Inspired by his son’s positive experience as a student of ACM@UCO, Rusty Aldridge, an advisor of the Tom S. and Marye Kate Aldridge Foundation, recently led an initiative to create the new Laverne Aldridge ACM/UCO Music Scholarship. Last spring, two recipients, a sophomore music performance major at ACM@UCO and a graduate student in the Jazz Studies division, were each selected to receive a $1,000 scholarship and twenty hours of recording studio time at the UCO Jazz Lab.

The Tom S. and Marye Kate Aldridge Foundation has supported programs at UCO and the College of Fine Arts and Design for many years. With the passing of Laverne Aldridge in 2010, though, Aldridge wanted to create a new scholarship in honor of his mother. A musician and UCO alumni himself, Aldridge felt that a scholarship in support of the innovative music programs at Central would be the perfect tribute to his mother’s memory.

"I became aware of the creative vision for music education at the College of Fine Arts and Design through my friend, Brian Gorrell," explained Aldridge. "During a recording session at the Jazz Lab, Brian began to tell me about the concept for ACM@UCO. Being a songwriter and recording artist myself, I immediately became impressed by the notion of what the University wanted to offer the students enrolled in the music programs at UCO."

Aldridge hopes that the two scholarship recipients, while from different programs in the College of Fine Arts and Design, develop a working relationship that will nurture their professional writing, recording and production skills. Aldridge is pleased to support these students financially, stating: "As a graduate of UCO, I can personally say that my family and I truly love witnessing the joy we see in the faces of the students we have been privileged to help with their education. The continued vision of UCO is a true asset to the students and the State of Oklahoma and will be for many generations to come."

Brian Gorrell, director of the UCO Jazz Lab recording studio and head of the Jazz Division in the School of Music, shared his gratitude for the generosity of the Aldridge family and stated that he is especially pleased that the scholarship recipients will benefit from an $80,000 upgrade to the Jazz Lab recording studio facility that is currently under way. Gorrell stated, "I was thrilled to hear about this new scholarship opportunity and think it is a great chance to bring together deserving students from both the ACM@UCO program and our graduate jazz studies program to work together for mutual benefit. They will both be able to experience our newly renovated recording studio and I hope this will set the stage for future collaborations between ACM@UCO and UCO Jazz Studies."

Scott Booker, Chief Executive Officer of ACM@UCO, also expressed his gratitude for the new scholarship, stating "Unique opportunities like the Laverne Aldridge ACM/UCO Music Scholarship are building blocks for helping to create a tie between business and education in the entertainment industry right here in Oklahoma. I applaud their vision in creating such a great new opportunity for our students."

For more information about ACM@UCO or the Jazz Studies program, please contact development director Lori Alspaugh at (405) 974-3778.

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09.10.10 - A Visit to the Selman Living Lab

I recently visited the Selman Living Labratories - a field research and teaching facility located in the rolling hills & plains of Woodward County in northwestern Oklahoma and also serves as the official field station of the Biology Department at the University of Central Oklahoma.

There were approximately 30 undergrad and masters level students in attendance for the weekend trip. The purpose of the trip was to conduct research of small mammals indigenous to the southern plains area and to gather data relevant to their migratory and breeding habits. We set 380 small live traps Friday and gathered traps early Saturday morning. The specimens gathered were euthanized, dissected, and prepared for display at the UCO Mammal Museum of Natural History for future study. Biopsies were taken and prepared from internal organs of mammals captured due to a parasitic invasion concern that Dr. Caire believes has moved into the area.

Dr. Caire told me that the information gathered concerning the parasite are being prepared and documented for the Oklahoma Department of Health as this is an area concern in relation to a possible parasitic infection in higher levels of the mammalian population in the area and across the state.

I met with Betty Selman, wife of SLL director, Dr. William Selman, and she is very happy with the Foundation and what Dr. Caire is doing for UCO SLL. I can honestly report that she had the vision to help facilitate the mission the Aldridge Foundation expressed when Dr. Caire and I first discussed the Selman Living Lab in 1999.

On this trip, I also had the opportunity to visit and work with numerous students and 2 professors from UCO and NW University regarding the on-going, multi-disciplined research at SLL.

In my opinion, the Aldridge Foundation invested well in this project. The benefits of the research being done there have allowed multiple Universities to educate numerous research facilities and students across the state.

Rusty Aldridge, TMKAF