NEWS
The Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy is pleased to announce the appointment of Prue Smith, Ph.D., as the new director of the Irani Center for Energy Solutions, effective August 9, 2025. Smith will also join the faculty as an associate professor in the Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering.
Smith brings deep technical expertise and vast operational experience in the energy industry. With a background in petroleum engineering, digital transformation, and decarbonization, she is uniquely positioned to guide the Irani Center for Energy Solutions into its next chapter, strengthening collaboration with industry partners while advancing research and solutions for the evolving energy landscape.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Smith to the Irani Center and to the Mewbourne College,” said John Antonio, dean of the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy. “Her experience at the intersection of technology, innovation, and energy systems will expand our capacity to deliver real-world solutions for industry while training the next generation of energy leaders.”
“Dr. Smith brings an exciting global perspective and an entrepreneurial mindset that aligns perfectly with the mission of ICES,” added Runar Nygaard, director of the Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering. “Her leadership will be a great asset to both the Center and the school.”
The college also extends its appreciation to Dean Sergent, who has served as director of ICES since 2020. Under his leadership, the center has advanced its mission of bridging academic expertise with industry needs, launched successful student-industry collaborative projects, and expanded its impact across Oklahoma’s energy sector.
Sergent will step down from his role at the end of July to pursue his growing software venture, North by Northwest. We are grateful for his service and wish him continued success in this exciting next chapter.
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.
Over the course of a year, 64 students from OU’s architecture, interior design, planning and sustainable energy programs worked alongside faculty to develop planning and design recommendations for veterans’ homes in Ardmore, Claremore and Sulphur. The work could help guide future renovations, improve residents’ quality of life and support future funding requests.
University of Oklahoma College of Medicine researcher Jody Summers, Ph.D., has long hypothesized that inflammation plays a role in the development of myopia, or nearsightedness, in which close-up vision is clear but distance vision is blurry. Her laboratory experiments have been convincing, and now she has preliminary human data to support the theory.
Mulugeta Gebregziabher, Ph.D., a nationally and internationally recognized public health leader, researcher and educator, has been named a professor and the endowed chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health.
