OBU Presents Top Employee Honors During Convocation

August 29, 2025

Oklahoma Baptist University presented its highest employee awards during Convocation chapel on Aug. 27, 2025, at the Recreation and Wellness Center on the OBU campus in Shawnee.

Each year, OBU presents three important awards to recognize quality teaching and faithful, productive service: the Distinguished Teaching Award, the Promising Teacher Award, and the Meritorious Service Award. Nominations for the awards are made by alumni, current students, faculty, and administration. In addition to public recognition and a token of the university’s appreciation, the recipients receive cash awards from a fund provided by OBU graduates John and Janet Hudson of Edmond.

This year’s recipients are Dr. Contessa Edgar, Distinguished Teaching Award; Annie Keehn, Promising Teacher Award; and Randy Smith, Meritorious Service Award.

Distinguished Teaching Award

Dr. Contessa Edgar, chair of the division of science and professor of biology, received the Distinguished Teaching Award, the highest honor for OBU faculty members. This award is presented to a faculty member who has taught at OBU for five consecutive years or more and who exemplifies the characteristics of superior instruction outlined in the “Commitment to Excellence,” a statement of teaching expectations and objectives adopted by the faculty, administration, and Board of Trustees.

Edgar has taught at OBU since 2012 and in that time her faculty appointments have included assistant professor, associate professor and full professor. She has instructed courses in anatomy, physiology, histology, cell biology and science capstone.

Edgar has mentored more than 60 student research projects, including capstone studies and honors theses. She earned her Ph.D. in biomedical science with an emphasis in immunology from Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.

Edgar completed her bachelor’s in biology and chemistry with a minor in mathematics at the University of Sioux Falls. She served as an associate research scientist at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation from 2010 to 2013.

She is a former Barry M. Goldwater Scholar and has presented research at national meetings of the American Association of Immunologists and the American Society of Hematology. She has received multiple honors at OBU, including the Promising Teacher Award and two student-nominated Seven Who Care Awards.

A current student who nominated her for the Distinguished Teaching Award said, “Dr. Edgar is an outstanding example of why more students are coming to OBU. She is constantly engaging and being intentional with her students by forming relationships and making sure that they learn the content and actually remember the content after the exam. Dr. Edgar is also consistently pointing her students to Christ in our studies and showing us the biblical aspect of our content, such as through her prayers for the students and referencing the Bible.”

An alumnus added, “Dr. Edgar is full of enthusiasm for furthering students’ futures. She promotes students to want to explore science instead of fear. Instead of promoting her awards and achievements, she solely focuses on furthering her students’ knowledge and desire for learning so that they can achieve awards and accomplishments themselves. She is a very humble and honest professor, which is highly refreshing since she relays topics so that everyone can understand them. She explains it in a gentle manner without judgment. She works endlessly and wears multiple hats to ensure the science department is efficient and fulfilling to the professors and students.”

Promising Teacher Award

Annie Keehn, chair of the McCabe Family School of Education, assistant professor of education and co-director of the Master of Arts in Teaching and ACCESS programs, received the Promising Teacher Award, presented to a junior faculty member who has taught at OBU for fewer than six years and who demonstrates outstanding potential as a teacher, along with the characteristics of one who may become a future Distinguished Teaching Award recipient.

Keehn has served at OBU since 2021. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in classroom management, educational psychology, adolescent development and trauma-informed pedagogy. She also co-directs the Master of Arts in Teaching and ACCESS programs.

A part-time instructional coach for Bethel Public Schools, she supports early-career teachers in implementing effective, research-based instructional strategies. Before joining OBU, she was assistant principal at Bethel High School and Bethel Middle School from 2017 to 2021 and principal of the Bethel/Dale Alternative Night School from 2016 to 2021. She taught secondary science in both Bethel and Tecumseh from 2010 to 2017. Keehn earned her M.Ed. in educational leadership from East Central University and a B.S. in secondary science education from OBU. She is a doctoral candidate in educational administration and leadership at Southern Nazarene University. Her recognitions include OBU’s Seven Who Care Award and multiple state-level teaching honors.

Here are some of the powerful comments from her nominators, all fellow faculty members.

One nominator said, “Professor Keehn exemplifies what it means to live ‘all of life all for Jesus,’ modeling a Christ-centered life both inside and outside the classroom.”

Another added, “She carries herself in a way that is always reflective of Christ’s love, acceptance, and high moral expectations.”

A nominator said, “She has successfully developed a sense of belonging for secondary education majors in the School of Education.”

Plus, in one nomination, the individual said, “Annie doesn’t simply teach preservice teachers—she inspires innovative, solution-oriented thinking grounded in faith and service.”

And it was also said, “Because of Annie’s leadership and care for the secondary education majors, we have made many changes that have enhanced the secondary education majors’ preparedness for their careers.”

Meritorious Service Award

Randy Smith, executive vice president for business and administrative services, received the Meritorious Service Award, presented annually to a faculty or staff member who has made a substantial commitment of years and service and who has been a loyal and faithful contributor to the OBU community.

Smith, a licensed Certified Public Accountant, has been part of OBU’s administrative team for over 30 years, including 22 years as the university’s chief financial officer. In his current role, he oversees all business-related operations, providing strategic and operational support to advance OBU’s mission. Smith also serves as a Peer Reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission as a service to the higher education community.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance and banking from OBU.

In addition to his work in higher education, Smith has been active in economic development initiatives in the Shawnee area. He served on the board of the Shawnee Economic Development Foundation until its merger with the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce and held the role of chair for two terms. Smith is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

A nominator said, “Randy has served faithfully as the CFO during some of the most challenging years. I’ve watched him lead the facility renovation and tornado recovery work and I’m so grateful for his attention to detail. I also admire how Randy’s direct reports respect him and speak highly of his supportive leadership. He empowers them to do good work! I can always count on Randy to know what is happening in the higher education landscape as it relates to legislation changes, accreditation standards, and legal advice. Randy cares deeply about the future success of OBU. He has found creative ways to help us fund future projects. He has used his leadership position to give a ‘‘Yes” when it is most strategic!”

Another nominator added, “Randy has poured into OBU for decades and spends countless hours making sure that we run smoothly. He is all in for OBU.”