Kenneth Evans

President

Oklahoma City University

Dr. Kenneth R. Evans (Ken) is the 19th president of Oklahoma City University.  He began at OCU in 2021, after more eight years as president at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.  Prior to that, Ken was dean and Fred E. Brown Chair at the Michael F. Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma. Ken has also served in a variety of administrative roles at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he held the Pinkney C. Walker Professorship, and at Arizona State University, where he served as a faculty member in marketing.

Evans received his doctorate from the University of Colorado, his MBA from California State University-Sacramento and his undergraduate degree from the University of California-Davis. His research has been published in the most prestigious marketing and business academic journals and has received national and international recognition for his contributions in many of these publications. Evans is an award-winning teacher and has been particularly recognized for his work in the design and implementation of interactive learning experiences and graduate education. Additionally, he has been acknowledged for his role in building program initiatives that provide primarily undergraduate students access to opportunities to study abroad.

Major initiatives by Ken at his previous academic institutions were focused on improving faculty quality in research and teaching, design and implementation of new programming, and recruitment and retention of high-quality students.  The success he has had, along with that of each of the universities he has served, is grounded in the partnerships struck with the community, business, and other key stakeholders.

Prior to entering academe, Ken worked in the transportation industry in various marketing and sales capacities and has been actively involved in sales and sales management consulting in the banking industry, convention sales and financial services.