{{ site.title }}

Denise Stephens Named Dean of Libraries for University of Oklahoma

photo of Denise Stephens
Denise Stephens, image courtesy of OU

The University of Oklahoma (OU) has appointed Denise Stephens as dean of OU Libraries, effective May 24, 2021, pending approval by the OU Board of Regents.

Stephens is currently vice provost and university librarian at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU). Prior to going to WashU in 2017, she served as university librarian at UC Santa Barbara starting in 2011. She was an ARL Leadership & Career Development Program fellow in 1997–1998. Throughout her career, Stephens held positions at the University of Kansas, Syracuse University, University of Virginia, and OU, where she served as a library technician while pursuing her master’s degree.

At OU, Stephens will succeed Rick Luce, who retired in 2018, after leading the libraries for six years. Carl Grant served as interim dean from July 2018 through June 2020. Darin Fox served as interim dean for the month of July 2020. Karen Rupp-Serrano has been serving as interim dean since August 2020.

For more information about Stephens and her new appointment, see the January 20, 2021, University of Oklahoma news release, “OU Names New Dean of OU Libraries.”

Affiliates