Summer 2022 Bunsen Burner

BUNSENburner
SUMMER 2022
HOT NEWS FROM INSIDE OMRF

A New
Chapter

Melanee Clark
takes on a different
challenge at OMRF

THE

OMRF’s new director of Administrative Support Services
has made a career out of improving the places she works

Melanee Clark sees the possibilities in With an eye for efficient design, Melanee’s
every situation. role soon grew to include consulting on the
construction of the university’s new animal
Born in Sidney, Montana, Melanee found her facilities. That broad experience served
way into medical research in the early ‘80s, her well when she joined the University
taking a job managing an animal research of South Dakota as its director of animal
facility at Montana State University. Quickly, research, where she oversaw the design and
she found she had a knack for science, construction of a new multi-species animal
management and maximizing resources. facility, and later Sanford Health, where she
led the renovation of the animal facility for the
“Everything from changing mouse cages to nation’s largest rural health care system.
how we handled data, I could just see ways to
improve it,” says Melanee, who later earned When she decided to explore other
a B.S. in biology from Regents College. “My professional opportunities, she was intrigued
brain just kind of thinks that way.” by the chance to serve as associate director
of Comparative Medicine at OMRF. “I visited
Melanee led the spring efforts to clean out and just fell in love with the attitude and the
surplus goods across the foundation. warmth of the people here,” says Melanee. “I
was just like, ‘Wow. This place is calling me.’”

The timing also proved providential: That
spring, it had snowed “one too many times”
in Sioux Falls, and her husband had just been
laid off from his job of 17 years. “I was so
done with the South Dakota weather, and
when I told my husband I was ready to move,
he said, ‘You bet. I can relocate anywhere,’”
Melanee recalls.

She joined OMRF in 2018, taking on
operational responsibilities for OMRF’s three
central animal facilities – housing rodents,
fish and frogs – and managing more than 20
Comparative Medicine staffers. Over time,

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The Research Tower storage areas are getting a makeover thanks to Melanee.

those duties temporarily expanded to include and assorted special projects. “When
oversight of the Environmental Health and they asked me about this position, the
Safety program prior to Trent Brown’s arrival. responsibilities were pretty broad,” she says.
“They said, ‘We’re not sure exactly what you’ll
“This was one of those situations where do; we just know we have some bugs that
Melanee saw an opportunity to improve need to be worked out.’ I told them, ‘That’s
something and put her hand up,” says Adam good, because this bugs me, and this bugs
Cohen. “She did a lot of learning on the fly, and me, and this bugs me.’”
she did a great job of evolving our safety program
and putting us on a path for future success.” After completing a final project in
Comparative Medicine, a much-needed
Last year, following the part-time transition replacement of 20-year-old cage-cleaning
of longtime Chief Operating Officer Chip equipment in the Bell Building’s animal
Morgan and the looming retirement of facility, Melanee is now making a list of future
Associate Vice President of Administrative projects for OMRF. First up: floors 3 and 5 of
Support Services Mike Bailey, OMRF asked the Research Tower.
Melanee to apply her talents to a new role as
director of Administrative Support Services. “There’s a lot of stuff stored there, but it
needs to be organized,” she says. “If someone
“Underlying Melanee’s expertise in animals needs a file cabinet, I want us to be able to
are years of managing people, overseeing locate it quickly. Otherwise, we’re wasting
projects and evaluating existing processes. valuable employee time looking for it, which
She has a fantastic skillset, and we decided means we’re not being good stewards of the
OMRF would benefit from putting those skills money that’s donated to OMRF.”
to use in a broader role,” says Tim Hassen.
As Melanee talks, her eyes light up. Her
The promotion takes Melanee away from voice rises. And you can pretty much bet
mice and fish and places her over Facility she already has a plan to improve the situation.
Services, Biomed, Purchasing, Housekeeping

3

Green Thumb
Prentice Walker keeps OMRF in bloom

Oklahoma is hardly a and stayed there for three days, at one point
gardener’s paradise. dipping to -14° Fahrenheit. The deep freeze
But you wouldn’t killed many campus perennials, including
know it by looking at most of the azaleas that had populated the
OMRF’s campus. courtyard for the past three decades.

That’s a testament But today, only a studied eye would detect
to Prentice Walker the lost flora. Prentice added 20 new loblolly
and his team from Done pines and maples around the north parking
Right Landscaping and garage, and in the courtyard, recently planted
Tree Service. For more than azaleas will someday rival those that nature
20 years, Prentice has stayed one step ahead took. “I want this property to look as good
of Oklahoma’s weather to create and maintain or better than any place in the entire medical
lush greens and a parade of seasonal colors. complex,” Prentice says.

