Carolyn W. Meyers, Ph.D., is the 10th President of Jackson State University and a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Under Dr. Meyers’ leadership, Jackson State earned a 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, national accreditations in business, teacher education and engineering and full certification by the NCAA. Dr. Meyers has also pushed Jackson State’s enrollment to an all-time high of 8,903, increased fundraising sixteen-fold to $6.8 million, and positioned the university to become a national model for educating the underserved and achieving global recognition for excellence in education, research, and service.
Dr. Meyers brought to Jackson State more than 30 years of academic and leadership experience in higher education, serving most recently as President of Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Va. She served as Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, where she had been a tenured professor of mechanical engineering and Dean of the College of Engineering. Dr. Meyers also has been a tenured faculty member at the Georgia Institute of Technology and was the first Associate Dean for Research at the Georgia Institute of Technology College of Engineering.
Raised in Newport News, Va., Dr. Meyers earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Howard University, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in chemical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and completed post-doctoral work at Harvard University.
Dr. Meyers has published numerous articles and reports and presented more than 100 invited presentations and technical papers on education and diversity topics and research and technical topics. Her numerous awards and honors include the National Society of Black Engineers’ Golden Torch Award, the National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award, and resolutions from the Virginia Legislature and the Mississippi Legislature commending her for her leadership and service to higher education.
Dr. Meyers has three adult children and four grandchildren.
