bigaouette joined the NSU contingent. In addition to attending the conference, the NSU group visited the Heard Museum and enjoyed desert vistas from the South Mountain Park and Preserve.

Panel at AISA Conference (left to right): Nora Cherry, ASU School of Music, Dance & Theatre; Dr. Justin McBride, NSU Associate Professor of English; Dr. Farina King, OU Associate Professor of Native American Studies; Joseph Cloud, NSU Senior; Dr. Dave Corcoran, NSU Assistant of History; Kaleb Proctor, NSU Graduate Student.

NSU Contingent at South Mountain Park & Preserve (left to right): Kaleb Proctor, Leslie Bigaouette, Joseph Cloud, Dr. Justin McBride, Dr. Dave Corcoran.

Dr. James T. Lindroth, Professor of Music, had an article entitled "All About Stress" published in the February 2023 issue of the Percussive Arts Society's journal Percussive Notes.

Dr. Christopher Malone, Professor of English, published a review of D.S. Butterworth's recent poetry collection, Drunken Man on a Bicycle, in The Cafe Review (Winter 2023).

Drama majors Serena Jones, Isaac Palmer, and Cooper Romo performing.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Professor of Drama, directed a production of The Bully Show, a play for children. The team will be touring the production to area elementary schools in efforts to address the growing problem with bullying behavior that is present in the public-school system. Following each performance, the cast engages in a discussion with the audience about the topics addressed in the play.

Dr. Audell Shelburne, Professor of English, published three poems— “Glazed with Rain Water,” “Gardening in Lubbock, Texas,” and “Reflections on a Pine (After The D.H. Lawrence Tree, 1929, Georgia O’Keefe)”—in the January 2023 edition of Verse Virtual (https://www.verse-virtual.org/). A fourth poem, a cherubin titled “Water from Rocks,” was accepted for publication and will appear in a The Poetry in Prose, a forthcoming collection published by Dos Gatos Press.

​Grant Awarded: National Science Foundation Increasing and Inspiring Highly Effective Secondary STEM Teachers​​ for High-Need, Culturally Diverse School Districts

Dr. Martha Parrott (PI and Professor of Mathematics), Dr. Spence Pilcher (Co-PI and Professor of Chemistry), Dr. Luke Foster, (Co-PI and Associate Professor of Mathematics), and Dr. Stephan Sargent (Co-PI and Professor of Reading) have been awarded a National Science Foundation grant to support the preparation of STEM majors who will prepare to teach middle school or high school mathematics or science. This program will provide much needed scholarships and unique educational opportunities to prepare STEM teachers who will serve students in our high-need areas as well as our high percentage of socially disadvantaged minority students in the Oklahoma Reservation areas. NSU's Gregg Wadley College of Science and Health Professions has collaborated with the College of Education in the development of these program experiences. The intended award amount $1,173,385 (Yr 1-5) with years 4 and 5 contingent upon availability of funding.

Spring 2023 Biology and Chemistry Seminar Series

The Spring 2023 Biology and Chemistry Seminar Series began on January 27 on the Broken Arrow campus. The first talk was delivered by the Science faculty [Drs. Martin, Green, Kim, Iyer, Wijayasekara, and Ms. Lydia Ostmo (representing Dr. Das-Bradoo)] sharing an overview of the research carried out in their labs. The second talk in the seminar series was on February 10. It was delivered by six graduate students of the Department of Natural Sciences. Each graduate student talked about their academic journey, graduate research, and future career goals. Both these talks were well received by the audience which comprised mainly undergraduate students. The Biology and Chemistry Seminar Series on the Broken Arrow campus is organized by Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo.

Jonathan Crosse representing Dr. Iyer’s lab

Lydia Ostmo representing Dr. Das-Bradoo’s lab

Sarah Faubion representing Dr. Kim’s lab

Andrew McQueen representing Dr. Martin’s lab

 

Kelsey Jackson representing Dr. Ruskoski and Kirk’s lab

Ashley Kennedy representing Dr. Green’s lab

Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo’s collaborative research with Dr. Julio Morales (University of Oklahoma Health Sciences) was selected by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) to represent OK-INBRE at the National IDeA Symposium of Biomedical Research Excellence 2022 conference. Dr. Das-Bradoo gave an oral presentation on “Mutations in DNA polymerase epsilon elucidates the roles of the non-catalytic module in the eukaryotic replisome" on December 13, 2022. 

Drs. Janaki Iyer and Jessica Martin hosted a group of twelve sixth graders from Immanuel Lutheran Christian Academy for an exploration of cells and microscopy. The students learned how to use microscopes and explored plant and animal cells.

