UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Graduate School has expanded student support for well-being and professional development this fall, with the hiring of Jacqueline Jones and Lesley Jackson to support the Associate Dean of Graduate Student Affairs, Sarah Ades.
Jones joined the Graduate School in May as the Associate Director of Graduate Student Life and Well-being, while Jackson joined the school in July as the Associate Director of Graduate Student Career and Professional Development. Both will be members of the Office of Graduate Student Affairs and work closely with the Office of Graduate Educational Equity Programs.
“I am very excited to have both Jacqueline and Lesley joining the Graduate School’s Student Affairs team. They will allow us to expand our support for graduate students and enhance the graduate student experience at Penn State,” said Ades. “These positions were deliberately designed to work collaboratively between the Office of Graduate Student Affairs and Office of Graduate Education Equity Programs to ensure that the activities are grounded in equity-centered practices.”
In her role, Jones will support the health and well-being of graduate students at Penn State, serving as a point of contact for guidance and advice to support students. Among other duties, she will collaborate with other University offices to ensure resources are explored and information is shared to meet the needs of all graduate students. She will also design and evaluate programming to support graduate students' health and well-being in topics such as stress management and work-life balance.
“As an undergraduate alumna of Penn State, it has been a full circle moment to return to State College, with over 13 years of counseling, teaching, and leadership experience, in an integral role that is focused solely on the overall well-being of all graduate students,” Jones said in her new role. “The increased need for mental health support for graduate students was to be expected for many students'as we reacclimate to in-person activities. Penn State is committed to prioritizing graduate students' well-being and access to resources. I am excited to continue to build and maintain a student-focused well-being framework that not only allows students to survive the tides of graduate school but thrive in their daily lives."
Jones completed her master’s degree at Saint Joseph’s University in Educational Leadership and received her bachelor's degree from Penn State University in Human Development and Family Studies. She brings with her breadth and depth of knowledge relating to counseling, coaching, student support services, program planning, international student support and advocacy, and trauma-informed care approaches gained through a variety of mental health and well-being training.
In Jackson’s role with the Graduate School, she will help direct and build the Accelerate to Industry program, collaborate with the graduate student organizations, faculty, alumni, and employers to create additional programming to meet graduate students’ career and professional development needs. Jackson will also work closely with the Office of Graduate Educational Equity Programs to assist in supporting the needs of underrepresented graduate students.
“I am incredibly excited to have this opportunity to work with graduate students in this capacity, in addition to my faculty and staff colleagues who I will partner with on career-related projects,” Jackson said. “Serving the needs of marginalized or underrepresented students on campus has always been a foundation of my career, and I look forward to continuing that work with our graduate student population.”
Jackson also comes to this current role with an accomplished resume. She has been a staff member at Penn State since 2013, spending time as both a career counselor and most recently a student outreach coordinator from 2018 to July 2022. Prior to her time at Penn State, Jackson spent six years at Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, with just under five of those years in a center director/campus manager role.
More information on graduate student life at Penn State can be found here.