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Pastures and Progress: Josie Throckmorton’s Journey to Shape the Future of Agriculture

Release Provided By Ellie Melero

(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar | Vol. 2 Issue 5 on Sept. 12, 2025)

by Jet Turner

The morning sunrise bleeds orange and blue hues as its light crests over the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Its rays reach through her bedroom curtains as the rooster crows, but Josie Throckmorton isn’t focused on the noise; she is focused on the peace and tranquility of waking up on her grandparents’ farm.

She crawls out of bed to begin her chores. The morning dew has made the hay too damp to harvest just yet, so Josie focuses on feeding the animals. The horses neigh and whinny, the cattle stir, the dogs get ready for the day, and even the cats quit their morning lounge as she approaches with their food.

Eventually the dew evaporates and it’s time to harvest the hay. At this young age, Josie is too little to reach the pedals of the hay truck, so her sister drives while she uses her hands on the pedals to brake and accelerate.

Josie doesn’t remember when she learned to do these things. She’s been riding horses since before she could walk and has helped take care of the animals and harvest the fields from the moment she could.

Josie grew up with these animals, and she grew up working the land.

But this isn’t just any land they work. This land where the sky is so clear, where the stars are so bright at night you can literally watch the world spin around you, where even the air feels different, was the original Native American allotment of land given to Josie’s Cherokee ancestors when they signed the Dawes Rolls after walking from North Carolina down the Trail of Tears.

“Whenever you’re out there it’s like there’s not a care in the world,” Josie said. “There’s nothing else that matters except for that land and your family that’s built it.”

Josie and her family lived in those Ozark Mountain foothills until her father, Dusty, received an opportunity to be the assistant principal of Guthrie High School. Josie was about to start the third grade when they moved.

Learning is deeply ingrained into the Throckmorton’s family culture. Dusty and his wife Marjorie, who are each educators, made sure of it. Growing up on a farm taught their children to solve problems in real time, learn by doing and understand complex processes, among many other skills.

Marjorie and Dusty were training their daughters, of which they have three, for independence.

“When a kid’s raised on a farm, they’re exposed to more things than a kid that is less fortunate,” Dusty said. “I think it’s the richest environment to raise a child in.

“Whatever a young set of hands could do, we didn’t shy away from. We heated our house with 100% wood until (Josie) was 8 years old. So once a week, we were felling a tree, we’re getting the wood splitter, we’re cutting wood with a chainsaw, and I’d let the girls run the splitter. They’re stacking wood, they’re picking up sticks, they’re raking the yard.”

Dusty realizes that’s probably a heavier responsibility than most 8-year-olds are used to, but responsibilities like these laid the foundation for Josie’s work ethic, her love for learning, and her respect for the land she works and the agriculture that cultivates it.

After moving to Guthrie, the Throckmortons began working for Davis Farms in Logan County. There, they tended to the farm’s dry cows. Here, Josie learned how to show cows in addition to her other responsibilities.

When it came to her formal education, Josie’s parents always emphasized the role of meaningful, hands-on experiences outside of regular course work. They would tell her to, “Not let school get in the way of your education.”

They also told her, “You get out of school what you put into it,” a lesson that influenced how Josie interacted with her teachers and kept her involved in a multitude of extracurricular activities, such as 4–H and track and field.

College was the next step for Josie upon graduating high school. She knew she wanted to study agriculture, and as she weighed her options, Langston University became a natural fit for her.

“Honestly, I came (to Langston University) for the agriculture program,” Josie said. “I wanted a small school where I wouldn’t be just a number. I wanted the professors to know who I am, and I wanted to know who they were. So, I came to Langston to deep dive into the ag program with all of the research that they have because Langston is known for their agriculture research. I came to get into that research and have a personal relationship with the people that are teaching me.”

Langston University was named a Research College and University by the Carnegie Classification of Higher Education Institutions in March, emphasizing the focus of research for the institution. Additionally, Langston University has a student-to-faculty ratio of about 17:1 and continues to be the most affordable four-year institution in Oklahoma.

Josie hit the ground running when she arrived to campus during the Fall 2022 semester, ensuring she introduced herself to professors, shared her interests with them and got involved where she could.

Throughout her time at LU, Josie has been involved in honeybee research under Dr. Malcolm McCallum and honeybee extension educator Hank Baker, and horticulture research under Dr. Tracey Payton. But what might end up defining her time at Langston University is the work she has done with the Drone Technology and Precision Agriculture team.

The Drone Technology and Precision Agriculture team is made up of Langston University students conducting research with drones. The goal of this research is to develop a smart but inexpensive drone that can help manage livestock and pastures for farmers. Dr. Leonard Kibet serves as the primary investigator.

Instructor Marcio White formally met Josie for the first time about two years ago at a Sherman Lewis School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (SL/SAAS) event but had seen her around before because she was always at leadership meetings.

It was here where White approached Josie about the work the Drone Technology and Precision Agriculture team was doing. Josie was immediately interested, and after a couple of meetings she was voted onto the team by its existing members.

Josie is the Nutritive Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) Specialist on the team. She is in charge of the pasture management component of the project and flies missions with the spray drone, which can very precisely––down to the inch––apply fertilizer, pesticide, herbicide and insecticide to a crop to ensure that only specific spots are targeted so no extra chemicals enter the land.

The Drone Technology and Precision Agriculture team has existed at Langston University for about 6 years, but White said this year’s team may be the best ever assembled, and Josie is a huge contributor to that fact.

“(Josie) has great character, and she has a brilliant intelligence,” White said. “She’s a dedicated hard worker, she’s committed to what she’s doing, punctual, and she’s very good at communicating not only her ideas, but how she feels about things. And she’s also a leader.”

White described Josie as a “participative type leader,” one who is always willing to get in and do the work, leading by example wherever she can.

As long as the Drone Technology and Precision Agriculture team has been at Langston University, White has tried to convince his students to study for and earn their commercial drone pilot license. His efforts were unsuccessful until this past Spring when, unknown to him, Josie began to study for her license.

Later that semester, Josie passed all tests and became the first active Langston University student to earn their commercial drone pilot license.

When she originally began planning her future career, Josie only wanted to preserve her family’s agricultural heritage and their ancestorial Cherokee allotment of land for future generations, but that passion has expanded.

Now, as Josie prepares to graduate in May, she sees herself bridging the gap between the traditional farming methods she learned on her grandparents’ land so long ago and new technologies like the drones she flies today.

“To us, that land is more of a sign of God’s provision for our family,” Josie said. “We know that we’ve been looked after and given so much, so what we hope to do is to keep this land in our family so that that whole story and that sacrifice and all the turmoil and hardships that my Cherokee ancestors faced is still alive in us today, and that we don’t forget the things that they went through to give us the stuff that we do have. I want to preserve that land so that my kids and my grandkids can grow up running around in the creeks, up and down in the hollers and in the hay fields and fishing in the ponds, just like I did, and just like all of my ancestors before me.

“What I want to do for the rest of my life is talk to people and educate them on what the future of agriculture is, what their role is in it, and how to preserve what they already have.”

