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Dr. William "Bill" Tsutsui is an award-winning historian, a passionate classroom teacher, and a seasoned academic leader with a record of innovation. Born in New York City and raised in Texas, he holds degrees from Harvard, Oxford, and Princeton. He began his academic career at the University of Kansas, where over 17 years on the faculty, he served as Acting Director of KU’s Center for East Asian Studies, Chair of the Department of History, and Associate Dean for International Studies in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. From 2010 to 2014, he was Dean of Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. From June 2014 through December 2019, he served as President of Hendrix College, a top-tier national liberal arts college founded in 1876 and located in Conway, Arkansas. In 2020-2021, he was the Edwin O. Reischauer Distinguished Visiting Professor at Harvard University.

At the University of Kansas, Bill led the planning and establishment of the Center for Global and International Studies; coordinated efforts to win $8 million in federal funding for KU’s five area studies centers; and created a range of new programs for study abroad in East Asia, service learning, distance education, and professional development for K-12 teachers. As Dean of Dedman College at SMU, Bill led the development and implementation of Dedman College’s first strategic plan; raised over $25 million for the college as part of SMU’s Second Century Campaign; oversaw the creation of a new visual identity and marketing plan for the college; and established the Dedman College Interdisciplinary Institute, the Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery, three new majors, three new minors, two master’s degrees, and a joint Ph.D. in biostatistics with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.

At Hendrix, Bill stressed accessibility and affordability, diversity and inclusion, a commitment to the core values of a residential liberal arts education, and connecting with the college’s United Methodist and Arkansas heritage. Under his leadership, Hendrix gained national attention for initiatives including the Hendrix Arkansas Advantage (which offered scholarships covering full demonstrated financial need to qualified Arkansas high school graduates), the Aspire Scholars (which created partnerships with eight schools and organizations to bring Pell-eligible students to Hendrix), and Career Term (an intensive boot camp in employment-focused skills and mindsets for all sophomores). During his presidency, Hendrix recruited the most diverse classes in college history and set a record 70% four-year graduation rate. Bill secured three of the five largest individual gifts ever given to Hendrix, including $26 million from the estate of Mary Ann Dawkins and $10.5 million from the Windgate Foundation. Be Hendrix, launched in 2016, surpassed $103 million—the most ever in a Hendrix fundraising campaign—by 2019. Two donor-funded new facilities transformed the core of the Hendrix campus: a 16,000-square-foot welcome center opened in September 2017 and the Miller Creative Quad, a $17-million mixed-use project combining student housing, a museum of art, music facilities, and an auditorium, opened in 2019.

In his first year at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, Bill led a broadly based and inclusive strategic planning effort, spearheaded an initiative to build endowed scholarship funds for students in need, and stewarded the creation of the institution’s first doctoral degree and a new master’s in applied psychology.  To encourage engagement and collaboration across the University, Bill established new forums for communications and community input, stressed transparency in decision-making, and sought to build a University-wide problem-solving culture.

Bill is the author or editor of eight books, including Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters (2004), which was called a “cult classic” by the New York Times. At KU, he received a 2001 Kemper Award for Teaching Excellence and won the Steeples Faculty Award for service to the people of Kansas. He has served on the NCAA D–III Presidents Council and is currently on the boards of the Association for Asian Studies, the US–Japan Council, and the Japan–US Bridging Foundation.  In 2020 he was appointed a Commissioner of the Japan–US Friendship Commission and a Panelist on CULCON (the US–Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange).

He has been married for 33 years to Dr. Marjorie Swann, a professor of English at Hendrix, and they are caregivers to two cats and a dog. Bill is passionate (and opinionated) about BBQ and slightly ashamed to be level 40 on Pokémon Go.

Dr. Bangs was named as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost as of January 1, 2023.

Dr. Bangs brings more than 20 years of higher education experience to OU, most recently as the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Cottey College, an independent women’s liberal arts institution located in Nevada, MO.

