Professor Garrison is a graduate of Oral Roberts University with a double major in History and Sociology, graduating with honors. After graduating from ORU, Mrs. Garrison became a graduate assistant after completing a Master’s Degree in History from the University of Tulsa. After finishing her Masters, she became an adjunct instructor at ORU teaching Humanities and American History. Mrs. Garrison has an uncompleted Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. While working on her dissertation, her director died and she was unable to finish her degree. She is currently an assistant professor in the History, Humanities, and Government department.
Mrs. Garrison has previous teaching experience at Tulsa Community College as an Adjunct Instructor in the Liberal Arts Department teaching Sociology, Humanities, and History and at Oklahoma Junior College as an Adjunct Instructor in History and Government. While teaching at ORU, she has experience in teaching both general education courses and upper division courses for History and Government.
Mrs. Garrison has designed courses for the online program and was awarded the Outstanding Service Award. Mrs. Garrison continues to work on the online offerings to be sure that students are offered the best courses possible.
Mrs. Garrison’s areas of research include Women’s History and the teaching of a new course on the subject in the spring of 2019. She has made a study of early women missionaries and the difficulties encountered while answering God’s call on their lives. Mrs. Garrison’s dissertation area involved the Five Civilized Tribes as they attempted to set up constitutional government after removal. That research continues and will be offered in a new course on Native American History in the spring of 2019.
Recently Mrs. Garrison is doing research in Oklahoma Roots. Mrs. Garrison attended two-week long conferences in 2015 and 2017 with the goal of producing an article on her Oklahoma background. This is a lifelong work in progress. Her family has deep roots in the state and has contributed to the progress of the state as a whole.
Mrs. Garrison often serves as a judge to the Oklahoma Society of Historians and has continued that tradition for several years. It is a great privilege to see the development of History students as they pursue their passion for research and presentations.
Mrs. Garrison continues to participate in the Quest interview programs and has seen
success by the students that have come under her advice and became contributing members
of the ORU student community. Mrs. Garrison’s favorite thing about teaching at Oral
Roberts University is teaching with “academic freedom” and the interaction with ORU’s
“motivated and eager to learn” students. Included in that teaching is that ORU students
exit the university with a “sound Christian worldview”.