Rodney Bates
Director of Graduate Students and
Postdoctoral Retention and Support
OU Graduate College
Rodney's Coaching Mindset: "I believe that coaching is providing guidance and evaluating outcomes to build a successful strategy.”
Higher Education Background:
- Bachelor's- Psychology, University of Central Oklahoma.
- Masterr's- Adult Education, University of Central Oklahoma.
- PhD- Educational Leadership and Policy, The University of Oklahoma.
Interests and Hobbies:
- Working out.
- Watching Netflix.
Top Life Defining Moments in Higher Education:
- Maintaining personal motivation.
- Accepting a job in higher education, which lead me to where I am today.
- Becoming passionate about working with students.
While in college, I experienced:
- Balancing work and school.
- Being undecided on a major.
- Difficulty building and managing successful study systems
- Not having a sense of belonging.
- Financial stress.
- Being a first-generation college student.
- A lack of a positive support network.
- Being a part of a Greek organization
- Academic motivation challenges.
- Overcoming daily challenges through resiliency.
