JACKSON — Twelve current college and university presidents and chancellors across seven states hold degrees from Jackson State University, according to a release from JSU.
The group includes leaders of historically Black colleges and universities, community colleges, technical colleges and public and private institutions, the university said. Among them is Jackson State President Denise J. Gregory, who earned a bachelor’s degree from JSU in 1994. Gregory was named the university’s president earlier this year, becoming the first alumna to serve as JSU’s permanent president, according to the release.
“Twelve Jackson State alumni leading colleges and universities across seven states is both a point of pride and evidence of the university’s national impact,” Gregory said in the release. “My journey from a student on this campus to president reflects how JSU prepares graduates to step into consequential leadership roles, expand opportunity for students and strengthen the institutions and communities they serve.”
Six of the 12 current presidents and chancellors earned degrees through JSU’s Executive Ph.D. Program in Urban Higher Education, a two-year program designed to prepare participants for senior leadership roles in higher education, according to the university. Those alumni include George T. French, president of Clark Atlanta University; Larissa Littleton-Steib, chancellor of Delgado Community College; Donald Comer, president of Lane College; and three other current college and university leaders listed below.
“When six alumni from one program are serving simultaneously as presidents and chancellors, the results speak for themselves,” Walter Brown, executive director of the Executive Ph.D. Program in Urban Higher Education, said in the release. “Our graduates understand the complex challenges facing higher education and are prepared to lead institutions through them.”
Several of the leaders also made history with their appointments, according to JSU. SherRhonda Gibbs, who earned a doctoral degree from JSU, recently became the first woman to lead Texas College in Tyler, Texas. Gary B. Crosby, who holds master’s and doctoral degrees from JSU, became the first African American and the first man to lead Saint Elizabeth University when he was named president in 2021, according to the release.
The university said the American Council on Education’s most recent study shows that college presidencies in the United States remain concentrated among a narrow set of demographics.
JSU’s release described the alumni serving in current leadership roles as follows:
| President/Chancellor | College/University | Location | School type | JSU degree(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kendricks D. Hooker, Ph.D. (president) | Augusta Technical College | Augusta, Ga. | Public technical college | Executive Ph.D., Urban Higher Education |
| George T. French, Ph.D. (president) | Clark Atlanta University | Atlanta, Ga. | Private HBCU | Executive Ph.D., Urban Higher Education |
| Herman J. Felton, Ph.D. (president) | Wiley University | Marshall, Texas | Private HBCU | Executive Ph.D., Urban Higher Education |
| Melva K. Wallace, Ph.D. (president) | Huston-Tillotson University | Austin, Texas | Private HBCU | Executive Ph.D., Urban Higher Education |
| Larissa Littleton-Steib, Ph.D. (chancellor) | Delgado Community College | New Orleans, La. | Public community college | Executive Ph.D., Urban Higher Education |
| Donald Comer, Ph.D. (president) | Lane College | Jackson, Tenn. | Private HBCU | Executive Ph.D., Urban Higher Education |
| Gary B. Crosby, Ph.D. (president) | Saint Elizabeth University | Florham Park, N.J. | Private Catholic university | Master’s degree; doctoral degree |
| SherRhonda Gibbs, Ph.D. (president) | Texas College | Tyler, Texas | Private HBCU | Doctoral degree |
| Denise J. Gregory, Ph.D. (president) | Jackson State University | Jackson, Miss. | Public HBCU | Bachelor’s degree |
| Glenell M. Lee-Pruitt, Ph.D. (president) | Jarvis Christian University | Hawkins, Texas | Private HBCU | Bachelor’s degree; doctoral degree |
| James T. Minor, Ph.D. (chancellor) | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville, Ill. | Public university | Bachelor’s degree |
| Marcia Conston, Ph.D. (president) | Tidewater Community College | Norfolk, Va. | Public community college | Bachelor’s degree; master’s degree |
The university said Coursera, an online learning platform, is among the tools JSU uses to support student learning and career readiness. Six of the 12 leaders’ degrees came through the university’s Executive Ph.D. program, according to the release.
