Rebirth: Murray Hall Adapted to New Use Excellence In and Out of the Classroom Training Ground for Successful Alumni A&S Departments Today oklahoma state university • 2008 8daaZ\Z d[ Arts & Sciences
Recalling the Past, Integral to this process, the College of Arts and Sciences underpins the university’s educational mandate with its devotion to academic excellence and innovation, as well as its determination to give all students a balanced education that includes extracurricular and interdisciplinary activities. In this issue, we highlight our illustrious College of Arts and Sciences Student Council. The members featured here, both past and present, are prime examples of how leadership opportunities nurture leaders whose successes benefit the university, the state, nation and world. Representing the intellectual core of OSU, the College of Arts and Sciences is the largest with 24 departments, more than 80 degree options, nearly 400 faculty members, more than 5,300 Embracing the Future DEAN’S MESSAGE Gary Lawson Oklahoma’s centennial anniversary, celebrated Nov. 16, 2007, provided a perfect opportunity to reflect on Oklahoma State University’s definitive role in shaping the state’s history. From 17 years before statehood to today, OSU has continued to fulfill its land-grant university mission to educate the next generation of leaders. undergraduates and 800 graduate students. Our council is equally diverse and provides each member with opportunities to reach out in limitless directions. From ecology to politics to medicine to charity, our council delves into many aspects of community while learning invaluable lessons in management, organization and communication. A groundbreaking ceremony in November formally beginning the renovation of Murray Hall symbolizes the rebirth of an OSU landmark. The $23.8 million project, partially funded through an $8.8 million bond issue by the Oklahoma Higher Education Capital Bond Program, allows the venerable old building — a history of place for many alumni — to become home to six departments within the College of Arts and Sciences. Acquiring additional space with the Murray renovation and the new Interdisciplinary Science and Research Building, currently under construction, is one of many exciting developments occurring in the past few years. Other successes include nurturing outstanding student achievement, hiring exceptional new faculty and department heads and developing new centers, such as the Center for Africana Studies and Development and the Center for Oklahoma Studies. I hope you will join me in celebrating the College of Arts and Sciences’ key contributions to the history of the university and our state. Your support and enthusiasm play a pivotal role in serving Oklahoma and encouraging growth and opportunity for our next exciting chapter. Thank you for being a part of that future. Peter M.A. Sherwood, Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
Arts and Sciences Magazine is a publication of the Oklahoma State University College of Arts and Sciences. All communications should be mailed to OSU College of Arts and Sciences, ATTN: Arts and Sciences Magazine, 005-D Life Sciences East, Stillwater, OK 74078-3015. Oklahoma State University in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. Title IX of the Education Amendments and Oklahoma State University policy prohibit discrimination in the provision of services of benefits offered by the University based on gender. Any person (student, faculty or staff) who believes that discriminatory practices have been engaged in based upon gender may discuss their concerns and file informal or formal complaints of possible violations of Title IX with the OSU Title IX Coordinator, Dr. Carolyn Hernandez, Director of Affirmative Action, 408 Whitehurst, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, 405-744-5371 or 405-744-5576 (fax). This publication, issued by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the College of Arts & Sciences, was printed by Heritage Press at no cost to the taxpayers of Oklahoma. #2061 05/08 © 2008 Oklahoma State University On The CoveR: The renovation of Murray Hall will turn the stately old residence into classrooms and offices for six departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. Photography by Phil Shockley. contents 8daaZ\Z d[ Arts & Sciences .2008 V10 President Burns Hargis Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Peter M.A. Sherwood Director of Marketing Kyle Wray Coordinator of Communications and Alumni Relations College of Arts and Sciences Lorene Roberson Editor Eileen Mustain Art Director Paul V. Fleming Associate Editor Janet Varnum Writers Alex Denkinska Matt Elliott Lisa Frein Lauren Lawson Abby Taylor Photographers Phil Shockley Gary Lawson cas.okstate.edu OSU Special Collections Thomas H. Uzzell shot this photograph of Dianna Howard at Theta Pond across from Murray Hall for the 1957 college yearbook, The Redskin. 2 Practicing the art of leadership Honing leadership skills remains central to a liberal arts education. 8 Thriving on experience Today’s students expand their opportunities through real-world experience. 13 Making the old new again Finding new uses for Murray Hall realizes the college’s need for space while fulfilling an important public component of the history department’s mission. 18 Leading by example Arts and sciences’ Regents professors show students the nature of scholarship. 22 A natural evolution Departmental seeds planted early in the history of arts and sciences thrive today. departments 2 Alumni 8 Students 10 Development 18 Faculty 22 College News 28 Memorials
alumni success Time-Tested Leadership Many of the 42,000 College of Arts and Sciences alumni refined their leadership abilities as student council participants. On the following pages, sample alumni stories thread common experiences across the decades from today’s students to the class of 1957, honored at the 2007 homecoming during Oklahoma’s centennial year. These alumni say the student council taught lessons invaluable to their lives — working in teams, defining and reaching goals, gaining confidence and building relationships that will last a lifetime. College of Arts and Sciences 2 photos/OSU Special Collections
