OSBI Identifies NSU Professor Found Murdered In Tahlequah Home

Authorities have released the identity of a Tahlequah woman found murdered in her home on Friday, May 31, 2013.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation says the medical examiner's office has identified the victim as Tiffany Maher, 40.

The OSBI says Maher's body was found by Northeastern State University police officers who were conducting a welfare check at her home in the 100 block of Kupsick Street.

6/1/2013 Related Story: NSU Police Find Murdered Woman's Body In Tahlequah

Maher's 2011 Ford Fiesta was found parked at Stonehaven Villas apartments at 81st and Highway 169 in Tulsa on Monday.

6/3/2013 Related Story: Viewer Tip Leads Police To Murdered Tahlequah Woman's Car In Tulsa

The state medical examiner's office has yet to determine the cause and manner of Maher's death.

NSU released a statement Tuesday in regards to the death of Dr. Tiffany Maher:

"Many of you are aware of reports of the untimely passing of our friend and colleague Dr. Tiffany Maher through media accounts and other means. We have been notified by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation that a positive identification has been made.

We are all devastated and heartbroken by these events. Dr. Maher epitomized excellence in teaching and was respected and admired by her students and her colleagues on the Broken Arrow and Tahlequah campuses. She joined the faculty in 2009 and was an Assistant Professor in Chemistry. Recently, Dr. Maher was recognized by the NSU faculty with our highest recognition, the Circle of Excellence Award for teaching.

On Friday, the NSU Department of Public Safety responded to a call from the chemistry department after it was determined that Dr. Maher had not arrived at an academic conference where she was scheduled to speak. Our officers responded to her home and the Tahlequah Police Department was subsequently contacted. We will continue to support area law enforcement as they conduct the investigation related to the circumstances of her death.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dr. Maher's mother and father and her extended family. While respecting the family's privacy, NSU will continue to provide support to them, Dr. Maher's students and her colleagues as we face the unimaginable tragedy of losing such a gifted instructor and researcher at the age of 38.

Planning is underway for a memorial service to be held late next week on the NSU-Tahlequah campus. The Maher family will establish a scholarship program through the NSU Foundation."

Dr. Martin Venneman, the dean of NSU's College of Science and Health Professions gave us this statement:

"The College of Science and Health Professions is stunned at the loss of Dr. Maher. Not only has the college lost a Circle of Excellence in Teaching award winner from its Chemistry faculty, but it has lost a leader in the development of Supplemental Instruction across the lower division curricula as a way to enhance achievement of first generation college students in rigorous General Education Science and Mathematics courses. Dr. Maher was known as a friend, an advocate, and a mentor by her students; revered by her peers as an exceptional educator; and respected throughout the College for her professional achievements. She was truly an outstanding scholar, an extremely high quality and gifted teacher, and a friend of everyone she met. We will miss her dearly."