FedEx continues to offer its support, engagement, and collaboration to historic institutions.
By Anthony Howard
JACKSON, Miss.—Jackson State University (JSU) will receive $500,000 from FedEx to advance the College of Business and its commitment to student access, faculty excellence and support initiatives. The funds will be dispersed to the university over the next four years.
“FedEx has been a valued partner to Jackson State University, and this new initiative builds on a relationship grounded in opportunity and outcomes,” said JSU Interim President Denise Jones Gregory, Ph.D. “This partnership advances what matters most at JSU—student success, faculty excellence and the resources to grow high-impact programs in our College of Business.”
The funding will support the College’s Supply Chain Management Center and Data Analytics programs to advance three core areas of impact: student support and empowerment, faculty development and research, and the College’s growth initiatives within the Supply Chain Management Center and Data Analytics Lab.
This new initiative builds on JSU’s longstanding relationship with FedEx. Prior collaborations, such as the FedEx-JSU Endowed Scholarship Fund and a five-year FedEx-HBCU Student Ambassador program, ensured access to resources to help students prepare to enter the workforce after college.
Rose Jackson Flenorl, Manager of Global Citizenship & Human Resources at FedEx commented, “We are proud to be long-time supporters of the students at Jackson State University. This donation reaffirms our commitment to helping these future leaders access pathways to meaningful careers”.
“We are deeply grateful for the continued investment from FedEx, which directly empowers our students specializing in Supply Chain Management and learning technical skills in Data Analytics,” added Nicholas Hill, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business. “Together, we are building a legacy of opportunity that will define the careers of our future alumni through this future-forward collaboration.”
Hill intends for the funding to provide the critical support and workforce training necessary to graduate industry-ready leaders who are prepared to solve complex global challenges. Last month, senior supply chain management student Niel Davis, and senior accounting student Makiyah Barksdale, attended the FedEx-HBCU Leadership and Career Experience in Los Angeles.
“This experience helped me gain clarity on what it truly takes to transition successfully from being a student to becoming a full-time professional,” said Davis, a Chicago native. “Exposure to these real-world perspectives and career pathways is preparing me to enter the workforce with confidence and purpose.”
Barksdale, from Batesville, Mississippi, expressed her gratitude to the global corporation for its continued investment in HBCUs. “It is empowering to know that FedEx sees how valuable HBCU students are. I am extremely grateful for this prestigious investment and the amazing opportunity for not only myself, but also my peers here at Jackson State.”