CAS CONNECT 2013

hat an amazing year to have been at Oklahoma State! The Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was installed, we surpassed $1 billion in the Branding Success: The Campaign for Oklahoma State University drive well ahead of schedule — and the momentum for accomplish- ment shows no signs of slowing. Students and faculty across the College of Arts and Sciences received numerous awards and honors for their scholarship, research and creative activities. J.C. Hallman was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, high school student Nicole Biddinger of Bartlesville worked with assistant zoology professor Punidan D. Jeyasingh to place first at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposia, and music major Michael Barnes of Lawton traveled the globe over the summer after earning a place as percussionist in the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America. The campus and our college also experienced record enrollments this year. To support our growing student body, we welcomed 23 new faculty members and nine new endowed chairs and professors to our commu- nity. The expanding campus will also benefit from our renewed commitment to the arts and creative oppor- tunities with the opening of two new facilities this fall: the Postal Plaza Art Museum in downtown Stillwater, and the Doel Reed Center for the Arts in Taos, N.M. We anticipate these facilities will be followed by a new performing arts center in the not-too-distant future. All of this means greater opportunity for involvement by alumni as well as students. We always have opportu- nities for alumni to get more involved — just ask me if you’re interested! From the Dean’s Office Phil Shockley / University Marketing In fact, alumni are already getting more engaged with our students overseas each year. A recent example includes the reunion of alumni and faculty in the United Kingdom, as we celebrated the 10th anniversary of our Cambridge Study Abroad program. Another example was the decision by two of our college’s most steadfast supporters, Mike and Anne Greenwood, to accompany our wind ensemble and hear it perform at the Japan Band Clinic. So if you like to travel and you like OSU, be like the Greenwoods and our Cambridge alums and join our students to create an unforgettable, international experience for everyone. We’re just a phone call away. As you read this magazine, you’ll get a glimpse into some of our students’ capabilities since the interviews, writing and photography were done by a combination of staff, freelancers and student interns, many of whom are majors in or alumni of our media and strategic commu- nication programs. I can only imagine what the future holds for our graduates! Please don’t be a stranger when you come back through Stillwater. I always look forward to meeting alumni and hearing your stories about your time at OSU and since. I am confident I will have a few wonderful stories to share with you as well. Go Pokes! W Bret S. Danilowicz Dean, College of Arts and Sciences