Nearly five years have flown by since the September 2021 inauguration of President Joseph Harroz, Jr. Harroz was officially named the university’s 15th president by the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents in May 2020 following a year of service as interim president. 

In that time, OU has celebrated record-setting enrollment and fundraising, moved to the SEC and launched an ambitious strategic plan uniting all three campuses. Sooner Magazine asked President Harroz to discuss the journey so far—and what’s next for OU.

Looking back across your early presidency, what makes you proudest? 

I’m proudest of our community coming together as one university. The past five years haven’t been defined by one moment or announcement, but by our OU Family choosing to move forward together.

I’ve seen students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters rally around the belief that OU’s future is bright and worth investing in. We’ve strengthened academics, expanded opportunities and created momentum. 

OU is on a remarkable run with top fundraising ($352 million in FY ’25), five consecutive years of record freshman enrollment and the university’s largest-ever group of Rhodes Scholars finalists. If you had to pick three recent milestones, what would they be?

We’ve made significant progress in affordability and access, working to keep an OU education within reach. Today, an OU degree is more affordable than it was six years ago. Need-based aid has increased 49%, scholarships per student have grown 41%, and in-state freshmen have seen a 27% reduction in net tuition and fees. Seeing the impact of this on students’ lives is one of the most rewarding parts of this work. 

The transformation of our academic health system represents another major milestone for OU and for our state. With the 2021 merger that created OU Health, we brought education, research and patient care together to build Oklahoma’s leading academic health system, expanding access to care while strengthening the pipeline of future health professionals. The OU Health Campus has seen a tremendous boost to its student body as well—24% growth in the past five years. For Oklahoma families, that means better care closer to home, and for our students and researchers, greater opportunities to learn and innovate. The continued growth of the Stephenson Cancer Center, Oklahoma’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, and its expansion to Norman and Tulsa, reflect how this milestone is already improving and saving lives across our state.

A final defining moment was our move to the Southeastern Conference in 2024. Beyond sustaining athletics excellence, joining the SEC strengthens OU’s position as the state’s flagship university and ensures we remain positioned to serve Oklahoma. Plus, OU Athletics brings people together and celebrates community in special ways.

As you look ahead, what are the greatest opportunities and challenges facing OU? How does “Lead On, University: The Next Phase” position the university to meet them?

Higher education is rapidly changing, and expectations are greater than ever. Students want an education that prepares them for meaningful lives. Employers want graduates ready to contribute and communities expect universities to help solve problems.

Our responsibility is to lead through change. The next phase of our “Lead On, University” Strategic Plan provides a clear roadmap for that—specifically, one purpose, five pillars, 26 strategies and 121 tactics. Each piece of our Strategic Plan supports strengthening academics, expanding research, supporting student success and deepening OU’s impact across our state.

Most important, the Strategic Plan positions OU for greater success and impact in the future. It focuses efforts where we can lead and deliver the greatest benefit to our students and society.

It also keeps us grounded in who we are—a university committed to access, excellence and opportunity.

OU aspires to join the Association of American Universities. Why does AAU membership matter?

The Association of American Universities is seen as the gold standard of research-intensive institutions. But for OU, the goal has never been recognition for its own sake. Our focus is impact.

We are building a research enterprise designed to tackle today’s biggest challenges by concentrating growth in areas where our strengths align with national priorities: health, weather, energy and national security.

AAU membership matters because it strengthens our ability to do that work. It helps attract outstanding faculty and students, deepens research partnerships and increases opportunities for federal funding. 

This isn’t about a designation. It’s about ensuring OU continues to grow as a leading public research university—one that delivers discovery, innovation and impact for Oklahoma and our nation.

If you could transport yourself back to any moment in OU’s history, what would you most want to witness first-hand?

I would go back to 1892 when OU first opened. The university was small, resources were limited and nothing was guaranteed, but the vision was strong.

I’d want to witness the optimism that it took to start a university and believe it could change lives for generations. That is the Sooner spirit still guiding us today.

You often say, “OU changes lives.” How did it change yours?

My story is like so many others in that OU changed the trajectory of my life and my family’s life.

That story began almost 80 years ago with my dad, the son of Lebanese immigrants and one of nine children. He came to OU as a first-generation student and went on to earn his undergraduate and medical degrees here. An OU education opened doors for him that previous generations could scarcely have imagined.

Because of that opportunity, I grew up as a beneficiary of my dad’s OU education, and when it came time to choose a college, following in his footsteps felt natural. 

Over the last four decades—as a student, administrator, dean and now president—I’ve seen how powerful that opportunity can be. Every day I’m reminded that when a university invests in a student, it doesn’t just change one life. It can change a family for generations.

My family’s story is deeply personal to me, but it’s hardly unique. It’s the story of OU.

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