The future of agricultural education and research at Oklahoma State University is undergoing a monumental transformation following a significant legislative victory. In a recent “Hess Address” broadcast, OSU President Dr. Jim Hess sat down with Farm Director KC Sheperd to discuss how a new $50 million investment will drive OSU agronomy infrastructure and agricultural revitalization. The funding represents a collaborative effort between state leaders and private donors to replace outdated facilities on the west side of Stillwater along Highway 51, positioning the university to better serve the state’s robust agricultural economy.
“I could not be more thrilled and thankful at the same time,” Dr. Hess said regarding the funding injection. “I want to give a real shout-out to our legislative leadership; they really came through for us. This was an important project for the future of our agronomy program. As you all know, as you come in on the west side of Stillwater on Highway 51, those facilities have been there for a very, very long time. And it was really inhibiting our ability to finally make some—we’ve made great progress with Brett Carver’s work, as you know. But we really had a kind of an obstacle of being able to really leverage for the future if we didn’t have a new facility.”
The new agronomy research facility carries a total price tag of $50 million, structured as a public-private partnership. The State of Oklahoma has committed $40 million from state resources, leaving a remaining $10 million to be secured through private donations. According to Dr. Hess, the university has already raised approximately $6.5 million of that private capital.
“We’re really excited about it because you’re going to see a real land-grant statement as you come in from the west on Highway 51,” Dr. Hess noted. “Because you’ll see our new agronomy research facility, 12 new greenhouses, and then also in that same area, our animal teaching hospital that we’re building for Vet Med. So you’ll be able to recognize that this is a land-grant university as you come in from the west side on Highway 51.”
Expanding Research Capabilities From Varieties to Greenhouses
For years, the OSU wheat breeding program, led by Dr. Brett Carver, has focused heavily on developing resilient grain varieties. The program has been highly successful, responsible for 41—and soon to be 42—distinct wheat varieties that support producers across the region. However, the physical constraints of the older buildings limited broader environmental research capabilities.
Sheperd noted that in previous conversations with Dr. Carver, the excitement surrounding the shift in operational capabilities was palpable. “For years, we’ve really just put most of the focus on the varieties and now we get to focus on the greenhouses,” Sheperd recalled him saying.
Dr. Hess affirmed this excitement, noting that the infrastructure upgrades will benefit multiple facets of OSU’s plant and soil science research, including turfgrass development, which routinely impacts major national venues.
“A lot of people, wheat’s obviously very important to our ag economy,” Dr. Hess explained. “But in addition, our turfgrass development has really been significant over the last few years. For folks who love to watch NFL football or soccer, when you see the stadiums that have natural turfgrass, that’s OSU turfgrass. Like the Super Bowl was played on OSU turfgrass, and many of these soccer stadiums around the world are covered in OSU turfgrass. So, in every way, Dr. Carver is a rock star. I mean, he just really continues to amaze me with his scientific discoveries and his ability to really help our ag economy.”
World-Class Advancements in Veterinary Medicine
Beyond agronomy, OSU is making substantial progress on its new $329 million animal teaching hospital, an facility designed to lead the nation in veterinary medical education. The project received a critical push during the last legislative session, allowing the university to begin construction.
“We have been fortunate,” Dr. Hess shared. “We obviously have been planning and starting to really maybe come out of the ground here in the next 12 months with a $329 million animal teaching hospital. It’ll be the best in the United States, without question. And our facilities, as you know, were well past their useful life, and so last legislative session we were fortunate to be able to receive an appropriation to really upgrade our facilities.”
Accompanying the physical construction is a leadership transition at the College of Veterinary Medicine. The university recently named Richard Prather, a native of Shattuck, Oklahoma, as the new dean. Prather’s appointment represents a distinct directional shift for the program.
“We are the second land-grant university in the United States to appoint what would be commonly referred to as a non-traditional dean,” Dr. Hess said. “You know, a lot of deans come from the academic world. We felt it was important to focus on our large-animal and food-animal work, and Richard was obviously a natural choice for us. He’d been serving on the OSU Vet Med Authority for a number of years, and so he had been intimately involved in the College of Veterinary Medicine over the last several years.”
To complement the focus on rural veterinary care, OSU has established a targeted scholarship program to incentivize students to pursue large-animal and food-animal practices across the state.
“We’ve had a scholarship program to encourage students to do large animal and food animal veterinary medicine practices,” Dr. Hess explained. “We now have 16 Vet Med students in their junior and senior year who are committed to practicing large animal, food animal veterinary medicine in rural Oklahoma. So that program provides tuition scholarships for those students, and we’ve got 16 who are going to be leaving OSU and heading into rural Oklahoma. We couldn’t be more excited about that.”
