OSU recognizes Babu, Bryans during fall 2019 University Awards Convocation
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Dr. Kaladi Babu, Regents Professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Mary Bryans, director of Budget and Asset Management and chief budget officer, took top honors as Oklahoma State University recognized the achievements of faculty, staff and administrators at the University Awards Convocation Wednesday at the OSU ConocoPhillips Alumni Center in Stillwater.
Babu received the Eminent Faculty Award, which recognizes the highest level of scholarly achievement at OSU. His research is in theoretical high energy physics and particle physics phenomenology. He recently received the Distinguished Scholar Award from the Department of Energy and has garnered nearly $7 million in research grants.
“Dr. Babu is one of the most prolific and highly cited researchers worldwide,” said Gary Sandefur, OSU provost and senior vice president. “As a teacher, Dr. Babu has the incredible ability to teach physics in a way that students can understand. As a mentor, he is one of the best. He is generous with his time and helps students obtain their fullest potential.”
Bryans received the Loyal and True Award, which personifies the spirit of OSU through unwavering devotion, personal sacrifice and commitment of time and talents. Bryans has spent the past 15 of 24 years at OSU in her current role.
“Mary has distinguished herself as a dedicated colleague and astute fiscal manager,” Sandefur said. “Mary’s capacity to connect with others and her steady leadership are a rare combination of abilities.”
Sandefur introducing members of the OSU/A&M Board of Regents, campus leaders such as the OSU Leadership Team and the executive group, the team of academic administrators, faculty and staff leadership groups, the faculty council and student leaders.
New awards this year included the OSU Career Champion Award, Inclusive Excellence Faculty Award and the Women’s Faculty Council Outstanding Achievement and Mentorship of Women Awards.
Full list of honorees
Phoenix Award for Graduate Faculty
- Balabhaskar Balasundaram, Industrial Engineering and Management, College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
President’s Cup for Creative Interdisciplinarity \
- First place: Promoting Interdisciplinary Inquiry Through Scientist-Teachers and Teacher-Scientists
Andrew Doust, team leader - Second place: Integrated Framework for Quantifying Impacts of Induced Seismicity on Oklahoma Infrastructure Mohamed Soliman, team leader
- Third place: Decreasing the Energy Use in Wastewater Treatment
David Lampert, team leader
Regents Distinguished Research Award
- Ramanjulu Sunkar, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
- William Jaco, Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences
- Stacy Takacs, English, College of Arts and Sciences \
- Ramesh Rao, Finance, Spears School of Business
- Sunderesh Heragu, Industrial Engineering and Management, College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
- Karina Shreffler, Human Development and Family Science, College of Human Sciences
- Lin Liu, Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine
Regents Distinguished Teaching Award
- Patricia Canaan, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
- Tamara Mix, Sociology, College of Arts and Sciences
- Jay Schweig, Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences
- Rathindra Sarathy, Management Science and Information Systems, Spears School of Business
- Stephanie Hathcock, Teaching, Learning and Educational Sciences, College of Education, Health and Aviation
- John Phillips, Architecture, College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
- Edralin Lucas, Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Sciences
- Mason Reichard, Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine
Career Champion Award
- Tyrrell Conway, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, College of Arts and Sciences
Inclusive Excellence Faculty Award
- Jennifer Jones, Human Development and Family Science, College of Human Sciences
Women’s Faculty Council Outstanding Achievement and Mentorship of Women Awards
Rising Star
- Dolores Vazquez Sanroman, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Center for Health Sciences
Outstanding Achievement
- Ashlee Ford Versypt, Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
Inspiring Excellence
- Stephanie Sweatt, Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
Global Education Faculty Excellence Award
- Barbara Brown, Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Sciences
Outreach Faculty Excellence Award
- David Carter, Finance, Spears School of Business
Newly Appointed Chair and Professorship Holders
Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
- Brad Kard, Endowed Chair of Structural and Household Pest Control
- Ranjith Ramanathan, Leo and Kathy Noltensmeyer Endowed Research Professorship
- Million Tadege, Mel and Mary Jones Professorship in Agronomic Sciences
- Brian Whitacre, Sarkeys Distinguished Professorship
College of Arts and Sciences
- Todd Halihan, Sun Co. Clyde Wheeler Chair in Hydrogeology
