The Langston University Rehabilitation Counseling Program has been named one of the Top 10 rehabilitation counseling graduate programs and the Top HBCU program in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.
Langston University rose 8 points in the rankings from 2025 to be named the tenth best program in the United States. Previously tied with Winston-Salem University, LU now sits as the highest ranked Historically Black College or University (HBCU) on the list.
“We are incredibly proud to see our Rehabilitation Counseling program break into the Top 10 nationally,” said Dr. Corey Moore, the founding director of the program. “While the ranking is a high honor, the true reward is watching our graduates enter the workforce fully equipped to lead, and seeing our research translate into better outcomes for the communities we serve.”
Langston University was ranked above programs from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Northern Illinois University, University at Buffalo-SUNY and others.
This accomplishment comes as the program celebrates its 25th anniversary, and LU President Ruth Ray Jackson recently honored Dr. Moore with a Distinguished Service Award for his leadership as the founding chair of the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Services.
Langston University’s rehabilitation counseling master’s program is available in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Students benefit from small class settings that allow for more one-on-one interaction with the program’s distinguished faculty, and they have opportunities to participate in ground-breaking research at the department’s two federally funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers. Many of the students receive scholarships funded by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services/U.S. Department of Education, and all students participate in hands-on internships.
“We will use this momentum to further enhance the academic preparation of the next generation of rehabilitation and mental health professionals and to continue translating our high-impact solutions-oriented research initiatives funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research/Administration for Community Living,” Dr. Moore said.
For more information about the Rehabilitation Counseling Program, please visit langston.edu/rehab.
Langston University is set to celebrate 129 years since its founding with a week of ceremonies and celebrations in Langston and Tulsa. The events will include musical performances, the annual Founders Day Program and an Inaugural Founders Week Celebration Gala.
The Langston University Department of Music will present The Chamber Collective musical performance on Tuesday, March 10. This collection of small ensembles will feature both choral and instrumental performances. The event will be held in the I.W. Young Auditorium on the Langston Campus at 6:30 p.m.
The annual Founders Day Program will be held at the I.W. Young Auditorium on the Langston Campus at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 12. The theme for this year’s program is “Honoring Our Past, Empowering Our Promise,” and the featured speaker will be Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, Founder and Executive Director of the Terence Crutcher Foundation.
Dr. Cruther is an alumna of Langston University, and she is a nationally recognized justice advocate, community leader and social impact advisor. As Founder and Executive Director of the Terence Crutcher Foundation, she leads transformative initiatives focused on public safety, criminal justice reform, economic mobility and community healing. She also serves as a Founding Board Member of Justice for Greenwood, Senior Advisor to Black Tech Street and Advisor to Roc Nation’s United Justice Coalition.
Langston University will end the week with the Inaugural Founders Week Celebration Gala in Tulsa on Saturday, March 14.
The Founders Week Celebration Gala, a black-tie optional event, will include a formal dinner, awards presentation and live music. There will also be a special presentation to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling program, which has since spurred the creation of a bachelor’s program, the formation of the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies, the establishment of two federally funded Rehabilitation Research Training Centers, and the creation of a post-doctoral research program.
The Chamber Collective and annual Founders Day Program are free and open to the public. The Founders Week Celebration Gala is a ticketed event. Tickets can be purchased online at langston.edu/founders-week through Friday, March 6.
OKLAHOMA CITY–Langston University’s Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies earned $3.125 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education to support the university’s rehabilitation programs, including funding 96 full-tuition scholarships over the next five years.
The department has been awarded three grants; one is from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS), and two are from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).
The first grant, funded through the RSA and totaling $1 million over five years, will establish a specialized Pre-Employment Transition Services to Youth with Mental Disabilities track within the department’s master’s program for Rehabilitation Counseling. This will include funding the tuition, fees and a living stipend for 30 graduate students over five years.
The second grant, worth $1.25 million and funded by OSERS, will establish a new track within the undergraduate Rehabilitation Services bachelor’s degree program. The new track will be School-to-Work: Preparing Personnel to Serve School-Age Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and the grant will fund the tuition, fees and a living stipend for 36 undergraduate students over the next five years.
