The Cowboy Code. Seven principles that have come to define what it means to be part of the OSU family. 

They aren't just words. For thousands of OSU alumni, faculty, staff and students, they're fundamental pillars of their character and identity.

You'll find the Code alive in professors who show up for their students no matter what time it is, in orange-blooded entrepreneurs who bet everything on a dream, in public servants who do the unglamorous work because they believe it matters. Across industries, time zones and life stages, the thread of the Cowboy Code connects us all.

This is a collection of those stories highlighting how different members of the Cowboy family are making a difference in their own corners of the world. They don't all look the same. But spend enough time with each of them, and the family resemblance becomes impossible to miss. When The Code Calls, Cowboys answer.

We have a passion to do what’s right, even when it’s hard.

Joe Eastin doesn’t talk about success as something achieved alone. 

He talks about it as something built together over time, with intention, character and a responsibility to those who come next.

That belief took root during his time at Oklahoma State University, where Eastin, who graduated in 1992 in business administration, said the most lasting lessons weren’t confined to the classroom.

“Character is what you do when no one’s looking,” he said, noting that OSU reinforced values he carried into his career: doing what’s right, working hard, showing mutual respect and understanding the power of collaboration. Those principles, he said, helped launch his life beyond college and continue to guide it decades later.

Today, Eastin is the executive chairman and board chair of ISN Software Corporation, a company he cofounded in 2001. He embodies what it means to be a keeper of the Cowboy Code not only through his generosity, but also through his deep commitment to involvement.

For him, supporting OSU is about leaving the institution — and the world — better than he found it. Education, he believes, is the catalyst.

“With our young people, giving them a hand up and any guidance that we can, it’s only going to continue the betterment of what we’ve built so far,” he said, echoing President Jim Hess’ reminder to “leave the ladder down for the next person.”

That philosophy comes to life through the Eastin Center for Career Readiness, one of the initiatives he is most proud of. Eastin saw a gap in higher education: students practice endlessly for exams, performances and competitions, yet rarely practice for their careers.

He and his wife, Monica, established the center to change that, to equip students with professional competencies and confidence as they prepare for what comes next. Looking ahead, Eastin hopes career readiness becomes a formalized, widespread part of higher education, with OSU serving as a model.

As chair of the Executive Campaign Board for The Code Calls fundraising campaign, Eastin sees the Cowboy Code as inherently collective.

Every line, he points out, begins with “we.” It’s a reminder that progress doesn’t require unanimous agreement, only a shared commitment to work together.

“It takes a village,” he said. “The accomplishments are truly endless when collaborating with others."

If there’s one line of the Cowboy Code that resonates most with Eastin, it’s the call to do what’s right, even when it’s hard. Difficult times test resolve, he said, but staying focused on character and purpose is what defines the journey.

For Eastin, giving isn’t limited to dollars. It’s time, energy and presence — proof that being part of the Cowboy family means showing up, again and again, for those who will follow.

Being a cowboy isn’t in our clothes, it’s in our character.

The College of Education and Human Sciences’ Dr. Kat Gardner-Vandy wears many hats, and being a Cowboy is second only to her deeply rooted Choctaw Nation heritage.

A geologist, planetary scientist and private pilot, Gardner-Vandy is an associate professor in the School of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Aviation.

The cornerstone of her research is understanding how people view themselves as scientists and seeking ways to get more individuals into earth and space science and aerospace careers.

“The reality is that everyone is a scientist!” she said.

Gardner-Vandy said the more people realize that science careers — and STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] careers in general — are in their grasp, the more folks will enter the greater STEM workforce.

The Cowboy Code is threaded within the curriculum she teaches, and she asks students in her Aviation/Aerospace Ethics course to dig into the Code and decide how it reflects their own virtues.

As an aviation and space professor, Gardner-Vandy says she’d be remiss to not acknowledge that ‘We dream as big as the sky’ — “You bet we do! Cowboys look up at that beautiful blue sky and say, “I can go there!” and then make it happen.” But ‘Being a Cowboy isn’t in our clothes, it's in our character’ is the tenant of the Code she most leans on.

“Everyone has a mental image of a cowboy’s clothing: boots, jeans and a ten-gallon hat. I love that this tenant moves us past that and focuses on a cowboy’s character: steadfast and hardworking, strong yet compassionate, full of integrity, and respectful of land, animals and people,” Gardner-Vandy said. “This tenant moves us to focus on making decisions with integrity, even when no one else does.”

