AGP Executive Report

Oklahoma’s Tech Push: Tulsa Innovation Labs showcased the state’s technology industry to global leaders, while OKC Tech Week aims to narrow gaps in technology access. Workforce & Training: Oklahoma’s Workforce Commission is developing a tool to compare employers’ needs with the supply of trained workers. CareerTech is seeking a $73 million budget increase for schools and workforce training. Health Research: OU researchers are developing a digital program to help Oklahomans prevent diabetes, and an OU mHealth project aims to address pain disparities among Native Americans. Rare-Earth Recycling: Oklahoma accepted Iondrive’s application for its Quality Jobs incentive program for a proposed recycling module, but no incentive or loan has been approved and the project still needs a development decision.

Forensic Science: Oklahoma State University’s School of Forensic Sciences helped identify Edward “Buddy” Jackson, whose remains were found in a Lake Mead barrel, through genealogical testing and a family DNA match. Health Research: OU researchers developed a digital program to help Oklahomans prevent diabetes, while a separate mobile-health project aims to address pain-care disparities for Native Americans. Aerospace: Dawn Aerospace broke ground on a $7.5 million spaceplane facility at Burns Flat, as Oklahoma advances plans for a spaceport operations center. Tech and Environment: Oklahoma data centers are drawing concerns over air pollution and water use. Tulsa Innovation Labs also showcased the state’s tech industry to global leaders. STEM Education: The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and Rogers State University are partnering on a new computer science program.

AI in Courts: Oklahoma’s Supreme Court approved a three-year pilot using speech-to-text technology to draft preliminary hearing transcripts in counties short on court reporters. Judges will decide when it’s suitable, and the transcripts won’t be official court records. Health Research: OU researchers received a five-year, $3.4 million NIH grant to develop a chronic-pain app with Native communities. Another OU team is building a digital program to help blood donors flagged for prediabetes find prevention support. Data Center Impacts: An OU researcher warns that Oklahoma’s growing data-center footprint could drive up emissions from coal-fired power plants, amid wider concerns over electricity, water and pollution. Aerospace: Dawn Aerospace broke ground on a $7.5 million spaceplane facility at Burns Flat, advancing Oklahoma’s spaceport operations. Research Funding: An OU-led team received $8 million for a grassland forecasting center near El Reno, while the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation secured $3.2 million to study a common cause of heart failure.

Health Technology: The Indian Health Service has begun rolling out a modernized electronic health record system in Oklahoma, a major change to how care is documented and coordinated. Oklahoma’s Space Push: The state is advancing a $7.75 million spaceport operations center, while Dawn Aerospace has broken ground on $7.5 million in spaceplane facilities at Burns Flat. Research Funding: The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation received $3.2 million to study a common cause of heart failure. Data Center Impacts: Oklahoma data centers are drawing scrutiny over water use and air pollution, as a Tulsa County commissioner seeks outside technical help to assess their effects. Space Science: Researchers revised the age of a major Oklahoma meteor crater, finding the impact happened 100 million years later than previously thought. Tech Workforce: The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and Rogers State University are partnering on a new computer science program.

Spaceflight: Oklahoma is advancing a $7.75 million operations center at Burns Flat’s Infinity One Spaceport for Dawn Aerospace’s suborbital spaceplane, with flights targeted for late 2027. Tech Economy: Tulsa Innovation Labs used the Aspen Ideas: Economy gathering to showcase northeastern Oklahoma’s work in advanced manufacturing, aerospace and energy. Data Centers: Oklahoma facilities are raising concerns over water use and air pollution, while a Tulsa County commissioner is calling for outside technical scrutiny of industry claims. Health Research: The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation received $3.2 million to study a common cause of heart failure. Workforce: USAO and Rogers State University are launching an accelerated computer science program aimed at cybersecurity careers. Health Technology: The Indian Health Service has begun piloting its new electronic health record system at three facilities in the Lawton area. Earth Science: Researchers revised the estimated age of a major Oklahoma meteor crater by 100 million years, linking its formation to a global extinction event.

