Skip Navigation

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

NEWS
Michael Markham.

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


By

Josh DeLozier
joshdelozier@ou.edu

Date

April 10, 2025

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.”

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. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.


Recent News

Impact
February 09, 2026

OU’s Academic Excellence and Global Perspective Recognized by Fulbright Program

The University of Oklahoma has been recognized by the Fulbright Program for its academic excellence and impactful contributions to international education and research, with its Health Campus earning the university recognition as a “Top Producer” of Fulbright U.S. Scholars.


Research
February 09, 2026

OU–Industry Collaboration Harnesses AI to Accelerate Antibody Drug Production

In a study published in the journal Communications Engineering, Chongle Pan, an OU professor of computer science and biomedical engineering, and Penghua Wang, a doctoral student in data science and analytics, detail a machine learning model that dramatically accelerates the manufacturing timeline of monoclonal antibodies.


Research
February 04, 2026

OU Researchers Develop New Way to Deliver Cancer Therapies

University of Oklahoma researchers have created a new drug delivery system that helps cancer cells take in much more of a treatment, improving its ability to kill tumors. “The delivery system is like a Trojan horse,” said Joshua Seaberg, Ph.D., the doctoral student who created the system.