ORU's Dr. Kathy Hoppe Named '50 Making a Difference' Woman of the Year Honoree

Recent honors highlight Dr. Hoppe's dedication to service, counseling, and Spirit-empowered scholarship.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, October 1, 2026-Oral Roberts University (ORU) is celebrating Dr. Kathy Hoppe, Chair of Behavioral Sciences, who was recently named one of The Journal Record's 2026 "50 Making a Difference" Woman of the Year honorees. The statewide recognition celebrates women whose professional leadership, achievements, and community service are helping shape Oklahoma. Dr. Hoppe also received the 2026 Heart of Hope Award during this year's Pathways of Hope Counseling Conference. The award honors a counseling professional who consistently inspires hope in others and elevates the profession through compassionate, dedicated service.

"The Heart of Hope Award recognizes a counselor who uses hope to encourage clients when they are feeling hopeless," said Dr. Hoppe. "It is humbling, because I don't see hope as something I produce on my own. For more than 30 years, my work has been shaped by a simple calling: I am here to witness suffering, to walk alongside those who suffer, and to point the way to hope and healing. The hope I point to is not wishful thinking; it is rooted in Christ, who meets people in their darkest places. Being recognized for that tells me God is using ordinary faithfulness in extraordinary ways, and it reminds me why I keep showing up for clients, students, and colleagues."

Dr. Hoppe is also contributing to the national conversation with her recent essay, "Why I Stay in the SBC as an Ordained Woman," published by Baptist News Global. In the personal commentary, she reflects on calling, church community, the role of women in ministry, and her decision to pursue reform through faithful presence and honest conversation. According to Dr. Hoppe, the article has already generated positive responses and inquiries from readers around the country.

A licensed marital and family therapist, Dr. Hoppe has served clients in medical settings and group practices, provides pro bono counseling, and brings extensive clinical experience into the classroom. Her research and writing focus on trauma, crisis, and burnout, including the introductory textbook Trauma and Crisis Counseling: An Overview for Emerging Professionals, co-authored with Dr. Michelle Taylor. In 2022, Dr. Hoppe was also recognized as an Oklahoma Health Care Hero for her service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Dr. Kathy Hoppe is a leader who makes those around her better," said Dr. Andrew Lang, Dean of the College of Science and Engineering. "She brings together serious scholarship, professional expertise, deep faith, and a remarkable commitment to people. Kathy exemplifies what we mean by a Spirit-empowered whole leader. You see it in the way she mentors students, cares for her faculty, serves people in difficult and dark places, and brings a distinctly Christian voice to some of the most important conversations facing our culture today."

Nationally Ranked, Globally Recognized

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 18 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor's level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. In 2024, the Carnegie Foundation recognized ORU with a "Leadership for Public Purpose" award, a distinction earned by only 25 universities nationwide. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wils on, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 182 nations in the last 7 years to be whole leaders for the whole world.