Dr. Jason Kirksey, Vice President for Institutional Diversity and the Chief Diversity Officer at Oklahoma State University, will speak to Seminole State College employees about “Creating a Culture of Inclusion on the College Campus” during their in-service training on Aug. 11.

Dr. Kirksey holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics, as well as a master’s degree in Political Science from OSU. He completed his doctorate in Political Science at the University of New Orleans. He has more than 25 years of experience teaching, researching and actively engaging with issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion. His areas of expertise include minority politics, race, sports and public policy with an emphasis on African Americans, Native Americans and women in the American political system.

His research has been published in the National Political Science Review, Women and Politics, the Voting Rights Review, Focus on Law Review and Oklahoma Politics.

Under the past decade of Dr. Kirksey’s leadership at OSU, the university has experienced a 103 percent increase in enrollment of students of color and a 222 percent increase in first-generation students of color. Since May of 2010, OSU has had a 107 percent increase in students of color earning a bachelor’s degree.

Dr. Kirksey serves as the principal investigator for the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (OK-LSAMP) Program, which is a $3.9M, five-year National Science Foundation grant designed to increase underrepresented minority science, technology, engineering, and math graduates at twelve higher educational institutions across the state of Oklahoma.

SSC will begin its fall semester on Aug. 16. The College has taken several measures to safeguard student, employee and community health on campus, and offers a myriad of face-to-face and online classes to meet student needs. Anyone interested in enrolling for the semester may begin the process by contacting the College’s Admissions Office at 405-382-9230 or admissions@ sscok.edu.