In particular, the past two years have put Born the 13th of 14 children and raised
his skills to the test. First came the 2020 ice in Boynton, a historically Black town near
storm, which claimed several mature redbuds Muskogee, Prentice started his career in
around the north parking garage. The following landscaping with the Oklahoma City Parks
year, temperatures sank to the single digits Department. His responsibilities included

Jamal’s Corner
Prentice Walker’s son, Jamal Walker, worked with his father for
many years. In addition to planting and maintaining the greenery and
flowers throughout OMRF’s campus, he designed and cared for the
garden on the small land strip between OMRF and the VA Medical
Center on 13th Street.

Jamal died last September at age 35, most likely from an aortic
aneurysm as he slept. In his honor, OMRF commissioned a marker
sliced from one of the landscaping stones Jamal selected for the
garden. It reads, “Jamal’s Corner.”

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grounds maintenance of the historic Harn year’s focus is the courtyard, where they’ll
Homestead on Lincoln Boulevard. “I lived plant more trees this summer.
on the grounds in the caretaker’s house and
raised my kids there,” he says. While not every OMRFer may know who
keeps OMRF’s campus green and vibrant,
During a round of budget cuts, and because Fredonna Carthen does. “Prentice and
of a stipulation in an estate gift, the city his team do beautiful work, and they have
deeded the landmark to OMRF. The city also for years,” says the clinical trials project
eliminated Prentice’s position, which he now administrator for the Rheumatology Research
calls “a blessing.” Center of Excellence. “When I walk through
that courtyard, it makes my day.”
He started his own groundskeeping
business, with his former employer as his Prentice’s
primary customer. OMRF’s Chip Morgan Tree Tips
visited the historic site and was so impressed
that he asked Prentice to add OMRF as Want to add some shade to your
a client. (Ultimately, OMRF deeded the property? For the best chance
landmark to a nonprofit, but Prentice still at a healthy tree, plant in
maintains Harn’s grounds in addition to his the spring or fall, prune
work at OMRF.) annually and hand-water
the new addition to your
“Prentice has a work ethic like very few landscape for at least
people I’ve ever known,” Chip says. “He jokes two years. “Never rely
that he was born with dirt under his fingernails exclusively on rain,”
and still prefers it that way because it means says Prentice.
he’s done a hard day’s work.”
For central
Since taking over operational responsibilities Oklahoma, Prentice
at OMRF, Tim Hassen says that working recommends the
with Prentice has proved a high point. “What autumn blaze
I really appreciate is being able to have an maple, Shumard
ongoing dialogue with the person who’s doing oak, redbud,
the work. He knows which plants will work Chinese pistache
and which ones won’t because he knows our and lacebark elm.
property so well.”

In addition to mowing each weekend,
Prentice and his crew tackle at least one new
OMRF landscaping project each year. This

5

Some of the
artwork
around OMRF
is alive!

Ashley Murphy

Aging & Metabolism

After 15 years of working
with animal models in the
lab, Ashley decided to bring
one with her wherever she
goes. “It’s my memorial to
them,” she says. Her tattoo, a mouse with
a rose, reminds her of the living beings that
make research progress possible.

BUNSENburner Summer 2022

Martha Tsaliki Jordan Wiggins

Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Gift Management

Each element of Martha’s Jordan has a diverse art
tattoo is full of meaning, collection, from astrologically
representing healing and the inspired tributes for his
circle of life. At the center, children to a Sonic the
the hummingbird drinking Hedgehog portrait, a
from a flower connects her body throwback to his Sega Genesis
art with her research goal of alleviating oral video game days.
dryness in people with Sjögren’s disease.
Laura Pistoni
Angela Smith
Cell Cycle & Cancer Biology
Comparative Medicine
When Laura’s mother was
Angela’s most recent addition diagnosed with breast cancer,
is an Ebon Hawk ship from she and her sister got matching
Star Wars, a commemoration pink ribbons to honor their
of her 10th anniversary with mother’s strength. Now, the
her partner. “The ship is from Italian-born scientist searches for
a video game that sparked our answers for others who face inflammatory
breast cancer, a pursuit that filled her mother
very first conversation,” she says. with pride even as she struggled with the
disease that ultimately took her life. “She told
Arik Davidyan everyone that I was going to the U.S. to study
her,” Laura says.
Aging & Metabolism
Kelie Watson
Getting Charles Darwin’s
Tree of Life inked symbolizes Fitness Center
the biological science Arik
studies and the common Kelie has many tattoos, but
beginning of all people, a reminder for mutual her first was part of a deal. The
respect and unity. high school soccer team she
coached qualified for the district
championships, and coach Kelie
promised to get inked if they won. Today, she
remembers that victory each time she sees
the soccer ball on her arm.

7

Photo Finish

Spring Fling returns!