Dr. Hess also credited the ongoing momentum within the university’s livestock programs to the leadership at the Biffle Center for Excellence. “Our Beef Excellence program is really taking off, and Jason Less deserves all the credit for that,” Dr. Hess stated. “I would love to tell you that I had a whole lot to do with that, but he has really done a good job with that program and he deserves all of the credit for it.”
A Firm Commitment to the Land-Grant Mission
Stepping into the role of university president required tackling entrenched infrastructural and funding issues immediately. Sheperd pointed out that university presidents are not always universally focused on agricultural portfolios, suggesting that Dr. Hess’s immediate immersion into complex agricultural issues was akin to “drinking from the fire hose.”
Dr. Hess agreed with the characterization but emphasized that his professional identity is rooted in agriculture.
“I really was,” Dr. Hess said of the fast-paced start. “When I was asked to come back to Stillwater in this job, one of my conversations with our board and others, our other constituents, was that I’m an ag guy. And I really want to be committed to revitalizing our agricultural and land-grant missions. And it was going to require a lot of, you know, legislative effort. And so again, we’re so grateful for the leadership that we have in the legislature and their commitment to understanding what OSU’s role is in our ag economy.”
Reflecting on the challenges of his tenure so far, Dr. Hess remained resolute about the university’s path forward.
“We’ve had a lot of fun,” Dr. Hess said. “It was, I think, probably the biggest challenge of my career to date, but it was well worth the effort, and we’ve got some more work to do. But you can be assured that our commitment to the land-grant mission will not wane.”
Cultivating the Next Generation of Agricultural Leaders
The university’s connection to Oklahoma communities is consistently reinforced through youth development initiatives, including FFA and 4-H programs. Events such as the Lahoma Wheat Field Days and the annual 4-H Roundup draw thousands of young people to campus, a dynamic that Dr. Hess finds reassuring for the state’s future.
“The thing that I love about all of these activities, FFA and 4-H specifically, you know, for anybody who’s concerned about the future of our state or our country, if they’ll just spend some time with those young people, their fears are going to be alleviated,” Dr. Hess observed. “They are the future, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Dr. Hess noted that these interactions highlight the personal qualities and work ethic of Oklahoma’s agricultural youth, making them excellent prospective students and future employees.
“There’s nothing like going and participating in one of their events, because they’re so excited and they are going to set the world on fire,” Dr. Hess said. “They are rock stars, and they could not be more well-mannered and polite, respectful, but energetic. And they know so much about whatever animals they’re interested in or whatever activities they’re in. They know so much, and they are constantly educating me and others, anybody that’ll listen, about what their interests are.”
Sheperd added that the defining characteristic of these students is their readiness to work hard.
“They work hard,” Dr. Hess agreed. “And they smile about it, too. You know, there’s a difference between having a good work ethic and viewing it as drudgery, and they don’t. They just smile, and they’re excited and enthusiastic about it, and those are the kinds of employees you really want someday. Because they understand that the reward for great work is more work. And they understand that, and they’ll do great in whatever job or career they pick.”
Graduation Traditions and a Unique Handshake Lesson
The spring commencement season brought thousands of families to the Stillwater campus. Sheperd attended the agricultural graduation ceremonies to watch former network intern Macy Carter receive her degree, noting the vibrant atmosphere on campus filled with parents and grandparents celebrating in traditional OSU orange.
Dr. Hess, who participated in nine separate commencement ceremonies across the university system, revealed that a scheduling change for the Ferguson College of Agriculture ceremonies was made for a very practical, physical reason.
“You notice, KC, that we moved the ag graduation up in the rotation; they were earlier,” Dr. Hess shared. “In years past, they’ve been later in the series of graduation ceremonies, and that was because of me. And let me tell you a funny story about that. I shake every graduate’s hand, because I think they deserve that. They worked hard, and they deserve my acknowledgment of their hard work. So I get to shake about 5,000 hands.”
Through his time presiding over graduation, Dr. Hess discovered a distinct physiological difference among the student body.
“What I learned last year was a great lesson for me, the ag students have a much different handshake than other students,” Dr. Hess laughed. “And so, you want those handshakes to be the very first ones, not after you’ve shaken about 4,000 hands. Because they come in hot. And I got to tell you, I love it because it’s part of their persona, and it’s part of how they’re raised. They don’t give you a limp little handshake, they come in hard, and I thought, I love that, but I want to make sure those are the first hands, not the last ones.”
With major infrastructural investments secured, new academic leadership in place, and a steady stream of dedicated students entering the system, the focus at Oklahoma State University remains firmly locked on its foundational agricultural mission.
