Markham Named Dean of OU Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences

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NORMAN, OKLA. – The University of Oklahoma has appointed Michael Markham to lead its Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences. Pending approval by the OU Board of Regents, he will officially assume the role on July 14.

Markham currently serves as associate dean for academic programs and liaison dean for the natural sciences in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences (DFCAS), as well as the interim dean of the Honors College. In his five years as DFCAS associate dean, he has overseen academic programs spanning 27 departments with more than 630 faculty, while managing an annual budget of $16 million. His leadership has shaped some of the college’s most transformative initiatives, including:

• Launching the School of Biological Sciences through the merger of two departments, bolstering biomedical research and instructional strength.
• Spearheading the case for an $80 million STEM teaching laboratory building, set to break ground in summer 2025.
• Founding the Office of Online Degree Programs, expanding access and enrollment statewide.
• Growing OU’s high school concurrent enrollment by over 500% in two years through scalable online learning models.

Markham also played a central role in developing the college’s Pathways to Excellence strategic plan and co-led a $2.9 million initiative to raise graduate student stipends to attract top-tier doctoral candidates.

A nationally recognized neuroscientist, Markham has earned more than $3.4 million in extramural funding from agencies including the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. His research into the neurobiology of animal communication has been featured in top-tier journals such as Current Biology, PLoS Biology and Journal of Neuroscience.

Markham holds undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology from the University of New Mexico. Before joining OU in 2011, he held faculty and research appointments at the University of Texas at Austin and Florida International University.

As the University of Oklahoma strives toward AAU membership and national leadership in research and education, Markham’s appointment signals a continued commitment to academic excellence, strategic growth and student-centered leadership.

“Since joining the OU academic community 14 years ago, Dr. Markham has consistently demonstrated strategic vision and collaborative leadership, making him exceptionally well prepared to lead our university’s largest college into its next chapter of excellence,” said André-Denis Wright, senior vice president and provost for the OU Norman campus. “We also want to extend our gratitude to Dr. Randall Hewes for serving as Interim Dean of DFCAS this past year.”