the land-grant mission to provide a ‘liberal and practical education,’ we are working toward the development of a relevant and intellectually challenging general education program.” The sweeping nature of CAS — with 24 departments covering the social sciences, arts and humanities, and the opportunity to find diverse courses to meet their degree requirements. Because of that, it is likely that every student who passes through OSU will “One never knows when something we learned in a subject area far from our career-oriented studies can enrich our lives or serve us in a rapidly changing society,” Mix said. “I am proud to serve the university and particularly our students by building a system that is accessible and pertinent to them as engaged scholars and future members of the workforce.” Along with serving the college as associate dean for personnel and faculty development, Dr. Rebecca Brienen is the faculty fellow in charge of “Enriching and Integrating the Arts.” Among her other titles and experiences, Brienen is a professor of art history and the director of the Prairie Arts Center, a collaboration between the city of Stillwater and OSU to promote engagement with the arts. After being encouraged by her colleagues who felt she was the best fit for this role, Brienen accepted the opportunity to represent CAS in a new way as a faculty fellow. “As the individual heading up this task force, I recognize it is important to take an interdisciplinary approach and speak with entities across campus in programs beyond the college,” Brienen said. “So much of our everyday lives are impacted by art — the design of Theta Pond and the beautiful gardens around campus are both examples of art that appear in somewhat unconventional ways.” Brienen aims to gather voices from a range of areas and departments to create centralization. “I am realizing that there are so many people across campus contributing to the arts in one way or another and things are very siloed,” Brienen said. “I hope to identify the resources and talents that OSU currently has and present a way to strengthen and unite them to contribute to the strategic plan.” As a first-generation American and a first-generation college student, Dr. Steph Link’s journey to the workforce came with challenges. For that reason, she has taken the leap to assist in both the academic and future career journeys of OSU students through her faculty fellow assignment, “Preparing the Future Workforce.” “When the call for fellows was announced, I knew I could contribute to how we prepare students for the future workforce by utilizing my own personal and professional background to help better understand the diverse experiences that lead students to OSU,” Link said. “I have a vision for supporting students on their path to acquiring the core competencies that will enable them to confidently lead our workforce into an undefined future.” The approach Link is taking to move OSU’s strategy forward is rooted in convergent collaborations. Her vision for the future of student support and and industry partners to the table. “I want prospective students to come to OSU and already see how our university will lead them on a path to becoming our world’s innovators,” Link said. “To do this, we need to bring together the many wonderful opportunities our community has to in those experiences paired with their degree programs can enable them to acquire the core competencies of an ideal graduate. “There are many amazing members of our CAS community that contribute to our college in special ways that improve the quality of the student experience and thus the quality of education at OSU. By representing the college as a fellow, I only hope to place myself amongst them all by being an active listener with an opportunity to share their voices in a way that will unify our campus toward a shared mission.” In addition to Provost Mendez and OSU Faculty Fellows Knapp, Mix, Brienen and Link, there are many other CAS faculty members and alumni serving in universitywide leadership roles. They include: Vice Provost | Chris Francisco (Math) Interim Vice Provost and Dean of the College of Professional Studies at OSU-Tulsa | Craig Freeman (SMSC) Interim Dean, Honors College | Richard Frohock (English) CAS Interim Dean, Dean of Honors College | Keith Garbutt (Plant Biology) Vice President, Institutional Diversity | Jason Kirksey (Political Science) Associate Provost and Dean, OSU Global | Randy Kluver (SMSC) Registrar | Rita Peaster (Math) Vice President, Research | Kenneth Sewell (Psychology) Interim Dean, Graduate College | Jean Van Delinder (Sociology) Senior Associate Vice President, Research | Ron Van Den Bussche (Integrative Biology) 22 CONNECT 2023
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