Join us in honoring the alumni we've lost over the past few months. They will be dearly missed.
Bob Loy
A beloved Gaylord instructor, Bob Loy, died on Jan. 3, 2020. During his tenure in our college, Bob touched the lives of countless faculty and students. He dedicated his career to broadcast media, passing along his wealth of knowledge to many up-and-coming media professionals.
Michael McLaughlin
Michael McLaughlin (born Oct. 21, 1991), died on Feb. 18, 2020. He received his journalism degree from Gaylord College in 2014 and worked as a designer for Next Thought in Norman. He is survived by his wife, Jenna, and their daughter, Maria.
Gaylord’s assistant dean of student affairs, Yvette Walker, has been named to the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame as part of the hall’s 50th anniversary. She and others, including Gaylord instructor Al Eschbach, will be honored in October at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City.
Walker, former news director at The Oklahoman, has served on the Society of Professional Journalists national board and the FOI Oklahoma advisory board and is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. She was the Edith Kinney Gaylord Journalism Ethics Chair at the University of Central Oklahoma. She has worked for news media organizations in Indiana, Michigan, Missouri and Texas.
Congratulations, Dean Walker! You’re making Gaylord College proud.
Gaylord faculty, students and alumni gathered for the Evening of Celebration on Feb. 28, 2020 to honor outstanding faculty and alumni for their service to diversity, Gaylord College and the industry in 2019.
Greg Anderson, secretary of education for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Jim Helberg, chief media officer at the RPA advertising agency in Los Angeles; and Stormy Washington, vice president of social responsibility for the Orlando Magic were honored as 2019’s distinguished alumni.
Kelley Gann, president of Freestyle Creative agency in Moore, received the 2019 Distinguished Young Alumni award. All of these incredible professionals have helped create opportunities for others in their respective organizations while also creating a larger impact on their communities.
On the faculty side, Adam Croom received the 2019 Owen Kulemeka Teacher of the Year award and Meta Carstarphen received the 2019 Owen Kulemeka Trailblazer Award in Diversity.
“As always, I am humbled to share a degree, college and room with our recipients. It’s truly humbling to share the title Gaylord Grad with those amazing folks. It is always an inspiring event,” said JayMac President Katy Koontz, who also gave some inspirational remarks to guests.
Congratulations to all of our honorees!
