Former OU faculty member hired as vice president for university advancement

University officials announced the new vice president of university advancement.

Lynann Sterk-Brooks, former University of Oklahoma faculty member, was chosen for the position in early July and began Aug. 6. Sterk-Brooks said it’s exciting to build on past accomplishments in OCU’s history.

“It’s a tremendous honor and a privilege to be in this role at OCU. I think it’s a really exciting time for the institution, building on the legacy of some great leadership,” she said.

The office of university advancement is responsible for furthering relationships and connections with OCU students, alumni, parents, friends, trustees, and donors. They accomplish this outreach through alumni engagement, planned giving, development, and special events, according to the university website.

Sterk-Brooks said university advancement is about engaging with the alumni community and stakeholders.

“That engagement is both to generate relationships between the institution and alumni stakeholders and to capitalize on presidential priorities and deans’ priorities in order to secure the future of the institution, but also to take us to the next step,” she said.

Sterk-Brooks has been involved in education for 20 years. She was most recently the director of the Center for Graduate Student Success at the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business. She also worked with fundraising and alumni relations at OU.

Sterk-Brooks said she came to OCU because she loves the locality and intimacy of a small school.

“President Burger talks about the intimate scale and the intellectual breath, and I really believe in that,” she said. “I was a teacher that taught at a liberal arts school, I was a student that went to a liberal arts school—I like the small culture.”

Evan Juedeman, mass communications senior, was a work study student in the office of university advancement. He said, after meeting Sterk-Brooks, he thinks she will have a positive effect on the university.

“She seems to be a cheerful and charismatic professional, and it’s my hope and belief that she will be a great fit for not only her role in the department of university advancement, but also the campus community as a whole,” Juedeman said.

President Martha Burger said in the position announcement on OCU’s website that Sterk-Brooks’s  background and experience will greatly benefit the university.

“Lynann’s leadership skills, breadth of experience and community involvement are some of the many assets she is bringing to the university,” Burger said. “I’m looking forward to working with her to advance our university mission.”

Sterk-Brooks said she will work to build a robust alumni community by hiring a new alumni director.

“Creating a lifelong community of learners and alums is imperative to the mission of the institution,” she said.

Sterk-Brooks also said the office of university engagement is working to fundraise for new projects.

“We’re making sure there is a better student experience, more opportunity for scholarship, we’re really able to deliver on what students need,” she said.