Dean's Office: College of Liberal Arts

Dr. Gary Steward, Dean

Dr. Steward joined the UCO faculty in 1998. He taught a variety of classes in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, including deviance, religion, corrections, death/dying, and research methodology. His specialty areas include social movement/collective behavior, sociology of religion, research methodology, and the sociology of death and dying. Dr. Steward was appointed Assistant Dean in July 2004, Associate Dean in September 2005, and was named Dean of the College of Liberal Arts in January 2013.

Dr. Gary Steward
Dean of the College of Liberal Arts
LAR 104
(405) 974-2602
gsteward@uco.edu 

Shae Bunas, Debate Judge/Assistant Debate coach

Shae received his bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma in the summer of 2012 after 4 years of debate. The following autumn he joined the UCO debate team in the College of Liberal Arts as an assistant coach where his work focuses primarily on producing research in the areas of political philosophy and global politics and helping the debaters develop their speaking and argumentation skills. Shae is excited to help the debate team grow into a nationally competitive program.

Shae Bunas
Debate Judge/Assistant Debate Coach
LAR 126
(405) 974-5564
sbunas@uco.edu

Dr. Elaine Bartgis, Assistant Dean

Dr. Bartgis joined the UCO faculty in 2004 when she returned to Oklahoma after teaching for several years in West Virginia. Dr. Bartgis has taught various courses in Criminal Justice including; police administration, community oriented policing, comparative criminal justice systems, critical issues, and criminal investigation. Before receiving her Ph.D. she was a municipal police officer and a state investigator for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

Dr. Bartgis was appointed Assistant Dean for the College of Liberal Arts in 2009. As Assistant Dean she assumed the duties of overseeing assessment efforts for the college, strategic planning, and chaired the Academic Continuing Improvement Council (ACIC). Additional duties included working with CLA faculty and ACIC members to update and refine student learning objectives and reviewing technology needs of the college. Dr. Bartgis was appointed Associate Dean to the College of Liberal Arts in January, 2013.

Dr. Elaine Bartgis
Assistant Dean
LAR 104
(405) 974-5572
ebartgis@uco.edu

Janie Leftwich, Executive Assistant to the Dean

As the Executive Office Assistant for the College, Janie Leftwich serves as the point of contact for the Dean and as the manager of the Office of the Dean.  Some of her responsibilities include:  overseeing and coordinating office services and work assignments to the office support staff;  facilitating the hiring of new faculty; organizing the promotion, tenure and annual review process; maintaining faculty and staff personnel files; supervising the Budget Assistant, Project Coordinator and Administrative Assistant III; coordinating the Adjunct budget for the college; taking minutes at Chairpersons’ meetings; and working with the college’s Departmental Administrative Assistants in a myriad of items pertaining to office policy.

Janie has been with UCO since 2007.  Before moving to the College of Liberal Arts in 2008 she worked as the Administrative Assistant within the Office of Planning & Analysis.  Janie has worked in and around the Higher Education field in Oklahoma for more than 25 years.  Prior to working for UCO she worked at Oklahoma Christian University in the Advancement office and in the College of Science and Arts Deans’ office.

Janie Leftwich
Executive Office Assistant II
(405) 974-2602
tleftwich@uco.edu

William Andrews, Graphic Design Coordinator

As graphic design coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts, Will Andrews maintains the college's webpages and social media presence, maintains and updates the electronic lobby displays, assists faculty with development of graphic materials and designs and produces a range of printed materials for the college.

Will has been with the College of Liberal Arts since 2006. He graduated from UCO in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in journalism and worked as a writer and editor at the Stillwater NewsPress and The Daily Oklahoman before making the transition to new media.

As a product of the College of Liberal Arts, Will is glad to be in a position that allows him to contribute to the success of the college and its students. He also hopes to further his education at UCO by pursuing a master’s degree in political science.

William Andrews
Graphic Design Coordinator
LAR 106
(405) 974-5527
wandrews@uco.edu

Brenda Simpson, Assessment Coordinator

Brenda has been with the College of Liberal Arts since 2008, and lived in Edmond since 1979.  She has been with UCO since 1996, including eight years with UCO's Assessment Office, which has given her a diverse background in assessment and continuous improvement.

As a member of the Liberal Arts team, she brings her knowledge to provide support with college and departmental student feedback as well as program and curriculum assessment.

Brenda Simpson
Assessment Coordinator
LAR 106
(405) 974-2614
bsimpson@uco.edu

Dale Knight, Budget Assistant

As Budget Assistant for the College of Liberal Arts, Mr. Knight keeps track of allocations, revenues, and expenditures and prepares monthly budget summaries for 47 college and departmental financial organizations.  He works with the Dean on the yearly financial analysis of all college and departmental budgets.  Based on this analysis he provides budget recommendations for the departments and the dean and assists with purchasing for all college-level accounts.

