OSU moves forward with parking garage plans; Regents approve new bioenergy graduate program

Friday, January 21, 2011

To address a growing need for parking, Oklahoma State University received approval from the OSU/A&M Board of Regents Friday to begin the design and construction of a parking garage in the southwest part of the campus. 

At its regular meeting on the campus of the Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology in Okmulgee, the Board approved the selection of Studio Architecture of Oklahoma City as architect and Timberlake Construction of Oklahoma City as construction manager for the project.

In accordance with the 2025 Campus Landscape Master Plan, the proposed location for the facility is west of North Murray.  Funding for the project will be from parking and permit fees.  The current timeline calls for completing the garage by fall 2012. 

The university plans to build a facility of the same quality and similar appearance to the Monroe Street Garage at the Multimodal Transportation Terminal.  The selected consultants will work with OSU long range facilities planning to determine the optimum site plan and garage design for efficient access and use.  Initial plans call for around 500 parking spaces.

In other action, the OSU/A&M Board of Regents approved a new biobased products and bioenergy graduate certificate in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.  The new program will provide training for post-baccalaureate students in the development of renewable resources technology.  The program now goes to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for final review and approval. 

The Board also approved personnel actions, including two key leadership appointments:  Pam Fry, from Dean of the College of Education to Associate Provost and Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Kayse Shrum, from interim vice president of Academic Affairs and chair of Pediatrics to Provost and Dean of the Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa. 

The Board of Regents approved the position announcement and description for the positions of Dean of the College of Education and Dean of the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology.  The education search is to replace Fry and the engineering search is due to the previously announced retirement of long-time Dean, Karl Reid. 

In other personnel items, Christine K. Ormsbee, professor, head, and Jacques Professor in Teaching and Curriculum Leadership, received a three-year appointment to the Susan and A.J. Jacques Professorship; Gail E. Gates, associate vice president, was appointed Regents Service Professor in Nutritional Sciences; James A. McCullough, interim division chair, was appointed Division Chair of Visual Communications at OSU-IT; Stanley E. Grogg, interim dean, was appointed Associate Dean and Medical Director at OSU-Center for Health Sciences; Jeffrey K. Williams, professor of Architecture, received 100% sabbatical to work with colleagues at peer institutions to develop new approaches to teaching urban issues in the architecture curriculum.