Dr. Sean Owen serves as Associate Dean and Research Professor at Mississippi State University's College of Professional and Continuing Studies, where he leads strategic initiatives in applied leadership education and workforce development. Over his 20+ year career at MSU, he has secured over $30M in external funding while building the Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Organizational Leadership into one of the institution's fastest-growing programs, with 43% enrollment growth in Fall 2025.

Dr. Owen specializes in developing stackable credential pathways and applied degree programs designed to meet the evolving needs of working professionals, adult learners, and career-focused students. He actively cultivates partnerships with community colleges to create seamless transfer pathways and collaborates with industry leaders to design curriculum that delivers measurable career outcomes. His portfolio includes programs from undergraduate certificates through doctoral-level work, including the Master of Applied Science in Organizational Leadership and an Applied Leadership Graduate Certificate developed in partnership with Echelon Front.

A recognized expert in applied program design, Dr. Owen serves as an external program reviewer and evaluator for universities across the country and contributes to multiple partner advisory boards. His work bridges traditional academic structures with workforce education, creating flexible, competency-based learning experiences that serve students where they are while preparing them for where they want to go.

Dr. Owen is an active member of the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) and the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA). He has been recognized as an emerging leader by Who's Who and is a graduate of both the Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy and the Google Project Management Career Certificate. He previously served on advisory boards for the National Career Pathways Collaborative and Mississippi SLDS Research Review and Standards Committee.

Ph.D., Education, Mississippi State University
     Dissertation: The relationship between school-based technology facilitators, technology usage, and teacher technology skills in K-12 schools in the C·R·E·A·T·E for Mississippi project
     Minor: Technology Education

M.S., Biological Sciences, Delta State University

B.S., Biological Sciences, University of Mississippi
     Minors: Chemistry, Psychology

PCS 3203 Applied Leadership in Strategic Initiatives

PCS 4413 Ethical and Legal Issues in Leadership

PCS 6203 Digital Transformation and Adaptive Leadership

PCS 8903 Integrative Leadership and Organizational Strategy

EDDL 912 Quantitative Research Methods

Owen, S. M. (2023). Investigating the relationship between parental education and student demographics on transfer success among community college students [Unpublished manuscript]. Mississippi State University.

Owen, S. M. (2023, March 1). Cultivating strong postsecondary partnerships. Techniques, https://www.acteonline.org/tech-cultivate-partnerships/

Owen, S. (2022). Exploring motivational factors and demographics of postsecondary CTE students’ vertical transfer to a Bachelor of Applied Science degree [Abstract]. Mid-South Educational Regional Association Annual Meeting 2022, USA, 204. https://www.msera.org/proceedings

Finch, D. D., Owen, S., Thames, C., & Alexander, B. (2021). Exploring ethnic and gender equity enrollment and achievement patterns in high school CTE career pathways in Mississippi. International Journal of Business and Applied Social Science, 7(11). http://dx.doi.org/10.33642/ijbass.v7n11p5

Alexander, B., Thames, C., Owen, S., Dygert, S. K., & Wagner, J. (2021). Teacher feedback and its impact on statewide assessment results in Mississippi career and technical education. International Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences Studies, 6(8), 1-12. http://www.ijahss.com/Paper/06082021/1179451471.pdf

Alexander, B., Owen, S., & Thames, C. (2020). Exploring differences and relationships between online formative and summative assessments in Mississippi career and technical education. Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 15(3). https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/AAOUJ-06-2020-0037/full/html

Nordin, A., Priebe-Brown, A., Miller, R., & Owen, S. (2017). ISBE-USA chapter meetings in Chicago. International Society for Business Education (ISBE) SIEC Newsletter, 11(4), 6-7.