Thousand Oaks Award Honorees Include Regional Natives

Dr. Joan Christen of Tecumseh, 1996 graduate, represents the School of Arts and Sciences. Barry Lockard of Lincoln, Stella native and 1990 alumnus, is from the School of Professional Studies. Erin O’Grady Sayer of Dunbar, 1991 graduate is the honoree from the School of Education. Graduate studies recipient is Heather Nelson, who earned her masters degree from PSC in 2014. 
Dr. Joan Christen
She taught science at Southeast Consolidated Schools in Stella from 1996 through 2003 and in Beatrice from 2003 until she retired in 2019. From 2008 through 2019 Christen was a part-time instructor of science at Nebraska’s first college.
She was a non-traditional student when she enrolled after raising a family in Johnson County. Christen also worked three years at Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville. She was also a work-study student, tutor and lab assistant in the PSC science department and a research assistant for Dr. Carol Pappas. Those led to numerous publications and presentations of her research at state and national conferences.
During her career, Christen wrote and implemented more than $2 million worth of science grants for students and teachers.
Her honors included Nebraska’s Christa McAuliffe Award recipient for teacher excellence and the Nebraska Science Teaching Association Exemplary High School teaching award in chemistry, both in 2004; the Nebraska Department of Education Award of Excellence winner and a Teacher of the Year finalist in 2003 and the national Presidential Award recipient for Nebraska for Excellence in Science in 2011.
Barry Lockard
While growing up in Stella he helped run his family’s grocery store. Lockard currently is president and chief executive officer of Cornhusker Bank in Lincoln. He is as a director of the bank and its affiliated Cornhusker Growth Corp. and Lincoln First Realty.
Lockard served eight years in the Nebraska Army National Guard. Before joining Cornhusker Bank in 2006 he had a varied career. With Black and Decker, he helped develop its DeWalt power tool line; served Cincinnati Bell; was the worldwide account manager for Microsoft, providing call center services in several nations; then joined the banking industry at First National Bank of Omaha; and launched his own consulting company, providing banks and insurance firms with business development and operational efficiencies.
In 2024 Lockard was selected chair of the directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka, Kan. He’s also a trustee on the board of the Colorado Graduate School of Banking. Lockard has been involved in community service activities in Lincoln.
Heather Nelson
Nelson is an instructor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) in the College of Business and founder and chief executive officer of Ideologix Insights, a data analytics lab powering PollTheVote.com. Founded in 2023, it is a platform designed to facilitate nonpartisan civic and community engagement.
Before joining UNO, Nelson spent 19 years as the program director and instructor of entrepreneurship studies at Metropolitan Community College in the Omaha area. 
Dr. Erin O’Grady Sayer
O’Grady Sayer is a professor of practice, biochemistry education and student success at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. From 1991 to 2001 she was on the PSC staff in a variety of capacities.
As a PSC student, she played softball. O’Grady Sayer was inducted into the PSC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. Her achievements included a school record 32 complete games pitched in 1987.
She and her husband Steve, a PSC alumnus, live near Dunbar. They attend many events and activities at Nebraska’s first college.    
Selection Criteria
Nominations are submitted and compiled by the PSC Foundation. Information is provided to a selection panel which includes the deans of the college in their respective areas for input. The recipients are approved by the college administration and president.
“At Peru State College, we’re incredibly proud to see our graduates take what they’ve learned in our classrooms and make a real impact in the world. The achievements of this year’s Thousand Oaks honorees reflect not only their dedication and talent, but also the strength of a Peru education. Their success is a powerful reminder that what begins here reaches far beyond our campus,” stated Dr. Robert Mock, PSC president.