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Dr. Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson Named Provost and Vice President
Accomplished educator and innovator to shape next era of excellence at VWU
University News | February 28, 2025
Dr. Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson has been appointed Provost and Vice President at èßäÊÓƵ University, according to Dr. Scott D. Miller, President of the University. 
Her appointment is effective at the end of the current academic year. She currently serves as Vice President for èßäÊÓƵGlobal Campus.
“Dr. Gonsalves-Jackson’s leadership and dedication to academic excellence and strategic partnerships have been instrumental in shaping the future of èßäÊÓƵ University,” says President Miller. “Her significant impact on the university’s growth and her commitment to enhancing educational opportunities for our students worldwide make her the ideal leader for this new role.”
Under her leadership, the Division of èßäÊÓƵGlobal Campus has shown remarkable growth, expanding to approximately 3,500 learners in the 2023-24 academic year, with projections to reach even more this year. èßäÊÓƵGlobal Campus encompasses several key components including èßäÊÓƵOnline, the Jane P. Batten and David R. Black School for International Studies at Lakeland Japan, the Evening and Weekend Program, the David R. Black Institute for Professional Practice, the Westminster-Wesleyan Lifelong Learning Institute, and the Advanced Studies Institute. Dr. Gonsalves-Jackson also chairs the èßäÊÓƵGraduate Council and oversees all graduate programs.
Previously, Dr. Gonsalves-Jackson served as Dean of the èßäÊÓƵGlobal Campus from 2020 to 2024. She has held various other significant roles at èßäÊÓƵ, including Director of Nursing and Allied Health and Director of Summer Sessions and January Term. She was also a co-director of the èßäÊÓƵ Environmental Institute and served as Chair of the Biology Department.
Dr. Gonsalves-Jackson earned her B.A. in Biology from Randolph College, an M.S. in Biology from Florida Atlantic University, and a Ph.D. in Biology from Florida Institute of Technology.
Her distinguished career is marked by numerous honors, such as the Barbara Holland Administrator-Scholar Award from the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) and The WISE Alumna Legacy Award from the Florida Institute of Technology for her contributions to STEM outreach. At VWU, she is a recipient of the Samuel Nelson Gray Distinguished Teaching Award and the Birdsong Service and Community Engagement Award, and she holds the distinction of Batten Professor. And most recently, she was recognized by Virginia Business as one of the recipients of the 2025 Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards.
President Miller shared his gratitude to the current Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Sue Larkin. Dr. Larkin will depart èßäÊÓƵafter Spring Commencement to become Vice President for Academic Affairs at Doane University in Crete, Nebraska, after having served admirably in VWU’s academic administration for nearly five years.