OSU Welcomes 56 to the 2011-2012 freshman research scholars program

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Fifty-six incoming Oklahoma State University freshmen representing 32 majors from Aerospace Engineering to Elementary Education will receive an early, hands-on introduction to university-level research in the Freshman Research Scholars Program (FRS).  In this unique, first-look at academic inquiry students will expand their education beyond the classroom by engaging in cutting-edge research under the guidance of some of the most innovative faculty on campus.

Supported by $1,000 scholarships courtesy of the Robberson Trust, FRS students will learn basic research ethics and methodology while working closely with their mentors and graduate assistants to design and conduct projects of their choosing.  In the fall students will participate in major-related orientation courses taught by experienced faculty researchers and two college deans.  As a capstone to the FRS experience, students will have the opportunity to share the results of their research at a peer-level colloquium in the spring.  

By elevating their education with research, these undergraduates can distinguish themselves as leaders capable of contributing to the community in ways that coursework alone cannot.  In just the past four years, five FRS students have been named Barry M. Goldwater Scholars, the most prestigious undergraduate distinction in the sciences.  And upon graduation, former FRS students have been admitted to elite graduate and professional programs at the University of Cambridge and Carnegie Mellon among others.  

OSU understands that students who graduate without a significant research experience have not taken full advantage of all that a comprehensive research university has to offer, so this early introduction is an important part of a broader initiative to increase undergraduate research in all fields of study—not just the laboratory sciences.

With robust, nationally-recognized undergraduate research programs, such as the Lew Wentz Research Program ($4,500 scholarships for up to 50 students annually) and the Niblack Research Scholars ($8,000 scholarships for up to 12 students annually), OSU offers many opportunities for students of all fields and classifications to continue their research beyond the first year.   Over the past five years FRS students have been awarded over $200,000 in additional research funding through such programs.

Whether one intends to make a career of research or to solve a simple problem, students interested in pursuing research will always find receptive faculty to mentor them through the process regardless of funding through a formal program, making OSU a truly vibrant community for young scholars with big questions.

For more information about the Freshman Research Scholars Program and other undergraduate research opportunities at Oklahoma State University, please contact The Henry Bellmon Office of Scholar Development and Recognition at 334 Student Union, Stillwater, OK 74078, 405-744-7313, schdev@okstate.edu <mailto:schdev@okstate.edu>  or visit us online at http://scholardevelopment.okstate.edu.

The students are listed below by their hometowns.

OKLAHOMA
*ALTUS
Taylor Cole                        Biosystems Engineering                        Altus                          

*ARDMORE
Ellie Jones                            Family & Child Services                    Ardmore              

*BARTLESVILLE
Kaitlin Loyd                        Microbiology                                       Bartlesville              

*BIXBY
Monica Kreymer                  International Business                        Bixby                          

*BROKEN ARROW
Sydny Hager                          Electrical Engineering                          Broken Arrow              
Micah Peters                          Nutritional Sciences                             Broken Arrow              
Molly Selman                         Biological Science                              Broken Arrow                  
Laura Walters                         Elementary Education                         Broken Arrow                  
Erin Westbrook                      Aerospace Engineering                        Broken Arrow              

*BROKEN BOW
Colin Jackson                        Microbiology                                      Broken Bow              

*CLAREMORE
Wendy Hines                        Nutritional Sciences                                    Claremore              

*DUNCAN
Danielle Dear                        Apparel Design                                    Duncan                          

*EDMOND
Jessica Barber                        Aerospace Engineering                        Edmond            
Laili Boozary                         Apparel Design                                    Edmond            
MaKenzie Norman                Public Relations                                   Edmond              
Leah Underwood                   Physiology                                           Edmond                 

*EL RENO
Sarah Ball                              Mechanical Engineering                        El Reno                          

*FORT GIBSON
Stephen Ogle                        Chemical Engineering                          Fort Gibson              

*KINGFISHER
Kayla Coffey                        Public Relations                                    Kingfisher              

*MANNFORD
Joshua Cole                         Chemical Engineering                           Mannford              

*MOUNDS
Evyn Larsen                        Biochemistry                                          Mounds                            

*NORMAN
Courtney DeKalb                    Horticulture                                            Norman                        
Brie Horton                             Nutritional Sciences                               Norman                          
Celeste Meyer                         Psychology                                             Norman                          

*OKLAHOMA CITY
Joseph Brown                        Chemical Engineering                          Oklahoma City      

*PERKINS
Tucker Chaney                     Secondary Education                                    Perkins            

*STILLWATER
Hannah Kadavy                    Athletic Training                                    Stillwater              
Forrest Rogers                       Zoology                                                 Stillwater            
Peter Storm                           Biosystems Engineering                        Stillwater              

*TULSA
Rachel Greer                        Early Childhood Education                     Tulsa                          
Margaret Kirkpatrick           Chemical Engineering                             Tulsa                        
Stephen Long                      Aerospace Engineering                            Tulsa                          
Murphey Mitchell               Political Science                                       Tulsa                          
Cassandra Rodenbaugh       Animal Science                                        Tulsa                          
Breanna Willis                    Nutritional Sciences                                 Tulsa                        
Braden Wilson                    Biochemistry                                            Tulsa            

*YUKON
Jonathan Overton                 Biosystems Engineering                        Yukon                        
Lisa Patrick                          Mathematics                                          Yukon                        

*WOODWARD              
LeAnn Yadon                            Entomology                                    Woodward            


CALIFORNIA
Cerritos
Hyun Jun Choi                         Economics                                                    

IOWA
Bettendorf
Elizabeth Hickman                   Biosystems Engineering                 

KANSAS
Mission
Samuel Aldrich                            Business Management                         
Riverton
Erin Pearson                                Geology                                                 
Wichita
Andrea Sanders                           Plant & Soil Science                              
Charles Welch                             Biosystems Engineering                        
Joshua Whitman                         Mechanical Engineering                        

KENTUCKY
Paris
Kaitlin Thomas                            Animal Science                                    

NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
Ian Maloney                                Biomedical Sciences                           

NEW YORK
Penfield
Juliet Ellison                               Animal Science                                 

TEXAS
Amarillo
Ryan Greenway                        Zoology                                                 
Bee Cave
Joshua Payne                            Entrepreneurship                                    
Borger
Joshua Madden                        Chemical Engineering                            
Canyon
Justin Hesse                             Cell & Molecular Biology                     
Coppell
Connor Wilkinson                   Mechanical Engineering                         
Flint
Kaci Moore                             Architectural Engineering                      
Longview
Adam Allen                             Biological Sciences