Cynthia Jackson-Hammond president of Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, announced that she will step down at the end of the 2019-20 academic year. She has served as president of the historically Black university for the past eight years. She is the first woman to serve as president of the university.
Mark Hathcer, chair of the board of trustees at Central State University issued a statement that read in part: “President Jackson-Hammond’s tenure has undoubtedly marked a period of growth and prosperity for our University and we are all eternally grateful for the course on which we have been set because of her leadership and vision. Dr. Jackson-Hammond started her tenure as president with a goal of making Central State a beacon of academic excellence and a citadel for growth opportunities for our students to thrive in a campus environment where they are immersed in scholarship, increased research opportunities and the arts in preparation for future success. To that end, the Central State University Board of Trustees declares to our beloved “Madam President,” mission accomplished!”
Earlier in her career, Dr. Jackson-Hammond was provost and vice president of academic affairs at Coppin State University in Baltimore, dean of the School of Education and Human Performance at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina and dean of the College of Education and Human Performance at Delaware State University.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond is a graduate of Grambling State University in Louisiana. She holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and a doctorate in education from Grambling State University.
