Dr. Akia Jackson to direct Writing Center at Hood College

Dr. Akia Jackson
Dr. Akia Jackson

After two years as part of our writing center, Dr. Akia Jackson is departing Washington University to direct the Writing Center in the Josephine Steiner Student Success Center at Hood College.

Dr. Jackson joined our team in August of 2020 when The Writing Center was working remotely.  Despite the challenges posed by getting started during that time, she quickly became an integral part of our team and contributed her experience and insights to the further development of our entire staff.

Dr. Jackson came to Washington University with extensive experience supporting undergraduate and graduate students in both writing and speaking centers.  She earned her BA in English from Xavier University of Louisiana and her MA and PhD in English and American Literature from the University of Iowa, where she worked in writing and speaking centers supporting business, engineering, and liberal arts students.  Her teaching experience includes composition courses at several universities across the country.

Thanks to those experiences and her excellent work with each student, Dr. Jackson quickly developed strong working relationships with hundreds of Washington University students.  She came at a time when students were experiencing increased stress as a result of the changing conditions of the pandemic, and her work helped ease that stress and allowed writers to accomplish their goals.

“Many of the students with whom Akia worked contacted me on a regular basis to say they couldn’t have gotten through their programs without her,” said Rob Patterson, director of The Writing Center, “I know her guidance and support were instrumental for both graduate and undergraduate students whether they were writing a dissertation, applying to medical school, or working on a final paper.  She set a high standard for whoever follows her in this role, and I know she will make an excellent director of her own writing center.”

We wish Dr. Jackson the best in her new endeavor and look forward to seeing what she accomplishes next!