OU Engineering Professor Creates Graduate Endowment

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An accomplished engineering professor at the University of Oklahoma has established an endowed fellowship to help graduate students further their studies in the OU School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering. 

The Roger G. Harrison, Jr., Graduate Fellowship will support doctoral students. The $200,000 endowed fellowship will help fund advanced study in research areas such as biopharmaceuticals, nanostructure materials or sustainable energy.

“The fellowship continues to enhance the Gallogly College of Engineering’s ability to attract top graduate students,” said Brian Grady, the school’s director. “Since Dr. Harrison’s fellowship is not attached to a grant, it will allow the recipient to embark on more speculative work that might not otherwise be covered financially by a grant.”

Harrison, a native of Altus, Oklahoma, joined OU as a chemical engineering professor in 1988. His area of study focuses on the application of biotechnology to solve medical programs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from OU, and a master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Harrison says he has been at OU long enough that he now is meeting children of his past students who want to follow in their parent’s footsteps to study chemical engineering. “This is a wonderful story of how my career has gone full circle,” he said.

Prior to OU, Harrison worked at Chevron Corp., Upjohn Co. and Phillips 66.

To learn more about the Roger G. Harrison, Jr., Graduate Fellowship and other fellowship opportunities, email rett.norman@ou.edu or phone 405-325-5814. Visit oufoundation.org to learn more about the University of Oklahoma Foundation, an independent not-for-profit corporation that encourages and supports charitable giving for the benefit of OU.

Information about the OU School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering is found at ou.edu/coe/cbme.

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