1957 For a kid who grew up in the 1940s during an era when few rural schools offered chemistry or physics classes, Dr. Robert Purcell has made a name for himself in the world of science. Purcell, a 1957 chemistry alumnus of OSU, is the co-chief of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. The boy from Haileyville, Okla., now oversees more than 100 scientists who study and seek cures for viruses including West Nile and hepatitis. Purcell arrived at the institute in 1963. “After the first 15 years, I came to the realization that I was going to stay here,” he says. “It’s a very positive lab to work in and just an exciting place to be.” Purcell’s journey has taken him from Eastern Oklahoma A&M Junior College in Wilburton, where his love of science blossomed, to OSU and then to medical school at Baylor and Duke Universities. Land-Grant Institution Prepared Him Well In 1962, Purcell completed an internship in pediatrics at Duke Hospital in Durham, N.C. Practicing medicine was not his goal, however. Gaining invaluable medical knowledge was. The tools he gained were for his one passion — scientific research. In 1963, Purcell became an officer at the prestigious Epidemic Intelligence Service for the Communicable Diseases Center in Atlanta. After a crash course in epidemiology, Purcell’s next stop was the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, where he has been ever since. The newcomer’s assignment? Work on vaccine evaluation. The 72-year-old says his most important research findings were somewhat unexpected. Purcell recalls his mentor and lab chief, Robert Chanock, walking from lab to lab trying to convince one of the scientists to tackle hepatitis virus research. Purcell, who has played a major role in the development of all five hepatitis vaccines available today, was at the end of the line. “I was the low man on the totem pole,” he says. “Working on hepatitis A has opened up all these other possibilities,” he says. “That period was a wonderful convergence of history and science because at that time nothing — I mean nothing — was known about viral hepatitis.” Purcell holds more than 45 U.S. patents and has published more than 700 papers. He is the recipient of more than 40 honors, including the U.S. Public Health Service Distinguished Service Award and the King Faisal International Prize in Medicine, and holds membership in the National Academy of Sciences. His tenure as president of the Arts and Sciences Student Council seems a long time ago. In his two years at Oklahoma A&M, he recalls most hours were in the chemistry lab where he found a mentor in larger-than-life Virginia Lippert, who was a chemistry faculty member from 1946 until 1980. “She was very influential in my career and just an outstanding person in her own right,” he says. “I was the last class to graduate from Oklahoma A&M before the name change,” says Purcell who is proud of OSU’s landgrant history. “I see having that historic name on my diploma as a real plus. “It’s a place that put me in good stead.” Lorene Roberson STUDENT COUNCIL OSU Special Collections Oklahoma State University 3
She taught history to junior high students in Clinton, Okla. She guided fashion students at Tulsa Technology Center, Southwest Missouri State University and Colorado State University. She owned a clothing business in Springfield, Mo. Scott returned to OSU, which she calls home, in 1994. From then until last fall, as program director for the OSU Alumni Association, she oversaw homecoming events and student programs. In October, Scott started a new adventure at Texas Women’s University in Denton where she heads its alumni program. Scott’s Road to Success Started at OSU “We have lost one of our franchise players,” says Larry Shell, vice president and chief operating officer of the OSU Alumni Association. “I cannot begin to tell you how much of a loss this is for OSU. “She brought a lot of professionalism and a lot of understanding of alumni relations,” Shell says. “She was excellent in working with the students and understanding their needs. She just created a real stable environment.” Scott earned a bachelor’s degree from OSU in 1967 and a master’s degree in 1975. Her professional journey started when she served on the College of Arts and Sciences Student Council during her senior year. “The leadership opportunities that I had on the OSU campus, including the Arts and Sciences Student Council, have always stood me in good stead throughout my life,” Scott says. “The organizations I was a part of taught me management and organizational skills,” says Scott, who also was a twirler with the OSU marching band as well as a member of Mortar Board and Kappa Delta. “While I had a very good academic experience, the leadership opportunities really gave me the extras.” Scott credits Zelma Patchin, then OSU’s dean of women, and former OSU President Robert Kamm, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at that time, for providing direction. Scott worked for a time in Patchin’s office and was mentored by Kamm. Scott’s new career adventure has taken her to Texas, but the Perry, Okla., native will always love her alma mater. “OSU is terrific. There is such spirit on campus,” she says. “It will always be home.” Matt Elliott alumni success 1967 STUDENT COUNCIL Anne Scott’s career brings one life-changing adventure after another. Melissa Mourer OSU Special Collections College of Arts and Sciences 4
“When I started at OSU, I knew I was going to have to keep my nose in the books,” Ebert says. His choice of roommates, a pre-veterinary major and a pre-dental major, made simpler Ebert’s mission to keep up his GPA. “It was an easy environment in which to study,” says the Bartlesville, Okla., native. Ebert is from a brood of OSU loyalists. His father, brother and sister all earned their degrees from OSU, but he was the only one to tackle medicine. Before he started his junior year, he married his wife of 30 years, Bartlesville native and fellow OSU student, Renee. He served on the President’s Leadership Council at OSU and was a student academic adviser for incoming and undecided freshmen. He also was on the President’s Honor Roll and a member of the pre-med students’ honor society, Alpha Epsilon Delta. Following his graduation from OSU in 1978, Ebert graduated from the College of Medicine at the University of Oklahoma and completed his residency in gynecology in 1985 at the college’s Tulsa branch. But Stillwater lured Ebert back. In 1985, the young gynecologist joined the Stillwater Women’s Clinic, where he has worked ever since. “It’s always been rewarding to develop relationships with patients and their families,” Ebert says. In 2005, he stopped delivering babies but says those 20 years are some of his most memorable. “Working in obstetrics with patients and their families and being involved in starting their families was one of the most rewarding parts of the practice,” he says. As a student, Ebert could never catch enough OSU football games. And that hasn’t changed. Today, Ebert and his family are entrenched in the Stillwater community and attend as many games as they can to root for their Cowboys. Matt Elliott Tending the Next Generation of Cowboys Dr. Mark Ebert was a busy OSU pre-med student in 1974, but that didn’t stop him from getting involved in the College of Arts and Sciences Student Council. 1977 STUDENT COUNCIL OSU Special Collections Gary Lawson Oklahoma State University 5
