CAS News

Jacqueline “Jackie” Harsha and Kaitlyn Taylor have been selected as Orange Gown Graduates for the May 2023 OSU commencement ceremonies. Harsha, a triple major in geospatial information systems, geography and Spanish, will be wearing the orange gown at the College of Arts and Sciences commencement ceremony. Taylor, a double major in animal science and political science, will wear the orange gown at the Ferguson College of Agriculture commencement ceremony. If you lost count, that’s five majors between the two of them.

Recipients of this honor wear a bright orange robe — only worn by one person from each college at commencement — to acknowledge achievements they made as Oklahoma State University undergraduates. CAS communications coordinator Erin Milek and CAS student intern Allie Putman sat down with both Harsha and Taylor in the latest episode of the Pokes PodCAS. Check out the episode to hear about their OSU experiences and their plans for the future, including a big move to D.C. and becoming the first Space Force Second Lieutenant commissioned from OSU.

This episode was edited by Jason Wallace.

There’s a whole lot of buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots lately — you’ve probably heard the names ChatGPT, Bing AI, Google Bard and others — and that’s no different in the world of education. We sat down with three Oklahoma State University professors to discuss this oft-times polarizing new technology, including its effects on education and the ethics of its use. We even had ChatGPT write a poem for us with the prompt, “six people doing a podcast on ChatGPT.” You don’t want to miss it.

Thanks to Dr. Rosemary Avance (School of Media and Strategic Communications), Dr. Heather Stewart (Department of Philosophy) and Richard Sylvestre (Department of English) for joining us for this episode. All three are part of the OSU Center for the Humanities, which fosters the production of new interdisciplinary projects. This episode was co-hosted by OSU senior Bella Vu and CAS marketing and communications manager Elizabeth Gosney. It was edited by Jason Wallace.

On this episode of the Pokes PodCAS, we sit down with Dr. Tommy Poole, associate professor and director of jazz studies at OSU, and OSU students Kyle Fisher and Aidan Evano. We packed a lot into our conversation, including a discussion of the OSU Jazz Orchestra (Kyle and Aidan are members, Dr. Poole is the director), the orchestra’s 2021 album Room 118, a not-so-successful trip to Orlando, Dr. Poole’s connection to Rosemary Clooney, and that all important question: What do you say to someone who doesn’t like jazz? Thanks to OSU grad and composer Dylan Shadoan for the use of his song “Dubious Dachshund” in this episode. You can listen to it and the entire Room 118 album here. Watch and listen to the OSU Jazz Orchestra on their YouTube channel and catch them live on April 8 at LowDown in Tulsa and April 9-10 at the McKnight Center for the Performing Arts in Stillwater. 

This episode was recorded in January 2023.

Ever wondered what it’s like to deep sea dive, going miles below the ocean surface to collect micro fossils at the sea floor? Boone Pickens School of Geology professor Dr. Ashley Burkett gives us her firsthand experience of doing just that, including *ahem* how they use the bathroom down there. (“Down there” meaning aboard the Alvin, a deep-sea submersible owned by the U.S. Navy.) An expert in the single-celled organism foraminifera, Dr. Burkett gives us a rundown of her research with enough zeal to convince anyone and everyone to go into the field of geology. She also tells us about her Story of Dinosaurs course, where students combine creativity and the scientific method — and critique Jurassic Park.

In this episode of the PodCAS, we have special guest Bailee Augustino, one of four Honorary Graduate Commencement Marshals for Fall 2022 and the only CAS student among the honorees. Augustino is graduating with her master’s in integrative biology and has dedicated her time to researching how environmental conditions affect the structure and dynamics of communication between and among American toads. She discusses her studies with fellow College of Arts and Sciences students Bella Vu and Allie Putman, who co-host this episode.

The Honorary Graduate Commencement Marshal is the highest honor given to four doctoral or master's degree graduates who demonstrate scholarly achievement that embodies the essence of OSU’s land-grant mission.

What’s it like to be a first-generation American with deep Hispanic roots? In this episode of the College of Arts and Sciences Pokes PodCAS, OSU students Samary Simpson-Jimenez, Monse Solorzano and Nadia Valles give us some insight into their unique experiences — from food and family to school and societal expectations (and beyond!). Along with the rest of the United States, we here at CAS are thrilled to celebrate the cultures, histories, accomplishments and influence of Hispanic Americans during Hispanic Heritage Month — from September 15 to October 15 — and throughout the year.

Juneteenth is a day to celebrate freedom and honor the resiliency of all African Americans. Dr. Belton joins us to discuss the importance of Juneteenth being named a federal holiday, how an Africana Studies minor can impact a student's education and future work life, some historical figures he is inspired by, and so much more.

“It’s a very thin line between appropriation and appreciation,” said Monse Solórzano during our conversation about Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the United States. We’ve all seen the Cinco de Mayo banners, signs and social media posts advertising discounted Mexican food and margaritas. However, how many of us have stopped to consider the history of Cinco de Mayo and what it means to some Mexican-Americans? Tune in to hear about Monse’s journey to OSU and learn about Cinco de Mayo through her eyes.