Conversations with the President

College athletics is changing faster than ever before — from NIL and roster management to recruiting strategy and evolving leadership models. In this episode of Conversations with the President , Joseph Harroz Jr. sits down with OU General Manager for Football Jim Nagy to discuss what it takes to build and lead a modern college football program in the middle of unprecedented transformation.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept—it’s already transforming how we learn, work, and solve complex challenges. In this episode of Conversations with the President , Joseph Harroz Jr. sits down with Dr. Shishir Shah, the University of Oklahoma’s inaugural Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, to explore how OU is stepping forward as a leader in this rapidly evolving space.

In this episode of Conversations with the President , OU President Joe Harroz sits down with Chancellor Sean Burrage of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for a timely and wide-ranging conversation about the role of higher education in shaping Oklahoma’s future.

In this episode of Conversations with the President ,  President Harroz sits down with OU’s new Vice President and Director of Athletics, Roger Denny, during his very first week on the job. At a moment of unprecedented disruption in college athletics, OU is embracing change — not resisting it. President Harroz and Denny discuss the national search process that led to his hire, the qualities that s...

In this episode of Conversations with the President, President Harroz sits down with one of America’s foremost constitutional scholars, Akhil Reed Amar , to explore how a 236-year-old document continues to shape our democracy today. From the founding ideals of the U.S. Constitution to the challenges facing our republic on the eve of its 250th anniversary, the conversation delves deep into why this...

In this episode of Conversations with the President , President Joseph Harroz Jr. welcomes Dr. Wilfred McClay — acclaimed historian, author, and former OU faculty member — for a timely discussion on the meaning and importance of free speech in today’s world. Drawing from his keynote address, “Speech as a Middle Ground,” Dr. McClay explores how speech serves as a vital bridge between thought and ac...

President Harroz sits down with Leo Mingee and Lauren Von Mingee of Quintessa Marketing about their journey as entrepreneurs, disruptors in the legal marketing industry, and champions of “irrational generosity.” From donating half of their profits to charity to creating a historic $6 million scholarship endowment for OU’s first-generation business students, the Mingees share how giving shapes thei...

In this episode, President Harroz sits down with Dr. Ian Dunn, Executive Dean of the OU College of Medicine and Chief Physician Executive for OU Health, to explore why Oklahoma’s leading comprehensive academic health system matters for our state. From improving health outcomes to training the next generation of physicians and advancing groundbreaking research, Dr. Dunn shares how OU is shaping a h...

President Harroz is joined by Athletics Director Joe Castiglione and new General Manager for Football Jim Nagy to discuss the excitement of OU’s second season in the SEC and the future of college athletics. They highlight OU’s pioneering approach with a pro-style GM model, expanded game day traditions like tailgating on the North Oval, and the importance of balancing innovation with preserving the...

On this episode of "Conversations with the President," President Joseph Harroz, Jr. welcomes Greg Lukianoff, President and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), for an enlightening conversation as OU celebrates Free Speech Week. In this episode, we explore the importance of free speech on college campuses, the challenges posed by "vindictive protectivene...

In this episode of "Conversations with the President," President Joseph Harroz, Jr. welcomes Doris Kearns Goodwin, the acclaimed presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. As part of our Presidential Speakers Series, Goodwin, known for her bestsellers "Leadership: In Turbulent Times" and "Team of Rivals," shares her insights on leadership and its releva...

On this episode of Conversations with the President , President Joseph Harroz, Jr. is joined by SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and OU Athletics Director Joe Castiglione discuss OU’s inaugural day in the Southeastern Conference, the journey to joining the conference, and the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics. 

The 54th Speaker of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, joins President Joseph Harroz Jr. for this edition of Conversations with the President . Ryan was on campus for the annual Presidential Speaker Series where he discussed the state of American politics to a crowd of over 700 attendees. In this episode, Ryan dives in his connections to the state of Oklahoma, his decision to leave politics...

