A New Home for Philanthropic Stories
Starting with this issue, we’re proud to bring stories of generosity to the pages of Sooner Magazine. You’ll now find philanthropic coverage previously shared through the Impact donor newsletter right here. This change reflects something we’ve always known: The heart of OU is in the people who believe in its future. Donors’ stories—and the lasting difference made through gifts to the OU Foundation—now have a permanent place in Sooner. We’re glad you’re here to read them.
Gaylord Student Work Earns Top Rank
OU’s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication has been named the top media program in the country by the Broadcast Education Association. The recognition reflects the quality and consistency of students’ creative works. Rankings are compiled from outcomes of the previous five years’ BEA Festival of Media Arts results, which represent more than 7,000 juried student works from nearly 200 schools.
Seven is so Sweet
OU women’s gymnastics team celebrated its seventh national championship April 20, sweeping the trophy away from contenders UCLA, Missouri and Utah. The win is OU’s third in four years and the Sooners are now tied with UCLA for third-most national titles in NCAA history.
Leaders Make Their Mark
Each spring, OU celebrates student leaders in an old-fashioned way—with tools, wood and a little bit of grit. At the leadership table carving event held in Oklahoma Memorial Union, students who shaped campus life are invited to leave their names behind on a designated table representing the year’s leaders. The tradition honors the long meetings, late-night events and small acts that made a big difference in our community. These carved tables stay in the Union, reminding future generations that the university is built day by day by people who choose to show up, care deeply and leave OU better than they found it.
Four Generations of Sooner Women
In 1925, Laura Focht Morgan earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oklahoma, persevering through the loss of her parents and the responsibilities of caring for her younger sister and great-aunt while completing her degree. Her daughter, Elizabeth Morgan Reece, continued the legacy with a journalism degree in 1962, followed by her granddaughter, Laura Reece Keep, who earned the same 30 years later. When Morgan’s great-granddaughter, Layne Elizabeth Keep, crossed the stage to accept her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders this May, her family celebrated the milestone of a century of Sooner women, four generations strong.
Flying Into the Storm
When seconds count, better forecasts save lives. That’s why researchers at OU’s Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO) created the CopterSonde—a remotely piloted drone tough enough to fly into wildfire smoke and raging storms. Building on nearly 50 years of collaboration with NOAA and powered by both OU’s aviation tradition and Oklahomans’ passion for weather safety, the recently patented CopterSonde captures critical atmospheric data where people can’t go, helping forecasters issue quicker, sharper warnings for our state and beyond.
Sooner Works Receives Unique Gift
Sometimes a generous gift doesn’t fit in an envelope. Such was the case when Sooner Works program supporters the Wurster family of Grapevine, Texas, provided a golf cart through the OU Foundation. The cart will support the unique needs of the program’s staff and students on OU's Norman campus. Sooner Works is an inclusive, post-secondary education program for students with mild to moderate intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.