NORMAN, OKLAHOMA – The Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education at the University of Oklahoma will honor faculty, staff, educators and education advocates, along with holding a first-ever lectures series, during its annual Celebration of Education in Oklahoma, taking place virtually April 12-16.
Highlighting the week of events is the Celebration of Education Lecture Series on April 12, 14 and 15. Professor Kendra Williams Diehm will open the week with a lecture titled "Building Inclusive Higher Education: the Sooner Works Initiative" at 8 p.m. Monday, April 12.
She is followed by Lena Tenney, diversity, equity and inclusion officer at the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and JRCoE graduate, discussing “[Re]Framing Diversity and Inclusion: Reaching the Champions, the Critics, and the Couldn't Care Less-ers" at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 14.
The lecture series concludes with a talk by Associate Professor Mirelsie Velázquez on “Going Back to the Territory: Centering Black and Indigenous Oklahoma History in Today’s Schooling Context” at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 15.
There is no charge to attend, and all lectures will take place via Zoom. To register, visit https://bit.ly/2021coe.
On Tuesday, April 13, the college will take part in OU’s Giving Day, highlighting the work being done by students, faculty and staff in the college and the ways they can be supported.
The week of events concludes at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 16, with a streaming of the Celebration of Education video. Hosted by Interim Dean Stacy Reeder, the video features faculty and staff award winners and comments from Celebration of Education honorees, culminating in a keynote address from Award of Distinction winner George Henderson.
Henderson is professor emeritus at the University of Oklahoma, where in 1967 he became OU’s third full-time African American faculty member. In 1969, he became the Sylvan N. Goldman Professor of Human Relations, Education and Sociology. Later, he was appointed to three other distinguished professorships: David Ross Boyd Professor, Regents’ Professor and Kerr-McGee Presidential Professor. After being named Goldman Professor, he founded the Human Relations department, which he chaired for 20 years. From 1996 to 2000, he was dean of the College of Liberal Studies. Although he retired from the university in 2006, he still teaches on a part-time basis.
Other awards include the Emerging Educator Award, to be presented to Tenney; the Outstanding Educator Award, which will go to Rebecca Oglesby, Ranchwood Elementary School teacher and 2019 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year; and the Career Achievement Award, which will be given to Rick Cobb, Ph.D., superintendent of Mid-Del Schools. Frank Wang, Ph.D., president of Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics, will be honored with the Meritorious Service Award.
This year features a new award, Inspiring Excellence in Education. Inaugural winners of this award are Rodney Bates, Ph.D., Brittany Egger, Charlotte Gordon, Ebony Johnson, Ph.D., Juan Renteria, Oklahoma Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, Erin Simpson and Oklahoma Rep. John Waldron.
“We are so fortunate to be able to honor this incredible group at our Celebration of Education,” Reeder said. “They each represent a different area of education, from teachers to administrators to higher education to advocates -- a true personification of what we teach here at the college.”
For more information, visit https://www.ou.edu/education/celebration-of-education.
2021 Celebration of Education Award Winners
Award of Distinction
Dr. George Henderson (Professor Emeritus, OU)
Emerging Educator Award
Lena Tenney (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Ohio State University College of Pharmacy)
Outstanding Educator Award
Rebecca Oglesby (Art Teacher, Ranchwood Elementary, Yukon)
Career Achievement Award
Dr. Rick Cobb (Superintendent, Mid-Del Public Schools)
Meritorious Service Award
Dr. Frank Wang (President, Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics)
Inspiring Excellence in Education Award
Dr. Rodney Bates (Director of Graduate Student and Postdoc Retention and Support, OU)
Brittany Holland-Egger (Director of Child Care Partnerships and Quality Assurance, Tulsa Educare)
Charlotte Gordon (Retired educator; JRCoE intern supervisor; JRCoE Board of Advocates)
Dr. Ebony Johnson (Senior Director of Student Engagement, Tulsa Public Schools)
Juan Renteria (Fifth-Grade Teacher, Truman Elementary, Norman; finalist for 2021 Norman Public Schools Teacher of the Year)
Rep. Jacob Rosecrants (Oklahoma State Representative, District 46, Norman)
Erin Simpson (Director of the OU Gender and Equality Center)
Rep. John Waldron (Oklahoma State Representative, District 77, Tulsa)