Richmond Leader

 Virginia Union University is announcing new leaders in its academic and administrative teams.   

“Accomplished people build top-tier universities,” said Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, President and CEO. “Virginia Union University is welcoming experienced new leaders who make great things happen and who will help propel us toward our goal of becoming Best in Class.” 

Dr. Linda Jackson serves as Vice President of Sponsored Research and Innovation where she provides administration and leadership for grantsmanship, grant portfolios, grant procurement, and restricted funding compliance regulations. She has worked in higher education for more than 20 years, including 13 years in sponsored research.  

She is currently providing leadership for the University’s National Research Institute, which has 17 Centers that engage in technology and innovation, health equity, STEM diversity, gospel and sacred music, entrepreneurial studies, social justice, and a myriad of other critical research related areas. During her tenure at the University, she earned a commendation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools for her leadership in providing student support, which focused on strengthening their persistence to graduation. Dr. Jackson has taught undergraduate and graduate students in addition to technical assistance workshops in leadership, administration, management, Six Sigma, customer service, professionalism, grant writing, and grant research procurement.   

Dr. Jackson is a trained and experienced administrator, strategist, innovator, and problem-solver who provides oversight for leadership, Six Sigma training, partnership development, grant research, and innovation. She is a seasoned grant writer, program evaluator, and educational trainer; team building coach, program designer, planner, and implementation innovationist. She is a trained clinical psychotherapist and counselor, and she has earned a Six Sigma Black Belt. Dr. Jackson has received educational management and leadership training at Harvard University’s management development program.   

Dr. Jackson earned a doctorate degree in educational leadership in higher education and school administration from Oral Roberts University. She is an alumna of the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, the Higher Ground Women’s Leadership Development Program at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is the former President of the National Sponsored Programs Administrators Alliance and she has been inducted into the Kappa Delta Pi International Honors Society in Education.    

   “I am excited about creating the dynamics for VUU to achieve the highest research designation a university can earn,” she says. “The country’s top doctoral universities achieve the ‘Very high research activity’ designation on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and we are working hard to make Virginia Union the first HBCU to achieve this.” 

Original source can be found here