Jerry Bread Ph.D.
Outreach Coordinator
(405) 325-5463
Ellison Hall 210
jcbread@ou.edu
A founding member of the current OU Native American Studies program, Dr. Bread has extensive academic and professional backgrounds in Indian education, tribal affairs/governance and Indian policy. He is a member of the Kiowa Nation of Oklahoma and has strong family and cultural attatchment with the Cherokee Nation through his father. He received his B.S. in Education (minors in history and psychology) from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK; his M.S. in Educational Administration (Indian education history, policy, and public school administration); and his Ph. D. in Educaional Administration (Indian education policy/administration, curriculum development, teacher training, research and leadership development) from the University of Oklahoma. His professional history includes representation on numerous local, state, tribal, and national committees, organizations and advisory boards; public school instruction; elected representative to the Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute Board of Regents, Joint Tribes of Oklahoma (a national Indian community college); Assistant Director of the Region V, Indian Education Technical Assistance Center (Evaluation Specialist); Director of the Johnson O'Malley Indian Education Program for the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma; Director of the University of Oklahoma's American Indian Institute; Founder and Director of the Foundations in Native Education Graduate Program, American Indian Teacher Corps and Mentorship Program for Minority Students, College of Education, University of Oklahoma; and Indian education program developer. He has served as a member of the OU's Presidential American Indian Task Force, OU Minority Faculty and Staff Committee, National Indian Education Association; OU American Indian Faculty Association; President Elect of Kappa Delta Pi, OU College of Education; member of Rho Theta Sigma; advisor to the Kiowa Tribal Cultural Authority, Oklahoma's tribal colleges and many local, state, natonal and tribal thrusts related to the education and welfare of American Indian citizens. During his tenure with the NAS program Dr. Bread has researched and established continuing programs of service and instruction, to include the annual NAS Symposium, NAS Native Fest, NAS Student Colloquim, NAS Debate Team, Introduction to Tribal Economics, Indian Health Seminar, Indian Education and Policy Development, Tribal Sovereignty, Introduction to NAS, Tribal Program Development, and Tribal Think Tank (Gathering of Minds), NAS Native Speaker Series and community outreach. His research and teaching interests focus on American Indian participation in education, tribal govenance and policy development, history leadership, cultural influence on learning and teaching, language and contemporary American Indian Affairs. His personal interests include tribal languages, tribal business development, ceremony, religion, athletics and psychology of American Indians.