Friends,
This is a defining moment for The University of Tulsa and for the Oxley College of Health & Natural Sciences.
With the recent exciting undergraduate tuition announcement, our university is making a bold commitment to access, clarity and opportunity. UTulsa is now the most affordable private research university in America’s heartland, opening the door wider for talented students who want a rigorous, personal and purpose-driven education. For the Oxley College of Health & Natural Sciences, that matters deeply. The future of healthcare, science, research and human performance depends on people — and our work is to prepare those people exceptionally well.
This fall, Oxley is home to 1,167 students preparing for lives of leadership, discovery and service. They include undergraduate and graduate students, residential and online learners, future nurses, scientists, clinicians, researchers, athletic leaders and health professionals. Among our undergraduates, one in six is a National Merit scholar, one in five is a student-athlete and one in six is a first-generation college student. These identities often overlap, reminding us that no student is defined by a single category. Each brings a story, a set of strengths and a future we are honored to help shape.
Our students also reflect the communities they will one day serve. They come from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, and they enrich our classrooms, laboratories, clinics, teams and campus. In a college devoted to health and natural sciences, that diversity is not incidental; it is essential. It helps prepare graduates who can lead with skill, empathy and respect for the dignity of every person.
That is the work of the Oxley College of Health & Natural Sciences: Prepare Students. Advance Science. Improve Lives.
Over the past year, that mission has been visible across every part of the college. In 25 campus labs and centers, our students and faculty contributed to publications, presentations and externally funded research that expanded knowledge and addressed real-world questions. Just as importantly, hundreds of students were engaged in the weekly work of discovery — learning how to ask better questions, test ideas and create knowledge alongside faculty mentors.
Our impact is also felt directly in the lives of patients, clients and communities. Last year, Oxley students served in hundreds of clinical sites, providing care for more than 70,000 patients and clients through nearly 400,000 clinical hours. Those numbers are impressive, but their meaning is deeply human. They represent a student learning to listen carefully, a patient receiving compassionate care, a faculty member modeling professional excellence and a community partner trusting us with work that matters.
The stories in this issue bring that culture to life. You will read about a graduate program preparing students to become leaders in the athletics industry; undergraduates whose UTulsa research experiences opened doors to nationally competitive summer opportunities at Stanford and Johns Hopkins; speech-language pathology students conducting research with real implications for clinical practice; and nursing professor Bill Buron’s selection as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, one of the profession’s highest honors.
Together, these stories reveal what makes Oxley College special. We are a college where talented students are known, challenged and mentored. We are a college where faculty excellence creates opportunity. We are a college where research, clinical preparation and service come together in pursuit of a clear and urgent purpose. As UTulsa makes a private research university education more accessible, Oxley College is ready to meet this moment. We will continue preparing students, advancing science and improving lives in Tulsa, across the region and far beyond.
In gratitude,
RW