Code Blooded poses for a group photo in front of Moore Hall

Code Blooded: Langston University students compete in national Cyber Games competition

Release Provided By Ellie Melero

by Ellie Melero

Dazjuan Johnson can’t wait for the 1890 Cyber + AI Games.

Planned as part of the Second Morrill Act 135th Anniversary celebrations, the 1890 Cyber + AI Games are a national cyber capture-the-flag competition that will be held at the University of the District of Columbia on Sept. 9. They may not be a flashy spectacle like College Football Gamedays, but they will be fiercely competitive and exciting for anyone with an interest in cybersecurity or artificial intelligence. And Johnson can’t wait to play.

“I’m looking forward to testing our skills on a national stage, learning from other teams and representing Dear Langston with pride,” Johnson said.

A senior computer science major at Langston University, Johnson is one of six LU students who will make the trip to Washington, D.C., for the competition. These skilled student coders are all part of Code Blooded, LU’s cyber competition team.

Code Blooded regularly competes in events like code-a-thons and cybersecurity competitions, and they’ve even beaten teams from Ivy League schools like Yale in the past. This will be Code Blooded’s first challenge with its new team lineup for the 2025-26 school year, and it will be Johnson’s first competition with the team.

“It’s been an exciting and fast-paced experience, pushing me to sharpen my skills and collaborate closely with talented peers,” Johnson said. “I’m grateful for this opportunity and confident it will be a valuable step toward my future in tech and cybersecurity.”

Twenty teams from each of the 1890 Land-Grant Institutions plus the host school will participate in the 1890 Cyber + AI Games. They will be held in a capture-the-flag jeopardy style format, testing students’ skills in areas such as digital forensics, reconnaissance and geo-tagging.

The theme for the Games will be Agriterrorism. The teams will be given a hypothetical scenario in which there has been a disruption to the U.S.’s food supply chain through the introduction of biological, chemical, physical or cyber-physical threats via malware, ransomware, sensor/actuator tampering, network intrusions, phishing or social engineering. The students will have to work together to resolve the scenario.

Ralph Grayson, the chair of LU’s Department of Computer Science and Code Blooded’s coach, said the six members of the competition team were chosen because they each have an expertise in a different area that will be featured in the competition. Having students with a variety of skill sets makes the team more well-rounded and competitive.

“Competitions are always great because we want them to get used to what happens in the workforce,” Grayson said. “In the workforce, you have to work on teams, and there are always issues that come up. They have to work well together, and they have to develop and execute skills that they may not have had before.”

Selam Terefe, a junior computer science major, has been on Code Blooded since his freshman year, but he’s never competed in an event quite like this. That’s because this will be the first 1890 Cyber + AI Games.

Put on by Katzcy PlayCyber and the 1890 Universities Foundation, the 1890 Cyber + AI Games were created as part of the Second Morrill Act anniversary celebrations. They are intended to highlight the growing need for cybersecurity in agriculture, leading to the theme of Agriterrorism.

As Code Blooded prepares for the Games, Johnson and Terefe have reflected on the theme and what opportunities there are for computer science students in agriculture. They’re thankful for the opportunity to participate, and now, they’re ready to compete.

“I believe it is a great opportunity for HBCU students interested in the intersection of agriculture, artificial intelligence and cyber defense to get hands-on exposure and connect with peers with the same interest,” Terefe said. “I would like to thank Langston University’s Sherman Lewis School of Agriculture & Applied Sciences and the Computer Science department for giving us this opportunity.”

J'Taelii Heath stands by poster with research data on it.

Setting the Bar: J’Taelii Heath strives to carve her own path in research and life

Release Provided By Jet Turner

(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar | Vol. 2 Issue 4 on June 13, 2025)

By Ellie Melero, Media Relations Specialist; Jet Turner, Assistant Director of Communications

After almost two weeks of rain, the sun shone bright above W.E. Anderson Stadium as the Langston University Class of 2025 processed onto the football field for the 125th Commencement Ceremony, adding to the air of joy and levity that could be felt all over campus.

Cheering, dancing, noisemakers and more could be heard from all over campus as the hundreds of friends and families packed the stand to celebrate their graduates, nearly 70% of whom are the first in their families to earn a college degree. J’Taelii Heath was one of these first-generation students.

But if it weren’t for the encouragement of her family, and the Langston University McCabe Honors Program, she might not have been able to attend university at all.

Heath grew up in Oklahoma City in a family of entrepreneurs. From working with kids to styling hair, her family was involved in a variety of industries, but the business path never interested Heath. She was more interested in STEM, and the idea of entering the medical field had always intrigued her. When she took a health class in high school with a vegan teacher who taught them about different types of healthy lifestyles, she decided she wanted to go to school to study osteopathic medicine.

“It was just something that stuck with me,” Heath said. “I just wanted to continue to do that research and find a different outlet besides (the plant-based diet).”

Once she knew she wanted to study medicine, Heath knew she needed to get her bachelor’s degree first. As the oldest of five kids, it was also important to her to show her siblings that college was a viable option they could also choose.

As she began looking into schools, she knew wherever she enrolled needed to be affordable, have a good biology program and be close enough to home that she could still be a part of her younger siblings’ lives.

Langston University fit the bill.

Heath earned a McCabe Scholarship, which paid for her tuition, room and board, and entered the Lion Pride as a biology major.

“It just offered the opportunity for me to stay close to family and be able to afford it, of course, with a full ride scholarship,” Heath said. “That was the first step, being in the honors program, having my school paid for, especially coming from a low-income household where I’m the oldest and a first-generation college student.”

When she got to campus, Heath sought out Dr. Byron Quinn. A biology professor and accomplished researcher, Dr. Quinn is a mentor to many LU students, and Heath knew she wanted to join his lab. Dr. Quinn was happy to have her.

In Dr. Quinn’s lab, Heath learned how to properly conduct research. She learned how to handle different types of equipment and run simple experiments. She was eager to learn and a quick study, and she impressed Dr. Quinn. He helped her apply for an internship with the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) as one of the first OMRF-LU Scholars.

During her OMRF internship, Heath helped design and conduct an experiment using black pepper, more specifically a compound called piperin, as a treatment for multiple sclerosis. Her goal was to find a more natural alternative treatment for the disease that didn’t rely solely on drugs. To her delight, the experiment was a success.

Heath continued working with OMRF as an LU Scholar after the internship was over, and she also began to help out more in Dr. Quinn’s lab. Heath found she really enjoyed research, so she decided to apply to OK-LSAMP, a statewide program that provides financial assistance to student researchers so they can present their research at professional conferences and conventions.

Over the course of her time at Langston University, with the assistance of her professors and the OK-LSAMP program, Heath has presented her research 15 times at local and national conferences.

“It has helped me see the world differently,” Heath said. “Traveling from state to state, people do things differently… It also helped me learn public speaking skills. I’ve always been very shy and not prone to want to go talk to people.”