The last grant is from the RSA and will pay out $875,000 over five years. This grant will establish another new track within the Rehabilitation Services program: Pre-Employment Transition Services to Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (including Autism). It will fund 30 undergraduate scholarships over the next five years, which will include tuition, fees and a living stipend.
“Langston University is honored to receive this transformative investment from the U.S. Department of Education,” said President Ruth Ray Jackson. “These three grants reflect our unwavering commitment to preparing highly qualified professionals who will serve youth with mental, intellectual, and developmental disabilities.
“I commend Dr. Corey Moore and the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies for their leadership in advancing inclusive education and workforce development. This funding strengthens our mission as a land-grant institution and expands access to high-impact academic programs that meet urgent national needs.”
Dr. Corey Moore is the Founding Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies.
Undergraduate students interested in the Rehabilitation Services program who wish to apply for the scholarships within either track must have completed at least 41 hours of general education courses prior to applying. Interested individuals should contact Professor Emanual Lewis, the Rehabilitation Services Program Coordinator at LU-Tulsa, via phone at 918-902-3184 or via email at emanual.lewis@langston.edu.
Graduate students interested in the new track within the Rehabilitation Counseling program should contact Dr. Andre Washington, the Rehabilitation Counseling Program Coordinator at LU-OKC, via phone at 405-530-7525 or via email at andre.washington@langston.edu to apply for scholarships.
“The awarding of these grants, especially three at the same time, speaks to the relevance and value of the work being done here at Langston University in the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies,” said Dr. Elizabeth Albright, Interim Dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences. “These scholarships enhance what Langston University already does to support students through degree completion. By providing financial support, not only are students able to graduate without adding debt, but they will be stronger in their field because their primary focus can be school.”
These new grant projects present an exceptional approach to student development through LU’s partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, Tulsa Public Schools and other local education agencies. Significant attention will be devoted to cross-fertilizing these academic initiatives and ongoing RRTC trainings to increase students’ knowledge of the delivery and transition of mental health and developmental disability support services to school-age children and youth.
The goal is to improve the supply of fully credentialed rehabilitation, mental health and disability professionals for employment in local educational and/or rehabilitation agencies.
“These innovative federally funded educational initiatives are critical for training and preparing our undergraduate and graduate students within the department to help meet the demands of human service systems addressing the current national youth mental health crisis as well as the pre-employment service support needs of school-age children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities” said Dr. Moore, the Founding Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies and project director for all three grants.
The OSERS priority focuses on personnel preparation for special education, early intervention and related services personnel at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally controlled colleges and universities, and other minority-serving institutions. The RSA priorities are consistent with the purpose of the Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program, which is to provide financial assistance for academic training areas of personnel shortages in vocational rehabilitation.
These funded initiatives at Langston University are in direct response to identified needs in personnel development, as well as to improve services and outcomes for school-age children and youth with mental, intellectual and developmental disabilities.
It was a normal fall day in Oklahoma City, and Terrance Grayson felt restless. He called in sick to work that morning, but he wasn’t physically ill. He was just sick of his job.
Grayson had been working for the same financial lending company since graduating college, and he was good at his job. He had risen quickly to a managerial position and was making good money, but he hated the work. He wanted to do something different with his life. He wanted a career that felt fulfilling and where he could help others. He just wasn’t sure what that career was.
That day, because he hadn’t gone to work, he told himself he needed to find something productive to do. He decided to go for a walk, and while strolling down the street, he saw a sign for Langston University. He made an impulse decision to walk inside. At the front desk, Grayson asked what graduate programs they had available, and that’s when he learned about LU’s brand new master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling.
“I just walked up to Langston (University) and asked them if they had any programs,” Grayson said. “I literally walked in off the street and met with Dr. Moore, and I talked with him about it and filled out an application and just started down that path.”
Dr. Corey Moore is the Founding Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies.
That was in 2000. Grayson was part of the inaugural class for the Rehabilitation Counseling master’s program. Now, he has been working for Rose State College in Midwest City, Oklahoma, for almost two decades, and he loves his job.
The Rehabilitation Counseling master’s program came together as the result of a partnership between LU and the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services. The two institutions collaborated on a grant proposal for the U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration and were awarded $500,000 to hire faculty, fund student scholarships and fund student conference travel.
