Oklahoma State University Regents Select Dr. Kayse Shrum as Next President

STILLWATER – What was projected as a late afternoon announcement went well into the night and did not take place until after 10 p.m. missing the late local news cycle, but Oklahoma State does have a new President as just as Pokes Report had suggested for several months the new leader is one that has lead in the Oklahoma State system for some time as the President of the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa. Kayse Shrum is the new President of Oklahoma State University. Shrum is the 19th President of the school and the first woman to be named to that position.

"The OSU/A&M Board of Regents recognized from the start of this process the importance of conducting a thorough search to make sure we selected the most qualified candidate to lead OSU and the system into the future following the successful Burns Hargis presidency," commented Rick Davis, chair of the Regents. "I appreciate the deliberative approach taken by our Regents, and we are grateful to Regent Joe Hall, who impressively led the process over the past five months."

Davis continued, "Dr. Shrum is well known and respected by the Regents and our university community. Her leadership has transformed our medical school in Tulsa, and her efforts have taken us to new heights we could only imagine a few years ago. The establishment of the National Center for Wellness and Recovery is one of several milestone achievements. The center, which has brought national acclaim to OSU, has become the national focal point for breakthrough research to address the opioid crisis. What is most impressive to me for all the notable achievements is her commitment to students and their success. Students matter to her. Dr. Shrum is an effective leader, innovative thinker and her collaborative style, in addition to her great love for OSU, means the momentum we have achieved with President Hargis will continue unabated. I am excited about the future of OSU, the system and the state of Oklahoma."

"I am humbled and honored by this announcement," said Dr. Shrum. "I am also thrilled because outside of my dear family, OSU has a special place in my heart. Leading the OSU Center for Health Sciences and helping students, faculty and staff come together to create something truly impactful to our state has been immensely rewarding for me. To lead our vibrant university and the system, which is so vital to our state on many levels, will be the greatest challenge and honor of my professional career. I am looking forward to this opportunity with high anticipation.

“I want to thank Chair Davis, Regent Hall and our entire Board of Regents. I do not take the trust you have imparted to me lightly,” continued Shrum. “I look forward to working with our board, faculty, students and staff on our shared vision of excellence and success. Let me also thank President Hargis, who had the confidence to appoint me to lead the medical school. I am forever grateful for our friendship and your mentorship.”

Oklahoma State University

Dr. Kayse Shrum was a college student-athlete playing softballl at Connors State.

From an athletics standpoint, Shrum is a good choice as she was a student athlete in college playing softball at Connors State College. Dr. Shrum played softball for the Cowgirls on a softball scholarship, graduating in 1992.  This is a person that understands from personal experience the importance of athletics and educations working together in the lives of student-athletes.

She has been inducted in both the Connors State Athletic Hall of Fame and the school’’s Alumni Hall of Fame.

While at Connors, she was on the Dean’s Honor Roll, listed in Who’s Who in American Junior Colleges, was a member of Phil Theta Kappa Honor Society and was an NJCAA Academic All-American.

Following graduation from Connors, she attended Northeastern State University, the University of Arkansas, and Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, becoming a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. 

That medical background is important as during her final days with Oklahoma State’s College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Center for Health Sciences, that school and it’s support staff will forge a new relationship in oversseing on-campus sports medicine in the athletic department of Oklahoma State University. Steps have been taken to start that process.

That covers her educational resume’ but her professional resume’ is even more impressive. 

In 2013, Dr. Shrum was named president of OSU Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS), becoming the youngest and first female president and dean of a medical school in the state of Oklahoma. She joined the OSU-CHS medical school faculty in 2002. In 2011, she was named provost of OSU-CHS and dean of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine and served in that capacity until her promotion to president in 2013.

President Shrum holds the George Kaiser Family Foundation Chair in Medical Excellence and Service and the Saint Francis Health System Endowed Chair of Pediatrics. In March 2019, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt appointed her to his Cabinet as Secretary of Science and Innovation.

Under her leadership, OSU Center for Health Sciences has experienced unprecedented growth. Student enrollment has more than doubled as new academic programs have been established to meet the healthcare workforce needs of Oklahoma. She also spearheaded the construction of the A.R. and Marylouise Tandy Medical Academic Building, a state-of-the-art learning facility that houses Oklahoma’s largest and most technologically advanced hospital simulation center.

A strong supporter of collaborative partnerships, President Shrum worked with Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker and his administration to establish the nation’s first tribally affiliated medical school, the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation, which is set to open in fall 2020.

Most recently, President Shrum helped secure a landmark investment from Purdue Pharma in the amount of $197.5 million to create center of excellence in addiction treatment and studies to address the opioid addiction epidemic in Oklahoma.

An active participant in a variety of charitable and professional organizations, Dr. Shrum is a board member of the Children’s Hospital Foundation at Saint Francis, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, State Chamber of Oklahoma, PLICO, Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, Oklahoma State University Medical Authority and Trust, Texas A&M Center for Optimizing Rural Health, and Women for OSU Council. She holds committee positions in osteopathic professional organizations including the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicines, American Osteopathic Association, and American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics.

Dr. Shrum has been married for 29-years this year. She and her husband Darren still actively farm near Coweta. They have six adult children.

Dr. Shrum will officially take office in July when current President Burns Hargis’ retirement takes effect.