OU Engineering

The Gallogly College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma has launched an innovative new program to help address Oklahoma’s growing need for engineers. Starting this fall, the Engineering Pathways Program combines high-quality teaching with student-centered learning in historic Felgar Hall. Plans for the facility are twofold. Now operational, the  McCasland Foundation Engineering Pathways Hub on the first floor focuses on teaching students and provides modern facilities for collaboration. The hub accommodates faculty who are experts in engineering education or dedicated to improving learning experiences for engineering students.  Susan Walden serves as the program’s executive director.  “The new Engineering Pathways faculty will add energy and new ideas, teaching excellence and student mentorship to the program and will provide essential support to grow our engineering student body,” said Walden, an American Society for Engineering Education Fellow.  This su...

Allan W. Neustadt View obituary Mr. Allan W. Neustadt, 93, of Dallas, Texas, and Colorado Springs, Colorado, passed away July 9, 2022, at his Dallas home. He was born Nov. 11, 1928, in Ardmore, Oklahoma, to pioneer oilman and philanthropist Walter Neustadt Sr. and Doris Westheimer Neustadt. He grew up in Ardmore and later graduated from Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, before attending the University of Oklahoma to study petroleum engineering. He received his bachelor's and master's degree from OU and went on to work at Westheimer-Neustadt Corporation, where he served as vice president of engineering. After serving as vice president, he was named president of Pilgrim Drilling Company, and later became a partner in Neustadt Land and Development Company. In 1968, he married the love of his life, Marilyn Leaman. They were married 44 years until she passed away in 2013.  Col. Harold L. Beasley View obituary Col. Harold L. Beasley, retired U.S. Air Force, of Murfreesboro, Tenne...

For Mark Nanny, a professor in the School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science at the University of Oklahoma, it’s all about putting teachers in the driver’s seat.  This summer is no different. Nine K-14 teachers from Oklahoma’s rural communities are participating in OU Research Experiences for Teachers in Engineering and Computer Science, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. The program backs summer research experiences that help nurture long-term relationships between the state’s school districts, community colleges, industry partners and universities.  This year’s program focuses on renewable energy. From studying materials for energy-producing structures like wind turbines to learning about sustainable material innovation that uses 3D printing technology, teachers spend six weeks on OU’s campus embedded in engineering research labs.  Nanny emphasizes the goal is for K-14 teachers to have a “real” research experience.  “We, along with the...

Over the years, Thirumalai “Venky” Venkatesan, a University of Oklahoma professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering , has received many prestigious honors and awards for his achievements in advanced technology innovation.  This year, Venkatesan has received four such honors.  On June 24, Venkatesan traveled to London for an invocation ceremony where he was inducted as a Royal Society Fellow . The distinguished group comprises 1,700 Fellows and Foreign Members, including 85 Nobel Laureates who were all selected for exceptional contributions to science. Venkatesan joins the ranks of Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and Dorothy Hodgkin.  "The ceremony was a 1 1/2-day event and will forever remain in my memory as very special," Venkatesan said. "I signed the same book as Michael Faraday and Isaac Newton, two of my heroes!" he added.  Top photo, Venkatesan with the Royal Society's charter book that was created in 1663....