Bridges Summer 2008

SUMMER 2008

BRIDGES NE W S F OR A L UMNI A ND F RIENDS OF T HE COL L EGE OF E DUC AT ION

director and

graduate

OU athletics director Joe Castiglione masters his own education

A Gift for the Future A New Virtual Front Door for the College Taking a Giant Leap Centers Find New Homes

C O L L E G E O F E D U C AT I O N

THE UNIVERSIT Y OF OKL AHOMA

NE WS F OR A L UMNI A ND F RIENDS OF T HE COL L EGE OF EDUC AT ION

BRIDGES SUMMER 20 08

B R I D G E S is produced by: The University of Oklahoma College of Education 820 Van Vleet Oval Norman, OK 73019-2041

From the

Dean’s Desk I

(405) 325-1081

f you have a college-aged student, you know, the worry of financing a college education in tough economic climate. It is simply a costly endeavor and likely will continue to rise in cost. However, there is good news, and that good news is courtesy of those of you who have supported not only the College of Education, but the University of Oklahoma and the cause of higher education in general.

[email protected] http://www.ou.edu/education

A Gift for Future Generations An endowed scholarship fund will honor the late Jeannine Rainbolt.

2 A New Virtual Front Door The College’s new Web site brings a different look and feel to surfing OU education.

Dean Joan K. Smith

Associate Deans Jon Pedersen Deborah Rodgers Gregg Garn

Recently, OU President David L. Boren announced the University would set a record in 2007-2008 for gifts received from donors. Near the end of May of this year, the University had received more than $210 million in gifts, fully-executed pledges and in-kind donations. That figure, still a full month from the end of the fiscal year, had already

4 A Giant Leap

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Director of Communications Bill Moakley

Bernard Harris Jr., M.D., the first African-American to walk in space, is honored by the College of Education.

Goodbye to a House of Love It may not have been pretty, but the former home of the Counseling Clinic was filled with love.

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The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

Education for a Lifetime

15

This publication, printed by University of Oklahoma Printing Services, is issued by the University of Oklahoma College of Education. 21,000 copies have been prepared and distributed at a cost of $16,427 to the taxpayers of the State of Oklahoma.

outpaced last year’s record total of $190 million. This year, the College of Education was proud to present more than $117,000 in scholarship money to 121 College of Education students for use in the coming school year. This year’s award total reflects a three-fold increase from 1996, the first year we awarded scholarships, in the dollar amount of scholarships the College awards each year. Also the figure does not include money awarded to our talented students outside of funds dedicated solely to the College.

With a master’s degree from the College of Education, OU athletics director Joe Castiglione can call himself a true Sooner.

Such support of our students is made possible by the wonderful generosity we continue to enjoy from our alumni and friends. One of the stories in this issue of Bridges reflects the selfless nature of our supporters and their stewardship for education.

Another Great Move

You will read about a tremendous memorial gift given by longtime Norman businessman and College of Education supporter, H.E. “Gene” Rainbolt, in honor of his late wife, Jeannine, a beloved elementary school teacher and graduate of the College. Gene’s gift of $500,000 in endowed scholarships funds has already grown to well over $600,000 thanks to gifts from those who knew Jeannine and what education meant to her. This gift is the type that truly transforms lives for generations to come.

The College’s K20 Center has a new home on OU’s Research Campus.

18 20 Collaborations Diane Horm OU-Tulsa Campus

21

Happenings

We know that even in tough fiscal times, our College has been fortunate to enjoy a generous and caring family of alumni and friends who take supporting education quite seriously.

Faculty, Student and Alumni News

Indeed, that is good news. Sincerely, C O L L E G E O F E D U C AT I O N THE UNIVERSIT Y OF OKL AHOMA

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FUTURE GENER ATIONS

A Gift for

Future Generations phi ∙ lan ∙ thro∙ py (-pe) n. [LL. philanthropia < Gr. philanthropia < philein, to love + anthropos, man] 1. a desire to help mankind, esp. as shown by gifts to charitable or humanitarian institutions; benevolence. 2. pl. -pies a philanthropic act, gift, institution, etc. _

_

_

The Jeannine Rainbolt Scholarship for Elementary School Teachers is based on the Rainbolt family’s desire that young people who aspire to teach elementary education not be deterred by a lack of financial resources. It will be awarded to OU students from Oklahoma who are majoring in elementary education, and who have significant financial need. “The College is very proud to have the Jeannine T. Rainbolt Endowed Scholarship honoring this renowned and dedicated teacher,” said Joan K. Smith, dean of the College of Education. “Her own exemplary career as an elementary school teacher will serve as a role model to those bright and deserving elementary education students who are fortunate enough to be Jeannine Rainbolt Scholars.” Though Mrs. Rainbolt was born in Oklahoma City, she spent the first 12 years of her life in many areas of the western United States, as her father drilled oil wells across the country. When she began the sixth grade, her family moved to Norman, where she met her future husband in their sixth-grade class at McKinley Elementary School. They married in 1950 and both graduated from OU, Mrs. Rainbolt with a degree in education in 1951 and her husband the following year with a degree in economics and, later, a master’s degree in business administration. While Mr. Rainbolt served in the U.S. Army, Mrs. Rainbolt became a passionate and dedicated elementary school teacher in Oklahoma. Even after she left the full-time profession to raise their two children, Mrs. Rainbolt continued to be a tireless advocate on behalf of Oklahoma education, children and teachers. “Jeannine believed that every Oklahoma child should have an opportunity to be all she or he could become,” Gene Rainbolt said. “This possibility exists only with quality educators, and a quality education is dependent on trained, passionate and dedicated teachers. Finally, the quality of early childhood education is the base on which the child’s entire future is built.”

H.E. “Gene” Rainbolt William H. Gates Sr.

In 2003, Mrs. Rainbolt was recognized with the Meritorious Service Award, one of the highest honors presented by the OU College of Education. The award, which she shared with her husband, recognized the Rainbolts’ many decades of service to and for Oklahoma schools. The Rainbolts have been longtime, generous supporters of their alma mater, including endowing faculty chairs in cancer research, child psychiatry, finance and the Jeannine T. Rainbolt Women’s Basketball Scholarship. Additionally, Mrs. Rainbolt was active in the OU Alumni Association and the Fine Arts Advisory Board and was a Western History Associate and an Endowed President’s Associate. Mr. and Mrs. Rainbolt’s children, also OU alumni, are Leslie Rainbolt-Forbes, M.D., a member of the OU Board of Regents, and David Rainbolt, president of BancFirst Corp. ▌

A

new endowed scholarship that honors the life and legacy of the late University of Oklahoma College of Education alumna Jeannine Rainbolt will assist generations of OU students who are following in her footsteps to become elementary school teachers.

H.E. “Gene” Rainbolt, a longtime OU alumni leader who is chairman of the board of BancFirst Corp., Oklahoma City, made the initial gift of $500,000 in honor and memory of his wife of 57 years, who died last September. OU President David Boren announced the gift at the January meeting of the OU Board of Regents. Boren noted that since the scholarship was created, hundreds of Mrs. Rainbolt’s friends and family members have made memorial gifts, adding almost $110,000 to the scholarship endowment. “This level of support for a memorial fund is quite exceptional,” said Boren, “and truly speaks to the way that people felt about Jeannine. I am so pleased that we will have the opportunity to help generations of Oklahoma elementary teachers in Jeannine’s name.”

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“This level of support for a memorial fund is quite exceptional and truly speaks to the way that people felt about Jeannine. I am so pleased that we will have the opportunity to help generations of Oklahoma

The late Jeannine T. Rainbolt

”

elementary teachers in Jeannine’s name. — David L. Boren University of Oklahoma President

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A NEW VIR TUAL FRONT DOOR

A New

Virtual Front Door

W

ith the pending addition to Collings Hall, the College of Education will literally be getting a new front door. Figuratively, the College has already upgraded an important point of entry.

