OFE News Release
2009 Oklahoma Medal for Excellence Winners Announced
February 23, 2009
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence announced today the winners of its Oklahoma Medal for Excellence awards honoring five outstanding educators in Oklahoma’s public schools.
The prestigious awards will be presented at the foundation’s 23rd annual Academic Awards Banquet on May 16 at the new Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center, 2501 Conference Drive in Norman. Each of the five winners will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a glass “Roots and Wings” sculpture, created by Oklahoma artist Ron Roberts and produced by Jim Triffo of Oklahoma City. Medals are awarded annually to outstanding Oklahoma teachers, one each at the elementary and secondary levels and to an administrator from the elementary or secondary level. For the first time this year, the foundation is also offering two Medals for Excellence in higher education teaching – one at the community college/regional university level and one at the research university level. In the past, a single award was presented annually in the overall category of college and university teaching.
This year’s recipients of the Medals for Excellence in Teaching are: Georgie Chapuis, Sadler Arts Academy, MUSKOGEE, elementary level; Claudia Swisher, Norman North High School, NORMAN; secondary level; Dr. Topan K. Bhattacharya, professor of finance, Cameron University, LAWTON; regional university or community college level; and Dr. Andrew Arena Jr., professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, Oklahoma State University, STILLWATER; research university level. The recipient of the Medal for Excellence in elementary/secondary administration is Barbara Gabel, fine arts coordinator for Putnam City Public Schools, OKLAHOMA CITY.
“We know that education is the best investment Oklahoma can make in its future,” said David L. Boren, founder and chairman of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a non-profit organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in the state’s public schools. “By honoring these exceptional educators, we are sending a message that Oklahomans deeply value excellence in public schools and the professionals who have given so much of themselves to enrich the lives of our children.”
Georgie Chapuis, winner of the Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Elementary Education, currently teaches 8th grade at the Sadler Arts Academy, a kindergarten through eighth-grade arts magnet school in Muskogee. As the daughter of a teacher and a career military officer, Chapuis spent her own childhood traveling to historical places in Europe and learning about science through discovery in nature. Chapuis, who earned degrees in early childhood education and library science, discovered early in her career that children learn best when they can “see and touch the world outside their limited environment.” Visitors to Chapuis’ class will find a room brimming with books and such artifacts as a cobbler’s bench, a spinning wheel, travel trunks and a butter churn. Chapuis uses art and literature to engage students in learning core subjects, from creating a gallery of presidential caricatures to singing songs about algebra. The class explores vocabulary lessons through “Word Splashes,” in which students are asked to illustrate their vocabulary words literally, figuratively and artistically. A National Board Certified teacher, Chapuis received a Fund for Teachers Grant last summer to study French Impressionism in Europe and incorporate her experiences into school curriculum. Principal Maudye Winget marvels at Chapuis’ ability to take students with a limited history of school success and transform them into enthusiastic learners. “A transformation takes place in that upstairs corner classroom filled with fine arts prints, a library of literature and reference books, art supplies, technology, primary source documents and ‘all things math related,’” she said. “Over the course of nine months, Georgie Chapuis gives birth to a class of scholars.”
Claudia Swisher, winner of the Medal for Excellence in Secondary Teaching, teaches English and Reading for Pleasure, a course that she designed at Norman North High School. “Many of my students have forgotten the joy of reading; they have spent years reading – or let’s face it, not reading – required novels in English classes and no longer have the time to read for pleasure or the knowledge of books and authors they might enjoy,” Swisher said. “Matching books and students is the mission of my class.” Swisher’s students run the gamut, from Advanced Placement scholars who want to read the Great Books to struggling readers who are discovering for the first time that reading can be fun. Each student is challenged to work to the best of his or her abilities and to make insightful reflections on those books through reading logs and class discussion. Swisher’s classroom is a cozy room filled with “books, love and safety,” where students can feel comfortable taking risks and sharing laughter and occasional tears. For some students, Swisher’s class has opened new doors to reading and lifelong learning. “My daughter’s entire outlook on reading and education changed,” wrote one parent. “She was given the opportunity to read for different purposes and encounter new genres. She quickly found out that reading is the key to success.” Swisher’s impact extends far outside the classroom as one of the top regional trainers for Education Leadership Oklahoma, an organization that supports teachers seeking National Board Certification. She is also a state leader in the Oklahoma Writing Project and the Special Olympics.
