School:Oklahoma State University

Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship

When students think of innovation and entrepreneurship on Oklahoma State University’s campus they will point you to the Riata Center for Entrepreneurship in the Sears Business Building. They offer a wide range of opportunities for students to learn or engage in entrepreneurship. Oklahoma State offers degree programs for undergrad, masters, and doctorate programs for students wanting to major in entrepreneurship.  This is the place that will guide you in getting the help or information that you need.  Innovation is embedded and encouraged by each college, which allows students to flourish in their creativity.

Here are some ways that students at Oklahoma State University are engaging in innovation and entrepreneurship. 

Big Idea – Pitch and Poster Competition

Big Idea – Business Model

Women’s Inspire Conference – Women in entrepreneurship

TedXOstateU - Ideas worth sharing

Inventors Assistance Services - Provides guidance and research

Entrepreneurship Club – Foundation for innovation

Inspire Conference – Programs for venture start-ups.

New Product Development – New product concept

Cowboy Idea Hatchery – Student Business Incubator 

Fulbright Program – Grants for students

New Venture Lab – Student business incubator

Cowboy Technology – Commercialization program

Innovation Engineering – technical assistance and business advice

Faculty Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Not only does Oklahoma State University offer an entrepreneurship degree, but also in twelve different colleges they provide opportunities for students to take entrepreneurship classes. Faculty is dispersed in different areas so if an agriculture student wants to develop a new feeder like 3cCattle they are able to take entrepreneurship classes. Faculty is given the option to apply for grants like the Presidents Cup, Fulbright, Provost, NCIIA, Koch, and fellowships within each college. The Riata Center of Entrepreneurship offers a facility fellowship and gives seed money to help develop their project. 

University Technology Transfer Function

Oklahoma State University offers a wide range of technology transfer. The technology transfer office solicits and evaluates new inventions. The mission of the Technology Development Center is to foster the creation of innovative technologies and to manage those technologies and other intellectual property for the benefit of the University and the public. Oklahoma State University is a land grant university.

The Technology Business Development Program was established at OSU in 2005 to identify projects with high commercial potential and to support the advancement of those projects to the point of licensing.  TBDP includes a series of internal grants that fund feasibility demonstration (up to $5,000) and prototype development (up to $30,000).  The program also features a high level of research faculty involvement, commercialization assessment and networking opportunities.  Invention disclosures are required for all TBDP projects.

University-Industry Collaboration

Oklahoma State University is apart of University-Industry Demonstration Partnership (UIDP). UIDP provides a unique forum for university and industry representatives to meet and discuss operational and strategic issues such as contracting, intellectual property, and compliance matters. The Technology Development Center maintains relationships with industry and makes intentional relationships to further their industry by inquiring about their needs that could be fulfilled by Oklahoma State’s researchers. 

Regional and Local Economic Development Efforts

Oklahoma State University has partnered with i2E, Inc., a nationally recognized private not-for-profit corporation focused on growing innovative small businesses in Oklahoma and making a positive impact on the state’s economy.

Oklahoma State University is also involved with Oklahoma Proof of Concept Center. The project is designed to determine optimal market alignment, create a commercialization road map and ascertain the amount of funding required to achieve initial product development and market entry.

OSU's Center for Innovation and Economic Development (CIED) connects the university with business and government, transforming vision into reality for Oklahoma's future and growth.

The food and agricultural center (FAPC) helps producers, processors and entrepreneurs add value to Oklahoma's food and agricultural processing industries.

The Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station (OAES) conducts research for the purpose of developing new knowledge to address the needs of Oklahomans. OAES research focuses on agriculture, natural resources, rural economies and social issues.

Oklahoma State University Research Centers and Facilities

• Aerospace Professional Development Center
• Aging Systems Sustainment and Enabling Technologies
• Agricultural Experiment Station
• Analgesia Research Laboratory
• Autism Research Group
• Bioinformatics Core Facility (BIOinfOSU)
• Caddo Research Station
• Center for Applications of Remote Sensing
• Center for Applied Economic Research
• Center for Computer Integrated Manufacturing
• Center for Early Childhood Teaching and Learning
• Center for Engineering Logistics and Distribution (CELDI)
• Center for Family Resilience (OSU-Tulsa)
• Center for Family Services
• Center for Hospitality and Tourism Research
• Center for Information Based Bioengineering and Manufacturing (CINBM)
• Center for Local Government Technology
• Center for Oklahoma Studies
• Center for Rural Health
• Center for the Study of Disasters and Extreme Events
• Crystal Growth Laboratory
• Eastern Research Station
• Dynamic Ecosystem & Biodiversity Observatory
• Ecotoxicology and Water Quality Research Laboratory
• Educational Technology Center
• Electron Microprobe
• Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Stillwater
• Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Tulsa
• Engineering Energy Laboratory
• English Language Institute
• Environmental Institute
• Gerontology Institute
• Henry Bellmon Research Center
• interdisciplinary Center for Research Excellence in Science and Technology (iCREST)
• Industry Assessment Center
• Institute for Protective Apparel Research and Technology
• Institute of Research in Information Systems
• Institute for Sustainable Environments
• International Ground Source Heat Pump Association
• Manufacturing Processes and Materials Center
• Metabolic and Nutrition Phenotyping Core Facility
• Microarray Core Facility
• National Energy Solutions Institute
• New Product Development Center
• Oklahoma Food and Agricultural Products Research and Technology Center
• Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
• Oklahoma Mesonetwork
• Oklahoma Statewide Shared Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Facility
• Oklahoma Technology & Research Park (OTRP)
• Oklahoma Water Resources Research Institute (OWRRI)
• OSU Forestry Research Station
• Plant Transformation Facility
• Powder XRD Core Facility
• Psychological Services Center
• Randall and Carol White Reading and Mathematics Center
• Recombinant DNA/ Protein Resource Facility
• Signal Processing and Analysis Center
• South Central Research Station
• Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic
• Technology Education Center (OSU-OKC)
• Telecommunication and Network Security
• Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens Research
• University Multispectral Laboratory (OSU-UML)
• Venture I OSU Laboratories at the Oklahoma Technology & Research Park (OTRP)
• Web Handling Research Center
• Wellness Center

Vision Statement

Oklahoma State University System will advance the quality of life in Oklahoma by fulfilling the instructional, research, and outreach obligations of a first-class, land grant educational system.

Related Links

2015 Fellows:

Kevin Christensen

2014 Fellows:

Jennifer Mayo

Oklahoma State University Student Priorities