Jeremy N. Whittaker - Loewenberg College of Nursing

 

About Jeremy N. Whittaker

Dr. Jeremy N. Whittaker is a transformative higher education leader with nearly two decades of experience advancing student success, enrollment management, and organizational effectiveness. A former collegiate student-athlete, proud native Memphian and Christian Brothers High School graduate, he serves as Associate Dean for Student Success and Graduate Professor in the nationally ranked Loewenberg College of Nursing (LCON) at the University of Memphis.

In his role, Dr. Whittaker provides strategic leadership and oversight for recruitment and admissions, academic advising, student progressions, scholarships, student conduct, and comprehensive student affairs across LCON’s Memphis and Lambuth campuses as well as the college's online degree offerings, supporting undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. His work centers on enrollment strategy, retention and persistence initiatives, accreditation-informed assessment, faculty collaboration, and student success operations aligned with institutional, state, and national benchmarks.

Dr. Whittaker is recognized for enterprise-level leadership across academic operations, advising systems, and student affairs. He is known for collaborative faculty leadership, operational stewardship, and advancing student-centered, faith- and service-oriented learning environments that prioritize access, belonging, and degree completion. His leadership has strengthened healthcare partnerships, expanded scholarship and pathway initiatives, and supported the successful acquisition of external funding to advance student success and workforce development.

A respected educational consultant and national facilitator, Dr. Whittaker has led workshops and institutional engagements across the country. His areas of expertise and research interests include student success frameworks, athlete mental health and wellness, intercultural development, disability support services, international student engagement and reducing stigma related to help-seeking behaviors in underserved populations. His professional philosophy emphasizes that meaningful engagement and genuine senses of belonging are foundational to learning, persistence, and graduation.

Prior to joining the University of Memphis, Dr. Whittaker held senior leadership roles across Student and Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, Academic Support, Athletics, and Career Services. His experience includes service as Executive Director of Student Affairs and Regional Campus Dean at Cambridge College (Boston, MA), as well as leadership roles with the U.S. Department of Education and the University of Arkansas System, where he supported the African American Male Initiative (AAMI) in partnership with the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.

Beyond higher education, Dr. Whittaker remains deeply committed to civic engagement and community impact. He serves as Senior Operations Strategist and former Chief Operations Officer for ABC’s of Life, Inc., a behavioral health and educational services foundation, where his leadership contributed to a 60 percent increase in state and federal contracts and supported employment placement for more than 250 individuals with disabilities. He is actively engaged with the City of Memphis Youth Services MPLOY Summer Initiative, Big Brothers & Big Sisters of America, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Junior Achievement of Memphis & the Mid-South Young Professionals Board, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) . He is also a nationally certified Youth and Adult Mental Health First Aid Instructor.

Dr.  Whittaker is a contributing member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), a frequent national presenter, and a recipient of the Memphis Business Journal Top 40 Under 40 and Memphis Urban Elite Professionals Top 40 Under 40 honors and recently completed the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute Aspiring President’s Fellowship at Clark Atlanta University.

Professional Overview

Education

• Ph.D., Urban Higher Education Leadership, Jackson State University (2018)
  Dissertation focused on help-seeking behavior among male student-athletes and academic performance.
• M.B.A., Organizational Leadership, University of Arkansas at Little Rock (2012)
  M.Ed., Higher Education Leadership / Student Affairs, University of Arkansas at Little Rock (2010)
• B.B.A., Organizational Leadership & Finance, Southern Arkansas University (2009)

Specialties

• Community/population health
• Mental health
• Nursing administration
• Research methods
• Transcultural care
• Underserved populations

Professional Memberships

ACPA - Association of College Personnel Administrators
AHEAD- Association on Higher Education And Disability
NAMI- National Alliance on Mental Illness
NASAP- National Association of Student Affairs Professionals
NASPA- National Association of Student Personnel Administrators

Honors and Awards

• HBCU Executive Leadership Institute Aspiring President’s Fellowship at Clark Atlanta University (2025)
• City of Memphis, Urban Executives Top 40 Under 40 (2024)
• Memphis Business Journal Top 40 Under 40 (2023)
• Business Partner of the Year — City of Memphis, MPLOY Youth Employment Initiative (2017)

Publications

 

Active Projects