Heath has also had the opportunity to assist with NASA research at Langston University, specifically with a project focused on studying how to keep astronauts’ immune cells active while in space conditions. Currently, the LU research team is preparing samples to be sent to the International Space Station. Heath will be a part of the team that will analyze the samples upon their return to Earth.

OK-LSAMP manager and associate professor of chemistry at Langston University, Dr. Lindsay Davis, immediately recognized Heath’s potential as an excellent student from the moment she met her in 2021.

J'Taelii Heath receives the Outstanding Senior Leadership award. — J’Taelii Heath receives the Outstanding Senior Leadership Award at the 2025 Graduation Ceremony.

Since then, Dr. Davis has seen Heath grow into the inquisitive student she is today. A student who always seeks to improve herself. A student who seeks new opportunities wherever she can find them.

“(Heath) is always wondering how to improve,” Dr. Davis said. “I don’t know if she really realizes her power. (Her power) is evident by all of her accolades. It’s evident. I wish she would seek that part of herself more. But that’s part of being a young Black scientist; you just kind of do it, and she’s doing it.”

As Heath stood to be recognized as a winner of the Outstanding Senior Leader Award during the commencement ceremony, she beamed with power. The award is earned by graduating seniors who go above and beyond throughout their college career in their commitment to leadership, academics, campus involvement, community service and exemplary character, all of which embodied her journey at Langston University.

Eventually her name was called to receive her diploma, and she strolled up the ramp and onto the commencement stage, taking a photo with President Ruth Ray Jackson and shaking hands with the members of the dais.

She walked off the opposite side ramp the first member of her family to graduate college.

“I just want to be the outlet for my siblings, to be that extra guidance to a different path for our family and for generations to follow,” Heath said. “There is a different path that is an option for us.”

Langston University business students rank Top 1% nationally on Peregrine Business Exam

Release Provided By Ellie Melero

Graduating seniors from the Langston University School of Business (LUSB) scored in the 99^th percentile nationally on the rigorous Peregrine Outbound Business Exam, outperforming more than 83,000 students across the United States.

The LUSB Class of 2025 posted an average score of 80.13% on the exam, far outperforming the national average of 61.34% and putting their scores in the Top 1% nationally. LUSB students achieved top marks across all core business disciplines, including finance, economics, strategic management, marketing and business ethics.

“This is not just an academic win; it’s a statement,” said Dr. Daryl Green, Dean of LUSB. “It proves that with the right approach, our students, many of whom are first-generation college students, can compete and dominate nationally.”

Every year, graduating business students take the Peregrine Outbound Business Exam, a rigorous assessment administered by over 500 colleges and universities around the world. The exam evaluates students’ mastery across core business disciplines such as finance, economics, management, marketing and business ethics.

The Class of 2025’s success on the exam is a reflection of LUSB’s innovative curriculum and expert faculty.

LUSB recently restructured its capstone course “MG 4703: Strategy & Policy.” Co-taught by Dr. Green and Dr. Charles Mambula, the class was reimagined with an emphasis on student ownership and practical engagement. The class incorporates team-based learning, self-designed study sessions and student-led instruction, all of which led to positive learning outcomes.

Outside the capstone, LUSB continues to distinguish itself with a faculty of experienced industry professionals who bring real-world expertise into every classroom. Students receive close mentorship, professional coaching and leadership development from the start of their first year.

“Our students aren’t just preparing for jobs,” Dr. Green said. “They’re preparing to launch their ventures, lead organizations and build communities. Our students think like entrepreneurs, act like consultants, and grow as leaders. That mindset is baked into every course we teach.”

In 2023, Langston University was named one of the Best HBCUs for Entrepreneurship by BestColleges.com, thanks in part to its Master of Entrepreneurial Studies program and its student-centered business culture. The Class of 2025’s test scores are another testament to LU’s HBCU excellence.

“We believe in turning raw talent into polished excellence,” Dr. Green said. “That’s the Langston way. And this exam result is proof that our approach is working.”

From Theory to Practice: Langston University Celebrates 25th Annual Research Day

Release Provided By Jet Turner

(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar | Vol. 2 Issue 4 in June 2025)

By Jet Turner, Assistant Director of Communications

Langston University held its 25th Annual Research Day on April 18, 2025. Research Day includes various disciplines, majors and students. Whether you are a biology or chemistry student, psychology student or even a computer science student, you are welcome to participate in Research Day.

Research Day aims to help students understand the practical applications of their learning. It shows students how their knowledge can serve society and provides an opportunity to demonstrate their problem solving and articulation skills. It also allows students to build their resumes, prepare for internships and graduate school applications, among many other skills.

“It’s the value added,” said Dr. John K. Coleman, Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Once you get a culture where students (are presenting their research), you look at the student and you just see the product. Now they are starting to learn why they’re learning these theories and why they learn these concepts, and then what you can actually do with it and how you can help society. You’re here to learn, but you leave to serve. So how do you use what you’re learning? This is the part that teaches you how you use what you’re learning to serve society.”

Dr. Lindsay Davis, associate professor of chemistry, participated in the 13th Research Day when she was a student at LU.

Despite her fear and hesitation to present her research, she was well prepared and supported.

“Ultimately, Research Day gave me the confidence that I needed to pursue graduate school and to make these presentations a norm for me,” Dr. Davis said. “I was so scared of public speaking, and now it’s easy.

“So, Research Day definitely helps with their communication skills. But most importantly, I think it allows them to be a scientist, to communicate through research and to really achieve their goals.”

This year over 20 students participated in Research Day.

Josiah Grayson – Selection of Undergraduate Degree Major Among College Students

Senior, Computer Science Major

Josiah Grayson’s research explored the psychological and social factors influencing how college students, especially those at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), choose their academic majors.

Grayson’s studies revealed personal interest is the most important factor when a prospective student selects a major, which contradicts his hypothesis that financial considerations would be at the forefront of their decision-making process.

Grayson highlights that student interests are often “shaped by what they have been exposed to,” meaning individuals are more likely to pursue careers and majors they have seen modeled in their communities. For Black students specifically, this means decisions are “shaped by survival, legacy and representation.”

“Institutional culture and climate impacts persistence,” Grayson said. “What goes on at the university and then specifically in the department, how they teach the information, how they work with the students. Is there tutoring? These things highly impact whether or not somebody is actually going to finish their degree.”

Financial status, according to Grayson, still plays a significant role in a student’s decision in what major they select, even if it isn’t the primary driving force. Grayson notes that students from a lower socioeconomic status tend to be more risk-averse, often choosing a “more stable” career path, while students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds have more flexibility to pursue less conventional majors, if they so choose.

Kimbree Layton – Studying the Relationship Between Mental Health, Emotional Well-Being and Academic Well-Being Among College Athletes

Senior, Psychology Major

Kimbree Layton conducted a comprehensive study examining the relationship between mental health, emotional well-being and academic well-being among collegiate athletes at Langston University. Her research focused specifically on anxiety, depression and stress levels among student athletes.

The study employed a multi-scale survey approach, utilizing four different psychological assessment tools. Layton was able to collect data from 15 of Langston University’s student athletes, all of whom were female.

