Langston University

Langston University had a lot to celebrate at its Opening Convocation Ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 4.

From national test scores to athletic achievements, President Ruth Ray Jackson highlighted numerous ways in which Langston University students, faculty, staff and alumni have achieved success over the past year during her State of the University address. She also called on the university community to look forward to the great things to come.

“Today, we stand at the threshold of a year filled with promise,” Dr. Jackson said. “We come together to recommit ourselves to the ideals of learning, discovery and service. And we recognize that this moment—the opportunity of now—is a gift we must not take for granted.”

The Class of 2025 took advantage of the opportunities Dear Langston provided them.

Recent biology graduate Daysha Isaac received national accolades while at LU, earning a Scientific Merit Award at the National IDeA Biomedical Research Excellence Conference in 2024.

Graduates from the School of Business scored in the Top 1% nationally on the Peregrine Outbound Business Exam. Graduates from the School of Physical Therapy earned a 100% pass rate on their licensing exams and a 100% post-graduation placement rate, continuing a long-standing pattern of success from Oklahoma’s first accredited Doctor of Physical Therapy program. For the fifth year in a row, graduates from the Department of Computer Science have also earned a 100% post-graduation placement rate.

LU students have had success in extracurriculars and cocurriculars as well.

The Lady Lions Basketball Team won both the 2025 SAC regular season and tournament championships, the first historically black college or university to win the titles on the women’s side. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams made it to the Round of 16 in the NAIA national tournament this past March.

Seventy-eight student athletes were named to the SAC Commissioners Hall of Fame.

In August, the Marching Pride Band competed in the Pepsi National Battle of the Bands in Houston as well as the HBCU Labor Day Classic Battle of the Bands in Mississippi. In September, the Marching Pride will perform at the Kansas City Chiefs’ season opener against the Philidelphia Eagles.

“These achievements across academics, athletics and the arts reflect the spirit of Langston: determination, creativity and excellence,” Dr. Jackson said. “They show us what is possible when talent meets the opportunity of now.”

Perhaps among the university’s proudest achievements over the past year has been its success in the research field.

Langston University was recognized as a Research College/University (RCU) by the Carnegie Classification of Higher Education Institutions, one of only 216 institutions in the nation to receive this classification.

The university earned its RCU status thanks to the hard work of its passionate faculty, staff and student researchers. From aquaponics and artificial intelligence to horticulture and drone-based livestock management, Langston University conducts a variety of impactful research.

Langston University’s extensive research projects and numerous opportunities for student research involvement have contributed to the success of the university’s science, technology engineering and math (STEM) programs. LU’s STEM programs have not only outpaced national retention rates, but they have grown by 112% in recent years.

“Langston’s impact is broadening thanks to faculty who teach, mentor, and research with passion and purpose,” Dr. Jackson said.

A tenet of Dr. Jackson’s presidency has been to forge and strengthen partnerships between Langston University and organizations which work toward the same goals. To that end, working with groups such as Tinker Air Force Base, the Wm Conrad Veterans Memorial Gardens and OG&E provide LU students with opportunities for internships, scholarships and professional development. A recent partnership with the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education created new pathways for LU students preparing to study occupational therapy in graduate school.

The university has recently made several investments in its facilities and programs with the goal of providing students, faculty and staff with better environments that will promote the continuation of LU’s academic, extracurricular and research success.

The university has invested millions of dollars in heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades across the Langston Campus. It has also invested in a complete roof replacement at the Oklahoma City Campus, and it is working to increase its program offering at the Tulsa Campus.

“These investments are not just about bricks and mortar,” Dr. Jackson said. “They are about creating the best possible learning environment for our students and working environment for our employees — places where excellence can thrive.”

As Dr. Jackson reflected on Langston University’s successes this past year, she also reflected on the importance of Dear Langston as Oklahoma’s HBCU and an 1890 land-grant institution.

As part of its land-grant mission, Langston University trains teachers who will shape the next generation, reaches out to underserved communities through health programs, contributes to Oklahoma’s economy through business and technology, enriches culture and preserves history through the arts and humanities, and uses research to solve problems and improve the lives of families and communities.

Dr. Jackson charged the students, faculty, staff and alumni to embrace “the opportunity of now” and continue to strive for success.

“Being a land-grant university means we don’t keep knowledge to ourselves,” Dr. Jackson said. “We teach, we research and we share so that the work we do here makes life better far beyond our campuses.

“Langston University is not only Oklahoma’s HBCU—we are a nationally recognized and respected institution. And this year, we will once again prove that the best of Langston is still ahead.”