Institutional Affiliates -
The University of Oklahoma was founded in 1890. It currently enrolls 31,134 students (27,807 at its largest Campus in Norman, Oklahoma), has over 2,000 full-time faculty members, and offers 154 baccalaureate programs, 152 master’s programs, 74 doctorates, eight majors at the first professional level, and five graduate certificates. David Boren is the president of OU.
OU is composed of nineteen colleges, and is well known for its meteorology, petroleum engineering, law, Native American studies, history of science, and dance programs. While the two main campuses are located in Norman and Oklahoma City, affiliated programs in Tulsa expand access for students in eastern Oklahoma. Programs in Tulsa include: medicine, pharmacy, nursing, public health, allied health and liberal studies. Bizzell Memorial Library is the largest research library in the state, and contains many unique collections including the history of science collections.
Oklahoma State University is a multi-campus public land grant educational system that improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research, and outreach. The instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, technical, extension, and continuing education informed by scholarship and research. The research, scholarship, and creative activities promote human and economic development through the expansion of knowledge and its application.
Oklahoma State University System will advance the quality of life in Oklahoma by fulfilling the instructional, research, and outreach obligations of a first-class, land grant educational system.
Cameron University is a multi-purpose university whose mission is to offer appropriate educational programs to the people living in its service area which includes eleven counties of Southwest Oklahoma. One of Oklahoma’s seven regional universities, Cameron is the higher education center of Southwest Oklahoma offering associate, baccalaureate, and master’s degree programs. The University recognizes that the educational process includes the development of the intellectual, cultural, social, physical, moral, and occupational capacities of persons who participate in its programs and activities. The University desires to assist its students and other persons living in its service area in acquiring the skills, knowledge, values, and attitudes that will enable them to lead creative, productive, and self-fulfilling lives.
Langston University, a land-grant institution with an urban mission, is an integral part of the Oklahoma State System for Higher Education. Designated as a special purpose university by the State Regents for Higher Education, Langston University is charged with the responsibility to provide both lower-division and upper-division undergraduate study in several fields leading to the bachelor’s degree. In this context, Langston University has moved to curricular changes that will embrace new career opportunities for its students with positive educational outcomes.
A goal of Langston University is to place its graduates in a highly favorable position to assume careers that meet the changing demands in the urban society today and in the future. This is to be achieved by demanding a high degree of excellence in its instruction, research, and community services as a land-grant institution with an urban mission. Flexibility in academic of Langston University students is implied in this mission statement. The dynamics of a free society predict the evolution of new challenges and new opportunities; thus a significant part of Langston University’s thrust is to keep abreast of programs and community services utilizing human resources and new technologies emerging on the horizon.
East Central University is a four-year regional university located in Ada, Oklahoma, emphasizing quality teaching and student achievement. Of the total 4,400 enrolled students, the ethnic demographics reflect a 25% minority population: 17% Native Americans, 4% African Americans, 2% Hispanics, and 2% representing other minorities. ECU offers thirty-two baccalaureate degrees, seven master’s degrees and a number of certificate programs. It currently supports the McNair Scholars Program, a U.S. Department of Education funded grant program that prepares low-income, first-generation, and minority undergraduate students for doctoral study. ECU is the only institution in Oklahoma that offers an accredited Bachelor of Science degree in Environmenal Health Science and is one of the few remaining institutions in the nation that offers a Cartography program. The School of Math and Sciences includes students interested in Earth-related fields, especially those from the Departments of Cartography & Geogrpahy, Chemistry & Physics, and Environmental Health Science. ECU has recently added a remote sensing component to complement the highly specialized GIS and cartographic techniques offered in the Cartography program
Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a comprehensive regional university serving southern Oklahoma and northern Texas. SOSU was recognized in U.S. News Best Colleges, 2002 edition, as the top-ranked public regional university in Oklahoma. Minority students comprise 39% of Southeastern’s enrollment. Thirty percent of SOSU’s students are listed on the Native American tribal rolls, the highest percentage of any Oklahoma university. The large population of Native American students has facilitated the development of formal partnerships with both the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indian Nations in the economic development of southeastern Oklahoma.
Southeastern is also the lead institution in the Southeastern Oklahoma Economic Development Network, which provides a link to the resources of the University by utilizing Oklahoma’s premier communications network, OneNet. Electronic seminars and workshops are regularly offered to companies, along with business and technical consultants and interns. SOSU’s Aviation Sciences Institute, the largest and most comprehensive aviation program in the southwestern United States, offers undergraduate and graduate programs in aviation flight and aviation management.
Southern Nazarene University is a century-old, private liberal-arts institution with 2100 students, including 1300 traditional undergraduates. The Pre-Medicine program boasts 90% admittance into medical schools and was ranked number-one in Oklahoma for acceptance into the OU College of Medicine for the past two years. An SNU research station in the tropical forests of Costa Rica offers field studies and coursework in Geography, Tropical Biology, Astronomy, and Environmental Science. The Chemistry Department has received several NSF grants for undergraduate research and equipment. Physics students regularly participate in REU programs. The CIS Department partners with Microsoft and Novell to offer networking certification. The Mathematics Department has prepared 27 certified secondary-mathematics teachers since 1990. Math-science alumni contribute approximately $25,000 annually for scholarships, equipment, and other projects.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University is one of twenty-five institutions in the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education (Oklahoma Constitution, Article XIII-A, Section 1). The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education is the legal structure for public education at the collegiate level and is the coordinating board of all state institutions for higher education. SWOSU is one of six state supported regional universities governed by the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges. Southwestern Oklahoma State University provides access to higher education for all individuals without discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, gender, or disability status.