Mr. Knight graduated from OSU with a B.A. in History in December 1990 and continued his post-graduate studies at OSU until 1992 with an additional 33 hours in History where he specialized in Native American studies and carried out research on the Anasazi People of Chaco Canyon New Mexico. During his years at OSU, Dale worked for several departments at the OSU Stillwater campus including the Audio Visual Center, the Campus Post Office, the Library Archives and Special Collections Dept., and as a Graduate Assistant for the History Department.

Mr. Knight first started working for UCO and the College of Liberal Arts in October 1998 when he was hired as the Multimedia Technician for the college. He was responsible for the delivery of classroom multimedia equipment, operation of the faculty copy center and management of the Pegasus Theater. Promoted to Director of Educational Technologies in July 2000, Mr. Knight was responsible for supervising full-time technical staff and student workers as well as the management of day-to-day operations in the laboratories, Pegasus Theater, and the LA Multimedia Center.  In July 2006 Mr. Knight was promoted to Program Specialist and was responsible for oversight of all technology purchases for the college. Mr. Knight also served as Building Captain from July 2000 to June 2010 when he was promoted to Budget Assistant.

Dale Knight
Budget Assistant
LAR 221
(405) 974-5541
dknight@uco.edu

Glenda Lietzke, Project Coordinator

As the LA Project Coordinator, Glenda is responsible for coordinating non-donor events. She is responsible for coordinating the food, set-up, and clean-up of annual events such as College of Liberal Arts Back-To-School lunch and meeting, Commencement Receptions, and Homecoming Tailgate events. Processing and tracking faculty, staff, and student travel is another responsibility of hers as well as scheduling rooms and Pegasus Theater for on-campus and off- campus events.

Glenda has worked at UCO since 1995, joining the College of Liberal Arts in 2008.

Glenda Lietzke
Project Coordinator
LAR 104
(405) 974-2601
GLietzke@uco.edu

Tiffany Barksdale, Project Coordinator

Tiffany Barksdale has been an essential member of the Dean's office staff for three years. As project coordinator she oversees and manages the details for all events for the LA Dean's Office, including the Liberal Arts Symposium. Tiffany is also responsible for the production of publications, publicity and marketing pieces for the college of Liberal Arts and assists the director of development, Lisa Antonelli with development planning and efforts, including administrative support and sponsorship assistance.

Tiffany Barksdale
Project Coordinator
LAR 104
(405) 974-2522
tbarksdale@uco.edu

Dr. Joan Luxenburg, Assistant Dean

Dr. Luxenburg joined UCO in 1977 and served as Chair of the Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Substance Abuse Studies Department from 1996-2002.  She holds an Ed.D. in Sociology and Education from Columbia University and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.   She is the author of one book, several book chapters, and several journal articles.  Dr. Luxenburg’s  duties in the Dean’s Office include: curriculum development and building the Class Schedules, as well as helping students resolve various immediate issues. 

Dr. Joan Luxenburg
Assistant Dean
LAR 104
(405) 974-5626
jluxenburg@uco.edu

Terri Winblad, Scholarship Coordinator

Terri Winblad serves as the scholarship coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts.  She graduated from UCO in 1982 and received a master's degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1985. As scholarship coordinator, Terri works to ensure that students are aware of the numerous opportunities for financial assistance through the College of Liberal Arts and she helps students navigate the application process. Many students who might not otherwise be able to achieve a college degree are pursuing higher education goals because of Terri's work.

Terri Winblad
Scholarship Coordinator
LAR 104
(405) 974-5567
twinblad@uco.edu

Kayla Tindle, Grant Facilitator

As Grant Facilitator for the College of Liberal Arts, Kayla Tindle supports all aspects of grantsmanship by notifying faculty of funding opportunities, facilitating grant proposal development, creating grant budgets and budget narratives, guiding faculty through the proposal routing process, and offering continuing education in grant writing.

Kayla received her B.A. in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Oklahoma Christian University and taught at universities in Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, and Korea. In May 2013, she will receive her M.Ed. in Adult and Higher Education from UCO and she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Her ultimate goal, as reflected in the vision of the Grants Office, is "to foster a culture of grantsmanship which promotes the advancement of faculty and student scholarship, transformative experiences, and interdisciplinary collaborations."

Kayla Tindle
Grant Facilitator
LAR104
(405) 974-5537
ktindle@uco.edu

Barbara Jones, Administrative Assistant III

As administrative assistant for the College of Liberal Arts, Barbara Jones processes and maintains all student forms that go through the Dean’s office. She works with the Associate Dean on administrative duties for the Curriculum Committee and is the Dean’s office representative for the Symposium Committee. She is responsible for scheduling semester classes that come through the Dean's office.

