For Immediate Release – Lawton, OK, Oct. 5, 2004
Cameron alumni to reunite for the weekend
Cameron University alumni will celebrate by returning to their alma mater Oct. 15-16 for a weekend filled
with reunion activities and events.
A full day of activities will kick off alumni weekend starting Friday, Oct. 15, with Cameron’s annual
Academic Convocation at 10 a.m. in the Louise D. McMahon Fine Arts Courtyard. That event is open to
the public.
Other events on Friday for alumni and their guests include a pizza lunch in the newly remodeled Student
Activities Building, followed by coffee and desert with President Ross and tours of the campus. A reception
and presentation of commemorative medallions to CU’s “Golden Associates” – those alumni who graduated
at least 50 years ago – will be held at Cameron House at 4:30 p.m. A barbeque and dance, in the band
room of the Music Building, at 7 p.m. will end the evening.
Alumni return Saturday morning to the Shepler Center at 10 a.m. for registration and a reception honoring
all alumni, and highlighting classes graduating 1954 or earlier, and the Class of 1979. During the luncheon,
Dr. Mike L. Bunning, Dr. Odis Wayne Robison and B.G. “Bill” Taylor will be presented the CU Alumni
Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Dr. Sally Soelle, Dean of the School of Liberal Arts, and music
professor Dr. Hyunsoon Whang, will be inducted into the CUAA’s Faculty Hall of Fame.
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All reunion activities are open to former students, graduates and friends of Cameron. Reservations are
requested for all events excluding Convocation. For more information or to make reservations, contact the
CU Alumni Relations office at 580/581-2988 or via email at alumni@cameron.edu.
Here are thumbnail biographies of this year’s honorees:
Distinguished Alumni Award winners
Mike L. Bunning, DVM, is a 1976 graduate of Cameron with a major in chemistry and minor in biology.
He attended CU on a four-year football scholarship and was a team captain. Other degrees include a B.S.
and D.V.M. from OSU, M.P.H. from Harvard University and a master’s degree in political science from the
National Defense University.
The veterinary epidemiologist has distinguished himself as a world authority on West Nile Virus and other
infectious diseases. After practicing veterinary medicine for eight years, he joined the U.S. Air Force where
he attained the rank of colonel and now serves as command public health officer with the Air Mobility
Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
Odis Wayne Robison, Ph.D., of Raleigh, N.C., received his associate degree from Cameron State
Agricultural College in 1953. Other degrees include a B.S. from Oklahoma A & M (now OSU), an M.S. and
Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. He was a Fulbright Scholar to Cyprus in 1990.
A scientist and educator, Robison is recognized internationally as an authority on animal genetics and has
lectured in more than 15 countries. He is professor of animal science and genetics at North Carolina State
University in Raleigh and serves as consultant for several national corporations. Awards include a
distinguished service award from the National Swine Improvement Federation and graduate of distinction
award in animal science from OSU.
B.G. “Bill” Taylor earned his associate degree from Cameron State Agricultural College in 1948. He
enrolled at Cameron as a married student and Marine Corps veteran of World War II.
After graduating from CSAC, Taylor joined Halliburton and advanced from driving a cement truck to running
tools and eventually becoming president of Halliburton Services and executive vice president of Halliburton
Company. He retired from Halliburton in 1987 as chairman and CEO of the company’s Welex Division.
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Taylor received a mechanical engineering degree from the University of New Mexico and has been
recognized as a distinguished alumnus of UNM and its School of Engineering. A native of Duncan, he now
lives in Midland, Texas.
Hall of Fame inductees
Sally Bradstreet Soelle, Ph.D., is dean of the School of Liberal Arts and professor of history and
humanities at Cameron. She came to Cameron in 1987 after a career in nursing. She earned a B.A. in
history from Cameron and a M.A. and Ph.D. in history from the University of Oklahoma. She has been
coordinator of several of CU’s past academic festivals and will serve as coordinator and facilitator of
Festival VI, “CU in Good Health.”
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi has bestowed upon her its Distinguished Alumni and Distinguished
Faculty awards. She has served on several boards in Lawton and at the state level, including the Lawton
Heritage Association, Oklahoma Historical Society and Lawton Arts and Humanities Council, which has
honored her as its Citizen of the Humanities.
Hyunsoon Whang, D.M., is a professor of music at Cameron where she has served since 1993. She
earned a B.M. in piano performance from St. Louis Conservatory of Music, M.M. in piano performance from
The Juilliard School and D.M. in piano performance and literature from Indiana University.
A nationally renowned pianist, Whang has distinguished herself in more than 350 concerts across the U.S.
and other countries and has appeared as soloist with eminent conductors, including Leonard Slatkin. She
has given many performances in the Lawton-Fort Sill area and has performed benefits for KCCU. She has
received the Entertainer of the Year from the Earth Day Coalition in Cleveland, Ohio, the Distinguished
Research Award from the Southwest Oklahoma Advanced Technology Association and Artist of the Year
from the Lawton Arts and Humanities Council.
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Editors and Broadcasters: For details, contact CU Government & Community Relations at 580.581.2211.
Photos of the honorees are available upon request.