Data Center Power: An OU researcher says winds from Atlantic storms can carry coal-plant pollution into Oklahoma. As data centers expand, their heavy electricity and water demands could add pressure to the state’s grid and air quality. Health Technology: The Indian Health Service has launched its PATH electronic health record system at facilities in Lawton, Anadarko and Carnegie. The Lawton site will serve as a pilot before wider rollout. Courtroom Technology: The Oklahoma Supreme Court has ordered a three-year recording pilot for county courts, including automated transcription. AI and Elections: An Oklahoma consulting firm is marketing an AI tool to predict election results, raising questions about how much voters should trust its forecasts.

Health Technology: The Indian Health Service launched its PATH electronic health record system at three Oklahoma facilities, with Lawton Indian Hospital serving as a pilot site before wider rollout. AI in Courts: Oklahoma’s Supreme Court ordered a three-year trial of AI-assisted courtroom transcription, as just 62% of district court reporter positions are filled. Digital Services: A data-link failure briefly disrupted Oklahoma’s voter registration portal on the final registration day; officials said hundreds of applications went through after service was restored, but some voters may have been unable to register.

Courtroom AI: The Oklahoma Supreme Court is testing AI speech-to-text recording in counties short on court reporters. The system will produce preliminary transcripts, not official records, and judges will decide when it can be used. Data Center Debate: Oklahomans are pressing for answers on how proposed data centers could affect electricity costs, water use and local accountability; Tulsa County leaders are seeking outside technical help to assess the plans. Surveillance Technology: Oklahoma’s debate over Flock license-plate cameras continues after a federal judge questioned warrantless searches of the network. A state senator is seeking public input ahead of a study. Alzheimer’s Research: A bipartisan effort is building support for an Alzheimer’s research center in Oklahoma, with advocates urging lawmakers to help advance the proposal. Oklahoma Science: Researchers at UT Austin say a meteor struck Oklahoma much later than earlier estimates suggested, revising the timeline of a major event in the state’s geological past.

Courtroom Technology: Oklahoma’s Supreme Court is testing AI speech-to-text recording in counties short on court reporters. The three-year pilot will produce preliminary transcripts, not official records. Campus AI: UCO’s BuddyGPT runs on university servers, letting students and researchers query documents while keeping shared intellectual property on campus. Data Center Growth: Oklahoma has 64 data center projects: 34 operating, six under construction and 20 planned. Residents and officials are pressing for answers on power, cooling and accountability. Wildlife Research: Bixby’s Euchee Butterfly Farm tagged 20 monarchs with solar-powered radio trackers to follow their migration and support conservation. Alzheimer’s Research: State lawmakers are exploring Oklahoma’s first federally designated Alzheimer’s research center; about 71,000 residents age 65 and older have the disease. Language Technology: Apple’s new keyboard support for additional Indigenous languages adds digital tools for language revitalization, including in Oklahoma Cherokee classrooms.

Oklahoma AI: Oklahoma City firm Saxum’s election-prediction tool nearly matched the Republican gubernatorial primary result, but its early success has prompted questions about how the model works and whether it can be trusted. STEM Careers: Francis Tuttle’s Project HOPE marks 30 years helping students finish high school while building career skills; one student is training in aircraft fabrication, repair and drone operation. Battery Technology: Tulsa-based Ten-Nine Technologies is partnering with a South Korean chemical company to introduce and test its nano-additive technology with battery manufacturers. Digital Reliability: Oklahoma’s voter-registration portal failed on the final day to register, leaving some would-be voters scrambling to submit paper forms before the deadline. Data Center Oversight: Tulsa County officials are seeking outside technical help to assess data-center proposals, amid local concerns about power costs, cooling and accountability. Oklahoma Science: Researchers say a meteor struck Oklahoma about 100 million years later than previously thought, revising the timeline of the state’s ancient impact.

Rare-Disease Research: Cherokee Nation Health Services and OSU’s Center for Health Sciences brought clinicians and families together for a summit on genetics, pediatric cancer, Huntington’s disease and support for patients. Water Infrastructure: Latimer County Rural Water District No. 4 is moving toward a new treatment plant, with a USDA grant and engineering loan helping advance the project. Data Center Oversight: Tulsa County officials want outside technical help evaluating data center proposals as Oklahomans raise concerns about electricity, cooling and accountability. Oklahoma Science: UT Austin researchers say an ancient meteor struck Oklahoma about 100 million years later than previously thought. STEM Education: ODOT is offering free classroom resources to teachers, while Oklahoma schools develop guardrails for AI use in the classroom. Health Research: Oklahoma lawmakers are studying the creation of an Alzheimer’s disease research center.

