NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – Robin Zape-tah-hol-ah Starr Minthorn (Kiowa), a professor and chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Oklahoma, has been named president-elect for the Association for the Study of Higher Education. She is the first Indigenous person to serve in this position in the history of the organization. In her three-year term as the president-elect and president of ASHE, Minthorn will serve as the organization’s chief executive officer.
Even before her election, Minthorn facilitated the incorporation of a land tax at ASHE. It is an idea she borrowed from the American Educational Research Association, which is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the study of education and learning.
“Under this initiative, we will actually tax ourselves as an organization to give back to local Indigenous communities. It’s a way to ensure that we’re investing in these communities and understanding what their local needs are,” she said. “By also establishing land acknowledgements, I think we can deeply engage with our local communities and acknowledge those that are invisible – not just Indigenous communities, but those that have often been underrepresented or underserved – making sure their voices are visible in our association.”
In addition to her professorship at OU, Minthorn is also the coordinator of Tribal and Indigenous Education Initiatives for the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education. This role allows her to develop Tribal partnerships and incorporate Tribal perspectives into course curricula. She will also support Native students as they navigate their higher education degrees and provide professional development support to faculty to help them understand the needs and realities of Tribal communities in Oklahoma.
“I’m excited to not only be the first person from the University of Oklahoma to serve as the president of ASHE, but the first Native person to serve in this role in the association’s history,” she said. “I’m so grateful for this opportunity; and while I might be the first Indigenous person to serve in this role, I don’t want to be the last.”
Learn more about the Association for the Study of Higher Education and the OU Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.
About the project
Robin Zape-tah-hol-ah Minthorn is an enrolled citizen of the Kiowa tribe of Oklahoma and a descendant of the Umatilla, Nez Perce, Apache, and Assiniboine Nations. She is also the co-editor of Indigenous Leadership in Higher Education, Reclaiming Indigenous Research in Higher Education and Indigenous Motherhood in the Academy. Her ASHE term begins in November 2024 and ends in November 2027.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. OU was named the state’s highest-ranking university in U.S. News & World Report’s most recent Best Colleges list. For more information about the university, visit ou.edu.
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