Matt Anderson, a graduate student in Dr. Stan Fox’s lab, received an Honorary Marshall Award from Oklahoma State University. The award honors graduate students that have demonstrated scholarly achievement, as evidence by academic performance and discipline-appropriate scholarly contributions, and capture the essence of OSU’s land-grant mission. Matt Anderson was one of the two marshals selected at the PhD level.

Matt Anderson, moving directly from the B.S. to the Ph.D., has shown how he is a part of OSU and its land-grant mission. Matt more than any of advisor Fox’s previous graduate students over his 36-year OSU career has committed himself not only to an outstanding doctoral dissertation, but also immersing himself into the innovative educational aspect of our university and its service to the community, OSU and beyond. Early on, Matt was a big part of the innovative discovery-teaching style of our large Introductory Biology course, writing parts of the laboratory manual and later as a T.A. Unlike most others, Matt was comfortable in guiding students to their own conclusions in lab using the scientific method, rather than giving the objectives at the onset like in most lab courses. Further underscoring Matt’s community activities and outreach, his CV lists numerous contributions as instructor to pre-college Upward Bound programs, mentor to special NSF and NIH programs, mentor to a Niblack Research Scholar, maintenance of public live animal displays, co-advisor to the OSU Herp Club, interactive snake talks to numerous groups from pre-school, through middle and high school, university, and even retired seniors, and mentoring a horde of undergraduate researchers. Matt has published his work in impressive scholarly outlets and made oral presentations at national and international scientific meetings. Matt Anderson is a strong part of “INNOVATE - CREATE - EDUCATE - GO STATE!”. Congratulations from your department!