Adam Ryburn, Ph.D.
Assistant Provost, Interim Dean of Kramer College of Nursing and Health Professions
Academic Affairs
Arts & Sciences
Biology
Physician Assistant
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Nursing
Biography
Dr. Adam Ryburn serves as Assistant Provost and Interim Dean of the Kramer College of Nursing and Health Professions at Oklahoma City University. A tenured Professor of Biology, he has held numerous academic leadership positions at OCU, including Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Chair of the Biology Department, and Program Director of Environmental Studies.
In his current roles, Dr. Ryburn provides leadership for academic planning, accreditation, institutional assessment, curriculum development, strategic initiatives, and faculty affairs. As Interim Dean, he oversees the academic and administrative operations of the Kramer College of Nursing and Health Professions, including faculty, budgets, accreditation, strategic planning, and external partnerships.
Dr. Ryburn has extensive experience in regional accreditation and institutional effectiveness. Since 2022, he has served as Oklahoma City University's Accreditation Liaison Officer with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), leading the university's most recent comprehensive evaluation and reaffirmation of accreditation. He has also served as a member of the HLC Peer Corps since 2019 and is an alumnus of the Senior Leadership Academy, sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges and the American Academic Leadership Institute.
Before joining Academic Affairs in 2022, Dr. Ryburn was a member of the OCU Biology faculty beginning in 2009. Prior to coming to Oklahoma City University, he taught at the State University of New York at Oneonta.
A plant taxonomist by training, Dr. Ryburn's scholarly interests focus on the classification and identification of plants. He serves as Coordinating Editor for the Flora of Oklahoma, a collaborative effort to document the state's vascular plant diversity. He has also served as President of the Oklahoma Academy of Science and the Oklahoma Native Plant Society and currently serves as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Academy of Science.
Dr. Ryburn earned his Bachelor of Science in Biological Science from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and his Ph.D. in Plant Sciences from Oklahoma State University.
