Oklahoma State University named Jeanette Mendez ’98 provost and senior vice president after a nearly 13-month nationwide search. Mendez graduated as a first-generation college student from Santa Clara in 1998. From there, she earned her master’s and a doctorate in political science from Indiana University in 2003. She has worked at OSU since 2005. Mendez served as the interim provost after Gary Sandefur retired from the position in February 2021. As provost, Mendez says she will strive to advance OSU’s reputation as an academic powerhouse.