Associate farm reporter Carli Davenport Spoke with Oklahoma State University president Jim Hess. As OSU prepares for the fall semester, President Jim Hess shared his optimistic outlook, highlighting another year of record-breaking enrollment. “We’re going to have a record enrollment of freshmen this fall, following up on a record enrollment from the fall of ’24,” Hess noted. He estimated about 5,100 new freshmen would join the university. In addition to academic growth, Hess mentioned excitement around the upcoming football season, saying, “We have a lot of new players, and our coaches are enthused.”
A major highlight for OSU’s future is the construction of a new Veterinary Teaching Hospital, made possible through unprecedented state funding. “We acquired $250 million in appropriations to build a new animal teaching hospital for the College of Veterinary Medicine,” Hess explained. Combined with $78 million already set aside, the $328 million project will be “the envy of all the colleges of Veterinary medicine in the nation.” Hess emphasized its impact on rural veterinary care, saying the hospital will help “fulfill our mission of providing rural large animal and food animal veterinarians for our cattle producers and pork producers.”
In addition to veterinary advancements, OSU is pursuing improvements in agricultural research with plans for a new greenhouse and the Wheat Improvement Center. Hess highlighted the global importance of OSU wheat genetics, stating, “About 12% of all wheat production on the planet is done with OSU wheat genetics.” He noted the current limitations due to weather and facilities, and explained the need for a $25 million indoor facility that would allow multiple growing cycles annually. “When we achieve it, we’ll be able to impact wheat genetic production across the world,” he said.
President Hess also unveiled a new initiative focused on student career success through the addition of a dedicated career readiness counselor. “From day one, the day they arrive, they’ll get an academic counselor and a career counselor,” he explained. The program is designed to develop resume-writing, interviewing skills, and career planning throughout a student’s college journey. With over 265,000 active OSU alumni, Hess said the program will also include “internships and partner mentoring relationships” to connect students with job opportunities in Oklahoma and beyond.
Looking ahead to the fall, President Hess affirmed OSU’s long-term commitment to preparing students for the workforce. “Every student who comes to OSU will have a career readiness advisor to guide them,” he stated. He tied the initiative to OSU’s “ideal graduate” concept, defined as academically strong, community-engaged, and employable. “I would suspect that every parent out there would say that the ideal graduate gets a job,” Hess said, reinforcing the university’s focus on practical outcomes and real-world success for its students.
