Mark Kinders retired in 2020 as the Vice President for Public Affairs at the University of Central Oklahoma, after 35 years in public higher education. He has served as a board member, Vice President, or President for the American Association for Runic Studies since its founding. He has participated in field studies and archival research investigating runes in Oklahoma, and was a presenter on rune research in TedX presentations at UCO and the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, as well as to civic organizations. He is proud to have been named a Knight of the Cross of Erik, commemorating King Erik IX, by Dr. Henrik Williams of Uppsala University. The honor is bestowed for advancing the study of runology to the general public. Mark is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and is engaged in numerous advocacy associations to increase health care access for veterans in Oklahoma. He remains a Visiting Scholar at UCO to coordinate the institution’s varied projects to reduce veteran ideation and suicide. Mark holds a bachelor’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, a master’s in history from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, a master’s in public affairs through the Executive Program at the Humphrey School of the University of Minnesota, and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Arkansas.
