Faculty & Staff

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.

The Oakland University Center for Autism is offering a free virtual event series for Autism Awareness Month in April. The series will highlight various topics, including World Autism Day, jobs in the autism field, personal insights about living with autism, and autism research at OU. 

For a second straight election cycle, Oakland University has been designated a “Voter Friendly Campus” by the Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project (CVP) and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The designation is valid through December 2022. 

Oakland University Professor Scott Tiegs is a co-author on a new study that examines how glacier loss, driven by global warming, affects glacier-fed river ecosystems. The study was published March 15 in the journal Nature Climate Change. 

Oakland University and William Beaumont Hospitals have extended their affiliation agreement through 2041.

Oakland University has been named to Phi Theta Kappa’s 2021 Transfer Honor Roll, which recognizes excellence in the development and support of dynamic and innovative transfer pathways for community college transfer students. 

Now in its 37th year, Oakland University’s Women and Gender Studies Film Festival will spotlight the documentary film “KIKI” from 6-7:30 p.m. on March 13 via Zoom. 

Since June 2018, David McCallum has worked for Custom Biogenic Systems, where the main mission is keeping things cold – freezing cold. The company serves an array of clients whose work depends on state-of-the-art cryogenic equipment. They include pharmaceutical and biotech firms developing vaccines. At his job, McCallum uses computer software to design equipment that allows for safe storage and transport of these and other climate-sensitive materials. 

Upon recommendation by the Office of Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Britt Rios-Ellis, and with support of President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, the Oakland University Board of Trustees unanimously approved a request to appoint David Garfinkle, Ph.D.; Zissimos Mourelatos, Ph.D.; and Barbara Oakley, Ph.D. to the rank of Distinguished Professor at the formal February meeting. The appointment is effective August 15, 2021.

Starting today, Oakland University is distributing an additional $6.9 million in emergency relief funds to eligible students enrolled in the Winter 2021 semester. Those who qualify for an award were notified via their OU email. 

Nearly 300 students from a variety of health-oriented academic programs recently took part in Oakland University’s fifth annual Interprofessional Education Workshop on opioid abuse. Although this year’s event was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic, it featured plenty of insights into the challenges and opportunities health professionals have to deliver the highest quality of patient care. 

If you want to change your life and the way you see the world – study abroad. 

Xiangqun Zeng, distinguished professor of analytical chemistry, was invited to give a talk during a virtual celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The February 11 event is hosted by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in collaboration with the Leibniz‐Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT) and Space Foundation.

Oakland University and Kirtland Community College have forged a series of new articulation agreements that will help Kirtland students transition to OU in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Applied Health Sciences, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Integrative Studies. The agreements help students save money by increasing the number of credits they may transfer to OU for each program. 

February 2 is Groundhog Day. But this year, it’s also the day of Oakland University’s first-ever Day of Giving – and greatness is in the forecast. The 24-hour event starts at midnight and invites OU faculty, staff and supporters to contribute to their favorite OU gift funds, which include scholarships, departments, programs, and more. 

In response to the state’s recent reallocation of $30 million in Michigan Capital Outlay funds toward the planned renovation and expansion of South Foundation Hall, the university will close the building and establish an associated construction perimeter on Monday, February 1.

Oakland University has been awarded a $321,075 Healthy Aging grant by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund in support of the university’s HOP-UP-PT (Home-based Older Persons-Upstreaming Prevention-Physical Therapy) program.