“We’re recruiting the highest quality faculty and supporting them in all their teaching, research and creative endeavors so that they can elevate other things, but we choose to do our teaching and our research at a comprehensive land-grant university because we care about students.” — create the university’s new strategic plan, “We Are Land-Grant.” Jerome Loughridge, OSU senior vice president of system operations and CEO of the OSU Research Foundation, was a member of the planning team with whom Mendez collaborated closely to frame initial steps of the plan before crafting the final document. “You really get to know how someone thinks when you have to produce such a public piece together,” Loughridge said. “Based on my experience [with Mendez], OSU is in very good hands, indeed.” Loughridge added that in addition to Mendez possessing ideal attributes — namely those of creativity, energy, intelligence and humility — she also has a keen sense of humor. “She takes the work of OSU and its mission extremely seriously; herself, much less so,” Loughridge said. “I think that’s an excellent way for a leader to bring people along in any organization.” Loughridge, Mendez and the other members of Shrum’s “We Are Land-Grant” team pulled from their areas of expertise to present a plan aimed at making OSU the preeminent land-grant institution in the country. “The great thing about having this strategy is that we know what we’re focused on and what we want to do at all points in time,” Mendez said. “It’s about all the puzzle pieces fitting together — that’s on the student side, that’s on the research side, that’s on our faculty side. “We’re recruiting the highest quality faculty and supporting them in all their teaching, research and creative endeavors so that they can elevate OSU and help our students lot of other things, but we choose to do our teaching and our research at a comprehensive land-grant university because we care about students.” Loughridge echoed Mendez’s thoughts, pointing out that it is through her past CAS and universitywide roles that she can see future possibilities. “She has a vision of how OSU can — through its colleges and schools, its faculty and students — really impact Oklahoma through innovation, workforce development and ... OSU graduates who can go out and make good communities great,” Loughridge said. “I sense that Dr. Mendez sees her work as a calling, rather than simply a career.” While Mendez is more visible in her provost role and the stakes of her decisions are often higher, she said there are common threads that run through her tenure at OSU that transcend any titles or perceived prestige. “I have a really good sense of myself and the things that make me happy,” Mendez said. “I don’t do this job because I want power, recognition or money. I do it because I think I have the right energy and the right skill set to move the university forward. I constantly come back to that. I’m in this job because I think we can make a “I’m not in this for anything more than the fact that I care deeply about OSU.” 18 CONNECT 2023
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