1987 STUDENT COUNCIL alumni success Asquith, who came to OSU on a scholarship, earned a bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in history. The Muskogee, Okla., native recalls getting involved with the council her freshman year. As leader of the student body her senior year, Asquith says she learned organizational skills and how to communicate with others. “I enjoyed working with the other leaders on the arts and sciences student council,” she says, noting she particularly enjoyed beating the business student council in College Bowl. After graduating from OSU in 1987, Asquith studied law at the College of William and Mary. Following her graduation in 1990, she went to work for the federal government as an attorney on Capitol Hill. Asquith spent seven years as counsel to the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, advising lawmakers on issues such as food safety, teacher training and commodities. The committee deals with everything from farming to crop insurance to public school nutrition programs. Today, Asquith is the deputy corporate secretary for the Washington, D.C.-based Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the largest nongovernmental securities regulating agency in the country. There, working in corporate governance and policy-making, she reports to the company chief executive officer, Mary Shapiro, and deals with its 23-person board of governors. The habits she developed at OSU, including those honed in student council service, still help her today. “I developed a lot of my leadership skills during that time of my life,” she says. “Connecting with people, finding people who had the same academic interests, and bonding over things we had in common, I think that serves you well throughout life.” Marcia Asquith traces 20 years of a fast-paced career and lasting friendships back to her time as president of the College of Arts and Sciences Student Council. Building a Solid Foundation Asquith lives with her husband in Arlington, Va. Despite ending up so far away, the friendships she formed during her time on the student council still exist today. She says a few of her close OSU friends were among the guests at her wedding last summer in Virginia. “There are friends I have stayed in contact with over the years,” Asquith says. “I didn’t know I would at the time, but I did know they were people with similar interests who I enjoyed working with.” Matt Elliott OSU Special Collections Gary Lawson College of Arts and Sciences 6
1997 Learning to Accomplish Common Goals As president, Caves, an Oklahoma City native, also served as a student representative on the college’s faculty advisory council. “Some of my professors didn’t know I was involved in the student council,” he says. “And then, when I showed up for the faculty advisory meetings, they looked at me differently, knowing that we had common goals of improving the college.” The 1997 graduate says he will never forget the relationships he forged with faculty, students and staff during his time on student council. “The relationships you build with people while attending OSU carry over into the business community. You see some of them from time to time, either at business functions or at OSU events and games.” Participation in student council taught Caves how to use his science background while working with others. He says he took those skills with him to law school at the University of Oklahoma and continues to use them today as an attorney with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. He works with national and state industries, guiding them through the regulatory and permitting process for handling and discharging wastewater into streams, lakes and rivers. “It seems like everybody is in student council for a different reason, but their goals are the same. They just want to be successful,” says Caves, who resides with his wife and two children in a Victorian home they are restoring in Chickasha. “Everyone on the council wants to make a difference. They want to be helpful where they can.” Matt Elliott Student council gave Matt Caves the ability to work with people of different backgrounds, and in return, Caves diversified the council roll. Few, if any, within his college major of wildlife and fisheries ecology had previously served on the College of Arts and Sciences Student Council when Caves led the assembly in 1997. As a result, he brought a unique perspective to the table. During his tenure, the student council focused on broadening its base. “At the time only a few majors — including public relations, journalism and political science — were present in the council,” he recalls. STUDENT COUNCIL Oklahoma State University 7
