Saundra Thompson McFarland, J.D., is Chair of the Department of Business Administration and Associate Professor of Business Law at Jackson State University. An attorney and higher education leader, she provides strategic direction for a multidisciplinary department encompassing Economics, Business Administration, Management, Marketing, and Supply Chain Management. In the classroom, she integrates legal expertise with practical and ethical decision-making to prepare students for success in today’s complex business environment.

Her scholarship broadly examines socioeconomic disparities and barriers to equity in business and law, as well as the scholarship of teaching and learning. She has also successfully led federally and privately funded initiatives with the U.S. Department of State, the Thurgood Marshall Fund, and Venture Well, earning Jackson State University’s 2024 High Grant Award.

McFarland’s leadership and service have been recognized repeatedly, both by student organizations and nationally. She is a recipient of the National Business Education Association’s Council on Business Teaching and Research National Leadership Award. She also plays an instrumental role in advancing AACSB accreditation and program assessment within the college. Licensed to practice in Mississippi, she advises businesses, represents clients in civil litigation, and contributes to national, university, and college-level service.