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Dr. Charlene Alexander is the Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Oregon State University. Dr. Alexander came to OSU from Ball State University where she served as the Associate Provost for Diversity and Interim Associate Vice President for Community Engagement since 2013. Under her leadership, Oregon State developed its first Diversity Strategic Plan that affirms the university’s dedication to diversity and inclusion and to ensuring that diversity is an integral part of the Oregon State University identity. Her efforts led OSU to receive the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award in 2018. Dr. Alexander received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Creighton University, earned her master’s in counseling and guidance from Creighton University and completed her doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her Executive Assistant is Pamela Johnson.

Jennifer Almquist is Chief Assistant to the President and Assistant Secretary of the Board. She facilitates the work of the Office of the President, including interacting with the broad university community and serving as a key interface between the office and external constituents. In this role, Jennifer also provides strategic advice and support to the President to advance presidential priorities and university goals. In her role as Assistant Board Secretary, she works as a member of the Office of the Board of Trustees to provide operational assistance in support of the work of the Board and its committees. Since 2007, Jennifer has held a number of positions at the university, including project manager on a $3.5 million grant funded as part of the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program and Associate Director of the Office of Equity and Inclusion. She received her undergraduate degree, MA, and PhD from Oregon State University.

Scott Barnes came to Oregon State University in February 2017, bringing with him a wealth of intercollegiate sports leadership at the NCAA Division I level. As vice president and director of Athletics, Barnes oversees 17 athletic sports programs encompassing 500+ student-athletes at the Pac-12 Conference level. Barnes is a member of several national and conference governing bodies and formerly held the prestigious role as Committee Chair for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. He has made numerous strategic, coaching and staff appointments during his OSU tenure, and led the creation of the “Build the Dam” strategic plan, OSU Athletics’ first-ever strategic plan to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes. Under his direction, OSU student-athletes have achieved record results academically, been highly active in community service endeavors locally and internationally and have prospered on the fields of play. For assistance with scheduling, please contact Athletic Director / Chief of Staff, Kyle Bjornstad.

Steve Clark came to Oregon State University in July 2011, having previously served as the president and publisher of the Portland Tribune and metro-area Community Newspapers Inc. As vice president, Clark oversees University Relations and Marketing, the university’s primary communications branch, which is responsible for marketing that supports student recruitment and raises awareness of OSU’s impact, distribution of news about teaching, research, outreach and faculty and student achievement, development of a vibrant online presence and hosting university-wide events. Clark has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Oregon State University. His Executive Assistant is Vikki Pointer.

As Secretary of the Board, Debbie Colbert is an officer of the university, a member of the University Cabinet, and a senior administrator of the university. The Secretary serves as the primary liaison between the Board of Trustees and the university administration on matters of policy and procedural matters, governance, and communications pertaining to the Board. The Secretary has primary responsibility for supporting the Board through strategic, high-level and confidential planning and management, in consultation with university leadership and other senior administrators and at the direction of the Board Chair and Vice Chair. Her Executive Assistant is Lauren Skousen.

In 2020, Katie Fast returned to her alma mater to serve as executive director of government relations, where she works with state legislators, the Governor's Office, state agencies, local governments, and Oregon’s educational infrastructure. Katie, a graduate of the College of Agriculture, has extensive experience in political advocacy and natural resource policy. She has served as executive director of Oregonians for Food & Shelter and vice president of public policy for the Oregon Farm Bureau. In these roles, she led coalitions to pass hallmark legislation including new state funding and bonding packages, renewable energy programs and statewide agricultural policy. Her team includes Gabrielle Serra, Director of Federal Relations and Claire McMorris, Government Relations Coordinator.

As Provost and Executive Vice President, Edward Feser is the chief academic and operating officer of Oregon State University, charged by President Ed Ray to oversee progress on the University’s strategic goals in student success, faculty excellence, outreach and engagement, internationalization and institutional reputation. In partnership with Vice President for Finance and Administration Mike Green, Provost Feser ensures that the financial resources and administrative and physical infrastructure of OSU are closely aligned with its mission as a leading land grant university with a focus on inclusive excellence and the deep integration of teaching, research and engagement. Working closely with his senior leadership team, Provost Feser collaborates with the members of the President’s Cabinet, the deans of OSU’s 11 academic colleges, the dean of the Honors College, the leadership of the OSU Foundation, and other OSU administrative, faculty and student leaders to advance the work of the University. OSU’s aspirations and goals are articulated in the University’s strategic plan Focus on Excellence.

Provost Feser is a Professor of Public Policy in the College of Liberal Arts, with expertise in regional economic development, innovation and technology policy. He holds PhD and master’s degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s degree from the University of San Francisco. His Executive Secretary is Romeo Lopez Gonzalez.

As General Counsel, Becca Gose is the chief legal counsel for the university and leads the Office of General Counsel, which consists of attorneys who provide legal advice on a diverse range of issues. Becca and her staff focus on supporting the university through providing strategic and preventative advising, crafting creative and pragmatic solutions, and engaging in collaborative problem-solving. Becca sits as a member of the University Cabinet and advises the Board of Trustees, President, Provost and all levels of leadership. She has served the university since 2010, as Assistant and then Associate General Counsel, and began her current role in 2015. Prior to coming to the university, she was a litigation attorney in the San Francisco office of Munger, Tolles & Olson, where a portion of her practice was dedicated to representing public higher education institutions, in addition to employment, copyright, constitutional and general business litigation. She received her JD from the University of California at Berkeley (Boalt Hall) and her BA from the University of Colorado at Boulder. For assistance with scheduling, please contact Heather Cashell.