Dr. Corey Moore was hired in October 2000 to create the program, and he became the Founding Director. Dr. Moore came from the University of Arkansas–Fayetteville’ Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Persons who are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, where he served as a research assistant professor. His experience and expertise have shaped the LU program for the past 25 years.
“I saw the mission of the graduate program in rehabilitation counseling as to train rehabilitation and mental health professionals to meet the needs of people with disabilities,” Dr. Moore said. “Teaching, research and service.”
For months, Dr. Moore worked to recruit faculty and students while putting together a curriculum worthy of accreditation. In Spring 2001, the program officially launched at the LU-Oklahoma City Campus with its first cohort of 18 students.
Alongside Grayson, Sharon Caldwell was a member of that inaugural class.
Caldwell was a graduating senior in LU’s Health, Physical Education and Recreation program when she first heard about vocational rehabilitation counseling. She had originally come to LU with the goal of becoming a physical therapist, but as she approached graduation, she was no longer sure that’s what she wanted. At her professor’s recommendation, she decided to attend an informational session about the new Rehabilitation Counseling program.
“Initially, when I went to Langston, I felt like my passion was physical therapy because I knew I wanted to help people in some type of way,” Caldwell said. “When I heard about the rehab counseling program, those individuals work with individuals with disabilities to help them… to make them become more independent. The fact that the vocational rehab counselor was helping individuals achieve something, I think that kind of sparked my attention.”
Sharon Caldwell was a member of the first cohort for the Rehabilitation Counseling master’s program.
Grayson and Caldwell were excited about the program and the opportunities it offered them. With his scholarship, Grayson was able to quit the job he hated and focus on school full time. As she progressed through her classes, Caldwell discovered a clearer path to her future.
Their cohort became close friends during school. They joked they were “the guinea pig class” because the program was still trying to determine the best ways to do things, but the students knew they were still getting a quality education. They liked working with one another, they liked their professors and, even while working for hours on research papers, they were having fun learning.
“I’d say, educationally, it was the best experience I’ve ever had,” Grayson said. “They opened all these doors to me and provided me with all the support, and without that, I’m not sure I would’ve been able to do it… The environment was just so nurturing that it was everything I needed at the time.”
All 18 members of the first cohort graduated from the program on time and found work in the counseling industry. Grayson worked for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services for almost three years before he began working at Rose State. He has held various positions there, and he is now the Director of Academic Outreach.
Caldwell completed an internship/practicum with one of her professors at PROS and Associates during school, and she accepted a full-time position there after graduation. She worked as a rehabilitation counselor for three institutions before accepting a position as a counselor with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 2012. Since then, she has worked in the Veterans Readiness & Employment Program in Oklahoma City, and she is now the Employment Coordinator.
The first few cohorts that went through the Rehabilitation Counseling program were so successful, the university decided to expand the program in 2004 and offer the master’s degree at the LU-Tulsa campus, too. In 2008, LU-Tulsa added a bachelor’s in Rehabilitation Services, and the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences officially created the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies with Dr. Moore as the Founding Chair.
The Rehabilitation Counseling program earned its accreditation through the Council for Accreditation of Counselors and Related Educational Programs. In 2013 the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies established LU’s first Rehabilitation and Research Training Center (RRTC) that conducts research on capacity building for minorities. A second RRTC has since been established that conducts research on advancing employment opportunities for people with disabilities with the greatest support needs.
The RRTCs are nationally recognized and funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research. Through the RRTC, the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies established a post-doctoral program for recent doctoral graduates to train in advanced research methodology and statistics. The RRTC has hosted seven doctoral fellows over the past eight years, all of whom have gone on to work at other universities, federal agencies or community-based rehabilitation service programs.
All of this grew from the master’s degree.
While they celebrate this milestone anniversary for the Rehabilitation Studies graduate program, Dr. Moore and the faculty in the Department of Rehabilitation and Disabilities Studies continue to look for ways to improve and grow the program. They are focused on workforce needs. They try to listen to their community and be responsive to the demands of employers. They have created an informed and research-based curriculum that prepares graduates for the demands of a career as a vocational rehabilitation counselor.
