Jackson State University has a permanent leader again. The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning named Dr. Denise Jones Gregory to the position after its April 16 board meeting. She is the 14th president of the state’s largest historically Black college and university. 

“The Board of Trustees put a tremendous amount of time and energy into this search process, and we are confident in Dr. Gregory’s ability to help write the next chapter in Jackson State University’s long history,” said Dr. Steven Cunningham, vice president of the Board of Trustees and chair of the Board Search Committee, in a statement on April 16. “I also want to recognize and thank the members of the Search Advisory Constituency, who spent hours reviewing applications and interviewing candidates. Their commitment to this process was critical and deeply appreciated.”

Gregory has served as the university’s interim president since May 2025, when President Marcus Thompson abruptly resigned. It has been a turbulent few years for the Jackson State presidency, which has seen its last three presidents resign. William Bynum began his tenure in 2017, but resigned in 2020 after he was arrested following a prostitution sting. He was succeeded by Thomas Hudson, who resigned in 2023 after being placed on administrative leave; Hudson was succeeded by Thompson. Gregory will be the fifth president since 2016. The university has also had several interim presidents, but JSU does not count interim presidents in its tally of total university presidents. 

Before stepping into the interim president role, she served as both the JSU provost and vice president of academic affairs. Gregory earned a bachelor of science in chemistry from Jackson State University in 1994 and earned a doctorate in chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The eight-month national search drew skepticism from JSU alumni who questioned past IHL selections and the process’s transparency. In December, the IHL board of trustees voted unanimously to waive a policy that prevented an interim Jackson State University president from applying for the permanent position. Without that waiver, Jones would not have been eligible for hire unless she resigned from her interim role.  

“This has been a long and involved process, and we’ve worked closely with the Board of Trustees through the reviewing and interviewing of candidates to reach this point,” JSU National Alumni Association President Patrease Edwards said. “Today we begin a new and exciting part of the story of Jackson State, and we are prepared to support Dr. Gregory as she takes on this role.”

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Torsheta Jackson is MFP's Systemic and Education Editor in partnership with Report for America. She is passionate about telling the unique and personal stories of the people, places and events in Mississippi. The Shuqualak, Miss., native holds a B.A. in Mass Communication from the University of Southern Mississippi and an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Mississippi. She has had bylines on Bash Brothers Media, Mississippi Scoreboard and in the Jackson Free Press. Torsheta lives in Richland, Miss., with her husband, Victor, and two of their four children.