Dr. Debra Jackson elected to Western Association of Graduate Schools Executive Committee

Interim associate vice president for Academic Affairs at CSUB to join the nonprofit to help produce change in graduate studies

By California State University, Bakersfield

March 26^th, 2021

Dr. Debra Jackson, interim associate vice president for Academic Affairs, dean of academic programs at California State University, Bakersfield was recently elected to the Western Association of Graduate Schools (WAGS) Executive Committee.

“I am thrilled to have been elected to the WAGS Executive Committee for a three-year term starting in April 2021. As the new secretary of WAGS, I am responsible for facilitating communication to the full membership and maintaining the official records of institutional memberships. I hope that through my participation in the organization, I can learn about best practices for graduate education and bring these to CSUB,” said Dr. Jackson.

“I am pleased that Dr. Debra Jackson will be joining the executive board for WAGS this upcoming year," said Dr. Tammi Vacha-Haase, the current president of WAGS, and graduate dean at Boise State University. "Debra's commitment to graduate education is apparent. I am so pleased that she will be bringing her enthusiasm and knowledge to this leadership team. The breadth and depth of her experience will help her to play a key role in helping our organization to move forward in these uncertain times.”

WAGS is a non-profit, regional association affiliated with the U.S. Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), founded in 1958. Its primary purpose, according to its website, is “the consideration of mutual problems among the member institutions, relating to graduate studies and research.”

Membership for WAGS is composed of accredited institutions of higher education in the Western United States, Canada, Mexico and the Pacific Rim that offers master’s or doctoral degrees.

“Membership in WAGS has allowed our campus access to resources to help support graduate students at CSUB, networking opportunities with other graduate program leaders across the Western region, and the ability to participate in graduate student award competitions,” added Dr. Jackson.

“She’s incredibly bright – a remarkably talented person. I think her best trait is the fact that she’s willing to work extremely hard,” said CSUB Provost Dr. Vernon Harper. “She collaborates well with her colleagues, has the respect of the faculty and is really committed to the mission of the campus.”

“She’s extremely student-focused. Not just student-friendly but organized for students. I would call it student ready. I see that behavior in her oversight of the areas, academic programs and through all of the activities in which she oversees. She’s trying to help build a student ready organization,” added Dr. Harper.

Dr. Jackson attended her first annual WAGS Conference in 2019 and was immediately inspired to get more involved. Since then, she has ensured that each year the university has at least one nominee for the WAGS/ProQuest Awards, and launched CSUB’s Grad Slam/3MT Competition.

The WAGS annual conference offers two opportunities for the recognition graduate student excellence: the WAGS/ProQuest Awards and the WAGS Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT).

“In 2019, biology graduate student Angela Madsen won CSUB’s inaugural Grad Slam and competed in the fourth annual WAGS 3MT competition. In 2020, history graduate student, Hannah Mckinzie, won CSUB’s second annual Grad Slam competition, and will complete in the fifth annual WAGS 3MT competition,” said Dr. Jackson.

The WAGS 3MT Competition allows one student from each member campus to present their research in three minutes with one PowerPoint slide. The winner from the competition represents WAGS at the national 3MT competition.

The WAGS/ProQuest Awards allows member institutions to nominate graduate students for four awards: The Innovation in Technology Award, the Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award in STEM disciplines, the Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award in humanities, social sciences, education, and business disciplines, and the Distinguished Master’s Thesis and/or Final Master’s Capstone Project Award in the creative, visual and performing arts.