SWOSU Press Release
Weatherford, OK – The Southwestern Oklahoma State University Department of Mathematics recently held its annual banquet on Wednesday, April 30, in the East Ballroom of the Memorial Student Center. The event recognized graduating seniors in both the Mathematics and Mathematics Education programs, highlighted academic achievements from the past year, and celebrated several departmental scholarships and awards.
In addition to recognizing graduates and scholarship recipients, the banquet offers a chance to acknowledge ongoing scholarly activity in the department and to build connections between current students and alumni. Several former students attended this year’s banquet, including Jacy Soliz (Class of 2004), Carlos Ramirez (Class of 2019), Terin Kelley, née Brownen (Class of 2020), and Anthony Braden (Class of 2023).
Scholarships and awards were presented throughout the evening by faculty members Dr. Somnath Ghosh and Dr. Tom McNamara. Danni Sottile received the Dr. Gerry and Phyllis Church Endowed Scholarship, which was established through a donation from SWOSU Emeritus faculty member Dr. Gerry Church and designated for students majoring in mathematics. D’Qwan Loneman was selected for the Hook Family Endowed Scholarship, created through a generous contribution from the Hook family to the SWOSU Foundation. Both of these endowed scholarships provide $1,000 in support to students studying mathematics.
Additional departmental scholarships funded through the SWOSU Foundation were also awarded. Kimberly Siegle and Jonathon Barrett each received $500, and Hritu Bishwakarma was awarded $250.
Both Siegle and Bishwakarma were also selected for Math Scholars Awards, which are given to students who demonstrate exceptional academic performance and a strong commitment to their studies. These awards are funded through the Mathematics Department’s general account with the SWOSU Foundation.
Awards were also presented for excellence in the study of Calculus. Bishwakarma and Vareeksha Sharma were both recognized for their outstanding performance in the subject area.
This year’s banquet also served as a milestone for the department as it recognized the upcoming retirement of Dr. Ron Koehn, who will retire at the end of the 2024–2025 academic year. Koehn has been with the university for 27 years and has contributed significantly within the department.
The SWOSU Department of Mathematics offers a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education, and a Master of Education in Mathematics Education. These programs prepare students for careers in education, data analysis, programming, actuarial science, and related fields. The department emphasizes technology integration and problem-solving across its curriculum and maintains an active chapter of the mathematics honor society Kappa Mu Epsilon.
For more information about mathematics programs at SWOSU, visit https://www.swosu.edu/academics/academic-departments/mathematics/.
