OSU celebrates construction milestone with beam signing at human performance facility

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Media Contact: Sydney Trainor | OSU Brand Management | 405-744-9782 | sydney.trainor@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University celebrated a major construction milestone for the Boone Pickens Human Performance Innovation Complex with a topping-off ceremony Sept. 12, marking another step toward a facility designed to advance human performance research and improve health outcomes across Oklahoma and beyond.

The OSU Foundation partnered with the Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute to host a beam signing and facility tour, allowing attendees to sign a structural beam that will become part of the facility.

The facility is scheduled to open in December 2027.

Since breaking ground in October 2025, construction crews have made significant progress on the complex, which will serve as a hub for research, collaboration, workforce development and community engagement.

“Our goal here is pretty simple. We want to lead the way in human performance and human performance research right here in Stillwater, Oklahoma, but our outreach will be to every corner of this country,” OSU President Jim Hess said. “We will seek the very best outcomes for the people of Oklahoma as a result of the collaborative efforts facilitated in this complex.”

Hess acknowledged the support that has made the project possible, including significant investment from the State of Oklahoma and generous donors.

The state provided an initial $50 million through the American Rescue Plan Act to support HPNRI and advance OSU’s land-grant mission. The complex is also supported by a $25 million allocation from the Boone Pickens legacy gift and eight Benefactor-level donors.

The Boone Pickens Human Performance Innovation Complex will bring together expertise from across OSU’s academic colleges, Extension, sports medicine and athletics to develop evidence-based strategies addressing chronic disease while optimizing physical and cognitive performance.

Through partnerships with industry leaders and collaboration across all 77 counties, HPNRI is focused on translating research into accessible, real-world solutions that can improve the lives of everyday Oklahomans.

“Our mission is to use research to improve lives and to discover solutions that help us all move, eat and rest better,” said Lance Walker, Rick and Gail Muncrief HPNRI executive director. “This complex allows us to engage with real-world health and performance challenges, bring together the diverse expertise needed to understand what works and why, and equip the people, programs and communities who can turn discovery into meaningful change across Oklahoma and beyond.”

During the event, Walker and Rob Glass, OSU assistant athletic director and strength and conditioning expert, demonstrated portable force plate technology that is currently used in HPNRI studies. Permanent force plates will be embedded in the facility. They also demonstrated dynamic warmups that are the foundation of healthy movement.

The complex will include interconnected spaces to examine biomarkers, nutrition, body composition, metabolism, movement and biomechanics, physical and cognitive performance, performance medicine, advanced imaging, recovery and sleep, with future capacity for environmental, altitude and human energy expenditure chambers.

The investment in the facility also is helping advance OSU’s comprehensive campaign, The Code Calls. The complex will provide opportunities to train students for careers that can improve communities while creating an environment where research can be translated into practical solutions that benefit Oklahoma and communities beyond the state.

As construction continues, donors are invited to help complete the project by supporting equipment needs and programmatic initiatives. Opportunities also are available to name spaces within the facility and help establish the institute’s long-term impact.

To learn more about supporting HPNRI, contact Bryce Killingsworth at bkillingsworth@OSUgiving.com