What is OSU's Innovation Foundation? Funding in spotlight as Kayse Shrum, another resigns
(This story was updated to correct an inaccuracy.)
The surprise resignation of Oklahoma State University President Kayse Shrum and another executive leading OSU's Innovation Foundation has led to questions about their departure, many which remain unanswered.
Shrum resigned her post on Monday, but the announcement wasn't made public until Wednesday. The Oklahoman also reported on the resignation of Innovation Foundation CEO Elizabeth Pollard.
The shakeup comes after OSU's Board of Regents met Friday to put a leash on Innovation Foundation's use of funds and ability to hire new employees. The regents took four actions after receiving confidential complaints, according to a report by NonDoc:
Halt the transfer of money between OSU and the Innovation Foundation without a board-approved contract
Discontinued the expenditure or transfer of legislatively appropriated funds from OSU Medical Authority to Oklahoma State University, except to comply with law
Freeze hiring for employees who would provide services to the Innovation Foundation
Hire a financial consultant to review compliance with legislative appropriations, and "analyze the impact on the financial integrity of the university"
The Innovation Foundation was launched at OSU in late 2023 as a "re-imagining" of the Oklahoma State University Research Foundation.
At its heart, the foundation is OSU's way of creating a public-private partnership with industries that have a close connection with the university's expertise and research. For example, the foundation is home to organizations focused on aerospace, energy and health.
The Innovation Foundation also supports startup companies and commercializes OSU's intellectual property with Cowboy Enterprises.
The Innovation Foundation appears to be funded by grants, corporate-sponsored research and revenue acquired through the commercialization of university-sponsored businesses.
It's not clear how much money the foundation receives from Oklahoma State University.
The foundation also manages The Innovation Park, which is 678 acres dedicated to supporting startup companies, faculty collaboration, student research, offices and space for other facilities that meet the foundation's mission.
The board of regents' actions in their meeting last week, however, suggests that the Innovation Foundation might have received funds from the OSU Medical Authority, which oversees medical education, research and health care at the OSU Center for Health Sciences and OSU Medical Center, a teaching hospital. Last year, the Oklahoma Legislature appropriated more than $92 million to the OSU Medical Authority.
Along with Shrum, another executive who was instrumental in developing the new Innovation Foundation also left her position.
Before Elizabeth Pollard became president and CEO of the OSU Innovation Foundation in 2023, she was president of Cowboy Technologies and executive director of the Research Foundation.
Until March 2023, Pollard also served on Gov. Kevin Stitt's Cabinet in the role of secretary of science and innovation, which is a position Shrum held before becoming OSU's president.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Why did OSU President Kayse Shrum, Innovation Foundation exec resign?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Universities tackling Oklahoma's teacher shortage head on
A prospective University of Central Oklahoma student signs a certificate on March 13 in Edmond declaring her intent to study education at the college. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice) EDMOND — Applause from friends and families filled Constitution Hall on University of Central Oklahoma's campus as students declared their intent to be the state's next generation of educators. Similar to a signing day for athletes, students planning to enroll as education majors at the university signed 'letters of intent' to become the next generation of educators. Students traveled to Edmond from their hometowns across the state, excited to celebrate their futures in education and hoping to snag some of the $100,000 in scholarship money at the event. They were met with UCO merchandise, snacks and desserts, and time to meet with current students and faculty at the college of education. With teacher shortages at the center of state leaders' conversations, UCO is one of Oklahoma's public colleges and universities looking for unique approaches to incentivize students to become the next generation of educators. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education have identified teaching as a 'critical occupation' and have pledged to produce more graduates in the field. Across the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, which includes 25 public colleges and universities, nearly 3,100 education degrees were awarded during the 2023-24 school year, up from a low of almost 2,700 in the 2018-19 school year. Almost 92% of graduates with a bachelor's degree in teaching are working in Oklahoma classrooms after one year, according to data from the state regents. After five years, about 80% are still working in Oklahoma. Proponents say this growth is proof that the campus-by-campus initiatives they've launched in recent years are working. Universities are frequently turning to financial incentives to tackle the shortages. Inspired to Teach is a statewide incentive program offering qualified Oklahoma college students the opportunity to earn over $25,000 as they complete their education and teach in Oklahoma post-graduation. Of the 38 participating public and private higher education institutions, UCO, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University have the highest enrollment in the program, said Angela Caddell, a spokesperson for the state regents. Since the program's launch, $13.5 million has been disbursed, and 6,500 participants are currently enrolled, she said. Caddell said the state regents anticipated growth will continue and that since the program's inception, freshman enrollment in teacher education programs has increased 30%. At OU, a lot of the work to address the teacher shortage comes from recruitment and scholarships, said Stacy Reeder, dean of the college of education. 'I'm an Oklahoman and a lifetime Oklahoma educator,' she said. 'And I always tell our students, there's more money than ever to be a teacher. It's a great time to decide to be a teacher because we've got so much funding for you and you have a guaranteed job.' The OU Debt Free Teachers Program offers $20,000 scholarships to 25 to 30 students each year who are accepted into the program. Students are given $5,000 each year to put toward their education and they can 'teach it off.' Students must teach in Oklahoma for at least four years after graduation or the money reverts to a loan and must be repaid. In the decade the donor-funded program has been operating, Reeder said there has been a 94% retention rate of students, and program graduates have been placed 'all over' the state. At UCO's teacher signing event, the school distributed over $100,000 in recruitment and retention scholarships among the 62 students in attendance. The scholarships are funded through 'special workforce development funds' allocated by the state regents, said Kim Pennington, assistant dean for the university's college of education. Jennifer Burris, project manager for teacher recruitment and retention at UCO, said the school started the program to help tackle the teacher shortage. UCO had already admitted 400 new educators as of March, a 37% increase from this time last year. The state Legislature also made efforts to end the teacher shortage and encourage current and future teachers to stay and work in Oklahoma, including extending the teacher salary schedule and extending existing college scholarships to the children of long-time Oklahoma teachers. Stephanie Hathcock, a professor at OSU and interim head of OSU's school of teaching, learning and educational sciences, said other university initiatives to recruit and retain teachers center around making education accessible and flexible. OSU offers education degrees for elementary education fully online, giving students the ability to earn a degree from home. She said last budget year, around a third of OSU's elementary education degrees were completed online. 