The Hamm Institute for American Energy at Oklahoma State University has named Dr. Stephanie Phipps a Faculty Fellow, adding her expertise in workforce strategy and organizational leadership to the institute’s interdisciplinary research program.

Phipps is an assistant professor of professional practice in the OSU Spears School of Business, where her work focuses on workforce development, organizational culture and strategy. Before joining OSU, she spent nearly two decades in corporate leadership, primarily in the oil and natural gas industry.

Her appointment advances an area of growing importance to the Hamm Institute: developing the workforce needed to support America’s expanding energy system and continued economic and technological growth.

“America’s energy advantage ultimately depends on people,” said Katie Altshuler, deputy executive director of the Hamm Institute. “Dr. Phipps brings a valuable combination of industry experience and workforce research that can help identify practical ways to prepare for the talent and skills our energy future will require.”

Phipps serves as principal investigator of Oklahoma WorkTrends, an annual research initiative through OSU’s Center for the Future of Work that examines workforce conditions, employer needs and trends affecting Oklahoma workers. The 2026 study identified retention, career advancement and alignment between education and employer skill needs among the state’s continuing challenges.

As a Hamm Institute Faculty Fellow, Phipps will collaborate with researchers and industry partners to examine issues affecting the energy workforce, including talent development, recruitment and retention, changing skill requirements, and the workforce implications of new energy and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Phipps earned her Ph.D. in business from OSU and holds graduate degrees in business administration and human relations.

The Hamm Institute Faculty Fellows program brings together researchers from across OSU to address complex energy challenges through interdisciplinary research and industry collaboration. Fellows contribute expertise across engineering, economics, agriculture, business, geopolitics and other disciplines in support of the institute’s mission to advance energy security for America and its allies.