BJML Dean
Dr. Gilbert L. Rochon Appointed Interim Dean of TSU’s SOPA
Texas Southern University has appointed Dr. Gilbert L. Rochon, a distinguished higher education leader and former President of Tuskegee University, as Interim Dean of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs (SOPA).
Dr. Rochon served as Tuskegee’s sixth president from 2010 to 2013, earning recognition as a university professor and receiving an appointment from the Governor of Alabama to the Governor’s College & Career Ready Task Force, where he contributed to advancing academic and career readiness initiatives.
“Dr. Rochon brings more than 30 years of higher education and public administration experience to the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs,” said Dr. Carl B. Goodman, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. “Our School of Public Affairs is a national research and career preparation leader. We are pleased that Dr. Rochon will bring his research-driven leadership to assess and evaluate the school’s future direction while the University engages in a national search for a permanent Dean.”
Dr. Rochon’s wide-ranging experience includes work in academia and the federal government.
Before Tuskegee, he served as the Associate Vice President for Collaborative Research
and Engagement at Purdue University for over eight years. He also served as a Research
Community Planner with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and spent 18
years as Conrad Hilton Endowed Professor and Director of the Urban Studies & Public
Policy Institute at Dillard University.
“I am excited about the opportunity to lead the accomplished faculty and staff of
the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs in this interim capacity,”
Dr. Rochon said. “This school is known industry-wide, and throughout academia, for
the research, these men and women do daily and for the opportunities it provides students
to commence from their program prepared to thrive in their chosen field. I look forward
to identifying ways to enhance the services we provide students to prepare them in
an even more relevant way for the careers of their dreams.”
He earned his Ph.D. in urban and regional planning from the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT), a Master of Public Health in health services administration from
Yale University School of Medicine, and a bachelor’s degree from Xavier University
of Louisiana. He also held federal appointments with NASA, DoD NAVOCEANO, USDA Forest
Service, and EPA.
gilbert.rochon@tsu.edu Office Location: PAB 415F
Jasmine M. Drake
Ph.D, Interim Associate Dean
Office Location: Public Affairs Building
E-Mail: jasmine.drake@tsu.edu | Phone:
Jasmine M. Drake serves as the interim associate dean and an associate professor in the BJ-ML School of Public Affairs and as the laboratory coordinator of the Forensic Science Learning Laboratory at Texas Southern University. Since 2016, she has also served as a Governor-appointed commissioner on the Texas Forensic Science Commission. She earned a B.Sc. in Chemistry from Southern University and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Louisiana State University. Her current research focuses on disparities in drug policies and the identification and characterization of emerging drugs and the development of novel analytical techniques for their reliable identification. Previously, Drake worked as a forensic chemist at the Drug Enforcement Administration in Dallas, TX. During her tenure at DEA, her primary professional responsibilities included controlled substance identification, quality control testing, and the analysis of evidence submitted by law enforcement officials. She also assisted with clandestine laboratory operations and testified findings of technical laboratory reports in court. She has also worked in the Department of Forensic Science at Sam Houston State University as an assistant professor. Additionally, she has worked as a K-12 public school teacher in Irving, Texas and as a National Academy of Sciences postdoctoral researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, MD. She is a member of the Criminalistics Section of the American Academy of Forensic Science and the Council of Forensic Science Educators. She is also a research fellow at the TSU Center for Justice Research.
Ms. Sheila Taylor
Office Location: Public Affairs Building Suite 415H
E-Mail: sheila.taylor@tsu.edu | Phone: 713.313.6842
Sheila Taylor joined the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs staff on November 15, 2002. She was hired as the College Business Administrator (CBA) in November 2019. Mrs. Taylor holds an (A.A.) Associate of Art’s Degree, a (B.S.) Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice, and a (M.P.A.) Master’s in Public Administration Degree. Mrs. Taylor believes that tough times do not last but tough teams do. She believes in the power of influence and interdependence to uplift the faculty, staff and students and encourage them to high performance.
Glenda Higgins, Ph.D
Office Location: Public Affairs Building Dean's Suite
E-Mail: glenda.higgins@tsu.edu | Phone: 713.313.7347
Dr. Higgins is currently employed as a Senior Administrative Assistant in the Dean's Office in the Barbara Jordan -Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University. She started working as a graduate assistant in the Dean's Office on January 15, 2020. As a 3-time TSU alumna, Dr. Glenda Ann Higgins holds a B.A. in General Studies (2016), an M.A. in History (2018), and a Ph.D. in Administration of Justice (2023). She is an intricate part of the Dean's Office and excellence in achievements is what drives her to be meticulous in communicating with TSU's students and partners because what matters to them is important to the Dean's Office. Dr. Higgins' previous managerial and administrative experience makes it possible for her to promote the success of the goals and objectives of the Dean's Office. She believes that accountability is based on responsibility and reliability.
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