Jarvis Christian University President Dr. Glenell M. Lee-Pruitt has named Dr. Talia Sanders as the Interim Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs. She will assist with accreditation efforts and reports, policy development, strategic plan implementation, and providing leadership of academic programs and curriculum development. Dr. Sanders has served at Jarvis for the past six years as an assistant professor of biology.
Sanders earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology (2001), Master of Science (2008), and Doctor of Philosophy (2013) degrees in Environmental Science from Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. She has conducted extensive research on phytoremediation, environmental toxicology, STEM education, and test anxiety/mitigation. She has published articles in the Journals of Environmental Toxicology, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Analytical Biochemistry, and Review of Environmental Health.
In 2019-2020, Dr. Sanders completed a residency as a leadership fellow with the Center for the Advancement of STEM Leadership (CASL), a year-long academic and skill-building experience designed to improve the effectiveness as a leader to broaden the participation of undergraduate students who are underrepresented in STEM fields. She was the only Black woman in the cohort that included only one other woman.
During the summer of 2020, Dr. Sanders earned digital credentials for teaching online and was awarded a Teaching Online certificate through the Quality Matters program. In 2021, she submitted a proposal to SWEPCO to implement a STEM summer bridge program, resulting in a $250,000 grant award to Jarvis.
With more than eight years of teaching experience and 14 years of research experience in higher education, she continues to expound her expertise by participating in yearly professional development and research opportunities, along with teaching Ecology and Introduction to Environmental Science I and II. At Jarvis, she has served as secretary for divisional meetings (2019-2020), secretary of Faculty Governance (2019-2021), freshmen mentor (2021-2022), advisor/mentor for upperclassmen (2018-present), sponsor of the JCU chapter of Beta Kappa Chi National Honor Society (2018-2023), and an academic advisor for Biology & Biology/Pre-Nursing students. She is a Diamond Life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and serves as the on-campus advisor for the Theta Kappa chapter at Jarvis.
Sanders shares that she has always had an unwavering passion for education and science. Her interests in both were piqued as a young child and were further ignited by having great educators and mentors along the way.
“I have encountered great people who have poured into me in many different ways, and I want to pass that on to the next generation,” Sanders said. “Science and education fuel my passion. If you are working on something you care about, you don’t have to be pushed. Your vision pulls you.”
Jarvis provides a culturally rich educational environment where students are empowered to achieve their career goals through an inclusive and diverse academic experience that prepares them for a life of significance. Whether a student is a recent high school graduate or a working adult seeking career advancement, Jarvis Christian University develops all of its students intellectually, socially, spiritually, and personally.
