​Tulane Scholar Named Presidential Fellow

Scholar Kayla Jackson was named a Presidential Fellow at Tulane University. While working in the president’s office, she will study strategies to improve campus diversity through admissions and recruiting, and research programs and initiatives that can be quickly implemented.

“We realize there are things to be done now to help make Tulane more welcoming, diverse and inclusive,” Kayla said. “We can be doing things to make students of color feel better socially and emotionally.”

The fellowship opportunity arose from a campus-wide discussion about the importance of having a racially diverse, inclusive campus and the formation of the Presidential Commission on Race and Tulane Values. Making campus-wide change is one of Kayla’s goals while working with the commission and she hopes her research can be part of that.

“It’s important to get the administration and faculty thinking about these issues, but change needs to happen in the community as a whole,” she said.

Now a senior, Kayla will be taking post-graduate courses as part of Tulane’s 4+1 Program in English, concurrent with her final year of undergraduate classes. Upon earning her master’s in spring 2018, Kayla hopes to continue working in higher education on issues of equity in college access and success.