The University of Tulsa has received a transformative philanthropic gift from longtime Tulsa residents Gary R. Mote and his late wife, Helen King Mote, establishing a lasting legacy of innovation, discovery and student opportunity within the College of Engineering & Computer Science.
The gift creates the Gary and Helen Mote Bioengineering Lab, to be located on the first floor of Keplinger Hall, and launches an accompanying endowment to sustain student engagement and seed new academic and research initiatives in the college. Together, the lab and endowment will expand hands-on learning, empower interdisciplinary collaboration and deepen UTulsa’s impact in bioengineering research and education.
Gary and Helen Mote built lives defined by curiosity, resilience and a deep belief in education’s power to transform lives. They adopted two children, Clayton King Mote and Marcia Jan Roe, and were devoted grandparents and great-grandparents. During Gary Mote’s professional career, the family lived in various places before settling in Tulsa in 1987 – a city they quickly came to call home.
The Motes’ educational journeys reflect a lifelong commitment to learning. Over the years, they attended several distinguished institutions, including the University of Oklahoma, Princeton University, the University of Virginia, Columbia College, Oklahoma State University and The University of Tulsa. Those experiences shaped a guiding philosophy: Universities are places where students and faculty alike are enriched, challenged and inspired to make meaningful contributions to society.
That belief now comes to life through this extraordinary gift.
The Gary and Helen Mote Bioengineering Lab will provide a dynamic environment where students engage directly in cutting-edge, applied research alongside faculty mentors. The lab will support work at the intersection of engineering, health, materials science and emerging technologies, bridging classroom learning with real-world problem solving. Students will graduate not only with knowledge but with the experience, creativity and confidence needed to innovate from day one.
The associated endowment ensures that the Motes’ vision extends well into the future, sustaining student participation, supporting new programs and strengthening the college’s ability to respond to evolving societal needs.
“We are profoundly grateful to the Mote family for their generosity and foresight,” said Andreas A. Polycarpou, Ph.D., James Sorem Inaugural Dean of the College of Engineering & Computer Science. “Mr. Mote deeply believes in the purpose of higher education: to enrich lives and enable discovery. Through this gift, that vision will be realized as it transforms the experiences of our students, faculty and staff for generations to come.”
With the establishment of the Gary and Helen Mote Bioengineering Lab, UTulsa honors lives devoted to learning and advances a future shaped by discovery, opportunity and impact.