OU Names New Dean of the College of Allied Health

OKLAHOMA CITY – The University of Oklahoma announced today the appointment of Jane Endsley Wilson, Ph.D., as dean of the OU College of Allied Health, pending OU Board of Regents’ approval.

Wilson, who earned her Ph.D. in Allied Health from OU, has spent the last 25 years of her career at the OU Health Sciences Center in various teaching and administrative roles. Most recently, she served in the OU College of Pharmacy as associate dean for student affairs and associate professor. Wilson, whose career began in dental hygiene, also previously served in the OU College of Dentistry as clinical coordinator and associate professor.

“Dr. Wilson’s successful background in leadership development and mentoring, along with her involvement in launching a number of collaborative initiatives to improve the student experience across all Health Sciences Center programs, make her an ideal choice to lead the College of Allied Health,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr.

At the College of Pharmacy, Wilson created a student peer mentoring program and developed a nationally recognized leadership degree option program. Under her supervision, over 140 OU Pharmacy students have graduated from the program, which prepares students to be leaders and advocates in an ever-changing health care environment. She also serves as director of the college’s leadership institute, which provides pharmacy students from across the nation with specialized leadership training.

Her vision and collaborative approach have benefited students and programs across the OU Health Sciences Center. Wilson supported development of a recruitment plan for educationally and economically disadvantaged students, a holistic review process for admissions and a student ambassador program.

“Dr. Wilson has a consistent record of establishing and growing collaborations with other colleges, centers and clinical practices across the Health Sciences Center and OU Medicine, and we are confident that her leadership will inspire our students and advance the research initiatives in the College of Allied Health,” said Jason Sanders, M.D., MBA, senior vice president and provost of the OU Health Sciences Center and acting chair of the board of OU Medicine. “Having Dr. Wilson in this expanded role will be a contributing factor to the success of the OU Health academic health system.”

In addition to her work with students and academic initiatives, Wilson has served as co-principal investigator of several research projects, were she garnered several national awards and grant opportunities for the university. She is the recipient of numerous faculty and service awards, including the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s Innovations in Teaching Award, an Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professorship and the Robert Magarian Faculty Award from the OU Health Sciences Center Student Government Association.

Wilson earned both her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene and master’s degree in biology from Northeast Louisiana University before earning her Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Allied Health Sciences from the OU College of Allied Health.