Late this past year, the College launched its revamped Web site. It was the first redesign of the site since it was launched nearly 10 years ago. “The doors to Collings Hall physically welcome students, faculty, staff and the public to the College. However, there is no denying the Web site is often another ‘doorway’ to the College for many people,” Bill Moakley, director of communications for the College, noted. “Electronic presences, in all their forms, including Web sites, social-networking agents, e-mail, text messages and a whole host of others, are increasingly important as portals for communications with our various constituencies.” With that “front door” mentality in mind, the College’s aim with the revamped Web site was to create an atmosphere that was user-friendly, content efficient and search-engine optimized. Additionally, the marketing of programs and opportunities within the College was a major focus. Data analysis of traffic on the new site confirms those goals have been met. “We know from looking at the numbers collected each month that traffic has increased and time spent on the site has increased, as has the number of pages visited,” Moakley said. “Also, we have seen a major increase in the amount of correspondence coming to the College via the information e-mail address located on the site. All the numbers we have seen indicate the site is healthy in terms of our objectives at the beginning of the project.” The project began in collaboration with the Edmond-based design firm, Back 40, which handled the initial design architecture and coding of the site. In March 2007, Scott Watkins became the College’s first dedicated webmaster and took over construction of the project. “Back 40 did a wonderful job in laying the groundwork for the project, but having Scott in-house has allowed for greater collaboration between design and the actual building of pages and functions,” Moakley explained. “His knowledge base is so vast it’s allowed us to expand on our original plans for the site and to continually ensure the site is meeting the needs of our audiences.” Improved Usability The major emphasis of the redesign project was to improve the ease of use for those visiting the site. Simply put, users need to be able to find information quickly and that information needs to be logically organized. Navigation on the site’s home page was trimmed from well over 20 buttons to its current 13. When a visitor navigates by choosing one of the options on the home page, the navigation structure then shows sub-levels of navigation relevant to the current page, much like a nested list. This allows visitors to the site to limit the number of clicks needed to get to relevant information. However, with such a vast amount of content available on the site, a user may not know exactly where to click to take them to specific information. A full-text search option has been incorporated, allowing for a search of content within the site’s entire database. Search Engine Results

Welcome Home — The College’s new Web site includes an updated look and easier navigation.

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Among the issues with the old site was the manner in which it was built did not allow for high visibility with any of the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, Ask, etc.). In an effort to increase the College’s visibility in search engine rankings, the site was moved from its old URL of http://ou.edu/education to an in-house server owned by the College and a new URL of http://education.ou.edu. Additionally, each page on the new site was given a distinct identification, allowing search engines to index each page within the site as

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A NEW VIR TUAL FRONT DOOR a separate page. An automated redirect was put in place on the former URL that directs users still using the old Web site address to the redesigned site and notifies them of the new site address. “Users are taken to the new site through no additional effort on their part, and are not confused by being taken to a page they didn’t expect,” Watkins points out. Updated Brand Image Creating a consistent look and identity for the new site also was a major concern. Creating continuity between College-wide pages, department pages, as well as their programs, and any other pages that fall under the College’s umbrella, was the objective. Faculty members were offered a template to create a faculty presence with the same look and feel as other pages on the site. Additionally, Watkins offers support to departments, programs and faculty members in maintaining pages. “We want people to know when they are traveling throughout the site that they are still within the College’s site,” Moakley explained. “By creating a uniform look, we feel as though we are creating a more cohesive brand for the College, its academic units, programs and faculty.” Headers and images that appear on the redesigned site include the faces and biographical information of College of Education students and faculty, giving the site more of a local identity. Newly Added Features

Master with the Web - COE Webmaster Scott Watkins is the driving force behind the College’s new Web presence and its evolving nature.

In addition to refining the existing site, a number of new features have been added. For the first time, alumni can fill out “Class Notes” online; donors can give to programs, scholarships and ongoing campaigns; guests for events sponsored by the College can respond electronically; and recordings of prominent speakers who visit the College are available for listening by streaming or as downloads.

“First and foremost, we felt the site should not be static, it should reflect the nature of the College as a vibrant and constantly evolving entity,” Watkins said. “We need to offer the most up-to-date information to the user and allow for interaction on many levels in order for the Web site to be successful.”

“We know from looking at the numbers collected each

A NEW VIR TUAL FRONT DOOR

month that traffic has increased and time spent on the site has increased, as has the number of pages visited. All the numbers we have seen indicate the site is healthy in terms of our objectives at the beginning of the project.

”

— Bill Moakley CoE Director of Communications

is available in their section of interest. “It serves as almost a table of contents for the user to peruse without getting directly into the content,” Watkins explained. Also new to the site are an announcements section, a calendar of internal and external College events, a section on the College’s development efforts, and an alumni section where, in addition to posting Class Notes, users can view alumni stories and find electronic versions of the College’s publications. RSS (Rich Site Summary) feeds for the announcements and events sections are available. An RSS feed allows users to subscribe to a feed through an RSS feed reader and be notified of any changes or additions to the announcements or events section. Finally, one of the developing features of the new site is a student blog. College of Education senior Katie Stone, who is majoring in early childhood education, will begin documenting her experiences as a student and a future teacher this summer. “I’m really excited about Katie’s blog,” Moakley said. “I think it’s a great way to put a face on our student body. Also, students who are considering education as their major can visit the blog and gain insight into the life of a university student, in particular one majoring in education. I believe it will assist us in building crucial Web currency with our student and prospective student audiences.” Now live for about eight months, the College’s new site has been wellreceived. However, from the beginning, the project has been viewed as a phased effort. This summer, content review and image upgrades and such planned companion efforts as a College MySpace and Facebook site are being considered. “With this redesign, we have tried to take a holistic approach to our communication efforts,” Moakley concluded. “We have not summarily ruled any idea in or out as far what might be effective and what might not be.

Additional Interaction — New pages devoted to alumni and donors allow for more interaction online.

“Although the project is complex and ever-evolving, the emphasis is simple. We want to provide all relevant information and create a destination site for our visitors and do so in the most logical, well-organized manner possible.” ▌

The Web site also includes a comprehensive site map that includes a full hierarchical structure of all pages available within the site, allowing users to quickly drill down through different departments, programs and categories to see what type of information

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A GIANT LE AP

A Giant

Leap

As part of its annual celebration, the college also recognized longtime Oklahoma educator and civil rights leader Clara Luper with the Career Achievement Award; OU Board of Regents member Larry Wade with the Meritorious Service Award; longtime Norman educator Margaret Pape as Outstanding Educator; and Lincoln Elementary School third-grade teacher, Sarah Peil, was honored as the top Young Educator. Joseph D. Purdy, Ph.D., and his late mother, Ruth Sanders Purdy, Ph.D., were named to the College’s Hall of Fame. In addition, four College of Education faculty members earned awards: Jerry Weber, Regents’ Professor of Education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies – Leadership/Citizenship Award Priscilla Griffith, Ruth G. Hardman Professor, Department of Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum – Research/Scholarship award Susan Laird, associate professor, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies – Teaching/Advising award Kathrine Gutierrez, assistant professor, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies – Junior Faculty award. Harris, who delivered the event’s keynote address, noted how deep the roots of education run in his family. “My great-aunt was probably the first educator in our family,” he recounted. “My mother was an educator; my sister teaches nursing and her daughter is an educator and a counselor. I consider myself an educator as well.”

Ready to walk — Dr. Harris in his NASA flight suit. He would become the first African-American to walk in space.

Despite overwhelming odds against him – Harris came from a broken home and his family moved often throughout the Southwest – he discovered his dream in those early years. “Standing outside one night watching the sun go down, I looked up at the heavens. I picked out the first star and wondered, as the night got darker, what they were. If they were planets, what would it be like to walk on those planets? That’s how my dream began.” Distinguished guest — Bernard Harris Jr., M.D., was honored by the College this year with its annual Award of Distinction.

W

hen Bernard Harris Jr. was 6 years old, he gazed out the window of a Greyhound bus, passing from the urban security of Houston toward the vast openness of central Texas, bound for the town of Temple. His only thought was that at such a young age, his future was already behind him.

As it turned out, that short trip ultimately led him to some of the longest ever made by humankind. Harris, who holds two medical degrees, completed a surgical residency at the Mayo Clinic, and was the first African-American to walk in space as a NASA astronaut, recently was honored with the University of Oklahoma College of Education’s Award of Distinction at its annual Celebration of Education in Oklahoma. The award recognizes advocates of education who have achieved state, national or international distinction in their fields and have benefitted the field of education.

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In 1969, when he was 13, Harris watched Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin bounce down the steps of a lunar capsule to the dusty surface of the moon.

“Education is very dear to me. Education is the reason I am standing before you this evening as a physician, as an astronaut, and now as a venture capitalist. I firmly believe that in life any goal you want to accomplish requires a level of knowledge and I translate that into education.

”

— Bernard Harris Jr.