President Joseph Harroz Jr. Is joined by Dr. Amy McGovern, a Lloyd G. and Joyce Austin Presidential Professor of Machine learning/data mining/data science for the physical sciences; Real-world applications with a special interest in high-impact weather. 2023 saw a massive increase in the discussion surrounding artificial intelligence and its impact on the world. Dr. McGovern and President Harroz d...

President Joseph Harroz Jr. Is joined by Regents’ Professor of the Clara Luper Department of African and African American Studies Dr. Karlos Hill and Marilyn Luper Hildreth, the daughter of University of Oklahoma icon Clara Luper. For Black History Month, the guests and President Harroz discuss Clara Luper’s living legacy within the university as well as the state of Oklahoma. 0:00 – 1:30 Introduc...

University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz Jr. is joined by Student Veteran Association President and former United States Army Green Beret Harrison Anderson and the director of the Aerospace and Defense Program at the Michael F. Price College of Business, Shad Satterthwaite. Both guests served in the United States military and speak to the unique experience on a college campus that a student...

President Joseph Harroz Jr. Is joined by Nadine Strossen, the John Marshall II Harlan Professor of Law Emerita at New York Law School and past president of the American Civil Liberties Union. Strossen’s appearance on Conversations with the President was a part of the University of Oklahoma’s annual celebration of Free Speech Week. Harroz and Strossen discuss the importance of reinforcing and encou...

President Joe Harroz is joined by the Senior Vice President and Provost of the University of Oklahoma André Denis-Wright. The two discuss OU’s trajectory over the next five years, the changing nature of incoming students as well as the importance of OU’s strategic plan. 1:07 – Denis-Wright intro 3:37 – Provost duties on the Norman campus 11:09 – Success over the next four/five years 13:46 – Changi...

President Joe Harroz is joined by Gary Raskob, Ph. D., the Provost and Senior Vice President of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Today’s conversation deals with OU HSC, the three missions of HSC as well as how OU is addressing health care needs within the state.    0:00 – Introduction 1:03 – Gary Raskob introduction 4:28 – OU HSC’s layout 5:38 – HSC’s three core missions 9:08 – O...

President Joe Harroz is joined by Teri Reed, Ph. D., the inaugural Director of the Polytechnic Institute based at OU-Tulsa. The two share thoughts on what a Polytechnic actually does for the university, the state as well as the region. With the institute’s expertise lying at the intersection of business, education and technology, the future for this new school is incredibly bright.  0:00 – 3:17 In...

President Joe Harroz is joined by Randall Stephenson via Zoom. Stephenson is the former CEO of AT&T, retiring in 2021. Stephenson, who was born in Moore, Oklahoma, earned his master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1986 and went to work for Southwestern Bell until working his way up. He earned a status as a global leader in technology and innovation. (0:00 – 2:20) Introduction (2:23...

President Joe Harroz is joined by the head coach of the women’s basketball team, Jennie Baranczyk. Among the topics discussed are the strength of multiple women’s sports at the University of Oklahoma, Jennie’s now-famous daughter, Jordi and the trajectory of the program under her leadership.  (0:00 – 1:49) Intro  (1:50) Baranczyk introduced  (3:00) The first two years under her coaching  (4:00) Wo...

President Joe Harroz sits down with Dr. Gregg Garn, the dean of College of Professional and Continuing Studies and the vice president of online learning at the University of Oklahoma, to discuss OU Online. As online education becomes more synonymous with a normal learning experience for many, President Harroz and Dr. Garn aim to fill in the blanks for questions people may have about the online exp...

President Joe Harroz is joined by Dr. George Henderson to discuss his place within the University of Oklahoma’s history. Dr. Henderson came to OU in 1967 and broke new ground in both the OU community and the city of Norman. Through his own life experiences prior to coming to OU, and his teaching history and interactions with students on campus, Dr. Henderson has created a legacy for positive chang...

President Joe Harroz is joined by the 28th governor of the state of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt. Stitt has served that position since 2019 and was re-elected to a second term in 2022. President Harroz and Governor Stitt discuss a variety of topics centered around the growth of the state of Oklahoma and the University of Oklahoma’s role in that growth. (0:00 – 1:52) Harroz introduces Governor Stitt and p...