Skip Navigation

OU Secures Eleventh Davis Cup

NEWS
group photo following ou's welcome reception for new davis scholars.
Fall 2025 welcome reception for OU's Davis Scholars. Photo by Jonathan Kyncl.

OU Secures Eleventh Davis Cup


By

Jacob Guthrie
ounews@ou.edu    

Date

Dec. 15, 2025

NORMAN, Okla. – The University of Oklahoma has once again been awarded the Davis Cup in recognition of its enrollment of Davis United World College Scholar freshmen. This marks the 11th time in 13 years OU has received the award. A total of 75 Davis UWC Scholars began their studies at OU this fall.

OU enrolls the highest number of Davis United World College Scholars in the United States, with 329 scholars representing more than 100 countries. While more than 100 American higher education institutions participate in the global initiative, OU remains the only public university in the nation to receive the honor. OU enrolled its first Davis UWC Scholars in 2008.

“The Davis UWC Scholar Program’s longstanding success is a great point of pride for the University of Oklahoma,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “Davis Scholars exemplify the leadership and global perspectives that strengthen our university community and help drive positive change in the world.”

The Davis UWC Scholars Program is the world’s largest privately funded international scholarship program. The first United World College opened in 1962 with the goal of building cross-cultural communication and understanding. UWC now includes 18 schools worldwide, bringing together students from more than 160 countries to complete the rigorous International Baccalaureate curriculum during their last two years of secondary education. Many graduates continue their studies in the U.S. through the Davis UWC Scholars Program.

“Being admitted to OU as a Davis Scholar has been a profound gift for me and my family back home in Liberia,” said Dala Korkoyah, a Davis UWC Scholar majoring in microbiology in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences. “OU's commitment to UWC students has allowed me to pursue my dreams without financial barriers, and the Davis community here truly feels like a family – supportive, close-knit, and always there with personal guidance whenever I need it. This program empowers us to recognize our value, believe in our potential, and carry the courage to create meaningful change wherever we go.”

Since 2008, OU has received well over $80 million from the Davis UWC Scholars Program to support student scholarships. This year, the program's grant will surpass $12.9 million in support of OU’s UWC scholars for the 2025-26 academic year.

“Partner schools are at the heart of our program,” said Phil Geier, Ph.D., cofounder and executive director of the Davis UWC Scholars Program. “We deeply appreciate our partnership with the University of Oklahoma, as it once again demonstrates its leadership in expanding educational opportunities for promising students from all parts of the world. Congratulations on once again winning the Davis Cup.”

Learn more about OU’s program for Davis UWC Scholars at ou.edu/admissions/uwc.

Place your image here. Please ensure that your image upload meets all of these requirements: Image dimensions, 900 by 600 pixels; file type, jpeg or jpg; file size, maximum of 300kb. Overlaying crimson and white stripes.

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. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.


Recent News

Research
September 09, 2026

OU, Southcentral Foundation partnership awarded five-year NIH grant to train the next generation of Tribal health researchers

A decade-long partnership between the University of Oklahoma and Southcentral Foundation, an Alaska Native-owned, nonprofit health care organization based in Anchorage, Alaska, has been awarded a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to grow and strengthen a research workforce serving American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities.


Campus & Community
September 08, 2026

OU graduate becomes first certified flight instructor from growing helicopter program

Soami Ellis, a recent OU graduate, has become the university’s first professional helicopter major to earn a CFI rating. This milestone is made possible through a recently established School of Aviation program made in partnership with Semper Fly Helicopters in Norman.


Campus & Community
September 08, 2026

Harroz: OU’s momentum creates opportunity – and responsibility – for what comes next

The University of Oklahoma is experiencing a period of transformation few institutions in higher education can match – but OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. says the university’s progress is less a finish line than a foundation for what comes next.