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HES Week 2007

Celebration of Excellence
HES Week '07 Photo Gallery:
Cookout on Library Lawn
DHM Fashion Show
"Just Go!"
Research Poster Display
"Healthy Bites" & Philanthropy Booth

SENIORS OF EXCELLENCE

CHES Seniors of Excellence from L-R: Amanda Williams, Kalyn McAlister, Melissa Burden, Kristin McDougal, Tessa Boehs, Nicole Moore, Jessica Thomison and Lindsey Schaefer. (Not Pictured Ruth Coady)

The College of Human Environmental Sciences at Oklahoma State University recently recognized its Seniors of Excellence at its annual awards ceremony Celebration of Excellence.
School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration senior Tessa Boehs from Fairview, Oklahoma has been actively involved with the world-famous OSU Homecoming serving on the Executive Steering Committee as committee member and chair of the Parade Committee, Relay for Life treasurer and a member of the OSU Alumni Association Student Alumni Association. She is a member of Club Managers of America and the honor societies Kappa Omicron Nu and Phi Upsilon Omicron. She has been on the Dean’s Honor Roll and has received the Jay and Jan Schrock, Brian MacArthur Memorial and the Florence McKinney Scholarships. She is the daughter of L. Bruce and Sherry Boehs.
Melissa Burden will graduate in May with a degree from Nutritional Sciences with a Dietetics option. She has been a CHES Ambassador, the American Dietetic Association Student Council member and Nutritional Sciences Club officer. As a Seretean Research Scholarship recipient, she presented her research poster during OSU Research Week 2007. Burden is currently participating in the Chickasaw Nation’s nutrient awareness program Get Fresh! She is a mentor for Big Brothers/ Big Sisters and a Wesley Foundation Nutrition Class volunteer. Listed on the Dean’s Honor Roll, she is a member of Kappa Omicron Nu and Phi Upsilon Omicron honor societies. The Ada native is the daughter of Debbie and David Burden.
Design, Housing and Merchandising senior Ruth Coady will graduate with a degree in Apparel Design and Production with a minor in Apparel Merchandising. She has served as vice-president, secretary and public relations chair on the Merchandising and Apparel Design Association and as a member of the Connect Executive Board and CHES Ambassadors. Coady was named a finalist in the Kansas City and Dallas Fashion Group Design competitions. She was a member the OSU Student Government Freshman Council and is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha. She has been named to the President’s and Dean’s Honor Rolls and holds membership in Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Upsilon and Kappa Omicron Nu honor societies. She is the daughter of Teresa and Miles Coady of North Newton, Kansas.
Kalyn McAlister will have completed her degree in 3 years when she graduates with honors from Human Development and Family Science with a Child and Family Services option. Receiving the OSU and CHES Freshman Research scholarship, McAlister presented her research project her freshman year during OSU Research Week in 2005. She has been a member of CHES Scholar Leaders, CHES Ambassadors and the student representative on the CHES Dean Search Committee. Listed on the Dean’s or President’s Honor Rolls every semester, she has received the OSU Distinguished Regent Scholarship, H.G. and Girdie Ware Scholarship and the Lew Wentz Special Scholar Award. She is the daughter of Lloyd and Karla McAlister of Edmond.
