NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – The University of Oklahoma has announced the appointment of Paul Gilmore as the next dean of the Honors College, pending approval by the OU Board of Regents. Gilmore will begin his new role on June 23.
As a leader in honors education and interdisciplinary learning, Gilmore brings more than two decades of experience in higher education as a professor, scholar and administrator. He joins OU after serving as dean of the Honors College and College of Liberal Arts at Long Island University, where he oversaw academic programs across two campuses and led strategic efforts to integrate liberal arts into the university’s broader mission.
Previously, Gilmore served as the founding dean of the Honors College at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, where he launched a college-wide program that enrolled more than 500 high-achieving students annually. Under his leadership, Rutgers’ Honors College gained national recognition for its innovative model.
While at Rutgers, he led the development of a comprehensive curriculum and signature courses like the Honors College Forum, which emphasized social innovation, community engagement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. He also oversaw academic advising, co-curricular programming and a $30 million merit scholarship portfolio, while raising more than $10 million in philanthropic support.
A scholar of 19th-century American literature, Gilmore has held faculty appointments at Bucknell University and California State University, Long Beach, where he also served as director of graduate studies and chaired several faculty committees. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English, history and philosophy from the University of Mississippi and both his master’s and doctorate in English from the University of Chicago.
“As we prepare to welcome Dr. Gilmore to OU, we also extend our gratitude to Dr. Michael Markham, who has led the Honors College as interim dean this past year. With Dr. Gilmore at the helm, the Honors College is poised for an exciting future, and I look forward to seeing its continued impact and success,” said André-Denis Wright, senior vice president and provost for the OU Norman campus.
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.
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