Acting Associate Vice President/Associate Provost for Diverse Faculty Success Dr. Vanessa Jackson

Office for Institutional Diversity

Feb 1, 2023

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Vanessa Jackson as acting associate vice president/associate provost for diverse faculty success, effective Feb. 1, 2023.

Dr. Jackson is a professor and chair of the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE). She also serves as the director of faculty diversity and inclusion for CAFE.

“Dr. Jackson's research and leadership in our college has created new opportunities and pathways for students, faculty, staff and extension agents,” said Nancy Cox, Vice President for Land-grant Engagement and Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “We’re grateful that her commitment to the land-grant mission remains, and we’re excited to see the campus community benefit from her work in this new role.”

During her time at the University of Kentucky, Dr. Jackson has worked with the Office of Diversity in CAFE to create and implement a mentoring program for faculty. She has also worked to develop a four-module course on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the classroom.

“I am grateful for Dr. Jackson's leadership throughout the years. Her steadfast commitment to this community and to our mission of advancing inclusive excellence is paramount to living up to our expectations as Kentucky's university,” said Provost Bob DiPaola. “I am excited to work with Dr. Jackson, in partnership with our Office for Institutional Diversity, as we continue to prioritize diverse faculty success. I look forward to what we will accomplish together.”

Currently, Dr. Jackson’s research focuses on women of color and the barriers they must overcome in academic leadership roles as well as soft skill development for student competitiveness in entry level positions in human sciences. As an instructor, Dr. Jackson seeks to nurture transformative education for the leaders of tomorrow by providing support for experiential learning and study abroad. This includes spear-heading a collaborative effort by faculty to develop a successful online master’s degree in retailing and tourism management.

"Dr. Jackson's long-standing commitment to focused scholarship and university service toward elevating and advancing diverse faculty success is most noteworthy,” said Katrice Albert, Vice President for Institutional Diversity. “I am sure that her value-added work in this role will strengthen and accelerate what we know will be consequential and impactful outcomes from this important collaboration of the Office of Institutional Diversity and the Provost's Office. We are thrilled she will join all of us in this meaningful charge.”

We greatly appreciate Dr. Jackson’s willingness to serve as acting associate vice president/associate provost for diverse faculty success. In this role, we are confident that she will help advance a diverse and inclusive environment for all the university’s academic areas. She possesses the necessary experience in developing effective DEI initiatives for faculty and has proven to be a strong, collaborative leader with a commitment to inclusive excellence, quality, exceptional service, productivity, and continuous improvement.