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A GIANT LEAP

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“The impact it had on this young boy, to imagine walking in their shoes, or boots as it were, is unimaginable,” he said. “When I saw that, my dream was set, I was going to be an astronaut.” Harris holds faculty appointments at three Texas colleges of medicine and founded the Bernard Harris Jr. Foundation. The foundation supports kindergarten through high school programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and sponsors summer science camps, including one on the OU campus. “We are becoming a more competitive and more high-tech world. That requires that our young people graduate from high school and college and go into fields such as science and mathematics,” he said. “That’s my passion. I want our kids to be masters of technology in the future.”

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He also underscored the critical need to rethink education in the United States.

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“We do not value our educators like we value other professionals. Teachers and counselors and educators in all forms and fashions hold our most valuable possessions, and if we are to invest in anything in this country, we need to invest in the educational system,” he said.

Reflection — Dr. Harris reflects on his career and the role education has played in his life during the College’s annual celebration.

Now a venture capitalist whose firm mainly invests in early-to-mid-stage health care technologies, Harris reminded the audience that it was education that ultimately made his flight through life possible. “Education is very dear to me,” he said. “Education is the reason I am standing before you this evening as a physician, as an astronaut, and now as a venture capitalist. I firmly believe that in life any goal you want to accomplish requires a level of knowledge and I translate that into education.” ▌

“Standing outside one night watching the sun go down, I looked up at the heavens. I picked out the first star and wondered, as the night got darker, what they were. If they were planets, what would it be like to walk on those planets? That’s how my dream began.

”

— Bernard Harris Jr.

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Let your classmates know what you’ve been doing.

State

ZIP

MAIL THIS FORM TO Bill Moakley Director of Communications University of Oklahoma College of Education 820 Van Vleet Oval Room 100 Norman, OK 73019-2041

My news for class notes:

FAX THIS FORM TO 405-325-7390 REACH US BY EMAIL Class notes, deaths and other alumni news [email protected] ADDRESS CHANGES [email protected]

□ If your present address does not match the address label on this magazine, please include the mailing label and check here.

GOODBY E TO A HOUSE OF LOVE

Goodbye to a

House of Love

The clinic serves a dual purpose, as training for students in the College’s counseling programs, and as a resource for community health services. Master’s and doctoral students, under the direction of seven full-time, tenure-track faculty members, see approximately 1,000 clients a year. The clinic is open to the public and payment is on a sliding scale based on a client’s ability to pay. “We have been very successful with our program over the years,” Pace said of both educating and training students and serving the public. “Th is [new building] will be a recruiting tool for students and faculty and a marketing tool for clients.” “In the previous location, once people got past, ‘Wow, this is a really old building,’ they were really pleased with our services. “Clients won’t have that initial doubt walking in the door of the new facility. Anyone in a stage of distress wants to fi nd a quality place to help them. The fewer doubts that are in people’s way, the more likely they are to reach out for help.” The new location includes 13 therapy rooms, two more than the old site; two classrooms, complete with state-of-the-art teaching technology; a conference room; and seminar-style rooms for a variety of activities, including counseling session reviews between faculty and students. All counseling sessions at the clinic are recorded for review, Pace said. A new recording system will allow counselors to simply tap a button when a session begins and again when it ends. The recording will then be sent directly to an internal secure server accessible only by authorized personnel and only on authorized computers. Students and faculty members can then review the sessions. Pace compared the session reviews to the time football players spend in the fi lm room. It’s very much like OU football,” he said. “They video their games and then show a particular player what technique is best and what decision in a given moment is best. What blocking technique a lineman might use in one situation or another. “Counseling is very much like that. It’s a very in-the-moment experience in terms of making decisions and bringing up topics. You can’t really teach that effectively. We can teach it an abstract sense in the classroom, but to really help people develop their skills and judgment, we need that in-the-moment feedback. Our video allows us to do that. It’s very, very valuable.” Pace also is pleased to have classrooms, therapy rooms and other facilities in the same location.

Moving on — The College of Education Counseling Psychology Clinic has left its longtime home in Building 6 on South Base for more modern facilities.

I

t was far from the prettiest place on OU’s Norman campus. But, as we all grew up learning, beauty is truly on the inside.

“It’s really nice to have classrooms as part of the clinic for several reasons,” Pace said. “A lot of the classes are very clinical in nature and having the ability to do demonstrations in the clinic and then go back to the classroom and talk about things is valuable.

The College of Education’s Counseling Psychology Clinic, for 23 years located in Building 6 on South Base, the former World War II Naval Base in Norman, recently moved into a new home on Marshall Avenue, just north of State Highway 9 and east of the OU Research Campus.

“We have a lot of educational space here. We didn’t have supervision rooms at the old space. We had to use therapy rooms and switch off use. Now, we can conduct supervision of sessions and work with our students counselors without interfering with the scheduling of clients.”

From its faded tan color to its industrial square shapes, Building 6 was as nondescript as its name. More than 60 years old, it was worn out and ready for its razing in June. But make no mistake; it met its demise having “lived” a full and useful life, serving soldiers, students and the emotionally wounded.

The new facility marks the clinic’s third home. It began in a three-room lab space stuck away in Hester Hall in the mid-’60s. In 1985, it moved to Building 6.

“There was a lot of love in that old building, a lot of caring,” Counseling Psychology Clinic director Terry Pace reminisced as he unpacked boxes in the clinic’s new building. “We hope the community spirit that we’ve had in the program and shared with all those we’ve served will carry over.”

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Pace has served as director of the clinic since 1993, with the exception of three years he served as chair of the Department of Educational Psychology.

Boxed In — Clinic director Dr. Terry Pace, with, lots of help, spent the early summer unpacking at the clinic’s new site.

“There was a lot of love in that old building, a lot of caring. We hope the community spirit that we’ve had in the program and shared with all those we’ve served will carry

”

over.

— Tery Pace, Director Counseling Psychology Clinic

Pace said the 1986 hiring of Cal Stoltenberg as the clinic’s director of academic

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GOODBYE TO A HOUSE OF LOVE programs was a watershed moment for the facility. Now a David Ross Boyd Professor of Education, Stoltenberg was the driving force in getting the facility accredited by the American Psychological Association in 1988. It has remained accredited, with high marks, ever since. “In the mid-’80s, the field was changing and accreditation was becoming essential,” Pace pointed out. “Getting accredited really became essential if we were going to keep doing our jobs.”

Beautiful View — Rooms such the new conference room will not only serve as meeting spaces for such gatherings as doctoral defenses, but will also provide a calming space for contemplation.

The counseling program has three tracks: school counseling, community counseling and counseling psychology (doctoral-level only). About 40 master’s and 40 doctoral students are active in the program at any given time, with about half of those training at the clinic.

In the end, the new building is only going to enhance what already is a very successful experience for clients and students alike. “Obviously, it’s much nicer,” Pace said, looking at the wooded area out his office window. “It’s much more efficient space and gives us a lot more capability for everything we do, from student education and training to client services.” ▌

“We have been very successful with our program over the years, both educating and training students and serving the public. This [new building] will be a recruiting tool for students and faculty and a marketing tool for clients.” - Terry Pace

Education for a

Lifetime B

y any account, it was one of the more awkward 24 hours in recent University of Oklahoma athletics history.

There was Oklahoma native and current Wichita State head baseball coach, Gene Stephenson, at the microphone agreeing to make the move from southern Kansas to Norman to take the helm of the Sooner baseball program. Twenty-four hours later, Stephenson was letting the baseball world know he would be staying in Wichita, where he has enjoyed a long and successful run. It was a nightmare scenario for a collegiate athletics director, and when it happens at a program as big in stature as the OU athletics program, it’s a nationally played-out nightmare. However, for Jerry Weber, Regents’ Professor of Education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, it seemed like just another day with OU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Director of Athletics, Joe Castiglione, in class. “Joe never missed a minute of class,” Weber said of the tumultuous period. “Joe never missed an assignment. He participated fully and positively and the only sign that Joe had anything other than class going on was in the period when we had breaks, he was always on the phone. But, Joe is always on the phone, so I thought nothing of it.” Weber tells the story to underscore what it was like to have OU’s chief athletics officer in his classroom and as one of his advisees as a student working toward his master’s degree in higher education administration. Castiglione finished that master’s degree last spring. The odyssey began two years earlier when Castiglione decided his desire to learn and his desire to teach pointed toward working on an advanced degree.

Sooner Graduate - OU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletic Programs and Director of Athletics, Joe Castiglione, now proudly counts himself among the legions of Sooner alumni, having earned his master’s degree from the College of Education.

