Faculty & Staff

The Campus Student Organic Farm (CSOF) recently dedicated their newest hoophouse, known as the Salad Palace, with a ribbon-cutting by representatives of key stakeholders. This hoophouse, the latest addition to the farm, was funded by Oakland University Student Congress (OUSC) and was built earlier in the summer, in part by students. 

 It is almost the most wonder-filled time of year! The Holidays at Meadow Brook will bring a dazzling array of events, activities and opportunities for merry-making. 

At its most recent meeting, the Black Faculty Association (BFA) of Oakland University welcomed new members, celebrated current faculty members' promotions and research achievements, and introduced this year’s class of Legacy Award recipients, Dr. Rose Cooper and Dr. Frances Jackson.

Those interested in learning about transferring to Oakland University are invited to attend OU’s Transfer Student Open House from 4-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23, in the Oakland Center on OU’s campus. 

Oakland University’s new Master of Science in Energy Engineering degree program will prepare students for advanced-level energy engineering roles in areas including power generation, energy generation, conversion, distribution and storage, fuels, transportation,  energy efficiency, and sustainable energy solutions. 

Oakland University and Ascension Providence Rochester Foundation have partnered to offer Mental Health First Aid trainings throughout the month of October. 

Alumni Reunion Weekend is a time for OU alumni to reconnect with old classmates and friends, to revisit old memories and to make new ones. 

Each year, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning works with OU Student Congress to host a student-led panel discussion on connecting student experience with teaching practices. These efforts helped inspire the creation of the Pedagogical Partnerships Program. Pictured from left are OU students Lance Markowitz, Andrew Cadotte, Mena Hannakachl and Clarence Sanders. Oakland University’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) is launching a new program that will empower students to help create high-quality, engaging learning experiences in collaboration with faculty. 

The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) has awarded Oakland University gold status, the highest rating possible, on its 2024 list of veteran-friendly schools. 

Oakland University Professor of Political Science Terri Towner, Ph.D. was elected the 46th President of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society.

A new transfer articulation agreement will help qualified students in the Associate of Applied Science in Education: Early Childhood Studies program at Macomb Community College transition to Oakland University to complete a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. 

OU student Eli D'Souza uses the newly created Time Management Tool.Oakland University has launched a new tool to help students balance the demands of college life. Accessible on the Academic Success Center (ASC) web section, the Time Management Tool empowers students to understand how they are using their time and make adjustments to optimize productivity. 

Shamiah Woods (left) and Mae Dennis, assistant director of Orientation and New Student Programs, chat in OU's First Year Advising Center. Shamiah Woods remembers the pressures, doubts and fears she faced while preparing to embark on her freshman year at Oakland University. As a first-generation college student, the Detroit native wasn’t sure how to navigate her college journey, from picking a major, to managing her course load, to integrating work and social life. She also questioned how she would fund her education without taking on too much debt. 

Dr. Christina Papadimitriou, professor of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences (School of Health Sciences) and Sociology (College of Arts and Sciences) at Oakland University, has been selected as a 2024 Fellow by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM). The designation recognizes active ACRM members with an outstanding record of professional service to ACRM who have also made contributions of national significance to the field of medical rehabilitation.

Pictured from left: Kenya Beard, Ed.D., president of the National Black Nurses Association’s Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing; Christopher Coleman, dean of Oakland University's School of Nursing; and Sheldon Fields, president and CEO of the National Black Nurses Association, at the 52nd Annual Institute and Conference of the National Black Nurses Association. Christopher Lance Coleman, Ph.D., dean of Oakland University’s School of Nursing, was recently honored with the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) Trailblazer Award at the 52nd Annual NBNA Institute and Conference, in San Francisco.  

From left: Rachel Partin (TLF Hope Center), Lew LaPaugh (TLF), Lynn LaPaugh (TLF), Alicia Garcia (OUCARES), Aimee Halonen (GFS) and Rachel Morawski (GFS) are pictured with donations that will benefit OUCARES programming for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Thanks to a collaboration with the Ted Lindsay Foundation (TLF), Corewell Health Ted Lindsay Foundation Hope Center and Gordon Food Service (GFS) Brighton store, Oakland University’s Joanne and Ted Lindsay Foundation Autism Outreach Services (OUCARES) received generous donations that will benefit programs for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

Two professors from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine have each achieved the faculty rank of Dean’s Distinguished Professor. 

Dr. Toni Glover, an associate professor in the School of Nursing at Oakland University, has been selected as a 2024 Fellow by the American Academy of Nursing in recognition of her substantial and sustained impact on health and health care.

Dr. Alycen Wiacek, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Bioengineering at Oakland University, has been awarded the prestigious Engineering Research Initiation (ERI) grant for $200,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for her project to develop a wireless 3D breast ultrasound imaging system for low-resource settings.

Marlene McKean first set foot on Oakland University's campus as a temporary employee in June 1985. She worked in numerous campus offices until joining the Meadow Brook Health Enhancement Institute full time at its inception in February 1986. Her journey with the School of Engineering and Computer Science began in July 1989 when she transferred to the Advising Office. 

Professor Kerro Knox and Distinguished Professor Karen Sheridan teamed up to give a very informal "Last Lecture" on April 15. Both are retiring after decades of service and teaching in Oakland University's School of Music, Theatre and Dance. You can read more here.

