The Art of Equipping Students

A biology field trip changed the lives of Ron, ’64, Ph.D., and Lynda (Steele) Tyrl, ’66, and had a ripple effect on countless Park University students over the following decades.

The Tyrls met as undergraduates at Park and got to know each other on the trip. That introduction to field research also shaped their educational and career paths. Ron entered Park as a business major and Lynda as a secondary education major. They both graduated with degrees in biology.

The Tyrls credit the faculty at Park University, especially biologist John Hamilton and chemist William Pivonka, for sparking their interest in science and giving them a strong foundation for careers in that field.

“They instilled in us the ability to collect and analyze data, and to present information to our peers,” Ron says. “We received a first-rate education and were well prepared for our careers.”

Following the examples of Hamilton and Pivonka, Ron taught the next generation of science students. After graduate school in Oregon, he returned to Park as a biology professor and then served for 36 years as a botany professor at Oklahoma State University. In addition to teaching undergraduates, he mentored 30 master’s and doctoral students. He also received the Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in College Teaching and was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Heritage Society Hall of Fame.

Lynda’s career also combined science and education. In Oregon, she was a research technician in labs investigating both animal and plant viruses, and carcinogens in food products. In Oklahoma, she returned to school and became a nurse, providing health care to students at the campus health center at Oklahoma State University.

The Tyrls’ commitment to equipping students extends to their charitable giving. They contribute annually to scholarship funds in memory of Hamilton and Pivonka, the professors who inspired them, and in memory of Albert Dusing, Ron’s colleague on the biology faculty at Park.

The Tyrls give directly from their individual retirement account using the charitable rollover option, which allows donors to designate funds to a qualified charity without paying income taxes on the gift. In this way, the Tyrls’ career investment in education continues to benefit today’s students.

“Scholarships directly help students prepare for careers in science,” Ron says. “We feel it’s important to give them a strong foundation like we received at Park University.”

If you want to learn more about supporting Park through your IRA, please contact Jenny Keane at 816-584-6846 or jenny.keane@park.edu.

This story was written as part of the 2021-2022 Impact Report.