NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited the University of Oklahoma on Friday, Oct. 30, to meet with OU researchers and students involved in the DOE Genesis Mission, a national initiative to accelerate scientific discovery through artificial intelligence, supercomputing and quantum technologies. The roundtable, which also included Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, and OU President Joseph Harroz Jr., showcased how OU research is helping advance American energy and scientific discovery.
“Energy has always been central to Oklahoma’s story, and the University of Oklahoma has been part of that story for more than a century,” said Harroz. “Our selection for the Genesis Mission reflects the extraordinary talent and research expertise we have at OU, as well as our commitment to advancing discoveries that will strengthen our state and nation. We are honored to welcome Secretary Wright and Congressman Cole to campus as we work together to write the next chapter of Oklahoma’s energy story.”
“The University of Oklahoma has a proud history of energy innovation, and its role in the Genesis Mission will help drive the breakthroughs needed to strengthen American Energy Dominance and secure our nation’s energy future,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
“Since shortly after statehood, energy has been a driving force in Oklahoma’s economy. Furthermore, the University of Oklahoma has helped build on that legacy through its investments, groundbreaking research, and longstanding commitment to the energy sector. There is no university more deserving of selection for the Genesis Mission than OU,” said Congressman Cole. “I’d like to thank DOE Secretary Wright for joining us in Oklahoma today for this roundtable discussion and I look forward to seeing OU continue to lead the way in advancing our nation’s energy future.”
The visit highlights OU’s long-standing leadership in energy and its growing investment in research. The university’s Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy is home to nationally ranked petroleum engineering programs, and enrollment in the college has grown 84% over the past four years. Earlier this year, OU launched Project 200, the largest investment in research talent in the university’s history. Over the next five years, the initiative will bring about 200 leading researchers to OU in four areas of strategic importance: health, weather, national security and defense, and energy.
The roundtable followed the August announcement that OU was among 168 universities selected for Genesis Mission funding. Two OU-led research teams received nearly $1.4 million in Phase I funding. Ahmad Ghassemi, McCasland Chair Professor of petroleum engineering in the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, is leading a project using machine learning and physics-based modeling to improve enhanced geothermal systems. Grant Biedermann, Homer L. Dodge Endowed Chair and associate professor of physics in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, is leading a project using AI to control arrays of trapped atoms for quantum computing. Xuguang Wang, Robert Lowery Chair Professor and Presidential Research Professor in the School of Meteorology, is a research partner on a project led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory using AI to model turbulence and clouds for Earth-system prediction.
Established in November 2025, the Genesis Mission aims to double the nation’s scientific productivity within a decade by connecting DOE’s 17 National Laboratories with advanced computing, AI models and emerging quantum systems. Learn more at energy.gov/genesis-mission.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and healthcare needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited the University of Oklahoma on Friday, Oct. 30, to meet with OU researchers and students involved in the DOE Genesis Mission, a national initiative to accelerate scientific discovery through artificial intelligence, supercomputing and quantum technologies.
Starting next year, the College of Dentistry will open training to its dental hygiene students in Enid in partnership with Great Salt Plains Health and Northern Oklahoma College. This opportunity, which will also enhance rural dental services, is made possible through a $2.85 million gift from Delta Dental of Oklahoma.
Wei Yue, Ph.D., a professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the OU College of Pharmacy, has received a $1.9 million National Institutes of Health award to uncover new ways to predict when multiple medications taken together could cause dangerous side effects.
