Almesha Campbell

Almesha L. Campbell, Ph.D. is the Assistant Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Jackson State University (JSU). In this capacity, she supports the Vice President with overall responsibility for the Division of Research and Economic Development, which overseas Grants and Contracts, Sponsored Programs, Research Compliance, Technology Transfer and Commercialization, Federal Relations, and the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development.

For over 10 years, she served as the Director for Technology Transfer and Commercialization at JSU, and continues to manage the intellectual property process from triage of invention disclosures to commercialization. She provides strategic direction and vision for defining partnerships in commercialization and innovation initiatives between JSU and other institutions, funding agencies, and industry stakeholders. Almesha is the Principal Investigator (PI) for the NSF-supported JSU I-Corps Site, which is designed to train teams of faculty and students to take their ideas from the lab to the market. She is also PI of an NSF EAGER grant designed to help change perception of underrepresented minorities in innovation and entrepreneurship. She also led the effort to establish JSU as a newly funded SBA Women’s Business Center.

In partnership with the University of Kentucky Office of Technology Commercialization and XLerateHealth, Almesha serves as the executive director of the Engaging Researchers and Innovators in Commercialization at HBCUs (EnRICH) pre-accelerator program, which engages faculty and students at HBCUs in innovation and commercialization. She led the development of the newly established Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at JSU, which houses a VR Academy, makerspace, eSports program, learning collaboratory, production room, and more.

Almesha is a member of the AUTM Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and a member of the Women Inventors SIG. In addition to AUTM, Dr. Campbell holds membership in professional organizations such as the Licensing Executives Society, Society of Research Administrators (SRA) International, and the American Society of Public Administration.