CAS student named Honorary Graduate Commencement Marshal
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Media Contact: Jacob Longan | Coordinator of Communications and Marketing | 405-744-7497 | jacob.longan@okstate.edu
Emily Geest came to Oklahoma State University hoping to make the most out of her time left in school, and her numerous accolades indicate she has succeeded.
Now, she has another to add to the list: Honorary Graduate Commencement Marshal. Graduate Commencement takes place at 7 p.m. Friday in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
“It’s such a great honor,” said Geest, an integrative biology Ph.D. candidate. “I was not expecting it, but it’s a nice way to end such a great journey.”
Geest’s journey at OSU began in January 2018 after she completed her master’s at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Her master’s research focused on comparing monarch butterflies in residential gardens to those in conservation areas, and she wanted to continue studying butterflies for her doctoral research. That’s why she chose OSU.
Geest came to OSU to work with Dr. Kristen Baum. Baum — an integrative biology professor and the College of Arts and Sciences’ associate dean for research and facilities — studies the effects of land use and management practices on pollinators, including monarch butterflies. Geest knew Baum would be the perfect mentor for her, so she joined Baum’s research lab her first semester at OSU.
“I was very excited for Emily to be selected as an Honorary Graduate Commencement Marshal,” Baum said. “Only two doctoral and two master's graduates are selected for this honor each semester. Recipients of this award have made substantial contributions to OSU’s land-grant mission during their time at OSU.”
Geest has certainly contributed a lot to OSU. In addition to her own research, which focuses on the effects of fire on grassland butterfly communities, she has mentored undergraduate students with their research projects and helped with her fellow graduate students’ research where she could. She logged over 1,000 volunteer hours with science outreach at OSU, and she has received the Library Creativity Award, the Diamond ReCord Award (given for 300-plus volunteer hours in one year), and the Outstanding Community Service Student of the Year Award.
In addition to her volunteer and outreach work, Geest has been an active member of the campus community by participating in any clubs, competitions or workshops that struck her fancy. She even participated in a business competition, and she learned how to use the campus 3-D printers for fun.
“I’ve always liked the idea that you can see a flyer for something and just participate,” Geest said. “Even if you’ve never done it before, you can participate. And at OSU, there’s always someone who can help you do it.”
Geest said she has enjoyed her time at OSU, and she’s grateful for all the experiences she had here. She will particularly miss conducting research at the Tallgrass Prairie in Pawhuska, but she’s ready to graduate.
As she looks back on her academic journey, she said she’s glad she chose to come to OSU.
“OSU is such a community-driven school,” Geest said. “As a graduate student, you have to balance kind of an awkward line between student and professional, and OSU made it easy.”
Story By: Ellie Melero | emelero@okstate.edu