Google’s $2M commitment has systemwide impacts
Friday, December 12, 2025
Media Contact: Jeff Hopper | Communications and Media Relations Manager | 405-744-5827 | jeff.hopper@okstate.edu
Recently, tech giant Google committed $2 million to accelerate artificial intelligence education and workforce readiness across the Oklahoma State University system.
A portion of Google’s funding will enable OSU students, faculty and staff systemwide to pursue new opportunities in AI-related fields and support OSU’s land-grant mission to create a better future for our communities, Oklahoma and beyond.
The funds allocated for OSU support research efforts in powering AI, empower future growth in career and workforce readiness, and create new educational opportunities for students interested in careers surrounding AI.
“OSU’s collaboration with Google reflects our commitment to enhancing hands-on learning opportunities for our students and cultivating relationships that advance OSU’s land-grant mission across the state,” said Kyle Wray, senior vice president for system affairs at OSU. “As the state’s leader in workforce development and continuing education, OSU is uniquely positioned to empower students to land not just jobs but fulfilling careers, and this is just another positive example of how we’re expanding higher education opportunities for all Oklahomans.”
The funding will help launch a new Master’s in AI program, which hopes to welcome its first cohort of students in Fall 2026.
The new program will be an interdisciplinary, multi-campus collaboration developed by the College of Arts and Sciences; College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology; and the Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa. It will focus on the impact of AI across multiple disciplines and create a collaborative environment for faculty and students from computer science, electrical and computer engineering, and health care administration.
This new educational endeavor will serve as a model for future interdisciplinary degrees at both undergraduate and graduate levels. A near-term goal of the program is to establish additional options that include the natural and social sciences, arts and humanities, agriculture and animal sciences, and business.
“We're really excited to be able to launch this new and innovative master's degree in AI, serving a critical workforce need for our state,” said Dr. Chris Francisco, senior vice provost for academic affairs. “We have constructed this program to be efficient, starting with a group of core foundational courses that every student of AI needs. At the same time, we have also ensured that the degree is easily applicable, with students choosing the application of AI that interests them and completing the master's degree with courses in that chosen area. This will ensure that students will get the best possible preparation for the career they want.”
Funding targeted at the Oklahoma City metro will help OSU-OKC — in partnership with Oklahoma City Public Schools — launch a program aimed at equipping high school students with in-demand skills needed to address growing workforce demands in Oklahoma City. Google’s funding for the OKCPS collaboration will focus specifically on the Engineering Technologies Academy, offering students the option to earn credit hours at OSU-OKC or take their skills directly into the workforce.
This course introduces various advanced manufacturing processes and materials commonly used in industry — from design to product realization — by applying the five categories of manufacturing processes: additive, subtractive, forming, joining and surface finishing. Students will learn about the different types of manufacturing materials, including metals, plastics and composites.
“OSU-Oklahoma City exists to connect education and employment, and this partnership with Oklahoma City Public Schools is a perfect example of that. When students learn real workforce skills in high school, they are not just earning a grade; they are stepping into a career pathway,” said Dr. Evan Burkala, vice provost of academic affairs at OSU-OKC. “With Google’s support, we are putting opportunity in front of students, and we are doing it in a way that strengthens families, employers and the Oklahoma City economy at the same time. When we invest in local students, we invest in Oklahoma City’s future workforce. That is exactly what this partnership is about.”
Google’s support will expand Hamm Institute for American Energy’s fellows program and advance research on how to power AI with reliable, affordable energy. The funding supports work across critical infrastructure — from firm generation to grid upgrades. It also includes the American Energy + AI Initiative, which brings together energy leaders, utilities, technology firms and academia to accelerate practical solutions for powering AI and data centers.
“Google’s support lets us move faster,” said Dr. Ann Bluntzer Pullin, executive director of the Hamm Institute for American Energy at OSU. “It strengthens our role as a home base for the national conversation on powering AI and gives us the resources to bring more fellows into the work, deepen the research, and give students and partners practical ways to shape America’s energy and technology future.”
OSU-Tulsa will be bolstered by Google’s commitment, as well. The engineering program will receive funding that will focus on support of lab spaces across the Tulsa-area campus, geared at providing hands-on learning opportunities. Also, funds will be allocated to support several camps that host over 1,000 area students during the summer months, investing in the future of Oklahoma’s workforce.
“Google’s support strengthens OSU-Tulsa’s role as a collaborative hub across the OSU System and as a pathway to high-demand engineering and technology careers," said Dr. Johnny Stephens, president of OSU-Tulsa and OSU-CHS. "Enhanced lab spaces give Tulsa-area learners greater access to hands-on experiences, and support for our STEM camps — which have introduced more than 1,000 young people to science and engineering — is helping spark early interest in fields that will shape Oklahoma’s future.”