College of Education and Human Sciences honors Hall of Fame inductees, Outstanding Alumni

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Media Contact: Kirsi McDowell | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-8420 | kirsi@okstate.edu

The Oklahoma State University College of Education and Human Sciences recognizes exemplary alumni with two awards each year — Hall of Fame and Outstanding Alumni — presented at the Hall of Fame Banquet.

For 2025, seven alumni were honored: three Hall of Fame inductees and four Outstanding Alumni recipients. 

The banquet is a celebration not only of the exceptional individuals honored but also of the values and principles they embody. 

“Our college strives to be the preeminent College of Education and Human Sciences nationally, and our alumni are instrumental in carrying the banner,” CEHS Dean Jon Pedersen said. “These individuals exemplify the importance of hard work, perseverance and resilience in the face of challenges. They show us that success is not just about achieving personal glory, but also about using that success to make a positive impact on the world.   

“This year’s honorees truly reflect our college tagline of People. Passion. Purpose.” 

The Hall of Fame award is the highest honor CEHS bestows. This lifetime achievement award honors alumni who exemplify the Cowboy Code through their service to others, leadership achievements, professional accomplishments, societal contributions and contributions to both CEHS and OSU. Each inductee has not only made the world around them a better place through their personal and professional achievements, but has also brought significant recognition and honor to OSU. 

The Outstanding Alumni award honors graduates who have established a distinguished career and have made impactful contributions to their profession and beyond. Their quest for excellence is shown through their accomplishments, service to the community and demonstrated leadership. They display an ongoing desire to achieve excellence through their accomplishments, passion and leadership qualities. 

2025 Hall of Fame Inductees

DR. DEBBIE BLANKE

Dr. Debbie Blanke is a third-generation Oklahoman and the first in her family to graduate from college. That journey, marked by determination and grit, led her to earn both her bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from OSU, as well as her master’s degree from Cameron University.

With a career spanning over 35 years in administration and teaching, Blanke stands as a visionary, advocate and mentor in Oklahoma higher education. As the retired senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Blanke was instrumental in developing statewide initiatives, including Reach Higher, Oklahoma’s statewide adult degree completion initiative, and overseeing UpSkillOK, Oklahoma’s statewide microcredential project for workforce development.

Blanke served as both the chancellor’s designee for the Senate Bill 292 Concurrent Enrollment Task Force and the Dual Enrollment Advisory Panel for the Southern Regional Education Board. Blanke has been recognized by the Journal Record’s Woman of the Year Program as a “50 Making a Difference” honoree, and the Oklahoma Women in Higher Education Executive Board has also recognized her work advancing women’s leadership by creating a scholarship in her name. 

B.S., Secondary Social Studies Education, Oklahoma State University, 1985

Ed.D., Higher Education, Oklahoma State University, 1999

CONNIE HULL BOONE

Connie Hull Boone has worked her way from OSU to the forefront of the fashion industry. Boone began her path at OSU with a love for design and a strong sense of purpose, graduating with a degree in design, housing and merchandising in 1988.

Boone took her passion for family and the great outdoors and used it as a catalyst in founding Sweet Turns, a lifestyle brand known for its vibrant and cozy winter apparel and accessories, in 2012. The Sweet Turns collection includes knit hats, scarves and gloves for women, men and kids. Under Boone’s leadership, the company has become nationally recognized for its quality and creativity, doubling its business year after year and selling over 50,000 pieces annually to well-respected retailers such as REI, Dillard’s and loyal boutiques across the country.

Her achievements earned her recognition in the inaugural Cowboy100, honoring OSU Cowboy-owned businesses — a distinction she has received four times. Boone’s legacy is one of innovation, dedication and inspiration. She has built more than a brand — she has built a life of purpose, balancing business and family with grace and determination. 

B.S., Design, Housing and Merchandising, Oklahoma State University, 1988

TIM MCKAY

Tim McKay graduated from OSU in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in secondary science education. While at OSU, McKay was recognized as one of the College of Education and Human Sciences’ Top 10 Seniors and was inducted into the Blue Key Honor Society. He also served on the OSU Homecoming Committee as executive vice-chair during his membership in FarmHouse Fraternity, and he was honored with the Redskin Congratulate award.

After graduation, McKay began his career in the classroom, teaching and coaching, before later returning to serve OSU on staff with the OSU Alumni Association and OSU Athletics. He eventually transitioned into a commercial real estate career, where he has financed over $7 billion in multifamily assets and been recognized multiple times as a recipient of the Commercial Real Estate Council of Oklahoma’s Deal of the Year award and the Multifamily Sale of the Year award by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. McKay has been named a CoStar Power Broker for 10 consecutive years and has been given Newmark Oklahoma’s Chairman’s Circle multiple times.

