Published: September 26, 2007 11:35 pm         

NWOSU Centennial Symposium planned

A need to explore regional and community revitalization and encourage innovation within the economy in northwest Oklahoma, southern Kansas and the Texas panhandle is the motivation behind asking alumni to share their knowledge at a new event coming to Northwestern Oklahoma State University on April 25, 2008.

The Northwestern Centennial Symposium has been created to bring new ways of thinking and new ideas to the people of northwest Oklahoma as the state celebrates its 100th anniversary and the university recognizes 110 years of service.

Titled “Visions and Crossroads: Northwest Oklahoma — Our Next 100 Years,” the symposium will help to connect leadership, experience and education with the people in the region to allow ideas to be shared that will be beneficial to the future of the area.

Kay Decker, chairwoman of the department of social sciences, heads the committee planning the symposium, which is sponsored by School of Arts and Sciences and Northwestern Foundation.

Northwestern alumni will share their knowledge and experiences during the day-long event, which will feature three interactive break-out sessions.

A luncheon featuring a keynote address on the topic “Community Change in the Rural Great Plains: How Did We Get Here and Where Are We Going?” also is planned. Decker said seating is limited for the luncheon, so pre-registration is required and will be granted on a first-respond basis.

Brett Zollinger, Ph.D., who graduated from Northwestern in 1992, will serve as keynote speaker during the luncheon. He is director of the Docking Institute of Public Affairs and the institute’s Center for Survey Research at Fort Hays (Kan.) State University. He also is an associate professor of sociology.

Zollinger is active in strategic planning and community development efforts in the region. He has facilitated strategic planning for more than 25 governmental and nonprofit entities, including the Kansas Governor’s Prosperity Summits in all regions of the state in 2005. His work has been nationally recognized and received the Rural Sociological Society’s Dissertation Award in 1997. He also co-authored a report on labor force dynamics in northwest Missouri that won best of class awards from National Rural Economic Development Associa-tion and American Economic Development Council.

The three break-out sessions being presented 10:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 3 p.m. will provide information on the opportunities that exist for the region’s natural and human resources, cultural heritage and the role of the university as it provides the academic and civic leadership for regional sustainability.

Leading the session titled “Grab the Bull by the Horns – Implementing Service Learning and Civic Engagement for Historic Community Revitaliza-tion, The Downtown Fort Hays Model” is Northwestern alumna Christie Patterson Brungardt, class of 1984. Originally from the Kiowa/Anthony, Kan., area, Brungardt is an instructor of leadership studies at Fort Hays State University. She earned a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Fort Hays in 2001 and is completing a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction at Kansas State University. Her research interests are in the areas of leadership, service-learning and civic engagement.

The “Science and Technology as a Future Force for Jobs and Business Development” session will be headed by Duane Pierson, Ph.D., class of 1966. Pierson, a 2005 Northwestern Outstanding Graduate, is senior microbiologist for NASA. He has been actively involved in microbiological and biochemical research for more than 30 years at Johnson Space Center and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

As NASA’s senior microbiologist, Pierson serves as the agency’s expert on the microbiological aspects of space flight. He is responsible for formulating, developing and implementing NASA’s microbiology program for current and future human exploration of space. He performs operational and research activities to ensure the health, safety and optimum performance of the astronauts, and participates in activities ranging from planetary protection and astrobiology to environmental health.

Rounding out the sessions will be “Doing Business in a Global Economy – Bricks and Clicks Working Together.” This session is led by Rob Reeg, class of 1978, who is chief technology officer at MasterCard International. In this role, he is responsible for all computer operations, network engineering, technology architecture, database management, program management, testing/software quality and information security. He was a Northwestern Outstanding Graduate in 2004.

Northwestern students and employees, business owners, residents, alumni and friends, as well as those from municipal and county governments, tourism professionals, and the staffs of chambers of commerce and state and federal agencies are encouraged to attend and participate in the discussion. Those attending both in the morning and afternoon will be able to take part in two of the three presentations available that day.

The symposium is slated to be held every third year.

Anyone wishing to attend the symposium luncheon and/or the morning and afternoon sessions should contact Decker about registration or questions. She can be reached at (580) 327-8521 or kldecker@nwosu.edu.