Faculty & Staff

Following a national search that drew the interest of many excellent candidates, Oakland University is appointing Joi Cunningham, assistant vice president for Academic Human Resources, to become OU’s next vice president for Human Resources (VPHR).

Oakland University has welcomed Mohamed Al-Shabrawey as the new director of OU’s Eye Research Institute (ERI) and founding director of the Eye Research Center (ERC) at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWB). 

At their October 11 Oakland University Board of Trustees meeting, the trustees voted to approve a new three-year faculty contract that had also recently been ratified by the OU Chapter of the American Association of University Professors. The new agreement runs through August 14, 2024.

Oakland University has once again earned the highest possible ranking for veteran-friendliness among the state’s higher education institutions. The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) awarded Oakland gold-level status for its strong commitment to serving the educational needs of military-connected students. 

Along with charting their academic and career paths, students also need to manage financial matters related to their education. One of the best things they can do is file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as the FAFSA. By filling out this form, students can become eligible for federal aid, including grants, loans and work-study programs. 

Dr. Ziming Yang, an assistant professor of environmental chemistry at Oakland University, is among eight multidisciplinary teams of researchers selected to receive funding in the inaugural year of Scialog: Signatures of Life in the Universe, a new research initiative designed to bring the world closer to answering basic questions about the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

Following a national search that began in late 2020, the university has appointed Bhavani Koneru as its next Chief Information Officer. She will join the campus community on Monday, October 18.

President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz and Dr. Daniel Walsh traveled to Rockville Centre, New York on Thursday to attend the inauguration of Molloy College President James Lentini, who served as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Oakland University from 2013 until June of 2020. 

Oakland University, Howard University and National Dong Hwa University of Taiwan secured a three-year, $100,000 grant from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education to support Chinese Language and Culture studies for students at all three universities. 

Matt Bell, a 2006 graduate of Oakland University’s English program, recently released his novel “Appleseed” to critical acclaim. The book traces three storylines across a thousand years, including a mythological retelling of the Johnny Appleseed folktale, a harrowing struggle against climate change-driven corporate control and the travails of a bioengineered creature searching for the last vestiges of civilization. 

The “I See You Awards” — an annual celebration of low-budget independent filmmakers — was held on August 29 and featured a new theme song, “You See Me,” written and produced by Carly Uhrig, a music lecturer and marketing manager for the School of Music, Theatre and Dance at Oakland University.

Oakland University doctoral student Sarah Denha traveled to the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts this summer to take part in a neurobiology course that introduced her to cutting-edge research techniques taught by leading experts in the field. 

For the past few weeks, Oakland University’s First Year Advising Center has hosted Campus Kickoff events to welcome new students to campus. The kickoffs are part of the students’ orientation experience and the first part where they are on campus, said Sara Webb, senior director of First Year Success. 

Oakland University is being honored for its multi-faceted, innovative approach to supporting health and wellness among students and employees. NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation selected Oakland’s “Healthiest Campus for Michigan” initiative as its first-ever Promising Practice, a new series highlighting colleges and universities that have made transformative change in helping people achieve a healthy lifestyle. 

Oakland University has a new academic minor in Applied Geographic Information Science, a dynamic field geared toward solving problems across a range of areas, including public health, food security, urban planning, environmental science and historical preservation. 

CUPA-HR, an association for Human Resources professionals in higher education, has selected Oakland University to receive the 2021 CUPA-HR Inclusion Cultivates Excellence Award for its Diversity Advocate Program.

Oakland University PACE and OU’s School of Business Administration have partnered to launch a new certificate that introduces students to the complex world of machine learning. The course, titled “Data Analytics and Machine Learning (ML Ops) on the Cloud,” is an introduction to machine learning using TensorFlow 2.0, a popular framework for building predictive models. 

Oakland University School of Nursing has been awarded a new grant of $15,000 from Jonas Philanthropies, a leading national philanthropic funder of graduate nursing education. Matched by $15,000 from OU, the grant will fund the scholarship of a doctoral nursing student in 2021. 

Oakland University is excited to offer a new enrollment program, Rock and Enroll Day. The event will take place from 2-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 4, in the Oakland Center on OU’s Rochester campus. 

The Jamieson Biodiversity Lab at Oakland University, led by Biology Professor Mary Jamieson, is conducting pollinator surveys in Oakland County and Oakland Township parks and natural areas this summer to help evaluate how land management strategies are influencing plant and insect biodiversity.

In 1945, a Soviet doctor found a school notebook in the liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau Camp. It was a diary written by Rywka Lipszyc, a teenager in the Łódź Ghetto, between October 1943 and April 1944. The contents were the testament of a Jewish girl who lost her siblings and parents, but never lost hope despite moments of doubt.

Oakland University is partnering with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville on a collaborative research center designed to boost the United States’ leadership in engineering research and global competitiveness. 

Oakland University Professor Barbara Oakley has been selected as one of the “35 Highly Influential Women in Engineering Today” by AcademicInfluence.com.

Oakland University will host the 2021 McLaren Brooksie Way Half Marathon, 10K and 5K races on Sunday, September 26. Meadow Brook Amphitheatre will be the start and finish point, with the races beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at noon. 

Hurricane season is underway, and Oakland University Professor Thomas Bianchette has been busy studying the storms and the damage they can cause on coastal environments.