Findings revealed that Langston University student athletes generally demonstrated positive mental health indicators, showing no significant signs of depression, anxiety or stress.

“(The student athletes) think highly of professional help and seeking it when it is necessary,” Layton said.

Layton’s research highlighted several critical factors influencing student athlete mental health, including “the importance of their relationships” with coaches, professors and family. Modern student athletes must overcome a tough emotional landscape, and many challenge the stigma that they should always be “very mentally tough” and not show emotions.

While the study provides valuable insights, Layton recognized limitations in her research, including the small sample size and the use of somewhat dated psychological assessment scales. She recommended future research should “examine what relationships between scales and demographics” exist and potentially explore the impact of teammates on mental health, a dimension not fully explored in this current study.

Reginald M. Archibald II – Artificial Intelligence Biases in Healthcare

Senior, Computer Science Major

Reginald Archibald II explored the critical issue of artificial intelligence (AI) bias in healthcare, highlighting how AI models can perpetuate systemic inequalities.

Archibald’s research uncovered six types of bias in healthcare AI models: implicit, selection, measurement, confounding, temporal and algorithm bias.

An example pointed to in this research is the dermatology AI tool developed by Stanford University, which was trained predominantly on images of lighter-skinned individuals. This could have a significant negative impact on patients who have a darker skin complexation.

“When you go in and they’re trying to detect for skin cancer, oftentimes they’re not able to find it, and they might (misdiagnose) you,” Archibald said.

Several other real-world scenarios demonstrate the potential harm of biased AI. During the COVID-19 pandemic, pulse oximeters were found to miss conditions in Black patients three times more often than in other races. Another study revealed an AI algorithm that based healthcare decisions on costs that systematically undervalued Black patients’ health needs.

To address these critical issues, Archibald proposes multiple solutions. These include conducting bias audits before AI deployment, training healthcare professionals on AI decision-making processes and incorporating synthetic data to improve representation.

He emphasizes the importance of diversity in AI development, stating that diverse team members can provide “ethical background knowledge about their race, their gender, their age group and their economic status.”

Shining Resiliency: Brianna Campbell’s Journey Back to Langston University

Release Provided By Jet Turner

(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar | Vol. 2 Issue 2 in March 2025)

By Jet Turner, Assistant Director of Communications

Brianna Campbell had not felt well in weeks.

An apple here, a smoothie there; that was all she could muster to eat. Not feeling well has been common to Campbell since she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 13 years old, but something this time felt a little “off.”

Campbell, who was 19 years old at the time, was in the process of switching from her pediatric endocrinologist to an adult endocrinologist and was having difficulties getting the supplies she needed for her diabetes. Her blood sugar was high for several days and she had no idea.

With midterms coming up, she didn’t really have time to think about it.

Campbell had not attended class in-person for about two weeks, as professors were hosting remote classes due to the spread of COVID-19. Hardly leaving her dorm, how she felt wasn’t really a concern to her at the time.

She woke up on Sept. 20, 2023, less than ready to take her English midterm.

“I woke up not feeling good at all,” Campbell said. “I was out of breath, breathing very, very hard trying to get dressed and get down the stairs to get to my car.”

She parked in front of Jones Hall on Langston University’s campus. Just getting out of the vehicle and walking into the building was exhausting.

Campbell sat at a desk and, as soon as the professor passed the exams out, she hurried to the bathroom to throw up.

“That’s probably not a good sign, but I have to take this midterm,” Campbell said.

She found her way back to class, but not long after sweating over the exam she had to go back to the restroom. Stumbling down the hallway this time, she just made it to the bathroom door before passing out.

Not long afterward, a friend of Campbell’s found her. She was already waking up but didn’t have enough strength to stand. Campbell’s friend went to find her professor, and the professor called 911.

Paramedics arrived and took Campbell to the hospital. Her professor followed to ensure she was OK. They alerted her roommate, who called Campbell’s parents and let them know what was happening.

Campbell was admitted to the emergency room, and the tests began.

She was immediately tested for COVID-19, which came back positive. Her blood sugar level was also around 600 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), about six times higher than the norm. Most surprising, they found her hemoglobin levels to be at a 4, when the normal range is about 12-15 for adult women. A blood transfusion was needed.

“I signed my own consent form for a blood transfusion at 19 years old,” Campbell said. “I sign it, then turn to my professor and ask, ‘What is a blood transfusion?’”

About the same time as she was admitted into the hospital, Campbell’s parents arrived.

Brianna Campbell poses with her family. — Brianna Campbell and her family.

The next several hours were a blur of CT scans and blood work as doctors worked to get to the root of what was making Campbell so sick. That night she stayed in the hospital for monitoring.

She awoke early the next morning, and soon a doctor was in to give the prognosis. Campbell called her parents on the phone so they could receive the news at the same time.

“They think it’s leukemia,” Campbell said.

She was transferred to Oklahoma Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City that morning. The next day, Campbell had a bone marrow biopsy to determine if she had leukemia. After the procedure, she slept the rest of the day.

The next day the doctors came back and said leukemia was off the table. They now thought it was myelodysplastic syndrome.

According to Mayo Clinic, ” Myelodysplastic syndromes are a group of disorders caused by blood cells that are poorly formed or don’t work properly. Myelodysplastic syndromes result from something amiss in the spongy material inside your bones where blood cells are made (bone marrow).”

A bone marrow transplant is the only potential cure for myelodysplastic syndrome. During the transplant, a high dose of chemotherapy drugs is used to clean out defective red blood cells from the bone marrow.

After the transplant you have a brand-new immune system, and your body needs time to not only adjust to it, but to isolate so you don’t get sick.

This was what potentially awaited Campbell as she left the hospital six days later to head back to Keller, Texas. Campbell, with the help of her parents, decided to withdraw from Langston University because there was no telling how long this process would take.

On Oct. 20, 2023, one month after she passed out during her midterm, she got the results.

It turned out Campbell didn’t have myelodysplastic syndrome, or anything nearly as serious. Campbell has pernicious anemia, a rare B12 vitamin deficiency where her body cannot absorb the vitamin through food, which can be easily treated with supplements, shots, a diet change and other simple measures depending on the severity.

Brianna Campbell sitting in a medical room. — Brianna Campbell received medical treatment.

Campbell and her parents were relieved.

“Looking back on it, I really don’t like that they told me all of these things I might have before the tests were official,” Campbell said.

Because of what she went through, Campbell decided to change her major and pursue a degree in nursing. Campbell began taking online classes at the University of Texas at Arlington to not fall behind, but she quickly became frustrated with the pace of her education. She was progressing slower than she wanted and missed the social aspect of college she had come to love at Langston University.

Campbell began considering her options. Should she go back to Langston University? Enroll in another college in-person? Or should she continue online? Her parents were hoping that, whatever decision she made, Campbell would remain close to home after all she went through.

Campbell was returning to Langston University often in the months following her pernicious anemia diagnosis to see her friends.