Student achievement Gary Lawson Today’s Opportunities for Tomorrow’s Leaders 2007 STUDENT COUNCIL Senior Trey Lewis spent his summer in Washington, D.C., serving as an intern for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. The 22-year-old political science major helped the Democratic Party in its efforts to win a majority of the Oklahoma’s legislative seats. Lewis, a Stillwater resident, has made the most of his time on campus. In addition to his work on the arts and sciences student council, he has minors in economics and Middle Eastern studies — a new program in which he will be the first graduate. While in Washington, Lewis was able to apply what he has been learning in school toward fundraising and communication with representatives, lobbyists and the press. He says he particularly enjoyed talking with different senators and representatives who phoned the office. With all the hard work came perks, which included meeting a number of influential people such as presidential candidates Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards. Student Credits Professors for D.C. Internship “I felt like an actual employee and not just an intern,” says Lewis, who learned about the internship from Oklahoma Sen. Mike Morgan, whom he knew through the Young Democrats. With the help of Robert England, James Davis and James Scott, professors in the political science department, Lewis received OSU’s Henry Bellmon Leadership Scholarship to help pay for the high cost of living in Washington. The scholarship, named after former governor Henry Bellmon, is available to undergraduates who schedule internships at state or national levels of government. Lewis has advice for fellow students interested in receiving internships. “There are thousands of opportunities, and all you need to do is look for them. Scholarships are available to help students pay for the expeditions,” he says. “I couldn’t have done it without my professors and OSU.” Lewis plans to enter graduate school to work toward a master’s in global environmental policy. After graduate school, he wants to work in the developmental program for the United Nations. He also has fallback options, including working for the State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency or becoming a diplomat and working in an embassy. Lauren Lawson College of Arts and Sciences 8
continues next page Gary Lawson “It’s work, yet it never seems to feel like that,” Milliken says. “It’s always the type of work I look forward to doing.” The college’s diverse disciplines made for an exciting mix of peers and colleagues and gave her experience in dealing with people from other cultures. She believes her crowning achievement was organizing a conference on Islam that featured speakers from across the nation, including Sarwat Hussein with the Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. About 600 people attended the council, which featured discussions of issues dealing with popular misconceptions of the religion. Through OSU study abroad programs, she studied the European Union in Dijon, France, in 2005; 17th century news books in Cambridge, England, in 2006; and humanities in Spain and Morocco in March 2007. In June, Milliken visited China, where she taught English classes in the city of Xuzhou and made recordings for languageinstruction tapes. The twomonth trip resulted from her work in an OSU English class. Although she does not speak Chinese, she taught three classes of fourth-, fifth- and seventhgraders who had studied English throughout their schooling. She taught with the aid of an overhead projector, the internet and videos. The language barrier was surmountable, she says. She still receives occasional emails from the kids. “They tell me how their school year is going,” she says. “They’re cute emails. They are excited to share their lives and hear back about mine.” Milliken says her host family in China helped guide her through the customs and cuisine. As a blond she also was the butt of numerous Paris Hilton jokes, she says. She also visited the Great Wall and learned that Chinese clothing sizes are much smaller than sizes in the United States. “You learn a lot about yourself, too, and how you react to completely foreign situations,” she says. These days, she is on the cusp of plunging into life after college. Milliken plans to continue her teaching experience overseas. She has received a Fulbright grant and will spend next year in Indonesia as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. “No matter what path I choose, student council has provided me with invaluable leadership experience,” she says. Matt Elliott From Council to the World Christy Milliken believes becoming involved in student council exposed her to different worlds while also fueling her interest in OSU, its faculty, staff and students. Milliken, a senior English and economics major from Edmond, Okla., is a junior fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, a member of the OSU Student Honors Council and the 2007 student council historian. She helmed the arts and sciences student council in 2007, guiding it through a service project, a volleyball tournament with other college councils and a college banquet. For her council’s service project, she and her fellow students created Christmas cards for area nursing home residents. Oklahoma State University 9
Student achievement Media Degree Attracts Support, Students “When people ask me where I attend school and what my major is, I’m proud to tell them I’m an OSU student and a member of a degree program that only a few schools across the country offer,” says Chad Marshall, a sports media junior from Abilene, Texas. “By offering a sports media degree, OSU attracts more in-state students who are trying to decide between schools, as well as non-residents like me. As an aspiring sports broadcaster going into a popular field, I want to stand out from students across the country, and the sports media degree will help me do that.” Although the journalism and broadcasting department established the program only two years ago, three students have already graduated with the sports media degree and the program now has 59 students enrolled. The gift funded the school’s launch of a new undergraduate degree program in sports media, making OSU one of only two major colleges in the nation to offer the degree. It was not their first gift, nor their largest gift, but the recent $75,000 grant the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation made to OSU’s School of Journalism and Broadcasting proved to be one with the most impact. Gary Lawson “Start early,” says the public relations major. Paul says early preparation gives students a head start and puts them ahead of potential recipients. When he learned through an email that Exxon Mobil was offering an internship for public relations and marketing majors in Texas, Paul followed his own advice. The Euless, Texas, native interned last summer with the End Stage Renal Disease Network of Texas, also referred to as the ESRD Network, which gave him the task of planning a campaign to raise awareness about chronic kidney disease in Texas. “The internship experience gives you a chance to apply what you learn in the