Dr. Elizabeth Waring co-authored a paper titled “Assessing impacts of climate change on selected foundation species and ecosystem services in the South-Central USA” in the journal Ecosphere. This work was supported by the south-central climate adaptation science center at OU and was co-authored with other scientists in OK, TX, and LA.” Link to paper!

Dr. Weihuan Zhao awarded $7,750 from University of North Texas through the Center for Disease Control. The project aims to develop a novel phase change material (PCM) integrated firefighting glove to remarkably improve the protection for firefighters' hands from injuries caused by high-temperature operations.​

NSUOCO Student Awarded Dr. Frank D. Fontana Memorial Scholarship at Heart of America Eye Care Congress

Aubry Tackett holding award

2023 NSU Centurion – Dr. Alissa Proctor

Dr. Alissa Proctor

Global Specialty Lens Symposium Attendees

Dr. Alia Cappellani (left) and Dr. Latricia Pack (right) at symposium.

American Academy of Optometry Student Fellows Recognized

Pictured: (front row) Mackenzie, Abbie, RD, Stacie, Christina (back row) Dalton, Dylan, Amanda, Kelli, Blayke and Hunter. Not pictured: Jadica and Jacob.

The Academy offers the Student Fellowship program to encourage students to fully experience the annual meeting, stimulate increased participation in the meeting’s events, promote future involvement in the Academy, and persuade students to become Fellows upon graduation. This program is an excellent opportunity for students to acquire new knowledge and exposure to the latest advancements in technology through lectures, workshops, posters, and more. It is designed to serve as a guide for students as they develop their skills as optometric or vision science professionals. You must be a current optometry student and a student member of the Academy to be eligible for the Fellowship.

Optometry Students & Residents Present Clinical & Scientific Posters at Heart of America Eye Care Congress 2023

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 in February. From the 4th year students there were nine original research posters and eight contact lens cases presented. Three of our NSUOCO residents presented as well.

Each fall our fourth-year students work in groups to recruit patients for and fit specialty contact lenses as part of the NSUOCO Contact Lenses III course.  Many choose to submit an interesting case as a case report or poster to a regional or national optometric meeting.  At the February Heart of America Eyecare Congress in Kansas City, MO, eight groups of students were selected to present case report posters:

A Case of Orthokeratology and Dry Eye
Morgan Newton, Paige Fielden, Jenna Lighthizer, OD

A Scleral Contact Lens Fit on a Presbyopic Patient Previously Receiving Radial Keratotomy with Coinciding Dry Eye
Brianna Albers, Kaylee Bobbitt, Alan McKee, OD

Bilateral Corneal Ectasia Secondary to RK, LASIK, and Trauma
Lauren Bynorth, Peyton Turner, Latricia Pack, OD

Hybrid Lens Fit in a Patient with Pellucid Marginal Degeneration and High Myopia
Kevin Struble, Ameerah Al-Sadi and Sarah Krein, OD

Life-Changing Lenses: A Scleral Lens Fit on a Young Keratoconic Patient
Jenna Dougherty, Tiffany Nguyen, Taylor Vincent, Jenna Lighthizer

Reducing the Effects of Congenital Nystagmus with a Bitoric Gas-Permeable Lens
Aaron Meyer, Kelli Schaedel, Sarah Krein, OD

Scleral Lens Fitting in a Patient with Physiologically “Tight” Eyelids
Joey Nugent, Jacob Musto, Cole McKnight, Alan McKee, OD

Utilizing Tinted GP Lens Materials to Mediate Photophobia
Aubry Tackett, Madeline Smith, Story Whitson, Latricia Pack, OD

Paige Fielden (Left); Morgan Newton (Right)

Brianna Albers (Left); Kaylee Bobbitt (Right)

Peyton Turner (Left); Lauren Bynorth (Right)

Kevin Struble (Left); Ameerah Al-Sadi (Right)

Jenna Dougherty (Left); Tiffanie Nguyen (Middle); Taylor Vincent (Right)

Kelli Schaedel (Left); Aaron Meyer (Right)

Joey Nugent (Left); Cole McKnight (Middle); Jacob Musto (Right)

Story Whitson (Left); Madeline Smith (Middle); Aubry Tackett (Right)

Taylor Vincent (Left); Matt Endres (Right)

Nathan Kuykendall (Left); Will Grovenburg (Right)

Peyton Turner (Left); Paige Fielden (Right)

Tiffanie Nguyen (Left); Jenna Dougherty (Right)

Morgan Newton (Left); Story Whitson (Right)

Lauren Bynorth (Left); Jadica Piela (Right)

Resident, Dr. Matt Bills

Resident, Dr. Cedrick Mah

Resident, Dr. Amy Neideffer

Happy February!

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 more information on possible learning opportunities about this month, please visit the Smithsonian Institute.

