1-20-2026
OU President Joseph Harroz Jr.
“Lead On, University: Advancing a Bold Vision for Oklahoma’s Future”
Under Harroz’s leadership, the university has ambitiously pursued the fulfillment of its “Lead On, University” Strategic Plan, and the journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. To build on the university’s momentum and elevate OU’s impact, the next phase of the Strategic Plan embraces bold new aspirations that position the university among the nation’s premier research institutions while strengthening the promise to transform lives through education.
More students than ever are choosing OU, with the last four years seeing record-breaking freshman classes. For the 2024-2025 school year, total enrollment across all OU campuses rose 5.7% – the largest percentage increase in nearly 50 years. New student enrollment at OU Health Sciences has grown by 18% in just two years, and online enrollment has seen more than a 100% increase in five years.
OU’s research momentum continues to accelerate. The OU research enterprise has become the 4th fastest-growing research university in the nation, and OU ranks among the top 8% of research universities nationally.
The historic merger in 2021 to create OU Health has brought immense benefits to the state and its people. As Oklahoma’s first comprehensive academic health system, OU Health is delivering world-class health care, training tomorrow’s health professionals, and meeting the toughest medical challenges with pioneering research and innovation.
OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center remains Oklahoma’s only national cancer institute-designated cancer center, standing at the forefront of cancer research and treatment. In April 2024, OU announced it will bring NCI-level cancer care to thousands more Oklahomans by expanding the Stephenson Cancer Center to Tulsa. Plans are in motion to build a state-of-the-art facility at OU-Tulsa, with an anticipated opening in spring 2028. Most recently, in June 2025, OU expanded the Stephenson Cancer Center to the Norman Regional Hospital campus, furthering its impact and reach to residents in south-central Oklahoma.
Fueling Oklahoma’s workforce is another key priority of the Strategic Plan, and OU has significantly expanded enrollment in several key academic areas to support workforce demands. Nursing has seen its annual number of graduates more than double, with over 600 joining the workforce in fall 2024, up from around 300 in 2021. OU has also expanded its top-ranked aviation program to meet growing workforce demands, with enrollment in the School of Aviation more than doubling in just two years. The OU Polytechnic Institute at OU-Tulsa welcomed its inaugural class in fall 2024. OUPI combines cutting-edge curriculum in critical STEM fields with on-site training, equipping graduates to transform Oklahoma industries and fuel economic prosperity.
An abundance of other successes have come to life since the Strategic Plan’s introduction – the announcement of a historic $2 billion fundraising campaign, a continued focus on balancing excellence with affordability, the addition of premier freshman housing, entering the SEC, and more. Learn more about the Strategic Plan at ou.edu/leadon.
A native Oklahoman, Harroz graduated Phi Beta Kappa from OU in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and a minor in zoology. He earned his J.D. in 1992 from Georgetown University Law Center. A grandson of Lebanese immigrants to Oklahoma, Harroz is father to Joseph, Zara, and Jude, and is married to Ashley Harroz.
Chair of the Day
Rick Nagel was appointed to the Board of Regents by Governor Kevin Stitt in April 2021. As the Managing Partner of Acorn Growth Companies, Regent Nagel leads the strategic direction of the firm and its portfolio assets. Mr. Nagel first served Acorn as an Advisory Board Member and in 2004 joined as a partner, launching the firm’s private equity practice. He leads, and is responsible for, Acorn’s current geographic footprint, fund operations, fundraising activity, investment deal generation, portfolio integrations and performance improvement initiatives. Since joining Acorn, the firm has closed more than 30 transactions in areas that include advanced manufacturing, government IT services, defense electronics, engineering services, aircraft financing and leasing, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), maintenance repair overhaul, modernization and upgrades, radar, satellite communications, airborne logistics, air cargo, value-added distribution, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and counter unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS).