OSU Institute of Technology will celebrate the 219th graduating class in Covelle Hall on Friday, August 20, 2021, with ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Fred Harlan, president and CEO of Harlan Ford, Inc. in Okmulgee, will serve as keynote speaker.
A lifelong resident, Harlan has an extensive background in public service, reflecting his family’s strong ties and enduring support for the Okmulgee community and the OSU System.
He served as vice president of the First National Bank & Trust of Okmulgee from 1975 to 1983 and is the current chairman of the board for the financial institution. Harlan is a former chairman and member of the OSU/A&M Board of Regents, having served from 1990-1991 and 1999-2007. He has served on several influential boards, including the Oklahoma Motor Vehicle Commission, Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Indian Nation Council Boy Scouts and the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce, Okmulgee Chamber of Commerce, Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, Okmulgee Memorial Hospital and the Tulsa Area United Way.
Harlan attended Okmulgee Public Schools and later enrolled at Oklahoma State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing in 1975. He later earned his master’s degree from Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University in 1983.
Michael Wayne Troyer will serve as the student respondent for the 10 a.m. ceremony, which will include graduates from the School of Creative & Information Technologies and the School of Transportation & Heavy Equipment.
Troyer is from Pryor and is graduating with an Associate in Applied Science in the Western Equipment Dealers Association (WEDA) Technician program from the School of Transportation & Heavy Equipment.
He is currently employed as an agriculture technician for P&K Equipment, a premier John Deere dealer in Oklahoma and Arkansas, and plans to continue his career there upon graduation. While attending OSUIT, he received the John Martin Outstanding Student Award for his high academic achievements and willingness to assist his peers.
James Hunter Brown will serve as the student respondent for the 2 p.m. ceremony, which will include graduates from the School of Arts, Sciences & Health and the School of Engineering & Construction Technologies.
Brown is from Henryetta and is graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Technology in Applied Technical Leadership (ATL).
A former graduate of the Natural Gas Compression program at OSUIT, he currently works full-time in Houston, Texas, as operations supervisor for Magellan Midstream Partners, a publicly traded partnership that primarily transports, stores and distributes petroleum products.
Some modifications to the ceremonies, including contactless options, will continue to be integrated into the overall experience to minimize infection exposure.
While the OSUIT campus no longer requires the use of masks, to reduce the risk of being infected with the Delta variant and possibly spreading it to others, and in keeping with recently updated CDC guidance, OSUIT encourages the use of masks indoors in public, especially in situations in which social distancing is not possible and for activities with close contact with others. The CDC encourages the use of masks and social distancing even if you are fully vaccinated. Please consider using a mask or facial covering upon entering Covelle Hall for this event.
To keep loved ones connected who are unable to attend, the commencement ceremonies will be streamed live to the OSUIT Facebook page and made available for on-demand viewing on OState.TV and the OSUIT website.
OSUIT’s Institutional Event Planning Committee, in coordination with the Pandemic Response Team, is meeting regularly to monitor and assess the situation in accordance with local and national health guidance.
For more information or updates regarding the 219th commencement ceremonies, please visit osuit.edu/commencement.