News and Notes

OU Welcomes One of Its Largest and Most Diverse Freshman Classes

The University of Oklahoma announced that the Class of 2024 is one of its most diverse freshman classes in its 130-year history, with over 35% of students identifying as minorities. This year’s class includes 4,448 freshmen – the third-largest class in OU history. Nearly a quarter of the students in the entering class are first-generation college students. Read more

OU Receives $20 Million Grant to Lead Inaugural National Science Foundation Artificial Intelligence Institute

OU is leading a National Science Foundation AI Institute for Research on Trustworthy AI in Weather, Climate, and Coastal Oceanography that is being hailed as a “historic milestone in environmental science.” NSF recently announced an investment of more than $100 million to establish five AI Institutes to support research and education hubs nationwide. Amy McGovern, an OU professor with dual appointments in the School of Computer Science in the Gallogly College of Engineering and in the School of Meteorology in the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, will lead the NSF AI Institute for Research on Trustworthy AI in Weather, Climate, and Coastal Oceanography, which received $20 million of the NSF funding. Read more

OU Graduate Students Selected for John E. Rovensky Fellowships

University of Oklahoma graduate students Misty Penuelas and Mark Boxell recently were awarded 2020-21 John E. Rovensky Fellowships by the University of Illinois Foundation. This marks the first time the fellowships were awarded to doctoral candidates at the same university. Each year two $9,500 fellowships are presented to doctoral students writing their dissertation in U.S. business or economic history. The fellowships are available largely through the generosity of the late John E. Rovensky and are administered by the University of Illinois Foundation. Read more
 

The Lean Library is Here

University Libraries now provides Lean Library, a browser extension that offers seamless access to library resources through the open web. Learn more
 

African Studies Institute to Hold Organizational Meeting

The African Studies Institute (ASI) invites all faculty whose research and/or teaching engages with the African continent--regardless of whether they have been active in the ASI in the past--to join a meeting in September through Zoom (date to be determined) to draft and vote on a new mission statement and bylaws for the Institute. ASI’s main purpose is to coordinate Africa-related activities across disciplines on campus, such as roundtable discussions, lecture and film series, as well as promote student engagement with African studies, support student and faculty research, and participate in education abroad programs. For more information, contact Dr. Natalie Letsa at nwletsa@ou.edu or visit the website.

Lean Sigma Six Certification Workshops Coming in Fall 2020

The OU Gallogly College of Engineering offers one of the longest running Lean/Six Sigma certification programs in the country, offering workshops to students and corporate partners since 2006. Lean and Six Sigma are benchmark process improvement approaches. Organizations expect university graduates to make continuous improvements in their processes for competitiveness. Educators can instill this culture in students in classes they teach. Register for the next offerings and learn more.

Memos and Updates
 

August 27, 2020

New Mandatory Diversity Training Program
- from The Office of the President
 

August 24, 2020

OU Joins the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity as an Institutional Member
- from the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost, Norman Campus

Featured Academic Events

,Monday, August 31

ORCiD and SciENcv Training Webinar

When: August 31, 11:00am
Where: Via Zoom

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is requiring proposals submitted on or after October 5, 2020 to provide biosketches and current and pending funded programs in a specific format. This format can be produced through a SciENcv (a program managed by NIH/NCBI) – which will pull your information from ORCiD and hold your information for edits further down the road, or through a fillable pdf (biosketch, current and pending). This webinar will present a PPT to walk you through the process of 1) signing up for your ORCiD and populating your information fields, 2) the process of signing up for your NCBI account and, 3) how to create your SciENcv. The intention is that you will be able to populate and complete a first biosketch during the webinar. Register here. For more information contact Clara Smith at clara.smith@ou.edu. 

Just Here in Oklahoma City, “A Tale of Two Jails” A Comparison Study:
Oklahoma County Jail and US Bureau Prisons Federal Transfer Center at Will Rogers Airport

A Presidential Dream Course Public Lecture

When: August 31, 12:45pm
Where: Gould Hall

This lecture will be presented by N. Rainey High, a Registered Architect in the State of Oklahoma and a graduate of the College of Architecture (University of Oklahoma). From May 1985 to January 1996, as Project Architect for HTB, Architects, Engineers and Planners, Architect High oversaw the construction of both the Federal Transfer Center and the U.S. Marshal’s Hanger and Office Building, Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. In addition, the HTB Firm also (at the time) had a part in the design and construction of the Jail in Oklahoma City with another firm RGDC. Rainey High was called to serve as a witness for the Oklahoma State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, in a 1996 hearing, concerning the services of RGDC, a once-prominent Oklahoma City architectural firm, in the Oklahoma County Jail Project. The three principals of RGDC were found guilty of professional misconduct. This lecture is being held in conjunction with the Presidential Dream Course, "Re-Imagining a Jail for Oklahoma City." To attend, masks are required and attendance may be limited based on capacity for social distancing. For more information, contact Marjorie Callahan at mcallahan@ou.edu. 

Tuesday, September 1

No Events Submitted

Wednesday, September 2

Virtual JuSt Lunch Lecture: “The Jefferson Bible: Enlightenment Oddity, American Artifact” with Alan Levenson

When: September 2, 12:00pm
Where: Via Zoom

Join us for the first JuSt Lunch of Fall 2020. For more information, including zoom link, contact judaicstudies@ou.edu. 

Thursday, September 3

Community Engaged Teaching, Research, and Creative Activity

When: September 3, 12:00pm-1:00pm
Where: Via Zoom

OU faculty and students make an impact on our community and state. It is more important than ever to make connections with organizations and leaders in our community. Community engaged, service-learning is a high impact, experiential pedagogy that enhances student learning. Community engaged research and creative activity connects "town and gown" in mutually beneficial and reciprocal collaborations. Register online. For more information, contact Joy Pendley at pendley@ou.edu. 

New Faculty Seminar Series: Who are yOUr Undergraduate Students with Dean Nicole Campbell

When: September 3, 1:00pm-2:00pm
Where: Via Zoom

Join the Center for Faculty Excellence for the first fall installment of the New Faculty Seminar Series. Join Dr. Nicole Campbell, Dean of University College for this New Faculty Seminar Series presentation.  Learn more about University College and who your undergraduate students are. Register online. For more information, contact Karen Horne at khorne@ou.edu. 

Friday, September 4 

Academic Programs Council Meeting

When: September 4, 10:00am-12:00pm
Where: Via Zoom

The OU Academic Programs Council meets monthly during the academic year to review proposed changes to existing courses and programs or proposed new courses and programs. For lists of Courses for Review and Programs for Review for the meeting, visit the council’s website. For more information, including Zoom link, contact Lisa Cannon at lcannon@ou.edu.
 

Finding your Research Strategy

When: September 4, 11:00am-12:30pm
Where: Via Zoom

Join the Center for Faculty Excellence for this workshop on how to develop your research strategy. The OU Center for Faculty Excellence will provide this workshop to help you describe your work to educated non-experts, think through your strategy to pursue external funding, and begin to form your research strategy. Register here. For more information, contact Clara Smith at clara.smith@ou.edu.