News Briefs – March 2011

Coomer Named Vice President of Broadcast Association
Cathy Coomer, assistant professor in the Department of Communications at Rogers State University and general manager of RSU Radio, has been named vice president of the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association (OBEA) for 2011-2012.

Coomer was recently elected at the group’s annual meeting at the OBEA Student Awards Ceremony in Oklahoma City.

Steve Adams of Cameron University was elected president and Ken Fischer of the University of Oklahoma is secretary-treasurer.
Coomer has been active in the OBEA since 2004, and is the advisor for RSU’s Student Broadcasting Association.

She will present a panel discussion titled “How to Keep Small Broadcasting Programs Afloat when the Economy Tanks” at the Broadcasting Educational Association’s meeting next month in Las Vegas.
The RSU student organization has won a number of awards in TV and radio as well as several scholarships.

Coomer will be automatically nominated to president of the organization in 2012-2013.

The OBEA is an association of broadcast educators and electronic media professionals. OBEA members work closely with the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters to promote broadcast education and professional preparation.

High School Artists Awarded RSU Scholarships
Several area high school students received scholarships to attend Rogers State University in the fall after selection to the top tier of the annual RSU Emerging High School Artists Competition and Exhibition.
Each year, RSU conducts a competition to locate the best high school art students in northeast Oklahoma. Students who place in the juried exhibition receive scholarships to enroll in RSU’s art program.

The students’ art is will be on display in the university’s art gallery, located in Baird Hall, through Friday, March 11. The exhibition is free and open to the public, and gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Placing first in the overall portfolio division was Hunter Nelson of Catoosa High School and placing second in that division was Keli Boyd of Collinsville High School.

In the drawing category, Hunter Nelson placed first, Chelsey Becker of Claremore High School placed second and Hannah Cook of Claremore High School was selected for third place.
In the painting category, Shelby Kidwell of Claremore High School placed first and Holly Tober of Oologah-Talala High School placed second.

In photography and graphic design, Heather Hall of Claremore High School placed first and Allie Beard of Oologah-Talala High School placed second.

For more information on RSU art programs, call 918-343-7740 or visit www.rsu.edu.

New Monument to Rise on the Hill
This spring, a new piece of history will rise on the Hill. The Oklahoma Military Academy Killed in Action Memorial, a permanent tribute to OMA cadets who lost their lives during military service, will take its place on the Hill near the front entrance of the main campus.

The OMA KIA Memorial will be dedicated at a ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 4, during the annual OMA reunion. The public is invited to attend.

More than 2,500 OMA cadets served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. In addition, a greater percentage of OMA cadets served in the U.S. Armed Forces than any other high school, junior college or university in Oklahoma.

The memorial will be a black granite pyramid etched with the names of more than 100 OMA cadets who are known to have died.

The architect for project is OMA alumnus Bob Wright (’53), with LWPB Architects and Planners, LLC, of Oklahoma City.

The total cost of the memorial was raised through private contributions, from OMA alumni and their families.The amount raised above the cost of the memorial will be placed in an endowment to preserve it for posterity, to provide scholarships for RSU military history students, and to maintain the OMA Museum.

The memorial will be located between Preparatory Hall, the institution’s first building, and Meyer Hall, its second facility, which originally served as OMA barracks. Both buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

For more information about the OMA reunion, or to register, contact Boyle at (918) 343-7773 or dboyle@rsu.edu, or visit www.rsu.edu/oma.

MidAmerica Industrial Park and RSU Establish Partnership
MidAmerica Industrial Park and Rogers State University have initiated a partnership to relocate the Pryor campus of RSU to the industrial park in an effort to develop a more highly educated workforce and enhance economic development of the region.

MidAmerica will provide 74 acres, fund the construction of a new building and enter into a long-term lease with RSU to establish the university campus at MidAmerica Industrial Park, pending approval of the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma, the governing board for RSU.

This spring, MidAmerica will select an architectural firm, consult with engineers and begin site and drainage surveys in preparation for the development of the new campus.
RSU faculty and staff will work closely with MidAmerica staff and architects to design the new campus building.

The new RSU campus will be located just west of MidAmerica’s administrative offices on Highway 69A. Construction on the new RSU facility is projected to begin later this year.