COE 2022
NSU announces 2022 Circle of Excellence recipients
(Tahlequah, Oklahoma) - Northeastern State University has announced the 2022 Circle of Excellence Award honorees.
NSU faculty members were nominated by their peers in one of the three categories: teaching, research and service. A selection committee of past honorees chose the best in each category for this recognition.
The 2022 Circle of Excellence Award honorees are: Dr. Virginia Drywater-Whitekiller for Research, Dr. Eun-Jun Bang for Service, and Jennifer Edwards, Ph.D. for Teaching.
Research - Dr. Virginia Drywater-Whitekiller
In addition to teaching, Dr. Whitekiller pursues an active research agenda utilizing
the theory of cultural resilience as applied to American Indian/Alaska Native/First
Nations population issues such as microaggressions, higher education retention, identity,
and Indian child welfare. In 2009 she was selected as a Smithsonian Community Scholar
conducting research at the Smithsonian Achieves in Suitland, Maryland. More recently,
she served as the 2018-2019 Fulbright Canada Jarislowsky Research Chair in Aboriginal
Studies at Vancouver Island University, British Columbia. Dr. Drywater-Whitekiller
has written for and has been awarded $2,438,110.00 in external grant funding that
directly correlates with program development/evaluation and assessment of medical
and social service occupations.
Service - Dr. Eun-Jun Bang
Dr. Eun-Jun Bang is a professor of social work and has taught social work students
at NSU for 13 years. He holds a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Missouri
and a master’s
degree in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. Since joining NSU in
2009 as a faculty member, he has always been actively involved in service activities
for our institution and community with a sense of responsibility and ownership. He
is currently the department chair of social work and the director of the social work
graduate program. He also serves as a volunteer social worker for the Korean community
in Tulsa. Recently, Dr. Bang was awarded President Joseph R. Biden’s Volunteer Service
Award in recognition of his contribution to community service and volunteer work.
Teaching - Jennifer Edwards, Ph.D.
Jennifer Edwards received a B.A. in Sociology from California State University, Stanislaus
and a Master of Science degree in Criminology from California State University, Fresno.
In 2004, she earned a Ph.D. in Sociology from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Edwards’
areas of specialization include criminology and social psychology. Specifically, she
focuses on intergroup conflict and the relationship between ritual behavior and power.
Jennifer teaches a variety of courses including criminology, sociology of gender,
rural sociology, urban sociology, social psychology, and sociology of religion. In
her spare time, Dr. Edwards enjoys traveling and watching Netflix and movies with
her sixteen year old daughter.Each faculty honoree of the Circle of Excellence Award receives $2,500 that he or she can receive as a check or use for professional development. The office of Academic Affairs and the NSU Foundation provide help and support for this award.
For more information, contact Dr. Nathan Green at green66@nsuok.edu.