Oxley College of Health and Natural Sciences is a vibrant community of students and faculty from an array of disciplines – nursing and physics, chemistry and communication disorders, and several more. At the helm of this forward-looking enterprise since January 2024 is Dr. Susan Pepin. After a little over a year of listening to and learning from students, colleagues, and community partners, Pepin is more confident than ever that Oxley is poised to become a “transformative environment” for science education, scholarship, and public impact.
Pepin’s background as a physician and surgeon has prepared her well for her service as dean. For over 20 years, Pepin cared for adult and pediatric patients as a neuro-ophthalmology surgeon. “There is no greater honor than helping vulnerable patients surmount often life-threatening challenges,” she said. “As a surgeon and neuro-ophthalmologist, my aim always was to contribute to the lives of my patients and their families when their needs were at their most acute. The immense trust people place in you at these vulnerable times also teaches great humility.”
For Pepin, humility, cultivating trust, and opening opportunities for others to thrive are also essential components of being an academic dean: “Just as I always sought to be the best advocate for my patients, now I have the privilege of doing that at The University of Tulsa.” A good deal of her passion for this role stems from the conviction that when students and faculty succeed, there is a direct impact on the well-being of society at large.
In her work leading the college as well as mentoring faculty and students, Pepin draws on her own notable record of research, clinical practice, teaching, and leadership in healthcare, higher education, business, and philanthropy.
After completing a bachelor’s degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale University, Pepin was a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford, where her master’s studies focused on psychology, philosophy, and physiology. Back in the United States, she earned an M.D. degree at the University of California, San Francisco; was a fellow in neuro-ophthalmology at Harvard University; and completed the master of public health program at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice.
For Pepin, teaching and mentoring have also been career highlights. Among her many positions, she has served as a clinical professor at Arizona State University and currently holds the rank of clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of Arizona. “Whether engaging with hundreds of undergraduates or medical students, residents or fellows, throughout my academic career I have always strived to create inclusive, supportive environments wherein everyone can reach their full potential,” Pepin said.
As Oxley’s dean, Pepin is today drawing on those experiences to ensure faculty have the support and resources they need to conduct their research and support their students. “In all my years as a surgeon, professor, and administrator, I have never before worked alongside faculty with such a powerful dedication to student success,” Pepin commented. “It’s my honor to help them continue carrying out that noble mission.”
But being an impactful leader requires, Pepin recognizes, taking time to recharge out of the office. So, when she is not connecting, planning, consulting, and teaching, this mother of five adult daughters enjoys spending time getting to know her new Green Country environment up close. “I love my work,” Pepin remarked, “but I’m also an avid hiker and married to an outdoorsy Australian. That means, whenever we can, we lace up our boots and head off to explore the Gathering Place, the Riverside pathways, and beautiful Turkey Mountain trails.”