The Assessment Team is delighted to bring you updates concerning Assessment Day 2023. Partnering with Anthology, we discussed Authentic Assessments and Experiential Learning.

Authentic assessments highlight the responsibilities or duties of professionals within a given discipline and how the knowledge learned in class applies to a real-world situation, often bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application (answering the question of “why does this matter?” or “why do I need to know this?”). 

If you missed this meeting, do not worry! You are invited to take part in furthering your understanding of utilizing authentic assessments within your courses. The Assessment Team has created two badges that both support the information presented on Assessment Day 2023. We are now able to launch the first badge: "Authentic Assessment Part 1".

To earn the Badge, you will complete an activity articulating the value of authentic assessment, identify the key elements of an authentic assessment, explain how it differs from traditional assessment, and explain how it improves student performance. Additionally, you will modify an existing authentic assessment, or develop an authentic assessment based on these criteria. Earners will choose an appropriate lesson or instructional unit and student assessment they have created and will revise it to become an authentic assessment opportunity for students. 

The learning outcomes for this badge are:

1. Articulate the value of utilizing authentic assessments to simulate experiential learning opportunities.
2. Identify the elements of authentic assessments.
3. Develop an authentic assessment.

If you wish to take part in this badge, please reach out to the Assessment Team at assessment@nsuok.edu and we can add you to the course in due time!

We are excited about this new opportunity. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!

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!

UC Basement Space for the Center for Tribal Studies

The Center for Tribal Studies has officially relocated to our new space in the Basement of the University Center.  All faculty, staff and students are encouraged to stop by.  Please be advised that this move includes staff formerly housed at the Zoe Davis House and in the Indigenous Center on the 2nd floor of the Library.  We are very grateful for the support of President Turner, Cabinet, and of course, Cherokee Nation, for making this possible.  For the first time in 30 years, the Center for Tribal Studies is physically on the main campus! 

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Northeastern State University-Broken Arrow is partnering with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to further train law enforcement officers.

Read the Press Release!

Maria Souliotis, Instructor of Library Services at the John Vaughan Library, published a review of the book Teaching Business Information Literacy (ed. Snipes, Karo, Faulkner, & Reiter) in the Journal of New Librarianship, Volume 8, Issue 1.

Brandon Martin has been selected to serve on the planning committee for the OCLC Resource Sharing 2023 Web Series, which will consist of 4-7 sessions in April through June of 2023.

​Study Abroad Tabling Event

The Office of International recently hosted two Study Abroad events, one on 2/10/23 and the second on 2/13/23. At these events we set up tables in the University Center ​Underground​ to promote study abroad through NSU and cultural awareness. At these events students could stop by on their lunch break to obtain fliers about studying abroad. On the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) flier, students were able to see the 50+ countries where they can study abroad. Bethany Worthington was also there to provide information about how our study abroad trips are all offered at NSU cost and how studying abroad is a fun and affordable way for students to travel during college while still earning college credit. Bethany has already had 9 students book appointments to learn more about study abroad and even begin planning their study abroad trips! In order to get students engaged and promote cultural awareness we also had international trivia questions students could answer in order to spin the wheel and win a prize. For example, one of our trivia questions was "What is the world's most populated country?" and the answer is "China." Once students participated in the trivia game, regardless if they guessed right or wrong, they could spin a colorful wheel with different prizes on it. Some prizes that we gave out were OIP t-shirts, international snacks, and stress balls with a world map design on them. It was a successful event that was fun and convenient for students to stop by on their lunch break. We hope to do more study abroad events in the future and will most likely do this event again as well.

Academic Spotlight: Dr. Robyn Pursley

Dr. Robyn Pursley shares about her research interests, innovative focus in the classroom, student drama productions, River City Players, and her role and responsibilities as Assistant Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. 

As Assistant Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Professor of Drama, share about your role and responsibilities.

I always identify myself as a teacher first and foremost, so my role as a professor of Drama is always the priority. We have only three faculty in our drama program, so we each have a very essential role to play in order to make productions happen with our students. I oversee costuming and properties for all of our productions in addition to directing 1-2 productions each year and teaching a variety of courses. I usually teach our courses in directing, children’s theatre, senior capstone, and arts management as well as the general education course in theatre appreciation. I also have taught University Strategies for many years.

In my Assistant Dean role, I assist with recruitment and promotions for the college as a whole. I help departments with getting information shared about their activities as well as coordinate the college presence at recruitment events.

I also serve as the Executive Director of the Sequoyah Institute, which is a presenting arts organization produced by the College of Liberal Arts. Each academic year SI brings in a performing arts series to campus. These shows are presented by professional touring artists. Our mission is to provide access to the arts and culture to the campus and Tahlequah community. Currently, the SI season is being presented at the NSU Playhouse and our Box office is located there as well. 

