Cultivating cultural conversations: Meet UTulsa’s Professor Lansana

Quraysh Ali Lansana, applied associate professor of English & creative writing, is a distinguished scholar of African American studies, journalist and author of 23 books including poetry, nonfiction and children’s literature. His journey as a writer led him from Enid, Oklahoma, to studying and teaching in cities like Chicago and New York. However, after 30 […]

New alumnus offered elite IBM cybersecurity position months before graduation

Serving nontraditional students, such as military veterans, is nothing new at The University of Tulsa, and Don Cowan’s success is a prime example of how students from all backgrounds thrive on campus. Humble and soft-spoken, Cowan (B.S. ’25) graduated from Owasso High School and served eight years as a U.S. Marine before returning to Tulsa […]

Research & Economic Development

Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute

Solving imminent and future problems

The Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute at The University of Tulsa focuses on developing, testing, and deploying cyber research outcomes and technology developments.

UTulsa leverages nationally recognized cyber leaders in academia and research, in addition to Tulsa’s dynamic business and innovation community, to meet the global demand for cyber talent and technology.

$10.2T Global Cost of Cybercrime

4.8M Cybersecurity Job Vacancies

$213B Global Cybersecurity Spending

2,200 Daily Cyberattacks

Global numbers for 2025

Our Focus

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Area 1

Cyber Education

Two girls collaborating on a laptop at the Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute.

The Education Department at OCII develops and delivers cutting-edge cybersecurity curricula for students and professionals. Our programs emphasize hands-on learning, industry partnerships and workforce readiness to prepare learners for the evolving challenges of the cyber domain. We also lead K–12 outreach initiatives, inspiring the next generation through camps, workshops and teacher training focused on cybersecurity and digital literacy.

K-12 Programs

Students at computers in the Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute's Cyber Range.

Area 2

Small Business Cybersecurity Services

OCII drives both workforce and economic development by providing Oklahoma small businesses with cybersecurity services to help minimize risk and survive malicious attackers. The program provides practical, hands-on experience to cyber students backed by industry professionals and university faculty, while supporting crucially underserved portions of our community.

Area 3

Autonomous Vehicles

Hands holding a drone at The University of Tulsa.

The Autonomous Lab at OCII is a pioneering research and development hub dedicated to the secure and intelligent integration of autonomous systems. We combine advanced robotics, artificial intelligence and cyber-physical security expertise within a unique Miniature Smart City test bed to design, test and validate resilient technologies for the challenges of tomorrow. Our work focuses on future-proofing urban infrastructure, from drone detection systems to strategic foresight for next-generation mobility.

Advancing secure drone innovation through Green UAS

The Green UAS program, developed by the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, certifies commercial and non-defense drones to ensure they meet stringent cybersecurity and supply chain integrity standards. Through its partnership with the Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute, the program streamlines the vetting process by evaluating corporate cyber hygiene, supply chain practices and product-specific security controls. The collaboration strengthens the institute’s secure drone ecosystem while empowering organizations to deploy trusted, compliant and innovative UAS technologies.

Green UAS at UTulsa UTulsa Cyber Fellows

Accelerating the Future

Powerful Partners
Industry Connections
Top 25 University

Significant innovation, financial, and federal research partnerships

Key partners include the $4B George Kaiser Family Foundation and Tulsa Innovation Labs, alongside managing multimillion-dollar research projects for NSF, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of Energy.

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Deep connections in critical infrastructure

A nexus for cyber advancement fully equipped to incite change. More than 250 energy companies call this region home, including the nation's largest midstream players.

Cyber Studies at TU
Academic excellence in cybersecurity

TU is tied with Harvard at 23rd in the nation for cyber and is home to the new interdisciplinary School of Cyber Studies and the Cyber Fellows initiative.

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