“I was just really missing Langston at this point,” Campbell said. “I would come (to Langston University) for days on end, and they would go to class, and I’d be like, ‘I wish I had classes to go to.’”

Langston University President Ruth Ray Jackson had been in contact with Campbell and her family during this whole process, even visiting Campbell in the hospital. Dr. Jackson and Campbell’s mother had remained in contact, and Campbell began emailing and texting Dr. Jackson about possibly returning to Dear Langston.

Dr. Jackson helped Campbell find the proper offices and people to begin the re-enrollment process.

Brianna Campbell and her family pose with President Ruth Ray Jackson. — Brianna Campbell and her family enjoy homecoming with Dr. Ruth Ray Jackson.

Campbell eventually told her parents she wanted to go back to Langston University as a student.

“When they asked why, I told them that I never believed Langston University was a steppingstone,” Campbell said. “I don’t believe it was ever a wrong choice. I think that it is the first decision that I made as an adult to go to this university. I decided to move out of state, I decided to come to this university. I decided to go to an HBCU, and it’s a decision that never felt wrong to me. I want to honor that decision from my younger self, that first decision I made as an adult.”

Campbell returned to Langston University in the Fall of 2024. Now a sophomore, she’s made it a point to get the most out of her experience the second time around.

She is excelling in her nursing classes and hopes to be helping people just like her as soon as possible. Additionally, Campbell competed in the Alpha Pi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. 2024-2025 Miss Krimson and Kream pageant that returning semester, winning the title of Miss Alpha Pi.

“I think having to leave and come back, you are able to appreciate Langston more,” Campbell said. “I think I’ve done 10 times more things than I would have done if I had just gone through normally. When I came back, I wanted to get out there, meet people, join things.

“You don’t realize what you have until you lose it.”

The Lady Lions basketball team hold us the SAC Conference Championship trophy

Being Elite: Lady Lions win historic SAC Championship, make NAIA Round of Sixteen appearance

Release Provided By Ellie Melero

(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar | Vol. 2 Issue 3 on April 25, 2025.)

by Ellie Melero, Media Relations Specialist

The Lady Lions knew they were about to make history.

With 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter, they led the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Drovers 63-49. They just needed to run the clock out.

The entire bench was on their feet, and The Den was alive with excited anticipation. The cheering had already started, and the moment the clock ticked 0, the Lady Lions rushed onto the court and embraced their teammates.

For the first time in program history, they were the Sooner Athletic Conference Regular Season Champions. They were also the first Historically Black College or University to earn the title for SAC women’s basketball.

“It felt awesome,” said senior forward Ruth Sodipe. “Especially since it was senior night, it was the last home game of the season, so it was really awesome getting to do it in front of the fans and being able to celebrate and be happy with the girls.”

The team savored the moment in the minutes following the game, celebrating with each other and their families before heading down to the locker room. Then it was back to business.

A week later, the Lady Lions swept the SAC Tournament for another SAC Championship, also a program and HBCU first. Then they played in the NAIA National Tournament, making it all the way to Sioux City, Iowa, to play in the Round of 16.

The team played with such fierce determination and noticeable cohesiveness all season that one would think this was the culmination of four years playing together under Head Coach Chris Vincent. In reality, this was most of the Lady Lions’ first year at Langston University and Coach Vincent’s first year at the helm.

Chris Vincent draws out a play for the Lady Lions on his clip board — In his first year with the Lady Lions, Head Coach Chris Vincent led the team to two conference championships and a national tournament Round of 16 appearance.

Building an Elite Culture

Just three months after a last-minute national championship loss as assistant coach of the LU men’s team, Chris Vincent was hungry for another shot at a ring. He took over as head coach for the Lady Lions on June 15, and with only four girls returning from the previous season, he had six weeks to hire support staff and recruit players. Time was of the essence, but this was a step that couldn’t be rushed.

He needed to find coaches and players who would buy into Langston University’s “Be Elite” mindset, and that started with holding himself to an Elite standard as a recruiter. He spent hours scouring the transfer portal before hitting the road, traveling to several states to meet with players. He worked at all hours of the day and night, calling and messaging players while reviewing resumes for assistants.

“Those six weeks were exciting, but they were also very stressful,” Vincent said. “You know, just being by myself and trying to do it all. There was a lot of hours on the phone, a lot of isolated conversations in my office.”

Despite the ticking clock, Vincent made time to get to know each of the players he was asking to join his team and gave them an opportunity to get to know him as well. The future Lady Lions could already tell a difference between this program and others they had been a part of.

Sodipe was ready to join the team after Vincent flew to El Paso, Texas, and took the time to work out with her and talk about her goals. Diamond Richardson was set on Dear Langston after hearing Vincent speak so highly of the school then visiting the campus herself. Mikayla Woods committed to LU two days before school started after a long phone call with Vincent where they talked extensively about what she could accomplish with the team. Jordan Brown came because of the connection she felt with Vincent.

Jordan Brown shoots the ball against a USAO defender. — Jordan Brown committed to Langston University because of the coach-player connection she felt with Vincent.

“He saw my little highlight tape and reached out to me, and we really had a connection,” Brown said. “I never really had that coach-player connection at my last school like that, so it was really big on me to get that this year. So I talked with him, I came on a visit and I really thought he was genuine.”

Those initial conversations and connections attracted a lot of Vincent’s recruits to LU. It was clear he was passionate about basketball and determined to build a championship team, but it was also clear he cared about his players off the court. The same way Dear Langston considers the entire Lion Pride to be a family, Vincent wanted his team to be one, too. The Lady Lions were on board with that.

In August, Vincent brought in Ashley Bruner as assistant coach and E’Donis Harris as a graduate assistant. With a full staff and roster, he called the first team meeting of the year.

For Vincent, that first meeting was crucial to set the tone for the year. It was an opportunity for the players to get to know the coaches better, and it was a chance for them to begin to get to know one another, too.

They talked about each of their past experiences at other schools and in various programs. They opened up about injuries and everything they had been through, good and bad. As the meeting went on, they began to build trust with one another.

“We had to open up to one another, and I feel like that was big because in other programs, you kind of do that later on in the season,” Richardson said. “I feel like building that foundation, building that culture and identity from the jump rather than later was very important.”

Winning the Day

Coach Vincent points at a spot on the court during practice — The Lady Lions strove to “Be Elite” and “Win the Day” during games, practice and off the court.

After that meeting, the Lady Lions got to work. Every day, they lifted weights, went to class and practiced in the evening. Even when Vincent gave them a day off to rest and recuperate, many of them still found their way to the gym, taking pride in calling themselves “Gym Rats.”

When their season opener arrived at the end of October, they trounced the Wiley University Wildcats 91-28. They swept their non-conference games but began their conference play with a 71-78 loss against Wayland Baptist University. It didn’t matter; they kept working.

One of Vincent’s catchphrases for the team was “Win the Day.” He told the players to take it day by day, one game at a time. Don’t let a bad game or bad practice stay with you; move on to the next day. When there’s a good game or practice, sit with it a moment and enjoy it, but then move on to the next day. He reminded them their goal was not to win any single game, but to win a championship.

