Brad Carson

Brad R. Carson became The University of Tulsa’s 21st president on July 1, 2021, after having built a distinguished career in public service, law and education. Most recently, Carson was a professor at the University of Virginia, teaching courses related to national security and public sector innovation, and served as a senior adviser at Boston Consulting Group.

In 2015, President Obama appointed Carson acting under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness at the U.S. Department of Defense. There, he oversaw the human resources, military readiness, education, training and health care of the nearly 5 million service members, civilian employees and their dependents. Prior to that, Carson served as the under secretary and general counsel of the U.S. Army.

From 2001 to 2005, he served two terms in Congress before being appointed to the faculty of TU’s Collins College of Business and College of Law. In 2008, Carson deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom as an intelligence officer and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service.

Carson brings to TU a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, having spent most of his career working, directly or indirectly, in this area. This interest arises naturally from his childhood growing up on Native American reservations around the country and, later, representing the congressional district that is home to the Cherokee Nation. Carson served as president and chief executive officer of Cherokee Nation Businesses.