Class Notes - Fall 2020

Nov 13, 2020

1950s

The ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽn published commentary about the ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, highlighting Hub Reed窶冱 (BA Physical Education 窶�58) speech as the 窶彷avorite part of the day.窶�

The Black Chronicle featured Sylvia Ruth Townsend Menser (BA Psychology 窶�58) as the Editor窶冱 Pick Front Page profile for her teaching legacy.

1960s

Darlington Public School in El Reno honored Terry Davis (BA 窶�65) for her 42 years of teaching and serving as its first kindergarten teacher.

A column by ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ trustee Jane Jayroe Gamble (BM 窶�69, HDHL 窶�11) in The ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽn headlined 窶彜ometimes Surrender is the Pathway窶� includes a story from her time as a student at ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ. Another column in the series was about Phil Busey Sr. (BA History/Political Science 窶�74, JD 窶�77).

1970s

An article by Terry Zinn (BA Speech Theatre 窶�71) about former voice professor Florence Birdwell appeared in Senior News & Living.

The ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ City Community Foundation elected Pete White (JD 窶�73) to its board of trustees.

Steven M. Angel (JD 窶�76) received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tim Colbert (JD 窶�76), former district judge and Chickasaw tribal legislator, will be inducted into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame.

1980s

Donald Jordan (BA Speech Theatre 窶�80) was interviewed for an American Theatre magazine story about how theater companies are handling the pandemic, and he mentioned his CityRep partnership work with ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ on a racism awareness project.

Sam Houston (JD 窶�85) is the new publisher of the Hood County News in Texas.

RealClearDefense posted a report by Charles Barham (MBA 窶�86), a retired U.S. Army colonel, about the Department of Defense Humanitarian Assistance Program.

The ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽn ran a tribute story about artist Thomas Batista Correa (BA Art/Mass Communications 窶�84, MLA 窶�88).

The Rev. Greg Tolle (BA Religion 窶�88), pastor of First United Methodist of Wagoner, ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ, was interviewed for the story 窶廴inisters Called in Different Ways to Serve窶� in the Muskogee Phoenix.

Jan Gaddis (JD 窶�88), a Duncan, ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ, attorney, was appointed to serve on the state窶冱 Forensic Review Board.

LaVonda Jones (MBA 窶�89) was promoted to executive vice president and president of the Ada, ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ, market/CIO for Vision Bank.

1990s

Jill Campbell (MBA 窶�90) was elected to the Georgia Power board of directors.

Trustee and alumnus the Rev. Dr. David Wilson (BA Mass Communications 窶�90) was appointed as assistant to the bishop窶冱 office for the ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ Indian Missionary Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Rick Reimer (MBA 窶�91) retired as director of the Northeast Tech Claremore Campus after 33 years with the ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ school.

Kristin Chenoweth (BM Musical Theatre 窶�91, MM 窶�93, HDHL 窶�13) was a guest on the Actors Fund and SiriusXM Broadway show 窶彜tars in The House,窶� a series featuring stars of stage and screen singing and performing live from home on social media to promote support for those most vulnerable to the effects of coronavirus. Chenoweth also led a vocal warmup for 窶弋he Disney Family Singalong窶� special on ABC, and was a guest on the 窶弩atch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen窶� show on Bravo, where she adorned her tiara from her Miss ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ victory. Chenoweth also donned her Miss ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ tiara during an appearance on the CBS show 窶弋he Talk.窶�

Destan Owens (BM Musical Theater 窶�91) was a featured guest on the YouTube live-stream fundraiser 窶廝lack Lives Matter: A Virtual Celebration of Black Theatre Artists.窶�

Chris Harrison (BA Mass Communications 窶�93; HDFA 窶�15) was a participant in a DePaul University online class project that was covered in a Chicago Tribune story. The Athletic website featured Harrison in a story headlined 窶弩hy 窶狼he Bachelor窶� franchise and ex-football players are the perfect match.窶� He was also featured in the ABC show 窶廝rad Paisley Thinks He窶冱 Special.窶�

The Rev. Linda Harker (BA Religion 窶�93) announced her retirement as senior pastor of McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church in Norman, ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ.

Ronald Plesco (JD 窶�93) joined the DLA Piper firm窶冱 intellectual property and technology practice as a partner in the Philadelphia office.

Chuck Skillings (BS Competency-Based Degree Program 窶�93) retired as CEO of SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital-Shawnee in ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ.

Charles Wagner (MBA 窶�93), senior vice president and chief information officer for the Franciscan Alliance Inc. hospital system, was listed as a 2020 CTO of the Year by the Indianapolis Business Journal.

Terri Avinnaq Walker (MEd 窶�94) was named superintendent of the Northwest Arctic Borough School District in Alaska.

