Dr. Shane Hunt will be the next president of Cameron University.
The Board of Regents for the University of Oklahoma, Cameron University and Rogers State University announced Hunt’s selection today during its regular meeting in Norman. Hunt – who will be Cameron’s 18th president since its founding in 1908 – will begin his duties July 1.
“The board was exceptionally impressed with Dr. Hunt’s qualifications and enthusiasm,” said Regents chair Eric Stevenson. “His demonstrated leadership, along with a track record of fundraising success, indicates to us that he is a person with the drive and vision needed to lead Cameron University.”
Hunt was chosen after an extensive search that attracted more than 65 applicants. A 15-member search committee comprised of Cameron students, faculty, staff, alumni and community leaders reviewed resumes and conducted interviews that first narrowed the field to a half-dozen prospects, and then to two candidates who were interviewed by Regents.
“The selection committee did an outstanding job helping us find Cameron’s next president,” said incoming board chair Anita Holloway. “Dr. Hunt has the credentials, knowledge and enthusiasm needed to lead CU into the future, and we are excited to welcome him and his family back to Oklahoma. The board looks forward to working with him in advancing the university.”
Hunt currently serves as the Dean of the College of Business, Michael C. Ruettgers Professor of Marketing, and Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship and Economic Innovation at Idaho State University. During his time as dean, Hunt led the ISU College of Business through successful re-accreditation in Business and Accounting, as well as the most significant improvements to the College of Business building in its history. He enjoyed unprecedented fundraising success that includes record levels of private scholarship endowments for students and an 1100-percent increase in the number of endowed professorships in university history in a span of just three years.
“Oklahoma recognizes the need for a skilled workforce, especially in the fields of education, engineering and healthcare, and Cameron is poised to help southwest Oklahoma meet that challenge,” said Regent Rick Braught of Duncan. “I believe CU has a great future ahead of it with Dr. Hunt as its president.”
The National Society of Collegiate Scholars has honored Hunt with its National Inspire Integrity Award. He received the Lt. Col. Barney Smith Award as Professor of the Year and the Honors Professor of the Year at Arkansas State University, and the National Teaching Innovation Award from the Association of Collegiate Marketing Educators.
His research has appeared in The Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management and The Journal of Business Logistics, and he co-authored four Principles of Marketing textbooks and two professional selling textbooks published by McGraw Hill that are used by students across the globe.
"I am thrilled and honored to serve as the next president of Cameron University and become part of the Aggie family and the Lawton community,” Hunt said following the announcement. “As a first-generation college graduate who grew up in this state, I can speak firsthand about the transformative power of public higher education in Oklahoma.
“Cameron University is filled with incredible faculty and staff, and I am so excited for the positive impact we are going to make together on the future of our students and community. My wife, Jenifer, and I, along with our two children, Andrew and Sarah, are thrilled to be part of Cameron, Lawton and southwest Oklahoma."
Hunt is very active civically, serving on the board of directors for the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce and as the board president of the United Way of Southeastern Idaho.
After completing his MBA at the University of Oklahoma where he met his wife of 25 years, he began working for a Fortune 500 company in Tulsa and spent eight years working as a pricing analyst, product manager, and business development manager before completing his Ph.D. at Oklahoma State University.
About Cameron University:
Cameron University is a public regional higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It was originally one of six agricultural high schools created by the Oklahoma Legislature shortly after statehood. Through the years, its mission to serve the citizens of southwest Oklahoma expanded, first when it became a junior college in 1928, and then a four-year university in 1968. Graduate degrees were added in 1980. Today, Cameron and its branch campus in Duncan serve students from across Oklahoma and the United States, as well as internationally, offering degrees in nearly 50 fields. CU has become a leader in the use of micro-credentials that provide a quick and convenient way for adult learners to expand their skillset to enhance their hireability.
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