About OEF

Leadership

Trustees and Staff

History

The Oklahoma Engineering Foundation was founded in 1975 by the Oklahoma Society of Professional Engineers. With the support of the engineering community, OEF built the Oklahoma Engineering Center. Since 1979, the Center has remained the hub of engineer activity in Oklahoma, housing the Oklahoma Society of Professional Engineers; the Oklahoma Engineering Foundation; the American Council of Engineering Companies; the Oklahoma Board of Architects and Landscape Architects, and the Oklahoma State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

In the 2000s, OEF sold the Center to the Oklahoma State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, remaining in house as a tenant. All profits from the sale were invested in the Oklahoma College Engineering Scholarship Endowment with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

Our First Program

The first program implemented by OEF was an engineering scholarship program established by 12 Oklahoma engineers including our founding president, the late Garth P. Kennedy. Today, the Oklahoma Engineering Foundation Scholarship Fund is a permanent endowment managed by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. The endowment provides an enduring way for us to help college students further their education in engineering. 

Pioneers of the Oklahoma Engineering Fair

OEF pioneered the Oklahoma Engineering Fair in 1981, to give middle school and high school students a chance to become familiar with the engineering field. At the time, it was a new concept for students. Today, the fair is held every spring at Science Museum of Oklahoma. It brings together students, teachers, professors, and the business community to give students an introduction to engineering and related principles. Students are also given the opportunity to showcase their creativity in engineering construction and design through various categories of competition including a bridge building competition; rubber band powered vehicle competition; drone competition; tower competition; electric motor competition; ping pong launcher competition and wacky wonders competition. 

The date for the 2025 fair will be announced in late summer 2024. 

Oklahoma MATHCOUNTS

In 1983, OEF introduced Oklahoma to the national MATHCOUNTS program, the longest-running national mathematics competition for middle school students. Open to all middle schools in the state, the Oklahoma MATHCOUNTS program has impacted almost 8,000 middle school students over four decades. This does not include the countless students impacted by the free curriculum we provide to schools. It is a premier program that fosters highly advanced problem-solving and critical thinking skills that students need to become innovators and leaders and to help keep Oklahoma competitive in an increasingly technology-driven economy.

The 2024 MATHCOUNTS Oklahoma State Competition was held March 2, at Oklahoma City University. The date for the 2025 state competition will be announced in December 2024.