Meet Dr. Jacob Alan English: Champion of Student Success, Belonging, and Global Learning
Jacob Alan English, PhD is not just a leader; he's a passionate advocate for high-impact practices, currently serving as the Director of the Center for Undergraduate Fellowships and Research (CUFR). As the Director, he establishes, implements, and leads CUFR's strategic vision and priorities. In this role, he facilitates the development of global citizens and leaders through undergraduate research and national awards coaching, collaborating with faculty, staff, and external partners who advocate for these initiatives. He finds joy in empowering undergraduates and alumni, guiding them in writing, storytelling, goal setting, graduate school and career planning, and fostering their leadership development. Before joining GW, Dr. English served as the Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of the District of Columbia.
Starting his career at Georgia State University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Dr. English intentionally pursued positions that allowed him to understand the breadth and depth of the higher education ecosystem, including those in academic affairs, student affairs, and athletics. However, it was his time as an adjunct instructor and involvement in Georgia State's Black Male Initiative that truly shaped his path as an administrator. Between 2016 and 2019, he taught the Science of Learning and Teaching course, earning the Outstanding Teacher in Educational Psychology Award. From 2018 to 2022, he led the Black Male Initiative in the Honors College at Georgia State, securing an IDEAS (Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students) grant from the U.S. Department of State to enhance the global learning experiences of Black college men. Additionally, he built strong partnerships with corporate sponsors to elevate the initiative through vital economic and social support.
As a scholar-practitioner, Dr. English is a recipient of a Fulbright International Education Administrator award to Germany. He also plays a key role as the Co-Founder and Director of Research of the Delta Air Lines-sponsored AGILE (Advancing Global Inclusive Leadership Education) Scholars Program, a collaboration that focuses on empowering historically underrepresented groups in higher education through global education and leadership development.
Dr. English operates within four distinct yet overlapping areas of research and praxis, which include appreciative inquiry, understanding social and psychological barriers to participation in high-impact practices (e.g., research, global learning), belonging, equity, diversity, and inclusion in education, and identity development. His writings on these topics have been published in journals like the Journal of Appreciative Education and the Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council. He has also presented at conferences focused on global learning and race and ethnicity in education, like the Forum on Education Abroad Conference and the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity.
Dr. English is deeply involved in his field. He has served a four-year term on the executive board of the National Association of Fellowships Advisors and was the founding co-chair of the DEI committee. He served a two-year term as a Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Gilman Advisor Ambassador. Currently, he contributes his expertise as an Education Division Councilor in the Council on Undergraduate Research.
Dr. English completed his PhD in Educational Psychology and received his Graduate Certificate in Quantitative Research in Education and Certificate of Excellence in Teaching and Learning from Georgia State University. His award-winning dissertation research, “I Am Not Your Student-Athlete: Investigating Social Identity Complexity as a Stereotype Threat Mitigation Strategy to Reduce Barriers to Academic Engagement,” was funded by the NCAA and published in the Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics. More than a research study, the dissertation represented a full-circle moment that connected his experiences as a student-athlete with his evolving identity as a scholar. It paid homage to the discipline, resilience, leadership, and pursuit of excellence cultivated through sport while illuminating the educational experiences of students whose stories often exist beyond simplistic labels.
The dissertation served as a bridge between two seasons of his life, honoring the lessons learned through athletics while laying the foundation for a broader scholar-practitioner agenda focused on understanding how individuals and institutions interact to shape opportunity, belonging, and human development across the higher education landscape. The themes that have defined his journey, including excellence, leadership, and a commitment to expanding opportunity for others, have been recognized throughout his academic, professional, and athletic career. He was named to Georgia State University's 2020 40 Under 40 Class and inducted into the Georgia State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019 for his achievements in track and field.
Dr. English enjoys life as a husband, son, brother, uncle, friend, and colleague. He’s passionate about health, wellness, and mindfulness. When he's not at the gym or on the tennis court, you can find him reading poetry or a fiction novel, writing, listening to a podcast (probably NewsNight with Abby Phillip), baking, at a concert, or watching sports.
Dr. Jacob Alan English’s commitment to education and social equity is not just a career - it's his calling.
