OU Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences

What can you do with that Ph.D. in Philosophy? At The University of Oklahoma, the answer is increasingly "land a faculty position."

New national data shows that graduates of the Shyam Dev Patwardhan Department of Philosophy are securing permanent academic positions at rates exceeding the national average.

Over the last decade, 48% of OU philosophy Ph.D. graduates secured permanent academic appointments, outperforming the 40% national benchmark and improving significantly from the program's previous reporting period.

Recent placement successes include alumnus Mark Taylor, who joined Calvin University as a tenure-track assistant professor, and doctoral candidate Violet Victoria, who will begin a faculty position at West Virginia University this fall.

Congratulations to our philosophy faculty, students, and alumni!

Nine Arts & Sciences Oklahoma Baseball players will play their first game in the College World Series tomorrow!

Please wish the following students and the entire OU baseball team the best of luck!

Jaden Barfield (MDS)
Deiten Lachance (Sociology)
Drew Dickerson (MDS)
Gunnar Dillard (MDS)
Isaac Williams (MDS)
Jackson Cleveland (MDS)
Nicholas Wesloski (MDS)
Reid Hensley (MDS)
Xander Mercurius (MDS)

Boomer! ☝️

From Sierra Leone to India, Arts & Sciences faculty are taking their research around the world. 🌎

Congratulations to Dr. Zermarie Deacon (Human Relations) and Dr. Deonnie Moodie (Religious Studies), who have been named 2026-2027 Fulbright U.S. Scholars ⚡

Deacon will use her Fulbright award to travel to Sierra Leone at the start of 2027, learning about how the country’s past experiences with civil war and an Ebola outbreak — and its current reckoning with changes in climate — have intersected and impacted its people. Her previous research has heavily focused on postwar cultural contexts.

Moodie’s Fulbright award will take her to the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore in India during the summers of 2027 and 2028. She plans to meet with experts in critical management studies who promote alternative uses of Hinduism in business settings. Through those connections, Moodie aims not only to bolster international collaboration among scholars but also to support an upcoming book on the history of Hinduism in business schools.

Their work reflects the global reach of Arts & Sciences research and the impact The University of Oklahoma faculty are making across disciplines and borders. 👏

Read the full story at the link in our comments.

Photos by Travis Caperton.

OU Professor Awarded Fulbright Specialist Award to Study Trade’s Environmental Impact 💫

When natural resources are tied to production and trade, their environmental costs and benefits are often overlooked. University of Oklahoma economist Georgia Kosmopoulou studies what may be missed – and how to better account for it.

“Whenever we work with colleagues and students in different parts of the world, we gain new perspectives on how people approach problems and learn from one another,” says Kosmopoulou. “That exchange of ideas and educational experiences is important for strengthening research and building lasting partnerships.”

Read the full story by OU News at the link in our comments.

Photo by Jonathan Kyncl

Elite company. Honors College and Arts & Sciences student Aaron Lim has been named a 2026 Goldwater Scholar, one of the most prestigious undergraduate awards in the nation for students pursuing careers in STEM.

Lim is a third-year student pursuing a chemical biosciences degree. He is one of just a few hundred students nationwide receiving this honor. He is working to innovate in the field of photodynamic therapy, a less common but promising form of cancer treatment that uses both drugs and light to fight harmful cells.

“At the end of the day, my goal is to answer, ‘What can I do to maximize my impact on patient care?’” said Lim, who first gained policy experience through another student-led think tank.

Read the full story on OU News! Link in comments.

We're thrilled to welcome Dr. Amanda Rutherford back to The University of Oklahoma as the Henry Bellmon Chair of Public Service in the Department of Political Science at OU beginning in Fall 2026.

An internationally recognized scholar in public management, Dr. Rutherford brings extensive experience in research, teaching, leadership, and public service. In her new role, she will continue her scholarship and mentorship of students while strengthening partnerships between the university and communities across Oklahoma.

A three-time OU graduate (MPA ’11, BA ’09, BBA ’09), Dr. Rutherford returns to Norman after 11 years at Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, where she served in several leadership roles, including chair of the Governance and Management faculty and director of the O’Neill Undergraduate Honors Program.

“I am honored to be appointed to the Henry Bellmon Chair of Public Service and look forward to continuing to build on his legacy of serving the state of Oklahoma,” Rutherford said. “I am excited to pay forward the opportunities the university gave me to the next generation of students and state leaders.”

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Rutherford back to OU and the Arts & Sciences family.

First stop: NIH headquarters. Then Oxford or Cambridge 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Congratulations to Honors College and Arts & Sciences alum Lucy Coleman, who has been selected for the National Institutes of Health Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program, an elite international doctoral training program!

Lucy, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a master’s degree in chemistry from The University of Oklahoma, said the opportunity fits with her long-term goal of developing new therapies for disease.

“This program allows me to combine experimental research and computational research in a way that prepares me for the future of drug discovery," she says.

Coleman said the opportunity to conduct independent research at OU played a critical role in preparing her for the rigor of the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program, allowing her to lead projects, present findings, publish research, and develop as a scientist. Mentors in the Honors College and the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, including Brian Johnson, Ph.D., director of student success in the Honors College, helped guide her through graduate opportunities and career decisions.

Congratulations, Lucy!

Photos by Jonathan Kyncl and Travis Caperton

A brief exchange with a campus guest speaker led OU Film and Media Studies alum Sterlin Harjo to the Sundance Institute's Director's Lab back in 2004.

When N. Bird Runningwater, producer and former Director of Sundance Institute’s Native American and Indigenous Program, appeared as a guest speaker at The University of Oklahoma, Harjo — not one to pass up an opportunity — introduced himself to Runningwater.

“I told him that I wanted to make films,” Harjo remembers. “And he said, ‘Cool, let’s do that!’”

(Ahem, students, see how these seemingly small moments and opportunities can lead to something big?)

As the Sundance Institute Directors Lab turns 45, it's highlighting filmmakers who are integral to its legacy, including one of Oklahoma's most talented residents and important storytellers, Sterlin Harjo.

Read the full article at the link in our comments.

The top undergraduate researchers in the state! Congrats to these University of Oklahoma Honors College, Arts & Sciences, Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, and OU Gallogly College of Engineering students!