In July 2025, the University of Central Oklahoma received $10,000,000 from the Oklahoma Legislature to expand the Forensic Science Institute (FSI) with an additional wing, as well as $283,819 in federal funding announced in March 2025 provided by Congresswoman Stephanie Bice.

FSB Architects + Engineers, an Oklahoma City architecture and engineering firm, was selected by UCO to bring the project to life. After being selected, they created an initial concept shown below. As of writing, UCO is currently in the process of selecting a contractor for the project.

“The actual blueprints are being designed, and now we are working on selecting a construction company,” said John Mabry, director of the Forensic Science Institute.

The building expansion will house additional classrooms the FSI already uses, as well as new ones it needs, including an evidence classroom, a forensic anthropology room and a firearms lab.

“We have grown so much that we have run into scheduling problems as far as having these rooms open for the many required courses,” Mabry said, as the program now serves more than 1,000 forensic science majors.

Currently, many UCO forensic science students complete much of their chemistry work across the street at the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), but issues arise because it is an active forensics lab. Having their own dedicated chemistry lab will negate that problem.

With an estimated completion time of 14 months to two years once construction begins, the FSI is preparing for the new addition to campus.

“We are hoping to break ground late summer or early fall,” Mabry said.