“I have always had a passion to teach and there are a variety of ways I have participated in a variety of settings in which I could teach,” Castiglione said. “But I wanted to have a chance to teach graduate students who have an interest in this particular career.” That particular career is athletics administration, and Castiglione, now in his 11th year as the OU boss, decided because of his experience in athletics administration, he would not pursue a master’s in the College’s Intercollegiate Athletics Administration,

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EDUC SCHOL ATION AR SHIP FOR E D UAC AT LIFETIME ION

EDUC ATION FOR A LIFETIME

but rather delve into administration and how adults learn. Before deciding to take the leap, he spoke with numerous faculty members.

As a student returning to the classroom after, well, let’s say a few years off, Castiglione, who holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, quickly picked up on the fact some things have changed since his undergraduate days.

“I did that for a number of reasons,” he pointed out. “Maybe the most important was I wanted to have an authentic experience. I was only going to do it if it could be done the right way.”

“In my first class, we went over the syllabus, what was expected, how a student would earn points, projects that were required, and research that was necessary,” Castiglione remembered. “We talked about the resources for that research. Obviously, there is so much on the Internet, for example, what the library has on reserve.

Weber says doing it the “right way” included finding a course of study proper for a student with such vast experience. “He has more to teach about that (athletics administration) than he does to learn,” Weber said. “It would be a bit presumptuous of us to think we could teach him things about that specific area. The two of us agreed that it would be really important that his degree program would be such that no one could construe it as anything less than 100 percent legitimate and appropriate, and that in no way could it impugn Joe’s effort or the program area’s honesty.” Thus, Castiglione settled on higher education administration and adult learning.

““I think Joe did a terrific job. I know he looks back on the experience as a very positive one, a very real one in terms of learning, not just having gone through the program and earning a master’s degree to hang on the wall. I think he feels intellectually, professionally and personally, in every sense, it was a very, very good experience. I think he is richer for having gone through the program, and the program is richer

”

for him having gone through it.

—

Jerry Weber Regents’ Professor of Education

“Studying the adult learner, at times I felt I was studying myself,” Castiglione said in looking back on his classroom experience. “Here I was experiencing what a number of authors had theorized or proven in the writings I was reading.” In addition to what he was learning in the traditional sense, Castiglione also was picking up some extra knowledge. Namely, what it was like in the 21st-century classroom. “I thought it would be a terrific experience for me because I could immerse myself in a very similar experience in the classroom as our student-athletes are having,” he explained. “I couldn’t recreate the athletic experience, but at least as it relates to the academic experience, I could get a better taste for it.”

As part of his program, Castiglione completed a practicum with University College. He came away quite impressed with what is being done to assist in the freshman experience at OU, one that is ranked among the best in country in terms of support and success.

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“I’m listening to what the professor has to say about where we as students could go to get information. There was a little break in the class and I said, ‘This is fantastic.’ Some of the other students thought I meant the work. I said, ‘No, the fact all this stuff is online. It sure beats standing in front of a card catalog.’ All the students said, ‘What is a card catalog?’” According to Weber, it was more than apparent Castiglione’s time away from the classroom did not affect his ability to succeed academically. “I think Joe did a terrific job,” Weber reflected. “I know he looks back on the experience as a very positive one, a very real one in terms of learning, not just having gone through the program and earning a master’s degree to hang on the wall. I think he feels intellectually, professionally and personally, in every sense, it was a very, very good experience. “I think he is richer for having gone through the program, and the program is richer for him having gone through it.” At the end of his studies, Castiglione faced one more big decision. This one was a little easier than the hiring of a coach: whether to walk or not. “It was really special in the last semester, some of the students asked me if I was going to walk (in convocation),” he said. “I thought, no, I don’t need to do that. They said, ‘No, no, you should do it.’ I thought about it and did.

“We have an enormous new world for people to navigate when they step on our campus,” Castiglione pointed out. “Depending on one’s experience, it can be a very daunting endeavor. They’re coming from small towns and stepping on to the campus. I was really impressed with the care they take. It’s their vocation, not just a job.

“I came to a conclusion. First, I thought it would be a great example for my children (Joseph Robert Jr., and Jonathan Edmund, with wife, Kristen) in highlighting the Sooner Success — Since Castiglione’s arrival in Norman, the athletics department has restored its winning ways and seen dramatic gains in facilities. importance of education. Second, I really thought that was special the students kept encouraging me to walk. I just thought that would be a great experience for me and it turned out to be wonderful.” Reflecting back on his experience, Castiglione mentioned one more reason having completed his master’s degree is special.

“I had a great experience. It allowed me to be a better participant in discussions we have about programs we have in place for our student-athletes. It’s given me a perspective on how to develop programs for our student-athletes and focus on how we can help them progress through the first and second years.”

“I say this sincerely,” he emphasized. “One of the other benefits that came with finishing the degree was that it came from the University of Oklahoma. I love this campus. I love this University and what it stands for. A person in my job has to immerse themselves in so many aspects of campus or community life and now when I sell the University as hard as I can, wherever I am, I can say I am a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. That means a lot to me.” ▌

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ANOTHER GRE AT MOVE

Another

Great Move

“The move to Two Partners Place was a necessary result of our expansive network of school-university-community collaborations,” said O’Hair. The K20 Center’s open house began with remarks from Oklahoma State Regents Chancellor Glen Johnson, OU President David Boren, State Superintendent Sandy Garrett and K20 Director Mary John O’Hair, followed by a ribbon cutting and tours of the facility. “This is a celebration of a partnership between higher education and K-12 education in a very unique way that will expand the opportunities for students all across the state,” said Boren. Boren credited the K20 Center for giving students “a glimpse of advanced education; an opportunity to take advantage of the latest technology … changing their whole outlook, their whole sense of possibilities about their lives.” Visitors learned more about K20’s educational opportunities by touring the facility, talking with K20 staff and using the same technology the center implements in schools.

Ready, Set, Cut — Among those helping welcome the College of Education’s K20 Center for Edcuational and Community Renewal to its new home were OU President David L. Boren (left, red tie), K20 Director and Vice Provost for School and Community Partnerships, Mary John O’Hair (red dress), Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education Chancellor Glen Johnson (next to O’Hair), College of Education Dean Joan K. Smith (white jacket and black skirt), and COE Board of Advocates member Barbara Thompson (next to Dean Smith).

M

ore than 300 educators, civic leaders, citizens and students from across the state celebrated with the University of Oklahoma’s K20 Center for Educational and Community Renewal at its open house on Sept. 27.

The event marked the dedication of the center’s new office space at Two Partners Place on OU’s Research Campus and gave recognition to K20 supporters. “This open house honors our K-12, university and community partners who have supported us throughout our growth,” said Mary John O’Hair, K20 Center founding director, referring to K20’s humble beginnings. The K20 center began in 1996 as a small network of six elementary schools with an office in Collings Hall. Today, K20 is a statewide educational research and development center within the College of Education. The center offers 18 programs that directly impact more than 500 schools and 40,000 students.

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The K20 Center’s philosophy is a whole-school approach that starts with professional development of educational and community leaders and progresses through phases Cool Stuff — Leslie Williams, the center’s associate director for research (left), and Linda Atkinson, associate director for K-12 Partnerships, work with some of the equipment in the center’s resoruces room. to the individual student. Every phase is embedded with technology that benefits the school. The process takes several years to complete, but the benefits last a lifetime. According to O’Hair, the whole school approach “provides a strong base to grow and develop cutting-edge interactive learning strategies that directly impact learning for every student, teacher and leader in Oklahoma.” Results of K20’s innovative learning strategies are already evident in the schools. In 2004, the K20 Center leadership program was ranked third nationally out of 50 state programs funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. For the past three years, K20 grant schools have consistently scored higher on the state’s Academic Performance Index (API) than the state average increase. ▌

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Looking at

Happenings

Collaboration

Faculty, Student and Alumni News

I

n 2006 the Oklahoma Legislature directed the State Board of Education to establish a pilot infant and toddler program funded through private donations and state funds to serve at-risk children and their families in at least one rural and one urban area of the state. The “request for proposals” developed by the Oklahoma StateDepartment of Education specified increased levels of educational preparation for classroom personnel, family support services with specified caseloads, and continual professional development. The goal was to improve and expand high-quality services for Oklahoma’s youngest citizens — infants and toddlers.

