Gary Ridley Construction Residency and Training Center to expand partnership of OSU, ODOT

Friday, May 30, 2025

Media Contact: Tanner Holubar | Communications Specialist | 405-744-2065 | tanner.holubar@okstate.edu

The partnership between Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation will be expanded thanks to the Gary Ridley Construction Residency and Training Center, set to be constructed on OSU’s campus.  

The $10 million facility will further modernize a partnership that has lasted for more than 50 years. Construction will begin in early winter and will take two years to complete. The center is named after Gary Ridley, Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation from 2009-17 and ODOT director from 2001-13.  

Students will get first-hand exposure to ODOT engineers, providing a central location for idea sharing and for students to see how the lessons they learn in the classroom are applied in the workforce.   

“ODOT is thrilled to partner with OSU on this one-of-a-kind facility,” said Tim Gatz, ODOT executive director. “This is a great example of the long-term partnership between ODOT and OSU and will be an asset to the state of Oklahoma, our private sector partners and OSU students for years to come. Former Secretary Gary Ridley was a champion for Stillwater and OSU and having this new Construction Residency and Training Center and the I-35/SH-51 interchange named in his honor will continue to highlight his passion for the area.” 

The new facility will increase the usable space for ODOT on campus, as well as the involvement of CEAT students.  

“This was a unique opportunity to partner with OSU to combine two facilities into one to the benefit of both programs,” said Gatz. “ODOT and OSU have benefited from a multi-decade partnership, and this new facility is a shining example of how that partnership continues to grow. This unique facility will also allow students to get hands-on experience working alongside ODOT engineers to maximize their education experience.” 

Brian Taylor, who has worked at ODOT for 35 years, is set to retire as its chief engineer. His goal was to get the ball moving on this facility before he retired. 

“Having the opportunity to expand our partnership with OSU is invaluable and this new facility is a shared goal that will benefit Oklahoma for years to come,” Taylor said. “The need for a state-of-the-art facility to help train, recruit and retain the next generation of engineers can’t be understated. We are thrilled to work with OSU to get this facility up and running as soon as possible.”

The Highway Construction Material Technician Certification Program will be housed in the new facility after having been located at Bert Cooper Structures and Materials Lab.

The HCMT program certifies technicians responsible for sampling and testing construction materials used in highway construction projects. The new facility will give the program a dedicated facility for training and certifying technicians for ODOT and the private sector who oversee the quality assurance of materials used in highway construction projects.  

ODOT maintains construction residencies in many Oklahoma towns, including Stillwater. The residency is responsible for overseeing projects and materials testing of transportation projects on federal, state and local transportation networks, and includes a road design team and a bridge design team.  

The design team has been housed in Engineering North for many years, and the space will be expanded to accommodate more ODOT employees as well as the number of civil engineering students gaining experience with ODOT.  

Taylor said the number of student employees doubled, from 10 to 20 due to the expanded space. 

Students will have opportunities to be involved with the HCMT program as well as the ODOT residency. This includes undergraduate research assistants, graduate research assistants and students who are Engineer Interns in Training.  

“It’s not just about developing plans. We are going to also bring in specialized folks who are experts in certain areas such as geotechnical, materials, structures and hydraulics, to speak to students,” Taylor said. “So, it will be a good learning experience for the students in many ways.” 

Dan Cook, an associate professor in the Division of Engineering Technology, said these opportunities are valuable due to a student being able to work for ODOT while pursuing their degree, as well as the potential for a student to start their career at ODOT.  

Students working with ODOT help produce plans that are then used by ODOT in its work maintaining existing or building new infrastructure around the state. They also can work alongside and learn from experts in various engineering fields.  

“Those are some of the things that students can be involved in, not only helping us facilitate the program in different aspects, but they could actually work in the residency as well to start their career there,” said Cook. 

Cook said he is excited to see how the partnership will continue to evolve into the future.  

“For years, I’ve seen that relationship work well in different ways,” Cook said. “So, this is symbolic, especially it being named after Gary Ridley, who’s done so much, not only for Oklahoma, but really creating and strengthening that partnership between OSU and ODOT. To me, it’s kind of a symbol of the very practical engineering aspects of the college with the state DOT for what that partnership will look like and continue to grow.”