“If you can set yourself up to try to reach that goal of excellence, of being elite, it’s just going to make you such a better player and a better person,” Vincent said. “That’s kind of what our culture is, and that’s something that we really stress. And they’ve really bought into it.”

The Lady Lions strove to Be Elite and Win the Day, and they held themselves and one another accountable to that standard.

In practice, when one person made a mistake, their teammates would give them pointers and encouragement to fix it. The coaches were patient but firm, and the player herself would drill it until she got it right. In the locker room at halftime, they didn’t wait for the coaches to come in and tell them what they needed to work on; they told each other. After wins, they celebrated in the locker room before pivoting to focus on their next game.

As the season went on, they continued to grow closer as a team, players and coaches alike. It showed in how they played.

Renee James cheers during a basketball game — Lady Lions Superfan Renee James (right) cheered the team on all season as they continued to improve and grow closer together.

Renee James, an LU alumna and decades-long Lady Lions Basketball fan, said it was evident from her seat in the stands how close the team had grown and how much they trusted one another. Sometimes they would start a game slow, but then they’d regroup, talk to one another and the pieces would fall into place.

“They are so awesome,” James said. “They want to be together, and they work so well together. I love watching them play. I love their energy. They make watching women’s basketball fun!”

After their loss to Wayland, the Lady Lions went on a 19-game win streak, which included a rematch with Wayland at home. They lost to Texas Wesleyan University on the road but bounced back with a 64-61 win against the Rams two weeks later. They were 22-2 in conference play for the regular season.

The Lady Lions knew their team was special from the beginning. Winning the SAC Regular Season Championship and SAC Tournament Championship just confirmed for everyone else what they already knew.

When asked what set their team apart from the others, Sodipe said it was their competitiveness. Brown said it was their persistence. Richardson said it was their commitment to playing together. Woods said it was their winning culture.

“We’re very unselfish, and we’re really versatile,” Woods said. “We have a lot of different pieces, and I just feel like our chemistry is great, even off the court. We’re cool off the court and have a great time off the court, and I feel like that helps us on the court.”

Mikayla Woods dribbles a basketball — Mikayla Woods was named a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association NAIA All-American and an NAIA Second Team All-American, the first NAIA All-American selection for the Lady Lions since 2022.

Heads Held High

Though their season did not end in a national championship, it did end in success. The Lady Lions ended their season 31-3, tying the record for most single season wins in program history. Several players earned accolades throughout the year, including Woods who was named a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association NAIA All-American and an NAIA Second Team All-American, the first NAIA All-American selection for the Lady Lions since 2022.

After the team’s hard fought Round of 16 loss in Iowa, there was a more somber atmosphere in the locker room than there had been all season. Many fought to hold back tears and others let them flow, not just upset about the end of their national championship pursuit but also about the end of their time playing together.

Coach Vincent looked around the room at the young women who had become a family this season, and he told them to hold their heads high. They had played hard. They had accomplished so much. They had made history.

“I want you all to know, I wouldn’t trade any of you for anything else,” Vincent told them. “I’ve come to not only love coaching you but also loving you as people. I want you to remember, this family is something no one can take from you. Keep your head up.

“I love you guys, all right.”

The Lady Lions place their hands on the SAC Championship trophy during their locker room huddle — The Lady Lions made history as the first team in program history to win both the SAC Regular Season Championship and SAC Tournament Championship.

Photos of Elise Thompson, Nadia Mooreland and Cambrie Cannon

Taking the Lead: Women leaders find their stride at Langston University

Release Provided By Ellie Melero

by Ellie Melero, Media Relations Specialist

There are over 70 registered student organizations at Langston University offering students chances to find communities with like-minded interests and, for those willing to seek them, opportunities for leadership. From Greek Life to the English Club, there is always a need for campus leaders, and the Office of Student Life works hard to provide mentorship and learning opportunities to develop these students’ leadership skills.

Dr. A. Dominique Williams, the assistant dean for the Office of Student Life, tries to connect students not only with each other but also with resources that can help them be successful. For her, honing students’ leadership abilities is an important part of preparing them for their future careers, and she emphasizes that anyone willing to put in the work can become a leader, regardless of race or gender.

“Even though it’s 2025, there are still a lot of places in corporate America, non-profits, multiple different industries where Black women and women of color are not given leadership roles,” Dr. Williams said. “So, it’s really important to show our students, ‘You can be a leader. You absolutely can be in these rooms and be at these tables, and this is how you can lead in these spaces.’”

Lady Lions all over campus prove every day that women can be leaders. Let’s meet a few of the young women leading at Dear Langston.

Elise Thompson – SGA Vice President

Elise Thompson has always been civically engaged.

An Oklahoma City native, Thompson didn’t always feel like she fit in at the Dove Science Academy where she went to school, so from a young age, she sought out different avenues to try to find her place. She ended up joining youth leadership programs, which is how she first met Anastasia Pittman, a former state senator and state representative and a Langston University alumna.

Pittman’s work for Oklahoma’s 99th District inspired Thompson, and Pittman became her mentor. Working with Pittman and learning about government helped Thompson realize that was what she wanted to do when she grew up: serve her community as the State Representative for the 99th District. That’s the goal she’s still working toward.

Elise Thompson speaks to the student body during opening convocation — Elise Thompson addresses the student body during the Opening Convocation Ceremony in August.

After high school, Thompson came to Langston University as a McCabe Scholar studying accounting and immediately joined the LU Student Government Association (SGA). She ran for freshman class president and tied the race before losing by three votes in the runoff election. Instead of discouraging her from pursuing future leadership positions, the loss motivated her to work on herself and develop her skills for next time.

“That was a turning point for me,” Thompson said. “That just made me want to work harder. I saw the people who did have those positions and used them as inspiration. Even though I didn’t win, I made sure that I stayed around so I could learn.”

Thompson continued to join student organizations on and off campus, and she took advantage of leadership and development opportunities whenever they presented themselves.

She joined the Oklahoma Student Government Association (OSGA), and in Fall 2024, OSGA passed three bills she proposed, which have now been passed on to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE). She joined the NAACP and attended their national convention in New Jersey her sophomore year. As an LU Student Ambassador, she helped plan and put on Lion Camp, and she has served as the Civic Engagement Chair for Women of Purpose for three years.

As an SGA senator, Thompson helped lobby Langston University administration to raise the fall bursar balance cap for spring enrollment from $200 to $1,000, allowing many students to continue their studies without having to take a semester off. As the SGA Vice President, Thompson helped register over 200 LU students to vote in the 2024 presidential election, and she attended OSRHE’s Student Advisory Council. She is currently helping plan Alternative Spring Break, which is a student community service trip to Washington D.C.

“I can see that my work is not done in vain,” Thompson said. “I actually do have an impact on people, on my community.”

Her hard work has earned her opportunities outside of LU, too. She was invited to attend the Oklahoma City Police Department Youth Leadership Academy where she was able to build a working relationship with Police Chief Ron Bacy, and she received a George and Donna Nigh Public Service Scholarship to represent Langston University at the Nigh Institute. Additionally, she has been an intern for Rep. Ajay Pittman for the past 6 years.

