Kenyan-Born Scholar Dr Jane Irungu Named Interim Associate Vice President at University of Oklahoma

Kenyan-born scholar Dr. Jane Irungu has been named interim associate vice president for university community at University of Oklahoma (UO) effective August 20th.

Dr Irungu was selected for the position by University of Oklahoma President James L. Gallogly after a search committee made of 10 faculty and staff members of the institution submitted a list of recommended candidates.

“I am honored and humbled for the opportunity to serve in this new role,” Irungu said upon her appointment.

“I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, students and the entire OU community to enhance the foundations and principles of inclusive excellence that are part of our OU vision and mission.”

Dr Irungu has been serving as the executive director for the Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies, a division of University Outreach, where she provided strategic supervision for the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in the United States.

“We are so grateful to Dr. Irungu for taking on this incredibly important role within our university,” said OU President James Gallogly.

 “We have the utmost confidence in her leadership of the Office of University Community and I look forward to working with her.”

She previously served as assistant vice president of intercultural initiatives in the Division of Student Life and director of the Center for Multicultural Academic Excellence in the Division of Equity and Inclusion at University of Oregon before joining University of Oklahoma.

She holds a Ph.D. from University of Kansas, a Master's from the same institution and B.Ed from Kenyatta University, Nairobi. She was a High School teacher and principal in Kenya before migrating to the US in 1997.