As businesses increasingly adopt and invest in big data technology, tools and solutions, the demand for data-savvy professionals continues to outpace the supply. 

Oakland University froze all tuition rates the previous academic year as part of a multi-faceted effort to help students and their families manage financial uncertainties during the COVID-19 pandemic. The university also distributed $13.9 million in emergency grant funding it received through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (HEERF II) to eligible students to help ease financial strains caused by the pandemic. Students not eligible for CARES Act funding were encouraged to apply for assistance from other institutional emergency funds, such as the OU COVID-19 Special Relief Fund. 

A group of Oakland University researchers used data from medical studies around the world to examine the impact of resistance training on type 2 diabetes risk. 

Oakland University PACE is offering the Digital Marketing Pro Certificate in partnership with the Digital Marketing Institute. Students who complete the course and then pass the three-hour exam will receive a Professional Certificate in Digital Marketing from DMI and also the Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) award from the American Marketing Association. 

Dr. Robert Van Til, Pawley Professor of Lean Studies and chair of the Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) Department at Oakland University, has been selected by SME’s Smart Manufacturing magazine as one of the 20 most influential academics shaping smart manufacturing.

As colleges and universities look to address the growing mental health crisis on campuses across the nation, a new book is touting the benefits of the human-animal bond. Published by Purdue University Press, “The Canine-Campus Connection: Roles for Dogs in the Lives of College Students” provides evidence-based guidance on bringing college students and canines together in mutually beneficial ways. 

As part of an effort to help students achieve greater physical, mental and emotional well-being, OU’s Department of Recreation and Well-Being is offering continuing students free summer access to the Recreation Center on campus. 

From Shakespeare on Zoom to the history of jazz, Oakland University Community Music’s virtual and in-person Summer Camps will offer something for everyone.

Noah Canales, junior musical theatre major, has been named the “First Place Male Singer” in the fourth annual “NextGen National: Finding the Voices of Tomorrow” competition, which featured vocal performers from colleges and universities from across the United States.

As Oakland University marked spring commencement last week, members of OU’s Honors College had plenty of reasons to celebrate. 

For outstanding achievements in their respective fields, Kenneth Janke, Tom Kimble, Kathleen Ligocki, Dennis Pawley and Patrick Scoggin were selected to receive honorary degrees from Oakland University. The recipients were recognized at the university’s commencement ceremonies May 13-15. 

Oakland University’s Excellence in Academic Advising (EAA) initiative recently hosted a four-day, virtual “Campus Retreat” to celebrate the first-year successes of the program and to provide an opportunity for participants to learn from and challenge one another.

Oakland University’s AP Assembly Awards Committee has recognized three Administrative Professionals for outstanding contributions to the OU community and beyond. This year’s top AP awards went to Michelle Southward (School of Health Sciences), Melanie Chamberlain (School of Education and Human Services) and Kelli Dowd (School of Health Sciences), who have all made a positive impact on the lives of students and colleagues. 

Yellow-billed Jamaican Parrot at Hope Zoo in Kingston, Jamaica.As part of a wide-ranging conservation effort, a group of Oakland University researchers has been mapping the DNA of Amazon parrot species from the Caribbean. 

This fall, Oakland University will roll out a new academic minor in communication and deaf studies. Requiring a minimum of 20 credits, the minor will be offered through the university’s communication program and will introduce students to American Sign Language (ASL), types and degrees of hearing loss, advocacy for the Deaf and hard of hearing, deaf culture and the promotion of deaf awareness. 

Less than a year after introducing Oakland University’s value statement, which includes a prominent reference to stewardship, President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz has assembled a diverse team of faculty, staff and students to draft the university’s first comprehensive sustainability plan.

Oakland University will celebrate its fall 2020 and spring 2021 graduates during drive-in commencement ceremonies May 13-15. The events will combine traditional elements of commencement with adaptations to protect the health and safety of attendees. 

Michelle Piskulich, Ph.D., senior associate provost at Oakland University, has been selected as a recipient of the 2021 Distinguished Woman in Higher Education Leadership Award, which is presented annually by the Michigan ACE Network. It is the highest honor the MI-ACE Network presents.

William "Bill" Matt has been named executive director of Meadow Brook Hall.Oakland University has selected William “Bill” Matt as the new executive director of Meadow Brook Hall. With a 20-year career in higher education, Matt has provided visionary leadership in a variety of professional and community roles focused on arts and culture. 

Elaine K. Carey will start her role as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences on June 30, 2021.Following a national search, Oakland University has selected Elaine K. Carey, Ph.D., as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. She will begin her role on June 30, 2021. 

The Research Office at Oakland University presented awards to several OU faculty members in recognition of their outstanding research and initiative during the Research, Innovation and Engagement Town Hall, which was held on Monday, March 29. The awards were presented virtually this year due to the COVID -19 pandemic.

In just three months as Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Britt Rios-Ellis is already making her mark among faculty, staff and students at Oakland University.

Oakland University is encouraging all faculty, staff and students to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. 

Minnesota’s Black Community in the 21st Century, a book co-edited by Oakland University Professor Chaunda L. Scott, has received the 2020 R. Wayne Pace Human Resource Development Book of the Year Award from the Academy of Human Resource Development, a global professional organization that encourages and highlights the systemic study of human resource development theories, processes, and practices.