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OSU, NGWAU PSA -
OSU, NGWAU PSA -
OSU, NGWAU PSA
Oklahoma State University, in collaboration with the Groundwater Foundation, has launched a national campaign to bring awareness to groundwater access, education and industry training.
At the center of the campaign is a televised public service announcement and resource-filled website that illustrate both the vitality of clean water and how populations often take it for granted.
“Our current groundwater professionals have done such a great job providing clean water to homes and municipalities across the nation, that many people don’t know where their drinking water comes from. But we are experiencing a major workforce shortage in groundwater careers,” said Dr. Caitlin Barnes, director of NGWA University Powered by OSU.
“I’ve talked with groundwater drillers across the nation, and they all say the same thing: they can’t find anyone to run the rigs. Hopefully, this PSA will inspire people to learn more about groundwater access and showcase the many careers we need filled to provide the nation with drinking water.”
Since 2020, NGWA University Powered by OSU — a partnership between the National Ground Water Association and OSU’s College of Arts and Sciences — has been addressing the predicted shortfall in groundwater industry personnel through K-12 curriculum and professional development courses. Those efforts, combined with the PSA, ask important questions while also offering solutions.
“We need to get current and future generations excited about groundwater — not only as a possible career, but for the sake of our collective health and prosperity,” said Dr. Todd Halihan, interim head of OSU’s Boone Pickens School of Geology. “NGWA University has started training groundwater students and professionals from around the world, but there’s a need to grow. The resources and passion for groundwater are here at OSU, so we invite everyone to come explore what makes groundwater so crucial.”
Terry Morse, CEO of the Groundwater Foundation and the National Ground Water Association, said it’s through these academic and industry partnerships that lasting changes will take place.
“We all play a part in making sure our communities have access to clean water,” Morse said. “The more we can have groundwater at the forefront of people’s minds — be that through education, professional training or just general awareness — the greater the generational impact will be. This PSA campaign is one more example of how our organizations are leading the way in groundwater.”
Watch the PSA on YouTube, download it from the Public Service Network PSA bank, and learn more about groundwater at groundwater.okstate.edu.
NGWA University Powered by OSU (NGWAU) is a workforce development program established through an industry partnership between the National Ground Water Association and the College of Arts and Sciences at Oklahoma State University. Together, NGWA and OSU have created professional development training and K-12 extension activities related to groundwater. Learn more at groundwater.okstate.edu.
The Groundwater Foundation is a part of the National Ground Water Association, a not-for-profit professional society and trade association for the global groundwater industry. The Groundwater Foundation connects people, businesses and communities through local education and action programs to provide solutions for clean, sustainable groundwater for generations to come. To learn more, visit groundwater.org.
Oklahoma State University is a premier land-grant university that prepares students for success, engages communities, and empowers servant-leaders to meet society’s most pressing challenges. OSU is the largest university system in Oklahoma and has more than 34,000 students across its five-campus system. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 280,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world. Learn more at okstate.edu.