RSU to Host ‘STEM@RSU Campaign’ Launch Event Nov. 20

Rogers State University will kick off the final stretch of fundraising for the construction of the new Center for Science and Technology on the RSU campus in Claremore on Nov. 20.

The "STEM@RSU Campaign" kickoff event is scheduled for 4 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 20, in the Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center Ballroom. Members of the public are invited to attend.

The Center for Science and Technology (CST) has been a critical need at RSU for several years, as the current home for the university's science and technology programs is Loshbaugh Hall, which was constructed in 1955 and is no longer capable of meeting the demand of more advanced STEM courses, new academic programs and the university's growing enrollment.

A renovation of Loshbaugh Hall, which also has significant maintenance issues, is not a cost-effective option.

The proposed CST will feature approximately more than 50,000 square feet of laboratory, classroom, and office space, and will include instructional labs, research labs, active-learning spaces, collaboration spaces, and maker spaces. The Center will also support the continued growth of RSU's chemical engineering, pre-medicine, and nursing programs, along with other STEM and allied health degrees.

Total cost of the project is $30 million. Towards this end, in May 2024 the Cherokee Nation provided a leadership gift of $4 million toward the project. Recognizing the need for the CST, the State of Oklahoma then committed $10 million in public funds. Additionally, RSU has received approval to issue up to $12 million of bonded indebtedness.

Additional private funds of $4 million are needed to fully fund the project, which the Rogers State University Foundation has accepted the responsibility of raising. To secure the remaining $4 million, the Foundation has begun the "STEM@RSU Campaign."

"The Center for Science and Technology is a game-changer for RSU and the programs it will house and the students it will educate will have a profound impact on economic development and meeting workforce needs in critical areas," said Steve Valencia, vice president for development.

In addition to raising the funds, this campaign serves to raise awareness of STEM programs at RSU and the need for private funds to sustain their growth.

Dr. Larry Rice, president emeritus of RSU, will serve as the campaign chair.

Rogers State University is a regional university serving northeastern Oklahoma and is the only four-year public residential university in the Tulsa metropolitan area.

Persons, organizations or companies interested in making a tax-deductible investment in the project may contact Steve Valencia, vice president for development, at [email protected]or 918-343-7780.