The UCO Policy Institute is a university-based think-tank committed to enhancing the policy debate within Oklahoma. Funded by the University of Central Oklahoma,  the Institute aims to be an indispensable tool for the development of effective state and local public policies, by providing policymakers with factual, timely, and relevant information.

The UCO Policy Institute (then known as the Oklahoma Center for Policy Research) was founded in 1998 as a joint venture between the UCO Departments of Economics and Political Science. This collaborative spirit still shapes the Institute today.

As we prepare for the future, the UCO Policy Institute is poised to play a vital role in providing unbiased research information to Oklahoma policymakers. Our role is not to promote an ideology, but to promote facts. Our duty is not to shape politics, but to shape policies. In short...we are here to enhance the policy debate.

Director:  Dr. Mickey Hepner (Ph.D. University of Oklahoma, 2001) Dr. Hepner is an Associate Professor of Economics at UCO and has authored several reports on tax policy, government spending, and welfare reform. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Academy for State Goals.

Phone: (405)-974-2829

Fax: (405)-974-3853

E-Mail: mhepner@ucok.edu

Phone: (405)-974-5347

Fax: (405)-974-3853

E-Mail: joller3@ucok.edu