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OU Names New Dean of the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education

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April 9, 2021

OU Names New Dean of the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education

The University of Oklahoma announced today the appointment of Stacy Reeder as dean of the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education, pending OU Board of Regents’ approval.

Reeder has served as a faculty member and administrator in the College of Education for the past 16 years. She has led the college as its interim dean since February 2020, after having been named acting dean in September 2019. Previously, she served as chair of the Department of Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum, where she currently holds the rank of professor, teaching courses in both the graduate and undergraduate mathematics education program. 

A national search was conducted for the position, attracting 13 qualified candidates. The search committee – made up of 12 members representing College of Education faculty, staff, students and Board of Advocates, and faculty representatives from the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Gallogly College of Engineering – interviewed seven semifinalists, ultimately selecting three finalists. The search solicited feedback from all College of Education constituencies and from other college deans, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and members of the executive team.

“As a teacher and a leader, Stacy Reeder has inspired the next generation through her knowledge and enthusiasm,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “She has a clear passion for public education, and I’m confident that under her leadership, the college will continue to produce world-class educators who will lead our state and nation.”

An active and accomplished scholar in mathematics education, Reeder has published scores of articles and conference proceedings in leading academic journals in her field, and her research has been widely funded by state and federal governmental agencies as well as private foundations, having received more than $2 million in grants. She also recently served a two-year term as president of the School Science and Mathematics Association.

Teaching a wide array of courses in mathematics education, Reeder has supervised 17 doctoral dissertations and more than 40 master’s degree projects. She is a two-time recipient of the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education’s Pedersen Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award. In 2015, she received the OU Regents’ Award for Superior Teaching. 

Reeder’s extensive service to the state of Oklahoma includes advising the State Department of Education and the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education on the state’s governing standards and policies for mathematics education and chairing the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Mathematics Writing Team from 2015-2016. At OU, she has served on numerous university committees, including the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Community Engagement and the Service Learning Task Force.

“Dr. Reeder is widely known as an extraordinary teacher, a devoted mentor, and an inspiration to her students and colleagues,” said Interim Senior Vice President and Provost Jill Irvine. “We are fortunate to have her leadership, which will continue guiding the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education toward even greater excellence.”

Prior to joining OU in 2005, Reeder served as an assistant professor at Oklahoma State University, and previously taught mathematics for Shawnee and Choctaw Nicoma Park public schools.

Reeder earned a bachelor of science in secondary mathematics from Oklahoma Baptist University and a master of education degree with an emphasis on secondary education from the University of Central Oklahoma. She also attended OU, where she earned her Ph.D. in instructional leadership and academic curriculum with a concentration in mathematics education.  

About the University of Oklahoma

Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information visit www.ou.edu.