'I think a lot of what we've been doing is responding to what's happening within the state, trying to respond,' Hathcock said. 'And we would love to get to a place where we can maintain and continue to just really do our jobs well, rather than having to continually kind of morph and respond, morph and respond.' In an attempt to support educators in their first few years of teaching, OSU launched OK Thrive with financial support from legislative appropriations, donors and OSU. John Weaver, director of the program, said it's intended to give new teachers a community to lean on through group meetings and individual coaching. 'We also know that the first few years of teaching are incredibly challenging,' Weaver said. 'Across the nation, and in Oklahoma, show that you know, upwards of 40%, 50%, even some estimates show 60% of teachers leave within three to five years of being in the profession.' The program has a 95% retention rate for its first two cohorts, with data not yet available for its current cohort, he said. The program operates in 50 schools across 25 school districts, Weaver said. Teach to Transform is another OU program intended to offer community and support to future teachers. The program aims to 'address the critical need for teachers from underserved populations' and places interested students in cohorts. OU had a 22% increase in incoming freshmen at the college of education, but it will be a few years until it's known if they are all retained, Reeder said. 'I think there's a tremendous need to elevate the teaching profession, and that can happen in a variety of ways,' Reeder said. 'Just general support for and trust in teachers is something we really are lacking. And I think that's played a big role in the teacher shortage as well.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
First day of Cox Convention Center demolition marks major change to downtown OKC
Downtown dwellers and visitors will have to sharpen their navigation skills as the building formerly known as the Myriad and the Cox Convention Center goes through major demolition this week. The north wall and the pedestrian skybridge are currently scheduled for removal during the week of June 9-13, leading to lane closures on Sheridan Avenue. The demolition process is expected to last through the rest of the year. There haven't been any delays because the work has been all interior so far, said Kristen Torkelson, arena communications liaison. The work is being done as the city prepares to present renderings for the new NBA arena that will be built in the footprint of the old convention center. The renderings are expected to be shown during Mayor David Holt's State of the City address on June 16, Torkelson said. More: Exclusive: OKCThunder Films pays homage to OKC icon in new film premiering at deadCenter Sheridan Avenue, from Robinson Avenue to E.K. Gaylord Boulevard, is closed. The Century Center parking garage can be accessed by the southbound lane on N. Broadway Avenue, and one westbound lane on Sheridan Avenue is open. People staying at the Wyndham Grand Hotel can access it by making a U-turn at the end of N. Broadway Avenue. The OKC Streetcar is temporarily shut down, but Embark will operate a dedicated shuttle bus along a modified downtown loop. Riders should allow for extra travel time as real-time tracking won't be available. The city said in a news release most of the sidewalk around the center remains open, with some portions closed, but accessible ramps are open at all four corners. More: Cox Convention Center demolition to start by April; memories to be preserved As the process keeps going, Midwest Wrecking, the demolition company contracted by the city, is working to remove debris from inside the building and tearing down steel from the walls to recycle it, Torkelson said. After the north wall and the sky bridge is down, work will start on dismantling the east and west walls and then work toward the center of the building. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Cox Convention Center demolition begins with sky bridge
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Invasive tick that can be deadly for cattle causing concerns among researchers
STILLWATER, Okla. (KFOR) — A heads up for cattle producers: there's a deadly tick in the United States, and researchers at Oklahoma State University are concerned. 'These ticks can be so high on a single cow that they can actually result in so much blood loss that the animal can die from that,' Dr. Jonathan Cammack, Assistant Professor at OSU and State Extension Specialist for Livestock, Entomology, and Parasitology, told Nexstar's KFOR. Dr. Cammack said the Asian Longhorned Tick, also known ALT, is native to East Asia. It was first seen in the U.S. a decade ago and has since been detected in more than a dozen states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Lyme-disease isn't the only tick-borne threat. Doctors warn these other diseases are spreading It was discovered in Oklahoma last year on cattle in Craig County. 'It's not going to have that bright white spot on it like a lone star [tick]. And they're also going to be very small, about half the size of the normal tick that we're usually expecting to see at this time of year,' said Dr. Cammack. They're also concerned with how fast the ticks can reproduce. 'They can reproduce asexually, so they don't have that added challenge of locating a mate in the environment,' said Dr. Cammack. That means a female can lay up to 2,500 eggs on one animal, which can then consume enough blood to be deadly. Now, they're hoping research can help with ideas to slow or stop the spread. 'There's a project going on at the vet school where they're collecting ticks that are suspected to be Asian Longhorned Ticks, and then they're testing them for the presence of this pathogen,' said Dr. Cammack. The pathogen is the Theileria orientalis Ikeda genotype, which can be detrimental to cattle. This year, the team is looking for new cases of the tick, and they hope Oklahoma ranchers will help them with surveillance. Dr. Cammack recommends that animals are checked regularly — maybe not daily, but more than once a year — for the tick. If you see it on your cattle, it's recommended that you call your local veterinarian. If you live in an area where the tick has become established, there may be other steps you're advised to take. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
