Dean Pedersen reflects on career of service and leadership ahead of his retirement from College of Education and Human Sciences

Dean Pedersen reflects on career of service and leadership ahead of his retirement from College of Education and Human Sciences

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Media Contact: Kirsi McDowell | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-8320 | [email protected]

From his roots in rural Nebraska to serving and leading in universities nationwide, Dr. Jon Pedersen's life and career have been driven by a desire to make a difference.

Since 2021, Pedersen has served as dean of the Oklahoma State University College of Education and Human Sciences, a role that will serve as an exclamation point on a 40-year career in education when he retires following the 2025-26 school year.

Raised in rural eastern Nebraska, Pedersen was a first-generation college student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He graduated and began a career in animal science but quickly shifted when he discovered a passion for teaching science to young adults. A desire to reach more students and to help prepare strong teachers led him into a university faculty role and later into administrative leadership roles at UNL and the University of South Carolina before making his way to Stillwater.

Reflecting on his professional career, Pedersen noted alignment between his values and goals, OSU's land-grant mission and the collective strength of programs in CEHS.

"I've worked at public flagship, public regional and land-grant institutions," he said. "What stands apart about OSU is the land-grant mission and the focus on people, certainly the people of Oklahoma first, but also regionally, nationally and internationally. We are so centrally focused, and not every land-grant university is like that. It's where my heart and soul lie in terms of my work for 30 plus years in higher education."

Promoting interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships between universities, schools and communities is at the center of Pedersen's professional work.

"When I think about why we do what we do (in CEHS) - it all revolves around human lives and improving their existence," he said. "I saw great opportunities with this collection of academic programs and degrees, the areas of scholarship, activity and outreach.

"Whether we're talking about a 16-month-old child or an 86-year-old (adult) ... whether it's designing interior spaces that improve human living, or aviation and safety, workforce development, memory issues and aging, nursing, education - this college comes together to look at transforming completely the lives of human beings."

Pedersen has the distinction of serving as the inaugural dean of CEHS, which was established in 2020 when the former College of Human Sciences and the College of Education, Health and Aviation unified. He recalls that during the first August Welcome Back meeting for faculty and staff, he communicated a focus on becoming the preeminent College of Education and Human Sciences.

"That means being the best of who we are and utilizing all of the connective spaces we have within the college to transform and impact lives," he said.

In pursuit of that goal, CEHS has grown in size, strength and stature over the last four years.

Student enrollment has climbed year over year, and this fall, CEHS achieved a new record with 5,152 students across all undergraduate and graduate programs. The college also welcomed a record number of new freshmen, surpassing 1,000 for the second-straight year. With 1,107 freshmen, CEHS has the second-largest incoming class among academic colleges on the Stillwater campus. Several degree programs have experienced enrollment growth, particularly in aviation and health-related fields.

Respect and recognition for CEHS are also growing nationally. The college's graduate programs have moved up 25 spots to No. 65 in the U.S. News and World Report rankings for Best Education Graduate Schools. Scholarship support has also increased significantly - the college awarded $1.93 million in student scholarships in 2024-25, doubling the total from four years ago.

New programs, such as the Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Opportunity Orange Scholars, OSU's postsecondary program for students with intellectual disabilities, are thriving. OK-Thrive (The Retention of Innovative Educators) - an induction program to support early career teachers - recently completed its first three-year cohort with a better than 95% retention rate.

"I consider it both a tremendous honor and responsibility (to have served as the inaugural dean), but it's really not about me," he said. "I think the faculty, staff and leadership (in CEHS) have done a phenomenal job in coming together as a singular college. I certainly feel lucky to have worked with the faculty, staff, students and alumni.

"My goal has always been, as a leader and a member of the faculty, to contribute in a way that moves us forward and to leave a space better than when I entered. I think together we've accomplished setting a solid foundation and structure. (The college) is well-positioned in the next phase to be visionary and to think creatively about where we want to go."

An avid skier, Pedersen and his wife, Conni, plan to relocate to Colorado after retirement, where they expect to spend a lot of time on the slopes as well as biking, hiking and kayaking.

More importantly, they look forward to having the flexibility to spend more time with friends and family, including their daughter, who lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Pedersen said he's not sure if the reality of wrapping up his time at OSU will hit until his last day of work, but he expects it will be bittersweet.

"The relationships we have developed are so important," he said. "It's about the people - whether we're talking about faculty or staff, our leadership team, students, donors, alumni - those are the special things I'll get emotional about and really, really miss."

Highlight's of Pedersen's Tenure

Enrollment growth

• Since 2021, the number of undergraduate students in the College of Education and Human Sciences has nearly doubled. The college achieved record undergraduate (1,107) and overall (5,152) enrollment in Fall 2025.

Graduate program rankings

• The college's graduate programs have moved up 25 spots to No. 65 in the U.S. News and World Report rankings for Best Education Graduate Schools.

Scholarship growth

• CEHS awarded $1.93 million in student scholarships in 2024-25, doubling the total from four years ago.
• Opening of the new Ray and Linda Booker OSU Flight Center (2022)
• Opportunity Orange Scholars begins (2022)
  • The postsecondary program for students with disabilities graduated its first class in 2024.
• New Bachelor of Science in Nursing on the Stillwater campus introduced (2023)
• Launching OK-Thrive (2022)
  • Designed to support early career teachers and boost retention, the first cohort completed the three-year program with a better than 95% retention rate.
• Cleo L. Craig Child Development Lab Centennial (2024)
• Opening of the new Mary K. Chapman Nursing Simulation Lab (2025)

Story by: Christy Lang | ASPIRE Magazine

Photos by: Kelly Kerr, Ellie Piper and Phil Shockley