Oregon State’s Vice President for Finance and Administration Mike Green provides leadership, oversight, and stewardship for all aspects of the university's administrative resources and services. He is responsible for overseeing finance and administration units, including, budget & fiscal planning, business affairs, business centers, capital planning and facilities services, human resources, public safety, risk management & environmental health and safety, and treasury management. Mike serves as the institutional representative on finance and administrative matters to the Oregon public universities’ council of vice presidents of finance and administration, as well as discussions regarding capital planning, budgeting and fiscal planning, long-range business planning, allocation of resources among Oregon’s public universities, and approval of capital projects. His Special Assistant is Melanie Rose and his Executive Assistant is Brigitte Graham.

Kim Kirkland joined Oregon State University in February 2017, having previously served as director, Office of Equal Opportunity at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. She is responsible for monitoring compliance with OSU’s anti-harassment, anti-discrimination, Title IX, ADA, and EEO/AA policies. As a compliance practitioner, she investigated and/or resolved civil rights and Title IX complaints; monitored compliance with best practices of a legal and affirmative search; spearheaded business-wide diversity initiatives aimed at increasing the representation of women and minorities in leadership roles; and developed and implemented Affirmative Action Plans (AAPs) for public, private and higher education institutions.   

Kim’s philosophy is that in order for organizations to build a foundation for success, they must provide the framework for fairness through the development and implementation of sound human resources policies and practices in collaboration with an effective AAP that provides for proactive planning; positive outreach programs; on-going monitoring of selection and placement decisions; and accountability to ensure non-discrimination with regard to those policies and practices.  Her Executive Assistant is Leanna Ott.

As the Chief Executive of Audit, Risk and Compliance for Oregon State University, Patti Snopkowski leads a team in providing independent, objective assurance and consulting activities. The Office of Audit, Risk and Compliance performs independent internal audits, plans and oversees the university enterprise risk management process, and oversees the institutional compliance program. The OARC’s mission is to enhance and protect organizational value by providing risk-based objective assurance and advise to the university. To ensure independence, the chief executive of audit, risk and compliance is a member of the University Cabinet, reports administratively to the president, and reports functionally to the Executive and Audit Committee of the OSU Board of Trustees. Patti’s previous experience includes serving as the chief audit executive for the Oregon University System as well as audit positions within the Pennsylvania Auditor General’s office, SAEFCO Corporation, the University of Washington, and Cornell University. Patti received her Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Pennsylvania State University and her Master of Business Administration from Colorado State University. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP), and Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP). Her Executive Assistant is Angie Portz.

Sue Theiss has served as the University Ombuds for Oregon State University since the office's inception in February 2012. Sue and her staff provide informal conflict management services and education to all members of the university community. She has over 20 years’ experience as an Ombuds and mediator, with areas of expertise including interpersonal and group conflict, workplace bullying, and conflict climate. She served as Department Administrator for Family & Community Medicine and co-chaired the Ombuds committee at the University of Arizona, then as the founding Ombuds at the University of Arkansas before coming to OSU. Sue holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Arizona and MA in Communication from the University of Arkansas. Shalece Rains provides executive administrative support.

Dr. Irem Y. Tumer is the Interim Vice President for Research at Oregon State University. Dr. Tumer brings leadership to a research environment that promotes creativity, entrepreneurship and collaboration; provides support for university-wide research efforts; and maximizes the benefits of research for the economic and social advancement of Oregon, the nation and the world. As an accomplished researcher, a former associate dean for research in OSU’s College of Engineering and a former program manager at NASA, Dr. Tumer experience covers all aspects of the research enterprise. In her role, she is responsible for developing strategy and advocating for research while leading and managing the core functions of the research enterprise. This includes OSU-affiliated centers and institutes; the Office of Commercialization and Corporate development; the Office of Research Integrity; and the Office of Sponsored Research and Award Administration. Her Executive Assistant is Andrea Zigler.

Office of the President
600 Kerr Administration
1500 SW Jefferson Way
Corvallis, OR 97331
541-737-4133
pres.office@oregonstate.edu

Jennifer Almquist
Chief Assistant to the President

Jennifer assists the President and provides oversight and management for a diverse range of activities and initiatives, works with senior university administrators and other colleagues across the university to make effective and strategic use of the President’s time, organizes and supports committees led by the President, and serves as a liaison for the President with internal departments and external entities and constituents.

Elizabeth Grubb
Executive Secretary to the President

Elizabeth provides executive-level administrative support to the President and coordinates the President's Office workflow, including facilitating all scheduling needs and requirements of the President and managing correspondence and communication, travel planning, and office records for the President.

For all requests, please contact Elizabeth Grubb. We encourage you to coordinate in advance with the President's Office to ensure that your materials can be signed in a timely manner.

If you have a request for the president's signature on a nomination or letter of support

Please contact Elizabeth to make the request. Deliver (6th Floor, Kerr Administration Building) or send (via campus mail to 600 KAd) the nomination form to Elizabeth. In the case of a letter of support, please draft the letter and e-mail the draft (Word document attachments are preferred) to Elizabeth.