Two Seminole State College employees were recognized for their dedication and service during the Seminole Chamber of Commerce Forum on Oct. 9. Professor of History Marta Osby was honored as Faculty Member of the Month, and Health Sciences Office Manager Julie Mathews was named Staff Member of the Month.
The Seminole Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, along with the Lions Club and Kontoor Brands/Wrangler, recognizes SSC employees several times during Forum each year. Honorees are nominated from across campus and selected by College administrators.
Osby has served SSC for 23 years. A pioneer of online instruction at the College, she launched SSC’s first online course early in her tenure and continues to teach in all delivery formats. She has led student learning experiences to Seattle, Philadelphia, Nashville, Dallas, and most recently London and Paris. In her history and Leadership Development courses, she involves students in service projects supporting the Salvation Army, the SSC Food Pantry, Relay for Life, the National MS Society, safety fairs and more. She founded “Operation Veteran Appreciation and Holiday Cheer,” delivering holiday cards to veterans in Oklahoma and abroad.
Osby has taught American History I and II, Early Western Civilization, Modern Western Civilization, Leadership Development through the Classics and American National Government. She represented SSC at the Higher Learning Commission annual meeting in Chicago. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Arts in History from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Her campus involvement includes SSC Faculty Senate and numerous committees; she is also a member of Phi Alpha Theta and St. Luke’s Methodist Church.
Her honors include service as Social Science Division chair, SSC Faculty Senate president, advisor of the SSC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, Outstanding Faculty Member for the Oklahoma Association of Community Colleges, Educator of the Month from the Seminole Lions Club, and certification as a PTK Leadership Development instructor.
She resides in Oklahoma City and is the daughter of Bill and Georgann Osby.
Mathews has worked at SSC for four years and assists with the daily operations of the Nursing, Physical Therapist Assistant and Medical Laboratory Technology programs.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management from East Central University. A former concurrent student at Seminole Junior College while attending Wewoka High School, she is proud that her daughter graduated from SSC with an associate degree in Nursing.
Mathews serves as secretary for the Classified Staff Association. She lives in Tecumseh with her husband, Tom; they have been married for 31 years and have four children and three grandchildren.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, attending FaithCo Church in Shawnee, and traveling the United States—only eight states remain on her list.