Foundation Newsletters
75th Anniversary Wood Health Sciences Building Groundbreaking Ceremony
Odessa College announced today that an additional financial pledge made by the Wood Family Foundation of $2 million would complete the $40 million Phase 1 capital campaign for the new Wood Health Sciences Building. In December 2020, the Foundation made the first pledge to OC’s new Health Sciences Building campaign in the amount of $5 million, naming the building the Wood Health Sciences Building.
“The Wood Family Foundation’s $7 million investment in the Wood Health Sciences Building will leave a lasting legacy in our community,” Dr. Greg Williams, Odessa College President, said. “Their support of this project helped launch the campaign in December, and eight months later, we’re wrapping up Phase I of the capital campaign with a total of $25 million in community support.”
With the additional $2 million pledge to the project, the Wood Family Foundation has committed a total of more than $11 million to Odessa College since 2012. Other major gifts from the Wood Family Foundation include $3 million for the naming of the Wood Math and Science Building in 2012 and significant annual support of the Student Success Scholarship fund.
James Segrest Stadium Groundbreaking and Dedication
The Odessa College James Segrest Stadium Groundbreaking Ceremony – officially launching the $6.5 million capital campaign for the new complex which will replace the current OC outdoor track area.
According to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame website, Coach Segrest served as the Odessa College track and field coach from 1973-1987 and 1994-1995. He also served as the OC athletic director from 1987-1994. His teams won 11 NJCAA National Championships in track and field: five indoor (1981-85) and six outdoor (1981-86).
Segrest was selected to coach the World University Games in 1978.
He is a member of the NJCAA Track and Field Hall of Fame (1989), Abilene Christian University Sports Hall of Fame (1991), the United States Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame (1996), and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2005.
Medical Center Health System Press Conference
Medical Center Health System has committed to a $5 million investment over a 10-year period in Odessa College’s new $39.7 million Wood Health Sciences Building. OC will name the first floor of the 83,000 square foot, four-story building the “Medical Center Health System Simulation Hospital”.
With plans to break ground in late 2021 and open by Fall 2023, the simulation hospital will span the entire first floor of the Wood Health Sciences Building and will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology to simulate patient care scenarios. The simulation hospital will provide a collaborative environment for all health sciences students that will include the following suites: emergency room, operating room, labor and delivery, nursery, physical therapy and radiological technology. The simulation hospital will also include five high simulation patient rooms, five doctors’ office simulation rooms and 10 basic simulation patient rooms.
Odessa Regional Medical Center Press Conference
Odessa Regional Medical Center has committed to a $1 million investment in Odessa College’s new $40 million Wood Health Sciences Building. OC will name the third floor of the 83,000 square foot, four-story building the “Odessa Regional Medical Center Instruction Floor”.
“The construction of the new Wood Health Sciences Building at Odessa College is critically important to the success of the healthcare community, not only in Odessa but the entire Permian Basin,” Stacey Brown, President of Odessa Regional Medical Center and Scenic Mountain Medical Center in Big Spring, said. “This increased capacity is vital to helping medical providers care for our community, but it will also provide excellent jobs for young adults to be productive members of our community for years to come.”
The third floor will provide 20,500 square feet of learning space for the School of Health Sciences and will include nine classrooms, three computer labs, two study halls, a student lounge, a faculty lounge and faculty offices. ORMC clinical leaders also will mentor and teach students in the learning space.
Permian Strategic Partnership Press Conference
The Permian Strategic Partnership has committed to a $4 million investment in Odessa College’s new Wood Health Sciences Building, bringing the 12-month capital campaign to 94 percent of the $40 million goal. This investment brings the total of the partnership pledges to $22,621,500. Odessa College will contribute $15 million to the project.
With a focus on increasing the number of healthcare workers for the Permian Basin, the 83,000 square foot Wood Health Sciences Building will include four floors of instruction and community space to allow more students to enroll in the School of Health Sciences programs and healthcare continuing education programs, with an estimated 64 percent increase in graduates.
Hext Family Foundation
The Hext Family Foundation has made annual contributions throughout the OC Foundation’s history to support students enrolled in technical programs. The new endowed scholarship will allow OC to award a minimum of $30,000 per academic year to full-time (12 hours or more) and part-time (6 to 11 hours) students enrolled in technical programs.
Awards will be $800 per semester for part-time students and $1,600 for full-time students as funds are available and will be used for tuition, fees and books.
Wood Family Foundation Press Conference in August 2021
The Wood Family Foundation made the first pledge in the amount of $5 million to Odessa College’s new Health Sciences Building, naming the building the Wood Health Sciences Building. With the new additional pledge to the project, the Wood Family Foundation has committed a total of more than $11 million to Odessa College since 2012. Other major gifts from the Wood Family Foundation include $3 million for the naming of the Wood Math and Science Building in 2012 and significant annual support of the Student Success Scholarship fund.
Sewell Auto Tech
Our partners from Sewell Family of Dealerships toured Odessa College’s new Sewell Auto Tech construction site this morning to discuss plans to open the facility this fall. The 37,000-square-foot Sewell Auto Tech facility, located on seven acres at 2425 E. Eighth Street, will offer the latest in auto and diesel technology training for Permian Basin students. It will also house the Professional Truck Driving Academy with state-of-the-art simulators, as well as paved parking and driving courses.