Prior to Cottey, Bangs was the Associate Provost of the College for Women, Dean of the School of Business and Professional Studies, and Professor of Economics at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN, one of the largest private women’s universities in the nation.  She has also taught at DeVry University Online and at Oakland University in Rochester, MI.  She earned her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Minnesota and holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.  Dr. Bangs co-authored an annual research report on women in corporate leadership in Minnesota from 2008 to 2018 and has published numerous journal articles and textbook chapters on pedagogy in economics. In 2021, she participated in Bravely Confronting Racism in Higher Education, a workshop offered by the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

At Cottey College, Dr. Bangs led the self-study process for reaffirmation of accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission, collaborated with faculty on a complete revision of the Faculty Handbook, and oversaw the creation of new academic programs in psychology, secondary education, and elementary education.  At St. Catherine University, she developed strategic initiatives for the School of Business and Professional Studies and the College for Women, implemented an academic program prioritization process, and launched a new MBA program.

Dr. Bambi Burgard was named the Campus President for OUKS beginning June 1, 2024.

In addition to serving as the Campus President, Dr. Burgard maintains a small private practice as a provider at Behavioral Health Specialists. She helped introduce the counseling program at the University’s Kansas City campus, and taught courses for OU Online.

Dr. Burgard earned her PhD in counseling psychology at University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she was awarded the Kemper post-doctoral fellowship. Her graduate training included practicum experiences at Children’s Mercy Hospital, the VA Medical Center, a community mental health agency, and the university counseling center. Her APA-approved predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship were completed at University of Missouri-Kansas City’s counseling center.

Following the completion of her doctoral degree in 1999, Dr. Burgard began working in administrative roles and teaching undergraduate psychology courses at Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI). She served as executive vice president for academic affairs at KCAI from 2012-2022 before joining ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ in 2023. Dr. Burgard is a member of the Kansas Psychological Association.

Doug Ewald has had a remarkably varied and impressive career which includes stints in big accounting firms, seventeen years at Union Pacific Railroad, seven years as Tax Commissioner for the State of Nebraska, and service as Vice Chancellor for Business, Finance, and Business Development at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska Omaha as well as Executive Associate AD and CFO for Nebraska Husker Athletics. A native of Omaha, Doug is a graduate of Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa (where he played varsity baseball), earned a Master of Professional Accounting degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha, and is a CPA.

During time at the University of Nebraska’s athletic department, Ewald contributed to the Nebraska legislation allowing institutions to operate in name, image and likeness, facilitated wi-fi modernization and point of sale implementation, in addition to being a primary liaison with the donor and University communities, as well as with the city and state political offices. In 2022, he was named the Outstanding CPA in Business and Industry by the Nebraska Society of Certified Public Accountants (Lincoln, Neb.).

Prior to his work at the Husker Athletic Department, Ewald served as the vice chancellor of business, finance and business development for the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska Omaha. In this role, he was instrumental in large development projects, maximizing service efficiencies across campuses, as well as negotiation projects.

His background also includes service as the managing director of state and local tax for KPMG (one of the “big four” accounting firms). Ewald was appointed as the Nebraska Tax Commissioner by the Governor where his leadership cut the number of legal dockets in half by using an unprecedented negotiation approach, leveraged technology to improve individual electronic filing from 60 percent to more than 90 percent, heightened departmental effectiveness, as well as partnering with the Revenue Committee on State economic development initiatives.

Ewald worked for Union Pacific Railroad for seventeen years starting as a tax associate and moving up to the Director of State Taxes. He started his career at Arthur Andersen and Company, LLP.

The Omaha Chamber of Commerce (Neb.) recognized Ewald in 2021 with the Business Excellence Award; the University of Nebraska Omaha, College of Business Administration (Neb.) named him as a Distinguished Alumnus in 2015; and in 2010 he received the John Fisher Alumnus Award from Buena Vista University (Storm Lake, Iowa).

Dr. Kevin Marét is the President of the Professional and Online Campuses at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ. In addition to his duties as President, Marét conducts the University Wind Ensemble and teaches various music courses as the Associate Professor of Music. Previously, Dr. Marét served as the Dean of Arts and Sciences, Chair of the Creative Arts Division, the Interim Academic Dean at the Ottawa Campus, and the Academic Dean for OU Online. Dr. Marét served as the Fine Arts Coordinator for the Topeka Public School District, taught band in Missouri, instructed courses at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, was adjunct faculty at Grace University, Northwest Missouri State University, and was the Assistant Director of Bands and Director of Percussion Studies at McKendree University. His performance credits include the "United States Air Force Heartland of America Band" at Offutt AFB, Principal Percussionist with the Sioux City Symphony, and regular performances with the Kansas City, Omaha, and Lincoln Symphonies. His military band Sidewinder has performed on "The Ellen Show", "Entertainment Tonight”, "Fox and Friends”, and at the White House. Marét has performed with Placido Domingo, Patti LuPone, Idina Menzel, and Tommy Tune. His compositions can be heard in commercials, movie trailers, and television shows.

