Northwestern Announces Inaugural Class of Donovan Reichenberger Legacy Scholars

December 1, 2025

Donovan Reichenberger, Northwestern Oklahoma State University alumnus, faculty and benefactor.

ALVA, Okla. — The Northwestern Oklahoma State University Department of Social Sciences is excited to announce the inaugural class of the Donovan Reichenberger Legacy Scholar Program.

The 2025-2026 class of Reichenberger Legacy Scholars are:

Jacob Arnold, a junior history major from Enid;

Ava Carr, a senior history major from Tuttle;

Channing Dillinger, a freshman agriculture major from Hugoton, Kansas;

and Keegan Logsdon, a sophomore political science major from Alva.

“We are proud to welcome these students as the Reichenberger Scholar inaugural class and look forward to working with them in the spring of 2026,” said Dr. Eric Schmaltz, Northwestern Department of Social Sciences chair and professor of history and global studies.

The program will provide students with real-world exposure to ideas and concepts covered in traditional classroom study via travel and firsthand experience at historic sites. All travel expenses are covered by the Reichenberger Legacy Scholar Endowment.

For this initial installment of the Legacy Scholar Program, the theme of the program will be “Ancient America: Exploring America’s Pre-Columbian World.”

A photo of Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center (Courtesy of TravelOK.com).

These four students will consider the rise and fall of ancient American Indian civilizations by reading about and considering archaeological sites such as Spiro Mounds in eastern Oklahoma.

“I am honored to be one of the inaugural recipients,” Arnold said. “I am looking forward to enriching my knowledge of history.”

Students will also study the complexity and accomplishments of these ancient American societies and consider why they eventually ceased to exist. Students will also gain an appreciation for the idea of conservation of historic and cultural resources and study the politics of preservation of these sites.

An aerial photo of Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site (Courtesy of CahokiaMounds.org). 

The scheduled trip for this session of the program is planned for Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Collinsville, Illinois, in April 2026.

For more information on the Donovan Reichenberger Legacy Scholar Program, contact Schmaltz at ejschmaltz@nwosu.edu or (580) 327-8526, visit the Northwestern Department of Social Sciences online or read the announcement press release here.

-NW-

Media Contact:
Sean J. Doherty, University Relations Specialist
Email: sjdoherty@nwosu.edu
Phone: (580) 327-8480