Meet the Assistant Dean of DEI

Felysha Jenkins, Ph.D.

Assistant Dean, DEI
U-1205B MRB III
615-322-3224
felysha.jenkins@vanderbilt.edu

Felysha Jenkins, originally from Chattanooga, TN, earned her Bachelor of Arts from Sewanee, the University of the South, in Psychology. She first moved to Nashville more than 20 years ago to begin a career in Human Resources. However, after a few years she decided to return to school and pursue additional education. She earned a Master of Arts in Experimental Psychology from Wake Forest University and earned a doctorate from North Carolina State University in Psychology in the Public Interest. Dr. Jenkins’ professional and research interests focus on using a strengths-based approach to improve the academic and professional experiences of underrepresented groups in our society.

In September 2021, Dr. Jenkins returned to Nashville to join Vanderbilt University as the Basic Sciences Program Manager for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and a trained facilitator for the National Coalition-Building Institute. In 2023, Dr. Jenkins was named Assistant Dean, DEI.

In her free time she loves to entertain you with stories of her cherub who is an absolute delight.

“When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower”
– Alexander Den Heijer