classroom,” Paul says. At the ESRD Network, Paul set up a bowling tournament called Strikeout Kidney Failure that will take place in 10 regions of Texas. In May 2008, the winners of each region competed for the title of the “the ultimate kidney fighter.” Through this experience, Paul says he gained a respect for people working in non-profit organizations as well as those who have to go to dialysis three or four times a week. “Having to beg for donations was the only downside to the program. But it was a learning experience, and now I’m better at it,” he says. Paul became interested in the public relations field because it combined everything he loved to do, including writing, planning and being around people. It also gave him a chance to be outgoing. He realized early on that these were his interests and public relations gave him the opportunity to put them all together. Through the work with the ESRD Network, he also realized he liked public relations even more than he had before he took the internship. “I’ve gained greater insight about myself through this internship,” he says. Lauren Lawson Internship Offers Insight For students interested in getting an internship, OSU junior and arts and sciences student council treasurer, Germaine Paul has a piece of advice. College of Arts and Sciences 10
THANK YOU for your support in raising more than $50,000 in private funding to create and sustain scholarships and programs for students in the College of Arts & Sciences this past year. Funding from this campaign will be used to provide nancial assistance to deserving OSU students, recruit and retain the nest professors, and acquire the best technology and resources possible. Your donation is powerful because it starts working for OSU students immediately. We applaud your commitment to the future of Oklahoma State University and its students. Look for our 2008 appeal in the mail this spring or make a donation by calling (405) 744-8214 or by logging onto http://asdevelopment.okstate.edu/ ank You For Making A Difference! EEJF Gifts to the School of Journalism and Broadcasting $52,000 in July 2003 to upgrade television studio equipment $105,000 in March 2004 to support equipment upgrades and replace all remaining analog broadcast equipment $13,000 in January 2005 to purchase a channel lighting controller board for the television studio $75,000 in September 2005 to print promotional materials $250,000 in March 2007 to help establish a professorship in sports media “This degree offers an opportunity to learn the basics of journalism and to specialize in the field of sports,” says Jordan Woodruff, sports media senior from Gans, Okla. “Learning from faculty with experience in the field gives us a head start over others who have to learn sports journalism on their own.” In addition to the $75,000 grant, the foundation is providing $250,000 in partial funding for an endowed professorship in sports media that will increase the integrity and prominence of the developing program. “The School of Journalism and Broadcasting could not provide the educational experience or grow as rapidly as it has without the generous support of the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation,” says Tom Weir, director of the school. While the journalism school will seek support from other sources for the remaining $250,000 needed to fund a professorship, the foundation has created an optimal situation to encourage the additional support. Weir’s goal for the professorship is to attract a nationally known sports journalist to serve as a cornerstone for the rapidly growing program. “We have been fortunate to develop a close relationship with the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation and have benefited from the board of directors’ generosity over the past several years,” he says. “The foundation has given the university more than $625,000, and the close relationship with the School of Journalism and Broadcasting is expected to continue far into the future.” Lisa Frein Oklahoma State University 11
College of Arts & Sciences 405.744.8214 | asdevelopment.okstate.edu 204 Life Science East Stillwater, OK 74078 With the help of scholarships I have been able to work with many distinguished history professors at OSU. My research allows a depth of study that I could not receive without financial assistance.” -Trey, ’09 History Graduate Endowing a scholarship at OSU makes your single gift historical
Elegant and modern in its early days, Murray Hall housed OSU female students for most of 50 years, from 1934 until 1984 when OSU shut the doors of the no-longer-fashionable residence hall. In its heyday, Murray’s central campus location, spacious parlor and welcoming veranda made it a natural host for dance hour and other socials. Many OSU women called it “home.” The days when residents challenged their 8 p.m. lock-down — lowering buckets out the windows for hamburgers from a local eatery or scooting in the front door just as the chimes rang — belong to the past, along with curfews and the popularity of traditional residence halls. But memories are another matter entirely, and for several generations of students Murray Hall remains a vital part of the OSU experience, a physical link to the university’s past. “No one wanted to tear down the beautiful old building,” says Tom Wikle, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Murray planning committee. “Murray, which was used for storage after closing, entered a period of neglect, but no funds were available for restoration. By the time a statewide bond issue passed in 2005, renovating Murray Hall was a university priority.” With partial funding of $8.8 million from the Oklahoma Higher Education Capital Bond Program, OSU officially launched a $23.8 million project in fall 2007 to resurrect Murray Hall. The renovation will turn the stately old residence into classrooms and offices for six departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. Respectful change When its transformation is complete in spring 2009, “Murray will once again be a state-of-the-art facility that fits in well with campus needs today and in the future,” says Mike Buchert, director of long-range facilities planning. The building will be more efficient with new windows and new mechanical and electrical systems, and it will be fully accessible to the disabled. Buchert predicts these additions to Murray’s already