McKay is also heavily involved in the Oklahoma Fellowship of Christian Athletes, where he serves as chair of the Oklahoma State Board.

B.S., Secondary Science Education, Oklahoma State University, 1984

2025 Outstanding Alumni Award Recipients

DR. DANA MOORE GRAY

Dr. Dana Moore Gray is a successful first-generation college student who earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Tulsa and continued her education at OSU, where she earned her master’s degree in telecommunications management and a Ph.D. in occupational and adult education.

She spent nearly 20 years in corporate marketing and public relations before transitioning to academia in 2004. Gray is now a professor emerita at Rogers State University, where, throughout her tenure, she received every faculty award, including the prestigious Pixley Award for Outstanding Faculty Member. She authored the marketing option for RSU’s B.S. in Business Administration degree and developed both graduate and undergraduate marketing courses, several of which have earned Quality Matters certifications.

Gray has presented her research on adult learning and online course delivery worldwide, including locations such as Poland, Finland, Iceland, Greece and Austria. She has also served as president of the USA chapter of the International Society of Business Educators.

M.S., Telecommunications Management, Oklahoma State University, 1998

Ph.D., Occupational and Adult Education, Oklahoma State University, 2007

DR. JASON JOHNSON

Dr. Jason Johnson is an accomplished leader and author whose perspective is informed by his experience as a first-generation college student and a former student-athlete, having played football at OSU from 1997 to 2001, where he earned three varsity letters. Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in health promotions and a Ph.D. in social foundations of education from OSU, as well as a master’s degree in urban education from Langston University.

Johnson is the vice president of student affairs and enrollment services at Oklahoma City Community College. He has been named the Oklahoma Association of Community Colleges' Outstanding Staff Person of the Year, a Rutgers Center for Minority-Serving Institutions Aspiring Leaders Program Fellow, a Clark Atlanta HBCU Executive Leadership Institute Fellow, and a Harvard University Institute of Educational Management Fellow.

Johnson has also been recognized as a Journal Record 40 Under 40 honoree, the University of Oklahoma's Staff Person of the Year, and OSU's Advisor of the Year. Johnson is an Oklahoma Policy Institute Fellow and a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., where he has served as the Oklahoma district director.

B.S., Health Promotions, Oklahoma State University, 2003

Ph.D., Social Foundations of Education, Oklahoma State University, 2018

DR. BRENDA SMITH

Dr. Brenda Smith graduated from OSU with a Ph.D. in nutritional sciences after receiving a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Baptist University and a master’s degree in clinical exercise physiology from the University of Texas-Tyler.

Smith served as a clinical instructor in exercise science at OBU and then spent more than 20 years on the OSU faculty in the Department of Nutritional Sciences. During that time, she earned the title of Regents Professor, received the John and Sue Taylor Professorship and served as associate dean of the Graduate College. Smith relocated to the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis in 2022, where she serves as a professor and vice chair of translational research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Smith oversees a laboratory in the university’s Center for Musculoskeletal Health (ICMH), where her team conducts clinical research focused on muscle, bone and joint health, with an emphasis on women. In addition, she co-directs the ICMH Ph.D. program in Musculoskeletal Health Sciences and co-leads the ICMH Lifestyle Modification Research Team. 

Ph.D., Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, 1999

DR. CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR

Dr. Christopher Taylor received a Ph.D. in nutritional sciences from OSU after earning his B.S. in dietetics from Bowling Green State University and M.S. in family resources and human development at Arizona State University.

Taylor is a registered dietitian nutritionist and a professor of medical dietetics with a joint appointment in the Department of Family and Community Medicine in the College of Medicine at Ohio State University, serving as division director of medical dietetics and co-director of the Master of Dietetics and Nutrition Graduate Program.

Taylor has focused considerable efforts on professional service, including serving on the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, as associate editor for the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, and held several roles within the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as chair of the Research Dietetic Practice Group and chair of the Academy’s 2020 Dietary Guidelines Collaborative. He has also been recognized as a fellow of the Academy and, in 2024, received the Academy’s Medallion Award.

Ph.D., Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, 2004

For more information about these distinguished awards, visit education.okstate.edu/alumni/awards.

Story By: Faith Frantz | faith.frantz@okstate.edu