Three OSU professors selected for higher ed hall of fame
Monday, August 1, 2016
Three professors from Oklahoma State University, Robert Fulton, Ramesh Sharda and Barbara Stoecker, have been selected for induction into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame for 2016. The honor recognizes outstanding men and women who have excelled in higher education and encouraged others to contribute to the economic development and quality of life in Oklahoma.
“We are especially proud to call these accomplished individuals our own and offer sincere thanks and congratulations for their profound contributions in research, and their dedication to educating and mentoring others,” said OSU President Burns Hargis. “Their achievements provide lasting benefits for Oklahoma that often extend to the rest of the world as well.”
Dr. Robert Fulton is known for his groundbreaking work on viruses that result in bovine respiratory diseases,and in the development of vaccines to fight specific viruses that cause expensive losses in both cattle and production.
His research on bovine respiratory disease has significantly advanced the global knowledge base of bovine viruses and vaccinology. Fulton is recognized, throughout the U.S. and abroad, for his published research on bovine viral diarrhea viruses,bovine coronaviruses and other respiratory viruses.He has also dedicated much of his career to mentoring other veterinarians and faculty. Fulton, an OSU alumnus, is an Emeritus Regents Professor and the McCasland Foundation Endowed Chair for Animal Research in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at OSU’s veterinary center. He served as head of two departments in the veterinary center for 15 years and had been on the faculty at OSU for more than 33 years prior to his recent retirement.
Dr. Ramesh Sharda is an internationally-recognized leader in developing techniques and methods for analyzing information and mining data that is important for business and many other private and public sector applications.Credited with making Oklahoma a major player in the field of analytics, Sharda also created two graduate programs at OSU and served as director for several years. He has authored or co-authored six research books and seven textbooks.His research in the field of management science and information systems has been published in several major journals and cited thousands of times in related literature. He is also noted for his impact on student learning with many former students now working in advanced academic and industry settings. Sharda is the vice dean for research and graduate programs in the Spears School of Business at OSU, Watson/ConocoPhillips Chair, and OSU Regents Professor of Management Science and Information Systems.
Dr. Barbara Stoeckers research in the field of micronutrients and human health has earned her an international reputation.She has contributed to understanding the roles of the trace element chromium in lipid and insulin metabolism.
Stoecker also collaborated with nutritional sciences faculty investigating dietary components that protect against bone loss in inflammation and in microgravity. Her work in sub-Saharan Africa and Ethiopia provided important research to understand critical nutrient deficiencies and related health complications. She has published numerous research papers and co-authored several scholarly works, but considers her greatest achievement training the next generation of nutritional scientists and mentoring undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students. Stoecker is an OSU Regents Professor and the Marilynn Thoma Chair in the College of Human Sciences at OSU. The 2016 induction ceremony and dinner will be held Monday, Oct. 24, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. The Oklahoma Higher Education Heritage Society sponsors the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame. More than 200 leaders have been inducted since the society held the first ceremony in 1994.