CAS News

Jaclyn Cosgrove is a 2009 journalism alumna and a reporter for the L.A. Times. She joins us to talk about how covering the COVID-19 epidemic is similar to her past experiences covering tornadoes in Oklahoma, except that she is working from home rather than on the scene. We also cover why she thinks it is so important to continue finding joy even in the midst of a dark and difficult time for America.

We are all dealing with a sense of uncertainty and fear as we try to flatten the curve of COVID-19 pandemic. With that in mind, we are joined by Thad Leffingwell, a clinical health psychologist and head of the Department of Psychology. We discuss his tips for coping with coronavirus challenges, what the human mind is good at and how that leads to some of our biggest problems, and how teaching online is going for him.

While we are working remotely to try to flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases, we wanted to share this episode recorded in the studio on March 6. Matt Cabeen from the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics joins us to talk about the novel coronavirus and viruses more broadly as well as bacteria. His passion for the subject is obvious, and there are even a few explanations of the immune system you have probably never heard before.

Kristen Duncan and Christina Elliott from the OSU Museum of Art join us to talk about In the Mind of a Collector, an exhibition of work donated to OSU by Tulsa native George R. Kravis II in 2018. Numbering more than 700 works, the Kravis gift includes an area of the visual arts new to the museum—industrial design—as well as fine art. Selections range from the colorful, energized brushstrokes of Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann to the comic-book-inspired Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein, and from a 1950s Frank Lloyd Wright chair to Streamline Style radios from the 1930s and 1940s. Kravis was one of the earliest and youngest founders of an FM radio station in the U.S., KRAV, and went on to become a philanthropist focusing on art education.

Samantha Homann graduated in December, taking only 3½ years to complete degrees in English and German. She was also a leader in many OSU campus organizations and an intern on the College of Arts and Sciences' Outreach and Communications team. She was recently hired as the team's marketing assistant with a focus on social media. She shares stories about her college experience and insight into how she is able to be so efficient. She also explains why she avoids saying the word "bag."

David Kersnar, head of the Department of Theatre, is a founding ensemble member of the Tony Award-winning Lookingglass Theatre Company and has performed, designed, written, instructed and directed with the company since it was founded in 1988. He joins Lonna Freshley to talk about the options students have in both studies and careers in theatre.

Valerie Freeman is a Communication Sciences and Disorders professor and director of the Sociophonetics Lab. She joined us to discuss several topics, including the Oklahoma accent, which other dialects it may come from, how it compares to other accents, and how people perceive it.

Will Joyce, a proud 2001 English alumnus, is a Stillwater native who became mayor in 2018. He is also General Counsel at InterWorks, a Stillwater-based technology consulting firm. He joined us to talk about how CAS has helped him succeed.

Adley Stump, a 2011 strategic communications graduate, became famous overnight in 2012 after appearing on NBC’s The Voice, which she did on a dare. That launched her country music career, where she won a Grammy Amplifier award and opened for acts such as Blake Shelton, Chris Young, Jake Owen and Tim McGraw. She had another lifechanging moment in 2016, when she became a social media star due to her "Chickens in the Bathtub!" video becoming a viral hit. To date, her videos have totaled over 500 million views across Facebook and Instagram. The Adley Show on Facebook Watch averages over 3 million viewers every week. She joined us to talk about her life experiences and share advice on finding your own path to success.