NEWS
NORMAN, Okla. – The Oklahoma Higher Education Heritage Society inducted six current and former University of Oklahoma employees into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame on Monday. The 32nd annual OHEHS Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony was held at the University of Central Oklahoma where the inductees were recognized for their distinguished contributions to higher education across the state.
Among this year’s 12 inductees are Frederick H. Carr, Ph.D., McCasland Foundation Presidential Professor Emeritus and director emeritus in the OU School of Meteorology; Joe Foote, Ph.D., dean emeritus in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication; Jeffrey H. Harwell, Ph.D., professor emeritus of chemical engineering in the OU School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering; Paul D. Massad, vice president emeritus; Stacy Reeder, Ph.D., dean of the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education and Robert P. White, former associate provost at the Harold Hamm Health Campus.
This year’s inductees join 82 others with OU affiliations who have been named to the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame since it was established in 1994.
“Higher education in Oklahoma is stronger today thanks to the dedication, leadership and service of these outstanding individuals,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “Their contributions have changed the lives of countless students at OU and beyond, and we are proud to celebrate their induction as part of this year’s Hall of Fame class.”
Fredrick Carr, Ph.D., currently serves as the McCasland Foundation Presidential Professor Emeritus and director emeritus at the OU School of Meteorology. He began his career at OU in 1979 before retiring in 2016. During his 14 years serving as director of the OU School of Meteorology, Carr assisted in the vision and design of the National Weather Center and provided leadership to two National Science Foundation Research Centers on campus and to the Oklahoma Mesonet. He also helped initiate the world-leading Advanced Radar Research Center.
Joe Foote, Ph.D., served as dean of the Gaylord College of Journalism from 2004 to 2015 and is now dean emeritus in the college. Foote also served as press secretary to Speaker of the House Carl Albert and chief of staff to Congressman Dave McCurdy. Foote is one of only two persons to have served as President of both the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and the Broadcast Education Association. He was also the founder of the World Journalism Education Council, a network of thirty-two journalism education associations representing countries on six continents.
After joining the OU faculty in 1982, Jeffrey H. Harwell, Ph.D., became full professor in 1992 and served as director of the OU School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering from 1991 to 1998. He also served as executive associate dean of engineering from 1998 to 2005 before retiring from OU in 2022. Throughout his career, Harwell’s research advanced oil recovery, environmental remediation, consumer products and pharmaceutical formulations. He holds more than 40 U.S. and international patents, and his more than two hundred publications have been cited more than 15,000 times.
Throughout his 58-year tenure at OU, Paul D. Massad served seven university presidents in leadership roles in student recruitment, alumni outreach and development before retiring in 2018. Massad began working for the university after earning his bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations in 1960. He played a pivotal role in raising hundreds of millions of dollars in private support for OU, including leading the Reach for Excellence Campaign. Massad has received numerous honors, including the University's Distinguished Achievement and Service Award, the Gaylord College Distinguished Alumni Award and the Lee Allan Smith Oklahoma Legacy Award.
Stacy Reeder, Ph.D., currently serves as dean of the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education, professor of mathematics education and Humphreys Chair in Education. She was appointed dean in 2021 after leading the college as interim dean from 2020 to 2021. Previously, she served as chair of the Department of Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum. Reeder’s extensive service to the state of Oklahoma includes advising the State Department of Education and the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education on the state’s governing standards and policies for mathematics education and chairing the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Mathematics Writing Team from 2015 to 2016.
Robert P. White’s career in higher education policy began as associate provost of the Harold Hamm Health Campus at the University of Oklahoma before serving 20 years on the Oklahoma State University/Agricultural and Mechanical Board of Regents. At OU, White led a governance transformation for the university’s teaching hospitals, replacing an outdated welfare-agency model with a state public trust enterprise structure. Through decades of leadership, public service and strategic vision, he has played an instrumental role in shaping the growth and success of Oklahoma’s academic health centers and expanding opportunities for students, institutions and communities across the state.
OU Alumni Honored
The Oklahoma Higher Education Heritage Society also inducted:
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and healthcare needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
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The Oklahoma Higher Education Heritage Society inducted six current and former University of Oklahoma employees into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame on Monday. The 32nd annual OHEHS Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony was held at the University of Central Oklahoma where the inductees were recognized for their distinguished contributions to higher education across the state.
