Dr. Gerald S. Gurney died peacefully at home on February 23, 2022. He retired January 1, 2022 as Professor Emeritus of Academic Affairs at The University of Oklahoma. From 1993-2011, he was Senior Associate Athletic Director for Academics and Student Life at OU. Prior to moving to Norman, he was Associate Athletic Director for Academic Support and Compliance at the University of Maryland-College Park, Assistant Athletic Director for Academic Affairs at Southern Methodist University, Athletic Academic Counselor at Iowa State University, and Academic Adviser at Grinnell College.

Dr. Gurney's professional expertise included critical issues in intercollegiate athletics such as impact on higher education, academic support, athletics reform, and ethics in athletics. He authored or coauthored approximately 40 publications including Unwinding Madness: What Went Wrong with College Sports and How to Fix It and gave more than 30 major presentations including U.S. Senate Panel Discussion on Academic Integrity in College Sports in 2019. He appeared in the following documentaries: Schooled: The Price of College Sports (EPIX), Gaming the System (HBO), and Dropping the Ball: The Shady Side of Big-Time College Sports (SiriusXM and NPR).

He received awards from The Drake Group (an academic think tank) for which he was past president, the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development (N4A) for which he was past president, Japan Association for College and University Education (JACUE), Cleveland Heights High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Psychological Association, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at OU, and the Mental Health Association for Oklahoma County. He earned a Ph.D. from Iowa State University, and a master's and bachelor's from The Ohio State University.

Dr. Gurney's other passions in life were fly-fishing, showing cairn terriers and boxers, watching football, and studying the civil war. He was loved and will be missed by his many friends and his family: wife, Debra Stuart; daughter, Rachel Gurney; brother, Nelson Gurney; nephews, David Gurney and Isaac Gurney; nieces, Molly Gurney, and Sarah Gurney.

Donations may be made to The University of Oklahoma Dr. Gerald S. Gurney Retention Scholarship fund (https://giving.oufoundation.org/OnlineGivingWeb/Giving/OnlineGiving/GurneyMem) or The Drake Group (www.thedrakegroup.org/donate-join/). Those who wish to attend the memorial service, are encouraged to contact the family.