Jackson State announces new Academic Affairs leadership appointments

Jackson State Community College (JSCC) has made leadership appointments across the Academic Affairs division following nationwide searches for Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dean for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the newly created Dean of Learning Resources. 

JSCC President Dr. Carol Rothstein has appointed Sara Youngerman as the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Youngerman brings 19 years of higher education experience to the role, serving the institution since 2006 when she joined as Agriculture faculty. 

“Sara has been a long-time contributor to the progress taking place here at Jackson State and this search process has further reinforced her ability to continue to lead our academics to new heights,” said Dr. Rothstein. “She brings a breadth of new ideas, with a keen institutional knowledge to make those ideas happen. I’ve already seen her make great strides to work with our faculty to reinforce our academic rigor, and I look forward to the impact she will continue to make.” 

In 2018 she was appointed as Dean of the School of Math & Natural Sciences where she served diligently until her appointment as Transitional Vice President of Academic Affairs in January 2024. 

During her tenure as Dean, she oversaw the of the School of Math & Natural Sciences transfer pathways programs, allowing JSCC students to better transfer to four-year partner institutions. She led the college’s general education core update – the first in 20 years. She also served for a year as an interim Dean for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the largest transfer pathway School in the college. 

During her tenure with the college, Youngerman has been active in the agricultural sector serving on the Henderson County Agricultural Extension Advisory Board and been involved with other agricultural-based organizations. 

While serving as the Transitional Vice President of Academic Affairs, Youngerman has worked to expand the college’s articulation agreements with four-year institutions such as the University of Tennessee at Martin and Middle Tennessee State University to name a few. These agreements have expanded the college’s ability to create pipelines for students, making credit transfer easier for students than ever before. 

Following the appointment of Youngerman, two deans were also appointed. Dr. Anna Esquivel has been named Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences and Sara Saddler as Dean of Learning Resources, bringing a combined 31 years of higher education experience to the institution. 

“Both Deans bring an immense amount of knowledge and experience to their roles, that will prove valuable as we work to expand our academic programs and student support services at Jackson State,” said Youngerman. “Dr. Esquivel has been a valuable member of our faculty body, while also taking on other roles to provide the best experience for our students. Equally, Dean Saddler brings that same energy to our team from her time at Vanderbilt, which will further drive our institution forward and make our student experience even better.” 

Dr. Esquivel joined the institution as an Associate Professor of English in 2013 and has since served in various roles, making valuable contributions on both the academic and non-academic sides of the institution. Prior to being named the Transitional Dean for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in the Fall of 2024, Dr. Esquivel served as the director of the Dr. Mechel Camp Teaching and Learning Center from 2023-2024 and was the Chair of the Languages and Literature Department from Fall 2021 until her appointment as Transitional Dean. 

For over two years, Dr. Esquivel was the Coordinator of the Global Learning program at Jackson State, which allows students to study abroad, learning curriculum in countries around the world each summer to provide students an immersive experience to their academic studies. 

Prior to joining the academic side of higher education, Dr. Esquivel was spent half a decade doing laboratory and project-based neuropsychology and biopsychology research at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital Center for Pediatric Neuropsychology, University of Memphis-Molecular Biopsychology Laboratory, and Physician’s Postgraduate Press in Memphis. 

A new dean position was added to Academic Affairs and following a nation-wide search, Sara Saddler was selected as the inaugural Dean of Learning Resources. As Dean, Saddler will work to establish, develop, and oversee the college’s transformation to a Learning Commons model, leading the charge for a Learning Commons example for the entire Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) Community College system. 

Saddler brings 11 years of higher education library management experience to the role, previously serving at Vanderbilt University Law Library in various roles for a decade. Prior to her appointment, Saddler most recently held the position of Head of Collection Services at the Vanderbilt University Law Library. There, Saddler assisted with the transformation of the Massey Law Library into a Learning Commons style library that has received praise for its design and usage of the library’s allocated space. 

Prior to her time at Vanderbilt University, Saddler kick-started her library career as a Senior Circulation Assistant at JSCC in 2014.