New Faculty Members Complete First Year Eight new faculty members joined the University of Oklahoma College of Education during the 2007-2008 academic year. They include:

Community Action Project of Tulsa County was awarded the project and during Year 1 (2006-2007, they collaborated with five other early childhood agencies to implement high-quality infant and toddler services in 13 sites across Oklahoma. The 13 CAPTC sites included a total of 90 center-based classrooms, 37 new and 53 “enhanced”. Statewide, a total of 720 infants and toddlers were served; 296 received services through the creation of new “slots” and 424 had improved services through such program enhancements as upgraded staff qualifications. Relative to the classroom staff, initial and ongoing professional development was provided in topics relevant to infant and toddler care. For example, the staff received 48 clock hours of classroom instruction followed by on-site technical assistance including mentoring and coaching. Sixty teachers and staff attended a one-day training session in infant observation and assessment. Fifty teachers and other supervisors attended supervisory and management training. CAPTC required sites include a lead teacher with a bachelor’s degree for every two classrooms and that lead teachers receive salaries comparable to local public school districts’ salaries, which resulted in improved ability to recruit and hire qualified staff. Additionally, assistant teachers were required to have associate’s degrees, and classroom aides a Child Development Associate credential. All of the six original agencies are continuing in Year 2 of the project. Additionally, nine new providers, consisting of Head Starts, tribal Head Starts and private providers from across Oklahoma joined the project. The anticipated total number of infants and toddlers served in 2007-08 is 1,193, with 570 experiencing enhanced or improved existing services and 623 receiving new services.

Dr. Diane Horm

About the Author: Diane Horm is the George Kaiser Family Foundation Professor of Early Childhood Education and director of the Early Childhood Education Institute on the OU-Tulsa campus.

One goal of the Pilot Program was to address the challenge of ensuring a consistent standard of quality at each site by establishing a common, modern data-gathering system for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of program impacts. Specifically, CAPTC proposed to: •document program practices and engage in evaluation for continuous improvement planning •design an evaluation research project emphasizing child and family outcomes and •capitalize on existing data to inform current program improvement and to plan a longer-term, comprehensive research design. To enact these plans, CAPTC collaborated with me to design and implement an evaluation. The resulting evaluation plan is a three-phase, long-term program evaluation. Phase I, which was implemented in 2006-07, documents program establishment and growth and focuses on the metrics most important to funders, policy makers, government officials and the general public. This phase of the evaluation was designed to measure the strength of the pilot program itself, allowing participating providers to answer such questions as: •How many provider sites are now operating at pilot program standards? •Has the number of children and families served increased? •Have the qualifications of employed staff improved? •What is being provided to children enrolled in the pilot program? As outlined in the program evaluation plan, the focus of 2007-08 (Phase II) evaluation shifts to assessing program quality and developing action plans for continuous program improvements. Program quality is being assessed through a widely used classroom observation tool administered by research staff employed at the OU-Tulsa Early Childhood Education Institute. Phase III (2008-09) will evaluate child and family outcomes. Due to the project’s status as a “pilot program,” the overriding goal is to demonstrate how high-quality services for infants and toddlers can be delivered and to inform emerging local and state policies. The combined efforts of CAPTC and OU-Tulsa’s Early Childhood Education Institute will provide information to Oklahoma and the nation about this important topic.

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Curt Adams, assistant professor of Educational Administration, Curriculum and Supervision in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Adams teaches courses on quantitative research methods, program evaluation, policy planning and development, organizational behavior, and supervision of instruction. His research centers on the structural and normative forces underlying the formation of collective trust in schools. Recent publications include “Trust Effectiveness Patterns in Schools” in the Journal of Educational Administration; “Proximate Sources of Collective Teacher Efficacy” in the Journal of Educational Administration; “Promoting a Culture of Parent Collaboration and Trust” in the Journal of School Public Relations; “Building Trust in Schools: A Review of the Empirical Evidence” in Improving Schools: Studies in Leadership and Culture; and “The Formation of ParentSchool Trust: A Multi-Level Analysis” in Educational Administration Quarterly. Adams also conducts theory-driven program evaluations for school districts and educational organizations. Current projects include The FOCUS Program at Union Public Schools, Community Schools Research for the Tulsa Area Community Schools Initiative, and Evaluation of Tech Works for TriTech Technology. Adams received his doctoral degree in educational leadership from Oklahoma State University and his master’s degree in school counseling and bachelor’s degree

in history from the University of Tulsa. Kathryn Branscomb, assistant professor of Early Childhood Education in the Department of Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum. Branscomb specializes in infant-toddler care and education and has previously worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Illinois Child Development Laboratory. Her research interests include infant child care quality and the development and evaluation of support programming for parents of young children. In her dissertation project, she explored the campus-based support needs of 18-to-25-year-old undergraduate student parents at 25 college campuses across the United States. She received her doctoral degree in human development and family studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. John Covaleskie, associate professor of Educational Studies in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate foundations courses. Covaleskie’s work is focused on social policy, moral education, religion and public discourse, and democratic education. He has been a secondary school social studies teacher, a secondary school English teacher, elementary teacher, kindergarten teacher, curriculum specialist, elementary school principal, and university professor. He came to OU after 14 years at Northern Michigan University. He has published most recently on religion in schools and the meaning of the public in “public schools.” Covaleskie earned his doctoral degree in philosophy of education from Syracuse University in 1993.

Curt Adams

Kathryn Branscomb

John Covaleskie

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Happenings Faculty, Student and Alumni News

Deniz Eseryel

Maeghan Hennessey

Ji Hong

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Deniz Eseryel, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and research scientist at the K20 Center for Educational and Community Renewal. Her work crosses several domains, including instructional design, cognitive psychology and system dynamics. More specifically, her research interests include advancing current instructional theories to address challenges in learning in and about complex, ill-structured knowledge domains; assessment of higher-order learning and complex-problem solving skills; advanced learning technologies such as system modeling; educational simulations and games; online and distance education; and knowledge management. Eseryel serves on the editorial board of International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organization and International Journal of Knowledge and Learning. She also serves as a reviewer for several journals, including the International Journal of Computers and Applications and European Journal for Psychological Assessment, and as the membership chair of American Educational Research Association’s special interest group on Technology, Instruction, Cognition, and Learning. Eseryel earned her master’s degree at University of Twente in the Netherlands, specializing in educational and training systems design, and her doctoral degree from Syracuse University in instructional design, development and evaluation. Maeghan N. Hennessey, assistant professor of Instructional Psychology and Technology in the Department of Educational Psychology. Hennessey received her doctoral degree in educational psychology from The Pennsylvania State University and holds

a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. Hennessey teaches courses on educational measurement and cognitive and affective assessment design. Her research includes investigating teachers’ beliefs about the justification of knowledge and how teachers instruct their students to provide evidence that they have gained knowledge. Additionally, she investigates persuasion and methods of discussion as pedagogical tools for helping students increase knowledge. Hennessey’s work has been published in such journals as Instructional Science and Psychology in the Schools as book chapters and she has presented at national and international conferences. Hennessey currently serves on the editorial boards of Contemporary Educational Psychololgy and Journal of Experimental Education, and is the co-chair of the membership committee for Division 15 of the American Psychological Association. Ji Hong, assistant professor in the Instructional Psychology and Technology program in the Department of Educational Psychology. Hong received a doctoral degree in educational psychology from the University of Georgia with the Interdisciplinary Qualitative Studies Graduate Certificate. She teaches research methodology courses, including Qualitative Research Methods and Mixed-Methods Inquiry. Her research interests have revolved around the motivational issues for K-12 students’ learning, college students’ career goal setting, and in-service teachers’ professional development. Her most recent research is teachers’ professional

identity development and their emotional experiences. She worked with the Editorial Advisory Board for Educational Researcher: Research News and Comments, and is serving as an active proposal reviewer for professional conferences. Gaetane Jean-Marie, associate professor of Educational Leadership in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. She has a background in pre-college programs and preparation of pre-service teachers of North Carolina Teaching Fellows. Her research interests include women and educational leadership, urban school reform, and educational equity. Jean-Marie has presented at local, regional and international conferences, conducted keynote addresses, and facilitated in-service training and workshops for school faculties on school improvement. Her recent work has been published in the Journal of Educational Administration, International Electronic Journal for Leadership in Learning, The Educational Forum, and Journal of School Leadership, among other refereed academic journals. She was a contributor to Urban education: An Encyclopedia (2005, Greenwood) and has a forthcoming chapter in Triumphs and Troubles: Historical and Contemporary Essays on Black Colleges (Palgrave Macmillan). Jean-Marie received her doctoral degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Penny A. Pasque, assistant professor, Adult and Higher Education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, where she teaches courses on student affairs and diversity in higher education. Her research includes strengthening the

connections between higher education and society, addressing inequities in higher education, and qualitative methodologies. She received a doctoral degree from the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in interpersonal communication from Syracuse University. Pasque’s work has been published in books, journals and monographs throughout the field of higher education. Her latest research project is a longitudinal study on women leaders in higher education. Her most recent publications include the chapter “Seeing the Educational Inequities Around Us: Visions Toward Strengthening the Relationships Between Higher Education and Society,” which will be published in Readings on Equal Education (Vol. 22), edited by Ed St. John and published by AMS Press. In addition, the edited book Critical Issues in Higher Education for the Public Good: Qualitative, Quantitative & Historical Research Perspectives with co-editors Nicholas Bowman and Magdalena Martinez and chapters from the 2003-2006 National Forum Rising Scholars will be published by Kennesaw State University Press within the next year.

