OU Names New Senior Vice President and Provost for the Health Sciences Center

The University of Oklahoma announced today the appointment of Gary Raskob, Ph.D., as senior vice president and provost for the OU Health Sciences Center, pending OU Board of Regents’ approval.

Serving in this position in an interim capacity since January, Raskob has helped usher the Health Sciences Center into a new chapter during a transformational period for the university and for the future of the state. Prior to his appointment as interim provost, Raskob served as dean of OU’s Hudson College of Public Health for 20 years – making him the longest-serving dean at OU when he was named to his interim role.

A national search was conducted for the position, attracting 21 qualified applicants. The search committee – made up of 11 members, included representatives from the College of Allied Health, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health and Dentistry; OU-Tulsa; Administration and Finance; the OUHSC Provost’s Office; Student Government Association; and the OU Foundation – interviewed six semifinalists, ultimately selecting four finalists.

“A fixture at the university now for over 30 years, Dr. Raskob has earned deep respect across OU for his trustworthy and visionary leadership, and he is highly esteemed globally in the field of public health,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “His extensive knowledge and significant leadership experience in medical research, as well as his demonstrated ability to effectively build strategic collaborations to achieve institutional goals, make him an outstanding choice to lead our Health Sciences Center as its next senior vice president and provost.”

As senior vice president and provost, Raskob will manage all academic initiatives of the OU Health Sciences Center, including overseeing curricular standards and academic policies, faculty recruitment and development, institutional planning and budgeting, and resource and enrollment management.

Over the past seven months as interim provost, Raskob has devoted significant focus toward the completion of the OU Health Sciences Strategic Plan, which will be presented to the OU Board of Regents this fall. He also played a pivotal role in shepherding the university’s plan to dramatically increase enrollment in its nursing program, to address the nursing shortage and health workforce needs in Oklahoma. His collaborative nature and scholarly expertise have also fostered a strong partnership between the university and its academic health system – OU Health – advancing health care for all Oklahomans.

The co-chairs of the search committee, Jane Wilson, dean of the OU College of Allied Health and Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professor, and Doug Drevets, OU Health Chief of Infectious Diseases and Regents’ Professor in the OU College of Medicine, noted Raskob’s strategic vision and the strength of his research background.

“Dr. Raskob understands the importance of growing our state’s health care workforce pipeline and building a solid academic and research partnership with our hospital partner,” Wilson and Drevets said. “His track record in research, particularly in collaborative clinical trial research, will further enhance the advancements the university is making together with OU Health to markedly strengthen our national recognition as a top-tier, research driven academic health system.”

With more than three decades of experience in public health research and education, Raskob is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on thrombosis and antithrombotic therapy. During his career, he has held several national leadership roles in the field of public health, including serving as an advisor to the CDC and the National Institutes of Health. His career at OU began in 1991 and through the years has seen progressive leadership responsibilities, providing invaluable expertise that has enhanced the academic and research mission of the university.

As dean, Raskob championed the growth and stature of Hudson College, with extramural grant and contract funding seeing an increase by more than fourfold, and the college earning national recognition as a top 10 program in academic public health by College Magazine. The Hudson College of Public Health also saw incredible fundraising success, including the creation of 30 endowed scholarships, a leadership gift securing the college’s naming, and substantial increases in student financial support, with more than $1 million in financial assistance given to students during last academic year.

Raskob earned a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from OU in 1999, and in 1985 he earned his master of science in clinical epidemiology and health research methodology from McMaster University. He is also a graduate of the University of Toronto, having earned a bachelor of science in pharmacology with honors.