Alumni News
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
As the fall semester approaches, Oakland University has received a record number of applications and is on pace to welcome its most academically talented freshman class. This year’s class of 2,717 freshmen holds an average GPA of 3.54 and an average SAT score of 1120. The university received applications from 14,858 freshmen and 3,427 transfers for a total of 18,285, the most applicants in OU’s history.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
When the Detroit Youth Choir returns to the America’s Got Talent stage later this month, Oakland University alumna British NiCole Burnett (BM ’06) will be watching.
Wednesday, August 07, 2019
Three Oakland University Political Science students — Timothy Kandow, Andrew Sebra, and Gustaf Vanderndonck — have been spending their summer getting hands-on experience working in the Michigan Senate.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Oakland University’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance presented James and the Giant Peach — directed by Lynnae Lehfeldt and based on Richard George’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s fantastical tale — on May 17, May 19, June 7 in Varner Recital Hall on the OU campus.
Friday, July 19, 2019
Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan K. Barnett has added another hat to his growing list of civic and community responsibilities. In addition to being mayor and serving as chairperson of the Oakland University Alumni Association Board, he has now been sworn in as the 77th President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Wednesday, June 05, 2019
From interacting with alumni to working on budgets, to updating web pages, Shanna Dawson does a little bit of everything in her role as an office assistant for the Office of Alumni Engagement at Oakland.
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Whether they’re taking the stage at Oakland University to perform with the OU Brass Band, touring with the children’s production of James and the Giant Peach, or studying abroad in Greece, students and alumni of OU’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance will be busy rehearsing and performing this summer throughout the state and beyond.
Friday, May 10, 2019
Jacob Corll, an Oakland University alum whose research led to the discovery of a master gene that regulates the expression of other genes involved in the development of corn kernels, was recently recognized as the co-first author of a manuscript published in The Plant Cell, a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Society of Plant Biologists.
Thursday, March 07, 2019
On Wednesday, April 3, Oakland University will welcome Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter to campus. Her talk will spotlight her remarkable career in Hollywood, and will take place at 7 p.m. in the Oakland Center Founders Ballrooms.
Friday, March 01, 2019
Following a search, Dawn Aubry, of Oakland Township, has been selected to become Oakland University’s associate vice president for Enrollment Management. Her new role is effective March 1.
Friday, February 22, 2019
Each year, Oakland University’s Young Alumni Chapter sponsors the 10 Within 10 Awards, which recognize young alumni who have made an exceptional impact within their professions and throughout their communities.
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Marking its 35th year, Oakland University’s Women and Gender Studies Film Festival will present Challenging Femmephobia: Breaking the Gender Binary in Queer Communities. This year’s festival features screenings of the films “Making Masculine” and “The Same Difference.” The screenings, and a panel discussion, will take place from noon-3 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, in room 1050 of the Human Health Building on OU’s Rochester campus.
Thursday, February 14, 2019
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, alumni of Oakland University’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance are sharing their stories of finding love in OU’s Varner Hall.
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Native Howl, a “thrash grass” band consisting of OU alumni Alex Holycross and Mark Chandler, as well as Josh LeMieux and Jake Sawicki, recently headlined a show at Saint Andrews Hall in Detroit and will be joining rock legends Roger Daltrey, Kansas, Buddy Guy, 38 Special, Dave Davies, Foghat, The Outlaws, Nazareth, and more for the “Rock Legends Cruise VII” from Feb. 14-18.
Monday, February 11, 2019
Join the Oakland University Center for Civic Engagement for a conversation about how Michigan moves forward after the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Friday, February 08, 2019
Oakland University’s Kristin Rohrbeck, director of the Joanne & Ted Lindsay Foundation Autism Outreach Services (OUCARES), has been named the overall winner of the Oakland County Executive’s Elite 40 Under 40 Class of 2019.
Thursday, February 07, 2019
With an electrical engineering degree from Georgia Institute of Technology in hand, Akash Maheshwari launched his career as drive graduate trainee at Continental.
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Actor, producer, writer and OU alum Curtis Armstrong, a 1975 graduate of Oakland University’s Academy of Dramatic Art, will be back on campus on Thursday, February 7 for “An Evening with Curtis Armstrong.” It will be a public speaking engagement for the community highlighting his acting career and his Oakland University memories. He will also host a book signing.
Friday, January 18, 2019
Two charter class members, Laura (Diffenderfer) Ortiz, M.D., and Lucy Boekelheide, M.D., have returned to OUWB as faculty members and physicians at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak.
Wednesday, January 02, 2019
Subscription services have evolved into one of the hottest trends. Forbes reports the market has more than doubled each year for the past five years. After successfully breaking into the market targeting a new niche, one company is also working to improve the industry.
Friday, December 21, 2018
Oakland University recently earned three awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), an international association of education advancement officers, who include alumni administrators, fund raisers, public relations managers, publications editors, and government relations officers.
Monday, December 17, 2018
During the week of October 15, music faculty members Drake Dantzler and Victoria Shively visited Tulane University and the University of Texas to give recitals of 21st century art songs. Professor Dantzler also gave masterclasses for the voice students.