excellent structure will extend the building’s functional life 50-plus years. There will be changes, such as the addition of a 150-seat theater classroom and terrace on the west side of the building, but he says the neo-Georgian approach by architects PSA-Dewberry, the firm that renovated Willard Hall, will keep Murray elegant and functional. The architects have taken special care to restore original entrances, wood floors and the parlor. Alumni who are troubled by the renovation can be confident they will recognize Murray Hall, Wikle says. “Maintaining Murray’s historical integrity was a concern of the planning committee, and the architects have felt strongly about retaining some of the really significant elements. “We don’t want it changed too much. We love the look of it right now.” During WW II, OSU turned over Murray Hall to the U.S. Navy. The WAVES contingent training at OSU relax in Murray’s reception area. (Centennial Histories Series) qWhen Murray Hall opened in 1934, it brought a new degree of opulence to the OSU campus. (Centennial Histories Series) continues next page Building for the future OSU Special Collections OSU Special Collections Oklahoma State University 13 Murray Hall Transforms the College
The six departments chosen to relocate to Murray are geography, communication sciences and disorders, history, philosophy, sociology and political science. “Awareness of our location has always been a problem. No one knows where geography is,” says Dale Lightfoot, head of the department. Geography currently occupies the second floor of Scott Residence Hall, which continues to function as a residence for overnight campus guests. “Everyone knows Murray Hall, giving us a recognizable location,” he says. Similarly isolated, sociology is housed in the Classroom Building; history in the Life Sciences Building and political science in the Math Building. Philosophy and communication sciences and disorders occupy Hanner Hall, a dormitory built in 1925. “For the first time, these departments are not just being relegated to what space is available,” Wikle says. Building for the future photos / Phil Shockley A door of their own How OSU would use a renovated Murray was an open book when the committee began its work in 2005, Wikle says, noting the administration had long recognized the College of Arts and Sciences’ need for additional space. The planning committee, chaired by Joe Weaver, associate vice president of administration and finance, reached a consensus the former residence hall could ultimately provide a front door to the university’s humanities and social sciences, scattered across campus in halls and buildings identified with other disciplines. College of Arts and Sciences 14 OSU constructed Murray Hall with OSU blend brick and trimmed with crab-orchard stone in a modified Georgian style. (Centennial Histories Series))
laboratory, cartography services and the Center for Applications of Remote Sensing. After enduring Hanner Hall’s limited space and noise, including clunking window units, “We are thrilled,” says Randolph Deal, head of the communication sciences and disorders department.“Just the fact that the facility will have central air conditioning will improve the signal-to-noise ratio so necessary to effective diagnosis and treatment. The increased space will allow our speech-language-hearing clinic to serve more patients more efficiently.” Murray also will accommodate a central audio-visual control room for diagnostic and therapeutic sessions, customized rooms to include soundproof booths for hearing evaluations, laryngeal stroboscopy and flexible endoscopy as well as acoustic and aerodynamic capture and analysis. Growing pains “This renovated facility will provide the framework to be more competitive with other Big 12 institutions and to realize our long-term goal of proposing a clinical doctorate in speech-language pathology,” Deal says. Deal’s department isn’t the only one anticipating that the improved location will stimulate growth. “We’re very excited about the opportunity for continued growth in our program,” says James Scott, head of political science. “It’s a wonderful improvement,” he says. “We’ll have office space for graduate students and a work area for undergraduates as well as room for expanding our faculty. All the department’s activities will be well served in the new space. It will enable us to put the pieces of our program together, to create the culture of interaction we’re seeking.” The history department’s cramped quarters, offices with double occupancy and the lack of student work areas restrict its growth, says head Elizabeth Williams. By moving to Murray, the department will gain one-third more space and places for graduate assistants. Likewise, the new location gives philosophy room for new faculty and students to enter the program. “There is no room to grow in Hanner,” says department head Doren Recker. “The elevators in Murray will allow students and others with disabilities to actually enter the department. This is not so in Hanner, where we occupy the second and third floors with no elevators. Students must make arrangements for faculty to meet them elsewhere.” continues next page Gary Lawson Designed to suit Having a custom-built facility tailored specifically to their needs is another first for these departments, which have been involved throughout the planning process. While the space improves for all the departments, specialized facilities are important to geography and communication sciences and disorders. “Ownership over our own space is a big improvement — particularly new space we had a hand in designing according to the geography department’s needs,” Lightfoot says. Murray will contain geography’s special-use facilities, geographic information system and remote sensing teaching labs, physical geography 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Murray Hall Into the 21st Century A historical timeline of significant milestones in the history of Murray Hall can be found at http:// murray.okstate.edu/ Oklahoma State University 15 qFrom left, celebrating the renovation of Murray Hall are Peter M.A. Sherwood, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Marlene Strathe, former interim president and system CEO; Lou Watkins, Board of Regents for Oklahoma A&M Colleges; Lee Denney, state representative of Cushing; and Tom Wikle, associate dean of the college.