Gaetane Jean-Marie

Penny Pasque

Garn Named Associate Dean for Professional Studies College of Education Dean Joan K. Smith announced the appointment of Gregg Garn, associate professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Education, as associate dean of Professional Education. He had served previously in the position on an interim basis. “I appreciated the work Gregg had been

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Happenings Faculty, Student and Alumni News doing on an interim basis, and I am confident the good work he has done will continue,” Smith said in making the announcement. Garn received his bachelor’s degree in history and education from the University of Northern Iowa. He received his master’s degree in social and philosophical foundations of education, and his doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy studies, both from Arizona State University.

Gregg Garn

Garn is active in several national organizations, including the Politics of Education Association, University Council for Educational Administration, and School Choice AERA special interest group. His research agenda centers on school choice, policy development and implementation and the politics of education. He has authored articles in Educational Administration Quarterly, Education and Urban Society, Education Policy Analysis Archives and Educational Leadership. During his tenure at the University of Oklahoma, Garn also has served as the program coordinator of the Educational Administration Curriculum and Supervision. Garn has worked closely with various state level policymakers and professional associations in an effort to improve the quality of education in the state. Noley Earns NIEA Lifetime Achievement Award

Lifetime Achievement — Grayson Noley receives his Lifetime Achievement award from the National Indian Education Association.

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Grayson Noley, associate professor and chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award by the National Indian Education Association. The award honors men and women who show exceptional achievement in promoting education equality and language and cultural

preservation to American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians. Noley is a member of the Choctaw Nation. The award was presented during the NIEA’s 38th Annual Convention Awards Gala Banquet in Honolulu. Noley is among the most experienced administrators of successful American Indian professional development programs in the country. Since 1969, his practical experience has been in leadership roles where he has been responsible for a multitude of staff members and budgets. He served as the director of the Education Department of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, where he oversaw Talking Leaves Job Corps, Sequoyah High School and a Johnson O’Malley program with nearly 60 eligible schools. He also served as director of the American Indian Leadership Program at The Pennsylvania State University for nine years and was a fellow of the Kellogg National Fellowship Program. He serves on many organizational boards of directors and health and research organizations. NIEA was founded in 1969 to support traditional Native cultures and values, to enable Native learners to become contributing members of their communities, to promote Native control of educational institutions, and to improve educational opportunities and resources for American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians throughout the United States. The NIEA Convention has been a showcase of the accumulation of educational efforts made by the membership. From meeting AYP to retention of language and culture, the convention hosts many ideas and topics concerning Indian Education.

Frick earns PDK Honor William Frick, assistant professor with the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, has been awarded an Honorable Mention in the 2008 PDK International Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award program for his research on how principals juggle competing ethical interests while always keeping in mind the best interests of the student. PDK International is a global association of education professionals, and the award program is in its second year. An esteemed panel of education researchers reviewed the 40 submissions from around the world. School leaders often find themselves facing several, sometimes contradictory, values and expectations when making difficult decisions. Frick’s research explored whether the “best interests of the student” could serve as an overarching value to guide principals’ actions. What he found was that, while principals generally included the best interests of the student as one of the factors they weighed while making decisions, there was no single basic principle guiding principals’ decisions. Rather, they use a variety of approaches and strategies to resolve competing expectations in their work. “Receiving an Honorable Mention in the PDK Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award program is a significant honor as I transition from many years as a PK-12 practitioner to the role of scholar and researcher within higher education,” Frick said. “The recognition the award program provides will spotlight the timeliness and great importance of valueinformed, moral and ethical educational leadership and the need to continue

a robust national conversation about professional ethics within the realm of school leadership.” The PDK Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award is designed to further research on education as part of the organization’s work to ensure high-quality schooling for all. The award is given for the dissertation written by a PDK member in the previous year that best meets the criteria of sound scholarship that holds promise for the improvement of education. Brandes Earns Walraven Award Joyce Brandes, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, was honored with the Maurice P. Walraven Award by the Oklahoma Federation of the Council for Exceptional Children.

William Frick

The Maurice P. Walraven Award recognizes and honors an outstanding member of the Oklahoma Federation of the Council for Exceptional Children. The recipient of this award must be or have served as a chapter/ division/state officer and made a significant contribution to the Council for Exceptional Children and to the advancement of the quality of life for exceptional children. The award was presented by State Superintendent for Public Instruction Sandy Garrett, on behalf of the OFCEC.

Joyce Brandes

The OFCEC is a state division of the Council for Exceptional Children, the largest international professional organization for special educators, related service providers and parents dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, disabilities and/or gifts and talents. CEC advocates for appropriate

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Happenings Faculty, Student and Alumni News governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides continual professional development, advocates for newly and historically underserved individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice. Brandes’ career includes 33 years in a special education classroom setting, conducting research relevant to individuals with disabilities, being a member of the special education faculty at OU, serving on numerous boards in the state over the last 35 years dedicated to the improvement of conditions for individuals with disabilities, and serving on the board of the OFCEC from 2002 to present. Pasque to Present Paper at Oxford John Cougher

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Vaughn Named O’Brien Presidential Professor Courtney Vaughn, professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, has been named the College’s Sandra L. O’Brien Presidential Professor. The professorship is endowed by Brian and Sandra O’Brien of Houston. Previous College faculty members to hold the professorship include Barbara Greene and Cal Stoltenberg. Vaughn’s areas of concentration include historical, philosophical and social foundations of education. Her research areas of interest include the history and sociology of education, and women’s studies.

Penny Pasque, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, has been selected to present a paper at the prestigious Oxford Round Table on Women’s Leadership in Politics and the Professions. Oxford Round Table participation is by invitation only. Selection of presenters is extremely competitive.

Vaughn holds a doctoral degree in higher education and a master’s degree in history from Oklahoma State University. She also earned a master’s degree in social studies from Central State University and a bachelor’s degree in social studies from the University of Kansas.

Presenters are identified through a screening process that includes nomination from previous participants in the Round Table; recommendations to the Round Table directors who are actively involved in higher education and public school leadership; and nominations by individuals from a successful organization, university or school district.

Cougher joins College as Director of Development

The paper Pasque will present is titled “The Voices of Women in a National Policy Dialogue on Higher Education for the Public Good.”

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The Round Table, scheduled for August, is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

She has taught at the public school, junior college and university level.

The College of Education has welcomed a new director of development. John Cougher joined the College this spring. He replaces David Hopper, who left to return to private law practice. Cougher has worked for various nonprofits in development, financial and leadership roles. Most recently, he served as development director at HeartLine, a nonprofit that provides central Oklahoma residents with vital

information and social services. “Growing up in a family of teachers, I knew early on about the importance of education to the individual and to society,” Cougher noted. “Already in meeting the faculty and staff within the College of Education I have been deeply impressed by their vision and dedication to improving the world through education. The breadth of the curriculum is truly astounding. I am thrilled to be serving the College of Education as development director and am excited by the opportunity to help connect former students with the vision and growth happening in the College today.” A native of Lawrence, Kan., Cougher graduated from the University of Kansas, earning a bachelor’s degree in Germanic languages. He also spent two years studying languages at the University of Bonn in Germany and has plans to begin OU’s public administration master’s degree program in the fall. “John Cougher brings to the University of Oklahoma family good judgment, sincerity and loyalty to the institution,” University Vice President for Development Tripp Hall said. “I am excited about having him as a member of our development operations and know that he will be an asset to the College and to our University as a whole.” Cougher pointed out he comes to the College at a time that a number of development “irons are already in the fire” – a capital campaign for a new addition to Collings Hall; funding for the College’s Counseling Clinic’s move and technology upgrades; a number of unendowed scholarship funds; and, of course, the ever-present need for more scholarships.