What is River City Players, and what is your role as Artistic Director?

River City Players is a summer music series that was first developed in the early 1980s. We describe it as a Branson-style music show. We actually present two shows in rotation throughout the summer season. One show is rock and roll music and the other is class country music. We hire a cast of 8 performers who sing and dance in both shows and we have a live band on stage as well. Our drama students make up the technical crew for the shows.

River City is one of my favorite parts of my job. We run it as a professional summer theater company and hire student performers from all over the state and even across the country. It is very different than what we do during the academic year because we develop these shows and then present them for a run of 6-8 weeks. Normally we only do a weekend of performances, so this is a great experience for our students to have. For me, it provides me the opportunity to work with students from other universities and to do a type of directing that is not typical in the academic year.

As Artistic Director I conceptually create the shows each season. I choose the songs that will be in each show and then cut each song down to the version we will present. Then I hand them off to my band director and music director to create the charts of the songs for the band and performers. I also am responsible for casting the shows and then rehearsing and putting it all together. There are a lot of logistics involved in putting on this type of event and I am fortunate to have a top-notch production team to work with each season.

River City has been going on for 40 years and is something that brings thousands of people into Tahlequah each summer. I really encourage our campus community to come out and see a show if they have never done so!

Tickets are on sale now at goriverhawkstickets.com. And keep and eye out for special preview rehearsals that we always invite our campus community to attend as our guests!

Learn more about the Drama Program at NSU!

Dr. Tim Hart recently received acceptance of an article in the Journal of General Management. His research examines how organizations are able to generate value for all of its stakeholders simultaneously by not favoring one group over another.

The article can be found here!

A CBT Graduation Celebration

The NSU College of Business and Technology (CBT) hosted a celebratory party for their FALL 2022 Graduates on the Tahlequah Campus and the Broken Arrow Campus. These celebrations were to honor and congratulate the CBT graduates in person for their accomplishments in completing their degrees.

The events were hosted by the Academic Advisors of the college, Miss Mary Hanafee, Ms. Brandi Moore and Ms. Susan Chitwood. Our CBT Dean, Dr. Janet Buzzard, and Associate Dean, Dr. Dilene Crockett were both there to greet the Graduates. We had several CBT Faculty members in attendance as well.  

The college presented the 24 graduates in attendance with a CBT Necktie or CBT Scarf. Refreshments were provided as well as photo opportunities, games, and great conversations. It was great to share the excitement of the students as they move forward into their career paths. 

The plan is for this to be an event that the College of Business & Technology hosts each semester to honor their Graduates. 

Brandi Moore (CBT Academic Advisor) assisting Itzel Sanjuan (Fall 2022 CBT Graduate) clean paint off her hand.

Fall 2022 Graduates LaRissa Scott and Alex Paris holding door prizes.

David Koch - Bachelors of Business Administration in Business Administration

Sameed Siddiqui - Bachelors of Business Administration in Information Systems; David Koch - Bachelors of Business Administration in Business Administration; Christina Ruiz, Masters of Business Administration in Business Administration; Brian Vickers, Instructor for the College of Business & Technology

Educational Leadership

Department of Educational Leadership faculty, Dr. Kari Henry Hulett and Dr. Maria Gray presented "Convening Systems Together: Collaboratively Leading for Success in Higher Education" at the Oklahoma Women In Higher Education fall Conference in November.  The conference was held in Edmond. 

Curriculum & Instruction

Dr. Sherry Been reviewed four chapters of Hoffman and Whittingham’s The How and Why of Teaching Emergent Literacy.

Dr. Sherry Been presented findings of a research study at the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers in Denver, Colorado, entitled, “Teacher Candidates’ Reflections Concerning Banned Book Lists in Elementary and Middle Schools.” 

Drs. Lisa Bisogno, Jericho Hobson, Jodi Legnon, Kelli Carney, and Vanessa Anton received $7,920 for the Early College Teacher Pipeline that will fund workshops for 9th and 10th grade students as well as fees for “Grow Your Own” courses offered for Broken Arrow Public Schools and KIPP Tulsa.

Drs. Cowan, Massey, and Ramsey are currently in LETRS training, a reading program offered through the State of Oklahoma.

Dr. Tonya Garrett is conducting eight math workshops for in-service teachers through the Oklahoma Schools Advisory Council (OSAC) for PK-8th grades.

Dr. Tonya Garrett attended the Learner First Math Summit last fall.

Dr. Jodi Legnon, Dr. Ede, and Dr. Sherry Been submitted a research article, “The ABCs of Empathy,” to Teacher Advocate.

Dr. Brandy McCombs attended a live interview with Joy Osofsky entitled, “How to Heal Childhood Trauma”; with the MINDinMIND Organization.

