CONNECT 2021

NGWA University Powered by OSU is creating a series of groundwater training courses delivered online with classroom and field courses being developed for the future. The programwill offer career development opportunities for industry professionals, university students and entry-level workers, and it can prepare them for rigorous certification exams or could lead to university degrees. These courses will improve the safety and skills of drilling industry members and systematically address the critical shortage of professionals in the industry. OSU President Kayse Shrum called this program “a wonderful example of howwe fulfill the land-grant mission.” “We look for opportunities to address the modern issues facing our state, nation and world,” she added. “OSU has a long history in groundwater education, so we understand that 98.5 percent of the drinking water available to people is in the ground. We are proud to collaborate with the NGWA to address this issue.” National Groundwater Association CEO Terry S. Morse, CAE, CIC, said many knowledgeable and experienced geoscientists are aging into retirement. “Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the field was projected to face a shortfall of 135,000 workers by 2022,” Morse added. “We need to train the next group of people who will manage groundwater and operate these rigs. That is obviously a serious problem, not just for the industry, but for everyone considering that access to clean water increases life expectancy by 20-plus years. So NGWAwas compelled to address this problem, and OSUwill help us meet this challenge.” Dr. Todd Halihan, a professor in OSU’s Boone Pickens School of Geology, agreed, noting that 44 percent of Americans rely on water fromwells provided by the groundwater industry. “Groundwater is the most stable water resource and doesn’t suffer from evaporation like surface reservoirs. People don’t realize howmuch groundwater research and infrastructure is here in Oklahoma from federal and university researchers, and industrial partners in drilling and consulting,” Halihan said. “It just makes sense to establish this collaboration between OSU and NGWA, a win-win for both their association and our university, and it will benefit countless individuals who rely on groundwater.” The first course in the new program is Drilling Basics Online, a series of five, eight- hour sessions developed with the collaboration of industry professionals, scientists, engineers and experts in online education. The course covers the skills and competencies tested for on groundwater drilling exams. Up to 5,000 people are expected to participate in this course in just the first two years, and it has unlimited capacity to accommodate high volumes of participants at any given time. Because it is self-paced and delivered entirely online, it is ideal for the non- drilling days of workforce employees as well as for those working from home and the currently unemployed. Dr. Caitlin Barnes, director of NGWA University Powered by OSU, called it a wonderful collaboration. STORY JACOB LONGAN | PHOTO COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES COLLABORATION BETWEEN OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE NATIONAL GROUNDWATER ASSOCIATION AIMS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO GROUNDWATER AROUND THE WORLD BY ADDRESSING A PROJECTED SHORTFALL OF GEOSCIENCE WORKERS. CAPTURING GROUNDWATER IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT A PROPER WORKFORCE OF WATER-WELL DRILLING CONTRACTORS AND PUMP INSTALLERS WHO ACCESS AND DELIVER GROUNDWATER FOR DRINKING WATER, IRRIGATION AND INDUSTRIES. Dr. Todd Halihan Dr. Caitlin Barnes Terry S. Morse OSU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SC I ENCES 11