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Officials at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) announced Dr. Ric Baser as the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Alumnus from the School of Liberal Arts. Baser will be formally honored during the Alumni Awards luncheon on Saturday, Oct. 13, at noon in the Calcagno Family Ballroom. All alumni and friends of the college are invited to attend. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 12 and under, and may be purchased by contacting the NEO Development Foundation office at 918-540-6115. NEO’s “May the Norse Be with You” homecoming festivities will take place on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018.
Dr. Baser attended NEO in 1975-76. Driven to be an actor, Dr. Baser was a first generation college student and found NEO to be a warm and welcoming environment. He also found a mentor in Gerald Graham, the technical director for the theater, and later transferred to the University of Arkansas and the University of Science and Art of Oklahoma, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Drama. Following his undergraduate education, Dr. Baser decided to pursue a graduate degree, first at the University of Arkansas, then transferring and graduating from Oklahoma State University. Following his graduation, Dr. Baser set down a path that would eventually lead him to the presidency of one of the most successful two-year colleges in the state of Texas.
Following his doctoral program, Dr. Baser was offered a position as the Vice President for Student Affairs at Seminole State College in 1996, but was quickly recruited to Rose State College in 1997, where he eventually became the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Following an eleven-year tenure at Rose State and a six-year stint at Tulsa Community College, Dr. Baser was selected for the presidency at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio, Texas, in 2014.
Over the last four years, Dr. Baser has been relentless in his push to graduate a higher percentage of students and create a better learning experience. During his tenure, Dr. Baser and his team have produced astonishing growth, nearly tripling the three year graduation rate. Dr. Baser has been inducted into the USAO Hall of Fame, he received the Service Award from the Oklahoma Association of Community Colleges, and he received the Phi Theta Kappa Hallmark Award for Distinguished College Administrator.
Dr. Baser met his wife, Kari, at OSU and they have been married for 36 years. The couple enjoys spending time with their granddaughter Kennedy. “We are honored to recognize Dr. Ric Baser as our outstanding alumnus for the School of Liberal Arts,” said Jennifer Walker, executive director of the NEO Development Foundation. “Dr. Baser is well regarded in the higher education arena and has been fully committed to student success at Northwest Vista College.” For more information, contact Jordan Adams at Jordan.m.adams@neo.edu.
