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Former Chesapeake Exec named Dean of OU Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy

2:37 PM EDT on August 3, 2015

mikestice

It looks like we have a new person to help cover-up the true cause of Oklahoma's earthquakes!

Last week, David Boren announced that former Chesapeake Executive and Access Midstream CEO Mike Stice will take over as the Dean of the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy. His first tasks will be to work with Devon Energy to compile a new list of earthquake talking points and hire an OGS seismologist who will be more intimidated by corporate interests and flamboyant University presidents.

Via the OU Daily:

OU has named former Chesapeake Energy executive and Sooner alumnus Mike Stice as the dean of the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, according to a press release Thursday morning.

“Dr. Stice has all the qualities of leadership to move the Mewbourne College to an even higher level,” OU president David Boren said in the release. “As a former member of the Board of Visitors, he has a solid understanding of the college and its outstanding faculty, students and staff. His practical experience in the private energy field will also serve him well. We are very fortunate that he has agreed to return to OU to take this position. Dr. Stice was a strong first choice of the search committee."

You know, it's easy to criticize OU for choosing a successful business executive from the private sector to lead an "independent" institution of higher learning, but let's not rush to judgement. For one, if OU ever needs to make a series of shady land deals, layoff a bunch of employees or appraise a vintage map collection, this guy will know how to do it.

Two, I'm sure he has a doctorate in geology or something. That has to be a minimum qualification to lead the esteemed College of Earth and Energy, right? Let's check out his educational background via Linked-In:

mike stice OU

Oh, so he has a doctorate in "leadership" from George Washington University. I'm not so sure about that. It's still a doctorate and everything, but isn't that the type of degree you get just so you can say you have one?

Stice explains his educational background in this 2014 Q&A with The Oklahoman:

Q: You hold master’s and doctorate degrees. What was your motivation for extended study?

A: When I was 21, I made a list of goals, including getting my MBA at age 35; I was a year late, and my doctorate by age 50; I was 52. When I was ready to pursue the former, Conoco didn’t think it was necessary. But rather than lose me, they sent me to Stanford, where I, as a Sloan Fellow, studied 18 months to earn a master’s in business. It was a great complement to my technical chemical engineering degree, and I fell in love with organizational behavior and leadership classes. I paid for my doctorate in education on my own, which wasn’t easy. Not long after I started it at George Washington University, I was transferred to the Middle East. So, once a month, I’d fly from Qatar to London and land in D.C. 30 minutes before my weekend classes started. It took me six years to finish.

Oh, so it was one of those "weekend" doctorate classes that apparently took six years to finish. That's something most people will never accomplish in their lifetimes, but shouldn't there be an asterisk whenever people call him Dr. Stice? It's sounds like something you'd get from the University of Phoenix.

Anyway, even though I don't trust energy companies, David Boren, and people with vanity degrees, I guess we should go ahead and wish Dr.* Stice the best of luck as the new Dean. I'm sure he'll do a good job, which in the eyes of David Boren, means he'll raise a bunch of money for OU before returning to the private sector.

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