OSU Honors College sets enrollment record, welcomes first dean
Thursday, October 23, 2014
The Honors College at Oklahoma State University recently experienced a record year for enrollment, which is one of several positive indicators that Dr. Keith Garbutt, the first dean of the college, plans to build upon.
“The Honors College at OSU is recognized as one of the strongest in the country and taking over from its former director, Dr. Robert Spurrier, to serve as the first dean of the college is a great honor,” said Garbutt, who arrived in April. “The college’s newly published annual report shows its strength with the highest number of honors degrees ever earned at OSU”
The report’s statistics also indicate an all-time record high enrollment of 1,338 “active participant” students from six undergraduate colleges at OSU. The honors students come from 149 Oklahoma cities and towns, as well as 31 other states and 12 countries outside the U.S. A recent survey of the college’s 502 incoming freshman found that more than 90 percent indicated their selection to the Honors College was a factor in choosing to attend OSU.
“I'm looking forward to the challenges of developing an exciting intellectual program while ensuring the individual support that the students receive from the Honors College both in and outside the classroom,” said Garbutt. “A good honors education goes beyond the traditional classroom with experiences both on-campus and off that challenge and motivate, including more study abroad options and expanded experiential learning opportunities with professors in cutting-edge research or through internships in government and industry. We want students who graduate from the Honors College to be both deeply educated in their discipline and broadly educated across disciplines, so they have the skills to be the leaders of their professions, the state and the nation.”
Garbutt received his bachelor’s degree with honors and a doctorate in botany from the University of Wales in the United Kingdom. He came to the U.S. in 1980 for postdoctoral work at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana and Harvard University before accepting a position at West Virginia University in 1987. Garbutt became chair of the WVU Department of Biology in 1993 and director of the honors program there in 2000. That same year, he was honored for his innovative work in undergraduate education by being named the Eberly Family Distinguished Professor for Outstanding Teaching. In 2006, WVU established an honors college and named Garbutt its first dean.
Garbutt has written and presented on issues such as the impact of merit aid on socioeconomic diversity, support for first-generation students and student leadership. He also serves as the chair of the National Collegiate Honors Council Science and Mathematics Committee.
The Honors College recently hosted its annual fall semester ice cream social, welcoming this year's honors students and recognizing their achievements.
"This event gives students a great chance to interact with their peers, as well as university administrators and faculty," said Garbutt. "It provides an environment where students and faculty can get to know one another on a more informal basis and build a more complex relationship than one based entirely on interactions in the classroom."
The event also recognized honors students who have completed the requirements for an honors award, which include 21 credit hours in four curricular areas and two special honors seminar classes with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 in the previous summer or spring semester.
Honors College degrees and specific college or department honors awards were also handed out to students. The Honors College degree is the highest academic distinction undergraduates can earn, requiring a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 at graduation and a minimum of 39 honors credit hours completed. The departmental college awards require the completion of a senior honors thesis or creative component, a cumulative 3.5 grade point average and the completion of 12 upper-division honors credit hours.
To view photos of students in attendance with President Burns Hargis or Dr. Gary Sandefur, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs, visit http://okla.st/1u84bXy. For more information about the Honors College, contact Brent Ladd at 405-744-3626 or visit honors.okstate.edu.
The honors students are listed by city with their majors and any award they may have received.
OKLAHOMA
ADA
Charlie Gibson, Economics and Finance, General Honors Award
Alyssa Low, Management, General Honors Award
ARDMORE
Andrew Rogers, Psychology, General Honors Award
BARTLESVILLE
Kaitlyn Williamson, Accounting
Spencer Wilson, Architecture and Architectural Engineering, General Honors Award
BLANCHARD
Calli Schardein, Psychology, General Honors Award
BUFFALO
Rachel Yauk, English, General Honors Award
CHECOTAH
Mishal Gondal, Accounting, General Honors Award
CLAREMORE
Lauren Davis, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, General Honors Award
Ashley Hollingsworth, Animal Science, General Honors Award
DUNCAN
Rachael Smith, Accounting, General Honors Award
EDMOND
Eric Fleet, Architectural Engineering, General Honors Award
Joshua Gleason, Marketing, General Honors Award
Katie Heitman, Secondary Education, General Honors Award
Alyssa Pasquini, Psychology, General Honors Award
Melissa Scott, Sociology, General Honors Award
EL RENO
Erin Miller, Secondary Education, General Honors Award
Taylor Roblyer, Agricultural Communications, General Honors Award
ELK CITY
Lyndi Thompson, Nutritional Sciences, General Honors Award
ENID
Courtney West, English, General Honors Award
Kendra Wills, Animal Science, General Honors Award
HINTON
Lorena Mayorga, Communication Sciences and Disorders, General Honors Award
JENKS
