OU Names Inaugural Director of Polytechnic Institute

TULSA, OKLA. – The University of Oklahoma announced today the appointment of Teri K. Reed, Ph.D., as the inaugural director of the OU Polytechnic Institute, pending OU Board of Regents’ approval. Upon joining OU, Reed will also hold the George Kaiser Family Foundation Chair.

An OU alumna and internationally recognized leader in the field of engineering education, Reed will return to her alma mater on March 1 from the University of Cincinnati, where she has served as assistant vice president of faculty research development, executive director of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, and professor of chemical engi­neering.

The OU Polytechnic Institute will be launching as a new school at OU-Tulsa, providing bachelor’s completion and graduate degree programs that will initially focus on cybersecurity, data science, software development, medical informatics and advanced mobility/manufacturing. As director, Reed will oversee the design of those academic programs, develop the hiring strategy for the institute’s first wave of faculty, engage with industry stakeholders on curriculum and work with the OU Foundation to garner additional philanthropic support.

“Dr. Reed is one of the leading minds in how to strategically align engineering education with rapidly evolving workforce needs, making her an outstanding choice to serve as the inaugural director of the OU Polytechnic Institute,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “Our university is fundamentally invested in the future of Oklahoma, and we are confident that under Dr. Reed’s leadership, the OU Polytechnic Institute will play a dynamic role in driving our state forward.”

Prior to joining the University of Cincinnati in 2016, Reed held faculty and administrative appointments at Texas A&M University, Purdue University and OU. Reed taught at OU from 2000 to 2006, earning tenure as an associate professor in the School of Industrial Engineering. She also served as the College of Engineering’s associate dean of education during her time at OU.

After earning her Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from OU, Reed spent seven years in the petroleum industry, during which time she earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. She later graduated from Arizona State University with a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering.

An advocate for research-informed approaches to engineering education and administration, Reed has made significant contributions to higher education nationally. She helped establish the scholarly foundation for engineering education as an academic discipline through co-authorship of the landmark 2006 Journal of Engineering Education’s special reports, “The National Engineering Education Research Colloquies” and “The Research Agenda for the New Discipline of Engineering Education.”

Her professional activities include serving as an executive board member and fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education, and she is a former president of the Women in Engineering ProActive Network. She is the recipient of many accolades that recognize her teaching and leadership abilities, including two awards from the University of Oklahoma: the Distinguished Service Award from the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, and selection as one of the inaugural recipients of the OU Regents’ Alumni Award. 

The OU Polytechnic Institute will serve as a workforce solution to the increasing demand in Oklahoma for credentialed workers in critical STEM fields. The school’s curriculum will be developed with input from industry partners, quickly making the region a hub for growth and new jobs.

Partners for the OU Polytechnic Institute include Tulsa Innovation Labs, OU’s Office of Innovation and Corporate Partnerships, the OU Ronnie K. Irani Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth and others, along with philanthropic partners such as the George Kaiser Family Foundation and Google.

“It is truly my honor to be able to return to my roots at OU and bring this new program to fruition,” Reed said. “I’m inspired by the significant impact the OU Polytechnic Institute will make by supporting the area, region and state by bringing innovative opportunities to our graduates and partners.”

To learn more about the OU Polytechnic Institute, visit ou.edu/tulsa/polytechnic.