RSU Faculty Members Receive Awards; Gray Wins Top Honor

Dr. Dana Gray, assistant professor of business at Rogers State University, has been named the recipient of the Pixley Excellence in Education Award at Rogers State University.

The Pixley award is the highest honor bestowed upon a member of the RSU faculty, and is based on excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. The recipient is selected on the basis of a peer nomination and review process, conducted by the RSU faculty body. The Pixley award is made possible by Pixley Endowment for Excellence in Education at RSU.

Several other RSU faculty members also received awards of excellence in teaching, scholarship and service at a recent awards ceremony on the Claremore campus.

From the RSU School of Business and Technology, Gray also received the Pfizer Excellence in Scholarship and Research Award; Thomas Luscomb, assistant professor of business, received the Pfizer Excellence in Service Award; and Michael Wells, sports management instructor, received the Pfizer Excellence in Teaching Award.

Representing the RSU School of Mathematics, Science and Health Sciences, Larry Brewer, emergency medical services instructor, received the Pfizer Excellence in Teaching Award, Dr. Min Soe, associate professor of physics, received the Pfizer Excellence in Scholarship Award, and Pam Fowler, assistant professor of nursing, received the Pfizer Excellence in Service Award. Soe was last year’s recipient of the Pixley Award.

From the RSU School of Liberal Arts, Dr. Frank Grabowski, assistant professor of philosophy, received the Gladys L. and Carl G. Herrington Excellence in Scholarship Award, Frances Morris, English instructor, received the Gladys L. and Carl G. Herrington Excellence in Teaching Award, and Lori Butler, English instructor, received the Gladys L. and Carl G. Herrington Excellence in Service Award.

Gray received a doctoral degree in education from Oklahoma State University, a master of science in telecommunications management from OSU and a bachelor of arts in advertising/public relations and mass media news from the University of Tulsa.

She previously was a partner in Lamer Gray Marketing and Public Relations, a Tulsa-based firm providing marketing, public relations and communications support for small and medium-sized businesses and nonprofit organizations.

She has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Phoenix, teaching classes in marketing, public relations and global business strategies. She previously served as marketing manager for WilTel Communications for more than five years. In addition, she was public relations manager for the QuikTrip Corporation for 17 years.

She is the recipient of numerous awards from professional organizations, including the ADDY from the American Advertising Federation, the Silver Link from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the Silver and Bronze Quill from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). She has served as president of the Tulsa chapters of PRSA and IABC and served on the board of directors of Youth Services of Tulsa and the Parent Child Center of Tulsa.