Graduating in May with a degree in Human Development and Family Science, Kristin McDougal will pursue a master’s degree in Child and Family Services in the fall. McDougal is a member of Mortar Board, Kappa Omicron Nu and Phi Kappa Phi. She received a Wentz Leadership Scholarship and has been listed on the President’s Honor Roll 5 semesters. Her volunteer activities include Big Brothers/Big Sisters mentor, Muscular Dystrophy Association Camp counselor, the Stillwater Domestic Violence Shelter, the Saville Center and Relay for Life. She has been actively involved with OSU intramural sports receiving the Cheryl Mannering Outstanding Greek Sports Woman award and Pi Beta Phi. She is the daughter of John and Pam McDougal of Edmond.
Nicole Moore will graduate in May with a degree in Human Development and Family Science with the Child and Family Services option. Her experience as a Court Appointed Special Advocate inspired her to pursue a master’s degree in CFS which she will begin in the fall. Listed on the President’s and Dean’s honor rolls, Moore has maintained a 3.96 GPA while serving as vice-president of business and publicity chair of the CHES Student Council and a member of the CHES Ambassadors. She is also a member of Mortar Board, Phi Upsilon Omicron, and the Human Development and Family Science Club. She has received the Freshman Award for Excellence Tuition Waiver for 3 years and SBC Foundation and Lew Wentz Foundation scholarships. Her parents are Jana and Jack Moore of Stillwater.
After completing a degree in Foods and Nutrition in Nutritional Sciences, Lindsey Schaefer will enter the Physician Associate Program at the OU Health Sciences Center. Named the CHES Outstanding Student in 2006, Schaefer has served as CHES Student Council president as well as being a member of the CHES Ambassadors Connect and Recruit teams. She is a member of Kappa Omicron Nu and Golden Key International honor societies. She has served on the OSU Homecoming committee, the OSU Spirit Squad committee and is an officer for the OSU Spurs basketball spirit squad. Listed on the President’s Honor Roll with a 3.96 GPA, Schaefer has received the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Scholarship for 4 years and the Jan Moran Leadership Scholarship. A member of Chi Omega, her volunteer work includes the Stillwater Humane Society, Positive Tomorrows, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Relay for Life and the Harvest Carnival. She is the daughter of Shelle and Ted Schaefer of Edmond.
Jessica Thomison graduates with highest honors in May with a degree in Apparel Merchandising from Design, Housing and Merchandising as well as a minor in Business Marketing. Thomison has served as secretary and publicity officer for the Merchandising and Apparel Design Association, as member of the CHES Ambassadors Recruit team and director of the DHM Fashion Show held during CHES Week in the spring. She is a member of Kappa Omicron Nu, Kappa Alpha Theta and has received the Regina Brinkerhoff, the OSU Alumni and the OSU Continuing Student Scholarships. She has participated in The Big Event, Into the Streets, Up ‘Til Dawn and Court Appointed Special Advocates. Her parents are Becky and David Thomison of Tulsa.
When Human Development and Family Science senior Amanda Williams graduates with an honors degree in Child and Family Services, she will begin work on a master’s degree in Developmental and Family Science. As a member of the HDFS Club, Williams organized the Relationship Roundup with the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative and served as public relations officer. She has participated in the Oklahoma Moderators and Recorder Academy, is a member of Phi Upsilon Omicron honor society and has been listed on the President’s Honor Roll. The paper presentation of her honors thesis at the OSU Annual Research Symposium 2007 has been submitted for publication consideration. She has volunteered with Catholic Charities, St. Elizabeth Lodge and Tulsa’s Citizens Crime Commission. Williams lives in Tulsa.

