OSU Announces Masonic Chair Recipient
Friday, June 16, 2017
Matthew Brosi, Oklahoma State University associate professor in Human Development and Family Science in the College of Human Sciences, has been named to serve as the Masonic Chair. The university-wide endowed chair, made possible through the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma, focuses on the importance of men, masculinity, gender roles and politics.
“With the outstanding nominations, the Masonic Chair application process continues to be challenging for our reviewers,” OSU Graduate College Dean Sheryl Tucker said. “Like the inaugural competition, this review cycle also garnered talented proposals from nearly all of the colleges.”
Brosi holds a joint appointment in Human Development and Family Science and as a state specialist with the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service (OCES). He is a licensed marital and family therapist and serves as the director of clinical training for the marriage and family therapy program at OSU.
Brosi has been instrumental in the development of extension services’ well-recognized Co-parenting for Resilience program and its ongoing evaluation.
“I have a passion for influencing systemic and generational change that increases the well-being of not only fathers, but children and families alike” he said. “My goal is to assist in building men of strong character and ultimately in becoming leaders and models for future generations.”
“My action steps include developing and implementing a targeted plan for broader dissemination and application of research as well as bringing visibility to the mission of the Masonic Chair.”
One of the aspects of the Co-parenting for Resilience program is the established system of data collection on approximately 2,000 men per year.
“Having this combination of an ongoing program and data collection provides a uniquely rich opportunity to both better understand men and to test interventions designed to enhance the lives of these fathers and their families,” Brosi said.
“Professor Brosi’s background, experience and research impact are an excellent fit with the focus of the Masonic Chair,” Tucker said. “His proposed work builds on his scholarly accomplishments and creates new opportunities for disseminating research findings to improve the lives of Oklahomans. In addition, his proposal continues to integrate undergraduate and graduate students into his research program in meaningful ways, further developing our next generation of research scientists.”
The Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma is the primary charitable and educational organization of Oklahoma Freemasonry. The foundation supports many programs throughout the state, including the Oklahoma Senior Assistance Program, Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, and the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority. The foundation also maintains its Matching Funds program which doubles funds raised by local Masonic Lodges for charitable and educational needs in their areas.
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