BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana University has named IU Bloomington Provost Professor Pamela Braboy Jackson as its first associate vice president for faculty and belonging. As part of the university’s seven-year Presidential Diversity Hiring Initiative, Jackson will be part of the senior leadership team within the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs.
Jackson begins her new duties June 1 and will provide leadership and a university-wide vision for recruiting, retaining and recognizing underrepresented faculty.
“Indiana University continues to make significant strides to becoming a more diverse and inclusive place of learning,” said James Wimbush, vice president for diversity, equity and multicultural affairs; dean of The University Graduate School; and Johnson Chair for Diversity and Leadership. “The creation of this position is another step forward in that direction – one that will ultimately benefit our students. Research shows that when students see professors and others who look like them, they are more likely to realize and achieve their potential.”
Jackson will focus on diversifying the IU faculty; creating a new generation of scholars and administrators; developing and presenting programs and workshops focused on faculty recruitment and retention efforts; cultivating partnerships with minority-serving institutions and organizations; and participating in various research and scholarly activities.
“It is imperative that our students have access to world-class teachers and researchers from multiple perspectives,” IU President Pamela Whitten said. “Dr. Jackson’s leadership and experience in community building will be key to building a more diverse campus environment that supports equal access, participation and representation on all IU campuses.”
Currently director of graduate studies in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Sociology, Jackson was the founding director of the IU Center for Research on Race and Ethnicity in Society. She also received the Tracy M. Sonneborn Award in 2021, which recognizes an IU faculty member for outstanding research/creative activity and teaching.
“My goal is to work with my colleagues to create a place where faculty members can connect at many different levels and build a sense of community and belonging,” Jackson said. “Indiana University has done much work with regard to recruitment and retention efforts of diverse faculty, but there is much more that can and must be done.”
Jackson is a two-time IU Bloomington alumna, earning a master’s degree in 1989 and a Ph.D. in 1993, both in sociology. Before returning to IU Bloomington in 2000, she was an assistant professor at Duke University.
