Category: Top Stories

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY STUDENT CHOSEN AS A 2016 HBCU ALL STAR

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By Christina Gray, Media Relations Specialist

LANGSTON, Okla. – The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities recently named Langston University senior biology major, Nicholas Simon, a 2016 HBCU All-Star.

Simon was among 73 students across 63 HBCUs in 24 states, the District of Columbia, Ghana, Nigeria, and the Virgin Islands selected out of 300 applicants. The All-Stars, comprised of undergraduate, graduate and professional students, are being recognized for their accomplishments in academics, leadership and civic engagement.

“I believe that all of my hard work has paid off,” Simon said. “Everything I have done for my school and community has provided the opportunity for me to represent Langston University on a national level.”

Over the next year, Simon will help promote and create outreach opportunities for his fellow students about the value of education. He will also participate in the White House HBCU Week Conference, national and regional events, and webinars with Initiative staff and other professionals on a range of disciplines that support a spirit of engagement and personal and professional development.

“We are proud of Nicholas and the work he has accomplished to receive this prestigious honor and know he will represent the University well at the White House HBCU Conference,” said Dr. Kent J. Smith, president of Langston University.

Nicholas Simon, an honors student from currently serves as president of the campus NAACP chapter and co-chair of the Langston University ambassador program. This past summer he conducted biological research for NASA at the Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California as part of an internship program.

“It’s an honor to be recognized among so many talented scholars. I am excited to have a chance to learn more about other HBCUs and collaborate to help build and grow our institutions,” Simon said.

Langston University is a public historically black college enrolling a close-knit community of under 4,000 students. Founded in 1897, LU is located in rural Logan County and has two urban campuses in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. LU was recently recognized as a top institution of higher learning for affordability, ranking number three among all Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the U.S., according to AffordableSchools.net. Langston offers over 40 associate, bachelors, masters, and doctoral programs across six academic colleges. Visit us online at http://www.langston.edu.

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY WELCOMES RECORD BREAKING FRESHMAN CLASS

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By Christina Gray, Media Relations Specialist

LANGSTON, Okla. – Langston University is experiencing historic enrollment for the 2015-16 school year. Faculty and staff recently welcomed the largest freshman class in the history of the University.

According to admissions data, it has more than 692 incoming freshmen, and this number continues to rise. With more than a 40 percent increase in the past several years, the strength of the incoming class is a direct reflection of the strategic recruitment efforts.

Among these efforts, the Office of Admissions highlighted that the University has maintained its affordability for high-quality education on a state and national level. Admissions has also seen a return on pairing recruitment efforts with the alumni chapters, this has given Admissions its advantage over the competition. The incoming class proves to be a group of enthusiastic academic leaders; it is made up of a total of 40 incoming freshmen that are now scholars in the Edwin McCabe Honors Program. A program sponsored by the University; scholars must take a total of 50 hours of honors courses designed to develop communication skills, analytical thinking, creativity and leadership.

Langston University was listed as the third most affordable small college in Oklahoma on the College Tuition Compare website.

“As an affordability leader in the state, we are able to better leverage our financial resources to compete for more students in Oklahoma,” said Chauncey Jackson, Executive Director of Enrollment Management at Langston University.

Langston University was nationally ranked the fourth most affordable small college in the United States. The ranking was created using information from the National Center for Education Statistics’ College Navigator database. The number of out-of-state admits has drastically increased, with more students coming from Missouri, Colorado, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

“We offer a number of academically challenging programs and continue to develop our resources,” said the president of the University, Kent J. Smith Jr., Ph.D.

Total enrollment is 2,567 for all three campuses, which are located in Langston, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The Oklahoma City and Tulsa campuses offer upper-division courses and graduate courses. Among these programs, Langston-OKC is host to the Department of Rehabilitation Counseling & Disability Studies, a vocational rehabilitation program designed specifically for migrant and seasonal farm workers with special needs. Langston-Tulsa has a state-of-the-art facility that offers a variety of programs at the baccalaureate and graduate levels.

The Langston University Doctor of Physical Therapy program is one of only two programs offered in the state of Oklahoma. The Langston campus is also home to the number one goat research institute in the world, the E (Kika) de la Garza American Institute for Goat Research. Langston University offers more than 38 degree programs, including 5 masters degrees and one doctoral program. Langston University is located 12 miles east of Guthrie, Oklahoma. To learn more about programs and offerings please visit the Langston University website at www.langston.edu.

Student Leadership Institute 2015

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY CREATES CULTURE OF LEADERSHIP

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By Christina Gray, Media Relations Specialist

LANGSTON, Okla. – Langston University Office of Student Life recently held the annual Student Leadership Institute (SLI), where student leaders learned best practices for leading and developing their organizations.

The weeklong event included guest speakers, seminars, group exercises and other activities to help the students develop as leaders. The theme was “Back to the Basics: Remembering The Foundation For Success.”

Brittany Carradine, Assistant Director of Student Life in the Office of Student Affairs, has led the SLI since 2013 with the goal of helping students lead successful organizations.

“The SLI is where students develop skills, connect with peers, and grow as leaders,” Carradine said. “Leaders who understand how they lead are more engaged, productive, and successful. This will help students understand their top strengths to become better leaders.”

Students were taught how to run effective meetings, the fiscal responsibility of leading organizations, the importance of communication within an organization, especially during times of conflict, and how to use social media effectively.

