Kayse Shrum

Kayse Shrum
19th President of Oklahoma State University
Incumbent
Assumed office July 1, 2021
Preceded by	V. Burns Hargis
Oklahoma Secretary of Science and Innovation
In office March 15, 2019 – June 2020
Governor	Kevin Stitt
Preceded by	Kelvin Droegemeier
Succeeded by	Elizabeth Pollard
Personal details
Born	Kayse Marie Donnelly (1972-10-27) October 27, 1972 Coweta, Oklahoma, U.S.
Spouse	Darren Shrum ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	6
Education	Connors State College (AS) Northeastern State University University of Arkansas Oklahoma State University (DO)

Kayse Marie Shrum (/ˈkeɪsi ˈʃrʌm/; née Donnelly; born October 27, 1972) is an American physician and the President of Oklahoma State University. She is the first woman to lead a public research institution in Oklahoma. She was selected as OSU's 19th president in April 2021 and took office on July 1, 2021.

Early life and education

Kayse Marie Donnelly was born on October 27, 1972, in Coweta, Oklahoma. She played softball for Connors State College in Warner, Oklahoma, and graduated in 1992 with an associate of science degree. She continued her education at Northeastern State University and the University of Arkansas before graduating with a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Career

Shrum practiced pediatrics in Muskogee, Oklahoma before joining the faculty of the medical school faculty at the OSU Center for Health Sciences in 2002. She served as chair of the Department of Pediatrics from 2004 to 2011. In 2011, OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine named her provost of OSU-CHS and dean of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. She was promoted to president of OSU-CHS, becoming the youngest and first female president and dean of a medical school in the state of Oklahoma. On March 15, 2019, Governor Kevin Stitt appointed her Secretary of Science and Innovation. She resigned in June 2020. In April 2021 she was named the president of Oklahoma State University, and assumed this role in July 2021. Shrum succeeded V. Burns Hargis who announced his retirement plans in October 2020.

Awards

Shrum holds the George Kaiser Family Foundation chair in medical excellence and service and the Saint Francis Health System endowed chair of pediatrics. She was inducted into the Connors State College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 2022.

Personal life

Shrum is married to Darren Shrum, whom she met in 1989 at a Broken Arrow Wal-mart where he was working and undergoing the management training program. They have six children, including three who were adopted from Ethiopia.