Bailey Bruns, Mechanical Engineering, General Honors Award
Kayson Howard, Mechanical Engineering, General Honors Award
Madison Likins, Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, General Honors Award
KELLYVILLE
Yen-Ju Chen, International Business, General Honors Award
John Hiett, Chemical Engineering, General Honors Award
MANNFORD
Stephanie Burhans, Elementary Education, General Honors Award
MCALESTER
Katherine Raunikar, General Business, General Honors Award
MIDWEST CITY
Rebekah Sook, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, General Honors Award
MOORE
Derek Wietelman, Political Science and Statistics, General Honors Award
MOUNDS
Emma Shore, Art, General Honors Award
MULDROW
Gretchan Moore, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, General Honors Award
MUSTANG
Tori Harris, Animal Science, General Honors Award
Katherine Schwartz, Natural Resource Ecology and Management, General Honors Award
NEWCASTLE
Jason Simon, Secondary Education, General Honors Award
NORMAN
Megan Douglah, Industrial Engineering and Management, General Honors Award
Hailey Heister, Biological Sciences, General Honors Award
OKLAHOMA CITY
Corie Fegel, Zoology
Jonathan Overton, Biosystems Engineering, General Honors Award
Catherine Peters, Biological Sciences, General Honors Award
Ashley Smith, Civil Engineering, General Honors Award
Michael Whaley, General Business, General Honors Award
OWASSO
Candice Field, Art, General Honors Award
PERKINS
Michael Chaney, Management Information Systems, General Honors Award
PIEDMONT
Elizabeth Danscuk, Human Development and Family Sciences, General Honors Award
Elise Francel, Psychology, General Honors Award
MaKenzie Norman, Management, General Honors Award
SKIATOOK
Casey Landis, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, General Honors Award
SNYDER
Kelsey Ford, English, General Honors Award
STIGLER
Megan Scantlen, Elementary Education, General Honors Award
STILLWATER
Morgan Brun, Architectural Engineering, General Honors Award
Brianna Bulard, Finance, German and Russian, General Honors Award
Robinson Clower, Secondary Education, Math and German, General Honors Award
Martha Gipson, Statistics and Mathematics, Departmental Honors Award
Stephanie Grimes, Management, General Honors Award
Miranda Luster, Political Science and French, General Honors Award
Meagan Osburn, Agribusiness, General Honors Award
Kory Teague, Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering, General Honors Award
William Wolff, Mechanical Engineering, General Honors Award
TULSA
Madison Tupper, Psychology, General Honors Award
Rachael Wendelbo, Physiology, General Honors Award
WASHINGTON
Luke Brown, Aerospace Engineering, General Honors Award
YUKON
Stephanie Braine, Design, Housing and Merchandising, General Honors Award
Michelle Brice, English, General Honors Award
Macy McGee, Human Sciences, General Honors Award
ALABAMA
ENTERPRISE
Stephen Powers, Mechanical Engineering, General Honors Award
ARKANSAS
BENTONVILLE
Anthony Biamont, Architecture, General Honors Award
BOONEVILLE
Anna Stumpf, Zoology, General Honors Award
CABOT
Spencer Sharp, Aerospace Engineering, General Honors Award
CALIFORNIA
BAKERSFIELD
Connor Mojo, Industrial Engineering and Management, General Honors Award
GEORGIA
KENNESAW
Lana Gabbert, Marketing, General Honors Award
KANSAS
ANDOVER
Katherine Hobble, Computer Engineering, General Honors Award
Evan Willford, Computer Science and History, Departmental Honors Award
OVERLAND PARK
Lucas McCamon, Liberal Studies, General Honors Award
HALSTEAD
Dennis Krueger, Civil Engineering, General Honors Award
SHAWNEE MISSION
Thomas Verschelden, Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, General Honors Award
SHAWNEE
Lucy Lehoczky, Chemistry, General Honors Award
STILLWELL
Cooper Page, Economics, General Honors Award
WICHITA
Emily Henning, Architecture and Spanish, General Honors Award
Mitchell Meyer, Math and Biochemistry, General Honors Award
MICHIGAN
LANSING
Sarah Frank, Management and Agricultural Economics, General Honors Award
MISSOURI
RICHMOND
Hannah Hillegas, Civil Engineering, General Honors Award
SAINT CHARLES
Alexandra Oppenborn, Zoology, General Honors Award
ST. LOUIS
Chelsea Maple, Marketing
Kelly McCann, Natural Resource Ecology and Management, General Honors Award
TENNESSEE
CORDOVA
Anna McCrarey, Economics and Marketing, General Honors Award
TEXAS
ALLEN
Blake Phillips, Finance, General Honors Award
CHINA SPRINGS
Meagan Kascak, Multimedia Journalism, General Honors Award
COPPELL
Allison Lyon, Hotel and Restaurant Administration, General Honors Award
LUBBOCK
Jarrod Warnock, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, General Honors Award
FLOWER MOUND
Robert Confer, Finance and Accounting, General Honors Award
Candice Marchetta, International Business, General Honors Award
FORT WORTH
Emily Burgard, Biological Sciences, General Honors Award
FRISCO
Rachel Smith, English, General Honors Award
GEORGETOWN
Cameron Patterson, Architectural Engineering, General Honors Award
GRAPEVINE
Samantha Mori, Multimedia Journalism and Spanish, General Honors Award
HOUSTON
Brandi Miller, Animal Science, General Honors Award
PLANO
Grace Harrell, Chemical Engineering, General Honors Award
Morgan Harris, Psychology, General Honors Award
SOUTHLAKE
Jamie Davis, Management and Marketing, General Honors Award
Nicole Elledge, Microbiology/Cell and Molecular Biology, General Honors Award
Kaelyne Yumul, English and Political Science, General Honors Award
TEMPLE
Jacob Daheim, Management, General Honors Award
THE COLONY
Jonathan Gill, Secondary Education, General Honors Award
THE WOODLANDS
Rachel Reid, Accounting, General Honors Award
Catherine Shropshire, Geography, General Honors Award
Thomas Wiskofske, Political Science and Economics, General Honors Award
WICHITA FALLS
Parker Schultz, Finance, General Honors Award
Story by Jackson Hodges