Students then had the opportunity to use what they learned as they met with student leaders from other schools to develop a plan for supporting each other in success.

Shaquille Anderson is a senior Business Management major is the newly appointed 2015-16 Student Government Association president. His goal is to increase communication between the students and administration, as well as with his fellow students.

“It is in my nature to factor in people’s perspective,” Anderson said. “I think it is important in any leadership role to take in the opinions and viewpoints of others in order to make a positive impact. It is our priority as campus leaders to keep the student experience at a high level.”

Student leaders have been equipped with the tools needed to fulfill their responsibility to their peers, future students and themselves to represent Langston and their organizations well.

“They are ready to work and take action,” Carradine said.

Langston offers more than 38 degree programs, including 5 masters degrees and one doctoral program. Langston University is located 12 miles east of Guthrie, Oklahoma.
To learn more about Langston University, please visit http://www.langston.edu.

KENYAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS LOOK TO LANGSTON’S GOAT EXPERTS TO HELP BOOST ECONOMY IN EAST AFRICA

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by Christina Gray, Media Relations Specialist

LANGSTON, Okla. – Elected officials from East Kenya visited the E (Kika) de la Garza American Institute for Goat Research at Langston University on Oct. 31, 2014.

The E (Kika) de la Garza American Institute for Goat Research plays an important role in improving the lives of people in developing countries. International institutions continue to benefit from the training and resources made available by the Institute for Research and Extension. The officials toured the research facilities and goat farm in hopes that the University will consider investing in various projects in East Kenya.

The Kenyan government officials sent members of Mombasa County’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries to the U.S. to cultivate relationships to further the mission to enhance food security, plant and animal health, and reduce poverty through the creation of agribusiness opportunities that result in improved livelihoods.

“Our governor sent us specifically to come back with something,” said Anthony Njaramba, the Mombasa County Minister of Agriculture.

The E (Kika) de la Garza American Institute for Goat Research has been involved in research, training, and development projects in West Africa for two years.

“We have not come to beg for help; we have come to request a partnership because we understand what Langston University can do for us,” Njaramba said. “These areas have been neglected because of the harsh climate. We believe that goat farming can turn our economy around, and Langston University can help us do that.”

Also proposed was the development of a student exchange program for students from the Agriculture Training College in Kenya to attend Langston University.

“We have never had an exchange student in East Africa, only in the West, ” said Marvin Burns, Ph. D., Dean of the School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences. “I am happy to know that you have interest and we certainly want to see Mombasa come to the forefront of Tanzania. We have people in place to help us get what we need.”

Langston offers more than 38 degree programs, including 5 master’s degrees and one doctoral program. E (Kika) de la Garza American Institute provides cutting-edge research that focuses on providing new information relevant and usable by producers and researchers alike. Langston University is located 12 miles east of Guthrie, Oklahoma. Click here to learn more about the E (Kika) de la Garza American Institute for Goat Research.

Langston University (LU) was founded as a land grant college through the Morrill Act of 1890 and officially established when House Bill 151 passed on March 12, 1897, as the Colored Agricultural and Normal University. The bill mandated the University to receive federal funds matched by state funds for the support of agricultural research and cooperative extension and community engagement.

LU has both a rural and urban-mandated mission with campuses in Langston, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and one extension in Ardmore. Langston University produces top academic scholars within the six schools that house the degree programs. LU boasts a total of 30 undergraduate and 5 graduate degree programs are offered within Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Behavioral Science, Nursing and Health Professions, and Physical Therapy. Currently, the top majors are nursing, health physical education and recreation, liberal education, and psychology. Learn more by visiting us online.

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY MAKES HISTORY WITH $1.45 MILLION GIFT

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By Christina Gray, Media Relations Specialist

LANGSTON, Okla. – ONEOK recently pledged nearly $1.5 million to Langston University to fund projects campus-wide.

As the largest gift to date, ONEOK’s gift will fund scholarships in the Accounting Department that will be awarded to well-deserving students with financial needs. It will also fund a new professorship in the Accounting Department.

Over the past three years, ONEOK has developed a strong relationship with the Accounting Department. ONEOK routinely recruits LU Accounting students for their internship program. The internship program helps prepare students for post-college success through in-the-field training and additional learning experiences in the oil and natural gas industry. In most cases, these internships turn into full-time positions at ONEOK.

In addition to the large amount given to the Accounting Department, ONEOK’s support has reached across campus with a portion of the gift allocated to a marquee and video scoreboard, and a new entrance sign.

“We are incredibly thankful to ONEOK for the generous gift and the continuous support to our students,” said Kent J. Smith, Jr., President of Langston University. “ONEOK is Langston University’s largest supporter, and its gift will make a huge impact on the lives of our students and will continue assisting Langston on our journey to becoming a competitor in our ever-growing economy.”

“Langston’s accounting program is top notch, and Langston’s proximity – right here in our own backyard – makes it a great resource for us to recruit quality local candidates,” said Terry K. Spencer, president and chief executive officer of ONEOK. “We have hired a number of Langston graduates for accounting roles at ONEOK. Making additional investments in the university to maintain that pipeline of quality candidates just makes sense.”

Langston University is located 12 miles east of Guthrie, Oklahoma. Langston offers more than 38 degree programs, including five masters’ degrees and one doctoral program. For more information about Langston University giving please contact the LU Foundation Office at (405) 466-3482.

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