Karen T. Jackson

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Biographical Abstracts

Dr. Karen T. Jackson is an associate professor of leadership studies and adult education at North Carolina Agricultural and State University, immediate past president of the American Evaluation Association, and CEO of Katalyst Innovative Consulting Services. Her scholarship and practice focus on community-engaged leadership and collaborative approaches to addressing complex social challenges.

Jackson practices and models excellence in addressing key community issues by working alongside community members, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and universities to strengthen community capacity and support sustainable change. She is a leader of the Community Connectors initiative in Greensboro, North Carolina, a volunteer-led collaborative that leverages research, advocacy, storytelling, and partnerships to address the root causes of violence and improve neighborhood well-being. Her community-engaged scholarship contributed to securing a $2 million U.S. Department of Justice award to expand community violence intervention and prevention efforts.

Jackson's work informs local, national, and international initiatives related to health equity, STEM leadership development, and culturally responsive evaluation. She is lead co-editor of the forthcoming book Community Engaged Leadership: Sharing Leadership with and through the Complexities of Social Change, and remains committed to helping communities lead their own change through relationships, shared leadership, reflective practice, and collective action.

Areas of Expertise

• Community-engaged leadership
• Evaluation and participatory action research methods
• Community violence intervention and prevention
• Leadership ethics and decision making
• STEM leadership