University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

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Kevin E. Jackson

Kevin Jackson

Leadership in Diversity

2022 Larine Y. Cowan Make A Difference Award

Kevin E. Jackson is the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Professor of Accountancy and PwC faculty fellow. Dr. Jackson was recognized for showing a real passion for students and being driven to provide them a meaningful, personal experience at the University of Illinois and for bringing that passion for student well-being to everything he does. The Leadership in Diversity Award honors someone who demonstrates exceptional dedication to and success in promoting diversity and inclusion via research, hiring practices, courses, programs, and events.

Jackson holds a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to being named Vice Provost, Jackson served as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Affairs in the Gies College of Business. As Associate Dean, he created the Access and Multicultural Engagement unit that has led the college in programming designed to foster multicultural community.

In addition, Dr. Jackson introduced a course designed to equip students to engage in civil discourse around controversial topics. He has received numerous awards and honors including the PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Faculty Fellowship, the Lester H. McKeever Jr. Outstanding Leader in Advancing Diversity Award from the Illinois CPA Society, and in 2021 was named among the Top 50 Undergraduate Business Professors in the nation by Poets&Quants.

Jackson has shown a real passion for our students and felt driven to provide them a meaningful, personal experience at the University of Illinois. He brings that passion for student well-being to everything he does. Jackson’s commitment to diversity and inclusion extends to his research. One of his papers, “Deploying ‘connectors’: A control to manage employee turnover intentions?”, examines how to tap into outgoing positive people in the workplace (connectors) to make others feel less isolated because of gender, race, ethnicity, or other distinguishing characteristics.