OUTSTANDING STUDENT 2007-2008

The College of Human Environmental Sciences at Oklahoma State University recently named its Outstanding Student for 2007-2008. Margaret (Margee) Edwards, a junior majoring in Nutritional Sciences with an option in Dietetics, is from Texarkana, Arkansas. She has served on the HES Student Council, the HES Ambassadors, the Nutritional Sciences Club and HES Scholar Leaders. Her campus leadership activities include the President’s POSSE, Student Union Activities Board and the OSU Alumni Association Student Alumni Board. Edwards, the 2006 Miss OSU, has used her platform to present programs on character development through Character Puppeteers. The program she founded has been presented to over 4,000 students in schools, Girl Scout troops, day care facilities, homeless shelters and churches and Margee plans to establish the Character Puppeteers in Stillwater. She is the daughter of Richard and Jeanie Edwards.

OUTSTANDING MASTER’S STUDENT

Sarah Ruoff, Master’s candidate in Human Developmental and Family Sciences with a Gerontology emphasis, has been selected the Outstanding Master’s Student in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. Ruoff has collaborated with professors and fellow students to be a part of several research endeavors. While working full time and maintaining a 4.0 grade point average, Ruoff has held a research assistant position in order to extend her knowledge. Her poster presentation of her thesis research at the recent OSU Research Week was awarded 2nd place among all graduate students in the social sciences. In addition to the required courses in statistics, methods and the research thesis, she seeks out other opportunities to further develop skills in multivariate statistics. Ruoff volunteers for the Mobile Meals program and at the Family Resource Center she works with residents of on-campus family housing incorporating her knowledge of family dynamics and cultural diversity. She will begin pursuit of a Ph.D. in Research Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics in the fall.

OUTSTANDING PH.D. STUDENT

Hae Jin Gam, Ph.D. candidate in Design, Housing and Merchandising, has been named the Outstanding Ph.D. Student in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. Gam’s research interest in apparel design and merchandising led to 3 functional design projects and work on a National Science Foundation funded research project. During a course, Gam developed a proposal to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for research funding. Hers was one of 41 chosen from hundreds of proposals submitted. Developing a model for sustainable design for the textile and apparel industry, she identified methods for material selection and production that would be compatible with the “cradle to cradle” philosophy. Her scholarly accomplishments are not limited to research. She has excelled in apparel design with projects accepted for runway exhibition at the International Textile and Apparel Association annual conference. She has accepted a position at Illinois State University.

MARGUERITE SCRUGGS AWARD FOR MERITORIOUS RESEARCH

Human Development and Family Science Associate Professor Amanda Harrist has been selected to receive the Marguerite Scruggs Award for Meritorious Research in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. Harrist’s research focuses on understanding young children’s adaptive and maladaptive social behavior during early and middle childhood. By examining family interactions and peer group dynamics, her research has led to understanding the development of children’s social competence. Currently she is the principal investigator on an interdisciplinary team to study childhood obesity. “Families and Schools for Health” (FiSH), funded by the United State Department of Agriculture, targets psychological issues in the families and peer groups of overweight children. This research project was ranked number one for funding by the USDA. By following data collected from 1200 1st graders, their teachers and parents in rural Oklahoma, the team hopes to identify the relationship between nutrition and child development and recommend programs that will improve the health of children. Her empirical skill are outstanding as evidenced by the 63 citations of her article published in the journal, Child Development, in 1997. Her work has been presented at national conferences of professional organizations such as the Society for Research in Child Development and the American Psychological Association.

OUTSTANDING UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC ADVISOR

Theodore Drab, associate professor of Design, Housing and Merchandising, is the recipient of the 2007 CHES Outstanding Advisor Award. Commended for providing exceptional advice to his advisees related to their academic and professional lives, he is also known for “his contagious positive energy.” He goes out of his way to write scholarship recommendation letters for his students; encourages students who are considering leaving school to persist at OSU until they graduate; stops to visit with students in the hallway to ask how things are going; and consistently shows interest in the welfare of students. One student said, “Mr. Drab has given me exceptional advice on how to juggle my current work as an intern, employment in another part-time job, active membership in a sorority, and a serious family illness, while also remaining a full-time interior design student.” According to another student, Drab is “an outstanding advisor because of his witty, wise advice for his students to help them lead successful and fulfilling lives!”

OUTSTANDING GRADUATE FACULTY MENTOR

Whitney Brosi, assistant professor of Human Development and Family Science, has been named the CHES Outstanding Graduate Faculty Mentor. Advising primarily in gerontology and family science, Brosi contributes to the professional and academic development of graduate students in a variety of ways. By challenging students to expand and take advantage of research opportunities, she promotes engagement in scholarly activities. By helping identify opportunities to present and submit their research for publication, her students have gained valuable experiences. Brosi’s extensive feedback and direction provide guidance in the thesis process. Her graduate students attribute their success to her encouragement, support and interest in their academic careers, professional development and personal lives. Brosi’s dedication, integrity and enthusiasm exemplify professionalism for her students.