Oklahoma State’s Kincade awarded Udall Scholarship

Monday, May 1, 2017

Oklahoma State University student Emma Kincade has earned a Udall Scholarship for her student leadership and health-related accomplishments. She is OSU’s 16th Udall Scholar and the third straight to earn the prestigious national honor in the categories of native health care and tribal policy.

Kincade, a junior from Broken Arrow, is majoring in communication sciences and disorders at OSU, with plans to pursue a dual master’s degree in occupational therapy and public health at Washington University in St. Louis. She is the daughter of Mindy and Thomas Kincade of Broken Arrow.

“As one rises, we all rise. I am happy to represent both the Cherokee Nation and Oklahoma State University through the Udall Foundation. It is an honor to receive this award,” said Kincade. “My family and mentors have been so kind and uplifting for me as I pursued my goals, and that’s why this is really a collective triumph, since their support has meant so much to me.”

While at OSU, Kincade has worked closely with the administration of the Center for Sovereign Nations, assisting in its founding and continuing to work there as a student leader. She has also collaborated with medical students and faculty at the OSU Center for Health Sciences in designing a clinical trial to evaluate the benefits of osteopathic manipulative medicine as a therapy to help diabetics better manage blood glucose levels. Kincade gathered research data for the project during a hike to the Mojave Desert as a member of the Native Explorers program, founded by Dr. Kent Smith.

“The team at the center for Sovereign Nations, Dr. John Chaney, Dr. Elizabeth Payne and Sky Rodgers, has been invaluable to me during my time at OSU. I am so grateful that the center exists for students to get connected both on campus and within their tribal communities,” said Kincade. “I have also had the privilege of participating in research under the supervision of Dr. Rachel Messer and Dr. Sheila Kennison, which has strengthened my desire to improve health care for my tribe.”

Kincade plans to be at the forefront of collaboration between health care professionals and the Cherokee Nation’s medical directors to implement culturally sensitive occupation therapy. She currently serves as a teaching assistant in the political science department at OSU. This summer, she will serve as an intern for the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

Another OSU student, Lindsey Hancock was awarded an honorable mention by the Udall Foundation. Hancock, a sophomore from Norman, is a physiology major in the OSU Honors College. She has conducted research with the director of OU’s American Indian Diabetes Prevention Center and on the OSU campus as a freshman research scholar. Lindsey plans to attend medical school and become a physician who treats Native Americans and others in under-served areas. She expects to work primarily as a clinician in the area of diabetes prevention and treatment.

The Udall scholarship honors the legacies of Morris Udall and Stewart Udall, whose careers had a significant impact on Native American self-governance, health care, and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources. The Udall Foundation annually awards 60 scholarships nationwide, up to $7,000 each, to college sophomore and juniors.