In December, Dr. Brandy-Lea McCombs mentored a family through STL234 Outreaches Ltd. The focus was establishing a trauma-responsive environment within their home.

Dr. Kim Phillips attended the annual Reading Conference at Rose State College on Sept. 23rd hosted by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. She also serves on the conference planning committee.

Dr. Sarah Ramsey is completing her final year of Dyslexia therapist certification.

Dr. Sarah Ramsey, Dr. Stephan Sargent, and Dr. Renee Cowan all have students providing clinical services in reading to area schools.

Dr. Stephan Sargent presented the finding of two research studies at the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers in Denver, Colorado, was elected to be the co-director of the Adolescent/Adult Reading Division, and asked to write a chapter in an edited book that will be forthcoming.

Dr. Stephan Sargent’s senior reading methods class and their involvement at Rhoades Elementary in Broken Arrow was featured in a media story on Fox-23 in Tulsa and the KRMG Radio Station.

Dr. Tobi Thompson is working with Leach Public Schools as they adopt effective reading interventions.

A sampling of the cards donated by participants in the card drive.

Dr. Christine Hallman, Professor of Geography & Sustainability Studies, organized a holiday card drive for the second year at NSU. She received 317 holiday cards signed or created by NSU students, faculty, staff along with Tahlequah community members and schools.  The cards were distributed to the Tahlequah Hospital, Cherokee County Nursing & Rehab Center, New Century Hospice (Tulsa and Muskogee), and active-duty Army soldiers.  This was a very meaningful way for our NSU and local community to share hope and joy with elders, veterans, active-duty service members, and those who are in hospitals.  Our second year for distributing holiday cards was so successful that we plan to continue it every December. 

Hunter's pieces that were included in the magazine issue.

Chinese Watercolor Quarterly magazine published six paintings by Lance Hunter, Professor of Art, and his bio in an article about top American watercolor artists in 2022.

Dr. Maureen Johnson, Assistant Professor of English, will present "'A story that demands to be told': Teaching Embodiment through Memoirs" virtually at the 2023 Conference on College Composition and Communication Conference, which is February 15-18. The paper focuses on how reading memoirs, particularly those about embodied and/or oppressive experiences, can help students comprehend different ways of existing in the world.

Drama students in performance.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, Professor of Drama, directed a production of A Bad Year for Tomatoes by John Patrick, that was presented at the NSU Playhouse the first weekend in December. The production included a graduating drama student in the leading role as well as four drama freshmen on stage in supporting roles.

The NSU Drama program, led by Dr. Robyn Pursley, Professor of Drama, and Scott Pursley, Associate Professor of Drama, coordinated and presented the annual Lights On Seminary Hall event on November 29th. The event involves various groups and individuals from the campus and local community. Drama students serve as the crew for the event. This year’s event hosted approximately 300 attendees and over 70 children for visits with Santa Claus after the event.

Drama students and Miss NSU at the visiting table for Santa.

University Singers Tour Schedule

The University Singers, under direction of Dr. Jeff Wall, Professor of Music, will engage in a performance tour at the end of January, traveling through southern Oklahoma and across Texas.

Dr. Nathan Green and Dr. Pamela Christol were awarded a 2023 OSRHE Summer Academy Grant titled, “Get Green for Blue: Outdoor STEM Investigations Connecting Water to You” that invites students entering grades 8-10 to investigate water quality issues through a STEM lens. Drs. Christol and Green have been getting positive responses from participants in the 2022 “Get Green for Blue” Summer Academy. At the culmination of the STEM Summer Academy, participants were provided with microscopes and journals to document their scientific inquiries outside of the Academy. Ava Tu, who has attended the camp twice, is seen here at the 2022 Academy, and recently her parents sent us this picture of Ava using the microscopes provided through the OSRHE and NSU. 

Ava Tu at the 2022 “Get Green for Blue: Outdoor STEM Investigations Connecting Water to You” Summer Academy.

Ava Tu using the microscope provided to participants of the “Get Green for Blue: Outdoor STEM Investigations Connecting Water to You” Summer Academy.

Drs. Janaki Iyer, Jessica Martin, Michael Morgan, and Cammi Valdez attended the Proteomics Workshop hosted by the IDeA National Resource for Quantitative Proteomics at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) on December 6, 2022.

Drs. Dianne Kirk (PI), Martha Parrott (Co-PI), and Janaki Iyer (Co-PI) have been awarded a 2023 summer academy grant titled, "Camp Biomed: A Glowing Overview," funded by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.  The academy exposes 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 gives students the opportunity to introduce DNA from fluorescent jellyfish into bacteria to make them fluorescent (glow).  "Camp Biomed" faculty received very positive feedback on their 2022 summer academy and look forward to another summer of engaging students in STEM in 2023.  They receive an unprecedented number of student applications to attend the academy.  Twenty-four students are selected to participate.  Examples of students at work are shown below.

