Faculty & Staff

Faculty & Staff News

Taras Oleksyk
Wednesday, March 06, 2024


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. 


Masters of the Air book cover
Friday, March 01, 2024


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. 


Meir Shillor
Monday, February 26, 2024


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. 


flags of the world
Monday, February 19, 2024


Oakland University has joined the United States Department of State’s Diplomacy Lab, a public-private partnership between the Department of State and a network of U.S. academic institutions that harnesses research and innovation of students and faculty to solve global challenges. 


Soccer
Friday, February 16, 2024


OU's Joanne and Ted Lindsay Foundation Autism Outreach Services and OU Athletics teamed up on a program to teach children on the autism spectrum the fundamentals of soccer.For the past several weeks, Saturday mornings at Oakland University’s Recreation Center have been abuzz with the sounds of children playing soccer. 


Interprofessional Education Workshop
Wednesday, February 14, 2024


Oakland University’s eighth annual Interprofessional Education Workshop put a spotlight on ways that health care professionals can work together to meet the specific needs of women affected by substance use disorder. 


Black and Gold Giving Day
Tuesday, February 13, 2024


Oakland University alumni, students, faculty, staff and supporters are encouraged to “Shine a Light on OU” during Black and Gold Giving Day on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. 


Freedom of Speech
Friday, February 09, 2024


Oakland University has created a new contest inviting students to express their opinions on free speech issues. Perhaps the most well-known and revered American constitutional right, freedom of speech has generated countless debates throughout the nation’s history and continues to fuel spirited discussions, particularly on college campuses. 


David Chalmers
Thursday, February 08, 2024


Generative AI systems, such as ChatGPT and its many relatives, have taken the world by storm. 


Dr. Dawn Woods
Wednesday, February 07, 2024


Dr. Dawn Woods, an assistant professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Oakland University, has received a five-year, $781,196 CAREER award from the National Science Foundation in support of her research project, entitled “Sparking ‘Number Talks’ to Strengthen Mathematical Identities.”


Beaver dam in OU Preserve
Wednesday, January 31, 2024


A recent beaver sighting on the campus of Oakland University has researchers optimistic about what the animal’s return to the OU Biological Preserve could mean for the ecosystem.


Huirong Fu and students
Monday, January 29, 2024


Oakland University has been officially designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (NCAE-C) by the National Security Agency (NSA) since 2018 and has been re-designated through the 2029 academic year. 


Sound of Music in Bulgaria
Thursday, January 25, 2024


Oakland University Professors Jeremy Barnett and Whitney Locher recently traveled to the Republic of Bulgaria — a country located on the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe — to help bring Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” to the stage at the Sofia National Opera and Ballet.


Beth Guest & Karen Sheridan
Wednesday, January 24, 2024


OU theatre professors Karen Sheridan and Beth Guest were nominated for awards presented by Broadway World Michigan.


Police vehicle near Elliott Tower
Thursday, January 18, 2024


Oakland University is one of the safest colleges in the country, according to rankings published by AcademicInfluence.com. The website ranked OU seventh on its 2024 list of the 15 safest colleges in America. 


Community Engagement
Thursday, January 11, 2024


For “exceptional commitment” and success in community engagement, Oakland University has received the 2024 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. The highly regarded national designation was announced January 8 by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. 


Zhe Wang and Erin Witherspoon
Wednesday, January 10, 2024


Oakland University Assistant Professor of Chemistry Zhe Wang is helping combat the opioid crisis and protect law enforcement officers with his project, “Development of a Low-Cost, Portable, Rapid Opioid Detection Tool for Enhanced Field Decision-Making,” which just received a $300,000 grant from the Department of Justice.


Keeper of the Dream Scholarship Recipients
Wednesday, December 20, 2023


Seven remarkable student leaders will be recognized at Oakland University’s 32nd annual Keeper of the Dream Scholarship Awards Celebration, an event that honors the legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 



Friday, December 15, 2023


The Oakland University physics department features some of the top scientists in the world according to the list of the top 2% of scientists published by Stanford University.


SECS Professors
Wednesday, November 29, 2023


Sergey GolovashchenkoZissimos MourelatosLianxiang YangThree Oakland University mechanical engineering professors, Drs. Sergey Golovashchenko, Zissimos Mourelatos and Lianxiang Yang, were recently named among the “top 2% of scientists in various disciplines.” 


NSF CAREER Award recipients
Wednesday, November 22, 2023


Oakland University researchers garnered three CAREER Awards from the National Science Foundation in 2023, the fourth-most among Michigan’s public universities. The recipients are Ngong Kodiah Beyeh, Jun Chen and Wing-Yue Geoffrey Louie and their work has potential to revolutionize many fields, from materials science to transportation to healthcare and education. 


Zhang lab researchers
Wednesday, November 15, 2023


Each year, nearly 40,000 infants (10% of total live births) are born prematurely (before 37 weeks of gestation) in the United States, and that number is growing. Premature infants have a high risk of developing lifelong low vision. Their eyes can also develop myopia, a common vision condition in which near objects appear clear, but objects farther away look blurry. 


Corewell Health Nurse Scholars Inaugural Cohort
Monday, November 13, 2023


Corewell Health recruiters spoke with OU nursing students about career opportunities at the November 3 event.Leaders from Oakland University School of Nursing and Corewell Health in Southeast Michigan came together to celebrate the inaugural cohort of students from the Accelerated Second-Degree (ASD) Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and the BSN (fall 2023 direct admits) programs who received the Corewell Health Nurse Scholars Program grant. 