“It’s been 25 years of joy and of just a remarkable journey,” Dr. Moore said. “I’m excited about that, happy about that, thankful for it. We look forward to continuing to push the program forward in the future, and I think great things are beyond the horizon.”
LANGSTON, Okla.––Thanks to the efforts of the Oklahoma Legislature to fully match Langston University’s Evans-Allen federal funding, the LU Cooperative Extension and Outreach Program (CEOP) is preparing to expand its services to two new counties while increasing its program offerings in counties it already serves.
With the additions of Woodward and Johnston Counties, CEOP will offer extension programs in 48 of the 77 counties in Oklahoma. CEOP’s programs offer vital services to these communities, providing resources in areas ranging from family and youth development to a wide range of food and agricultural support. Dr. Roger Merkel, Associate Extension Administrator for CEOP, said that by expanding its services, CEOP seeks to fulfill its mission of advancing the well-being of Oklahomans and fostering resilient, thriving communities across the state.
“The Cooperative Extension and Outreach Program of the Sherman Lewis School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences is committed to serving the citizens of Oklahoma by promoting improved quality of life, enhancing agricultural and business productivity, and fostering community development,” Dr. Merkel said. “Central to the mission of Extension is the cultivation of meaningful human connections. Extension educators prioritize the establishment of respectful, supportive relationships that yield measurable, positive outcomes in the communities they serve.”
The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) fully matched Langston University’s Evans-Allen federal funding for the first time in FY 2025, and ODAFF made strides to maintain the full match for FY 2026 by increasing CEOP’s state funding. Thanks to this full funding match, CEOP is strategically expanding its services throughout Oklahoma through investments in essential resources such as personnel, transportation, technology, program supplies, professional development opportunities and other forms of operational support.
With enhanced resources, the program intends to both broaden existing initiatives and implement new, impactful activities. Anticipated outcomes include:
An increased number and multiplicity of food preservation courses
Expanded fiber arts programming
A broadened youth STEM curriculum and engagement with schools and other community organizations.
Establishment and support of new 4-H clubs.
Expansion of small ruminant production and related value-added product development programs into new areas of the state.
Growth of apiculture support and education, including the development of a formal training curriculum for beekeepers.
Expanded horticulture and precision agriculture education and outreach initiatives
Strengthened collaboration with and support for community-based organizations
Continued adult and youth nutrition education support programs.
A new initiative to provide adult and youth programming with Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation
This expansion effort is one of the ways in which Langston University aims to broaden its impact in Oklahoma through its land-grant mission.
“Langston University is grateful for its enhanced funding,” said Dr. Wesley Whittaker, Dean of the Sherman Lewis School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences. “Consumers, producers and industry professionals recognize that funding for agricultural extension and research in Oklahoma creates value on many levels. It helps to develop new revenue streams for farmers and ranchers, expand value-added products, encourage diversified agricultural practices and strengthen the competitiveness of Oklahoma agriculture.
“Our dedicated team is energized and ready to do all that is necessary to ensure impactful outcomes from our work.”
As we transition into the new academic year, we are excited to share the progress our Division of Operations has made throughout the summer to enhance our campus facilities. With a relentless focus on improvement and modernization, our team has been working tirelessly to overcome many of the most critical infrastructure challenges and ensure that our students, faculty, and staff have access to comfortable learning and living environments.
Importantly, the projects we have been managing throughout the summer have come at no cost to our students. We are proud to have leveraged grant funds and state allocations to pursue these projects, and we are grateful to the Division of Academic Affairs for their partnership in the use of Title III grant funds for our academic buildings. Langston University is also extremely grateful to the Oklahoma Legislature, including Gov. Stitt and notably Sen. Chuck Hall, for the ongoing investments made to address deferred maintenance needs on campuses throughout our state. These summer projects were made possible using grants and state-allocated funds coupled with months of planning, preparation, and project management.
Academic Building Climate Control Upgrades
Four of our academic buildings on the Langston Campus are receiving comprehensive Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) improvements through Title III grant funding. These buildings include Moore Hall, Sanford Hall, Jones Hall, and the G. Lamar Harrison Library. In collaboration with a professional engineering firm, we developed detailed specifications which were utilized in a competitive bid process in the spring. A vendor was selected from the bid process to install new chiller systems within the buildings, and their work has already begun.
