 Pictured are (L to R) Bill McKamey, AEP/PSO Tulsa general manager, Pete Churchwell, AEP/PSO Oklahoma manager, Kyla House, AEP/PSO college relations administrator, Gary Trennepohl, OSU-Tulsa president, Karl Reid, OSU dean of the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT). |
AEP/PSO supports engineering program at OSU-Tulsa
American Electric Power/Public Service Company of Oklahoma (AEP/PSO) has given $25,000 to Oklahoma State University-Tulsa to support engineering programs, OSU-Tulsa President Gary Trennepohl announced recently.
AEP/PSO’s Pete Churchwell, manager for Oklahoma, and Bill McKamey, general manager of community affairs, made the presentation to Trennepohl and Karl Reid, dean of the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT), for the Engineering Enrichment Program at OSU-Tulsa.
“The generosity of AEP/PSO is a win-win deal between industry and academics,” Trennepohl said. “This contribution will enable OSU-Tulsa to provide more opportunities for our students and faculty. When these students graduate, they will be better prepared to work at companies like AEP.”
Churchwell said that AEP/PSO and the university have a lot of history together. “We truly depend on Oklahoma State University for preparing our future engineers. We have worked closely with the Stillwater campus and now are developing new associations on the Tulsa campus.”
McKamey also noted that Oklahoma State University is the second most recruited school in the nation for employees of AEP/PSO.
The newly gifted funds will be administered by the OSU Foundation and used to fund scholarships and recognition awards to further the mission of the engineering college in Tulsa. The funding will also support a K-12 awareness program called “Focus on Engineering” in Tulsa area schools.
• AEP/PSO Scholars Fund – ten scholarships will
be awarded to outstanding students in various engineering fields.
• AEP/PSO Excellence in Teaching Awards – two awards will
be presented to outstanding faculty members teaching in engineering fields
at OSU-Tulsa, and two awards will be presented to outstanding graduate
instructors in engineering fields at OSU-Tulsa.
• K-12 Focus on Engineering – this fund will provide opportunities
for Tulsa area schools to have an inside look at possible careers or fields
of study in engineering. By exploring the concepts in elementary and secondary
schools, students are better equipped to make the decision of choosing
engineering for their higher education degree.
• AEP/PSO President’s Excellence Fund – support of the
Engineering, Architecture and Technology programs at OSU-Tulsa will be
made possible, including field trips to AEP/PSO headquarters for scholarship
students and their sponsor and support for the OSU-Tulsa student chapters
of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Institute of Electronics
and Electrical Engineers. Community relations and recruiting efforts will
also benefit.
“AEP/PSO has been very good to Oklahoma State University through the years,” Reid said. “Excellence occurs in our engineering programs because of donors like AEP/PSO that care about quality.”
Story contact: Mary Bea Drummond, OSU-Tulsa, 918.594.8223 or 918.594.8360