Patton and Skinner Represent OBU at Oklahoma Research Day

Emma Patton and Lindsi Skinner, both communication studies majors at Oklahoma Baptist University, represented OBU at Oklahoma Research Day March 3. The event is a premier annual celebration of student and faculty research, creative and scholarly activities. This year’s event was hosted by Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Enid.

Oklahoma Research Day has grown in numbers and in stature with contributions from Oklahoma’s institutions of higher education, including many collaborative contributions from national and international academic and research institutions. The day promotes cross-campus and cross-disciplinary research among all institutions of higher learning in the state of Oklahoma, and it seeks to encourage networking among researchers as well as interchange of ideas among those studying and researching in their respective academic disciplines. Students are selected based on the research abstract they submit.

Patton, from Choctaw, Oklahoma, presented her work, “A Study on the Old Soul: Spiritual Communication of Elderly People with Memory Loss.”

Skinner, from Wichita, Kansas, presented her project, “Wisdom for the Ages: An Analysis of Internet Marketing on Nursing Home Websites.”

Skinner was thrilled for the chance to share her work and learn from other students’ research.

“Oklahoma Research Day was a wonderful opportunity for me to present my research,” she said. “I have been working on this project for over a year, so it is very near and dear to my heart. To have students and professors from all over Oklahoma interested in my findings was very encouraging. My research comes to the defense of families across the nation who are moving their family members into nursing homes.”

Patton also had a fantastic experience with the conference.

“The conference had a fairly casual but scholarly atmosphere, and getting to speak to people about my research was such a privilege,” she said. “I cannot wait to present my honors thesis in April. My research is one of my proudest accomplishments."

Dr. Vickie Ellis, professor of communication arts and chair of the Division of Communication Arts, served as the advisor for the projects. Dr. Kaylene Barbe, professor of communication studies, attended the conference with the students.

Ellis is proud of the work they accomplished.

“Lindsi and Emma are tremendous scholars, but what makes them even more special is that they want their scholarship to count for those who are some of our nation's most vulnerable,” she said. “Their level of commitment to our elderly population is a dynamic reflection of Jesus' love.

“Both scholars have been a blessing to work with. They are not afraid of the countless research hours, complex methods or data analysis. They have gone after each phase of their work in the manner of living out the high calling of God in Christ. I'm inspired by their commitment to learning and serving on Bison Hill.”

Patton and Skinner will both present their projects on campus this spring during the OBU Honors Thesis presentations.