The mission of Southwestern Oklahoma State University is to provide educational opportunities in higher education that meet the needs of the state and region; contribute to the educational, economic, and cultural environment; and support scholarly activity. Major areas of study on the Weatherford campus, associate degree programs on the Sayre campus, the general education curriculum, and participation in student activities/organizations provide opportunities for students to obtain skills, knowledge, and cultural appreciation that lead to productive lives and effective citizenship.
Academic Affiliates -
Application Engineering Program provides expert advice to more than 450 Oklahoma manufacturers. Realizing that a lack of engineering technology limited the growth of many small and medium-sized manufacturers in rural parts of the State, Oklahoma State University (OSU) joined with the Oklahoma Alliance of Manufacturing Excellence to place engineers in Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Districts to provide leadership and assistance to Oklahoma manufacturers to help them become more successful in the marketplace. Of particular note, the AEP has a representative serving the entire state specifically for aerospace manufacturers
Center for Spatial Analysis is housed in the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences at the University of Oklahoma. The Center, first established in 1994, is a voting member of the Oklahoma Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Council and plays an active role in GIS programs statewide. An important current activity of the Center is the development of geospatial databases for both state and local governments. In 2002, the Center expanded its mission to include the advancement of multidisciplinary research and applications in geospatial information science and technology. Areas of major emphases are: education, research, and technology transfer. Under the new directorship of Dr. May Yuan, the Center’s primary goal is to become a science and technology center that promotes interdisciplinary research in geography, meteorology, and geology, with the goal of developing and applying advanced geospatial information methods (including Remote Sensing, Global Positioning Systems, and Geographic Information Systems) for a better understanding of the human-Earth environment. The Center has received research funds from Space Imaging, Inc., the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), and NASA.
Industrial Affiliates -
Frontier Electronic Systems Corporation is a nationwide supplier of electronic equipment and technical services to the United States Government and its prime contractors. The company designs, develops, and manufactures an array of sophisticated electronic products and provides comprehensive support of high technology programs. A commitment to total quality management is reflected in Frontier’s Team Quality approach, involving every employee and stressing continuous review and improvement. For the past eight years, Frontier Electronics and Langston University have participated in partnerships in two different capacities. The company has provided internships and full employment opportunities for students majoring in Technology. The company also serves on the Oklahoma Space Grant Consortium Advisory Board to provide technical advice on industry needs. Continued support for educational programs remains one of the company’s goals.
CDF Associates Incorporated Combining creative ideas with a precise approach, CDFA’s mission is to help clients take advantage of the digital economy by assisting them in developing optimal designs for Management Information Systems (MIS). CDFA accomplishes this by designing, acquiring, implementing, and maintaining cost effective, secure, dependable, and user friendly information systems.
City Government Affiliate -
Norman Economic Development Coalition’s mission is to expand the economic base of the community and enhance earnings opportunities.” NEDC sponsors and manages the Emerging Technology Entrepreneurial Center (eTec) accelerator designed to help new technology companies grow more quickly by providing experts, materials, and advisors to help owners “quick start” their businesses. The University of Oklahoma (OU), the City of Norman, and the Norman business community, through the Norman Chamber of Commerce, fund NEDC. Executive Director, Don Wood, serves on the Governor’s Economic Development Team, a position elected by the Economic Developers throughout the State. As Chair, his charge is to provide professional training for economic developers and foster networking opportunities including with universities.
Informal Science Education Affiliates -
Kirkpatrick Air and Space Science Museum at Omniplex was founded in 1962 as the Oklahoma Science and Arts Foundation on the state fairgrounds. The museum took its present location near the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1978. The museum is home to the Kirkpatrick Planetarium and an Omnidome theater, as well as a number of specialized galleries.
STARBASE Oklahoma, Inc.’s mission is to ignite the interest of at-risk youth in science, math, technology, goal setting and positive life choices by exposing them to the technological environments and positive role models of the National Guard. The program now operates 35 Academies each year from the Tulsa Air National Guard Base in cooperation with various schools in Tulsa and Northeast Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City site at Will Rogers Air National Guard base also operates 35 academies yearly for schools in the Oklahoma City area. Twenty one school districts throughout the state participate in the extension program.
K20 Center is an interdisciplinary, university-wide center with a focus on educational and community renewal in the U.S. and internationally. The K20 Center proposes a model for educational and community renewal which squarely addresses the needs of children and families through interactive, action-oriented partnerships among schools, families, universities, and community and government agencies as opposed to isolated entities.
The K20 Center brings teachers, administrators, students, parents, school board members and community members, business leaders, information technologists, and university faculty and students together to share ideas, observe best practices, identify and analyze problems, and develop strategies for improved teaching, learning, and community life.
Space Explorers, Inc. is committed to bringing the excitement and challenges of space exploration into classrooms worldwide. Space Explorers promotes discovery, inquiry, and analysis by offering standards-based curricula, mission simulations, and experiments that incorporate actual NASA data. Educational programs include Mars Explorer, Moonlink®, Marslink®, NEARlink®, Space Library®, Orbital Laboratory®, Interactive Applets, and K-3 Space®. These programs have been used by more than 10,000 kindergarten through twelfth grade educators and their students throughout the United States and in 20 foreign countries. Through these Internet-based programs, the company strives to inspire a new generation of explorers to pursue careers in science, math, and technology.