2016 Gallogly College Pursuit of Excellence Awards Given

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Congratulations to the 2016 Gallogly College Pursuit of Excellence Award recipients! These awards were first given in 2015 to honor those who have regularly and unselfishly served our college with excellence in all they do and in motivating others. This year's recipients include Dane Schoelen (undergraduate student), Needa Virani (graduate student), Dr. Ed O'Rear (faculty) and Kristi Boren (staff).

Dr. Ed O'Rear was selected for his outstanding and pioneering research in surfactant science and biomedical engineering, his award-winning excellence in teaching and research, his many years of passionate service as director of the OU Bioengineering Center and his dedicated service to both the college and the university at large, including the arts.

Needa Virani was selected for her efforts as an outstanding graduate student, which she demonstrates both in the classroom and lab, as she pursues a doctorate degree in biomedical engineering with a research focus in cancer and nanomedicine. She serves as president of the student chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society, which she helped establish.

Dane Schoelen was recognized as an outstanding undergraduate student. An Oklahoma Regents' Scholar and mechanical engineering major, he has served the college as an engineering recruiter, mentor, and ambassador to K-12 students interested in studying in the STEM fields. Schoelen served a transformative role as project lead for the NASA Robo Ops team, who brought home a first-place win in June, besting seven other university teams, in addition to a team of professional engineers from NASA itself.

Kristi Boren was selected for her 13 years of selfless dedication to the college. She has always aspired and achieved excellence in her important role while managing to stay positive and encouraging to everyone she comes in contact with.

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