“I am grateful that I get to come on board at a time of such growth,” he said. “The College’s faculty, staff and leadership are all extremely impressive and I’m looking forward to doing my part for the next generation of teachers, counselors and educational leaders.” He and his wife, Sarah, have a 14-monthold daughter, Sadie, who was born just three weeks after the Coughers moved to Norman last year from Los Angeles, where they lived for six years. O’Brien receives honorary OU doctorate College of Education alumna and longtime supporter Sandra L. O’Brien was one of four outstanding individuals joining University of Oklahoma Commencement speaker William S. Cohen in being awarded honorary degrees at OU’s 2008 Commencement Ceremony. O’Brien has a long record of support and service to the city of Houston and of alumni leadership at OU, particularly the OU College of Education. A native of Oklahoma City, she earned her bachelor’s degree in education in 1957. She was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.

Sandra O’Brien

O’Brien is a charter member of the OU College of Education’s Board of Advocates, and she and her husband, Brian E. O’Brien – an OU geology alumnus – made a major gift to the campaign to expand and renovate Collings Hall, the College’s home. Their concern for people with special needs led them to fund and equip the college’s Sandra L. O’Brien Computer Laboratory, which features special technology for training teachers

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Happenings Faculty, Student and Alumni News in special education and assisting students with special needs. She has endowed scholarships for students majoring in special education, and she and her husband were the first donors to endow a Presidential Professorship. In 2006, she was honored with a Meritorious Service Award during the college’s Celebration of Education. Outside the College of Education, O’Brien serves on OU’s Campaign for Scholarships volunteer committee, which to date has raised more than $210 million in gifts fully executed, pledges and gifts-in-kind. She also served on the Reach for Excellence Campaign, Centennial Celebration Committee and Alumni Association Executive Board. She is a President’s Associate and in 2000 received the Regents’ Alumni Award. The O’Briens are members of the Seed Sower Society honoring donors of $1 million. Her philanthropic involvement includes support for the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance – the only national volunteer health organization for that genetic disorder. Also receiving honorary degrees were Jon Rex Jones of Albany, Texas, chairman of Jones Energy Ltd., an independent natural gas exploration and production company; Lee Allan Smith of Oklahoma City, vice president of Ackerman McQueen and president of Oklahoma Events; and Peggy Stephenson of Tulsa, civic leader and community volunteer. Class Notes Darla (Jones) Tresner (B.S. ’80, Journalism Education; M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication) is teaching in the Bartlesville Public School, where she resides. E-mail: [email protected]

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William McKeen (PhD ‘86), was named a Fellow of the World Technology Network at the World Technology Summit in San Francisco. He was honored for his essay titled “Serendipity” and addressed the summit on that subject. He also is at work on American Dreamer, a biography of the late journalist Hunter S. Thompson, to be published by W.W. Norton in 2009. Two other books are in the works: Rip This Joint, a rock’n’roll history book, and Paradise Recalled, an anthology about growing up in Florida. His most recent books include Highway 61 (W.W. Norton, 2003), a memoir of his 6,000-road trip with his teenage son, and Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay (W.W. Norton, 2000), an anthology. He wrote four earlier books and edited three more. He has been on the University of Florida faculty since 1986 and has been chairman of the Department of Journalism since 1998. He was a member of the OU journalism faculty from 1982 to 1986. He earned his doctorate in higher education administration, working mostly with President Emeritus Paul F. Sharp and Professor Herbert Hengst in the Center for Studies in Higher Education. He is married to Nicole Cisneros, has seven children and lives in Gainesville, Fla. E-mail: [email protected]fl.edu; Web site: www.williammckeen.com Mark Buchanan (B.S. ’02, Education) is a music teacher with Sequoyah Public Schools. He and his wife, Kelly N. Buchanan, have one son, Kellon. They live in Claremore. E-mail: buchanan@ sequoyaheagles.net Karen Sue Neal (Ph.D. ’02, Adult and Higher Education) returned from

serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Turkistan, a small city marking the northern-most stop on the Silk Road in Kazakhstan. As a volunteer specializing in teaching English as a foreign language, Neal’s primary project focused on helping the native speakers of primarily Kazakh and Russian learn to communicate in English. In addition to teaching English, her secondary projects aimed to embody the Peace Corps mission statements. Neal focused on helping Kazakhs “understand how Americans live and think, and learn to work in an international community.” She reported this task included computer training for communication purposes. Neal recalled her most interesting experience was “watching the kokpar, a horseback game of polo played with a goat carcass, with my students and friends at the local Kazakh New Year celebration.” Professionally, Neal reported benefiting from learning “the value and importance of a liberal education to the development of the individual and to the development of a country.” She plans to pursue work in academics or other areas involving research. Nina Hoai Huong Nguyen (B.S ’04, Elementary Education - minor in Sociology) is teaching in the Eagle Mountain Independent School District. She and her husband, Eric Nguyen, have two children and live in Keller, Texas. E-mail: [email protected] Stephen Buck (B.S. ’04, Second Science Education) is a seventh-grade science teacher with Norman Public Schools. He and his wife, Nikki, have three children, Remie, Zane and Hunter. The reside in Norman. E-mail: sbuck@ norman.k12.ok.us

Passings Robert Ragland, Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology and former director of the College of Educational Counseling Clinic. Ragland was born Nov. 12, 1928, in Tulsa. He attended Tulsa Memorial High School, Tulsa University and graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. In addition to his University duties, Ragland, known as Bob to his family and friends, maintained a private practice in Norman. He was a member of the OU chapter of the Society of the Sigma Xi and a longtime member of the Oklahoma Psychological Association and the American Psychological Association. He served as a member of the Oklahoma State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, including as the board’s chair in 1980. He was awarded the OU Regents’ Award for Superior Teaching in 1976 and the OPA Distinguished Psychologist award in 2000. Remembered for his great sense of humor and love of music and literature, Ragland is survived by his wife. Edith Ragland; daughters, Anna Marie Ragland, Margaret Ellen Ragland, and Charlotte Kelly Rosko; sons-in-law, Jim Comas and Bill Rosko; brother, Ron and wife, Bonnie Ragland; sister, Mary Rose Burman; and grandchildren, nieces and nephews. In honor of Ragland, the Robert Ragland Endowment Fund was established with the University of Oklahoma Foundation. Charlyce Ross King, Professor Emeritus, College of Education. King was born Sept. 18, 1923, in Mountain Park. Upon graduation from BRIDGES

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Happenings Faculty, Student and Alumni News Snyder High School in the spring of 1939, she enrolled as a 15-year-old freshman at OU in the fall. In a span of 19 years, King earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from OU. In 1977, King was awarded the OU Regents’ Award for Superior Teaching in the College of Education. She handled a wide range of assignments, from teaching and counseling to program analysis and development. Her wide-range speaking engagements and development of new courses and special programs for teacher-counselor training are among her many achievements. Through consulting work and professional service activities, she shared her expertise and experience with many individuals, agencies and organizations throughout Oklahoma. She also furthered the understanding of parent-child relationships and other topics related to the family, the roles of women, special education programs for the disadvantaged and aged, and Native American education. King’s service at OU, though mostly in the College of Education, also included teaching home economics, service as assistant dean of women, program development in continuing education and public service, director of the Family Life Institute and coordinator of correspondence courses for the U.S. Postal Service. She also taught at Iowa State University from 1964-67, working in the field of child development. In her years of retirement, King became an accomplished painter of oils and acrylics. Her works were shown in galleries, exhibitions and festivals. In 1999, she was awarded a first-place ribbon at an Oklahoma artists show. In the mid-1990s King returned briefly

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to the OU campus teaching Gateway courses designed to help entering freshmen.

of his students to obtain their advanced degrees. He became professor emeritus from OU in 1982.

Leslie and her husband, Scott Forbes, have four daughters, Katherine, Sarah, Caroline, and Eleanor.

A park bench honoring King was placed adjacent to Oklahoma Memorial Union in the summer of 2001. Her bench was made possible by the generosity of students, associates and friends.

