Aiyana Henry

Dr. Aiyana Henry is the Associate Dean for Professional Education in the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education and an Associate Professor in the Department of Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum at the University of Oklahoma. She spends much of her time focused on cultivating relationships through her teaching, service and scholarship. Building and maintaining positive relationships with her colleagues, students, national and/or local organizations, and with the community and P-12 school partners, builds the foundation for the work she does. Henry has enjoyed serving in a leadership role and some of her greatest accomplishments involve the work that she has participated in at the national and local levels, advocating for and helping to influence the next generation of educators.

In addition to her administrative responsibilities, she currently serves as the program coordinator for the Elementary Education program. She is a true generalist in her field and has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate level courses throughout her career. Henry strives to transfer her knowledge of content and pedagogy, while at the same time, cultivate interest and develop an environment that fosters interaction, growth, and reflection. She currently serves as a Dunham Faculty Fellow, on the Provost Advisory Committees, and chaired the OU Faculty Athletics Council (2017-2018 & 2019-2020). Henry was awarded the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education Teaching and Advising (2015) and Leadership and Citizenship (2021) awards. She is an active member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and past president in 2021-2022 of the Oklahoma Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Association for Teacher Educators and has many committee responsibilities.

Henry holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from The University of New Mexico and a Master of Science and Doctoral degree in Education from Baylor University. Her husband, Kevin Henry, serves as Senior Director of Major Gifts and Annual Campaigns for the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, color analyst for OU men’s basketball and an adjunct professor at University of Oklahoma. The two reside in Norman and are proud parents of Emma (17) and Nash (14).