OSU Agriculture names 2025 Distinguished Alumni

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Media Contact: Mandy Gross | Sr. Manager of Strategic and VP Communications | 405-744-4063 | mandy.gross@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University will honor five individuals who have brought distinctive credit to the university’s Ferguson College of Agriculture and contributed significantly to society.

Shannon Angle, Bill Clymer, Robert Hodgen, M. John Kane and N. Malone Mitchell Jr. are recipients of the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award. The honorees will be officially recognized during the OSU Agriculture Honors ceremony on Oct. 3.

“These outstanding individuals have made a lasting impact on the Ferguson College of Agriculture and have served their communities, the state and OSU with distinction throughout their careers,” said Jayson Lusk, vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture. “We are proud to recognize their achievements with this prestigious alumni award.”

Established in 1983, the Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes individuals whose accomplishments serve as models for current and future Ferguson College of Agriculture students.

“These distinguished honorees demonstrate their dedication to their industries each day through both their words and actions,” said Cynda Clary, associate dean for the Ferguson College of Agriculture. “Our college and its students are fortunate to look to these individuals as role models of service, leadership and excellence.”

The OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources comprises the Ferguson College of Agriculture and two state agencies: OSU Extension and OSU Ag Research.

Learn more about each honoree below or visit OSU Agriculture Honors online.

Shannon Angle, Wichita, Kansas

Angle graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and accounting in 2002. She is vice president for Land, Infrastructure, Facilities and Transactions at Koch, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas.

Since January 2019, she has led Koch’s corporate real estate organization, driving strategic initiatives that support the company’s global real estate footprint, business growth and overall infrastructure development. With over two decades of leadership at Koch, she has played a pivotal role in shaping finance, real estate, risk management, and operations across multiple Koch businesses.

Raised on a family farm and cow-calf operation in Amorita, Oklahoma, and attending school in Burlington, Oklahoma, Angle developed an early appreciation for the agricultural industry, which guided her academic and professional pursuits.

While at OSU, Angle was actively engaged in the Ferguson College of Agriculture, serving as a Student Academic Mentor, participating in Aggie-X and holding leadership positions within the Ferguson College of Agriculture Student Association, as well as participating in other university organizations and community non-profits.

Angle continues to give back to the Ferguson College of Agriculture through mentorship, recruitment and scholarship initiatives, supporting students in agricultural economics and fostering career opportunities at Koch. Her contributions to agriculture and leadership have earned her numerous accolades, including the 2017 Ferguson College of Agriculture Early Career Achievement Award and Executive of the Year by the “Wichita Business Journal.”

Bill Clymer, Amarillo, Texas

Clymer, originally from Okemah, Oklahoma, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education from OSU in 1965. He went on to become an agricultural instructor at Plainview High School in Texas before returning to OSU to pursue his Ph.D. in entomology with a focus on tick control in eastern Oklahoma.

Upon completing his Ph.D. in 1969, Clymer joined the Texas AgriLife Extension Service as a regional entomologist in Lubbock, Texas, and later moved to Amarillo due to the rapid expansion of the cattle feeding industry. He immersed himself in large animal systems, particularly beef feedlots. He began building his own cattle operation on a ranch near Amarillo, which now is home to a thriving cow-calf operation and an elite breeding program for bucking bulls.

After leaving Texas AgriLife Extension Service, he started a consulting and research company, primarily helping develop new and improved products for the livestock industry. He founded Clymer Research and Consulting, a pioneering veterinary parasitology firm that conducted contract research for pharmaceutical companies worldwide. The name was later changed to Agricultural Training and Technology Inc. Under his leadership, the company became a vital partner in developing groundbreaking livestock health products worldwide, including ivermectin, which revolutionized parasite control in the cattle industry.

His expertise and influence grew when he joined Fort Dodge Animal Health as their international parasitologist, where he led technical efforts to advance products such as Cydectin, improving parasite control and minimizing environmental impacts. His work extended internationally, supporting projects in South America, Australia, Kenya and Europe, and establishing him as one of the leading parasitologists in the global cattle sector. He was also retained by the United States Government to assist in solving a fly problem with one of the top facilities in Saudi Arabia.

A voice well known in rodeo arenas across the country as a rodeo announcer, Clymer has never forgotten his roots at OSU. He established a scholarship for students on the rodeo team who are pursuing agricultural degrees, directly supporting the next generation of Cowboy leaders. He also remains actively involved with the OSU Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, engaging with faculty to explore new opportunities in veterinary entomology education. Clymer also served as an adjunct professor at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.

