Oklahoma State University will honor five individuals who have brought distinctive credit to the university’s Ferguson College of Agriculture and contributed significantly to society.
Joe Caughlin, Marc Conrady, Claudia Humphreys, Randy Ratliff and Mark Shaw are recipients of the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award. The honorees will be officially recognized during the OSU Agriculture Honors ceremony on Oct. 16.
“These distinguished alumni represent the very best of the Ferguson College of Agriculture and the far-reaching impact of OSU Agriculture,” said Jayson Lusk, vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture. “Their leadership, service and professional accomplishments have advanced agriculture, strengthened communities and inspired future generations of agricultural leaders.”
Established in 1983, the Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes individuals whose accomplishments serve as models for current and future students of the Ferguson College of Agriculture.
“These distinguished honorees demonstrate their dedication to their industries each day through both their words and actions,” said Cynda Clary, associate dean of the Ferguson College of Agriculture. “Our college and its students are fortunate to look to these individuals as role models of service, leadership and excellence.”
Learn more about each honoree below or visit OSU Agriculture Honors online.
Joe Caughlin, Tonkawa, Oklahoma
A fourth-generation agriculturalist, Caughlin graduated from OSU in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in plant and soil sciences.
After graduation, Caughlin became an associate director of his local conservation district board, and in 1998, he was appointed to the Kay County Conservation District as a director, a role he still has today. Additionally, he serves on the board of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts, having served four years as vice president and two years as president.
He and his family currently manage River Road Farms Inc., a commercial Angus cow-calf and no-till farming operation featuring no-till crops. Their operation has 2,500 acres of cropland and 1,500 acres of native and improved grassland. Caughlin started Caughlin Seed in 2000 as a certified wheat seed business and added a row-crop seed sector to better serve his customers.
Caughlin has served on numerous seed and commodity organizations and boards, including the Oklahoma Crop Improvement Association Board, the Oklahoma Genetics Inc. Board, where he is currently serving as chair; the Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association Board of Directors, where he is currently serving as vice president; and the Oklahoma Wheat Research Foundation Board, where he serves as chair.
Caughlin is married to Robyn, and they have three daughters, one son and a granddaughter. Caughlin and his family are active in the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Tonkawa.
Marc Conrady, Wichita, Kansas
Conrady was raised in Anthony, Kansas, as part of a multigenerational Oklahoma livestock and wheat farming family that also owned and operated a farm equipment business.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness from OSU and was actively involved in numerous student organizations, developing leadership skills and lifelong relationships that would shape his career.
Following school, Conrady joined the family farm equipment business and built a distinguished career in agricultural equipment sales, service and management. He served in multiple leadership roles as a founder of PrairieLand Partners LLC and earned numerous sales, management, and operational excellence awards from Deere & Company and its affiliated organizations.
Conrady and his wife, Jackie, reside in Wichita, Kansas. Together, they are committed to expanding their impact through mentorship, entrepreneurship, service and investing in others, while remaining actively engaged in the long-term sustainability of their family farming operation.
Claudia Humphreys, Stillwater, Oklahoma
Humphreys, originally from Ardmore, Oklahoma, graduated from OSU in 1985 with her bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and finance.
When Humphreys was 8 years old, she would go with her dad to feedlots in Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas to buy cattle for IBP and Excel beef processors. At age 13, Humphreys became interested in commodity trading and decided to pursue a degree in agriculture. In 1983, she worked for the Chicago Board of Trade as an order runner and took the commodities exam in 1984.
In 1992, she and her husband, Gary, began their entrepreneurial journey by opening Able Tire Co. in Burleson, Texas. Today, they own Coney Island, located on The Strip in Stillwater, Oklahoma, as well as HFR Commercial Cattle Co. and Cement Co.
Focusing on philanthropy, Humphreys helped launch Pete’s Pantry, an on-campus food bank, and opened Claudia’s Career Closet, which provides students with professional attire to help them prepare for internships and job interviews with confidence. She spearheaded the Eugene Embry Scholarship for Students with Dyslexia—the first of its kind at the university—created to ensure that students with all forms of dyslexia are recognized, encouraged and given access to the resources they need to thrive.
In addition, Humphreys serves as a member of Women for OSU, the OSU Agriculture Dean’s Advisory Council and the OSU Foundation Board of Governors. She is also a graduate of Class XX of the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program and was recognized as an OSU Distinguished Alumna and a Student Affairs Distinguished Alumna.
Humphreys and her husband, Gary, have two sons, Eric and wife Darcey and Jake and wife Ryli, and reside in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Humphreys family shares a deep and lasting connection to OSU, with each earning their degree from the university. They also support several sports and have named the Jumbotron at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Randy Ratliff, Glencoe, Oklahoma
Ratliff graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Cameron University in 1981, followed by a Master of Science in agronomy in 1985 and a Doctor of Philosophy in crop science in 1986 from OSU, under the direction of former faculty member Tom Peeper.
Ratliff recently retired after 38 years with Syngenta, a global agribusiness corporation, where he held numerous positions, including research station manager, research and development regional manager, director of Herbicide Research for North America, director of U.S. Field Biological R&D and head of the Customer Resource Center.
Ratliff returned to the OSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences in the fall 2025 semester to serve as a temporary adjunct instructor, teaching Principles of Weed Science.
Ratliff currently spends most of his time in the equine industry and the American Quarter Horse Association. He is a member of the AQHA Executive Committee, an AQHA life member, has served as an AQHA director since 2011 and was elevated to director-at-large in 2023. He has served as the chairperson of the AQHA Nominations and Credentials Committee and the Affiliate Advisory Board and member of the AQHA Show, Public Policy, Finance, Investment Oversight and AQHA Foundation committees. In addition, he is a trustee for the American Horse Council.
Showing and breeding western pleasure horses, Randy has earned numerous top 10 placings at AQHA World Shows and year-end honor rolls. Ratliff and his wife, Susan, have two adult children and reside in Glencoe, Oklahoma.
Mark Shaw, Canyon, Texas
Shaw graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in animal science with a concentration in production in agribusiness in 1984. During his time at OSU, Shaw was involved in the OSU Block and Bridle Club and the 1983 OSU Livestock Judging Team.
After graduation, Shaw began his career in sales at Upjohn, a pharmaceutical manufacturer. He moved to West Texas and joined Micro Technologies, an animal health distribution and technology innovation company, where he was the CEO, president and shareholder.
Shaw continued to serve as CEO and president when MWI Animal Health acquired the company. In this role, he was responsible for MWI Animal Health and seven of the company’s subsidiaries. In 2021, he was inducted into OSU’s Cowboy 100 and Blazing 15, recognizing organizations that are led or owned by OSU alumni.
In 2022, Shaw joined IGNITE Veterinary Solutions, a global veterinary learning company, and currently serves as its CEO. In addition to this position, Shaw and his family operate a commercial and show cattle operation focused on high-quality genetics.
Shaw has served on industry and foundation boards, including Vetsource, Animalytix, Feeders Advantage and AgStrata. Continuing his involvement with his alma mater, Shaw currently serves on the OSU Beef Center of Excellence Advisory Board.
OSU Agriculture is dedicated to improvingthe quality of life of Oklahomans through science-based information and education. It is comprised of the Ferguson College of Agriculture and two state agencies: OSU Ag Research and OSU Extension.
