Continuing its commitment to effective faculty leadership and seamless support during a time of momentum and growth, Jacksonville University announced the appointment of Dr. Sherri Jackson as Interim Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs.
“Since joining Jacksonville University 35 years ago to teach psychology, Dr. Jackson has proven herself a talented, experienced educator; a proven mentor to students and employees; a creative problem-solver; and an ardent champion for our faculty,” said Jacksonville University President Tim Cost, JU Class of ‘81. “She is an accomplished author and researcher, as well as a decorated professor who has been named JU Professor of the Year and JU Woman of the Year, in addition to receiving myriad other awards and honors.”
Dr. Jackson brings more than 20 years of experience in faculty leadership roles of increasing responsibility that include Vice Chair and Chair of the Faculty, Chair of the then-Division of Social Sciences (now the School of Social Sciences and Education), Interim Dean for the Linda Berry Stein College of Fine Arts & Humanities, and, since 2018, Vice Provost, where she has been an effective administrator and advocate for Jacksonville University faculty.
“Working with academic and senior leadership teams and the faculty to continue to increase the academic experience at Jacksonville University is the appeal of this job,” said Dr. Jackson. “I will support what we have created and strategically assess new opportunities for programming that will benefit our students and elevate the institution. I am excited to forward our mission.”
As Vice Provost, Dr. Jackson spearheaded several initiatives to streamline academic processes and increase educational accessibility. She led the development of Jacksonville University’s Pathways of Distinction (PODs), a customized advising tool allowing students to explore unique combinations of majors and minors that align with their interests and fit within a traditional four-year course plan. The initiative was supported by funding from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund. During the COVID pandemic, Dr. Jackson also helped develop a winter academic term at Jacksonville University to expand course options, an innovation that is now a permanent part of the academic calendar.
Dr. Jackson received her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Florida. She was a finalist for the prestigious Jacksonville EVE award in 2013 and a recipient of the Jacksonville Business Journal's Women of Influence Award in 2018. She is the author of five textbooks which are in use at colleges and universities nationally and internationally. Her research is in cognitive psychology, especially in pragmatic and deductive reasoning, problem-solving and decision-making, research methods, and statistics.
Dr. Jackson assumed her duties as Interim Provost this summer, as her predecessor Dr. Christine Sapienza transitioned to her new role as Executive Vice President of the Office of Growth and Partnerships at Jacksonville University.