Thompson is aware she still has a lot of room to grow as a leader, but she’s proud of how far she’s come and how much she’s been able to accomplish during her time at Dear Langston. She is constantly learning from those around her, and she’s doing it all so she can one day use all she’s learned to help improve her community in east Oklahoma City.

“I want to help my community be able to thrive,” Thompson said. “Even if it’s something small, knowing that I’m able to help someone really just fills my heart, and that’s what keeps me going.”

Nadia Mooreland – Co-Founder of LU Athletics Social Media Team

Nadia Mooreland lives her life by Habakkuk 2:2: “Write it down, make it plain.”

Nadia Mooreland talks into a microphone during a football game — Nadia Mooreland helped found the Langston University Athletics Social Media Team in 2023.

For Mooreland, the first step to achieving a goal is to write it down. The second step is to put in the work. Her hard work and dedication have transformed the Langston University Department of Athletics’ approach to social media.

Mooreland transferred to Langston University as a broadcast journalism major in Fall 2022 after running track at Oklahoma Baptist University for three years and taking a gap year to focus on her mental health. Growing up in Cushing, Oklahoma, without many Black peers or role models, Mooreland felt an immediate sense of belonging when she arrived on the Langston University campus, and that motivated her to seek out ways to get involved.

She pondered how she could combine her interests in sports and social media with her desire to find a way to give back to the university, and then she came across the LUBoys TikTok account. The page, run by her fellow broadcast journalism students as part of a class project, was filled with interviews and highlight reels of the LU football team.

“I was thinking to myself, ‘Man, it would be cool if we could do this but for all the sports programs,’” Mooreland said.

The idea stayed in the back of her mind until one Fried Chicken Wednesday that spring when her sister introduced her to Quinzaria Tatum. Tatum had a similar interest in revamping Athletics’ social media, and Mooreland knew she had found someone to help bring her idea to life. They met up again a few weeks later, and Mooreland brought a notebook filled with ideas to use social media to bring attention to LU athletes. To her delight, Tatum had done the same.

The two worked together to conduct a SWOT analysis of LU Athletics’ social media presence and then create a strategic plan and campaign proposal. They set up a meeting with Athletic Director Donnita Rogers and Assistant Athletic Director Fachaitte Kinslow where they pitched their plan for a social media team. They then gave their presentation to Sports Information Director Kyle Taylor, then again to the coaches of all Langston sports, and finally to the Office of Public Relations. In Fall 2023, Mooreland and Tatum officially founded the LU Athletics Social Media Team.

For the past two years they have co-led the 15-person social media team, creating content and managing the Instagram and Facebook accounts for all eight sports teams. The team has received lots of positive feedback from LU students and alumni, and coaches now use the content they create for recruitment. LU Athletics’ online exposure and engagement has increased exponentially; one of their football videos has over 600,000 views and earned dozens of ‘follows’ from high school football players.

“Langston University doesn’t get a lot of good press, but I like to call it the Hidden Gem of Oklahoma,” Mooreland said. “If you look inside that Hidden Gem, you see the talented, motivated, hardworking and passionate future leaders of America just killing the game at Langston University. And we just wanted to show exposure to our HBCU, one post at a time.”

Part of Mooreland’s original vision included increasing Athletics’ media and community engagement, and she has been spearheading the team’s media relations and brand storytelling. She organizes media days for every sport and team promotes theme nights for home games, and this year she started conducting post-game press conferences and half-time reports for men’s and women’s basketball.

Mooreland has learned and grown a lot from leading the social media team, but she is now facing her biggest challenge yet: letting go. As she prepares to graduate this July, she is mentoring and training the underclassmen on the social media team to take over for next year.

“It’s kind of hard starting a legacy but then coming to the realization, ‘Dang, I have to leave it,’” Mooreland said. “We have to give it to the younger people so they can put their own twist on it, and they can continue the legacy.”

Cambrie Cannon takes a photograph — Cambrie Cannon is the Constitution Revision Chair for the LU Student Ambassadors, the Civic Voice Chair in the SGA Senate and the Public Relations Chair for the Legal Lions.

Cambrie Cannon – LU Student Ambassadors

For Cambrie Cannon, confidence is key in leadership.

A junior double majoring in corrections and broadcast journalism, Cannon has learned a lot about leadership since high school. Growing up in Oklahoma City, she always had examples of strong leaders thanks to the many military service members in her family, including her father who served in the Army National Guard, Army and Army Reserves. As she neared her high school graduation, she knew she wanted to serve her country, but she also knew she wanted to pursue a higher education.

Luckily for her, it didn’t have to be one or the other.

Cannon enlisted in the Oklahoma National Guard after graduation and attended basic training that summer. In the fall, she accepted a Regent Scholarship to attend Langston University.

“I find myself following in my dad’s footsteps,” Cannon said. “He also served and he also attended Langston.”

At first, Cannon felt odd being an active-duty service member in school, but she was quickly able to find community among her fellow Lions. As she became more comfortable, she started getting more involved on campus. She became an LU Student Ambassador, joined the Student Government Association and became an active member of the Legal Lions, a club for pre-law students. As she got more involved, she began to take on leadership roles within these student organizations.

Cannon is the Constitution Revision Chair for the LU Student Ambassadors, the Civic Voice Chair in the SGA Senate and the Public Relations Chair for the Legal Lions. In the National Guard, she has earned the rank of Specialist and works in Public Affairs.

“These positions are really shaping me as a leader, and I’m definitely going to carry these skills and traits on when I go to law school,” Cannon said. “The skills that Langston is teaching me now are going to make me a better leader. I feel like the skills that you develop here, they’re skills that you can’t get anywhere else.”

Cannon knows the lessons she has learned in both the military and as a student have been building off each other, enabling her to better serve in each of her respective positions. Her experience in the military has given her the confidence to trust herself and her abilities, while her experiences at Dear Langston have given her the confidence to be creative in her problem solving, use her resources and interact with authority figures.

When Cannon finishes her degree, she plans to go to law school, though she is unsure whether she would like to go into criminal or family law or pursue a career as a Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) officer. Whichever path she chooses, she knows she’s prepared.

“Langston is giving me that confidence as a woman and as a minority to go after these positions,” Cannon said. “I’m not scared to apply for promotion boards, I’m not scared to communicate with my higher ups. I’m used to Langston pushing me to take on these positions. So when it comes having the confidence to go after something that I want, Langston has given me the confidence to do that.”

LU Quiz Bowl Makes Semi-Finals at Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Qualifying Tournament

Release Provided By Ellie Melero

by Kyle Gregory, Langston University Honors Program Coordinator

Langston University’s Quiz Bowl team went to Prairie View A&M and placed third among ten teams at the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) National Qualifying Tournament. Teams came from as far away as Jacksonville, Florida, and Frankfurt, Kentucky, to compete.

