Oklahoma Baptist University Presents Top Employee Honors During Convocation

Oklahoma Baptist University presented its highest employee awards during Convocation chapel on Aug. 26 on the OBU campus in Shawnee.

Each year, OBU presents three awards recognizing excellence in teaching and faithful service: the Distinguished Teaching Award, the Promising Teacher Award and the Meritorious Service Award. Nominations are submitted by alumni, students, faculty and administrators. In addition to public recognition, recipients receive cash awards funded by OBU graduates John and Janet Hudson of Edmond.

This year’s recipients are Dr. Brian Camp, Distinguished Teaching Award; Ann McNellis, Promising Teacher Award; and Crystal McKee, Meritorious Service Award.

Distinguished Teaching Award

Camp, professor of family science, received the Distinguished Teaching Award, OBU’s highest faculty honor. The award recognizes faculty members who have taught at OBU for at least five consecutive years and demonstrate excellence in teaching.

Camp joined the OBU faculty in 2004 after serving 11 years at Louisiana Tech University. During more than two decades at OBU, he has taught family science, sociology, psychology and general education courses, including Marriage and Family, Parent-Child Relationship, Human Sexuality, Basic Counseling Skills and University Cornerstone. He also has developed several special topics courses focused on relationships, aging, grief and biblical perspectives on family life.

He earned degrees from Oklahoma State University, Kansas State University and Texas Tech University, where his doctoral research examined the relationship between close friendships and marital quality.

In addition to teaching, Camp has served as a family life educator, Christian counselor and speaker. He has remained active in the Oklahoma Council on Family Relations, including serving as president, and has presented research and educational sessions at state, national and international conferences.

Students and colleagues praised Camp for challenging students to excel while investing in them personally. One student wrote, “Everyone who takes his class loves it. His classes are challenging in the best way and he always sees our potential as students and pushes us toward that.”

Promising Teacher Award

McNellis, assistant professor of communication arts, received the Promising Teacher Award, presented to a faculty member with fewer than six years of full-time service who demonstrates exceptional promise in teaching.

Although McNellis taught as an adjunct instructor beginning in 2010, she joined the full-time faculty in 2023. She teaches courses in public relations, advertising, professional writing, speech communication and English.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in public relations at OBU before completing a master’s degree in mass communications from Texas Tech University. Her graduate research earned Top Student Paper recognition at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication national conference.

McNellis has helped strengthen OBU’s communication curriculum by creating a nonprofit public relations course, developing the university’s first online English composition course and helping establish the Sports Communication major and a redesigned communications degree.

Students in her nonprofit public relations course develop communication campaigns for community organizations, providing practical experience while serving nonprofit ministries.

Faculty members praised her commitment to students both inside and outside the classroom. One nominator wrote that her classes are “relevant, engaging and deeply formative,” while another highlighted her efforts to connect students with alumni, communications professionals and internship opportunities.

Meritorious Service Award

McKee, senior director of donor relations and data analytics, received the Meritorious Service Award, presented annually to a faculty or staff member whose years of faithful service have made a lasting impact on the university.

McKee has served OBU for more than 20 years, primarily in the university’s Advancement and Alumni offices. Throughout her career, she has provided stability during leadership transitions, staffing changes and organizational challenges while remaining committed to OBU’s mission.

Known for her institutional knowledge, McKee has become a trusted resource for colleagues across campus. Her understanding of OBU’s history, alumni and donor relationships and university operations has made her an invaluable member of the Advancement team.

Nominators praised her quiet leadership, resilience and unwavering commitment to serving others.

One colleague wrote, “She tackles every challenge with a positive attitude and a quiet determination to do her very best as unto the Lord.”

A colleague also said, “Much of her work is done quietly in the background, so most are not aware of the incredibly vital work she has done and continues to do.”