College of Education Recognizes Top Graduate Assistants for 2015

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

The Oklahoma State University College of Education has announced its Outstanding Graduate Assistants for 2014-15. One graduate student from each of the college's three schools was selected based on excellence in teaching and service.

Yeorim Ana Hwang, from Incheon, South Korea, is the Outstanding Graduate Assistant for the School of Teaching and Curriculum Leadership. She is a doctoral student pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Education. In her position with the College of Education, she has worked on The ARtS Initiative Project and in the Tulsa elementary afterschool program: Learning citizenship through arts-based inquiry and aesthetic education.

“Ana has provided an exceptional example of how a graduate research associate can advance scholarship by incorporating coursework, scholarship, and community service,” said Dr. Seungho Moon, assistant professor in curriculum studies and leader of the ARtS Initiative. Moon. “As a director of the ARtS initiative, Ana has advanced her research idea in cross-cultural conversation with the use of art.” 

Ashley Keener is the Outstanding Graduate Assistant for the School of Educational Studies. Keener, who is from Tulsa, will complete a master’s degree in educational psychology with an emphasis in research, evaluation, measurement and statistics in May 2015. She is slated to begin the doctoral program in educational psychology-research and evaluation starting this summer.

“[Ashley] has been a pleasure to work with and in addition, her work ethic and initiative are some of her strongest attributes,” said Jam Khojasteh, assistant professor of research, evaluation, measurement, and statistics. “She is one of the best students I have ever worked with and supervised.”

 

Garrett Hester is the Outstanding Graduate Assistant for the School of Applied Health and Educational Psychology. Originally from Nowata, Okla., Hester is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Health and Human Performance. Hester’s responsibilities include subject recruitment, data collection, analysis, and interpretation working on muscle spindle and motor function with aging.

"Garrett Hester has been a model graduate student for health and human performance, continually setting an example for other students and working extremely hard.  He represents this school and community in the best way possible, and his efforts in the laboratory and the classroom deserve to be both rewarded and supported by Oklahoma State University," said Jason DeFreitas, assistant professor and Hester’s advisor.

These students will be recognized on Friday, May 8, 2015, during the College of Education Excellence Awards reception.