From left: Oklahoma State University Ferguson College of Agriculture students Baylee Bowen, Easton Fraser and Hailey Spray stand in front of the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall construction site during a recent hard hat tour. (Photo by Mandy Gross, OSU Agriculture)

OSU students eager to experience new Ferguson College of Agriculture home

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Media Contact: Mandy Gross | Senior Manager of Strategic and VP Communications | 405-744-4063 | mandy.gross@okstate.edu

As the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall is taking shape on the Oklahoma State University campus, the Ferguson College of Agriculture family eagerly awaits the completion of the new, state-of-the-art facility.

Baylee Bowen, Easton Fraser and Hailey Spray are three students pursuing degrees in the OSU Ferguson College of Agriculture and will experience opportunities in the new building when it opens in fall 2024.

A Journey to New Frontiers video series was created to learn more about these students and capture their perceptions of the new facility, said Dr. Cynda Clary, associate dean for the Ferguson College of Agriculture.

“Over the next couple of years, we will follow these students on their college journey and record their experiences inside and outside the classroom,” Clary said. “We will get their perspectives on how the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall will foster their learning during their time as part of our Ferguson family, and we will watch them grow towards their career goals in the agricultural field.”

Growing up close to Stillwater in Chandler, Oklahoma, Bowen said OSU has always been a part of her life. As an agribusiness and agricultural communications sophomore, Bowen immediately found her home at OSU and the Ferguson College of Agriculture.

“I’m eager about New Frontiers opening and the opportunities it will provide for college students, such as the huddle rooms and Student Success Center,” she said. “It represents the progressiveness of the Ferguson family.”

For Fraser, an animal science sophomore from Grapevine, Texas, coming to OSU was eye-opening. He felt a connection to the university right away.

Fraser said he is enthusiastic about the new facility’s teaching classrooms, research laboratories and Student Success Center.

“New Frontiers sets OSU and the Ferguson College of Agriculture ahead of its peers in teaching, research and Extension,” Fraser said. “It solidifies our place as a top university.”

Spray, a food science sophomore from Riverton, Wyoming, grew up with a deep love for horses and music. As she got older, her interests branched out to the agricultural industry and showing livestock through 4-H and FFA.

Spray says her time on campus has been shaped by her experiences as a team member of multiple collegiate judging teams.

“When I first heard ‘New Frontiers,’ I thought about new experiences and new opportunities,” she said. “And watching this building grow, that’s exactly what I see.”

The Journey to New Frontiers video series will highlight how the new building will impact the students’ futures, said Thomas G. Coon, vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture.

“Our students will have access to modern classrooms, laboratories, huddle rooms, a Student Success Center and more to harness their energy and excitement for innovation,” Coon said. “This video series will allow us to share compelling stories about the significance and uniqueness of the facility from student perspectives.”

The New Frontiers Agricultural Hall will be the hub of innovation and scientific discovery for the Ferguson family and help strengthen OSU Agriculture’s teaching, research and Extension missions.

The New Frontiers campaign, which helped make the cutting-edge building possible, reached its $50 million fundraising goal in record time.

Although the campaign is recognized as one of the fastest capital campaigns at OSU and the first academic capital campaign of this magnitude to reach its fundraising goal before the building opens, more support is needed to address additional building costs and added features.

Visit New Frontiers to learn more about getting involved in the campaign or for construction updates and donor stories.

The New Frontiers campaign was launched in January 2020 to build a new state-of-the-art facility for OSU Agriculture. The New Frontiers Agricultural Hall, expected to open in fall 2024, further advances teaching, research and Extension efforts that are critical to the state’s economy, citizens’ safety and quality of life. By advancing OSU Agriculture and its programs, New Frontiers is fostering innovation to help feed the world.