Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster recently had the chance to visit with the President of Oklahoma State University, Dr. Kayse Shrum, at the 2024 Oklahoma Youth Expo. Shrum was a participant in Monday’s OYE Legislative and Celebrity Showmanship and also attended the 2024 Pork Partners Derby.
The Oklahoma Pork Partners Derby is designed to offer opportunities for 8th-12th grade participants who have not previously exhibited swine projects with the goal of connecting the show pig industry and the commercial pork industry in Oklahoma and providing opportunities for exhibitors to gain experiential knowledge of swine science while exploring careers in the pork industry.
“My older kids participated in OYE every year when they were in high school, and since that time, when I was at the medical school, we started giving scholarships, and I came out here every year,” Shrum said.
As Shrum is no stranger to OYE, she commended the opportunities the event presents for the youth of Oklahoma. Extension plays a large role in the agriculture industry, and Shrum said she is proud of OSU’s land grant mission.
“What makes Oklahoma State and other land grant universities different from other research universities is extension,” Shrum said. “That is what sets us apart and I think that is what is really endearing the way land grants were created to extend an education to a new class of individuals, and then to take the knowledge we have and make it available on the front lines.”
Looking into modernizing the land grant mission at OSU, Shrum said extension is of great importance to society and the counties that are served.
“Certainly, agriculture plays a big role in all the research,” Shrum said. “I think what makes Oklahoma State University distinct really is that we have a veterinary school, a medical school, and a college of agriculture. That puts us in a unique position to do research in many different aspects.”
Shrum also discussed the impact that OSU’s Dean of Agriculture, Dr. Jayson Lusk, has had on the university’s programs.
“He brings a lot of experience, but also a lot of potential and excitement for the future and where we can go,” Shrum said.
Click here for the full schedule for the 2024 OYE. The Oklahoma Farm Report team will be snapping pictures from start to finish- and you can see them as we add them to our Flickr album for 2024- available here. If you want to look back to the 2023 OYE- click here for our pictures from last year’s event.
Our coverage of the 2024 Oklahoma Youth Expo is sponsored by Hilliary Communications. More than 60 years ago, the Hilliary Family acquired a small telephone company in rural southwest Oklahoma. Now in its third generation, the company has grown from a single exchange with just 100 access lines covering 22 square miles to now serving more than 19,000 customers in 22 counties throughout Oklahoma & Texas. The company also offers IP television service and internet speeds up to 1 Gig. Click here to learn more about Hilliary Communications.