The Kansas City National Security Campus named a scholarship award in memory of Lt. Darwin DuPree (MPA Music 窶�94).

Michelle Dolan (MM Musical Theater 窶�95) was appointed director of development and stewardship for Kansas Wesleyan University.

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore (JD 窶�95) was the keynote speaker at the Reagan Day Dinner in North Carolina in March.

William (Bill) L. Bullock, Jr. (MBA Finance 窶�96) was named executive vice president and chief financial officer for ConocoPhillips.

Louis Ross (MA Criminal Justice Administration 窶�96) was named chief of campus police for Rogers State University in Claremore, ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ.

Dave Tomasi (MBA 窶�97) was named chief commercial officer of Bayer Consumer Health窶冱 North America region.

The Messenger-Inquirer in Kentucky published a feature about Jeff Berry (JD 窶�98), a Major League Baseball player agent.

Kerry Anne Schultz (BS History, BA Political Science 窶�98), a manager and attorney with Fountain, Schultz & Bridgford, PLLC, was appointed to Florida窶冱 Judicial Nominating Commission for the First Circuit.

Kelli O'Hara (BM '98; HDHL '15) did a live-stream benefit performance on 窶弋he Rosie O窶僖onnell Show.窶� O窶僣ara also participated in a live-stream concert celebrating Stephen Sondheim窶冱 90th birthday and was the first featured artist in the weekly virtual 窶弋he Seth Concert ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ.窶�

Jennifer M. Grigsby (MBA 窶�99) was highlighted in the Greater Tulsa Reporter column headlined 窶弩omen are Playing Vital Roles in Energy.窶�

2000s

Col. Kevin L. Sellers (MBA 窶�00, JD 窶�05) retired from the United States Air Force with 29 years of honorable service.

Beau M. Patterson (JD 窶�01) joined the Phillips Murrah P.C. firm窶冱 Dallas office as a counsel attorney.

The Greater OKC Chamber窶冱 Velocity 窶廣udacity窶� podcast/video series did an interview with Coop Ale Works founder Daniel Mercer (BSB Economics 窶�01).

JC Shine (BS prior learning & University Studies-Technical Management 窶�02, MBA 窶�06), a technical officer in the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Section at the International Civil Aviation Organization, presented an overview of unmanned aerial vehicle model regulations before a trade group.

Kyle Dillingham (BM Instrumental Performance 窶�02) and Peter Markes (BM Instrumental Education 窶�01) were guests on the RFD-TV show 窶弩oodSongs,窶� where they mentioned their goodwill music trips after meeting as music students at ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ.

Margaret Creighton (BS Dance Management 窶�02, MBA 窶�06) was named executive vice president for Positive Tomorrows, a school established for children who are experiencing homelessness in ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ City.

Former ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ basketball player K.T. Turner (BA Criminal Justice 窶�03) was named the associate head coach for the University of Texas Longhorns.

Ben Russ (JD 窶�04) was appointed to the board of directors for FTS International, Inc., an independent hydraulic fracturing service company based in Fort Worth, Texas.

Schulyer Adkins (MM Music Theater 窶�05) was hired to be a music teacher at Dewey Elementary.

State Sen. Carri Hicks (BA Broadcast/Political Science 窶�05, MLA 窶�09) was named to the Journal Record窶冱 Achievers Under 40 list for 2020.

Anita Reynolds Howard (JD 窶�05) made history when she became the first African American person and first woman to be named district attorney of the Macon Judicial Circuit in Georgia.

Christina Chicoraske (BA Religion 窶�07), former ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ undergraduate admissions assistant director and current water conservation coordinator for ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ City, was a guest on a recent 窶弋his is ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ窶� podcast episode.

Erick Worrell (BA Public Relations 窶�07) was named executive director of marketing and PR for ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ City Community College.

Tim Peerbolte (BS Education 窶�07), a theater teacher for Greenwood High School in Arkansas, was interviewed for a news story about teaching arts during a pandemic.

John Ratliff (JD 窶�07) was appointed city attorney for Lawton, ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ.

Three women — Pictured are Kate Bacon, Family Builders executive director; ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ First Lady Sarah Stitt; and Kelly Williams.

Kelly Williams (BS Psychology 窶�08), board president of Family Builders, presented ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ First Lady Sarah Stitt with the Advocate of the Year Award at the Hope for Families Luncheon.

Clinton Normore (MBA 窶�08), former ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ director of multicultural student affairs, was promoted to vice president of diversity and inclusion at A.T. Still University in Kirksville, Missouri.

Judge Trevor Pemberton (JD 窶�08) was appointed to the ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ Court of Civil Appeals.

