I won’t bury the lede: The fall 2020 semester at Gaylord College is unlike any other as we and the rest of the Norman campus try to navigate the pandemic with as little disruption as possible.
It’s taken much adjustment and hard work by many people. But we made it to Thanksgiving with a schedule that gave a majority of students a majority of their classes in person.
I am often asked “How is it at OU?” It is certainly different, but I am encouraged and inspired by our college leadership, faculty, staff and students who are responsibly wearing masks and socially distancing while on campus and in our building.
Being on campus these days has the feel that this fall semester is just like summer school. While it is great to have access – although limited – to colleagues and students, to actually be in the building with posted office hours and to have traffic in Gaylord Hall, it is still different.
As a JayMac Board, we have worked to identify some key areas in which we plan to focus on for the next 18 months so we can continue to improve the place that's allowed us to grow as professionals. We've compiled a survey around these key areas: alumni relations, collegiate, communications and events, but we need your input. We hope you’ll take a few minutes and let us know if and how you’d like to connect with JayMac and Gaylord College. If you complete the survey, you’ll be entered into a drawing for an Amazon gift card!
Hello from my makeshift desk located on my apartment’s kitchen island!
My name is Chelsey Kraft, 2013 journalism graduate and now a senior marketing and communications writer on OU's enrollment management communications team. As I'm sure many of you still are too, my team has been working from home since mid-March, with plans to continue to do so for at least a few more months.
A primary role of my team is handling communications sent to prospective students and their families through the Office of Admissions and Recruitment. Although it has been challenging to respond to challenges presented by COVID-19, it has been energizing to see how members of the OU family have responded in innovative ways, such as virtual student-led campus tours, webinars on a range of topics and moving large-scale events to a virtual format. My office’s campus partners have been eager to join in these efforts by hosting sessions during our virtual events or weekly webinars about their colleges (This includes Gaylord College. I know I’m biased, but the college is wonderful to work with for our recruiting efforts.) Even though the process looks different right now, there is still so much joy in recruiting the next generation. And most importantly, students are still excited about the University of Oklahoma.
As you'll see throughout this newsletter, this positive energy is present within Gaylord College too. I hope you enjoy catching up with the college through these stories.
Chelsey Kraft
Class of 2013
May 2020 OU graduate Meredith Rasnic reflects on her time in Gaylord College, sharing how moments or a series of moments have impacted her.
This past summer, Christian Nunley and Lauren Szmutko applied their classroom experience to hands-on learning opportunities as media professionals.
The Gaylord Ambassadors have implemented some changes, including establishing a diversity and inclusion committee and creating new student leadership positions.
NextThought offers a range of services, including content development, video production, instructional design and subject matter experts. We asked a few Gaylord College alumni about their experiences working at NextThought and how they use their degrees every day.
A collaboration of Gaylord News and the Institute for the Study of Human Flourishing, “To Survive and Thrive: Oklahomans Reflect on COVID-19 and Racism” will include 24 episodes and feature Oklahomans from all walks of life.
Designed for upwardly mobile professionals, Gaylord College’s fully online Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Digital Strategy prepares students to lead in the 21st century. Classes begin in January 2021, and those interested in beginning the program then can apply today.
Recent graduate Katelyn Howard earned the 2020 Julie Galvan Outstanding Graduate in Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Read more about her story along with In Memorium for two amazing alumni, Carolee Galbraith and David McCullough.
A young adult fiction book written by Jennifer Barnes was named a New York Times bestseller and will also serve as the basis for a television series in development at Amazon. "The Inheritance Games," released in September, is the first in a two-book series.
Carla LynDale Bishop has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the MIT & Black Public Media Fellowship. Bishop will use the Fellowship to develop her digital archive, "Mapping Blackness," which preserves the frequently overlooked histories of small-town, Black America.
Mary Anna Evans’ latest novel "Catacombs" was awarded the 2020 Oklahoma Book Award for fiction. With Oklahoma City acting as the story’s setting, the novel follows archaeologist Faye Longchamp as she discovers an underground chamber that previously harbored Chinese immigrants a century ago.
First, join JayMac and become a part of an outstanding alumni network that goes above and beyond to give back. By joining JayMac, you can introduce Gaylord to prospective students, take a tour of the Gaylord building if you haven’t been home in a while, help current students find internships or jobs and so much more.
Then, visit the JayMac website and social media pages for more information on how to get involved! We can’t wait to hear from you.
Tell us about your accomplishments since graduating from Gaylord College so we can compile them in Alumni News. Whether it's job changes, marriages, children or career advancements, we want to know everything.
Email your stories to gaylordalumni@ou.edu.
CONTACT
Lee Reynolds
Director of Development and Alumni Relations
leereynolds@ou.edu
Katy Koontz
President, JayMac
katykoontz@ou.edu
General Contact
gaylordalumni@ou.edu
DEAN, GAYLORD COLLEGE
Ed Kelley
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS, GAYLORD COLLEGE
Lee Reynolds
PRESIDENT, JAYMAC
Katy Koontz
EDITOR, JAYMAC NEWSLETTER
Chelsey Kraft
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