WHO IS DR. J?
Dr. Jeremy Whittaker, also known as “Dr. J,” is a highly respected educational consultant and trained facilitator with over 15 years of experience in leadership roles within higher education and the corporate sector. He has consulted and implemented training programs at universities, community colleges, government agencies, corporations, faith-based organizations, conferences, non-profits, panel discussions, and podcasts. His areas of expertise include athlete mental health, student and employee engagement and development, support services for individuals with disabilities, success for minority men, cultural competence and inclusion, and reducing the stigma surrounding seeking help in underserved communities.
Student Athletes Assessed
Mental Health First Aiders Trained
Years OF LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
While balancing the responsibility of being a college student athlete, he attained a Bachelor of Business Administration with emphasis in Organizational Management and Finance from Southern Arkansas University. Following an appointed internship with the United States Department of Education, Dr. Whittaker also attained a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Higher Education Leadership/Student Affairs and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. In addition, he accomplished his doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in Urban Higher Education Leadership from the Executive Ph.D. program at Jackson State University and recently completed the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace certification program from the University of South Florida Muma College of Business.
Dr. Jeremy N. Whittaker affectionately known as “Dr. J” is a result driven catalyst of positive transformation with an extensive background in higher education leadership, disability support programming, intercultural development, and personalized student engagement. With nearly two decades of experience in higher education and organization leadership, Dr. Whittaker has held administrative leadership roles within Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, Multicultural-Diversity Affairs, Academic Support/Counseling, Athletics, and Career Services. Jeremy’s proven track record in higher education also includes his tenure as the Executive Director of Student Affairs and Regional Campus Dean at Cambridge College in Boston, MA as well as his experience with the United States Department of Education. Additionally, during his time at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock he is credited for his work within the Academic Success Center and collaborative efforts with the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation for the implementation and success of the African American Male Initiative (AAMI) program. He currently serves in the role of Associate Dean for Student Success and Inclusion as well as a graduate professor within the nationally ranked Loewenberg College of Nursing at The University of Memphis. In this role, Dr. Whittaker serves as the Chief Student Affairs and Inclusion officer within the academic unit through providing oversight for Recruitment and Admissions, Progressions, Scholarships, Academic Advising, Student Conduct, DEI and Student Affairs for nursing students at both LCON campuses which are located in Jackson, TN and Memphis, TN. Additionally, he dedicates his time and efforts as an Sr. Operations Strategist for the behavioral health and educational services foundation ABC’s of Life, Inc. Since joining the organization, he has spearheaded community partnership and vendor support efforts that increased state and federal contracted services by over 60% and assisted in over 250 individuals with documented disabilities becoming gainfully employed.
Dr. Whittaker is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and he has enjoyed the pleasure of conducting workshops at a multitude of institutions nationally in which he highlights his philosophy that engagement is inextricably bound to learning. He states, “students who feel that they truly matter to an institution are much more likely to be retained, persist, and ultimately graduate. Therefore, we must ensure the necessary resources are accessible to assist in this effort.”
Dr. Whittaker was recently recognized by the Memphis Business Journal as a Top 40 under 40 recipient and remains quite active in civic engagement through recent partnerships with the City of Memphis Youth Services MPLOY Summer Initiative as well his involvement with Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Greater Memphis, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and appointment as a member of the Junior Achievement of Memphis & the Mid-South Young Professionals Board. Additionally, he is a nationally certified Youth & Adult Mental Health First Aid Instructor and enjoys being a member of the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Memphis Chapter.
ABC’s Of Life, Inc. 501c(3) is a behavioral health, non-emergency transportation, and educational support services foundation based in Memphis, TN. For over two decades the agency has provided people with mental, physical, career, and behavior health needs access to individualized solutions through effectively implementing the wrap around process. As the Sr. Operations Strategist, Dr. Whittaker is committed to ensuring these life-changing solutions assist each individual and family to believe in their abilities and reach their personal goals to learn, work, and live an independent and productive life. This commitment of spearheaded efforts has resulted in increased state and federal contracted services by over 60% since 2019 and assisted in over 250 individuals with documented disabilities becoming gainfully employed.