A conversation with OSU Student Body President Riley 'Wes' Hurlbut

A conversation with OSU Student Body President Riley 'Wes' Hurlbut

Friday, October 24, 2025

Media Contact: Elizabeth Gosney | CAS Marketing and Communications Manager | 405-744-7497 | [email protected]

Riley "Wes" Hurlbut, a 2025 College of Arts and Sciences graduate and current master's student, was elected Oklahoma State University's student body president in the spring. Hurlbut, who has served in student government for more than three years, said his priority as president is strengthening the impact and accessibility of the Student Government Association. CAS asked him a few questions to introduce him to the wider OSU community.

CAS: What year in school are you?

Hurlbut: I earned bachelor's degrees in economics and philosophy in 2025, and entered a master's program at OSU in global studies in the fall 2025 semester.

CAS: We read that you're from Cleveland, Ohio. What brought you to Oklahoma and OSU?

Hurlbut: My father grew up in Tulsa and attended Oklahoma State University for his bachelor's degree, so I was interested in coming here for a long time.

CAS: Why did you decide to run for student body president?

Hurlbut: I've served in our student government for over three years, representing the College of Arts and Sciences in the Student Senate. While I've been here and taken on internal leadership roles such as budget committee chair and A&M Colleges Board of Regents representative, I've also had the opportunity to see the organization go through a number of different phases as each student body president tried out different governing styles and responded to campus sentiment in different ways, with varying results.

Although our student government has made progress over the years, it still has a long way to go in terms of its internal cooperation, its external accessibility, and its tangible impact. I believe that my vice president, Victoria Smith, and I will be able to both make great improvements during our term and set SGA up for future success.

CAS: What are some of your objectives as president?

Hurlbut: Victoria and I ran on a platform focused on helping students get professionally prepared, improving the transparency and accountability of SGA, realistically addressing parking and transportation concerns, removing barriers for student organizations, increasing SGA service and philanthropy projects, and doubling efforts in health and safety. A more detailed expansion of these points can be found on our campaign Instagram page.

CAS: Have your philosophy and economics degrees impacted your desire and ability to serve in student government? If so, how?

Hurlbut: My education in philosophy and economics, as well as Victoria's education in nutritional sciences, has helped us prepare for this role in two ways. First, the coursework itself has given us a broad toolkit for the type of problem-solving that we'll need in this role. Second, it has allowed us to understand the interests and perspectives of our fellow students in a wide range of fields, which will help us to better listen to and address their concerns.

CAS: How can students support you and the SGA? What about OSU faculty, staff and/or alumni?

Hurlbut: Student turnout for the SGA elections has historically been extremely low, averaging around 5% of the student body during the spring presidential elections. Victoria and I see this as a wake-up call for SGA to make itself visible and relevant to the student body we claim to represent. To that end, we'll be holding regularly scheduled town halls, improving the accessibility of SGA office hours, and posting vital information on the SGA Canvas page, and we encourage all students to come and voice their concerns. We're also optimistic about the ability to reach out to OSU faculty, staff and alumni to form partnerships wherever possible.

CAS: What are some of the biggest or more surprising lessons you've learned so far during your time in student government?

Hurlbut: It's often believed that we have to choose between staying true to our values and achieving success in our fields, but Victoria and I have both learned during our time in SGA and elsewhere on OSU's campus that it's entirely possible, even if it's not usually easy, to hold to both mandates.

CAS: Looking toward the future, how have your experiences in SGA and as a CAS student set you up for success?

Hurlbut: I believe that my time at OSU, both in SGA and as a CAS student, has set me up for success by giving me a strong foundation in many different respects, both inside and outside of the classroom. It's given me a framework for solving problems rationally and empirically, a deeper respect for opposing points of view, and a desire to make a positive impact on those around me.

Story By: Kierstin Pigg, graduate assistant | [email protected]