Data Center Scrutiny: Tulsa County leaders want outside technical help to assess data-center plans, as Oklahoma residents press candidates on electricity demand, cooling and accountability. Surveillance Technology: A federal judge in Oklahoma ruled that a deputy’s warrantless search of a month of Flock license-plate camera records was unconstitutional, sharpening debate over police use of the system. STEM Education: ODOT is offering teachers free classroom resources, while Oklahoma schools set guardrails for AI use. Research: UT Austin researchers say an Oklahoma meteor impact happened 100 million years later than previously thought; state lawmakers are also studying a proposed Alzheimer’s research center. Oklahoma Science and Industry: The state’s aerospace and defense sector generates more than $52 billion in annual economic impact and supports 250,000 jobs, according to a new report.

STEM Education: ODOT is offering Oklahoma K–12 teachers free workshops and hands-on lessons that bring transportation engineering into classrooms. Data Centers: Tulsa County officials are seeking outside technical help to assess data-center plans, as residents and gubernatorial candidates raise questions about power costs, cooling and accountability. AI in Schools: Oklahoma districts are setting guardrails for classroom AI as educators weigh how to use the technology. Oklahoma Science: UT Austin researchers say the meteorite impact that formed a crater in Oklahoma happened about 100 million years later than previously thought. Aerospace and Drones: Oklahoma’s aerospace and defense sector is drawing attention for its economic impact, while an Osage-owned range hosted an international drone competition and astronaut Victor Glover highlighted the state’s contributions to NASA’s Artemis II mission. Medical Research: Oklahoma lawmakers are studying the creation of an Alzheimer’s disease research center, a proposal that could expand research and support for families.

Data Center Oversight: Tulsa County Commissioner Stan Sallee wants independent technical experts to help communities assess developers’ claims about power, water and neighborhood impacts. Oklahoma gubernatorial candidates also disagree over a pause on new projects and taxpayer support. STEM Classrooms: ODOT is offering free hands-on transportation STEM workshops and classroom resources to K–12 teachers for the 2026–27 school year. Oklahoma Science: UT Austin researchers used zircon crystals to date the Ames meteor impact to about 370 million years ago—nearly 100 million years later than previously thought—and link it to a marine extinction period. Alzheimer’s Research: State lawmakers explored creating an Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in Oklahoma, where about 71,000 people age 65 and older are living with the disease. Digital Privacy: A federal judge ruled that a Tulsa County deputy’s warrantless search of weeks of Flock license-plate data violated the Fourth Amendment, spotlighting the privacy risks of surveillance technology.

Classroom STEM: ODOT is offering Oklahoma teachers free workshops and hands-on transportation lessons for the 2026–27 school year. AI & Energy: Oklahoma’s governor candidates differ on data-center development as residents raise questions about power and cooling costs; utilities are also weighing whether to curtail data centers during peak demand. Oklahoma’s Deep Past: UT Austin researchers date the Ames meteor impact to about 370 million years ago, not 467 million, placing it near a major marine extinction event. AI in Schools: Oklahoma districts are setting classroom rules for AI, with some allowing it for brainstorming and writing support while guarding against students outsourcing their work. Alzheimer’s Research: Lawmakers are studying what it would take to establish a federally designated research center in Oklahoma, where about 71,000 people age 65 and older live with the disease.

AgTech: Oklahoma State researchers are helping test satellite-based irrigation guidance with High Plains farmers, aiming to make every drop count as water supplies tighten. Data Centers: Oklahoma residents are seeking answers about data centers’ electricity costs, cooling needs and accountability. Space & Research: NASA astronaut Victor Glover highlighted Oklahoma’s contributions to Artemis II; OU and OSU are also among 15 universities joining a regional consortium to expand shared computing for scientific research. Environmental Oversight: State regulators want more support for emissions and ozone estimates in the revised permit application for a proposed Inola aluminum smelter. STEM Careers: CareerTech and the Oklahoma Hospital Association will host a free virtual healthcare career expo Oct. 23, connecting students with professionals and training pathways.