Gavia Named One of Nine Regents' Alumni Award Recipients

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David Gavia, holding the Regents' Alumni Award, stands with President David L. Boren and members of the OU Board of Regents.
Nine exceptional University of Oklahoma alumni and friends received Regents’ Alumni Awards for their dedication and service to OU in a ceremony on May 9, on the Norman campus.

Gavia, who earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2000, is the sole holder of two U.S. patents and the co-inventor on three patents, all related to drill bit technology. He has been published twice by the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

A walk-on member of the Sooner cross country team for two years, Gavia studied abroad at Polytechnic University in Valencia, Spain,  was a member of the Multicultural Engineering Program and an officer of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.

Professionally, Gavia was instrumental in encouraging Baker Hughes, where he serves as product manager of drill bits in the North America region, to sponsor mechanical engineering capstone projects, and has served as a mentor to teams for two years. He has participated on the Baker Hughes Campus Champions team for OU and regularly engages in recruiting and interviewing activities. A true ambassador for OU, Gavia regularly uses social media to share Sooner success stories, ensuring new audiences have access to the great work of OU students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Gavia serves as a member of the College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board on Diversity and Inclusion, currently on the external relations committee. Dedicated to guiding and encouraging students through their pursuit of an engineering degree, he spends countless hours mentoring and coaching students in person and virtually. He and his wife, Jennifer, have supported OU through a number of initiatives, including establishing a Multicultural Engineering Scholarship to provide financial assistance to students from underrepresented groups in the College of Engineering.

Presented by the OU Board of Regents and OU Alumni Association, the Regents’ Alumni Award honors the important roles of OU alumni and supporters to the life of the university. A committee formed by the Alumni Association selects the award recipients from nominations made by alumni, friends, and OU faculty and staff. Each year’s recipients receive a plaque and their names are engraved on a permanent plaque in Oklahoma Memorial Union.

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