CAS News

Sarah Oliver is a recent biochemistry graduate moving on to law school as she prepares for a career in intellectual property and patent law. Sarah shares insight into how students can find activities important to them while still succeeding in the classroom.

Carly Bender calls “rEcess” — a monthly event for children with disabilities so their parents can have a free evening — her biggest hobby and favorite part of the month.

“It’s genuinely so much fun because it gets kind of crazy,” said Bender, an actuarial and financial mathematics senior. “They all run around, scream and just have fun. I know it’s a huge relief for the families. I miss them when I don’t see them because I have grown to love them so much. I get really attached, and they just have genuine joy about everything. They have a love for life that a lot of people don’t.”

Dr. Christopher Lehman’s draw to history began as a child. At 13, he took on his first research project after receiving a Christmas gift of a fake newspaper that listed all sorts of events that took place around the time he was born. 

“There was a section for the government at the time, and under the president was Richard Nixon,” he said, “But in the space for vice president, the area was blank. I thought it was a typo. The first research project that I took on for myself was to find out if it was really a typo, and it turns out, it wasn’t. I was born in the gap between when Nixon’s first vice president, Spiro Agnew, resigned and his replacement, Gerald Ford, was sworn in.”

Caroline Graham decided she wanted to be a researcher as a young girl. She was inspired by a National Geographic article about the study of microbes in the ice of Antarctica. 

“I thought that’d be so cool, so I came to OSU because I wanted to do microbiology,” Graham said. “I figured out that wasn’t for me when I got into a research lab. After thinking about my skills and what I want to do, I decided that I want to go to dental school instead.”

Dr. Emily Graham's research examines the intersection of politics and religion in medieval Europe. She helps us examine the historical impact of such buildings as Notre Dame, and the impact historical buildings have upon Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University.

It was natural for Emily Fry to become a scholar at Oklahoma State University, where her parents are both leaders. Her mother, Pamela, is OSU-Stillwater’s vice provost, and OSU-Tulsa’s provost and vice president for academic affairs. Her father, Don, is director of technology for the College of Education, Health and Aviation.

Fry recently completed her biological science/pre-health degree, earning significant honors for her accomplishments, including recognition as one of the OSU Alumni Association’s 15 Outstanding Seniors and as a College of Arts and Sciences Top 10 Senior. 

The OSU Alumni Association is recognizing 11 Oklahoma State University alumni with awards in the upcoming 2019-20 academic year. Three are College of Arts and Sciences graduates.

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and Course Hero have named an Oklahoma State University professor as one of eight emerging leaders in their field who are on a trajectory to help students grow into thought leaders and innovators of tomorrow.

Jason Bruck, an animal behaviorist specializing in marine mammal communication and cognition, is a teaching assistant professor in the Department of Integrative Biology. As a Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching honoree, he is receiving a $20,000 grant supporting teaching, research and conference participation.

Jason Bruck, an animal behaviorist in the Department of Integrative Biology, believes a quality marine science education should be available to students in Oklahoma. And though he works with dolphins, he isn't ready to declare them the smartest animals without caveats.