Skip Navigation

Community Leaders Break Ground on Oklahoma Aviation Academy’s Future Facility

NEWS
Community leaders dig shovels into a dirt at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Community leaders celebrate the groundbreaking for the future site of a state-of-the-art facility for the Oklahoma Aviation Academy at the OU Max Westheimer Airport. Photo by Kyle Phillips, Norman Public Schools.

Community Leaders Break Ground on Oklahoma Aviation Academy’s Future Facility


By

Date

Oct. 25, 2024

NORMAN, OKLA. – Community leaders gathered at the University of Oklahoma’s Max Westheimer Airport on Wednesday to break ground on the site of a new facility for the Oklahoma Aviation Academy.

The academy, administered by Norman Public Schools, integrates state-of-the-art STEAM education, industry partnerships and academic standards with a focus on aviation and aerospace.

Speaking to the crowd during the groundbreaking celebration, OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. said of the academy, “When you think about what takes place here, now we have a pipeline from K-12, into college, into graduate work.

“We have the No. 1 Aviation School, the No. 1 meteorology program in the world. We’re also world-class in severe storm prediction; No. 1 academic program in the world in radar...so when you think about this ecosystem, it’s not just about one component, it’s about being strategic and seeing how you lift the lives of individuals, how you lift the lives of a community, how you lift the national security for a country so you can provide peace and security for the world,” he said.

Aerospace and defense is the fastest growing industry in the state of Oklahoma. Through collaborations between the private sector, city and state government, OU and Moore Norman Technology Center, the Oklahoma Aviation Academy provides industry-connected education pathways for Oklahoma students to connect directly with higher education, career tech, and industry partners, ensuring career readiness in the high-demand areas of aviation and aerospace.

“Working with the University of Oklahoma, Moore Norman Technology Center and industry partners from both the public and private sectors helped us create this dedicated space that will benefit our students for years to come,” Justin Milner, associate superintendent and chief operating officer at Norman Public Schools, said.

Learn more about the Oklahoma Aviation Academy.

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. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.


Recent News

Campus & Community
December 06, 2024

Shane Connelly Named Inaugural OU Recipient of SEC Faculty Achievement Award

Psychology professor Shane Connelly, Ph.D., has been selected as the University of Oklahoma’s recipient of the Faculty Achievement Award supported by the Southeastern Conference


Campus & Community
December 06, 2024

OU Engineering Students Light up the Night at Chickasha Festival of Light

Four students in OU’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering led a comprehensive redesign of the festival’s beloved Christmas tree, a focal point of the display.


Education & Leadership
December 05, 2024

OU Vice President and Associate Provost Named Among Top Women Leaders of Oklahoma

Belinda Higgs Hyppolite, Ed.D., vice president of the Division of Access and Opportunity and associate provost at the University of Oklahoma, is among the top women leaders of Oklahoma, according to Women We Admire.