CAS News

Like many freshmen, Oklahoma State University graduate Corina Hernandez took a few semesters to cement her chosen major of Human Development and Family Science in the College of Human Sciences. But then, while looking for electives to fill out her schedule, she enrolled in an intro to communication disorders course in CAS’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

“I loved everything about it,” said Hernandez, who hails from Elk City, Oklahoma. “And once I got my feet wet in [CDIS], it was straight ahead from there. I was so engaged in every lecture. I remember telling people how easy it was to go to class because everything was so interesting.”

Jacee McCoy of Katy, Texas, wasn’t sure what she wanted to major in when she came to Oklahoma State University. Despite being unsure of the exact pathway that she would take to reach her goals, McCoy knew that OSU would give her the opportunities she needed to succeed.

“I knew I wanted to major in a science field but wasn’t sure exactly what science that was going to be. I just knew that I love school and wanted to continue my education somewhere I thought would allow me to grow and flourish. OSU allowed me to do that,” she said.

With the closure of campus mid-semester, OSU’s classrooms and concert halls alike have been unusually quiet. But in late April, the Seretean Center for the Performing Arts got a welcome visitor: Dustin Boatright, a music education major in the Michael and Anne Greenwood School of Music, came to record a three-song set for CAS Spring Commencement with the help of his voice professor, Steve Sanders.

“It was just us in the building,” Boatright said. “We set up the stage, had a little podium there, I threw on a cap and gown and we recorded three songs: the national anthem, ‘Oklahoma!’ and the alma mater.”

Ten-year-old Annagrace Lewis sat in the backyard inspecting each flower. She gazed at the shape, inhaled the smell and most importantly, considered the color. The color is what she needed. She picked the perfect color and ran back inside. Her mom took the little flower and taught Lewis to crush it, add water and witch hazel, and then brush her small cheeks with a little color.

“Those were the first moments I realized a plant could be so much more than just a plant,” Lewis said.

Chris Jones of Edmond, Oklahoma, has left his mark on Oklahoma State University. He was named a 2019 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, the 2019 Top Junior for the College of Arts and Sciences, a Niblack Scholar, a Wentz Research Scholar, a 2019-2020 Outstanding Senior, and also the Orange Gown Graduate for the College of Arts and Sciences.

“Within geology I focus on geochemistry, so how organisms are interacting with the Earth and the chemical record of that. I like chemistry and I like biology. The way to study both is by studying rocks and the sediments that are left,” he said.

Chapman Howard, a mathematics and mechanical engineering major from Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been selected as an Oklahoma State University 2019-2020 Outstanding Senior by the OSU Alumni Association.

The Outstanding Seniors award recognizes seniors who show excellence through academic achievement; campus and community involvement; academic, athletic or extracurricular honors or awards; scholarships and work ethic during their time at OSU.

Samuel Alvarado Garcia, a biology and psychology major from Enid, Oklahoma, has been selected as an Oklahoma State University 2019-2020 Outstanding Senior by the OSU Alumni Association.

The Outstanding Seniors award recognizes seniors who show excellence through academic achievement; campus and community involvement; academic, athletic or extracurricular honors or awards; scholarships and work ethic during their time at OSU.

Rachel Terry, an honors biology major from Edmond, Oklahoma, has been selected as an Oklahoma State University 2019-2020 Outstanding Senior by the OSU Alumni Association.

The Outstanding Seniors award recognizes seniors who show excellence through academic achievement; campus and community involvement; academic, athletic or extracurricular honors or awards; scholarships and work ethic during their time at OSU.

When Oklahoma State University junior Kayla Dunn’s 2019 summer plans fell through at the last minute, she sought an opportunity to combine her dual degrees in multimedia journalism and Spanish.

"I called all the news stations on the border of the U.S. and Mexico and said, 'Hello, I’m Kayla. I know it’s late April and your internships have closed, but can I still apply?'"