Jackson State University President Marcus Thompson resigned from his post on May 7. The news came hours after the board of trustees of the Mississippi Institutes of Higher Learning met in an executive session to discuss a personnel matter concerning a Jackson State University employee. Since 2010, Jackson State University has had nine individuals serve as president or interim president.
Dr. Thompson became the thirteenth president of Jackson State University in November 2023. His background in education spans more than two decades, and includes service as chief administrative officer of the Mississippi Institutes of Higher Learning.
While the historically Black university searches for a permanent replacement, Denise Jones Gregory will serve as interim president. She has served as Jackson State’s provost and vice president of academic affairs for the past year. Before joining the Jackson State administration, Dr. Gregory was associate provost for student success and a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Samford University in Alabama.
Dr. Gregory stated: “It has been my privilege to serve Jackson State as provost, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue serving my alma mater in this new role. My commitment is to uphold the standard of excellence that defines Jackson State in every area of university life. As a proud graduate of JSU, I know what this university means to the people it serves because it has shaped every part of my life. I ask for your patience, your partnership and most of all, your prayers as we move Jackson State University forward together.”
Dr. Gregory is a magna cum laude graduate of Jackson State University, where she majored in chemistry. She received her Ph.D. in chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Again. Damn JSU you have to do better.