UCO Liberal Arts Announces 2023 Faculty and Staff Honorees

April 13, 2023

The University of Central Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts is proud to honor its faculty and staff for outstanding service and scholarly activity.

Retiring Faculty Members:

• Dr. Allen Rice
• Dr. Youngtae Shin
• Dr. Stanley Adamiak
• Dr. Diana Pardo
• Dr. Christy Vincent
• Deborah Ferrell-Lynn

 

Outstanding Scholarly and Creative Activity

Dr. Toby Wray

Although new to UCO, Liberal Arts, and the English Department, Dr. Toby Wray’s scholarly and creative output has already surpassed expectations. Since arriving in our college, he has done numerous readings, locally and nationally, from his collection, No Doubt I Will Return a Different Man. He also published two reviews and numerous poems in anthologies and online spaces. Already working on a second poetry collection, Dr. Wray published, “On the Nature of Or Related,” a new poem for that collection, in an Irish journal, Impossible Archetype. He was featured on Verse Daily, Poem of the Week, and Poesie, a daily feature of a smartphone app. Dr. Wray was also named a National Endowment of the Arts Poetry Fellow. In his personal statement for that prestigious accomplishment, Dr. Wray wrote: “I grew up in rural communities where resources are a consistent barrier. I wrote poems anyway. Now, I write, and I teach, and I like to go hiking. Scaling an actual mountain, hiking up the ribbon path to a rocky ledge and looking out, legs shaking, at the distance filled with light and shadow—you realize, of course, it’s true. It is worth it. Moments like this one offer us vistas beyond belief. New poems arrive. But it can be a slow process, that unending apprenticeship, this climb.” We look forward to what else Dr. Wray does as a poet and scholar.

 

Outstanding Service

Dr. Alyssa Provencio

Academics are charged with teaching, scholarship, and service. Although service to the institution may seem to be the most intangible, it is most important if the academic institution is dedicated to shared-governance and if the faculty maintain shared-governance as both an ideal and a practical or working reality. This year’s award goes to Dr. Alyssa Provencio, who was elected President of the Faculty Senate, which is, as she wrote, “the most demanding service position I could imagine.” Indeed, such service entails inordinate hours of committee work across all levels of the institution in addition to conducting monthly Faculty Senate meetings and responding to hundreds of email on a weekly basis. Dr. Provencio is also, and among other things, the Equity Advocate representing the Office of Academic Affairs, an adviser to the COLA Good Trouble Task Force, the sponsor of UCO faculty to the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice Inclusive Leadership Institute, co-coordinator of the Master of Public Administration Program, creator and coordinator of the Disaster Management Certificate, in Fall 2022 assistant chair of the Institutional Review Board, and co-lead on the organizing committee for the Annual Researcher’s Meeting at the Natural Hazards Center Workshop. 

Outstanding Teaching 

Dr. Reid Weber 

Dr. Reid Weber inspires astonishing enthusiasm among his students, who not only engage in class, but also gather outside class to discuss topics Dr. Weber raised. It is fascinating to see his students recruit others to sign on to his courses, which they do, and to flock to the UCO Medieval Society in which they not only cover readings but also build objects, like the trebuchet which is often seen on campus and at the Norman Medieval Faire, but period authentic garments and items true to the period. Indeed, the stained-glass window that the students produced has been seen in the dean’s office. Academically the students do splendidly, socially they are admirable, and they are wonderful ambassadors for UCO. Dr. Weber does this without any lowering of rigorous academic standards, spends much time and energy setting up his courses and student projects, and mentoring students, and never, ever complains about any of this. 

 

Adjunct Faculty Member of the Year

Kaoru Burkhalter

The year 2023 marks Ms. Kaoru Burkhalter’s tenth anniversary at UCO as a Japanese language instructor in the Department of Modern Languages. She began as an instructor of Elementary Japanese I in 2013 and, due to the overwhelming enthusiasm of UCO students for her classes, she quickly expanded UCO’s Japanese offerings to the intermediate level. She provides her students with engaging language and cultural activities, such as learning calligraphy, doing voice-over projects with popular animated series from Japan, or writing haiku poetry. Whoever has the pleasure of observing Ms. Burkhalter in action in the Japanese language classroom will immediately notice the gentle rapport between instructor and learners and the cheerful classroom atmosphere. Furthermore, as a colleague, Ms. Burkhalter is a stellar representative of the Modern Languages who holds the utmost respect of her fellow language instructors for her reliability and positive attitude. 

 

Lecturer of the Year

Shay Rahm

This year’s outstanding lecturer continues to leave an indelible mark on her students and within her department. Ms. Shay Rahm teaches freshmen through graduate students in the English Department and is the Publishing Director of New Plains Student Publishing. Ms. Rahm shows great flexibility in her willingness to teach composition in local high schools and courses at our downtown location. She was selected by the president and provost to speak at UCO’s 2022 Freshmen Convocation. Additionally, her service includes working as a Team Leader for all commencement ceremonies, Secretary of the Native American Faculty and Staff Association, and member of the Film Studies minor, just to name a few. Recently, she designed and set-up the English Department Hub on D2L. Ms. Rahm regularly participates in trainings, workshops, and conferences, all of which serve her students and department. It is quite evident, by all that know her, that Shay Rahm is an integral part of the college and university, and, as such, is so very deserving of this award. 