The recipient of the Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Teaching at a Regional University/Community College is Dr. Topan K. Bhattacharya, professor of finance at Cameron University. A former business executive, Bhattacharya decided at the age of 40 to give up his career as a marketing manager to begin the “best years of his life” as a teacher. Bhattacharya combines theory with hands-on experiences to make learning exciting and improve student retention levels. Through his pioneering courses in Portfolio Management I and II, students manage real money bond and stock portfolios; work as a group to prepare an investment plan for a real client and do a research paper that is presented at an academic conference. The bond portfolio is funded by a $1 million line of credit from BancFirst, and profits from the bond portfolio have been used to fund the stock portfolio as well as other Cameron projects such as endowed lectureships. The classes culminate in a formal presentation to senior executives of the bank, stockholders and university officials. “Dr. Bhattacharya has developed one of the most innovative teaching experiences in the nation,” said Sylvia Burgess, vice president for Academic Affairs. “The classes consistently outperform market benchmarks under Dr. Bhattacharya’s outstanding guidance.” While Professor Bhattacharya is known for his highly demanding course work, students consistently rank him among the top professors at Cameron and praise him for his engaging teaching strategies and kindness. “What a wonderful world it would be if all professors would be like Dr. T.K. Bhattacharya,” wrote a former student. “He is someone who really takes his job seriously and is always determined to touch a student’s life in the best way possible.”
Dr. Andrew Arena Jr., professor of aerospace engineering at Oklahoma State University in STILLWATER, has been named winner of the Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Teaching at a Research University. Since joining OSU in 1993, Arena has had a profound impact on the success of the aerospace engineering program, from developing new courses to creating facilities for student projects. Arena’s teaching centers around the idea that “people learn best by doing.” In addition to teaching graduate courses, Arena volunteers to teach introductory aerospace engineering to freshmen. “Instead of me talking about what aerospace engineers do, the students build satellites that we fly to the edge of space and return so they can recover their data,” said Arena, who shares practical experience as a commercial, instrument-rated pilot. Arena’s senior capstone students don’t just design airplanes on paper; they build and fly their airplanes in international competitions, where they consistently rank among the top teams. Graduate student Dustin Gamble recalls, as a sophomore, turning to Dr. Arena for advice when he was struggling in math and science. Arena invited Gamble to spend evenings working alongside seniors in designing aircraft so Gamble could connect theory with real-world design. With Arena’s guidance, the underclassman took on a summer project to design an airplane that would set a duration world record. Not only did the aircraft set two world records, but its duration world record was recognized as one of the most memorable aeronautic records of 2006 along with Steve Fossett’s flight around the world. “It is through Dr. Arena’s passion and desire in teaching that I have been able to rise to the top of my engineering classes and eventually open my creative mind to new ideas,” Gamble said.
The winner of the Medal for Excellence in Elementary/Secondary Administration is Barbara Gabel, fine arts coordinator for the Putnam City Public School District in OKLAHOMA CITY. An accomplished artist and art educator for nearly 40 years, Gabel assumed her current post in 1997, overseeing administration of all district programs in visual and performing arts. “Many teachers and thousands of students have reaped the benefits of her dedication to the field of arts education,” said nominator Susan Gabbard, director of fine arts for Oklahoma City Public Schools. “She has created quality professional development for teachers and created a strong arts education network across the state.” Under Gabel’s leadership, Arts Planning Teams were created at each Putnam City school to focus on arts integration. Sixteen additional arts specialists were hired and the district constructed an art gallery and created a fine arts library. As the result of strategic planning, the district introduced dance into the curriculum at all levels in 2005. Consistent fine arts curriculum guides and common assessments were developed across the district and advanced placement clusters were developed at each high school. Gabel also raised the bar for teacher training by providing more professional development offerings and support for National Board Certification. Glen Henry, director of arts education for the Oklahoma State Department of Education, credits Gabel for creating several statewide initiatives, including the Superintendent’s Awards for Arts Excellence and a network for arts in education schools and communities. “Not only is Barbara Gabel Oklahoma’s art saint, but she is a strong advocate for quality standards-based instruction and the administrator of an exemplary arts education program for Putnam City Public Schools,” Henry said.
In addition to presenting the Medal for Excellence awards, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence will honor 100 of Oklahoma’s top public high school seniors as Academic All-Staters at its May 16 banquet. The Academic Awards Banquet is open to the public, with admission priced at $50. The awards ceremony will be televised statewide by OETA, the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, at 8 p.m. May 23. For more information, call the Foundation for Excellence office at (405) 236-0006 or visit its web site at www.ofe.org.
Founded in 1985, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is a statewide, non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing and encouraging academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. Through its Academic Awards Program, the foundation has provided more than $3.6 million in scholarships and cash awards to honor outstanding graduating seniors as Academic All-Staters and exceptional educators as Medal for Excellence winners.