Friday, April 28, 2023
Media Contact:
Jennifer Kinnard | OSU Foundation | 405-334-1022 | jkinnard@OSUgiving.com
Fifteen Oklahoma State University students were presented with scholarships at the
15th annual Women for OSU Symposium on Thursday.
Each of the recipients demonstrate a strong passion for philanthropy and service,
with interests ranging from global health to special needs and more.
Each year, the symposium celebrates members of the Cowboy family who are leaders in
philanthropy. One of those people, Carol Morsani, was honored as the 2023 Women for
OSU Philanthropist of the Year.
Morsani and her husband, Frank, are both Tulsa natives and have been heavily involved
in their communities, both at OSU and at home in Tampa, Florida. The Morsanis have
committed more than $28 million to OSU, including $10 million to The McKnight Center
for the Performing Arts as well as a $5 million gift that established the Frank and
Carol Morsani Center for Ethics and Creative Leadership on the Stillwater campus.
The couple’s commitment to making a difference at OSU earned them honorary doctorates
from the university as well as the Henry G. Bennett Award for Distinguished Service,
OSU’s highest humanitarian honor. Their philanthropy also earned them another honorary
doctorate at the University of South Florida.
This year’s Partnering to Impact grant recipients were also recognized at the Women
for OSU Symposium.
Partnering to Impact is a donor-funded program that supports the university by strengthening
Women for OSU partner engagement. It awards grants up to $10,000 to areas at OSU that
focus on four initiatives: Health and Wellness, Education, Campus Beautification,
or Arts and Culture.
Five grants were awarded to the following OSU initiatives and projects:
- Increasing Student Success by Reducing Student Debt: A Free Open Textbook for Required
Composition Courses - OSU Student Farm
- Growing DivHERsity
- Increasing Food Security at OSU-OKC
- Harmonizing Open Education Resources: Accessibility Beyond Screen Readers Through
OSU Community Voices
The event featured a keynote address from Elizabeth Smart, an abduction survivor,
author, activist and communicator for hope after tragedy.
Student Philanthropist of the Year
- Jentry Lemons, Ardmore, Oklahoma — Physiology: Pre-Medical Sciences, 2024
- Liza-Ann Suba, Del City, Oklahoma — Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, 2024
Sheryl Benbrook Women for OSU Endowed Scholarship
- Mackenzie Moody, Tulsa — Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, 2024
Wirt June Newman Memorial Scholarship
- Kaitlyn Pinkerton, Claremore, Oklahoma — Political Science: Pre-Law, 2025
Ike and Marybeth Glass Women for OSU Endowed Scholarship
- Shaelyn Ward, Tulsa — Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, 2025
- Sadie Schiffmacher, Tulsa — Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, 2025
Other Scholarsip Recipients
- Katherine Barclay, Hospitality and Tourism Management and Accounting, 2025, Edmond,
Oklahoma - Elsa Berry, Flower Mound, Texas — Secondary Education, Option in English, 2024
- Liberty Carson, Yukon, Oklahoma — Animal Science and Agribusiness, 2025
- Coralee Castle, Wayne, Oklahoma — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2025
- Sarah Easterly, Enid, Oklahoma — Political Science, 2024
- Raedyn Magness, Shattuck, Oklahoma — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2024
- Limayre Mendoza, Oklahoma City — Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, 2024
- Mackenzie Steele, Shawnee, Oklahoma — Political Science, 2025
- Nicole Ziske, Allen, Texas — Marketing and Business Sustainability, 2024
Next year’s symposium will be held on April 25, 2024, and feature keynote speaker
Deborah Norville. Norville is a two-time Emmy winner, New York Times best-selling author and the longest serving anchor on American television.
Find more information on this year’s Women for OSU Symposium, including videos of
award winners on the website.
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