Education

Celebrating 75 Years

Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology is uniquely positioned to provide top-notch career training to Oklahomans.

Classes off icially began at OSUIT in October of 1946 for 456 students, consisting mainly of WWII veterans. Photo courtesy OSUIT In 1946, H.G. Bennett purchased a decommissioned military hospital in Okmulgee for just $1. He envisioned turning it into a vocational school, where returning World War II veterans could receive training for workforce reintegration.

A few months later, the Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT) opened its doors to 456 students under the name of Oklahoma A&M College School of Technical Training. e majority of students were military personnel. At the time, the institute o ered courses in baking, auto mechanics, electrical maintenance and more.

Seventy- ve years later, OSUIT has transformed into Oklahoma’s only university of applied technology, o ering 38 di erent two- and four-year degree programs. It serves over 3,000 students, and is a part of Oklahoma State University’s ve campuses.

“We’ve grown a lot over the years from very humble beginnings,” says Dr. Bill Path, the president of OSUIT who has degrees in Bible and educational psychology counseling and a doctorate in higher education administration. “We started out focused primarily on military personnel, but over the decades, we have opened the doors to anyone wanting to nd workforce training. We train a lot of frontline skills that are in high demand across the state of Oklahoma and, consequently, across the country.”

To help close skills gaps across industries, OSUIT collaborates with over 700 private corporate partners, including Ford Motors, Chrysler, Toyota and Caterpillar. ese partners sponsor many students, covering the costs of their room and board, tuition and school supplies. Path says these industry connections are integral to its achievement of a 90% career placement rate upon graduation.

Updates are on the horizon. e institute is commissioning Tulsa-based virtual reality company Xalter to develop threedimensional lab experiences using extended-reality technology. is technology combines both realworld and virtual-reality environments, rendering an interactive learning experience for users.

Extended reality will enable students to take walking tours of the inside of a running engine and experience parts failures on equipment without risk of injury. It will also empower instructors to leverage new insights to improve student learning.

“ e extended-reality project is so futuristic, so visionary, it’s going to give our instructors data and analytics that they’ve never had before,” says Path.

According to Path, aerospace and aviation is the second largest industry in Oklahoma, and there is a growing demand to ll engineering positions in this industry.

“We are developing some shortterm [aviation and aerospace] training programs ... designed to re-tool and re-skill engineers,” says Path. ese training programs t within Oklahoma State University’s larger strategy to support growth in this sector, which includes building the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education in Oklahoma City at OSU Discovery.

With big plans in the works, OSUIT is taking the time to recognize its seventy- fth anniversary, along with its legacy of creating a globally competitive workforce. e school is celebrating all year long by sharing students’ experiences on its dedicated anniversary website, OSUIT75.com.

“Our legacy is our students,” says Path. “Not only are they hard workers, but they understand the technology of the industry. We are here to produce the most highly skilled, highly trained professionals that we possibly can.” FAITH HARL

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Upon the recommendations of its corporate partners, OSUIT rolled out a brand new bachelor’s degree of technology in applied technical leadership two years ago. The degree program is designed to help fill vacancies in leadership and managerial positions across technical enterprises.

“We just graduated our first 12 students on Friday [Aug. 20],” says Path. “But I’m predicting this is going to become the largest single enrollment program that OSUIT has ever off ered.”

2021

Ti Amo Mediterranean Market is now open!

Visit the Ti Amo Market for the freshest meat and dairy, a wide variety of starches, or our special house-made sauces and soups. Dine in at our seating area or patio or pick up something from our menu or a family-style meal to go.

View the menu at TiAmoTulsa.com

Ti Amo South

918.499.1919 6024 S. Sheridan

Ti Amo Downtown

918.592.5151 219 S. Cheyenne

10767 Ti Amo.indd 1 24275 Ti Amo.indd 1

2021

12/16/16 10:38 PM 6/2/21 1:27 PM24930 First National Bank.indd 1

It’s Holiday Shopping

Season!

‘Tis the season of gift giving. Turn to OKLAHOMA Oklahoma Magazine for some holiday inspiration! OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA

Advertising opportunities available.

advertising@okmag.com • 918.744.6205 405.330.2844

8/5/21 5:02 PM