Ruth Ray Jackson has been named the seventeenth president of Langston University in Oklahoma. She has served as interim president for the past year.
Langston University enrolls about 1,800 undergraduate and 130 graduate students. Women represent 61 percent of the undergraduate student population.
Dr. Jackson has been with Langston University for the past 10 years. She came to the university in 2014 to serve as a professor and dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences. Four years later, she transitioned from faculty to administrative leadership, becoming associate vice president for student success in 2018. She was promoted to vice president of academic affairs one year later and held the position until her appointment as interim president.
Prior to her tenure with Langston University, Dr. Jackson spent 11 years with Louisiana State University Shreveport. During this time, she served as an associate professor of education, director of the master of education program, and chair of the education department. She served as a public school teacher and administrator in Louisiana before transitioning her career to higher education.
“I am honored to lead Langston University into its next chapter,” said Dr. Jackson. “I love this university and believe in its faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Our mission must be focused on empowering students, celebrating student success, and contributing to the betterment of Oklahoma and beyond. Together, we will build upon Langston’s legacy and create a future where excellence knows no bounds.”
Dr. Jackson is a graduate of historically Black Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she received her bachelor’s degree in secondary education and English and her master’s degree in educational leadership and administration. She earned a Ph.D. in education and human resource management at Colorado State University.