Dr. Jessica Martin, Professor of Chemistry, and Dr. Martha Parrott, Professor of Mathematics, have been awarded a National Science Foundation grant ($287,614) to support Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences also known as CUREs. CUREs are learning experiences in which all students in a class address a research question or problem as a group. Students derive similar benefits from CUREs as from traditional research experiences such as increases in self-efficacy, skills, and persistence. These experiential learning opportunities can introduce students to research earlier and are also more inclusive since every student is able to participate. The grant award will make possible opportunities for all faculty in all disciplines to learn about CURES. Additionally, our funding provides opportunities for faculty in NSF fundable fields (natural sciences, mathematics, and computer science) to develop these exciting experiences for our students with an opportunity to be paid to develop a CURE in their courses.   

As an extension of her past work with the Get Green for Blue Summer Academy, a grant funded by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Dr. Martha Parrott supervised the Girl Scout Gold Award Project of her former summer academy student Avery Dodson, “Water Quality and Water Conservation.”  Dr. Parrott worked with Avery during the past year until such time that Avery successfully presented her work before the Girl Scout Board in January 2023.   Avery’s achievement and the support provided by Dr. Parrott on behalf of NSU is significant as it is the highest award in Girl Scouts very much like the Eagle Scout achievement in Boy Scouts.

Dr. Cammi Valdez presented a poster titled "Developing an Automated Image Analysis Tool for Cell Identification and Quantification in Mouse Retinal Vasculature” at the National IDeA Symposium of Biomedical Research Excellence 2022 virtually on December 12, 2022.

Lexi Woods-Catterlin, Assistant Professor for the NSU Speech-Language Pathology was one of the lead authors in the textbook 5th Edition Autism Spectrum Disorders Advancing Positive Practices in Education for the chapter 7: Teaching Communication to Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. 

Dr. Kelsey Buford

Assistant Professor

Faculty Spotlight

Class of 2025 - White Coat Ceremony

NSUOCO's 2nd year class, the Class of 2025, had their white coat ceremony Friday, November 18, 2022. It was a wonderful event for our 2nd year students, as you could see the excitement and pride on their faces as well as their loved ones in attendance. The white coat ceremony signifies a transition into the clinical setting for our 2nd year students as they start their clinical education seeing patients in direct patient care starting in January!

​The​ 2nd Annual Converge CE​

The event occurred November 17-19, 2022 in Tulsa, OK at the Renaissance Hotel. This joint meeting between the​ Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians (OAOP) and​ Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry​ (NSUOCO) brought together more than 250 optometrists from across the state and region as well as more than 125 optometric technicians and staff and more than 50 companies in the exhibit hall!

Dr. Selina McGee, Dr. Paul Ajamian, and Dr. Carolyn Majcher headlined the speaker line up.

Overall, the conference was a huge success with attendance levels back to pre-covid levels. It was a tremendously fun event that continues to highlight the strong partnership between NSUOCO and the OAOP. The next Converge event will happen November 9-11, 2023 in Tulsa.

Annual Oklahoma School for the Blind (OSB) Field trip to NSUOCO

On November 29, approximately 25 Oklahoma School for the Blind (OSB) students traveled to Tahlequah’s NSUOCO campus to meet with the 3rd year optometry students. The trip, which has been an annual event since 2008, was organized this year by Jonathan Hatley, OD (NSUOCO) and Faye Miller CLVT (OSB). This annual trip allows NSUOCO students to interact with OSB students in an informal manner with fun activities for both groups of students. The day’s activities included learning Body Braille where hands, hips, and feet were used to represent the dots of Braille, Braille Jeopardy where teams with OSB and OCO students competed over their knowledge of Braille, and a pizza party provided through a donation by Patsi Nix Smith. Afterward, RD Veracruz (NSUOCO OSIII) lead the OSB students on a tour around the NSU Campus.

Karlee Dearman (right) and her OSB “buddy” play a game of Braille Jeopardy

Hunter Wood (left) and David Ross (right) participate with their OSB teammates in a game of Braille Jeopardy

Many OCO Students including (from left) Hunter Wood, Drew Breedlove, Blayke Haggard, David Ross, Dalton Cunningham, Cole Powlison, Kevin Walp and many OSB students participate in a game of body Braille

Welcome Back!

The Assessment Team hopes that you enjoyed the Fall semester. The completion of another successful semester reminds us all to be thankful for hard work and dedication to your craft. Congratulations on making it to another year!

