NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – The University of Oklahoma has been selected to join the U.S. Space Command's Academic Engagement Enterprise. This program fosters collaboration between the Space Command’s enterprise and academic institutions to cultivate space-focused research, innovation and education.
“By partnering with the U.S. Space Command, the University of Oklahoma continues to showcase our commitment to the defense and security of our nation,” said OU Vice President of Research and Partnerships Tomás Díaz de la Rubia. “This collaboration marks a significant milestone in OU’s dedication to advancing space and defense technologies and grants our programs access to an extensive network of resources, expertise and opportunities for the future of space security and innovation.”
OU’s Oklahoma Aerospace and Defense Innovation Institute will lead the effort by leveraging its expertise in addressing aerospace, defense and global security challenges alongside OU’s Advanced Radar Research Center, Gallogly College of Engineering and Center for Intelligence and National Security.
By focusing on several key areas critical to the future of space exploration and defense, including space situational awareness, space access and resilience and space warfighting, this program will support OU’s research along the enterprise’s 38 stated academic research topics.
“As a member of the AEE, OU will have the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research, collaborate with industry leaders and government agencies, and prepare the next generation of space professionals,” said Gen (ret.) Robin Rand, executive director of OU’s Oklahoma Aerospace and Defense Innovation Institute. "Through these partnerships and initiatives, OU students, faculty and researchers will gain invaluable experience and insights into the rapidly evolving field of space exploration and defense.”
Additional academic contributions include Price College of Business’s first-of-its-kind Graduate Certificate in Commercial Space Applications through its Executive MBA in Aerospace and Defense degree and the Data Science and Analytics Institute’s undergraduate and advanced degrees in data science. OU’s School of Meteorology and the OU-led NSF AI Institute for Research on Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence in Environmental Sciences further showcase the university’s national and global research expertise.
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 health care needs of the state, region and nation. OU was named the state’s highest-ranking university in U.S. News & World Report’s most recent Best Colleges list. For more information about the university, visit ou.edu.
About the U.S. Space Command
U.S. Space Command, established to conduct space operations and ensure the security of the space domain, plays a pivotal role in safeguarding American interests in space. With a mission focused on deterring conflict, defending U.S. and allied interests, and delivering space combat power for the nation, U.S. Space Command is at the forefront of space-centric defense strategies. The U.S. Space Command's Academic Engagement Enterprise was established by the U.S. Space Command in 2022 to enrich strategic space dialogue and develop space-focused academic partnerships. As of April 2024, 55 academic institutions were members of the AEE.
Arif Sadri, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Gallogly College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, has received a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation to study how communities communicate during disasters like storms, floods, tornadoes and earthquakes. His project, funded by multiple NSF programs, seeks to improve disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts.
The University of Oklahoma has received a nearly $4 million congressional appropriation for supply chain risk management research from the 448th Supply Chain Management Wing of the U.S. Air Force Sustainment Center.
Maddy Keyes, a senior from the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, has been chosen as a Pulitzer Center Reporting Fellow to explore the ecological grief caused by climate change for the Inuit in Greenland.
