Dr. Libertus is passionate about helping students prepare for working in the international arena through relevant classes and practical experience. From trips to internships, Dr. Libertus is continuously connecting students with their field of interest during their college years. She enjoys her job advising and helping students choose their specific interests and enhancing competency and exposure.
She credits her background and overseas experiences to the reason she considers her
field important. Born in the United States to a European mother and father from Asia,
she started traveling the world at 3 years old. Having lived in 5 countries and traveled
to more than 30 countries, she believes that traveling and working across cultures
and in different countries is interesting and rewarding. Growing up around a civil
war has made her realize the importance of conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
Being around diplomats and development workers exposed her to these important careers
at a young age. After defending her dissertation, she was on a flight overseas and
immediately worked on a World Bank Project as coordinator for various sectors on two
major multi-million-dollar projects and later an Asian Development Bank project on
Secondary Education. Her dream was to work in USAID and she ended up as a Workforce
Development Advisor. She also started her own non-governmental organization for women
in developing countries.
Her passion for international work has directed her toward numerous global projects
throughout her career. She took the first ever all-female academic development/international
relations trip to India and Sri Lanka, the first academic trip to the United Arab
Emirates and Jordan and traveled to Asia for tsunami relief working with USAID and
Habitat for Humanity. One of her passions inside the classroom is to make international
relations practical and relevant to students, helping them to realize they can make
a difference in people's lives. Her dedication to her students and efforts in international
relations and development earned her the Alumni Mentoring through Service Learning
Award in 2014. She continually leads and organizes service trips with students in
an effort to develop leaders and challenge them in diverse settings.
Dr. Libertus trains students through academic trips, global crisis simulations, model
United Nations, pertinent internships and relevant classes such as Protocol and Diplomacy.
She has taken students to the Embassies, USAID, a major law firm and investment company
in the Middle East, effective non-governmental organizations and to meet dignitaries
as well as refugees. Libertus sits on the Study Abroad and Travel Committee, International
Justice Mission, and is the One Campaign advisor, honors that she continually utilizes
to make a difference locally and globally. She continues to be on the board of United
Nations Association and an active member of the Tulsa Global Alliance.
Dr. Ruby Libertus is a member of Tulsa Global Alliance and the President of the United
Nations Association of Eastern Oklahoma. She has taken students to 11 countries
to visit Embassies, United States Agency of International Development, orphanages,
businesses, U.S. Department of State, United Nations both in Geneva and New York,
and churches, etc. Her focus at ORU is the Middle East and Peacebuilding. She appreciates
teaching in an environment where the inclusion of prayer, the Holy Spirit, and scriptures
can be used to understand international events and work.
Dr. Libertus earned a B.A. in International Relations at Oral Roberts University
and an M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language. She completed a Ph.D. in Education,
focusing on Globalization for her dissertation. She currently teaches and advises
International Relations and Global Studies. She also finished 18 credits in Conflict
Resolution from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. She speaks a couple
of languages.