About me
Dr. Taija R. Jackson is a higher education executive and systems strategist serving as Vice President of Student Affairs at Uintah Basin Technical College. She leads institution-wide efforts to expand access, remove structural barriers, and strengthen workforce-aligned pathways within postsecondary Career and Technical Education.With nearly 20 years of experience spanning private industry, K–12, higher education, and correctional education, Dr. Jackson brings a cross-sector perspective to systems design, change management, and student success strategy. Her work focuses on applying human-centered design (HCD) to complex environments where traditional approaches have fallen short.Her doctoral research at Utah State University examined how applied HCD interventions influence faculty perceptions and engagement in postsecondary and correctional CTE settings. Her findings highlight both the opportunity and the gap in equipping educators to design more responsive, human-centered learning systems.Dr. Jackson has led multiple grant-funded initiatives supporting student success, including veteran services, mental health training, and institutional innovation. She is an ECMC Fellow and national presenter, recognized for advancing practical, systems-level solutions that connect education, workforce, and access.Her work is grounded in a clear belief: the most persistent challenges in CTE are not unsolvable—they are misaligned systems that can be redesigned to better serve people.
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