CLAREMORE, Okla. — Rogers State University announced it received a historic $4 million anonymous donation to build a new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) center on its Claremore campus.
University leaders said the gift was the largest donation in the school’s history and would create new facilities designed to better prepare students for future careers.
Isaac McNutt is a senior STEM student at Rogers State University.
“It’s been an awesome experience the whole way,” said Isaac McNutt.
University officials said the donation would help fund a 44,000-square-foot science and technology center, offering students access to modern labs and hands-on learning spaces.
Steve Valencia, the university’s vice president for development, said the new center would benefit students and support workforce development in northeast Oklahoma.
“It’s really going to meet their needs and help this area grow economically,” said Valencia.
McNutt said the new facility would help attract more people to the university and expand academic opportunities.
“It’s going to be a big attraction for the university and for students,” said McNutt.
Valencia said the donation affirmed the university’s long-term growth vision.
“We obviously have a lot of gratitude for the fact that they have an affirmation of what our vision is,” said Valencia.
The university said the new STEM center would be built on an existing campus parking lot and would include labs for robotics, chemical engineering, and other advanced sciences.
“For someone to be able to give us that to help so many people’s educations and help this university grow, it is outstanding,” said McNutt.
Valencia said students would have access to high-quality learning environments that would benefit the entire region.
“They’re going to have the opportunity to learn in some world-class facilities that are no doubt going to pay dividends for the entire region,” said Valencia.
University leaders said the new building would also house a nutritional science program. Construction was expected to begin in March, with classes planned to start in the spring of 2028.
“It’s going to be awesome, truly, I can’t wait to see what it brings in for students and how it can help this university grow and how we could see other programs grow as well,” said McNutt.
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