RSU to offer Chemical Engineering

Chelsea Weeks, Claremore Daily Progress, Okla.
·2 min read

Dec. 15—Rogers State University will be offering Chemical Engineering as the newest degree available in the 2023-2024 school year.

"This is just an exciting day for Rogers State," RSU President Dr. Larry Rice said. "It's a watershed moment in our history."

This four-year bachelors program will have no cap on incoming students.

The BS in chemical engineering will be housed within RSU's School of Arts and Sciences in the Department of Mathematics and Physical Sciences. It is the first engineering degree offered at Rogers State University. Classes will initially be offered only on the University's Claremore campus and interested students may apply now at rsu.edu.

Rice said they began this process in 2018 after identifying areas where the university needed to grow.

As a young university of 22-years-old, Rice said it's been a dream of theirs to enter the STEM arena.

"This will impact our students, our community and our business partners," Rice said. "It is a game changer for what we do and how we do it."

Rice said RSU is one of three state supported engineering schools in Oklahoma

Rice said this could not have happened without the partnership with the area industrial parks like Claremore Industrial Park, Tulsa Ports and the Mid-America Industrial Park.

Tulsa Ports Director David Yarbrough said a variety of items ranging from toothpaste to iPhones that use chemical engineering are made at the port.

"We have a lot of companies at the port who produce and make things out of or make chemicals as an end product," Yarbrough said.

Claremore Industrial and Economic Development Authority Executive Director Meggie Froman-Knight said the role of CIEDA is to recruit companies to come to Claremore and invest, but also maintain and retain the companies that are here.

"We are very proud to be celebrating alongside our partners in their investment here and we look forward to a promising future in many applicants as we grow and invest in the workforce because we know it's critical to grow our community through quality jobs and those that are investing here," Froman-Knight said.

Froman-Knight said CIEDA has been limited by over 22% in submitting on potential projects over the last three years due to the inability to meet the workforce factor.