Thursday, April 4, 2024
School of Accounting will honor alums at Wilton T. Anderson Hall of Fame Banquet Terry Tush OSU News Oklahoma State University’s School of Accounting will honor three outstanding alumni during the 2024 Wilton T. Anderson Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet on April 21 at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center. This year’s distinguished alumni being honored with induction into the Wilton T. Anderson Hall of Fame are: Randy Mecklenburg, who earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from OSU in 1973, is cofounder of the law firm of Harrison & Mecklenburg, which has offices in Kingfisher, Stillwater and Watonga. Jack Murray, who earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from OSU in 1985, is a partner at HoganTaylor and serves as the leader for the company’s nonprofit practice. The Early Career Rising Star honoree is: Vivian Newton, who received both her bachelor’s (2016) and master’s (2017) degrees in accounting, along with an Honors College Degree. She is serving a two-year rotation as a manager in Grant Thornton’s SEC Regulatory Matter Group in Washington, D.C. “The accounting profession plays a pivotal role in shaping economies and influencing the lives of everyday individuals,” said Dr. Angela Spencer, head of the School of Accounting. “We take immense pride in our alumni who have harnessed their accounting degrees to make a tangible impact on Oklahoma and beyond. Randy, Jack and Vivian are remarkable examples of how an OSU accounting education can propel professionals toward meaningful contributions. “As we honor these outstanding individuals, we recognize that they represent a larger community of School of Accounting alumni who continue to elevate the field of accounting. Their legacy inspires our current students and recent graduates, encouraging them to embrace their roles as future change-makers.” Mecklenburg attended OSU on a basketball scholarship and played for legendary coach Henry Iba. After graduation, he took the CPA exam in November 1973 and received honorable mention for scoring the second-highest grade in the state. He began his career working for the Big Eight accounting firm of Haskins & Sells, now known as Deloitte. He became a senior accountant in the tax department before choosing to further his career by attending law school. He graduated from Oklahoma City University law school in the top 10%
of his class in 1979. Upon passing the bar exam, he began working as a lawyer in Kingfisher. He cofounded the law firm of Harrison & Mecklenburg, Inc. in 1987, which now has offices in Kingfisher, Stillwater and Watonga. Harrison & Mecklenburg, Inc. was selected to the inaugural class of the Cowboy100, which recognizes the fastest growing companies owned/operated by an OSU alum. Mecklenburg served the community of Kingfisher as municipal judge for over 38 years. Mecklenburg has served on the board of numerous organizations spanning many different industries and he has been involved with multiple charitable and youth organizations. He and his wife of 53 years, Linda, served as youth directors for The Federated Church for nearly 20 years. He has also served multiple terms as The Federated Church board president and member. The Mecklenburgs have three sons and five grandchildren. Each of the sons are entrepreneurs in their own right. Justin, the oldest, is also a graduate of the OSU School of Accounting and owns two different companies that have been selected for the Cowboy100. They have three grandsons that are currently enrolled at OSU, each following in their grandfather’s entrepreneurial footsteps by majoring in entrepreneurship at Spears Business. Murray, CPA, was raised in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, graduating from College High School in 1977. After starting his college career at St. Cloud State University and a stint in construction, he earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from OSU in 1985. He then began his professional career at Phillips Petroleum Company. His passion for public accounting soon led him to join SF & Co. in 1987, later transitioning to HoganTaylor, where he has dedicated the entirety of his career. Specializing in serving nonprofit organizations, Murray has been instrumental in growing HoganTaylor’s Nonprofit Industry Group since 2009, making it the largest industry group at the firm. HoganTaylor has grown from a small, local accounting firm to be the 81st largest advisory and CPA firm in the United States. Murray has been involved in training technical accounting and auditing topics and has been in high demand for his presentation skills. He has also served on numerous boards and committees, including the OSU School of Accounting Advisory Board and the City of Owasso Audit Committee. See Banquet on 6
Karlie Boothe
While certain environmental factors can increase a dog’s risk of exposure to mosquitoes and contraction of heartworms, it is important to note that avoiding these environmental factors is not enough to prevent heartworm infection.
Veterinary Viewpoints - Heartworm Disease: Prevention is key Terry Tush OSU News
heart to the lungs, and sometimes in the heart itself. They are spread by mosquito bites and can be found in all 50 states. Dogs infected with heartworms may not show any sympAs we all anticipate toms early on. As the disease warmer weather and enjoying progresses, they may develop the outdoors with our pets, it is important to remember to protect symptoms which can include weight loss, lethargy, coughing, your dogs from parasites. One difficulty breathing, and heart of the parasites that dogs need protection from is Heartworms. failure. Chronic, untreated heartworm disease can be fatal. Heartworms are parasitic All dogs are at risk of worms that infect dogs and live becoming infected with heartin the pulmonary artery, the vessel that takes blood from the worms, but there are a few things
that put your pet at increased risk. These include: Not being on heartworm prevention Living in or visiting the southern and southeastern United States Spending more time outside, especially in warmer months when mosquitoes are more active Being near areas where mosquito populations are high (e.g., near bodies of water or stagnant water, which is where mosquitoes reproduce) See Disease on 5
O’Colly Contributor
OSU’s entomologists are dedicated to educating students on the vital role insects play in the global ecosystem.
Majors you didn’t know OSU offered Bella Casey News and Lifestyle Assistant Editor It’s freshman year, and every class is full of new faces. But as one makes progress in getting their degree, class sizes shrink and faces grow familiar. By senior year, most students
know their peers and are in primarily major specific classes. OSU offers 87 majors, many of which some students have no idea exist. Check out these majors you probably didn’t know OSU offered. Entomology Many OSU students earned their class credit through Wyatt Hoback’s campus-renowned entomology course. Although some
students view entomology as a fun one semester experience, others chose it as their major. Entomology is the study of insects and related arthropods. The major explores the role arthropods play in the lives of plants, animals and people. Studying insects is important to crop harvests, the spread of diseases and to waste recycling. See Majors on 8