Dr. Wilkins has been the recipient of many awards, including two JCEP/ESP Visionary Leadership Awards, a 2019 JCEP/ESP Mid-Career Distinguished Service Award, and a 2020 State Ruby Award.
MEDINA, OH, January 15, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ — Jacqueline Kirby Wilkins, Ph.D. has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Dr. Wilkins is a professor, experienced educational administrator, and organizational management expert who has dedicated her career to supporting and promoting Extension education and community-engaged preventive education programs. Inspired by the successes of her aunt, the first woman in her family to attain a graduate degree, and by her mother, who was the first female chief engineer and spent more than 50 years volunteering for the local fire department, Dr. Wilkins initially hoped to pursue a career in clinical psychology. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in psychology at Ohio Dominican University in 1990, summa cum laude, and began graduate studies at The Ohio State University, where she was first exposed to the potential of Extension education during a professional seminar. Dr. Wilkins earned a Master of Science in human development and family relations in 1994, and was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in human development and family science in 2000, graduating from both programs with honors at The Ohio State University.
Dr. Wilkins began her career in 1994 as an Extension associate within The Ohio State University’s Department of Human Development and Family Science, rising to assistant professor in 2000. In 2002, she left academia to establish IntelliSolve, Inc., a business consulting firm that counted among its clients The Cleveland Foundation and the United Way of Greater Cleveland, and secured more than $3 million in grant funding for nonprofit projects over five years. Dr. Wilkins returned to the academy in 2009 as an assistant professor of family and consumer sciences at Ashland University, where she taught topics in child and family studies until 2012, when she accepted an administrative associate professor role with The Ohio State University. Between 2012 and 2017, Dr. Wilkins served as associate chair of programs and Northeast Ohio regional director of operations for Ohio State University Extension, overseeing all financial, personnel, and operational functions for up to 31 counties’ programs.
In 2018, Dr. Wilkins was named director of operations and associate chair of Ohio State University Extension, taking responsibility for supporting more than 750 employees, focusing on policy improvements, long-range planning, and talent recruiting and development. In 2019, she was named interim director of Ohio State University Extension, and after one year of distinguished and thoughtful leadership, she was appointed to her roles as associate dean and director of OSU Extension and chair of the department of Extension. After more than a decade of administrative service, Dr. Wilkins’ returned to faculty at The Ohio State University in 2024 to focus on attracting, retaining, and building the next generation of Extension professionals through her research, teaching, service in the areas of mentoring and community-engaged Extension scholarship.
In recognition of her professional excellence and commitment to her work, Dr. Wilkins has been the recipient of many awards, including two JCEP/ESP Visionary Leadership Awards, a 2019 JCEP/ESP Mid-Career Distinguished Service Award, a 2020 State Ruby Award for outstanding leadership in Extension, and inclusion in the Women We Admire 2023 list of the top 50 women business leaders in Ohio. She has served as chair of various professional sections of the National Council on Family Relations, and is active in community outreach as a volunteer and member of non-profits boards focused on strengthening youth, families, and communities. In the coming years, Dr. Wilkins looks forward to continuing her work with a focus on amplifying awareness of the efficacy of Extension scholarship and prevention education, as well as its transformative economic and social potential. In her personal time, Dr. Wilkins enjoys spending time hiking and exploring nature, and is an avid reader and photographer.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Marquis celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, and Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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