NORMAN, OKLA. – The University of Oklahoma has been awarded a nearly $80 million contract by the United States Postal Service to deliver high-quality, high-impact training services to its employees. Under the guidance of Belinda Biscoe, senior associate vice president for University Outreach and the College of Continuing Education, this project will ensure that USPS employees are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform their duties effectively.
“We are immensely proud to embark on this transformative initiative with the United States Postal Service,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “At the University of Oklahoma, we understand the vital role workforce development plays in driving innovation and efficiency. This project underscores our commitment to empowering individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in an ever-evolving workplace.”
The proposal put forth by the OU team, which includes leaders from both the OU Norman campus and OU Health Sciences, was recognized as the top technical proposal received by the USPS.
“At the College of Continuing Education, we truly believe that education is a lifelong learning process that allows individuals to achieve their personal and professional goals,” Biscoe said. “Throughout this project, we will help reskill, upskill and train postal employees from across the United States.”
The University of Oklahoma will onboard over 100 new employees from the National Center for Employment Development, many of whom are former postal workers or military personnel, to help train USPS employees.
“Regardless of what position a USPS employee holds, the training employees receive will also help enhance operational efficiency and reduce the potential for errors or accidents,” Biscoe said. “As a college dedicated to promoting a culture of life-long learning, we’re committed to delivering measurable results and driving positive impact for the United States Postal Service and its employees.”
Learn more about OU's Outreach/College of Continuing Education.
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.
Ana J. Chucair-Elliott, Ph.D., an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and research member of Dean McGee Eye Institute, has been funded by the BrightFocus Foundation to investigate how aging, diet and inflammation contribute to retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) degeneration, a deterioration of the layer of cells in the back of the eye.
On Tuesday, May 13, the University of Oklahoma’s Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis hosted the final Academy meeting of the Socially Sustainable Solutions for Water, Carbon, and Infrastructure Resilience in Oklahoma, or S3OK, project. Funded by the National Science Foundation through the EPSCoR program, the event brought together academic researchers and statewide practitioners for a forward-looking capstone event in Oklahoma City.
The Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships recognized faculty recipients of the awards for excellence in campus-wide research and creative activities, as well as eight recipients of active early career awards, 25 project teams that earned $1 million or more in extramural funding and nine recipients of patents at a ceremony on May 16.