The mission of a land-grant university is to answer the needs of its state.

So, when Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry called the Spears School of Business, asking to develop the next generation of commodity traders, the Department of Finance answered that call.

The result is the Commodity Cowboys, a new certificate program designed to equip Oklahoma State University undergraduates with the specialized skills needed to succeed in commodity trading and energy markets. The program held a launch party in spring 2026 with Phillips 66 as the founding partner, and coursework began in the fall.

“We want this to be a reflection of what the industry is looking for,” said Dr. Dave Carter, head of the Department of Finance. “Once we started reaching out to companies, we found out people were really excited that we were going to offer a program like this. I heard great feedback from people in the industry. That input shaped the curriculum itself.”

The Commodity Cowboys will live at the intersection of energy finance, energy economics, commodity trading and experiential industry learning, but it won’t live entirely in the classroom. The program will field a trading team that competes nationally and hosts competitions in the Business Building. Students will have access to industry internships, and there are plans to visit trading floors across the nation.

A select group will take the next step as Commodity Cowboys Scholars. These students will be chosen through a competitive process for direct coaching and mentorship from energy partners, scholarships and select national competitions.

Commodity traders need the ability to think fast and with an entrepreneurial mindset. The goal of the program is to produce industry-ready professionals who can operate at the pace of trading.

“You have to be the first, or one of the first, or the markets will have already moved before you’ve had time to execute your trade,” said Kim Head, senior vice president of commercial operations at Phillips 66. “It’s fun. It’s energizing. It’s high energy, fast-paced problem solving.”

Head has been working in commodity trading for three decades, and she appreciates the collaboration between industry and academia more than most. She started her career in chemical engineering before finding her way into commodity trading almost by chance. It’s an origin story she doesn’t want the next generation to have to repeat.

She wished a program like Commodity Cowboys had existed when she was in college. It could have given her a feel for market terminology, an understanding of what drives the markets and a grounding in supply and demand fundamentals well before her first full-time role. Head feels that students who walk across the graduation stage with those skills will have an advantage in the job market.

She also knows that Phillips 66’s commitment to training the next generation runs as deep as its roots in Oklahoma.

“We’re so excited to be the founding partner of this program,” Head said. “Our company was founded more than 100 years ago in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, just down the road, with an innovation mindset and a strong sense of community. Oklahoma State has always had a special connection to us because of those roots, and we’re truly thrilled to be part of this program.”

David McKellips might be biased, but he knows what Spears Business graduates are capable of, and he sees a world of potential in the Commodity Cowboys program. The vice president for commodity trading at Williams, one of the world’s largest natural gas marketing companies, McKellips holds two degrees from Spears Business, including his MBA in 2015.

That vantage point shapes what he actually looks for when a résumé lands on his desk, and it isn’t a GPA. Academic achievement matters, McKellips said, but it’s rarely the deciding factor. He wants to see what a student did outside the classroom — a job, a hobby and some proof of a life being lived alongside a degree being earned.

He sees the Commodity Cowboys program as a key step for OSU students interested in the field.

“We need dynamic players and dynamic talent to come join the workforce at Williams and help us solve those problems,” McKellips said. “We’re not about individuals trying to have individual results. Usually, those come with team success. We’re looking for people who can communicate, collaborate, are creative in how they solve problems and are courageous in their decision-making.”

While Commodity Cowboys is just getting started, the program appears to be the perfect fit for Parker Lockhart, a finance junior from Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. Lockhart arrived at OSU as an agricultural business major before switching to finance in search of something to expand his horizons. Lockhart had already planned to add an energy finance minor when an email about the new program landed in his inbox, and the coursework lined up with what he was already after. Now, he plans to pursue law school in the hopes of a legal career in the energy sector.

What drew him to the program wasn’t just the curriculum. It was the chance to understand both sides of a deal before he ever argues one in a courtroom.

He also relishes the opportunity to make industry connections while learning as an undergrad. Lockhart grew up hearing that it’s not what you know; it’s who you know. Spears Business taught him it has to be both.

“I think that being connected with top companies is a great opportunity for any career path that I end up taking,” Lockhart said. “I could end up being one of their lawyers one of these days, and that’s pretty exciting for me.”

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Story by: Stephen Howard | Engage@Spears magazine
Photos by: Aaron Murphy and Cole Weiberg

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