Dr. Marét holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Northwest Missouri State University, a Master of Music Education Degree, and a Doctorate in Musical Arts - Percussion Performance Degree from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Janet Peters was named Vice President of University Advancement in August 2020, after serving as Acting Vice President since October 2019. Previously, she served as director of development and planned giving at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ since March 2011, where she managed the operations of the Office of University Advancement, supervising several employees and functions, including major gifts, annual gifts, planned gifts, alumni programs and administrative support. From April 2006 to March 2011,  Peters served as director of planned giving at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, where she was responsible for attracting new gifts to the University through planned giving vehicles, including but not limited to estate gifts, annuities and various trusts. 

Peters came to ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ from a 17-year career at Peoples Bank in Ottawa, Kansas. At Peoples Bank, she served as vice president and trust officer where she managed operations and administration of all trust accounts administered by the bank.

Peters earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree in 1983 from the University of Iowa and then worked for the University of Iowa Office of Orientation Services in the admissions department for two years. In 1988, she earned a Juris Doctor with distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law. Peters is currently a member of the Kansas State Bar. She and her husband, Martin (MA from OUKC), live near Ottawa and have two grown sons. 

Dr. Dennis J. Tyner was named president of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ-Arizona in May 2019. This came after Tyner had served as senior vice president and provost of OUAZ from its inception in February 2017, helping build the university’s new Surprise, Arizona, residential campus from the ground up. His tireless work in OUAZ’s first two years of existence led to him being named “Most Influential Person in Valley Education” by Arizona Foothills Magazine in its “Best of Our Valley 2020” awards.

Tyner joined ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ in January 2007 as vice president and provost of the university’s 155-year-old campus in Ottawa, Kan.  He has been teaching at the collegiate level since 1986, when he began lecturing at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass. Immediately prior to coming to ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, Dr. Tyner served for eight years as dean of the David Crawford School of Engineering at Norwich University, the oldest private military college in the nation. In that capacity, he helped to reverse a decade long trend of declining enrollment, and was able to substantially increase the number of undergraduate engineering students enrolled at the school. During that time, he was instrumental in the development of new undergraduate program offerings. He also designed an annual Engineering Summer Camp and a semi-annual Engineering Showcase, and he established the school’s first online graduate program.

The Boston native earned his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University in 1985, 1986, and 1992, respectively.  His primary research focused on applying digital communication methods in magnetic storage systems to increase the storage capacity of magnetic media. He published several articles on his research and presented his results at national and international conferences.  While pursuing his bachelors and masters degrees, Tyner was employed by GTE as a member of the Radio Products Group within the company’s Communication Systems Division. There, he was part of a team that developed the secure communication radios for the aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise, and for the NASA Space Shuttle.

After earning his doctorate, Tyner joined the faculty at Norwich University as an assistant professor of Electrical Engineering, where he developed and taught new courses in communications and digital signal processing. In addition to his academic work, he served Norwich University in several other areas during his 14 years of employment with them, including admissions, facilities operations, student activities and athletics.  He also served as a textbook reviewer for Prentice Hall Publishers, and authored two solutions manuals for electric circuits textbooks that he evaluated.

Tyner is a member of Tau Beta Pi, the National Engineering Honor Society, and he served as advisor to Norwich’s student chapter from 1994 to 2006. He was instrumental in helping the chapter achieve national recognition, as they were twice voted as the R.C. Matthews Most Outstanding Chapter, and were twice runners-up.  In 1997, Tyner received Tau Beta Pi’s “Most Outstanding Advisor” award. That same year, he was also selected to serve the organization as a facilitator for their award-winning “Engineering Futures” program, whereupon he traveled to schools across the nation to deliver seminars on public speaking, interpersonal skills, analytical problem solving, meeting management, and team chartering. Additionally, he has taught engineering students for more than 20 years at every institution for which he has served.

Tyner and his wife, Patricia, reside in Surprise, Ariz. They have eight grown children, and a grandchild. His wife and five of their children are graduates of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.