Jackson, Miss.—After an eight-month national search, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning has selected Dr. Denise Jones Gregory as the 14th president of Jackson State University (JSU). Gregory has served as interim president since May 2025. Prior to serving as interim president, she worked as provost and vice president of academic affairs at JSU.
“The Board of Trustees put a tremendous amount of time and energy into this search process, and we are confident in Dr. Gregory’s ability to help write the next chapter in Jackson State University’s long history,” said Dr. Steven Cunningham, vice president of the Board of Trustees and chair of the Board Search Committee. “I also want to recognize and thank the members of the Search Advisory Constituency, who spent hours reviewing applications and interviewing candidates. Their commitment to this process was critical and deeply appreciated.”
Patrease Edwards, a member of the Search Advisory Constituency and president of the JSU National Alumni Association, echoed Cunningham’s sentiment.
“This has been a long and involved process, and we’ve worked closely with the Board of Trustees through the reviewing and interviewing of candidates to reach this point,” Edwards said. “Today we begin a new and exciting part of the story of Jackson State, and we are prepared to support Dr. Gregory as she takes on this role.”
Gregory graduated magna cum laude in 1994 from Jackson State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in chemistry. She earned her doctorate in chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Gregory completed additional training through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She is a graduate of the New Presidents Academy through the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and completed the Willa B. Player Executive Leaders Program and the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute Program, both through Clark Atlanta University.
Gregory was one of 79 applicants for the position. She was selected following first round interviews of eight candidates, second round interviews of three candidates, and detailed background and references checks conducted by AGB Search consultants.
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The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.
CONTACT: John Sewell, Director of Communications, Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, (601) 432-6333, jsewell@mississippi.edu