The new chillers and pumps for these four buildings are set for delivery in mid-September 2025. By the end of September, all permanent systems should be installed, calibrated, and fully operational, ensuring optimal learning conditions for the fall semester and beyond within these four buildings. In the meantime, temporary chillers are being rented to provide relief in each of the four buildings until the permanent chillers are in place. While renting temporary chillers is extremely costly, it is a worthwhile investment in the short term until our new equipment is in place. We are finding that the temporary chillers are drawing more power than is typical for our Langston Campus. As a result, we have encountered occasional brownouts or brief power outages. We appreciate your patience as we work through these isolated instances.
Additional climate control improvements are underway at Allied Health, where we intend to replace an outdated split chiller system with a properly sized solution designed by our professional engineering partner. This project is in the initial planning phase and will be subject to competitive bidding before work can begin. In the meantime, we are working to implement a temporary chiller solution at Allied Health for the fall semester.
The comprehensive HVAC overhaul of C.F. Gayle’s Gymnasium, Atrium, and the John Montgomery Multipurpose Building is shaping up to be one of our most ambitious undertakings. The Division of Operations worked closely with our professional engineering partner over many months to develop the detailed specifications for the project, which we anticipate will be published for competitive bidding in August 2025. This priority project, funded through the Oklahoma Capital Asset Management and Protection (OCAMP) Deferred Maintenance allocations through the Oklahoma Legislature, demonstrates our commitment to maintaining our most heavily utilized facilities for student activities, athletics, and community events.
Residential Housing Transformation
Perhaps most significantly, we are revolutionizing the HVAC systems through HEERF grant-funded projects across four residential communities. These improvements represent the most comprehensive housing upgrades in decades, and this large-scale project has proceeded at an extraordinary speed.
Centennial Court Apartments, Buildings 1-5, are receiving entirely new HVAC systems with redirected air delivery, finally addressing long-standing mechanical issues due to construction defects. Residents of Cimarron Gardens Apartments will experience, for the first time ever, thermostat-controlled central air conditioning, as we replace outdated window units and aged furnace infrastructure. Our construction partner, Nabholz Construction, is working to put the final touches on the upgrades within Centennial Court and Cimarron Gardens.
Commons Apartments and Scholars’ Inn will receive updated HVAC systems with state-of-the-art cooling. This project is also funded through the remaining institutional allocation of the HEERF grant. These systems will be installed throughout the Fall semester as equipment arrives.
Even facing unforeseen challenges due to supply chain setbacks and other compliance-related delays, we remain committed to completion with contingency plans in place to ensure all residential HVAC improvements are finished by December 30, 2025.
You may see our teams working to wrap up construction, replace sod, and clean the construction site. We ask for your patience as we continue this important work.
Infrastructure Modernization Projects
Our commitment to accessibility and safety continues with the ongoing Sanford Hall elevator modernization project. This project was initially proposed and approved in September 2024. In the intervening months, a great deal of work has occurred to procure the necessary equipment and prepare for its arrival and installation. This turnkey project entails electrical, telephonic, fire suppression, and mechanical upgrades for the elevator installation, which began on July 22, 2025. We anticipate a completion date in mid-August, contingent upon scheduling the required state inspection, after which time students and staff will have access to a fully modernized, reliable elevator system. Similar modernization projects for additional elevators throughout our campuses are already in the planning stages.
Protecting the LU-OKC Campus
Our Oklahoma City campus restoration continues with the roof replacement project, which is now moving through the final phases of procurement. The November 2024 storm that damaged our campus facility has since been classified by FEMA as a natural disaster. The University engaged with an architectural firm to develop detailed specifications for roof replacement which were utilized for competitive bid in the selection of our roofing partner. We are now working through bonding requirements to award the contract and initiate the project. While temporary roof repairs remain secure with interior restoration ongoing, a full roof replacement supported by OCAMP Deferred Maintenance funding and potential grant reimbursement will restore full protection for our campus in Oklahoma City.
