Delta Sigma Theta’s Dr. Denise Jones Gregory Selected as New President of Jackson State University

A soror of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. has been selected to lead Jackson State University, one of the nation’s prominent HBCUs.

After an eight-month national search, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning has named Dr. Denise Jones Gregory the 14th president of Jackson State University. Gregory has served as interim president since May 2025 and previously held the role of provost and vice president of academic affairs at the university.

According to the press release on the university’s website, Gregory’s selection follows a competitive process that drew 79 applicants. The search included first-round interviews with eight candidates, second-round interviews with three finalists, and background and reference checks conducted by AGB Search consultants.

“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.

A proud alumna of Jackson State University, Gregory graduated magna cum laude in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. She later earned her doctorate in chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology and completed additional training through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Her leadership preparation includes the New Presidents Academy through the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, along with the Willa B. Player Executive Leaders Program and the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute Program at Clark Atlanta University.

According to her official university bio, Gregory is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and serves on the regional leadership team as a primary advisor to the Samford University chapter.

Patrease Edwards, president of the JSU National Alumni Association and a member of the Search Advisory Constituency, said the university community is ready to support Gregory in this new role.

“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.”