Building for the future Coming of age Although less tangible, professional growth and enhanced academics are a likely outgrowth of the move to Murray. Consolidating related disciplines is a goal of OSU’s long-range plan, Buchert says. “Having faculty and staff in one location where they can coordinate greatly improves the education to students and provides additional research opportunities.” Until now, coordinated teamwork has not been feasible, Wikle says. “These departments, which have a lot in common, will no longer be like parts of an archipelago out there by themselves with limited ability to come together.” Murray’s new seminar rooms, renovated parlor and other common areas will support student and faculty interaction and collaboration. “Sharing space with other departments will be intellectually stimulating,” Recker says. “It’s always good to have opportunities for informal discussions with colleagues from other disciplines. In Murray, this will be a daily occurrence instead of a rarity.” The political science department sees the potential for extensive interdisciplinary collaboration when relocated to Murray Hall. Scott says those prospects expand with the proximity of the psychology department in neighboring North Murray Hall. The sociology department’s move from the basement of the classroom building, home to the department for several decades, is a welcome event for head Patricia Bell. “We’ll enjoy the friendship of our new neighbors and having a place for social interaction. We’re hopeful for the cross-disciplinary collaborations this new residence will inspire.” Bell’s colleague, professor emeritus Charles Edgley, expects the benefits to be intellectual and long-term. “Scattered across campus for so many years, few members of the social science faculty had the opportunity to see each other, much less work together on projects of mutual benefit. This new facility in Murray Hall will change all of that, and generations will thank those who made this progress possible,” he says. “The heightened opportunity for collaboration is a big step in the right direction for the history department,” Williams says. “From a historical perspective, this signals OSU’s development from its beginnings as a landgrant university to a comprehensive university offering first-rate programs and instruction in many disciplines. “It’s a validation of our efforts,” Williams says. Paying homage to history According to Williams, Murray’s renovation also will be a dramatic example of historic preservation, which is an emphasis in the department’s nationally admired applied history program developed by associate history professor William Bryans. Applied history, aimed at public presentation, examines structures, documents and other artifacts to interpret, analyze and teach history. “As a building significant to the university’s past, this is a very appropriate home for a program teaching applied history generally, and historic preservation specifically,” Bryans says. Murray is a well-executed renovation of an older building to serve a contemporary purpose, he says. “Adaptive use is as much a part of historic preservation as bringing a building back exactly as it appeared at a particular point in the past. Buildings are dynamic, and almost all experience changes over time.” Along with exhibits portraying Murray’s history displayed on the first floor, the building itself will stand as an excellent example of the adaptive use practice. “It fulfills an important public component of our department’s mission,” Williams says. “A building of great value in the memory of people who have visited and loved OSU over many decades will now become a showplace for its own history as well as a showplace for the College of Arts and Sciences.” Eileen Mustain Henry G. Bennett, visionary president of OSU from 1928–1961, strived to bring orderly development to the campus with his 25-year master plan. (Centennial Histories Series) College of Arts and Sciences department heads are, from left, James Scott, political science; Patricia Bell, sociology; Randolph Deal, communication sciences and disorders; Dale Lightfoot, geography; and Tom Wikle, associate dean. OSU Special Collections Jana Duffy College of Arts and Sciences 16
For the first time in Morrill Hall’s 101-year history, a single department, English, becomes the sole occupant of the venerable building. Over the years, the historic building has lent its space to almost every department on campus. And while the structure still provides classrooms for several others, the English department occupies all of Morrill Hall’s office space. This has brought unity to the department because its entire faculty and all but one of its publication offices are now in the same building. Carol Moder, associate professor and head of the English department, says Morrill Hall is a fitting location for one of the oldest areas of study. “The English department values the university’s history and tradition and is happy to celebrate it by using a building with historical associations,” she says. Morrill Hall opened for occupancy in October 1906 as one of the largest public buildings constructed in Oklahoma Territory. Angelo C. Scott, the president of Oklahoma A&M College, proposed naming the building after Sen. Justin Morrill because of his support of the Land Grant Act of 1862. This act gave rise to America’s land-grant colleges. “Morrill Hall was named after the senator as a recognition and honor because without the land-grant bill, there would not have been a university in Stillwater,” says David Peters, who oversees OSU’s special collections and university archives. The English department moved into Morrill Hall in 1966, making it the department with the longest tenancy. The department adds to the building’s already established background and importance. “English is one of the key disciplines encouraged under the Morrill Act,” Moder says. “Our presence here is quite appropriate.” Abby Taylor and Alex Denkinska The College of Arts and Sciences opens Student Success Center Housed on the second floor of the historic Life Sciences East Building, the OSU College of Arts and Sciences Student Success Center brings together academic, pre-professional and career advising facilities