NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – The University of Oklahoma nominated Williams, an Oklahoma-based energy leader, for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education’s Regents Business Partnership Excellence Award. Williams and OU are one of 27 business and higher education partnerships throughout the state recognized as innovative collaborations that further the education of Oklahoma’s workforce.
Williams has made generous gifts to support several colleges and programs at the University of Oklahoma, including the Gallogly College of Engineering, Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, and Price College of Business.
The company most recently established the Williams Office Suite for Sustainable Energy Systems. This transformative addition to Sarkeys Energy Center at OU is a hub for collaborative research, innovation and learning, enriching the experience of all students and fostering future energy leaders.
“Williams’ strong support for student success, retention and mentoring has been a hallmark of this enduring partnership,” said John Antonio, dean of the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy.
“Williams is investing in the workforce of tomorrow through our partnerships with the University of Oklahoma,” said Alan Armstrong, executive chairman of the Williams Board of Directors and former CEO of the company. “Providing students with educational experiences that are aligned with evolving industry needs creates a pipeline of energy innovators who are ready to help the natural gas industry lead the charge in the clean-energy future.”
The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education’s Regents Business Partnership Excellence Award is designed to highlight successful partnerships between higher education institutions, businesses and the community to further cultivate the higher learning environment through State Regents’ Economic Development Grants. To learn more and see the other 2025 awardees, please visit the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education website.
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.
Mulugeta Gebregziabher, Ph.D., a nationally and internationally recognized public health leader, researcher and educator, has been named a professor and the endowed chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health.
Engineering Days at the University of Oklahoma give high school students direct exposure to engineering through hands-on, discipline-based experiences on campus. The program brings rising juniors and seniors to the Norman campus for one-day sessions led by OU faculty and supported by current engineering students.
The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine has been awarded a five-year, $10.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to create the Oklahoma Center for Biomedical Research Excellence in Sensory Biology. The center will serve as a hub for research into how cells sense and respond to their environment and the diseases that can occur when that process malfunctions.
