Former NOC President Dr. Cheryl Evans was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame Nov. 6, at the University of Central Oklahoma.Evans was one of 12 inductees. Evans served as president of Northern Oklahoma College from 2011-21, the institution’s first female leader. Prior to that, Evans served 17 years at Northwestern State University.Evans graduated from Cherokee High School in 1980. She earned a bachelor’s in mass communications at NWOSU in 1992 as a non-traditional student, graduating at 30. She finished her M.A. in communication at Wichita State University the following year and her doctorate in higher education at Oklahoma State University in 2000.She also completed Harvard University’s Middle Management Program and Oklahoma’s Educator’s Leadership Academy. As a faculty member, she was awarded the Lisa John Faculty Fellowship from the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters in 1996, the John Sheffield Teacher of the Year in 2000, Top Graduate Presentation of Dissertation at OSU in 2000, the John Barton Distinguished Teaching and Service Award in 2004, and the “Enid News & Eagle” Reader’s Choice – Best College Professor in 2006.Evans administrative service was centered on NOC’s mission of providing quality, affordable, and accessible higher education. Under her leadership, NOC was recognized as being in the top 10% of community colleges in the nation four times by the Aspen Institute in Washington, DC. In addition, the college experienced significant growth in the number of degrees earned, implemented a new enterprise resource planning system for data driven decisions, and received a $1.75 million award for Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions and the creation of the Cultural Engagement Center for students. Evans also supported the extensive improvement of facilities including the new construction of a classroom building in Stillwater and new dorms in Tonkawa and Enid.The NOC Foundation experienced significant growth during Evans’ decade of leadership; net assets grew from $5.5 million to over $12 million today. She helped establish the Presidential Partners Program through the NOC Foundation, which provides much-needed enhancements for students and employees. Evans also led her team in major projects and encouraged private and public partnerships, such as Enel Wind Energy and Autry Technology Respiratory Care programs that helped students enter the work force directly, as well as maintaining strong relationships with NWOSU through the Bridge Program and with OSU through the NOC/OSU Gateway Program’s Finish Orange campaign.