For the past 10 years, Dennis Curry has been making beautiful music atop Elliott Tower as Oakland University’s resident carillonneur.

“Is freedom of speech a necessity in order to have a healthy democracy?” 

A multidisciplinary team of Oakland University students made a splash at the 2024 Marine Energy Collegiate Competition, tying for third place among 20 schools nationwide. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the annual event challenges students to design, develop and present innovations that harness the power of water. 

Engineering and computer science students came from around the globe to compete at the 31st annual Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC), an event that immerses students in the burgeoning field of self-driving vehicles. 

Oakland University Associate Professor of Theatre Jeremy Barnett and theatre alumnus Jason Maracani recently unveiled a new art installation in the East Garden of the Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph, Mich. that they hope will help people feel connected to and inspired by the gallery's outdoor space. 

Members of Oakland University’s Women & Philanthropy group recently gathered with President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz and other community members to celebrate the milestone of awarding over $100,000 in grant funding to support campus programs.  

A study published in the journal Science uses a global experiment and predictive modeling to illustrate how human impacts to aquatic ecosystems are contributing to the global climate crisis. 

The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) has named James Hargett, associate vice president for finance and controller among its class of 15 higher education business leaders for the 2024-25 NACUBO Fellows Program.

Dr. Darrin Hanna, a professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Oakland University, recently joined leaders from technology, manufacturing, government, and academia for a roundtable discussion hosted by Automation Alley about crucial issues in cybersecurity, including the latest trends and best practices in securing the digital future.

OU's Dr. Aura Cazares is pictured with ALSAME's co-chairs Dr. Vanessa Reynolds and Salvador Lopez.Oakland University has been selected to host the 2025 Advocates for Latino Student Advancement in Michigan Education (ALSAME) Latino Youth Conference, an event that will bring hundreds of high school students from across Michigan to campus in May 2025. 

Oakland University Professor David Gram’s first book, Contemporary Farce on the Global Stage: Or, Serious Laughter, was recently published by Routledge Publishing. The book examines the evolution of farce as a theatrical genre in the 21st century.

Calvin Goldsmith admits there were times he really struggled with chemistry when he arrived at Oakland University as a freshman. 

Steffan Puwal, special lecturer and adjunct assistant professor of medical physics, recently published an article in NATO Review examining the role that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could play in nuclear defense and deterrence. 

Spend a few minutes talking to Oakland senior Mena Hannakachl and you’ll likely walk away impressed with what she’s been able to accomplish during her time at OU and what she hopes to accomplish in the future.

Each year, Oakland University recognizes outstanding student leaders who demonstrate academic excellence while making a positive impact on campus and in the community. 

Oakland University’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance presented Andrew Lloyd Webber’s blockbuster musical, “Jesus Christ Superstar,” on Feb. 15-18 and Feb. 20-24 in the newly renovated Varner Studio Theatre on the campus of Oakland University. Featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, “Jesus Christ Superstar” is a rock opera loosely based on the final seven days in the life of Jesus Christ, as told through the eyes of Judas Iscariot.

Taras K. Oleksyk, associate professor in OU’s Department of Biological Sciences, has received an award from the American Genetic Association to organize ConGen2025: Recent Advances in Conservation Genetics. 

In an article published in Chemistry of Materials, a prestigious journal under the American Chemical Society, Oakland University Associate Professor of Physics Yuejian Wang explored how high-pressure techniques can induce changes in certain crystalline materials, similar to the way graphite can be converted into diamond when subjected to high pressure and high temperature.

The Department of Theatre at Oakland University is reviving the tradition of retiring faculty presenting a “Last Lecture.”

Music hasn’t completely taken over Terry Herald’s life, but it’s taken up a large chunk of his home. That’s because when Herald was building his house, he included space for a custom music studio.

With the theme of “Cultivating Inclusion Through Connection” Oakland University’s second annual Teaching Symposium aims to unite teaching and research faculty alongside campus educators. This full-day event includes a buffet lunch and requires registration. 

Each year, the Oakland University Professional Advisers Council (OUPAC) presents the university’s top academic advising awards to two outstanding professionals for their commitment to helping students succeed. 

Bioengineering student Daniela Meson De La Fuente is pictured with the research poster she presented at the 2024 Maize Genetics Meeting.Oakland University student Daniela Meson De La Fuente recently presented research at the 2024 Maize Genetics Meeting, an international conference that brought together researchers whose work advances the field of maize (corn) genetics and breeding. 

Oakland Associate Professor of Biology and genomics expert Taras K. Oleksyk, Ph.D. is creating one of the largest genome-wide studies of Type 1 Diabetes in the world, and he’s hopeful his research will provide the data for other scientists to follow. 

Taras K. Oleksyk, associate professor in Oakland University’s Department of Biological Sciences, has been named a U.S. Fulbright Scholar for the 2024-25 academic year. 

In his 2007 book “Masters of the Air,” Professor Donald L. Miller chronicles the riveting history of the American Eighth Air Force in World War II, and the story of the young men who flew the bombers that helped bring Nazi Germany to its knees. 

Oakland University Distinguished Professor of Mathematics Meir Shillor was recently named a Specialist in the Fulbright-Nehru Program, and he will spend five weeks this summer at the Assam Don Bosco University in Assam, India.