Dr. Shelly Mencacci Named Northern Oklahoma College Vice President for Academic Affairs,

Mencacci is currently at North Arkansas College where she is an associate vice-president.

“I’m excited to become part of the leadership team at Northern Oklahoma College,” said Dr. Mencacci. “My goal is to empower our community through education. I’ll be working closely with others to create and enhance economic opportunities in our area, while also improving resources for students of all ages across the regions we serve. Northern Oklahoma College has long been a cultural center and educational hub, and I’m committed to building on that legacy to benefit our students and community.”

Watkins said she is excited with what Dr. Mencacci will bring to NOC.

“We had a strong applicant pool for the position of Vice President of Academic Affairs and a committee comprised of individuals from all three campuses went through two rounds of zoom interviews before selecting two finalists to come tour all three campuses and meet with the Executive Council,” Watkins said.

“I am thrilled Dr. Shelly Mencacci accepted the offer to join the Executive Council at Northern. Her experience in strategic planning and working with faculty and division chairs at a multi-campus institution will be extremely valuable as we begin drafting NOC’s 2025-2030 strategic plan. As a first-generation student herself, one with lived experience from rural Choctaw Nation Oklahoma, she is excited to continue the efforts of our Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institute Grant, “Connecting Students to Promising Pathways” and will relate well to our students many of whom are the first in their families to attend college.”

Reporting directly to the president, Mencacci will be responsible for providing an institution-wide vision, leadership and strategic direction for academic programs. In her position, she will provide oversight and leadership for all functions of academic affairs for the college, a multi-campus institution. Mencacci will work closely with the president, other vice presidents, academic division chairs and program directors to facilitate the overall mission of the college and provide the vision and leadership that promote and support a commitment to academic achievement, excellence in instructional methodology, assessment of teaching and learning and student success.

Mencacci is a born-and-raised Oklahoman with two decades of higher education experience predominately within the community college sector.

She began her career as a graduate assistant at Southeastern Oklahoma State University and has since evolved to spearhead the advancement of modern curriculum and innovative teaching methodologies. Her leadership in both academic and student services has been pivotal in enhancing educational programs to meet evolving industry demands and student needs.

She holds a Ph.D. in the field of Education from Texas Woman’s University, underpinning her commitment to academic excellence. She is dedicated to fostering critical thinking and cultivating hopefulness in educational environments to empower students for prosperous futures.

Her expertise spans curriculum development, strategic planning, and fostering collaborative partnerships to enrich the academic experience.

Outside of her professional endeavors, she cherishes quality time with family and friends. She finds rejuvenation in outdoor activities and pursues hobby gardening as a creative outlet.

Dr. Mencacci remains focused on advancing the mission; to provide transformative educational opportunities preparing students to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.