It is easy for Gardner-Vandy to embody the Cowboy spirit because she believes it aligns closely with her values as a member of the Choctaw Nation.

“The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma’s motto is faith, family and culture. As a Choctaw citizen, I have a responsibility to my people and culture,” she said.

“... This same beautiful responsibility extends to my Cowboy community. I have a responsibility to my state and the land and sky that brought me up as a child. I hope I never lose the passion to keep moving the state of Oklahoma forward.”

We end the day knowing we gave it everything we had.

Oklahoma State University Landscape Services director John Lee has built his career around cultivating more than just green spaces; he’s helped shape the experience of campus itself. 

His work reflects a commitment to excellence, teamwork and pride in place, all rooted in his deep connection to OSU.

A Ponca City, Oklahoma, native and 2006 graduate, Lee returned to Stillwater after running his own landscape contracting business, bringing hands-on expertise and a personal investment in the university’s future. Nearly 15 years into his tenure, including the past four as director, he now leads a team responsible for maintaining and enhancing one of the most recognized campuses in the country.

That recognition is backed by results. OSU’s Landscape Services team earned the Green Star Grand Award for Large Campus from the Professional Grounds Management Society in both 2019 and 2024, marking OSU as home to one of the nation’s most beautiful campuses.

Lee’s leadership has also earned individual recognition. He was awarded first place in OSU’s 2025 Distinguished Service Awards, an honor that highlights staff members who demonstrate exceptional dedication and create a lasting impact on the university community. Selected through a competitive nomination and review process, the award underscores Lee’s role in elevating the experience of students, faculty, staff and visitors alike.

Overseeing nearly 70 full-time employees, Lee manages teams across design, installation, maintenance, sustainability and operations. Together, they care for more than 700 acres of campus grounds, ensuring every space, from major landmarks to everyday walkways, contributes to a welcoming and cohesive environment.

“Working for Oklahoma State University is so much more than fulfilling the needs of a job description. For 15 years, I’ve been blessed to serve within the Cowboy family, for the Cowboy family, and for future Cowboys. The challenges, connections, and experiences have all been rewarding, but the impact on others is what I value most.

“At OSU, we have pride in place. We know that when we display our best, we attract and keep the best. The beauty of OSU’s award‑winning campus does exactly that — it creates a unique, special environment that invites others to join a place of excellence, to join our Cowboy family.”

Through thoughtful design, consistent care and a team-first approach, Lee continues to cultivate a campus that reflects OSU’s spirit, which is both nationally recognized and deeply felt by those who call it home.

We dream as big as the sky.

Oklahoma State University biochemistry and molecular biology graduate Bennett Upton’s story is a great example of the Cowboy Code in action and what’s possible when values and vision align. 

The Gates Cambridge scholar finalist is now bound for England, where he'll spend his doctoral years chasing answers to one of medicine's most stubborn puzzles — a virus that quietly inhabits more than half the world’s population.

Upton hopes his research work — under the mentorship of the University of Cambridge’s Dr. Colin Crump — will help better understand the triggers of the herpes simplex virus, which affects over 3 billion people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. The virus is a common infection that can cause painful blisters or ulcers and is spread through skin-to-skin contact. Current medications can treat symptoms but cannot cure the infection.

“HSV is one virus that uses mechanisms to evade the detection of our intrinsic immune system,” Upton said. “It’s really interesting to study viruses like this. What can we do to understand them and find a way to fight back?”

The Frisco, Texas, native said that the fight doesn’t end in the lab, noting that testing and treatment for viruses like HSV can be inaccessible to the communities that need them the most, especially those in developing countries.

After he completes his doctorate, Upton said he would love to find a balance between academia and providing direct aid to those that need help the most.

“What makes me happy is creating a community of people around me and being able to help my community,” he said. “If I’m going to other countries, I’d be helping other people’s communities, and that is an intrinsic motivator for me. It’s something that I’m very excited and passionate about doing.”

Photos by: Devin Flores, Ellie Piper and Eric Priddy

Story by: Jeff Hopper, Amanda Mason, Kirsi McDowell and Page Mindedahl STATE Magazine