Richard Olawoyin
Friday, November 10, 2023


Oakland University Industrial and Systems Engineering Professor Richard Olawoyin has been reappointed as chair of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Advisory Council at ABET (the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology). The appointment is effective for two years. 


Loni Love
Friday, November 03, 2023


Oakland University will welcome Loni Love to campus as keynote speaker for its 32nd annual Keeper of the Dream Awards Celebration. The Detroit native is a two-time Emmy, two-time NAACP Image and three-time Gracie Award-winning TV/radio host, comedian, actress, author and philanthropist. 


Veterans Appreciation Week
Thursday, November 02, 2023


From November 6-10, Oakland University will host a series of events and activities for Veterans Appreciation Week. Check the list below for opportunities to support and celebrate veterans, including more than 200 student, faculty and staff veterans on campus. 


Lizz Parkinson
Tuesday, October 31, 2023


OU graduate student Lizz Parkinson, with the support of her Department of Biological Sciences faculty adviser, Professor Scott Tiegs, has published an article regarding her light pollution research in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.



Wednesday, October 25, 2023


Oakland University’s Black Faculty Association (BFA), in partnership with Academic Affairs, and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, have jointly sponsored the creation of the Black Faculty Association Legacy Board.


OU-Pontiac Initiative
Saturday, October 21, 2023


The 2023 OU-Pontiac Initiative Town Hall Meeting was held on October 21 at Oakland University’s Oakland Center as leaders and supporters gathered to celebrate accomplishments, set new goals and expand its network for even greater collaboration. 


Students studying
Friday, October 20, 2023


Oakland University has been offering a free tuition program since 2009, but beginning with the fall 2024 semester, OU has recommitted to college affordability with the reimagined Golden Guarantee. 


Kenneth_Kroesche
Thursday, October 19, 2023


This summer, Dr. Kenneth Kroesche celebrated teaching 20 years at Oakland University with alumni from the Oakland University Low Brass Studio.


Howard Reich
Friday, October 13, 2023


Oakland University’s Cis Maisel Center for Judaic Studies and Community Engagement will welcome Howard Reich to campus for a screening and Q&A of his documentary film “Prisoner of Her Past.” Free and open to the public, the screening will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 25, in Oakland Center Banquet Room B. A reception with dessert and coffee will start at 6:15 p.m. 


FAFSA
Tuesday, October 10, 2023


Oakland University students are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to become eligible for federal, state and institutional aid, including grants, scholarships, loans and the work-study program. 


Research Traineeship
Friday, October 06, 2023


A $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation Research Trainee (NRT) Program will provide Oakland University graduate students with training in data analytics, scientific research and entrepreneurship with the goal to create leaders and innovators in the private sector. 


Business students
Wednesday, October 04, 2023


The Oakland University School of Business Administration will offer its new Master of Science in Finance degree program beginning in the winter 2024 semester. 


BIO Learning Lounge
Friday, September 29, 2023


Embracing the slogan “Discover. Engage. Belong.,” a new space has been unveiled on campus to help students succeed in their biology courses. Located in 166 Dodge Hall, the BIO Learning Lounge is open to any student taking a course offered by the Department of Biological Sciences. 



Wednesday, September 27, 2023


The 2023 winners of the prestigious Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education were announced today by the McGraw Family Foundation and the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education.


Nandi Comer
Tuesday, September 26, 2023


As Michigan's first poet laureate in more than 60 years, Nandi Comer has literally written herself into history. Oakland University will welcome the writer for a reading, Q&A and book signing on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 5 p.m. for the annual Maurice Brown Poetry Reading in the Oakland Center’s Ballroom A. Attendance is free and available via Zoom with registration. Refreshments will be served. 


Ngong Kodi Beyeh
Friday, September 22, 2023


Dr. Ngong Kodiah Beyeh, assistant professor of organic chemistry at Oakland University, has received a five-year, $700,000 CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation. The award will support research and education on halogen bonding, a process that could transform the field of materials science. 


Madison Lorincz
Thursday, September 21, 2023


Madison Lorincz has used her experiences in OU's Career and Life Design Center and COM 4970 capstone course to find purpose in her academic program and embark on a meaningful, productive career path.Oakland University’s newly established Career and Life Design Center incorporates design thinking, a philosophy of self-empowerment, to support students at each stage of their academic and professional lives. 



Thursday, September 14, 2023


National Hispanic Heritage Month is a national recognition of the culture, contributions and heritage of Hispanic Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15. 


Keeper of the Dream Scholarship
Wednesday, September 13, 2023


Applications are being accepted for Oakland University’s 2024 Keeper of the Dream Scholarship Awards. 


Edmund Pettus Bridge
Tuesday, September 12, 2023


Alice MooreIn honor of National Voter Registration Day, the Oakland University Center for Civic Engagement will welcome Alice Moore and Denise Holt who will share their experiences as voting rights advocates in the U.S. 


Dennis Muchmore
Wednesday, September 06, 2023


The inaugural event in The Dennis Muchmore Public Policy Series, “Breaking the Barrier: The Importance of Civility and Improving Political Discourse,” will be held from 6-7 p.m. on Monday, September 18, in the Oakland Center Banquet Rooms. 


Welcome Week
Thursday, August 31, 2023


Oakland University will welcome new and returning students to campus with a variety of events during Welcome Week from Tuesday, Sept. 5 through Saturday, Sept. 16. 


Josue Garcia and Kelly Dorner
Friday, August 25, 2023


Adopting the tagline “Explore. Discover. Connect.,” Oakland University’s new Career and Life Design Center is ushering in transformational change in preparing students to navigate their lives and careers before and after graduation.