Crowe & Dunlevy named Jennifer Willey (JD 窶�08), Zane Anderson (JD 窶�12), and Paige Masters (JD 窶�12) as directors in the firm.

Matthew R. Schultz (BA Theatre Performance 窶�09), a financial advisor with Principal Life and Principal National Life Insurance companies, earned the Retirement Income Certified Professional designation from The American College of Financial Services.

The ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽn and El Dorado News-Times ran feature stories about Teresa Ritchie (BS Nursing 窶�09) and her journey to help in a New York City hospital窶冱 ICU during the COVID-19 outbreak.

2010s

Singer and actress Heather Harris (BM Vocal Performance 窶�10, MM Musical Theater 窶�13) was the mistress of ceremonies for the Texas Cinderella Miss pageant.

Red Lake Nation News, the news source of the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota, featured Yukon attorney Pamela Kennedy (JD 窶�10) and her fused glass artwork.

Chaz Wolcott (BPA 窶�10) performed in 窶廝roadway in Franklin窶� in March at the Black Box in Massachusetts. Wolcott also choreographed a 3D Theatricals production of 窶廸ewsies窶� as part of the 3D+U Thursday lineup.

Jacob Leighton Burns (BFA Film Studies 窶�10), Zachary Burns (BFA Photography 窶�10), and Vinnie Hogan (BM Composition 窶�08) were interviewed about their film 窶彜hifter窶� for the Indie Horror Rising podcast. Jacob Leighton Burns also participated in a Virtual Orbiter screening of the film as part of the Other Worlds Film Festival.

Sasha Hutchings (BPA Dance 窶�11) was amongst several guest stars performing with a "Hamilton" Zoom flash mob on the "Some Good News with John Krasinski" show. Hutchings appears in the film version of 窶廩amilton,窶� which was released this summer on Disney+. She is also a host of a new talk show series on BroadwayWorld TV called 窶廚haos Twins,窶� which premiered in June, and was on the judges panel for BroadwayWorld窶冱窶廸ext on Stage窶� Dance Edition窶� student video competition.

Greg Butz (BM Music/Emphasis in Business 窶�11) was hired as an associate with Sumner Schick, a Dallas-based law firm.

Woman with glasses smiling — Kassie McCoy

The Claremore Daily Progress featured Rogers County (ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ) Associate District Judge Kassie McCoy (JD 窶�12) in its 窶廳now Your Neighbor窶� series.

Former ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ runner Aleia Gordon (BS Biomedical Science 窶�12) was the subject of a KXII Sports Rewind in Ardmore.

Brandon Cooper (JD 窶�12) opened a new law practice in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Andrew Byrd (MBA/JD 窶�12) is leading the new Kansas City, Missouri, office of Generational Group, a mergers and acquisitions advisor for privately held, middle market businesses.

Bailey Perkins (BA Political Science 窶�12), vice chair of the ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ Women窶冱 Coalition, moderated a panel discussion with a group of leaders called Black Women Voices on issues of race and justice.

Kyle Lacy (BM Music Theater 窶�13) released his debut album 窶弋he Road to Tomorrow.窶�

Woman in front of America's Got Talent banners — Eileen Chase

Eileen Chase (BFA Acting 窶�13) performed on NBC窶冱窶廣merica窶冱 Got Talent.窶�

Biology professor Dr. Tony Stancampiano and his daughter, Angelina Stancampiano (BS Biology 窶�14), a naturalist at Sequoyah State Park in ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ, participated in a webinar and were mentioned in a Tahlequah Daily Press story about the Bathtub Rocks natural feature in the J.T. Nickel Family Nature and Wildlife Preserve in Cherokee County.

Steven D. Powell (BS Nursing 窶�14) was deployed to Puerto Rico by the Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System of the Department of Veterans Affairs for two weeks in January to help with relief efforts related to a 6.4-magnitude earthquake. Also in January, Powell began a new appointment on the Health Policy Committee of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses. He was one of two national scholarship winners to attend the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs Hill Day in Washington, D.C.

Performance Today on American Public Media played music by Katie Barrick (BM Music Business 窶�15) during its July 17 program.

Seth Sloan (JD 窶�15) joined Crowe & Dunlevy as an associate in the firm窶冱 Dallas office.

Dr. Sadeq AL-Fayyadh (DP Nursing 窶�15) had an article published in the Ethics, Medicine and Public Health journal titled 窶弩hose Life Is It Anyway? A Reflective Dialogue between Religious and Secular Bioethical Perspectives.窶� AL-Fayyadh, who teaches at the University of Baghdad College of Nursing, wrote to his Kramer School of Nursing professors, saying 窶彳ven after five years of graduation from the KSN program, it is still fruitful, simply because it is a lifelong productive program窶蚤 program whose educational seeds continue to grow everywhere and anywhere!窶�

Roy Samra (BFA Acting 窶�15) made his Mercury Theater Chicago debut as part of the ensemble in the musical 窶弃riscilla Queen of the Desert.窶�

Former ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ golfer Taylor Cusack (BS Kinesiology and Exercise Studies 窶�15) is the co-host of 窶彜wing Clinic窶� on Fox Sports.