In light of past events, we have chosen to put a pause on our continuing spotlight series that highlights different assessment practices in various programs. We want to send a huge thank you to everyone who has participated thus far. If you want to be a part of this series, or want to see a specific program highlighted, please let us know at assessment@nsuok.edu!

The Assessment Team thanks those that attended Assessment Day at NSU’s Tahlequah Campus. This collaborative event took place January 5, 2023. Partnering with Anthology, we discussed Authentic Assessments and Experiential Learning.

Authentic assessments highlight the responsibilities or duties of professionals within a given discipline and how the knowledge learned in class applies to a real-world situation, often bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application (answering the question of “why does this matter?” or “why do I need to know this?”). 

If you missed this meeting, do not worry! We will be sending out the presentation slides used alongside an edited recording of the presentation. Look out for this email in the weeks to come.

Furthermore, if you are interested in expanding your current knowledge concerning Authentic Assessment, the Assessment Team is creating a badging opportunity specifically for you. More information concerning this will come in the future.

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!

*Bettinger, E., & Baker, R. (2014). The Effects of Student Coaching: An Evaluation of a Randomized Experiment in Student Advising. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 36(1), 3-19. Obtained from JSTOR.

Tom Rink, Instructor of Library Services for the NSU Libraries in Broken Arrow, volunteered and was appointed to serve as the new editor of The Pipeline, the newsletter of Beta Phi Mu International (the International Library Science Honor Society). Tom will serve in this capacity until he rolls off the board in June 2023.  Moving forward this responsibility/appointment will become an expanded duty of the past President of the Society. The most recent issue was just published at the end of November.

View The November Newsletter Here! (PDF)

Tom Rink, Instructor, Library Services, is ascending into the Presidential role of the Oklahoma Community of the Special Libraries Association and continues to serve as the Webmaster of the Oklahoma Community as well.  Tom has also been appointed to fill the vacant Secretary position for the Academic and Education Community of the Special Libraries Association for 2023.

Ricardo Oropeza, Dr. Deborah Landry, Mariia Artemova, NSU President, Dr. Steve Turner & Xuan Li

Northeastern State University welcomed the first Ukraine student as part of the Ukraine Student Scholarship Program. The Regional University System of Oklahoma’s six university presidents announced a scholarship program for Ukrainians who have been severely impacted or displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Mariia Artemova, undergraduate student from Kharkiv, Ukraine, arrived in Tahlequah on January 6th to begin her first semester at NSU. Mariia plans to study Business Administration and finish her undergraduate degree at NSU.

International Student Orientation

The Office of International Programs welcomed new international students for Spring 2023. International Student Orientation was held on January 5 & 6, 2023. Fifteen campus partners participated in our orientation and provided information to our students regarding their departments. 

We had 4 new international students start their academic journeys at NSU, including a transfer student from Zimbabwe, a freshman from China, and a freshman from Venezuela who is also joining the NSU Women's Tennis team. Additionally, our student from Ukraine was able to begin her college career at NSU. Mariia Artemova, freshman from Ukraine, was the recipient for the Ukrainian Student Scholarship at NSU. 

We are excited to welcome these students to the NSU International Student community and to the NSU RiverHawk Family.

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs would like to take this opportunity to welcome everyone back from Winter Break and wish everyone a Happy New Year. Over the coming weeks, we will be busy preparing for the yearly Oklahoma Arts Council (OAC) Grant funding cycle, the Oklahoma INBrEs, The Oklahoma Humanities Council (OHC) Grant, and the Faculty Research Committee (FRC) Grant. We still have a few spots available for anyone wanting to give a shot at an Oklahoma Arts Council grant. The Oklahoma Arts Council provides grants to eligible organizations for arts programs that take place in communities and schools.

Our office encourages new faculty to dip their toes in the water and get their feet wet by applying for a Faculty Research Committee Grant. 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. Those research activities may include systematic investigations of teaching methods, tools, and/or instructional strategies. Those who have yet to receive FRC funding receive priority. Additionally, researchers who have previously received an FRC grant and submit evidence of working with Research and Sponsored Programs (RASP) to seek extramural funding will receive priority. Click on the above link to learn more about  FRC funding, project proposal templates, and an NSU Faculty Research Funding Template.

We have some exciting things happening at NSU, with newly funded and existing grants in full swing. If you're interested in writing for a grant but don’t know where to start, please stop by our offices located in the basement of the Administration building or call us to secure funding for your next project. We look forward to 2023 and the exciting new projects and programs you will bring to our community.

Academic Spotlight: Dr. Kimberly Williams

Dr. Kimberly Williams shares about Workforce Development, Reach Higher, campus community involvement, and her role and responsibilities as Dean of Muskogee Campus.

As Dean of the Muskogee Campus, share about your role and responsibilities with WorkForce Development, Reach Higher, and the campus.

