Dr. Jeff Edwards (center), department head and professor of plant and soil sciences, receives the 2021 Career Champion award with Dr. Doug Hallenbeck (right), vice president of student affairs, and Dr. John Mark Day (left), interim director of career services.

OSU Career Services announces Dr. Jeff Edwards as 2021 Career Champion

Monday, December 13, 2021

Media Contact: Mack Burke | Editorial Coordinator | 405.744.5540 | news@okstate.edu

OSU Career Services has announced Dr. Jeff Edwards, department head and professor of plant and soil sciences in the Ferguson College of Agriculture, as the recipient of the 2021 Career Champion award.

The Career Champion award recognizes Oklahoma State University faculty and staff who have championed student career development and career readiness by encouraging, fostering and promoting professional development and career opportunities for students.

Edwards has gone above and beyond to assist OSU students with their career readiness. His dedication extends to his willingness to partner with Career Services in classroom presentations, employer engagement and industry partners. One example of his dedication to his students’ success is through internship poster presentation sessions. Every fall, Edwards, along with the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, hosts a poster presentation in which students who completed summer internships present about their experiences and the knowledge they gained. The posters remain on the walls in their hallway throughout the year to encourage other students to pursue internships and prepare for their future careers.

“Dr. Edwards is truly a career champion of students being career-ready by the time they graduate,” said Taylor Harbuck, Ferguson College of Agriculture career services coordinator, in his nomination form. “The level of opportunities he and the department provide, not only undergraduate, but graduate students, is not common among academic departments.”

The 2021 Career Champion Award was presented to Edwards at the University Convocation Awards on Dec. 7 at the OSU Student Union Ballroom.

2021 Career Champion Nominees

Suzanne Bilbeisi, Department Head and Professor – School of Architecture

Heather Carter, Assistant Professor – Department of Design, Housing, and Merchandising

Tilanka Chandrasekera, Associate Professor – Department of Design, Housing, and Merchandising

Greg Clare, Interim Associate Department Head and Associate Professor – Department of Design, Housing, and Merchandising

Joyce Crawford, Coordinator of Asian American Affairs – Office of Multicultural Affairs

Evan Davis, Assistant Dean and Professor of Professional Practice – Spears School of Business

Norb Delatte, Department Head and M.R. Lohmann Endowed Professor – School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Jeff Edwards, Department Head and Professor – Department of Plant & Soil Sciences

Holley Hansen, Teaching Assistant Professor – Department of Political Science

Casey Ihde, Assistant Curator – OSU Museum of Art

Gavin Lang, Associate Athletic Director Communications – OSU Athletics

Amber Manning-Oulette, Assistant Professor – School of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Aviation

Elizabeth Payne, Director – Center for Sovereign Nations

Winter Phong, Assistant Professor – Department of Theatre

James Puckette, Associate Professor – Boone Pickens School of Geology

Steve Ruby, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice – School of Hospitality and Tourism Management

Amanda Williams, Manager – CEAT Recruitment

For more information on OSU Career Services visit www.HireOSUGrads.com, email careers@okstate.edu or call 405-744-5253.