Pokes PodCAS

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 thr...

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-A...

“Mistakes are only mistakes if you don’t learn from them.” This was just one piece of advice that Orange Gown Recipient Kayla Reed had to share with students as she prepares to graduate with degrees in Psychology, Zoology and Plant Biology. Tune in to this episode of the Pokes PodCAS to hear about the lessons she learned throughout her journey at OSU.

Women have always had a hand in the way that history is made, but they often get left out of the conversation when it comes to their roles in major historical events. This can be especially true for women in minority groups. But despite people’s tendency to overlook the contributions of women in history, it’s important to remember them because they can be role models for young women today. No one...

We’re two years into the pandemic, but navigating online and hybrid classes can still be tricky, as can finding safe ways to get involved on campus. We spoke with Brianna Roenbeck, a psychology/pre-med major and our CAS Student Council president. She had some great advice to help students stay on top of their schoolwork and also to get involved on campus safely.

All writers benefit from the outside perspective of a skilled editor. That is why the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of English house the OSU Writing Center. It serves OSU and the surrounding community, helping communicators understand and practice strategies used by effective writers, including brainstorming, drafting and editing techniques. In this episode, the director of the W...

We all have that crazy relative who believes outrageous conspiracy theories or a lot of so-called facts that aren’t supported by the evidence. This person seems to live in an entirely different universe than those of us who are sane, right? The truth is, we are all misinformed to some degree, says Dr. Matthew Motta, a political science professor who studies misinformation. We talk about why people...

Every semester, one CAS student is selected for the prestigious Orange Gown. Alannah Templon, a double major in Biology: Allied Health and Sociolgy: Anthropology, was selected to represent the class of Spring 2021. Templon reflects on her research, involvement on-campus, plans for after graduation, and some of her favorite memories at OSU.

Peter Exline, “the philosopher king of Hollywood,” is a 1969 OSU Department of Philosophy grad. His life and career have overlapped with the likes of Michael Douglas and the famous Coen Brothers. In fact, he served as an inspiration for multiple characters in the film The Big Lebowski. He joins us to talk about his fascinating career, how he went from Stillwater to Hollywood, and what's on everyon...

The Center for Africana Studies is a resource housed in the College of Arts and Sciences but available for all Oklahoma State University students, faculty and staff to gain knowledge about Africa and its Diaspora. That obviously covers a lot, so the center’s new director, Dr. Erica Townsend-Bell from the Department of Political Science, has a big job. We talk about that, race-related issues in Ame...

Dr. Toby Nelson, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, was inspired by his hometown hero – Ronald McNair, the second Black astronaut. Dr. Nelson talks about that and how he is working with RPX Technologies, a Stillwater-based company founded by OSU alumni, to save lives with a product called DRACO. And he explains his view that chemistry is awesome, with highlights from his other...

Lori Allen Walke earned a 2005 political science degree and a 2006 master’s in health care administration at OSU, where she was a Cowgirl basketball player and Miss OSU. She went on to earn a law degree and passed the Oklahoma Bar exam, but changed her career path and completed a Master of Divinity. After becoming an ordained minister, she added a Doctor of Ministry. Today she is the Senior Pastor...

Hannah Ratigan was the type of student who walked around campus when she had free time – which was rare. So the way her undergraduate experience finished, with COVID-19 restrictions, was especially disappointing for her. As CAS’s Orange Gown Recipient, she did enjoy leading her peers in the School of Media and Strategic Communications to their smaller ceremony. We talk about what strategic communi...

Jason Collington is a Stillwater native who grew up reading the Tulsa World. After his 1998 graduation from OSU in what is now the School of Media and Strategic Communications, he worked for the Associated Press before being hired by the World. He spent the next 21 years climbing the company’s ladder, reaching the top to became the publication’s new editor on Oct. 1, 2020. About 60 days later, we...

Imagine you work at a nonprofit, where the hours are long, the cause is so big that it can feel overwhelming, and the pay is less than what is available in the corporate world. But you believe so deeply in the idea of nonprofits that you decide to leave your job, which has been stable for a decade, to start your own business, partnering with nonprofits to increase the amount of good they do. And t...

We are in the midst of a national conversation about many topics related to the American legal system. Though virtually everyone agrees that a just system is ideal, there are disagreements over how fair our current system is and what changes might improve it. Michelle Estes, a Ph. D. candidate in the Department of Sociology, conducts research on wrongful convictions. We talk about what happens to...

As COVID-19 became a global pandemic, Governor Kevin Stitt asked experts across Oklahoma to create models projecting how it would affect the state. One of those models came from a team at OSU, which included Mindy McCann, head of the Department of Statistics. She joined us to talk about the difficulty of making predictions about COVID-19, how much confidence we should have in the data, what it sho...

Jennifer Rudd has studied pandemics and respiratory infectious diseases for years. She is a CAS biology graduate who went on to earn two more degrees at OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where she is now a faculty member. After completing her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, she practiced for years before returning to OSU to pursue a doctorate in respiratory infectious diseases. Her research foc...

Tyler Bunch is an OSU alumnus who studied Theatre and went on to become a successful puppetry and voice-over artist, one you or your children have probably heard before. We cover his time at OSU, his transition into the craft of puppetry, and how his role as Elmo’s dad on Sesame Street has helped millions of kids understand the complexity of combating racism.

The COVID-19 pandemic has paused virtually the entire world. What does that mean for researchers, especially those whose work entails international travel? One faculty member dealing with that question is art history professor Louise Siddons, who was recently awarded a summer stipend from the National Endowment for the Humanities and a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Award. The Fulbright will fund...

Matthew Mungle is a former OSU student who studied Theatre and went on to become a renowned Academy Award-winning makeup artist and designer. In addition, he became a successful business owner specializing in makeup design, special effects and prosthetics. He joined us to talk about his time at OSU, what it's like to work in Hollywood, and why Gary Oldman is one of his favorite actors to work with...

Footage of the death of George Floyd while being arrested by the Minneapolis Police Department has sparked outrage across the country. Large protests, and in some cases riots, are pushing for a variety of changes in our justice system. In order to have an educational discussion about these difficult topics, we welcome Lawrence Ware, co-director of the Africana Studies Program and Teaching Assistan...

Annagrace Lewis recently graduated from Oklahoma State University after triple majoring in Biology, Plant Biology and Zoology. She joined us to talk about why she earned three degrees, how the College of Arts and Sciences has helped her prepare for medical school, and what it was like to have the end of her undergraduate experience wiped out by the COVID-19 epidemic.

While Oklahoma and most of America has been in some form of lockdown over the past two months, Italy implemented one of the strictest versions in the world and did it earlier than most nations. That country has now begun easing restrictions, but we spoke with OSU art history alumna Lora Webb when they were still in place. She is in Italy working toward a Ph. D. from Stanford. Lora published a lett...