On Friday, the Oklahoma State University A&M Board of Regents voted to appoint Dr. Jim Hess as the 20th president of Oklahoma State University.
The board’s decision, which removes the interim title Hess has held since February, appoints Hess to a three-year term and came during its regular meeting at Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell.
Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association Executive Vice President Michael Kelsey responded to an invitation by the Oklahoma Farm Report to offer a response from the organization about the move by the Regents on Friday.
Kelsey tells Oklahoma Farm Report- ““OCA is excited to see the official appointment of Dr. Jim Hess as the president of Oklahoma State University. Dr. Hess is an outstanding leader. He is brim full of passion and dedication for OSU along with integrity and genuineness that is unmatched. OSU’s orange just got brighter!”
Earlier in 2025, Dr. Hess spoke to the winter policy meeting of the OCA- this when he was Vice Provost of OSU. He addressed the challenges of the OSU College of Vet Medicine and Farm Director KC Sheperd spoke with Dr. Hess about the next steps to get the Veterinary School off probation and the plans provide a more state of the art facility in the years ahead.
Back in January- Dr. Hess told Oklahoma Farm Report ” the initiatives to improve the College of Veterinary Medicine are three-fold. One is the ability to recapitalize the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Stillwater which is currently operating in a 43-year-old facility in need of significant improvements.
“What we actually need is a new facility to create a training environment that will attract students and faculty members,” he said. “A new veterinary teaching hospital is critical for the college, but also critical for food-animal producers so we can place new large animal veterinarians in rural Oklahoma.”
“The new facility is projected to cost around $295 million. Opportunities for financing from the Oklahoma State Legislature are being considered.
“With only 33 veterinary schools in the nation, competition for students and faculty members is very aggressive. A new, state-of-the-art facility is a good beginning component to compel both to Stillwater.
“Additionally, OSU is asking for the Lee Denney Scholarship Program to be recurring. The program offers scholarships to students who commit to practicing large, food-animal veterinary medicine in rural Oklahoma.”
Click on the listen bar below to go back to that meeting and listen to Sheperd and Dr, Hess discuss OSU’s College of Vet Medicine.
