Serving the University of Oklahoma for over 29 years in various leadership roles, Joseph Harroz Jr. was named the 15th president of OU on May 9, 2020. Harroz’s previous service to the university includes a one-year term as interim president, nine years as dean of the College of Law, 12 years as general counsel, and two years as vice president for executive affairs.
Under Harroz’s leadership, OU has ambitiously pursued the fulfillment of its “Lead On, University” Strategic Plan, sparking an era of excellence and elevating OU’s position as a top-tier public research university. Continuing this bold trajectory, the next phase of the Strategic Plan embraces transformative new aspirations that reaffirm OU’s commitment to the highest levels of academic excellence, research innovation, student success, patient care, and service to our state and beyond. Learn more at ou.edu/leadon.
More students than ever are choosing OU, with the Class of 2029 continuing a spectacular trend: OU’s fifth straight year of record-setting freshman enrollment and the third consecutive year that a record number of Oklahomans have chosen to start their freshman year at OU. In just three years, OU’s incoming class sizes have surged more than 30%.
Across all OU campuses, Fall 2025 enrollment increased 5.8% over the previous year – the university’s fastest growth in half a century. Over the last five years, enrollment at the OU Health Campus has risen 24%, while online enrollment has more than doubled. This unprecedented growth reflects what students and families see in OU: a place where excellence, opportunity, and affordability converge to open doors that change lives.
OU’s research momentum continues to accelerate, surpassing $474 million in annual expenditures. As the 4th fastest-growing research university in the nation, OU is channeling its unique strengths toward innovations that fuel economic growth, strengthen communities, and help shape Oklahoma’s future.
Health care in Oklahoma was transformed through the 2021 merger that created OU Health, establishing the state’s leading comprehensive academic health system. Today, OU Health is a collectively thriving organization that has emerged as the state’s top-performing health system – delivering world-class care, training tomorrow’s health professionals, and driving discoveries that redefine medicine. OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center – Oklahoma’s only NCI-designated cancer center – continues to expand its reach and life-saving impact. A newly opened location in Norman, along with a state-of-the-art facility in Tulsa opening in 2028, reflect OU’s mission to ensure every Oklahoman has access to the very best cancer care, no matter where they live.
Fueling Oklahoma’s workforce is another key priority of the Strategic Plan, and OU has significantly expanded enrollment in several key academic areas to support workforce demands. Nursing has seen its annual number of graduates more than double, and the College of Medicine has launched a five-year plan to incrementally increase M.D. enrollment by more than 40%. OU has also expanded its top-ranked aviation program to meet growing workforce demands, with enrollment in the School of Aviation more than doubling in just two years. OU’s Career Center has doubled staff and expanded services to make workforce readiness a focus across all areas of study, and within six months of graduation, 82% of students report successful outcomes of employment, continued education, or military service.
An abundance of other successes have come to life since the Strategic Plan’s introduction – the announcement of a historic $2 billion fundraising campaign, a relentless focus on balancing excellence with affordability, the addition of premier freshman housing, entering the SEC, and more.
A native Oklahoman, Harroz graduated Phi Beta Kappa from OU in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and a minor in zoology. He earned his J.D. in 1992 from Georgetown University Law Center. A grandson of Lebanese immigrants to Oklahoma, Harroz is father to Joseph, Zara, and Jude, and is married to Ashley Harroz.