in one seamless operation. Included are student academic services, career services, outreach and the pre-law and pre-health advising centers. “This center is the realization of a dream for the College of Arts and Sciences,” says Peter Sherwood, Regents professor and dean of the college. “One of the major goals of our college is to increase contact among students, faculty and advisers, and this center plays a key role in making that happen. Now students can visit one place and find all the resources they need.” The college’s student council hosted the celebration. Council president Jenny Colton says, “With the student success center and resources now available, college isn’t so scary, and students don’t have to be afraid when graduation comes.” The center houses 10 academic advisers, three career consultants and student interns, as well as seven outreach staff. The facility, which is wireless and includes four computer stations for student use, features an academic information center that permits students to become familiar with academic disciplines and programs offered at OSU. A career resources library provides job and internship search information. Students pursuing admission to medical, dental or allied health programs now can access up-todate resources and professional guidance. Lorene Roberson Phil Shockley Oklahoma State University 17 Morrill Hall Good Match for English Department
faculty excellence Regents Professor Teaches Students Analytical ‘Beehavior’ Several years ago, a group of admiring students commissioned an action figure in the likeness of their favorite teacher, Regents Professor Charles Abramson. Abramson, also a zoology and entomology adjunct professor, has a background in physiological psychology. He studies how an animal’s environment influences its learning. He has examined everything from ant to elephant behavior but is also fond of honeybees. The variety keeps him on his toes. “One of the greatest thrills I’ve ever had in research was working with honeybees one day and then working with elephants the next. That was quite remarkable,” he says. Abramson has studied the effect of alcohol on bees and its possible application to human alcoholism problems, as well as the purported effects of cell phone signals on the health of bees. He’s also studied the effect of pesticides on the learning abilities of honeybees and Africanized honeybees, known as killer bees. The newly-minted Regents professor has authored researchbased books garnering honors such as the 1994 Washington Edpress Excellence in Print Award. He has also received top teacher awards from the Oklahoma and the American Psychological Associations. He came from medical school, the State University of New York Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn, to OSU to work with a variety of subjects and disciplines. He found in OSU a place that supplies him with apt pupils and the freedom to do his research. A popular teacher, Abramson teaches by involving students in his research, an approach that has taken his students from Stillwater’s red dirt to Brazil’s rain forests. Part of Abramson’s focus is to teach his students to be more critical of research so they will recognize innovation. He encourages his students to question him, albeit respectfully. “I don’t think we teach students how to think, how to take this data and ask critical questions, like ‘where does this data come from,’” he says, noting his goal is to reverse the trend. His students have gone on to careers as diverse as Abramson’s research. One is a professor who studies the behavior of rattlesnakes. Another studies how to teach people to fly airplanes, while yet another makes toys for elephants. “Hands-on research and challenging students to question data is the way to students get interested,” he says. Matt Elliott Regents Professor Charles Abramson, shown here with student Andrew Mixson, tend Abramson’s bees at his home outside Stillwater. Gary Lawson Regents Professor Charles Abramson is a psychologist, but he’s not likely to ask about his patients’ relationships with their parents. College of Arts and Sciences 18
Regents professor Girish Agarwal came to OSU in 2004 looking for a place to research quantum optics — the application of quantum mechanics to study how light interacts with matter. Agarwal, a native of India, earned his doctoral degree from the University of Rochester in 1969. The theoretician spent much of his career in India, where he was the director of the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad for 10 years and held the Einstein chair of the Indian National Science Academy. He joined OSU partly because the American university system allows him to continue his research without the constraint of the mandatory retirement age imposed on workers in India. Now, as a Regents professor, he has found a home at OSU and is free to pursue his work while also mentoring graduate students. His research has earned him global acclaim in his discipline. His monograph “quantum optics,” which introduces new theoretical techniques, has been cited more than 600 times. Agarwal’s work is applicable to industries dealing with optical imaging and high image resolutions where breakthroughs in optical sciences can be applied to everything from contact lenses to cameras. His accolades include winning Germany’s Humboldt Research Award, the Max Born prize of the Optical Society of America, the Third World Academy of Sciences Prize in Physics and the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize from the Indian government. “I enjoy my research,” he says. “I have collaborators who are spread in various parts of the world — the U.S., Europe and India.” He enjoys teaching and interacting with students, some of whom have gone on to work in the industrial realm, applying their skills for defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. and the U.S. Air Force. Currently, he has four doctoral students at OSU and several he’s working with from other universities, including one from Germany and another from Belgium. “I love to educate and train students,” Agarwal says. Matt Elliott Phil Shockley Enlightening Work Oklahoma State University 19
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAxMjk=