A letter from the President

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Media Contact: Mack Burke | Editorial Coordinator | 405-744-5540 | editor@okstate.edu

Cowboy family,

There’s no better time to be on the campus of Oklahoma State University than at Homecoming. Dyeing the fountain, crowning the king and queen, and all of the activities capped off with our famous Walkaround, parade and the football game are elements that have truly made it America’s Greatest Homecoming.

This year marked my first Homecoming as president and coincided with the centennial celebration, making it an extra special time for me, my family and the entire campus community. I hope you were here to enjoy it with us!

As I look over my list of priorities, one at the top is creating a far-reaching and deliberate strategy that will shape and guide our university for years to come. Over the next nine months, we will be engaging in a structured, system-wide process of listening not only to students, faculty and staff on our Stillwater campus, but also at our partner campuses and across the Cowboy family — from alumni, Extension, donors and friends, as well as the business community.

I want to hear from all of our audiences to form the broadest, most accurate view of the future for Oklahoma State University, so please reach out with your hopes, ideas and feedback. I can assure you my team and I are dreaming big! We anticipate launching our process to develop the strategy as soon as we return from the winter holidays.

I am also excited to share the news that OSU was awarded more than $10 million in new research grant funding during September. This is a record-setting achievement, and congratulations are in order for the entire campus. These awards are critical to pursuing our work as a modern land-grant institution, along with the generous support of our alumni and donors.

Thank you for the support, words of encouragement, and pride you convey to all of us working to advance the mission of Oklahoma State University. Whether at Homecoming, Cowboy athletic events or virtually, it’s always wonderful to connect through our devotion to all things orange.

Go Pokes!