“I’ve always thought of myself as a professor, someone who just teaches and does research. Being in administration wasn’t on my BINGO card,” said Mendez, whose first foray into leadership came in 2011 when she became the Department of Political Science head. “But at every phase, with every opportunity that presented itself, I jumped in and did the best I could at the job. I’m not one to say no if I think I can provide a skill at that point in time.” The College of Arts and Sciences showcase that skillset time after time: she served in five permanent and interim leadership capacities within the college over the span of eight years. Then, in 2019, the university appointed her vice provost. “I’ve never approached any position as a placeholder, and I think that’s resonated,” Mendez said. “I haven’t always known what the next step would be, but I have invested myself in the current step. That has meant not standing still, not being complacent and just doing whatever I can.” OSU President Kayse Shrum made use of that can-do attitude and expertise, naming Mendez provost in 2022. Although this is the first time Mendez has directly reported to a woman, she said it’s leadership style, not gender, that made her buy into Dr. Shrum’s vision. “I met with President Shrum on day one and thought, ‘I want to be part of her team,’” Mendez said. “I’ve been able to watch her prioritize, juggle, manage and make choices related to her work-life balance that hadn’t been modeled for me in my career. … I had very supportive people I worked with In the 18 years Dr. Jeanette Mendez has been at Oklahoma State University, her roles have included department head, associate dean, interim dean, vice provost and provost — and yet at the outset, she didn’t aspire to any of them. with President Shrum.” The admiration goes both ways, with Shrum saying that Mendez not only stood out to her as someone “immensely qualified to serve OSU as the provost,” but who also understood the life-changing impact of higher education. “The land-grant mission of OSU is of critical importance and personally relevant to both of us,” said Shrum, who, like Mendez, is a first-generation college graduate. “Access to a college education changed the trajectory of what was possible in our lives. Students need strong leaders, and they need examples they can relate to. Jeanette is an example of determination and turning challenges into opportunities.” One such challenge-turnedopportunity for Mendez was helping Using experience from her time in the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Mendez helps build OSU's academic future OSU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SC I ENCES 17
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