Building a Healthier Oklahoma: OSU breaks ground on Boone Pickens Human Performance Innovation Complex
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Media Contact: Mack Burke | Associate Director of Media Relations | 405-744-5540 | editor@okstate.edu
The newest building in Oklahoma State University’s athletic village will be built for all Oklahomans seeking better health.
In October, OSU celebrated the official groundbreaking of the Boone Pickens Human Performance Innovation Complex. The facility will integrate cutting-edge research to redefine the science of human performance and health research in Oklahoma and beyond.
At an event held on site just north of the Sherman E. Smith Training Center, university leadership, donors and supporters dug their shovels into the dirt to mark the beginning of construction.
“This facility is more than bricks and mortar,” OSU President Jim Hess said. “It’s a bold testament to the land-grant mission that defines who we are at Oklahoma State University. The Boone Pickens Human Performance Innovation Complex will position OSU at the national forefront of performance science, and more importantly, it will improve the health, resilience and well-being of Oklahomans for generations to come.
“That’s what we’re here to do — to serve, to educate, and to make life better for the people of this state. And I believe this facility is a giant step forward on that journey together.”
BPHPIC provides specialized facilities for the Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute to engage with athletics and other high-performance user groups, covering the full spectrum of performance science — from sport to occupations, youth and lifelong health.
It brings together OSU’s academic colleges, Extension, sports medicine and athletics to develop evidence-based strategies that address chronic disease, optimize physical and cognitive performance, and deliver statewide impact. Through strategic partnerships with industry leaders and collaboration across all 77 counties, HPNRI is focused on translating research into accessible, real-world solutions that improve the lives of everyday Oklahomans.
“The Boone Pickens Human Performance Innovation Complex will be a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration — where researchers, practitioners, athletes and students work side by side to unlock human potential,” said Lance Walker, Rick and Gail Muncrief HPNRI executive director. “I’m proud to lead a team committed to turning research into real-world solutions that elevate the health and performance of our communities.”
During the event, eight Benefactor-level donors were recognized and celebrated for their support of BPHPIC and HPNRI.
In 2024, OSU announced that the complex would be named after T. Boone Pickens, who made a $25 million legacy gift to support the project. An OSU icon and philanthropist, Pickens was a lifelong advocate for health and fitness.
“Just as Boone’s giving changed the trajectory of Oklahoma State athletics, his foundation’s support of HPNRI aims to change the trajectory of improved health outcomes that will impact generations of Oklahomans through cutting-edge research,” said Jay Rosser, director of the T. Boone Pickens Foundation. “Boone was fond of saying, ‘I don’t want to grow old and feel bad, and I don’t want others to, either.’ His legacy ensures that sentiment lives on."
Photos by: Eric Priddy
Story by: Grant Ramirez | STATE Magazine