My primary position for NSU is serving as the Dean of the Muskogee Campus. This campus houses Health Science programs in Physician Assistant Studies, Occupational Therapy, RN to BSN and BSN to MSN, Speech Language Pathology, Nutritional Science, and the Master of Public Health as well as a Reading Clinic, an SLP Clinic, and our Reach Higher Organizational Leadership Bachelor of Science degree program. I have day to day responsibilities to make sure our campus is in good working order i.e. hvac is working, water is flowing, classrooms are equipped in such a way that our students can be successful. I also spend a good amount of time in the Muskogee community telling the NSU story while giving back to our community.

The Reach Higher Oklahoma adult degree completion program is a statewide initiative  designed to help adults who have earned some college credit complete a degree while balancing family, work and financial obligations. The courses in our program are delivered completely online in an 8 week format. All 10 of our courses are offered every semester (fall, spring, and summer), so students have five opportunities throughout the year to begin their coursework toward degree completion. Over the past three academic years, the program has had an average of 140 majors and 41 graduates per year.

My role in Workforce Development has been an exciting addition to my responsibilities at NSU. Our Workforce Development Task Group has been working for two years now, and we have made great strides in moving the workforce discussion into action.  

What is Workforce Development at NSU, and what are the goals and mission of the program?

Workforce Development at NSU has really taken off in the last couple of years. The University is focusing on our ability to prepare our students to go directly into a career, while also seeking out new partnerships with the employers in our community whose employees need upskilling, certificates of completion, and/or degree completion. We are excited about OSRHE’s focus on micro-credentials and digital badging, and we have already awarded many digital badges for both students and employees in several different areas. We recently hired a Workforce Success Coach, and she has hit the ground running!

OSRHE is currently drafting their strategic plan, and I’ve heard Chancellor Garrett and President Turner both mention how important a role that workforce initiatives will play in it. Because of this, NSU’s new strategic plan (effective July 1, 2023) will have specific goals and outcomes focused on creating pathways and opportunities for our students, both current and new, to reach their career goals, while also increasing our workforce talent pool.

What digital badges does NSU currently offer?

We currently offer badging opportunities for: Online Educators Certificate 1 (faculty), Online Educators Certificate 2 (faculty), Crime Scene Investigation (non-credit), Geographic Information System Certificate Level 1 (credit), Brain Based Pedagogy (credit), Classroom Teaching Certificate (credit), Classroom Management (credit), Learner-Centric Pedagogy (credit), and Differentiated Instruction Pedagogy (credit). We should have many more coming very soon this spring.

We would love to visit with anyone who has an idea for a NSU Digital Badge. The opportunities are endless!

I want to create a badge

What is the mission of the Reach Higher Program?

Reach Higher was created because more than 69,000 Oklahomans have attended college for at least two years but have not completed a degree. The benefits of this program for adults seeking to finish their degrees are numerous but include: an advisor dedicated to Reach Higher (Michelle Farris) who assists students in returning to college and in completing their degrees, flexible programming and online courses that allow students to complete their degree while keeping a normal routine and maintaining normal working hours, and relevant programming designed to help adult learners succeed in the workplace.

Of special note is the creation of the Finish Line Scholarship. OSRHE created this scholarship to help students reach their educational goals through financial assistance. The scholarship is available to any Reach Higher student who is within 30 hours of degree completion, enrolled in at least 6 hours per semester, maintaining a 2.0 GPA, and an Oklahoma resident.

Reach Higher

How is the NSU Muskogee Campus actively involved in serving the community?

Several of our Health Science programs engage in community service across Muskogee. They participate in the Muskogee Azalea Spring Cleanup each spring as the city of Muskogee prepares for their annual Azalea Festival. Our Occupational Therapy students work with the Gospel Rescue Mission to help serve food to their residents, and this past fall they organized a campus wide clean up day where they tidied up both the outside and the inside of our campus buildings. 

Our campus is also home to two clinics where services for reading and speech are provided to community members of all ages at no charge. 

As the Dean, I give back to our community by serving on several boards and advisory groups. I am the President-elect for the Muskogee Rotary Club, and I serve as the Treasurer and Executive Committee for the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors. Other civic agencies to which I give my time are: The City of Muskogee Foundation’s Education and Empowerment Committee, The Muskogee Chamber’s Women’s Leadership Committee, the Lake Area United Way’s Community Investment Committee, the Muskogee Forward Steering Committee, the Muskogee Tourism’s Advisory Council, the Muskogee Area Human Resource Association’s Board of Directors, Muskogee Area Education Consortium President (2022-2023), and the Port of Muskogee’s Workforce Center for Excellence Advisory Committee. I am also a Court Appointed Special Advocate for CASA of Muskogee and Wagoner Counties.