Looking Forward
The work happening across our campuses demonstrates our commitment to providing an exceptional educational environment in support of student success and campus excellence.
As we continue this momentum throughout the academic year, the Division of Operations remains focused on progress, innovation, and the continuous improvement of our campus infrastructure. We will pursue additional projects with our FY26 OCAMP Deferred Maintenance allocation. Priorities will include electrical and utility upgrades, roadway repairs, elevator upgrades, and more. We anticipate the funding will be released by the state in September 2025. These investments in our physical environment directly support our mission of educational excellence and ensure that Langston University continues to provide world-class educational experiences for generations to come.
We thank our campus community for your patience during construction periods and look forward to the enhanced comfort and functionality these improvements will provide.
Theresa Powell Vice President, Division of Operations
Langston University is excited to announce an allocation of $10,125,000 from the Oklahoma State Legislature to address deferred maintenance projects across the university in fiscal year 2026. This special allocation is a direct result of the recent Carnegie designation of Research or College University awarded to our institution. The funding will be used to address infrastructure needs at all three LU campuses with a particular focus on the needs of the university’s historic Langston campus.
The Legislature passed Senate Bill 1169, which increases the percentage of Oklahoma Capital Asset Management and Protection (OCAMP) deferred maintenance funding allocated to Langston University by the Oklahoma Legislature. With this funding, the university plans to pursue a number of high-impact projects which are aimed at enhancing the experience for students, faculty, and staff including select HVAC upgrades, plumbing modernizations, and addressing various infrastructure priorities that will improve campus safety, accessibility and operational efficiency.
“The funding will help us make prioritized improvements which are essential to providing our students, faculty and staff with the quality learning, working and living environments they deserve,” President Ruth Ray Jackson said.
Langston University has continually made strategic investments through federal grants and other funding sources to address critical infrastructure needs at the Langston, Tulsa and Oklahoma City campuses. However, many of these necessary improvements take months of planning, must be competitively bid, and the scope of required improvements has consistently exceeded available resources. This increased funding will greatly aid the university as it prepares to take on these high-priority projects.
Last year, the university received $3.5 million to address deferred maintenance projects, $2.5 million of which is earmarked to replace the roof at the LU-Oklahoma City campus.
Langston University appreciates the leadership of the Oklahoma Legislature, Gov. Kevin Stitt, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents for their continued support of higher education infrastructure.
The university is especially grateful to Sen. Chuck Hall, who represents the Langston campus, for his leadership in advancing this legislation. The university also recognizes the broad, bipartisan support from legislators across the state who understand the critical importance of this investment in Oklahoma’s public institutions.
“Langston University is committed to responsibly stewarding these resources to advance our mission and continue serving our students and communities with excellence,” Dr. Jackson said.
LANGSTON, Okla.––The Langston University Rehabilitation Counseling Program has been named one of the top 20 graduate rehabilitation counseling programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.
“This national ranking speaks to the quality of our faculty members’ and RRTC staff’s teaching, research and service impacts,” said Dr. Corey Moore, Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies and Executive Director of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC). “Our nationally recognized faculty are indeed enhancing the academic acumen and brand of our programs and department through their strong commitment to the mission. This is truly a team effort.”
Langston University’s Rehabilitation Counseling Program was ranked 18th in the nation, a tie with Kent State University, Northern Illinois University, the University of Alabama, the University of South Florida and Winston Salem State University.
The rehabilitation counseling program was ranked above programs from the University of Arkansas, Mississippi State University, Florida Atlantic University and others.
“I am incredibly proud that Langston University’s Rehabilitation Counseling Program continues to be recognized among the top 20 in the nation and leads as one of the highest-ranked programs among HBCUs,” said Langston University President Ruth Ray Jackson. “This prestigious ranking is a testament to the unwavering dedication, expertise, and passion of Dr. Moore, our outstanding faculty, and the entire RRTC team.”
For more information about the Rehabilitation Counseling Program, please visit langston.edu/rehab.
Langston University alumnus Sherman Lewis was elected as Chair of the Langston University Board of Trustees for Urban Campuses during its meeting Friday, Aug. 2, 2024.
Lewis was unanimously elected to the position by a vote of 6-0, with two members of the board absent.
