Research at JSU
Assistant Vice President
Almesha L. Campbell, Ph.D. is the Assistant Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Jackson State University (JSU). In this capacity, she supports the Vice President with overall responsibility for the Division of Research and Economic Development. For over 12 years, she has served as the Director for Technology Transfer and Commercialization at JSU and continues to manage the intellectual property process from triage of invention disclosures to commercialization.
Almesha designs and manages a number of national and local programs around innovation and entrepreneurship in an effort to broaden the participation of underrepresented minorities in these areas. She has garnered approximately $12M in federal grants and contracts since 2016. She is the principal investigator or co-principal investigator for several federally funded programs including the National Science Foundation (NSF) Mid-South I-Corps Hub and the National Institutes of Health REACH Hub , the NSF Enabling SBE Science via the Network for Transformative Research program, the NSF Engines Development Award: Advancing Food Security and Climate Resilience (MS), and the recently awarded NSF Accelerating Research Translation program led by the University of Southern Mississippi.
She co-led the development of the JSU Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at JSU, which houses XR Academy, makerspace, eSports Lab, learning collaboratory, production room, and more. She created the JSU Innovation Fellows Program and spearheads an initiative to transform the STEM curriculum using virtual reality. She is nationally and internationally recognized for her commitment and contributions to innovation and research translation, and promotes the inclusion of innovation and entrepreneurship in the faculty tenure and promotion process. She serves as the liaison for the Princeton Alliance for Collaborative Research and Innovation (PACRI) program for faculty, as well as the Google supported TechWise program for students.
She was elected a chair of the AUTM Board of Directors (2023 – 2024) – the first black person and the first from an HBCU to sit on the Board (2021 – 2025). In addition to AUTM, Almesha holds membership in professional organizations such as the Licensing Executives Society, Society of Research Administrators (SRA) International, the American Society of Public Administration, and is an honorary member of the National Academy of Inventors. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida, and a master’s degree in mass communications, and a doctoral degree in public policy and administration from Jackson State University.
Almesha L. Campbell, Ph.D., RTTP, HonNAI
Assistant Vice President for Research and Economic Development
Chair, AUTM (2023 – 2024)
Tel: 601-979-6347
Email: almesha.l.campbell@jsums.edu
Research Administration
To really succeed in any area of research, you need supporters who believe in you. JSU’s Office of Research and Economic Development is here to help you with securing funding, finding opportunities, and bringing your work to the public.
Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIEED) leverages the best of JSU’s STEM, business, and entrepreneurial capabilities to help solve some of society’s most pressing problems. By pairing our researchers with entrepreneurs, designers, and businesses, we help you bring your inventions to life.