Langston University finished ahead of teams from Mississippi Valley State University, Paul Quinn College, Texas College, Edward Waters College, Kentucky State University, Prairie View (B) and Harris-Stowe State University, finishing in the semi-finals with a competitive loss to Prairie View A&M. Their only other loss came to Southern University-Baton Rouge, who ultimately won the tournament.

Langston University’s Quiz Bowl team has participated in national tournaments this season at Murray State, where they became one of the very few HBCUs in the nation to win two games in the National Association of Quiz Tournament’s format, and at the University of Missouri, where they competed in the NAQT Sectional Championship Tournament. They also scrimmaged virtually with Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to gear up for the tournament.

“I’m very impressed with the work that our scholars put in to get to this point,” said Quiz Bowl Coach Kyle Gregory. “Half of our team has only been on our team for a month and a half, and they put together an impressive performance. We had our team captain, Olivia, receive a scholarship to study abroad for the semester and had to replace our captain late in the process after she received that great opportunity.”

National traveling team members include Captain Charles Bennett, a Junior Finance major from Temple, Oklahoma; Yasriyah Saleem, a freshman Nursing major from Stockton, California; Jayden Smith, a freshman Biology major from Muskogee, Oklahoma; and Jaeden Williams, a Health, Physical Education and Recreation major from Dallas. Gregory has coached the Quiz Bowl Team for 11 years and also participated in quiz bowl at Langston University, Arkansas-Little Rock and the University of Oklahoma as a player.

Now the team must wait to hear from the selection committee at College Bowl to see if they are selected for the HCASC National Championship Tournament in Torrance, California. American Honda generously provides up to $404,000 in grant funding annually to qualifying teams.

“The team has put itself in a great position to claim one of the 32 spots to compete in the National Championship Tournament and now we must wait and see if the selection committee sees it the same way,” Gregory said.

Students interested in joining or practicing with the Quiz Bowl team should contact Coach Gregory at kyle.gregory@langston.edu.

HCASC is America’s premier academic competition for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) students. Four-student teams face off in head-to-head competitions and must quickly answer questions about history, science, literature, religion, math, the arts, pop culture and sports. Langston University is one of 61 teams competing for institutional grants from Honda and a spot in the HCASC National Championship Tournament.

Since 1989, Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, one of Honda’s longest-running philanthropic initiatives in the United States, has celebrated and recognized the academic talents of HBCU students. More than $9 million in grants from Honda have provided support for scholarships, facility upgrades and other investments to improve the HBCU student experience. For more information, visit www.hcasc.com.

Langston’s HCASC./Quiz Bowl team has earned over $131,000 in grants for the university from American Honda since the program began in 1989.

A photo of Daysha Isaac presenting her research

Biology senior earns scientific merit award at national conference

Release Provided By Ellie Melero

by Ellie Melero, Media Relations Specialist

Biology senior Daysha Isaac won a Scientific Merit Award at the National IDeA Symposium of Biomedical Research Excellence (NISBRE) Conference in Washington D.C. this summer.

The 9th Biennial NISBRE Conference, put on by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) from June 16-19, was a showcase of the accomplishments of the NIGMS’s IDeA program. Undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, junior and senior investigators, and staff from IDeA-supported programs came together to share their research. At the conference’s end, various awards were presented, including merit awards, mentorship awards, and entrepreneurship awards.

“I used to be a student who struggled with education and could barely understand the concept, to now being a student who can properly explain a complex topic to a plethora of people,” Isaac said. “So this award means that no matter what obstacles are thrown my way, I am able to grow past them.”

A native of Arlington, Texas, Isaac has been interested in biology and medicine since she was a child. She was born with an umbilical hernia that had to be removed when she was 8, and her time in the hospital gave her an insight into what a life in medicine was like. Since then, she has worked toward her goal of becoming a doctor, and she aspires to be a pediatrician or a neonatal physician.

Isaac poses with her award — Daysha Isaac won a Scientific Merit Award at the National IDeA Symposium of Biomedical Research Excellence (NISBRE) Conference in Washington D.C. this summer.

Isaac came to Langston University looking for a place where she could thrive with individuals who looked like her and had the same aspirations as her, and she has found a supportive community that has helped her grow as a person and a scholar.

“Being an African American in a field that is not as diverse means I have to work extremely hard to spread my name across the room,” Isaac said. “Therefore, when professors see my talent, it makes me grateful for all my hard work. It excites me when others see my potential and are able to help me network. It motivates me when I am able to expand my name across a plethora of audiences.”

Isaac’s foray into research began when she met Dr. Kj Abraham in his Honors Natural Science Biology-I class. She impressed him with her eagerness to learn, and he has been her faculty mentor for the past two years.

As a faculty mentor, Dr. Abraham introduces students like Isaac to biomedical research and helps prepare them for a career in biomedical sciences. He trains them in research techniques, teaches them fundamentals in research and helps them to build technical skills. They are also prepared to work independently on research projects. They are taught how to review research publications, write research abstracts, and make oral presentations.

Dr. Abraham introduced Isaac to the Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) last year, and he said he is proud to see how much she has grown through her participation in the program.

“She was quick to learn and follows instructions very well,” Dr. Abraham said. “She was committed to her task and adapted very well to undergraduate research. Her growth was evident in the way she successfully completed her research internship at KSU and went on to win a poster prize at the Annual K-INBRE Symposium in January.”

Through K-INBRE, Isaac worked with Dr. Jocelyn McDonald at Kansas State University to do research on stalk cell movement in drosophila. She studied ovarioles in fruit fly ovaries and looked at several functions, including cell formation and the movement of stalk cells, and then marked the differences when mutations were added.

“This information allowed us to apply it to birth defects in infants,” Isaac said. “No way are we trying to cure it but gather more information about cell movement to make a connection. Such birth defects we compared it to were spina bifida and microcephaly.”

A photo of Isaac presenting her research — Isaac presented her research on stalk cell movement in drosophila at the NISBRE Conference.

Isaac presented this research at the K-INBRE Symposium in January, where she won an Award of Excellence in Poster Presentations, and was invited to present again at the NISBRE Conference. This time, she gave an oral presentation in addition to the poster presentation.

Isaac said she was nervous for her oral presentation, but she fought through her nerves to deliver an engaging presentation with energy and excitement. She was proud of her performance, and for good reason.

“After I presented, I was complimented many times,” Isaac said. “I was told by a professor that when I was ready to apply to graduate school to contact him, and another professor said he would want me to consider attending their medical school in Maine. I was told I brought the energy to the room, and I presented my research very well. Even with all the compliments, I still was extremely surprised that I won an award.”

Dr. Abraham said Isaac’s presentation was outstanding and that her confidence and knowledge were evident. He was not as surprised as Isaac that she won the Scientific Merit Award.

“This award shows that students from LU can be the best in the country and have proved that they can be top prize winners provided they are mentored and given opportunities,” Dr. Abraham said. “This also means that LU is on the national map in biomedical research.”

Isaac plans to continue being involved in research during her last year at Dear Langston, and she plans to apply for graduate school after graduation. She eventually plans to go to medical school.