 

Staff Members of the Year

Brendan Maxwell and Chantel Wolff

Mr. Brendan Maxwell serves with distinction as the College of Liberal Arts’ Coordinator of Graphic Design. Mr. Maxwell, an accomplished graphic designer with impressive credentials and extensive experience, has thoroughly revised—and enhanced—the college’s promotional materials, website, and social media presence. He excels in designing creative materials to advertise Liberal Arts events both large and small, and he serves as a trusted adviser to faculty, staff, and students in all matters related to the college’s public relations and media presence. Mr. Maxwell is extraordinarily generous with his time in advising and collaborating with stakeholders from throughout the college and in assisting in multiple roles in the Dean’s Office. 

Ms. Chantel Wolff is a UCO alum and has been a Broncho-cheering presence in the Department of Mass Communication the past few years, at a time when many faculty and staff did not feel they had a lot to celebrate. She initiated participation in the office holiday decoration competition, makes sure other staff and faculty know about employee appreciation events, and exudes care for anyone who walks into the office. Ms. Wolff has added a level of cheer to the department that we didn’t know we were missing until she was hired. She does this on top of being a meticulous Administrative Assistant who goes out of her way to assist students, faculty, and other staff. When she takes on a project, it will be completed efficiently and effectively. We are unbelievably fortunate to have Chantel in our college! 

 

New Faculty Member of the Year 

Dr. Sophia Clark

As our junior faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts, Dr. Sophia Clark has remained quite active and takes on important responsibilities. For example, she serves on a Scholarship Committee as a representative of Modern Languages, the Student Advisory Board, the Good Trouble Task Force, a committee which advocates diversity and inclusion in the university. Within the Task Force and the Student Support subgroup. She coordinates and prepares the German classes, meets with the German Club, places a major focus on recruitment, and is constantly experimenting with different assessment approaches. Amid all these tasks, Dr. Clark continues to focus on scholarly activities by presenting at national and international conferences and working on articles for publication. Dr. Sophia Clark deserves this award. 

 

Faculty Member of the Year 

Dr. Laura Dumin

This year’s Outstanding Faculty Member has made a lasting mark in her department, our college, and across campus. Dr. Laura Dumin’s service is of special note, given her contributions on committees like the Academic Affairs Curriculum Committee (AACC), the Executive Committee for AACC, and promotion/tenure for the college. She is also the director for the Technical Writing program and the advisor for the Composition and Rhetoric M.A. program. Within the English department, she serves on the curriculum committee, English department promotion and recruitment committee, and several M.A. portfolio committees. In the spring of 2022, she took on the role of co-managing editor of The Journal of Transformative Learning. Dr. Dumin is also a remarkable teacher, especially with her dedication to the STLR and SoTL programs and her participation in eight 21CPI groups. Most recently, Dr. Dumin has been a campus and discipline leader regarding the effects of Chat GTP in college classrooms. In the area of scholarship, Dr. Dumin has presented her IRB-approved work at national and international conferences. Her positive impact on the department, college, and university aligns with her stated goal of “giving interested students the chance to develop their talents and make contacts in a safe learning environment while still helping to prepare them for the challenges after college.” 

 

Lifetime Achievement Award 

Dr. J. David Macey

In Fall 1999, a new assistant professor started his UCO journey in the Department of English. He quickly became a leader in department, college, and university committees and developed a strong reputation for collaboration, excellent writing and communication, and leadership. While excelling in teaching and service, he also maintained an active record of scholarship in Old English language and literature, Restoration and eighteenth-century British literature, literary and critical theory, and the history of the English language. He served as chairperson of the Department of English from 2007 to 2015, and again as interim chairperson from 2020 to 2021. He served as assistant vice president for global and cultural competency from 2016 to 2019. He has chaired UCO’s Committee on Diversity and served for over two decades as the faculty adviser to the Student Alliance for Equality (SAFE).

His sphere of influence extends throughout the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and the State of Oklahoma. He has earned numerous accolades throughout his more than two decades at Central, including the Diversity Round Table’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice’s Oklahoma City Humanitarian Award, the Provost’s Modeling the Way Award, the Neely Excellence in Teaching Award, and Cimarron Alliance’s Torch Award, among many others. A recent news article captured this quotation from him: “I am deeply committed to quality, accessibility, and innovation in public higher education.” We know this statement is absolutely true. He accepted the challenge to serve as our interim dean on July 1, 2021 and we have witnessed and benefitted from his commitment to higher education. As he leaves us to pursue a new adventure as dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Fort Hays State University in Kansas, we know how fortunate they are.