Robert Hodgen, Houston

Raised on a large-scale grain and beef cattle farm in Indiana, Hodgen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in animal science from OSU in 1997, followed by an MBA in finance and management from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2003.

Hodgen is currently the chief executive officer of King Ranch Inc., a family-owned and privately held agribusiness, real estate, energy and natural resource management company with diversified operations in Texas, Florida and California. Since 1853, King Ranch has prioritized habitat conservation and land stewardship as a core tenet of the family legacy. The ranch began with cattle and has expanded into various forms of crop farming, turfgrass production, machinery dealerships, luxury retail goods and recreational hunting.

Under his guidance, King Ranch continues to embrace cutting-edge practices while respecting its heritage, which is a testament to Hodgen’s innovative spirit and understanding of the industry’s evolution.  His capabilities are built from a career of various leadership and investment management roles, first with Cargill, then J.D. Heiskell & Co. and, most recently, with AMERRA Capital Management.

Throughout his career, Hodgen has returned to the OSU campus to network with current students, sharing knowledge and experiences that inspire students. In 2024, Hodgen was a special guest during a Dean’s Dialogue event with Lusk, discussing the agricultural industry's future through land stewardship and data-driven solutions.

In addition, Hodgen and his wife, Kari, partnered with family to name a graduate workstation in the new Agricultural Hall in honor of his parents, Abe and Shirley Hodgen. The couple also supports the Purebred Beef Center, animal science judging teams and other OSU Agriculture fundraising initiatives and often attends events such as the Wine Forum of Oklahoma and OSU Animal Science Alumni Association Gala.

John Kane IV, Pawhuska, Oklahoma

Kane graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and accounting from OSU in 1984, where he was recognized as one of the top 10 men of his graduating class. Following his time at OSU, he received his law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

In 2019, Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed him to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, where he has served as the chief justice and vice-chief justice. Before his service on the Supreme Court, Kane served on the trial bench as the District Judge of Osage County, where he was reelected four times and was responsible for creating Osage County’s first drug court.

Kane is an active second-generation OSU alumnus from a long line of public servants. Kane’s father earned an agricultural economics degree at OSU before pursuing a legal career. His great-grandmother was the assistant secretary of the treasury in the Truman Administration, and his great-grandfather was on Oklahoma’s first Supreme Court.

Kane’s distinguished legal career reflects positively on OSU, showcasing the university’s role in preparing leaders for public service. Practicing law alongside his father and grandfather and reflecting on the value of OSU’s education and community serve as an inspiration to current and prospective students.

With deep family ties to OSU, Kane and his wife, Cyndi, who also graduated from OSU, have expressed hope that their grandchildren will continue the family legacy at OSU as fourth-generation Cowboys and follow in the footsteps of two of their four children, Matthew and Patrick.

Malone Mitchell Jr., Sanderson, Texas

Mitchell graduated with a bachelor’s in animal science from OSU in 1963. He is currently the owner of Mitchell Ranches and has operated the ranch since before graduating from OSU.

Acquiring land over the years and producing primarily cattle and goats, he is the largest agricultural producer south of I-40 and east of I-35. The success of the ranch is a result of Mitchell’s dedication to conservation and land stewardship, shaped by his tenure as director of the Rio Grande-Pecos River Soil and Water Conservation District and his service on the board for 60 years.

Mitchell believes the quality of soil is crucial to his operation and is known for saying that “soil is the beginning of all agriculture.” As a result, the Mitchell family became cornerstone donors of the New Frontiers campaign to build a cutting-edge facility for OSU Agriculture and name the N. Malone Mitchell Jr. Soils Lab.

In addition, in July 2021, Mitchell established the N. Malone and Roberta Mitchell Jr. Family Endowed Scholarship in Animal Science. This $100,000 endowment supports students who are employed at the OSU Sheep and Goat Center and have plans to return to a commercial operation upon graduation.

During his time at OSU, Mitchell met his wife, Roberta. The couple supports OSU’s land-grant mission through philanthropic efforts to the Ferguson College of Agriculture, the OSU Department of Animal and Food Sciences and the OSU Polo Team. Mitchell credits his education at OSU for equipping him to be a lifelong, successful rancher and businessman.