Jacintha (Bachman) Webster (JD 窶�16) became a professor of politics, law, and society for East Central University in Ada, ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ.

Caitlin Crabill (MM Opera Performance 窶�16) stepped into the leading role in the Sarasota Opera (Florida) production of 窶廰a Wally.窶�

Madison Moody (BFA Studio Art 窶�17, MA Non-Profit Leadership 窶�18) was a curator for the ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ Visual Arts Coalition窶冱 Momentum exhibition in March.

Daniel McClain (BBA Accounting 窶�17, MS Accounting 窶�19) was promoted to senior associate at BKD CPAs & Advisors.

Mathew Hester (BFA Film Production 窶�17) completed a master窶冱 in English at University of New Orleans last spring and received a doctoral fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. this fall at Texas Tech University.

Grace Lewis (BM Instrumental Performance 窶�17) co-founded and is a double-bass instructor for the distance-learning Motivation Orchestra Camp.

ｰｿｰ�ｹｳﾇｳｾｲｹ窶冱 Nursing Times ran a feature story about Matt Logan (BS Nursing 窶�17), an ER nurse at Integris Community Hospital窶展est.

Rutgers University窶鼎amden fine arts grad student Patience Williams (BA English 窶�17) was a semi-finalist for the Fulbright Scholarship competition. Williams was named a Fulbright Teaching Fellow in the highly competitive Netherlands program.

Cover of Bass World magazine — Abby McBroom

Abby McBroom (BMIE 窶�18, MM 窶�20) was appointed assistant orchestra director at Putnam City North High School in ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ City. McBroom was featured on the cover of an issue of Bass World, the magazine for the International Society of Bassists.

Nicolette Winterscheidt (MS Physician Assistant Studies 窶�18) is one of the providers for ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ State University窶冱 telemedicine psychiatric services for students.

KFOR in ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ City featured law alumnus James Blaise (JD 窶�18) and his inspirational story of how he became a lawyer.

Abby Peek (BFA Acting 窶�19) performed in 窶弸oung and With Time窶� at Dixon Place in New York City.

Sara Byerly (BFA Acting 窶�19) starred in 窶弋he Library窶� at Carpenter Square Theatre in ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ City.

Cassidy Jasperson (BS Elementary Education 窶�19), coach of the state窶冱 first high school girls wrestling program in Broken Arrow, was interviewed for a story in The ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽn headlined 窶廩ow Girls窶� Wrestling is Taking Another Step Toward Inclusion in ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ.窶�

The Journal Record窶冱 ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ Joe column featured Claire Pedulla (BS Nursing 窶�19), a registered nurse at the OU Health Sciences Center, on her experiences in treating COVID-19 patients.

ｰｿｰ�ｹｳﾇｳｾｲｹ窶冱 Nursing Times ran a feature story about Gretchen Chafey (BS Nursing 窶�19), a nurse at Integris Community Hospital.

Erin Davis (BA English 窶�19) was accepted into the graduate English program at Tulane University.

Laura Leigh Turner (BM Music Theater 窶�19) earned her first Broadway credit with the role of Karen Smith in the Tony-nominated hit 窶廴ean Girls.窶�

Vanessa Martinez (JD 窶�19) joined the Stange Law Firm窶冱ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ City office as junior associate attorney.

Laley Freeman (BA 窶�19) was hired as youth director for Bartlesville First Church.

Film production alumni Mary McLain (BFA 窶�19) and Hannah Rogers (BFA 窶�20) served as student liaisons at this summer窶冱 at-home version of the ﾂ鮓ｹｴｫﾃｽ Summer Arts Institute, usually held at Quartz Mountain. Associate professor Bryan Cardinale-Powell was also a member of the film faculty at OSAI.

Allen S.D. Zomonway (MA Nonprofit Leadership 窶�19), hospital administrator at Ganta United Methodist Mission in Liberia, was featured in a United Methodist News story headlined 窶廣U (Africa University) Health Care Grads on COVID-19 Front Lines.窶�

Dr. Eman Alslman (Ph.D. Nursing 窶�19) published an article in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health titled 窶廣lexithymia, Fibromyalgia, and Psychological Distress Among Adolescents: Literature Review,窶� based on Alslman窶冱 dissertation research.

Back to all blog