40 Under 40 2016

Sara Murray Naugle, M.D., 33

Norman
CEO, Red River Youth Academy
Dr. Murray Naugle brought her dedication and passion for helping people heal and grow to Meridian Behavioral Health Systems in July 2015, taking the position of CEO with the Red River Youth Academy. Since then, she has added outpatient services, which includes a day treatment program. She says she loves working with the dedicated professionals striving to empower the residents at the academy toward success, saying they “consistently surpass expectation.” Although she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, she is also active in volunteerism, both personally and through the activism of her husband’s band. Some of the causes she has supported include donating to and raising money for animal shelters, The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center, Nicaragua Medical Mission, Norman Regional Hospital, Health for Friends, Race for the Cure and Feed the Children. When she’s not busy with her job or volunteering, she enjoys spending time in the local music scene, supporting both her husband’s band and musical ambitions as well as other local artists. “It’s nice to transition from ‘Dr. Murray Naugle’ to ‘Naugle’s wife,’” she says.

Jam Khojasteh, 32

Tulsa
Assistant Professor of Research, Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics at Oklahoma State University
Khojasteh teaches graduate level statistics courses at OSU and takes pride in communicating the material to students in a manner that helps them learn and give them confidence to complete the class. “Sometimes I hear students say that their friends or other faculty memberts have recommended them to take my class, and that makes me proud of the work I’m doing,” he says. “I do my best to make class enjoyable while also holding a high standard for student learning.” He has worked with his colleagues on a new education accountability framework for the state, which has been presented at several locations throughout Oklahoma. When he’s not teaching, he takes his 1968 Pontiac to the Tulsa cruise nights, drag races and road races, and he also drives to Missouri each year for a Pontiac cruise-in.

Stacy Eads, 36

Oklahoma City
CEO, Levant Technologies LLC
As CEO of Levant Technologies LLC, Eads says she loves that her company “makes a positive impact on the economy and many Oklahoma families’ livelihoods by helping local business owners, nonprofits and entrepreneurs achieve their dream online.” She says connecting local entrepreneurs with the proper technology toolset helps them tell the world about how amazing Oklahoma is each and every day. Her proudest moment, however, comes when she knows she has been able to help her team. “I only exist to support them and their continued success, so when they acknowledge me as their mentor when introducing me to clients, my inner happy-self smiles so big I think I could burst with joy.” Eads says her personal anthem is “I am a brick paver,” and she provides inspirational Yellow Brick Road speeches to Girl Scouts at Girl Tech and counsels young women in science, technology, engineering and math career groups. She encourages everyone to become involved in the mentoring process in some way: “Become a mentor or seek out a mentor – one or the other holds the key to reaching your full potential,” she says.