Blankenship, Bray named OSU-COM deans
Friday, September 9, 2022
Media Contact: Sara Plummer | Communications Coordinator | 918-561-1282 | sara.plummer@okstate.edu
During its regular meeting Sept. 9, the OSU A&M Board of Regents approved the removal of the interim title for the deans of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine and OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation.
Dr. Dennis Blankenship is now dean of OSU-COM and Dr. Natasha Bray is now dean of OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation. Both had served as interim deans since June 2021.
“Within our medical school, I’ve had the privilege of working with Dr. Dennis Blankenship and Dr. Natasha Bray. Their commitment to the success of our institution and the careers of these young physicians is an inspiration to us all,” said OSU Center for Health Sciences President Johnny Stephens. “Both of these proud alums of our medical school will help shepherd our institution into the future, and I could not be more pleased to count them as my trusted colleagues here at OSU-CHS.”
Blankenship is a past chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, and he continues to serve as an ER physician at OSU Medical Center, mentoring OSU Medicine residents and providing care to underserved Tulsans.
He also works with OSU Athletics to ensure student athletes at OSU Stillwater have the care they require from OSU Medicine physicians.
“As he always does, Dr. Blankenship stepped into the role of dean of OSU-COM without hesitation and has provided strong leadership to our faculty and students, as well as representing OSU-COM on a national level among leaders of other osteopathic medical schools,” Stephens said.
Bray also serves as associate dean for accreditation and is a member of the faculty at the Tahlequah Medical Group’s internal medicine program. She is active on a national level as well, serving on committees to advance the osteopathic profession and provide students with an impactful medical education.
“As interim dean of OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation, Dr. Bray oversaw the strategic launch of our Tahlequah campus during the height of the pandemic,” he said. “She has embraced her role as a liaison to the Cherokee Nation and the Tahlequah community and has provided exceptional leadership for this campus.”