Abstract
From The President
SWOSU Community,
SWOSU is 125 years old this year, and 2026 has been an exciting year here on the Hilltop! We are gearing up for a great Fall Semester!
This issue of Echoes highlights the wonderful time we had in the Spring when our students, faculty, and staff joined donors, alumni, dignitaries, and community leaders from throughout Oklahoma and beyond for the dedication of the Jerry & Margaret Hodge Center for Pharmacy & Rural Health. The Center represents an innovative private-public partnership that will enable our university to graduate more healthcare professionals to meet the workforce needs of our state while also providing invaluable services to rural communities.
We are also delighted to feature the latest inductees into the SWOSU Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame: Bennie Beutler, ‘70, Melvena Heisch, ‘74, John Lassiter, ‘63, and Bruce Magill, ‘70. These SWOSU graduates represent the highest ideals and values of our institution, and we are truly proud of them.
You will also find exciting news in this issue regarding the generosity of our charitable supporters and the accomplishments of our alumni around the world. Of course, we also have provided some wonderful updates on the activities of our current students and our outstanding professors to keep you informed about all that is happening at SWOSU.
Please be sure to visit www.SWOSUAlumni.com to stay connected and involved with your university. We appreciate all that you do in partnership with us to keep Southwestern “standing firmly on the Hilltop.”
In SWOSU,
Joel Kendall, PhD
President
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Recommended Citation
Southwestern Oklahoma State University Office of Institutional Advancement and Alumni
(2026)
"Spring/Summer 2026,"
Echoes from the Hill: Vol. 97:
Iss.
2, Article 1.
Available at:
https://dc.swosu.edu/echoes/vol97/iss2/1