NEWS
TULSA, OKLA. – A pathbreaking gift to the University of Oklahoma Polytechnic Institute will provide significant scholarships for students to finish their degrees and enter the STEM field in northeastern Oklahoma.
With a $1 million gift to OUPI – the Institute’s largest private gift to date – longtime Tulsa residents and OU alumni Terry and Pam Carter are not only supporting the Institute’s growth but are empowering Oklahoma students to attain and complete their degrees in advanced and applied technology.
The Polytechnic Institute will open to students in fall 2024, offering a bachelor’s degree completion program in cybersecurity. Master’s and doctoral programs in high-demand and essential technology fields are planned for the coming years.
“The OU Polytechnic Institute has focused on being a student-ready college from the start, and this generous gift from the Carters will go a long way toward making that a reality for many future students,” said Teri Reed, Ph.D., OUPI founding director. “Support like this gift from the Carter family is a lynchpin in reinforcing the value OUPI brings to northeastern Oklahoma.”
“The Carters recognize the need for true polytechnic education in northeastern Oklahoma,” said Susan Bynum, OU-Tulsa vice president. “We are extremely grateful to the Carters for this gift and are excited for the future of OUPI in Tulsa.”
Terry Carter is a Price College of Business alumnus and is retired as director, senior VP of finance and CFO at QuikTrip Corporation. Pam Carter is president and owner of Tulsa-based Synergy Marketing Associates and an OU Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communications alumna.
The Carters’ gift will largely support student scholarships, empowering nontraditional students to pursue their educations in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software development and integration, digital manufacturing and health information systems. OUPI will create an on-ramp for graduates in these essential areas to fill critical jobs in northeastern Oklahoma.
“We really like the idea of being able to offer people who don’t otherwise have the opportunity to go to school (the chance) to finish their degree at OU with this program through scholarships,” Pam Carter said. “This is going to be a sea change in technology, and I just love that OU is at the forefront of this.”
The Carters’ generosity strikes at an important intersection of priorities for the family: Giving back to OU, supporting the Tulsa region and creating economic opportunity. The family hopes their gift will be a catalyst for other passionate OU alumni and friends to support OUPI.
“If you have a love for OU, if you have a love for Tulsa, if you’re wanting to give back for anything that you received while you were going to school, I don’t know of a better opportunity than OU Polytechnic,” Terry Carter said.
About OU Polytechnic Institute
The University of Oklahoma Polytechnic Institute (OUPI) at OU-Tulsa is focused on high-demand, advanced and applied technology-based education. OUPI prepares graduates to transform industries in Oklahoma by offering innovative programs that meet growing demands in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software development and integration and digital manufacturing. OUPI at OU-Tulsa will create a pipeline of extremely skilled graduates with experience in high-demand fields, leading to high-paying jobs that will retain talent in the state and attract new students.
About the OU Foundation
The University of Oklahoma Foundation is an independent charitable organization that facilitates and manages philanthropic gifts to support the University of Oklahoma. With a culture of integrity, skill and persistence, we align the passions of donors and our alumni with the indelible mission of the University of Oklahoma.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. OU was named the state’s highest-ranking university in U.S. News & World Report’s most recent Best Colleges list. For more information about the university, visit ou.edu.
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