2023 Honorees

Dr. Charles I. Abramson is a Regents Professor and has been at OSU for 30 years. He is an internationally recognized scholar and educator in the area of comparative psychology and is the author of over 300 articles and 22 books/special issue editions.

Allen Apblett received a B.Sc.(Honours) degree from the University of New Brunswick in 1984 and a Ph.D from The University of Calgary under the supervision of Dr. Tristam Chivers in 1989. He was awarded a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship that he took up at Harvard University in Dr. Andrew Barron’s research group.

Beckie Bigler has been an editor at FPP since 2017. She has a doctorate in Spanish and has taught Spanish and English as a second language to students in the U.S. and abroad. Beckie is an avid researcher, enthusiastic collaborator, and lifelong learner.

Moh'd Bilbeisi is an imaginative professor, visionary and illustrator. He is an award-winning educator and illustrator.

Jennifer Borland is Professor of Art History in the Department of Art, Graphic Design, and Art History, and Interim Director of the Center for the Humanities at OSU. She specializes in medieval art and architecture, teaching courses ranging from medieval European and Islamic art history to gender in visual culture.

Errick Braggs started his career in 1995 after graduating OSU-Institute of Technology with an associate degree in graphic design. In 2008 Errick began working as a senior graphic designer, with OSU’s Fire Protection Publications.

Ben Brock is a Senior Graphic Designer III with Fire Protection Publications at Oklahoma State University. He has been with Fire Protection Publications for twenty-six years, three of which as an intern while attending Oklahoma State.

Per Bylund, Ph.D., is Associate Professor and Johnny D. Pope Chair in the School of Entrepreneurship at Oklahoma State University. Bylund is associate editor of the Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy and the Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics as well as senior fellow of the Mises Institute and associate fellow of the Ratio Institute in Sweden.

Alton Carter is a former foster child who became first person in his family to graduate from high school and college. Now the Career Exploration Coordinator at Oklahoma State University loves spending time with his family, fishing, art and serving students.

Dr. Carlos E. Cordova is professor of geography at Oklahoma State University. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1997.

Jay Dawes is an Associate Professor of Applied Exercise Science at Oklahoma State University. Dawes has worked as a university athletic performance coordinator, strength/performance coach, personal trainer, and educator for approximately 25 years.

Born and raised near the Ripley and Cushing area here in Oklahoma, Rhiannon continues to live in rural Oklahoma with her fiancé and her two mini Australian Shepherds. Rhiannon is a mental health counselor by day, writer by night. At the age of 18, Rhiannon began working at OSU as secretary in the Horticulture and Landscape Architecture department and stayed in that position for 15 years before becoming a full time student at OSU to become a counselor.

Lindsey Dugan started as a student worker at Fire Protection Publications in 2014. She became a full-time Instructional Developer in 2016.

Born and raised in Oklahoma, Kimberly Edwards made quite a few stops before returning to work in Stillwater as a senior editor for Fire Protection Publications. When she is not traveling the world or playing with her dog, she applies her degrees in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology, Fire and Explosion Investigations, and Loss Prevention and Safety to developing IFSTA manuals.

Erik Ekman is Associate Professor of Spanish in the Department of Languages and Literatures. His research is on the use and adaptation of classical and biblical material among Castilian historians from the 13th to the 15th centuries.

Dr. Ziad El Rassi rose to the rank of Regents Professor in 2013, which is considered the most prestigious rank that may be attained by faculty at Oklahoma State University. Prof. El Rassi has received the following research awards: Sigma Xi Lectureship Award in 2004, Regents Distinguished Research Award in 2005, Oklahoma Scientist of the Year Award in 2006 and Oklahoma Chemist of the Year Award in 2007.

Hannah is a junior pursuing a Bachelor's degree in French with a minor in Religious Studies. She plans to work as a professional translator after graduation. This work was her first official translation and opened the door to her future translation opportunities.

Jeff Fortney is a senior editor at Fire Protection Publications (FPP). He is currently Lead Senior Editor on Essentials of Fire Fighting (8th edition).

Dr. Sarah Foss is an Assistant Professor of History at Oklahoma State University. Her research focuses on histories of development, Indigeneity, and international diplomacy in modern Central America. "On Our Own Terms: Development and Indigeneity in Cold War Guatemala" (UNC Press, 2022), focuses on the ways that Guatemalans interacted with, and often appropriated Cold War-era development projects.

Beth Ann Fulgenzi is a curriculum developer at Fire Protection Publications. She has worked in a variety of areas including business development and corporate training.

Sunderesh S. Heragu is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology at Oklahoma State University. He is a Regents Professor and holds the Donald and Cathey Humphreys Chair.

David Hicks is a Senior Graphic Designer III with Fire Protection Publications at Oklahoma State University. He has been with Fire Protection Publications for almost five years.

Amanda (Mandy) Horton holds an MFA in Design and currently teaches graduate and undergraduate courses at Oklahoma State University and at the University of Central Oklahoma in the areas of design history, theory, and criticism.

Neo Kalungu-Banda is a Zambian who was born in South Africa and grew up in the UK. He is a Psychology student studying at the University of Leicester and is currently studying at Oklahoma State University on an exchange program.

Matthew Keith is a curriculum developer at Fire Protection Publications. As a native of Stillwater, Matthew attended Oklahoma State University and graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor’s in Rhetoric and Professional Writing.

Douglas Knutson (he/him), Ph.D., LHSP, is an assistant professor in the School of Community Health Sciences, Counseling and Counseling Psychology. He serves as the director of the Diversity and Rural Advocacy Group (DRAG), a consortium of scholars who research and advocate for LGBTQ+ health and equity.

Maribeth Kuzmeski is an Assistant Professor in the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University. She teaches The Principles of Marketing, Personal Branding: Name Image & Likeness (NIL), and Content Marketing.

Mary Larson is the Associate Dean for Distinctive Collections at the Oklahoma State University Library and a former president of the Oral History Association (US). Having earned her MA and PhD in anthropology from Brown University, she has worked as an oral historian for over thirty years.

Dr. Donna K. Lindenmeier has been a faculty member with a focus on outdoor recreation for more than 20 years as a practitioner and educator. The research and writing the Oklahoma SCORP has been a major career goal from the beginning of her career.

Sundararajan V. Madihally is a professor in the school of chemical engineering at Oklahoma State University. He received a Ph.D. from Wayne State University and held a research fellow position at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School/Shriners Hospital for Children.

Stephen McKeever is Emeritus Regents Professor of Physics at Oklahoma State University. He has authored or co-authored over 220 scientific publications and six books in the area of radiation detection and measurements, specializing in development and applications of luminescence in radiation dosimetry.

Brad McLelland grew up in Arkansas, went to college in the Ozark Mountains, and spent several years working as a crime journalist in the South before moving to the Midwest and earning his MFA in creative writing from Oklahoma State University. A senior editor and photographer at Fire Protection Publications, Brad has served as project manager for numerous projects.

Leslie A. Miller is a native of Stillwater, Oklahoma, and she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English with honors from OSU. An editor with Fire Protection Publications since 2002, she has been a technical writer and editor for many fire service training manuals.

Angel Muzik has been an instructional developer at Fire Protection Publications since 2014. She earned both her bachelor's in Elementary Education and a master’s in Educational Technology from OSU, so she’s orange and black, through and through...

Dr. Francisco M. Ochoa Corona has been a Professor at the Institute for Biosecurity & Microbial Forensics (IBMF), and the Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology at Oklahoma State University since August 2008. Dr. Ochoa Corona is a forensic plant pathologist specializing in developing and delivering reference diagnostics for exotic, naturalized, and indigenous plant viruses and other phytopathogens relevant to agricultural biosecurity and microbial forensics.

Clint joined Fire Protection Publications in 2003 as a Senior Graphic Designer. In 1999, he graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Arts.

Aimee Parkison is widely published and the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships. She currently teaches creative writing and literature in the MFA/PhD program at Oklahoma State University.

Dr. Susana Perea-Fox is a Professor of Spanish and Latin American Literature at the Department of Languages and Literatures at Oklahoma State University. She has published numerous articles, book chapters, and encyclopedia entries, mainly analyzing the works of women authors and the representation of women by all authors.

Dr. Sushobhan Pradhan is currently working as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the School of Chemical Engineering at Oklahoma State University. His primary research includes surface chemistry, polymer technology, enhanced oil recovery and process simulation.

Jerry Rackley brings over 35 years of professional and consulting experience to his role as assistant professor of professional practice. At the Spears School of Business, he teaches services marketing, digital marketing and marketing analytics.

Prior to joining OSU’s FPST program in 2020, she worked as a professor for the Industrial Engineering program at the Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería for 19 years. During her time at the Escuela, Dr. Rodriguez Coca worked as Department Head of the Industrial Engineering Program, Head of the Occupational Safety and Industrial Hygiene Committee and a member of the Board of Directors.

Chyla Rucker is an instructional developer at Fire Protection Publications. Chyla has a background in higher education, trade education, and journalism.

Dr. Sharma joined Institute of Biosecurity and Microbial Forensics at OSU in 2020 and stood up the National Diagnostic Assay Laboratory Network (DALN). Currently, she is working on a national project to build and coordinate DAVN toward creating more efficient diagnostic practices for plant pathogens.

Libby Snyder has been an editor at FPP since October 2009. In the office, Libby's favorite parts of a project are the puzzle-like tasks of coordinating all the pieces including formatting, language continuity and committee feedback.

Jason Sperb is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Oklahoma State University. His research interests include representations of nostalgia, leisure, and whiteness in postwar US cinema.

Mendy is so proud to be part of Oklahoma State University. She began serving as a Student Teaching Supervisor in 2018 and has taught as an Adjunct Instructor since 2021.

Erica E. Townsend-Bell is Associate Professor of Political Science, and Director of the Center for African Studies at Oklahoma State University. Her areas of expertise include the politics of intersectionality, comparative race and gender politics, and social movements, especially across the Americas.

Eric Turcat is a lecturer at Oklahoma State University. He is the author of La Rochefoucauld par quatre chemins (Narr, 2013) as well as about twenty articles on the classical period, particularly on Molière and Voltaire.

In 2000, Jimmie Weaver started his academic career at Southern Nazarene University made possible by a football scholarship where he earned a BS degree in Chemistry with Math and Physics minors. In 2012, he started his independent career at Oklahoma State University as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry, where he has developed a research program focused on advancing the art of synthesis.

Dr. Weinland is passionate about student success and implements empathy, whole person education, and creative teaching methods to empower students inside and outside of the classroom. She is the recipient of the 2022 Excellence in General Education Teaching Award.

Gary G. Yen received his Ph.D. degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 1992. He is currently a Regents Professor with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Oklahoma State University.