Rhinehart Receives 2005 Mortar Board Golden Torch Award

Chemical Engineering Head, and Bartlett Professor, Russ Rhinehart was the college recipient of the 2005 Golden Torch Award from the OSU Chapter of the Mortar Board. 

 Mortar Board, Inc. is a national honor society which recognizes college seniors for distinguished ability and achievement in scholarship, leadership, and service.  Mortar Board began in 1918 as the first national organization honoring senior college women.  The Society opened its membership to men in 1975, and the mission includes, “… to contribute to the self-awareness of its members, to promote equal opportunities among all peoples, to emphasize the advancement of the status of women, to support the ideals of the university, to advance a spirit of scholarship, to recognize and encourage leadership, to provide service, and to establish the opportunity for a meaningful exchange of ideas as individuals and as a group.”

The OSU chapter was started in 1930, at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College by six senior students who chose to call the organization Achafoa, a Choctaw Indian word meaning "a few rare and precious ones".  Each year the Achafoa Chapter inducts about 30 students completing their junior year on the basis of the Mortar Board ideals of scholarship, leadership, and service.  The Golden Torch Award is presented to the faculty member in each college that supports and enables those values.

 In receiving the award, Rhinehart says, “I am thrilled, and very pleasantly surprised, to have been selected College of Engineering Architecture and Technology recipient of the Golden Torch Award.   Nearly all of our faculty members are dedicated to all aspects of human resource development of students.  This includes engendering respect, professionalism, joy in life, and helping each person to become the best possible as healthy individuals and effective community partners.  Our aim reaches well beyond simply teaching the technology.  I am fortunate to be surrounded by faculty (and staff and students) who support these values and vision of our mission.”

 Leslie Nordean, Achofoa Chapter Treasurer, is shown presenting the plaque to Russ Rhinehart.