Dr. Jim Hess, a native of Henryetta, Oklahoma, has over 43 years of service in Oklahoma higher education. Hess was named president by the Board of Regents in April 2025 after serving as interim president since February 2025. Previously, he served as the vice provost for graduate programs at OSU-CHS, where he supervised all academic graduate programs and taught a full graduate coursework load. Dr. Hess also served as the CEO of the OSU Veterinary Medicine Authority. During his time in higher education, he has initiated several innovative online graduate programs, leading to enrollment growth at OSU-CHS.