He is survived by his former wife and lifelong friend, Ruth; twin brother, Jerry and wife, Bridget, of Yankton, S.D.; daughter Ann and Tony Cole and grandson Cody Blevins, all of Norman; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Rainbolt was a descendant of a long line of very strong women – Duston women – her mother’s family. Generations ago, Nathaniel Hawthorne immortalized Rainbolt’s antecedent, Hannah Duston, and her bravery, courage and determination. Rainbolt continued that legacy, and when combined with her keen intelligence, incorruptible values, sometimes painful honesty, and absolute loyalty, was a formidable lady. That persona masked her quiet but substantial generosity.

She is survived by her sons, Gary and wife Pat, and Ron and wife Josie, all of Norman; granddaughters Kendra Sims and husband Jeremy of Sand Springs and Kasi McLaughlin and husband Ross of Tulsa; and great-grandson Riley Sims. Omer John Rupiper, Professor Emeritus, College of Education. Rupiper died after a courageous battle with cancer at the age of 90. He was born in Crofton, Neb., in 1917 and graduated from high school there. Rupiper was a lifelong educator, beginning his career as a high school teacher before he was called to war. He served in the Army in World War II with the 301st Engineer Combat Battalion and was discharged in 1945; he had earned a ride home from Europe on the Queen Mary. After the war, he met and married Ruth Ann Fletcher of Orchard, Neb., in 1946. He continued his education and received a master’s degree in education from the University of Kansas in 1956 and his doctoral degree in 1977. In 1956, Rupiper and his wife moved to Norman so he could continue his career as a professor at the University of Oklahoma. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Rupiper would not hesitate to assist minority students at a time when many others would not. He enjoyed helping people and assisted many

Jeannine Tuttle Rainbolt, B.S. in Elementary Education, ’51. Rainbolt, 77, died following a courageous fiveyear battle with lung cancer. Born in Oklahoma in 1929, Rainbolt lived over much of western United States as a young child, as her father drilled oil wells a across the country. The family settled in Norman while Rainbolt was in sixth grade and she began attending McKinley Elementary School. It was at McKinley where she would begin a 66-year relationship with a “shy and uncertain” young man, to whom she would be a close friend, confidante and supporter through their time in junior high, high school and at the University of Oklahoma. That friendship blossomed into an equal partnership of 57 years when she and H.E. “Gene” Rainbolt married on Aug. 29, 1950. After graduating from the College of Education, Rainbolt became a dedicated and passionate elementary school teacher. She continued to teach while her husband served in Korea. The two reunited in Okinawa after the war and later returned to Oklahoma to start a family. The Rainbolts had two children, David and Leslie. Their family grew with seven grandchildren. David and his wife, Kim, have three sons, Adam, Sam and Jake.

During her fight with lung cancer, a disease that did not come from smoking, a habit she abhorred, she fought doggedly, entering drug trials, tolerating multiple chemotherapy sessions, and massive radiation, all the while not complaining. Following Rainbolt’s death, her husband established the Jeannine T. Rainbolt Endowed Scholarship Fund (see story on page 2 for details). Herman “Leon” Heath, B.S. in Education, ’50. In addition to earning his degree from the College of Education, Heath was an All-American fullback for the Sooner football team. He was named a 1950 Consensus All-American and Outstanding Player of the Game in that year’s Sugar Bowl. Heath was born in 1928 in Hollis and graduated from Hollis High School, where, in addition to his football talents, he was an All-State basketball player. After graduating from OU, he played three years in the National Football League with the Washington Redskins.

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Happenings Faculty, Student and Alumni News Heath interrupted his football career to serve as a first lieutenant in field artillery in the U.S. Army and was the head coach of the National Service champions in 1955. Following his football career, he was employed by Baroid Industries as an engineer and senior sales representative, until his retirement in 1985. Heath married Wanda Catherine Cole in 1950. He is survived by his wife and seven sons, Steven L., B. Alan, David L., M. Don, N. Paul, Dennis M., and P. Jay. Frankie Copas Alexander, M.A. in Education, ’49. Alexander, a retired school teacher, died in Russellville, Ark., at the age of 102. Alexander taught at Valley Brook and Wheeler grade schools in the Oklahoma City school system for 22 years. She earned a bacherlor’s degree from Central State University in 1942 and a master’s degree in education at the University of Oklahoma in 1949. After her retirement in 1967, Alexander continued her teaching career at Lafayette County, Tenn. She is survived by a son and daughterin-law, Jerry and Judy Alexander of Russellville, Ark.; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. Nelva R. Caton, B.S. in Education, ’53. Caton was born in 1931, in Temple. She attended the University of Oklahoma, where she triple majored in chemistry, journalism and education, graduating magna cum laude in 1953. After graduation, she married R.J. (Jay) Caton. Caton began her teaching career in 1953 for Brookline School System in Massachusetts. After moving to Colorado, Caton earned a master’s degree in communications from Colorado State University and continued her

teaching career. She taught in Colorado for Jefferson County Public Schools beginning 1963. Her most current teaching assignment was at Creighton Middle School in Lakewood, where she has taught consumer and family studies since 1998. Caton was a lifetime member of Delta Kappa Gamma Honor Society of Women Educators and Kappa Kappa Iota Professional Organization for Educators. Her most prestigious honors came from the Colorado Home Economics Association, including 1981 Colorado Teacher of the Year, 1986 Professional of the Year and 1987 National Teacher of the Year. Caton was involved in the Mile High Professional Auxiliary of Assistance League of Denver, for which she was the treasurer. The organization works on projects for children in need. Caton loved to teach and taught continually for 54 years from 1953 until her death in May 2007. Caton was preceded in death by her husband, R.J. (Jay) Caton. She is survived by her daughter, Beth Caton, New York City, as well as countless friends, teaching colleagues and students in whose hearts she will live on. Janet Gill Frisch, B.A. in Education, ’64. Frisch was born in 1942 in Mineral Wells, Texas. She grew up in Oklahoma City and Arlington, Va. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in education. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority and held numerous leadership positions within the sorority, both as an undergraduate student and later as a chapter adviser in the Dallas area. Frisch enjoyed a 30-year career in the title insurance industry, holding

positions as escrow officer, branch manager and vice president with Safeco Land Title and its successor, Title Texas. She also was the innkeeper for The Wiffletree Inn Bed and Breakfast in Palestine, Texas, from 1991 to 2001. She was a talented chili cook, winning the Texas State Championship in 2002 and placing twice in the top 10 at the World Championships in Terlingua, Texas. She is survived by her husband, Steve Frisch of Fairview, and daughters Carrie Scarlata of Garland, Texas; Courtney Warder of Las Vegas; and Jennifer Kreeger of Omaha, Neb.; and son, Derek Frisch, of Arlington, Texas. Her mother, Virginia Gill, resides in Oklahoma City, as does her sister, Julie Carr. Her brother, Jim Gill, lives in Overland Park. Kan. She also is survived by nine grandchildren.

Kell received numerous honors and awards during her career, including Distinguished Faculty Alumni Award, 1971; Outstanding Business Woman of the Year, 1968; Outstanding Faculty Woman of the Year, 1967; recognition in Who’s Who in the West and Who’s Who of American Women; Outstanding Educators, 1972; Leaders in Education, 1974; and Outstanding Vocational Educator of Arizona, 1976. She was named to the Hall of Fame at her alma mater, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, and the Kell Communications Room in the College of Business at Northern Arizona University was named in her honor. She retired after 42 years of teaching. She is survived by her daughter, Anne Kell, of Yucaipa.

Venetta Kell, M.A. in Business Education, ’47; Ph.D. in Education, ’61. Kell, a retired Northern Arizona University professor, died at her home in Yucaipa, Ariz.. She was 88. She was born in 1918, in Cyril. After high school, she earned her bachelor’s degree in commerce from Oklahoma College for Women (now the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma) in 1940, and her master’s degree in business education from the University of Oklahoma in 1947. She earned her doctorate in education in 1961, also from OU Kell began teaching at Northern Arizona University in 1961. Before that, she had taught at Southwestern State College and at Chickasha High. She was a full professor at Northern Arizona University and headed the Business Education Department and later the Communications Department.

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THE UNIVERSIT Y OF OKL AHOMA

C O L L E G E O F E D U C AT I O N 820 VA N V LEE T OVA L NORM A N, OK 73019 -20 41

parting

shot Made It - Mortar boards remain a popular mode of expression with graduates each year. University of Oklahoma Commencement was held May 9, with COE Convocation May 10.