43. Ashley Lay
Every time Ashley Lay loads up OMRF’s rented sprinter van for another stop on the statewide 77 for 77 campaign, she remembers her charge from OMRF President Dr. Andrew Weyrich: “Bring OMRF out into the community.” To do that, she says, requires a checklist. A long one. “It has a lot of details,” says Ashley, who joined OMRF’s Philanthropy and Community Relations Department as an event planner after many years as a venue manager at restaurants and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Her previous experience helps now that she’s on the other side of those transactions. “I know that being nice and being grateful goes a long way,” says Ashley, who jokes that she “looks like a flight attendant” when she drags her bag into each new site across the state where OMRF scientists present. That bag includes everything from name tags for guests to a hammer, nails, scissors and clamps. For Ashley, who grew up on an Angus cattle ranch 17 miles outside of Vinita, one particularly gratifying aspect has been getting to expose students in rural communities to professions like health care and research. “It’s important to me for the younger generation to see pathways to those job opportunities and careers,” she says. Thanks in no small part to her efforts, they can.
44. Dr. Jennie Criley (and Tony & Noah)
As OMRF’s attending veterinarian, Dr. Jennie Criley estimates she takes care of more than 50,000 experimental mice, rats, frogs and fish. So, what does she do in her spare time? Dote on her two dogs, Tony and Noah. “Tony is a sweet, sweet boy who never does anything wrong,” she says, “and Noah is a naughty, lovable imp.” Together with her husband, she trains the pair, both retired show dogs, for agility competitions.
45 & 46. Dr. Benjamin Miller & Tamera Joy
Dr. Benjamin Miller is not interested in adding more years to our lives. Rather, the avid mountain biker and head of OMRF’s Aging & Metabolism Research Program wants to add more life to the years we have. For the illnesses that kill the most Americans, one factor by far stands as the leading risk. “In heart disease and cancer, people typically think about things like smoking, alcohol, diet and exercise,” he says. “But as a risk factor, aging dwarfs everything else. It’s not even close.” At OMRF, Benjamin leads an expanding group of scientists focused on increasing that period of our lives when we remain healthy and free of disability. As part of those efforts, he’s directing a clinical study looking at whether the popular diabetes drug metformin can slow the biological process of aging. Edmond’s Tamera Joy volunteered for the study, a decision she called “doggone easy.” Despite a busy schedule, she was eager to do her part to help America’s aging population, a group that includes every one of us. “It’s been fun and informative,” she says. Would she do it again? “In a heartbeat.”
47. Dr. Valerie Lewis
Most postdoctoral fellows have their hands more than full as they work following graduate school to carve out careers as independent medical researchers. But in addition to working in the lab studying autoimmune illnesses like lupus and Sjögren’s disease, Dr. Valerie Lewis has taken a lead role in creating and facilitating the OMRF-Langston Biomedical Research Scholars Program. Inaugurated in 2021, the initiative brings undergraduates from Langston University, Oklahoma’s only historically Black college or university, to OMRF for a summer of research. With studies showing that students from underrepresented groups are more likely to drop out of STEM majors than their peers, the program aims to provide mentorship to aspiring scientists of color. Valerie understands that each summer, she serves as more than a liaison and mentor to the scholars. “To a person of color, representation is essential,” she says. “Seeing someone who looks like you doing the thing you aspire to do is very important.” Over time, she hopes her efforts can help change the complexion of science.
48. Len Cason
Whenever he attends events for the 77 for 77 campaign, OMRF Board Chair Len Cason has what he likes to call “an extremely important role”: He draws the raffle ticket for a free OMRF gift. “It’s not a responsibility they entrust to just anyone,” the Lindsay native and Oklahoma City attorney jokes. Since taking the helm of OMRF’s governing board in 2001, Len has steered OMRF through tremendous growth, including the largest campus expansion in foundation history, an operating budget that has more than doubled, and an endowment that has quadrupled. “What OMRF does is so incredible; the science is amazing,” he says. “I’m honored to be a part of it.”
49. Alfonso Torres Perales
If you’ve ever walked the halls of OMRF, you’ve probably encountered Alfonso Torres Perales and his signature smile. He leads a cleaning and environmental services team of 12 that keeps more than 500,000 square feet of space at the foundation spick and span. Although Alfonso and his team are not technically OMRF employees – they work for Aramark, a company that contracts with the foundation to provide the services – one aspect of the job struck him as soon as he arrived. “Since day one, everyone has been welcoming. OMRF treats Aramark employees as if we’re part of the same team.”
