New facility to reestablish program as national leader while advancing veterinary education, food security and public health in Oklahoma
Stillwater, Oklahoma--(Newsfile Corp. - May 29, 2025) - Oklahoma State University has received a historic $250 million state funding appropriation to support construction of a new, state-of-the-art veterinary teaching hospital.
This critical investment — the largest state appropriation in university history — combined with $78 million allocated in 2023, marks a significant step forward in advancing the future of veterinary education, food security and public health in Oklahoma.
The new 255,000-square-foot facility will replace the existing 145,376-square-foot veterinary hospital, which was built to serve 60 students but now supports more than 150. With this expansion, OSU will address one of the most urgent infrastructure needs in its veterinary program while expanding its ability to train the next generation of veterinarians.
This spring, OSU President Jim Hess made securing investment for a new veterinary teaching hospital a key priority, noting its crucial impact not just for OSU but for the state. Veterinary medicine is a cornerstone of Oklahoma's economy and public health, and Dr. Hess said this transformational investment directly supports OSUs land-grant mission to serve the state's needs.
"Today marks a very historic day for Oklahoma State University and the entire state of Oklahoma," Hess said. "Gov. Stitt and the members of the Oklahoma Legislature are to be congratulated for their contribution and transformational dedication to our College of Veterinary Medicine, the food supply of Oklahoma and the agricultural economy of our state."
Veterinarians are essential to every corner of Oklahoma — from rural ranches to urban centers — fueling economic growth and ensuring the safety of our food supply and public health.
The current veterinary hospital was identified as a key concern when the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine was placed on probationary accreditation in the fall of 2024. The American Veterinary Medical Association has since returned the college to full accreditation status, but emphasized that continued compliance is tied to facility upgrades.
"This $250 million investment powerfully answers the call to build a new teaching facility for OSU's veterinary medicine school, and we thank our elected leaders for their commitment to this vital project and the veterinarians who fought for it," said Oklahoma A&M Board Chairman Jimmy Harrel.
"We celebrate this significant progress as a win for Oklahoma State University, its veterinary students, and the agricultural community. The facility will serve the state for at least the next 40 years and equip our graduates to meet the evolving needs of Oklahoma's vital animal industries. Our mission is to be number one in the nation, and this will be the launching pad to achieve our shared vision, advancing the university's top-tier status as a land grant institution."
As one of just 33 accredited veterinary colleges in the United States, OSU plays a unique role in meeting Oklahoma's veterinary workforce needs. Each year, more than 100 students are admitted to the program, with graduates serving all 77 counties in Oklahoma. This funding is also key to addressing Oklahoma's rural large-animal veterinarian shortage — a pressing issue for agriculture and food production.
"For us, this means everything," said Dr. Kelly Black, hospital director.
"There are so many different things that tie into this. For our small animal service, we are basically at the end of how much space we have in the current hospital. We're adding new services currently. We're in a rebuilding phase, and we don't have room currently to put everybody in there. On the large animal side, it allows us to expand what we're able to do there. We don't have good facilities for some of the services that we need, such as calf working. If we're doing vaccination and working herds of small calves, we don't have any good facilities to do that, either.
"So, for us on both sides, I think it's an investment in the future of veterinary medicine in the state of Oklahoma, and I think it's going to bring us into the next century, where we're still working in the last century. I think this is going to be something that's really going to move us forward and bring us up with current medicine and make us a leader in veterinary medicine."
The new hospital will feature modern equipment and technologies essential for both small and large animal care, including advanced imaging tools (CT, MRI, radiography and ultrasound), a linear accelerator for oncology treatments and an aqua cow float tank.
"This investment in the College of Veterinary Medicine is program changing," said Dr. Rosslyn Biggs, OSU clinical professor and director of the Center for Rural Veterinary Medicine. "It's program-changing, not only for our students and faculty and staff, but also for animal owners across the state, particularly our farmers and ranchers in rural areas that need the support to do what they do — feed and clothe the world."
Eleven institutions are planning or developing veterinary programs, putting Oklahoma's ability to retain top students and faculty at risk. This investment ensures OSU will remain competitive and serve as a national leader in veterinary medicine.
B-roll, soundbites and photos prepared for media use: https://digitalassets.okstate.edu/share/F0970BDC-F46E-4AB4-95097D10A03737FB/?viewType=grid.
MEDIA CONTACT: Mack Burke | Associate Director of Media Relations | 405-744-5540 | mack.burke_iv@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant university that prepares students for success. OSU has more than 35,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 26,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and more than 127 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 290,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world.
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