Two OSU-Tulsa faculty honored with top campus awards
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Two faculty members from the Oklahoma State University College of Arts and Sciences have received OSU-Tulsa’s highest faculty honors: the 2025 President’s Outstanding Teaching and Research Awards.
These annual awards recognize exceptional impact in the classroom and in research that contributes to the university’s mission. Both honorees will also serve as Faculty Grand Marshals at OSU-Tulsa’s Spring 2026 commencement ceremony.
2025 President’s Outstanding Teaching Award: Dr. Joanna Shadlow
Dr. Joanna Shadlow, teaching professor of psychology, is known for her engaging and inclusive teaching style that helps students see the relevance of psychological science in both personal and professional contexts.
Her course list spans topics such as Prejudice and Discrimination, Experimental Design and Research Methods, Pediatric Psychology and Clinical Psychology, each designed to challenge students to think critically and compassionately about mental health and human behavior.
Colleagues praise Shadlow for highlighting how cultural identity and perception influence interactions, especially across diverse backgrounds. She empowers psychology majors to envision their career paths while equipping them with the analytical tools to succeed.
Shadlow’s dedication is reflected in her consistently stellar student evaluations: In three of her six courses last year, she received perfect scores for teaching quality. Her average scores across all courses exceeded 4.6 and student comments often describe her as a favorite professor whose classes are both challenging and inspiring.
Beyond the classroom, Shadlow is an active mentor. She works closely with the OSU-Tulsa Psychology Club, supports Psi Chi honor society members and collaborates to guide students’ academic and career development.
2025 President’s Outstanding Research Award: Dr. Bin Liang
Dr. Bin Liang, professor of sociology, has earned the 2025 President’s Outstanding Research Award for his influential scholarship on the intersections of globalization, criminal justice and legal reform in China.
A prolific researcher, Liang has published extensively since joining OSU-Tulsa in 2003, including five co-authored or authored monographs, two edited books, two peer-reviewed special issues and more than 50 journal articles. He continues to present nationally and internationally, contributing critical insights to comparative criminology.
Liang is equally committed to community-based research. In collaboration with colleagues and undergraduate students, he led a local study on social control and reentry in partnership with Operation Hope Prison Ministry in Tulsa. The project produced a detailed research report to strengthen reentry services and inform state-level policy.
A respected leader in his discipline, Liang helped found the Association of Chinese Criminology and Criminal Justice in the United States and served as its president from 2020 to 2022. He is also a valued mentor to junior faculty and students, bringing scholarly rigor and real-world relevance to his work in Tulsa and beyond.