- Farida Jalalzai, Hannah D. Atkins Professor for Political Science and Government
Information - Glen Krutz, Puterbaugh Foundation Chair
- Yingmei Liu, Noble Foundation Chair — Laser Research
- Igor Pritsker, Vaughn Foundation Professorship in Number Theory
- James Puckette, Geoscience Education Chair
Spears School of Business
- Mehtabul Azam, Associates Professorship of Business Administration
- Matt Bowler, Ralph A. and Peggy A. Brenneman Professorship
- Laurie Lucas, Endowed Professorship in Applied Business Ethics
- Li Miao, Charles W. Lanphere Professorship
- Curtis Moore, Mike and Robbie Holder Chair in Entrepreneurship
- Marc Tower, Norman C. Stevenson Chair in Entrepreneurship
- Alexis Smith Washington, William S. Spears Chair in Business Administration
College of Education, Health and Aviation
- Mallory Casebolt, Roger Hardesty Chair in Aviation Science
- Amber Manning-Ouellette, Anderson, Farris and Halligan College Student Development Professorship
- Joe Terantino, Stella V. Andersen Endowed Professorship
College of Human Sciences
- Amanda Harrist, Bryan B. Close Endowed Professorship
Edmon Low Library
- Juliana Nykolaiszyn, W.P. Wood Professorship for Library Service
- Matthew Upson, Claud D. Kniffin Professorship of Library Service and Education
Award for Excellence in Academic Program Assessment
- Niels Maness and Cherry Gray, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
- Jon Comer, Geography, College of Arts and Sciences
- Angela Spencer, Accounting, Spears School of Business
- Mary Malaska, Alana Cluck and Mckinzey Porter, Nursing, College of Education, Health and Aviation
- Heather Yates, Construction Engineering Technology, College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
- Gregory Clare, Design, Housing and Merchandising, College of Human Sciences
Excellence in Teaching Award for Adjunct Faculty
- Nancy Titus-Piersma, Finance, Spears School of Business
Merrick Foundation Teaching Award
- Wenyi Shen, Economics, Spears School of Business
Advising Excellence Award
- Gretchen Mafi, Animal and Food Sciences, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
- April Golliver-Mohiuddin, Music, College of Arts and Sciences
- Silvia Daggy, Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
- Cara Black, Student Success Center, Spears School of Business
- Mary Mach, Student Success Center, College of Education, Health and Aviation
- Kristal Soderstrom-Junkens, Student Success Center, College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
- Edralin Lucas, Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Sciences
- Baylee Butler, Student Success Center, Honors College
- Kendra Alcala, University College Advising, Division of Academic Affairs
- Lionel Dawson, Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine
- Pamela Lovern, Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine — Outstanding Graduate Coordinator
Newly Appointed Regents Professors
- Robert Burnap, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, College of Arts and Sciences
- Elizabeth Grubgeld, English, College of Arts and Sciences
- Jason Lavery, History, College of Arts and Sciences
- Randall Stroope, Music, College of Arts and Sciences
- Betty Simkins, Finance, Spears School of Business
- Clinton Jones, Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine
Oklahoma Higher Education Heritage Society’s Hall of Fame
- William Jaco, Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences\
- Gregor Morgan (posthumous), Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine
Distinguished Early Career Faculty Award
- Scott Loss, Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
- Erika Lutter, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, College of Arts and Sciences
- Shannon Spaulding, Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences
- Alexis Smith Washington, Management, Spears School of Business
- Jason DeFreitas, Kinesiology, Applied Health and Recreation, College of Education, Health and Aviation
- Brian Elbing, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
- Dingbo “Daniel” Lin, Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Sciences
- Danielle Dugat, Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine
Land-Grant Award for Excellence
- Lindsey Claire Smith, associate professor of English, College of Arts and Sciences, and director of the Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers
Leave the Ladder Down Award
- Faculty: Susan Little, Regents Professor, Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine
- Staff: Sally Schuh, director of the Visual Resource Center, Department of Art, Graphic Design and Art History, College of Arts and Sciences
- Administrator: Marissa McIntyre, director of the Chesapeake Energy Business Student Success Center, Spears School of Business
University Service Award
- Faculty: Jon Ramsey, associate professor, Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
- Staff: Mary Ellen Givens, administrative support specialist in the Academic Programs office, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
- Administrator: Bobbi Kay Lewis, associate professor and associate dean for Outreach, College of Arts and Sciences
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