Fifteen scholarships awarded at Women for OSU Symposium

Monday, May 1, 2023

Media Contact: Jennifer Kinnard | OSU Foundation | 405-334-1022 | jkinnard@OSUgiving.com

Fifteen Oklahoma State University students were presented with scholarships at the 15th annual Women for OSU Symposium on Thursday.

Each of the recipients demonstrate a strong passion for philanthropy and service, with interests ranging from global health to special needs and more.

Each year, the symposium celebrates members of the Cowboy family who are leaders in philanthropy. One of those people, Carol Morsani, was honored as the 2023 Women for OSU Philanthropist of the Year.

Morsani and her husband, Frank, are both Tulsa natives and have been heavily involved in their communities, both at OSU and at home in Tampa, Florida. The Morsanis have committed more than $28 million to OSU, including $10 million to The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts as well as a $5 million gift that established the Frank and Carol Morsani Center for Ethics and Creative Leadership on the Stillwater campus.

The couple’s commitment to making a difference at OSU earned them honorary doctorates from the university as well as the Henry G. Bennett Award for Distinguished Service, OSU’s highest humanitarian honor. Their philanthropy also earned them another honorary doctorate at the University of South Florida.

This year’s Partnering to Impact grant recipients were also recognized at the Women for OSU Symposium.

Partnering to Impact is a donor-funded program that supports the university by strengthening Women for OSU partner engagement. It awards grants up to $10,000 to areas at OSU that focus on four initiatives: Health and Wellness, Education, Campus Beautification, or Arts and Culture.

Five grants were awarded to the following OSU initiatives and projects:

Increasing Student Success by Reducing Student Debt: A Free Open Textbook for Required Composition Courses
OSU Student Farm
Growing DivHERsity
Increasing Food Security at OSU-OKC
Harmonizing Open Education Resources: Accessibility Beyond Screen Readers Through OSU Community Voices

The event featured a keynote address from Elizabeth Smart, an abduction survivor, author, activist and communicator for hope after tragedy.

Student Philanthropist of the Year

Jentry Lemons, Ardmore, Oklahoma — Physiology: Pre-Medical Sciences, 2024
Liza-Ann Suba, Del City, Oklahoma — Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, 2024

Sheryl Benbrook Women for OSU Endowed Scholarship

Mackenzie Moody, Tulsa — Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, 2024

Wirt June Newman Memorial Scholarship

Kaitlyn Pinkerton, Claremore, Oklahoma — Political Science: Pre-Law, 2025

Ike and Marybeth Glass Women for OSU Endowed Scholarship

Shaelyn Ward, Tulsa — Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, 2025
Sadie Schiffmacher, Tulsa — Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, 2025

Other Scholarsip Recipients

Katherine Barclay, Hospitality and Tourism Management and Accounting, 2025, Edmond, Oklahoma
Elsa Berry, Flower Mound, Texas — Secondary Education, Option in English, 2024
Liberty Carson, Yukon, Oklahoma — Animal Science and Agribusiness, 2025
Coralee Castle, Wayne, Oklahoma — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2025
Sarah Easterly, Enid, Oklahoma — Political Science, 2024
Raedyn Magness, Shattuck, Oklahoma — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2024
Limayre Mendoza, Oklahoma City — Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, 2024
Mackenzie Steele, Shawnee, Oklahoma — Political Science, 2025
Nicole Ziske, Allen, Texas — Marketing and Business Sustainability, 2024

Next year’s symposium will be held on April 25, 2024, and feature keynote speaker Deborah Norville. Norville is a two-time Emmy winner, New York Times best-selling author and the longest serving anchor on American television.

Find more information on this year’s Women for OSU Symposium, including videos of award winners on the website.