Friday, November 30, 2018
The Office of Public School Academies hosted it annual Fall PSA Alumni Scholarship Luncheon to celebrate the success of our scholarship recipients.
Friday, November 30, 2018
If you want to experience Oakland University’s history through the eyes of hundreds of student journalists, you no longer have to visit University Archives to do so. Thanks to a generous gift from the family of a former OU library professor – and collective efforts of dedicated library employees – you can access digital issues of the university’s student newspaper dating back to its inaugural issue, published on October 23, 1959.
Monday, November 19, 2018
On Saturday, November 17, Oakland University staff, faculty and supporters gathered in the Founders Ballrooms of the Oakland Center to celebrate the public launch of the university’s largest-ever comprehensive campaign, “Aspire. Advance. Achieve.”
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
While delivering the 2018 State of the University Address on Tuesday, Nov. 13, Oakland University President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, M.D., highlighted several accomplishments and points of pride from around campus, and provided an update on the university’s strategic goals.
Thursday, November 01, 2018
OUWB charter class member Kimberly Lemkin, M.D., stands out as a leader in two departments in her psychiatry residency at Tufts Medical Center.
Friday, September 28, 2018
Theatre alums Gabrielle Minchella and Lester Finley, who are living and working in New York City, ran into actresses Kate Flannery, best known for playing Meredith Palmer on the NBC series The Office, and Jane Lynch, best known for her role as Sue Sylvester in the musical television series Glee, while riding the subway.
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
OUWB graduate Florence Doo, M.D., Class of 2017, just finished the first phase of her residency in Internal Medicine at Yale-Waterbury, where she received the Intern of the Year honor. Now, she is starting the last phase of her residency in Diagnostic Radiology at Mt. Sinai-West.
Monday, September 10, 2018
This month, Oakland University’s Department of Recreation and Well-Being (OU Rec Well) will celebrate 20 years of getting students staff, faculty, and community members to move their minds and bodies.
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Before she became the chief operating officer (COO) and co-owner of one of the largest restaurant groups in the state, Oakland University’s School of Education and Human Services helped Rosalie Vicari discover her passion for teaching.
Monday, July 23, 2018
Whether they’re pursuing a master’s degree or a Ph.D., alumni of Oakland University’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance are making their mark at prestigious graduate schools across the nation and around the world, thanks to the education and support they received at OU.
Monday, July 02, 2018
Nicole (Beattie) Kampe, OU class of 2006, has been in love with writing from an early age.
Friday, June 01, 2018
Oakland University alumna Dolores Catherino (BM ’86) was recently awarded an $18,000 music composition fellowship from the Anchorage, Alaska-based Rasmuson Foundation.
Tuesday, May 08, 2018
For some people, going “off-grid” means taking a voluntary respite from phone and email. But for countless others around the world, off-grid means routinely having to go without electricity for days, weeks or longer.
Tuesday, May 01, 2018
Cheryl (Bartlebaugh) Boodram, MKT ’17, focuses on the future. As vice president of sales and marketing for Chief Financial Credit Union, she prides herself on developing innovative products that help her customers and community.
Friday, April 27, 2018
Luciana Piazza (BFA ‘15) and Amanda Rae Evans (BFA ‘14) recently completed a successful run in Seussical the Musical at the Riverbank Theatre in Marine City. Piazza was one of The Bird Girls and Amanda, “who commands such energy and grace throughout the show” (Encore Michigan) was Mayzie LaBird. Next up — Piazza is starting rehearsals for Big Fish at The Encore Musical Theatre Company in Dexter. The show runs from April 26-May 20.
Thursday, March 01, 2018
Gary and Elspeth Coats know numbers. They know profit and loss, the power of big data and just how much a scholarship can do for a hardworking student. That understanding led to the couple’s generous establishment of the Gary and Elspeth Coats Student Involvement Scholarship.
Executive MBA puts research physician on new path
Thursday, March 01, 2018
Physicians spend their days in a state of urgency, treating patients, strategizing with colleagues, keeping informed on the latest breakthroughs. When Tonya Corbin, M.D., decided to transition into health care administration after 10 years as a clinical research physician, she needed a program that would allow her to keep that strenuous pace, while still challenging her academically and professionally.
Thursday, February 01, 2018
Not many investor analysts can boast of an undergraduate degree in zoology. For Kevin Pratt, MBA ’14, though, the leap from endangered amphibians to the world of finance was a positive one, thanks to the MBA program at the OU School of Business Administration.
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Jennifer Lucarelli, associate professor and chair of the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences program at Oakland University, has been named to the Oakland County Executive’s Elite 40 Under 40 Class of 2018. The initiative honors exceptional individuals under the age of 40 who excel in their field and improve the quality of life in Oakland County.
Friday, January 05, 2018
Two OUWB graduates, Dr. Chris Jaeger and Dr. Laurie Bossory, both currently working their residencies at The Ohio State University Wexner School of Medicine, received annual housestaff awards celebrating their collegiality and humanistic spirit.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Back on November 18, more than 275 Oakland University students, staff and alumni participated in the Macomb County Santa Parade, an event that also marked the start of the group’s annual food drive to support the Macomb Food Program. The drive got off to an auspicious start with more than 800 pounds of food donated on the first day.
