News from A to z History Head Elizabeth Williams, Ph.D. Beginnings In 1912, history separated from pedagogy and became a free-standing department within science and literature though without a department head of its own. News Two history faculty members received prestigious fellowships. One from the American Council of Learned Societies focuses on law and society in Ming China; and the second, received from the Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Helsinki, studies the spread of Lutheranism in 16th-century Finland. Four faculty members hold leadership positions in professional societies that include the National Council of Public History, Society of Historians of Scandinavia, Southwestern Historical Association and Society for Ming Studies. A search is underway for a professor of Oklahoma history who will launch the Center for Oklahoma Studies in cooperation with faculty in English and the Edmon Low Library. With the support of the Arts and Humanities Lecture Series, the department hosted several outstanding speakers this spring, including, among others, Carlos Eire, Yale University, who spoke on religion in early modern Europe and discussed his memoir Waiting for Snow in Havana, which won the National Book Award in 2007. Website: http://history.okstate.edu Journalism & Broadcasting Head Tom Weir, Ph.D. Beginnings OSU offered its first journalism class in 1908 and founded a formal department of journalism in 1937 and the school in 1970. OSU restored departmental status to arts and sciences in 1980. The school of journalism and broadcasting is the only area to have retained status as school. News OSU launched an undergraduate degree in sports media in fall 2006. OSU is one of only two major colleges in the country offering the degree, which is attracting the attention of journalists and students nationally. In 2007, the school formally developed a journalism ambassador program staffed with students who participate in all university recruitment events and visit high schools to promote the school and its programs. Also in 2007, the school reached a new record in student scholarships, distributing more than $60,000. The school has received more than $1 million from internal and external sources, which has allowed the school to completely renovate the broadcast facilities and offer students the experience of working with high-end digital and highdefinition equipment. Website: http://journalism.okstate.edu Mathematics Head Dale Alspach, Ph.D. Beginnings Mathematics was one of the five departments at OSU in 1894. In 1904, mathematics became a two-person department. The department began to develop a research faculty in the late 1930s. News The department is on a mission to help undergraduates survive college algebra. Several faculty members are working with the National Center for Academic Transformation to redesign the delivery of algebra at OSU with the goal to raise proficiency levels for more students. Two faculty members recently published an innovative textbook, Geometric Structures: An Inquiry-Based Textbook for Prospective Elementary and Middle School Teachers. The department has received funding from several institutions, including the American Institute of Mathematics, National Science Foundation, National Security Agency, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and Office of the State Board of Education. Faculty members are invited guest lecturers at universities throughout the U.S. and the world, most recently in the Republic of China, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia and Iceland. Website: http://www.math.okstate.edu Geology Head Jay M. Gregg, Ph.D. Beginnings The department of geology began in 1949 as the department of geology and geography. News The department recently raised $250,000 from alumni and industry for the rebuilding of the Canyon City, Colo., Les Huston Geology Field Camp, flood-damaged in 2006. Geology students from OSU, the University of Oklahoma and several other universities throughout the nation attend the camp. Students have traveled to Antarctica, Botswana and Ireland for fieldwork. In 2009, three students will conduct fieldwork in Turkey, sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Geology graduates continue to be in demand in the petroleum industry. Website: http://geology.okstate.edu/ qCollege of Arts and Sciences department heads are, front from left, Tom Weir, Loren Smith, Carol Moder and Patricia Bell; and, back from left, Jeffrey Hensley, Robert Miller and Doren Recker. Gary Lawson College of Arts and Sciences 24
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