OCCC’s first-ever Scholar’s Day drew a turnout far beyond what organizers first imagined, attracting more than 100 presenters, dozens of faculty mentors and representation from every academic division.
What began as a mere idea formulated by Professor of English Gena Ford and Dean of Arts, English and Humanities Jennifer Fike ended up becoming a campus-wide collaboration that filled the college with student research, poster presentations and steady crowds throughout the Nov. 18 event.
Ford, who chaired the planning committee, said the success of the event came after a period in which she and Fike were unsure whether Scholar’s Day would have enough participation to happen at all. The turning point, she said, came when instructors across campus began encouraging their students to participate. While organizers had promoted the call for submissions, personal invitations from faculty members appeared to make the biggest difference in student confidence and overall engagement.
“When instructors said, ‘Hey, you should do this,’ it really shifted things,” Ford said. “Students seemed to take that to heart. It gave them a little more confidence.”
Ford said the level of support from across the college far exceeded expectations. Departments that normally operate independently found themselves working side by side: Marketing and Public Relations assisted with design and printing, Facilities prepared the presentation areas, Student Affairs helped supply funding, and the OCCC Foundation contributed scholarship support. Private donors also stepped in, strengthening the awards pool and expanding recognition for student research.
“The whole campus came together, and it was phenomenal,” Ford said. “I was amazed. It felt so good to have an event where so many people had a hand in it.”
The judges selected three overall winners for the top awards. Abygail Maguire earned first place for a project called “The Easy Buckle.” Second place went to Ezequiel Montelongo for “Composing the Mirage Waltz,” and third place was awarded to Ryan Copley for “Aquaponic and Aeroponic Vertical Farming.”
Attendees also voted on their favorites, giving the Voter’s Choice Award to Maguire as well. Additional Voter’s Choice honors were awarded to a group that included Paige Heckman, Madilyn Wilson, Amy Aaron and Gonzalo Rivera for their research project entitled “Medical Marijuana Efficacy for Chronic Pain,” as well as to Holly Afrendas for her presentation, “Three-Part Peer Review Resource for Occupational Therapy Assistant Program.”
Ten presentations were selected to represent OCCC at Oklahoma Research Day, a statewide showcase. The selections included projects from each academic division, ranging from social science research on child maltreatment and behavioral addiction to studies in artificial intelligence, deep neural networks and peer-review practices in health professions programs. Additional selections came from humanities research on writing and public policy, as well as scientific studies analyzing distant galaxies and alternative farming methods.
Ford said she believes the event will only grow from here. Many faculty members have already expressed interest in nominating students earlier in the year, rather than waiting until fall classes produce potential presenters. She expects that shift to broaden participation and give students more time to develop their work.
“A lot of people didn’t even understand what Scholar’s Day was until they saw it in action,” Ford said. “Now that the campus has experienced it, I think participation will naturally increase. Faculty can start thinking year-round about who they want to encourage.”
The strong turnout, faculty involvement and statewide recognition through Oklahoma Research Day have left the planning committee feeling encouraged for the future. For Ford, the most meaningful part of the day was seeing how quickly the idea grew once others added their support.
“We had no idea it would become this big or involve so many people,” she said. “It was just so cool to see what the campus could do together.”
