Oral history interview with Carrie Johnson

Carrie Johnson, a 1988 graduate of Oklahoma State University (OSU) with a bachelor's and a master's degree in architectural engineering, talks about her work as a structural engineer and principal in Wallace Design Collective. She discusses various aspects of her work, from designing retail facilities to managing employees before, during, and after the COVID-19 Pandemic. She explains her approach to leadership, shares what it has been like working for the same company the length of her career and gives advice for students interested in the field of engineering. She also notes her involvement with OSU and speaks briefly about being inducted into OSU's College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology Hall of Fame in 2019.The STEM Areas and Women Collection is a series of interviews conducted with women who have work experience in the historically predominantly male fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

Oral history interview with Randa Parrish

Randa Parrish, owner of Prairie Quilt Shop in Hennessey, Oklahoma, recalls her decision to buy a fabric store in 2001 and some of the challenges she faced along the way. She shares some of her marketing successes from "strip club" events and retreats to shop hops. Parrish discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic had on revenue, the supply chain, and branching out to take advantage of online opportunities. She describes her staff learning how to make videos to upload to Facebook, introducing an app, and how customers in the shop have declined due to the pandemic. She explains the process of designing fabric, where she gets some of her inspiration, and the ways her team contributes to the enterprise.The COVID-19 in Oklahoma Collection is a series of interviews which document how Oklahomans were affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. This project was made possible with support from the Institute for Museums and Library Services American Rescue Plan Grant

Oral history interview with Vanessa Adams-Harris

Vanessa Adams-Harris, Muscogee citizen and director of outreach and alliance for the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation, talks about her early awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of illness in her family and her daughter traveling abroad. Adams-Harris discusses the lack of news coming from within Oklahoma in the early months of the pandemic as well as her husband's decision to retire from American Airlines due to employees not taking sufficient precautions. She describes her personal use of masks and vaccines and the broader public response and shares how she thinks society will move on from the pandemic and the lasting effects it may have.The COVID-19 in Oklahoma Collection is a series of interviews which document how Oklahomans were affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. This project was made possible with support from the Institute for Museums and Library Services American Rescue Plan Grant

Oral history interview with Fred Jonzen

Fred Jonzen, a 2002 Oklahoma State University (OSU) graduate, came to OSU from Sweden on a basketball scholarship. He explains how he became acquainted with OSU and talks about attending one year of high school in Kansas. He talks about playing for Coach Eddie Sutton, being a roommate of Nate Fleming, and participating in the NCAA Elite 8. He also shares his memories of the 2001 plane crash and a few of the events in the aftermath.The We Will Remember Promise collection is a series of interviews with individuals associated with the 2001 plane crash that claimed the lives of ten men affiliated with the men's basketball program and the 2011 plane crash that claimed the lives of four people connected to the women's basketball program

Oral history interview with Karen Allen

Karen Allen, critical care physician at St. Anthony's Hospital in Oklahoma City, talks about the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when the hospital was preparing for large amounts of patients. She describes some of her interactions with families during the pandemic including those who wished to use unproven medical treatments on their loved ones due to misinformation or a misunderstanding. Allen notes an increasing level of distrust in healthcare and medical professionals from patients and families she had never seen before the pandemic. She also discusses the mental toll and need for counseling many ICU workers felt as a result of the medical situations and death on a new scale they had not previously experienced.The COVID-19 in Oklahoma Collection is a series of interviews which document how Oklahomans were affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. This project was made possible with support from the Institute for Museums and Library Services American Rescue Plan Grant

Oral history interview with Debi Carnott

Debi Carnott discusses her long career in conservation in Oklahoma. She recalls her early days with the North Canadian River Conservation District, some of the programs she worked in and with, and making the shift from district employee to working for the Oklahoma Conservation Commission. She talks about her efforts to improve water quality in the North Canadian River watershed and beyond. Carnott also explains the need to continually educate each generation as to the importance of conserving and preserving natural resources.The Oklahoma's Conservation Heritage Collection is a series of interviews with people involved with conserving and preserving the natural resources of the state. This interview was conducted in partnership and sponsorship with the Oklahoma Conservation Historical Society with funding provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. More archival material from this history can be found at the Oklahoma Historical Society

Oral history interview with Nicole Watts

Nicole Watts, a 1999 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, talks about earning a degree in civil engineering and beginning a career. She explains what her work entails, how it has changed, and discusses some of her favorite projects. She also speaks about transitioning to a new company during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 and about being a certified floodplain manager.The STEM Areas and Women Collection is a series of interviews conducted with women who have work experience in the historically predominantly male fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

Oral history interview with Ana Barros

Ana Barros, a teacher at Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences, discusses her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and her limited amount of teaching experience before the pandemic hit in 2020. Barros describes some of the hardships faced by students and teachers alike including problems adjusting to online schooling and students not participating as they used to and failing classes in larger numbers, with a disproportionate impact on minority students. As students returned to classrooms, Barros notes some of the lasting effects of the pandemic through social and emotional attitudes of incoming students not previously seen.The COVID-19 in Oklahoma Collection is a series of interviews which document how Oklahomans were affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. This project was made possible with support from the Institute for Museums and Library Services American Rescue Plan Grant

Oral history interview with Madison Williams

Madison Williams talks about her experience as a student at Oklahoma State University during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning in the second semester of her freshman year, she describes the effects of the lockdown on campus and elsewhere including having to move back home. She discusses the transition to online classes, the cancellation of her study abroad trip, and her eventual return to campus.The COVID-19 in Oklahoma Collection is a series of interviews which document how Oklahomans were affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. This project was made possible with support from the Institute for Museums and Library Services American Rescue Plan Grant

Oral history interview with Nick Hoheisel

Nick Hoheisel, strength and conditioning coach at Oklahoma State University, discusses his career path, learning from Coach Bill Snyder, and his interest in the field of strength and conditioning for college athletes. He shares memories of Coaches Kurt Budke and Miranda Serna and talks about his response to the 2011 plane crash. He also explains some of the work of a strength and conditioning coach for the sports of basketball and tennis at the college level.The We Will Remember Promise collection is a series of interviews with individuals associated with the 2001 plane crash that claimed the lives of ten men affiliated with the men's basketball program and the 2011 plane crash that claimed the lives of four people connected to the women's basketball program