“It was very humbling for me to be elected by the members of the Langston University Board of Trustees to be chairman,” Lewis said. “It speaks to the desire for the board to be more active and productive in providing advice and counsel to the Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents and the President of Langston University for the future of the institution and its primary function of providing a premier education for its students.
“Together, we will be successful in working toward the betterment of Langston University.”
Lewis has proven himself a stalwart supporter of Langston University throughout the years. Lewis was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2013 and is the most prolific individual donor in Dear Langston’s history.
In 2022 and for the first time in institutional history, an academic school at Langston University was named in honor of Lewis, establishing the Sherman Lewis School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences.
The Langston University Board of Trustees for the Urban Campuses serves in an advisory capacity to the president, providing insight and guidance concerning its Oklahoma City and Tulsa campuses. At the meeting, administrative representatives of Langston University presented reports from their respective areas, including the site administrators from both urban campuses.
Langston University Board of Trustee members during its Aug. 2 meeting.
According to Lewis, the Board of Trustees plans to work closely with the administration on topics such as buildings and facilities, faculty and staff recruitment, and long-range planning.
“Our goal is to make LU a premier HBCU here in Oklahoma and beyond,” Lewis said.
Additionally, Gayle Maxwell and Avilla Williams will remain as the board’s Vice Chair and Secretary, respectively.
Trustees Rita Combs, Dr. Claud Evans, Colonel Stan Evans, Melvin Latham and Darrell Strong were present during Friday’s meeting held at Langston University – Tulsa.
OKLAHOMA CITY––Langston University, Oklahoma’s only historically Black college or university, has been awarded a $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Servies (OSERS) to establish a new specialized course of study to prepare personnel to serve school-age children with mental disabilities.
The grant, which will total $1.25 million over five years, will be used to establish the “School-to-Work: Preparing Personnel to Serve School-Age Children with Mental Disabilities (STW-SACMD)” track within the university’s existing CACREP accredited Master’s of Science Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling Program. Dr. Corey L. Moore, a professor in and the founding chair of the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies, will serve as Project Director for this grant.
Moore is also the Principal Investigator at the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Research and Capacity Building for Minority Entities (LU-RRTC) and Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Advancing Employment Equity for Multiply Marginalized People with Disabilities (LU-2ERRTC).
“This initiative is important to the field of disability and employment as it affords our program the opportunity to train and prepare our students for rehabilitation positions that serve school-age children with mental disabilities from minority backgrounds to achieve a smoother transition from the secondary grade school system to the world of work,” Moore said.
The STW-SACMD project presents an exceptional approach to student development through LU’s partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, Tulsa Public Schools and other local education agencies in Oklahoma.
Significant attention will be devoted to cross-fertilizing STW-SACMD and on-going LU-RRTC and LU-2ERRTC trainings, including with webinars and community of practices, to increase students’ knowledge about the delivery of transition and mental health services to school-age children with mental disabilities from minority backgrounds. The goal is to increase the supply of fully credentialed rehabilitation and mental health professionals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds available for employment in local educational and/or rehabilitation agencies.
The grant will pay for tuition and fees and will provide a living stipend for 36 students in the Rehabilitation Counseling Program, which was ranked #19 and highest across all HBCUs by the U.S. News & World Report in the publication’s 2023 rankings of Rehabilitation Counseling Programs in America.
“I am immensely proud of the continued success of Dr. Moore and scholars within Langston University’s Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies,” said Dr. Ruth Ray Jackson, President of Langston University. “This $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education is further evidence of the impact of their work in preparing our students for success and addressing needs across underserved communities.
“This significant investment supports our institutional priorities of offering quality academic programs, engaging in purposeful partnerships, and ensuring access to education for all.”
This OSERS priority (ALN 84.325M) focuses on personnel preparation of special education, early intervention, and related services personnel at HBCUs, Tribally controlled colleges and universities, and other minority-serving Institutions under focus area (B)- preparing personnel to serve school-age children with disabilities.
The funded STW-SACMD initiative at LU is in direct response to identified needs related to personnel development issues and demands and the improvement of services and results for school-age children with mental disabilities, especially those from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, including those who are multilingual.