Barbara has been with the College of Liberal Arts since August of 2010. She graduated from Otterbein University in 1983 with a BA degree in Home Economics Education and Vocational Home Economics. She previously worked at Moore Norman Technology Center as a Basic Skills Instructor.

As part of the College of Liberal Arts, Barbara enjoys working with both the students and faculty to facilitate the processes of the college and university.

Barbara Jones
Administrative Assistant III
LAR 104
(405)974-5348
bjones56@uco.edu

Lea Ann Chandler, Development Manager

Dustin Jones, Coordinator of Technical Services

Dr. Matthew Moore, Director of Debate

Dr. Matthew Moore is the Director of Debate at UCO and an adjunct instructor for several departments on campus. He is a native of Belleville, Illinois, and received his B.A. (Political Science) and M.S. (Speech Communication) from Southern Illinois University. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Missouri.

Dr. Moore teaches courses related to the debate program at UCO. UCO participates in competitive policy debate on the NDT/CEDA circuit against teams from around the country including: Harvard, Michigan, Stanford, USC, and Oklahoma. Before taking over at UCO, Dr. Moore was the Assistant Director of Debate at Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois.

Dr. Moore’s research interests include terrorism, the international trade of major conventional weapons, arms control, and alliances. His work can be found in The Journal of Conflict Resolution and International Interactions. Matt currently lives in Edmond with his wife Sarah.

Kurt Fifelski, Assistant Debate Coach

As the Assistant Debate Coach at UCO, Kurt coordinates research and assists students with argumentative strategy.

Kurt has been with the College of Liberal Arts since 2011. He graduated from Emporia State University in 2011 where he successfully debated for four years, ending his career as an Academic-All American. He intends to graduate from UCO with a master's in public affairs in 2014.

Kurt greatly enjoys contributing to the educational experience of students at UCO, and looks forward to expanding the presence of the debate team on the UCO campus.

Jeannine Nyangira, Student Success Advisor

Jeannine Nyangira is the Student Success Advisor for English, English Education, and English/Creative Writing majors.  

Jeannine was born in Kenya, raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, and lived for fourteen years in Wheaton, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago).

After attending Wheaton College (B.A., Christian Education) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (M.A., English), she taught Composition and Business Writing at Doane College in rural Nebraska and Composition at Kennedy-King College in urban Chicago.  Most recently, she worked for five years in Admissions at Wheaton College. 

Having moved to Oklahoma in 2010, she’s been pleasantly shocked by how friendly Oklahomans are and enjoys living here—although when football Saturdays roll around, you can find her screaming for her Nebraska Huskers!

Jeannine loves the liberal arts and what they can do for a soul by opening one up to the world.  She’s also passionate about connecting people with the information they need.  As a Student Success Advisor, she’s excited to connect students with resources/ideas/opportunities that will enhance their college experiences.

Jeannine Nyangira
Student Success Advisor
LAR 125
(405) 974-5818
jnyangira@uco.edu

Kyle Foster, Student Success Advisor

Kyle Foster is a Student Success Advisor in the College of Liberal Arts.  Before coming to UCO, Kyle worked admissions at a private liberal arts university and, before entering higher education, worked in customer service and the legal field.  He earned his Bachelor of Arts from East Central University, where he majored in Political Science.  Kyle received a Master of Science from Drexel University, where he studied Higher Education, with a  concentration in Student Development & Affairs.  Currently, he is taking coursework at Oklahoma State University in pursuit of a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership.  When he’s not thinking about how to help UCO students succeed, Kyle enjoys reading historical fiction, keeping up with politics, and hanging out with his wife and their dog.

Kyle Foster
Student Success Advisor
LAR 125
(405) 974-5820
sfoster18@uco.edu

Lindsay Eckert, Student Success Advisor

Lindsay Eckert is a Senior Academic Advisor for the College of Liberal Arts.

Lindsay was born and raised in Oklahoma, and grew up in the town of Choctaw. She attended the University of Central Oklahoma, receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Family Life Education with a minor in Psychology. She loved being a student at UCO so much, she applied for every job she could until they finally hired her. She has been working with the Enrollment Management division since 2006. In 2011, Lindsay received a Master’s degree in Adult Education from UCO.

After becoming an Academic Advisor, Lindsay quickly learned she loves helping students succeed in college. One of her favorite events each semester is the “Old North Walk”. There, Lindsay gets to see her students dressed up in their caps and gowns and ready to graduate!

In addition to helping students in advisement appointments, Lindsay also serves as an adjunct instructor for the course Success Central. She loves being able to help incoming freshmen figure out what they’re doing their first semester in college.

In her spare time, Lindsay enjoys reading, photography, going to concerts, and hanging out with her family, friends, and two dogs.

Lindsay Eckert
Senior Academic Advisor
leckert1@uco.edu,