Shrum inducted into Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Media Contact: Shannon Rigsby | Public Information Officer | 405-744-9081 | shannon.rigsby@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University President Kayse Shrum was inducted April 29 into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame (OWHOF), joining seven other impressive women in the 2022 class. 

Dr. Shrum was honored at a ceremony at the Omni Resort and Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City. The event marks the first induction held since the pandemic began in 2020.

“The 2022 class is full of remarkable women and to be counted among them and the talented previous recipients is an honor and quite inspiring — these women have steered the trajectory of our state,” Dr. Shrum said.

A lifelong Oklahoman, Shrum is the 19th president and first woman to lead the OSU system. She earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. Shrum excelled as a faculty member at her alma mater and was named president of OSU Center for Health Sciences in 2013, becoming the youngest and first female president and dean of a medical school in the state of Oklahoma.

“Dr. Kayse Shrum has been blazing new trails for women and setting the bar extremely high for several decades,” said Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur. “Dr. Shrum is a visionary leader who always finds a way to make things happen. She leads by example and has been a passionate advocate for rural Oklahoma and our 4-H and FFA programs. She is incredibly deserving of this award and I look forward to watching her continued success.”

Under Shrum’s leadership, OSU-CHS experienced unprecedented growth. Student enrollment soared and she spearheaded the construction of the A.R. and Marylouise Tandy Medical Academic Building — a state-of-the-art learning facility that houses Oklahoma’s largest and most technologically advanced hospital simulation center. 

A strong supporter of collaborative partnerships, Shrum worked with Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker and his administration to establish the nation’s first tribally affiliated medical school, the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation, which opened in fall 2020. Most recently, President Shrum helped secure a landmark investment from Purdue Pharma in the amount of $197.5 million to create a center of excellence in addiction treatment and studies to address the opioid addiction epidemic in Oklahoma — the National Center for Wellness and Recovery.

A fervent champion of rural health and primary care medicine, Shrum led the strategic efforts to create a sustainable rural primary care physician pipeline program. She launched award-winning high school recruiting programs like Operation Orange and Blue Coat to White Coat, established the Rural Medical Track curriculum and expanded the number of residency training programs in rural Oklahoma by securing support from the Oklahoma Legislature, Oklahoma Health Care Authority and Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET).

Shrum holds the George Kaiser Family Foundation Chair in Medical Excellence and Service and the Saint Francis Health System Endowed Chair of Pediatrics. As Oklahoma’s first secretary of science and innovation, she led Oklahoma’s rapid response in COVID-19 testing expansion across the state and advised state leadership on COVID medical and protocol guidance.

Active in a variety of charitable and professional organizations, Shrum serves as board member for the Children’s Hospital Foundation at Saint Francis, State Chamber of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Oklahoma State University Medical Authority and Trust and Texas A&M Center for Optimizing Rural Health.  She holds committee positions in osteopathic professional organizations including the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicines, American Osteopathic Association and American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics.

Shrum has received several awards for her outstanding leadership and community impact, including The Journal Record’s 2019 Woman of Year Award and the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association’s Outstanding and Distinguished Service Award in 2014.

The Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women (OCSW) oversees the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame. The project was established under the administration of Governor George Nigh in 1982 to recognize women who provide outstanding service benefiting the lives of women and families in Oklahoma, the nation and the world.

In addition to Shrum, 2022 inductees include Sue Ann Arnall, Carleen Burger, Janice Dobbs, Wanda Jackson, Betty McElderry (posthumously), Roseline Nsikak and Anna Belle Wiedemann. These eight outstanding women join the 134 who have been inducted into the OWHOF since 1983. 

OSU Regent and Secretary Blayne Arthur was also honored at the event as a 2022 Kate Barnard Award winner to recognize women in public service who have made a difference in Oklahoma.  In addition to her role as the Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, Arthur also serves as a member of the A&M Board of Regents. Previously she served as Executive Director of the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation and as Deputy Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. 

Serving as a voice for the women in Oklahoma, the OCSW is a non-partisan state commission. In addition to OWHOF oversight, the organization advocates in state government; hosts Community Conversations on issues impacting Oklahoma women and families; and champions The Appointments Project (TAP), an effort to identify and encourage women to apply for appointments to statewide agencies, boards and commissions. The Girl Scouts of America recognize OCSW as Honorary Troop 1912 — an effort to help girls thrive in Oklahoma.