Women of the Mid-Ohio Valley: Dr. Torie Jackson
WTAP takes a look at how Dr. Torie Jackson is one of many women in the MOV who add more to the region.
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) - Dr. Torie Jackson is the fourth woman to serve as West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s interim president.
She graduated from the school and after years spent in media and communications; she would come back to be an instructor in that field. Jackson would go on to rise up in leadership roles and get to where she currently is today.
“For me, it’s just an opportunity to do what I enjoy. And that is to see students be successful,” says Jackson. “And when you are able to sit in the role of a president you see things through a different lens. Because you see the entire campus and the importance that each individual piece plays in making the student whole.”
Jackson says that she has had a chance to mentor other women in her field, the same way she was when she was starting out.
“And if I wanted to name one specifically it would be Dr. Cindy Gissy,” says Jackson. “She’s now retired. But she was the academic dean. And her whole heart was in this institution. She used to tell us that she would bleed blue and gold and I believe that she would. And that’s the motto that I also want to have.”
Another one of her mentors was Jackson’s predecessor, Dr. Chris Gilmer.
“So, I was definitely mentored by Chris Gilmer, our former president. And he had a lot of faith in my abilities,” says Jackson. “I’ll admit when he first came to campus, I was a little disenchanted with leadership of this campus, so I didn’t become one of those people who knocked on his door. But he found me. And he made sure that I had opportunities and then he helped nurture those opportunities so that people could see my abilities. I’ll always be thankful for that experience.”
Jackson says that she loves being a part of the Mid-Ohio Valley and wants to continue to see it grow. And believes that WVU-Parkersburg can be a part of that growth.
“I love the Mid-Ohio Valley. I’m very thankful that this was the place that I was able to be raised. I also am excited about the opportunities that the Mid-Ohio Valley has to grow,” says Jackson. “I think that at WVU-Parkersburg we can be a player in that. We could help spur economic development by offering programs that can attract companies. And that’s a part of the future and direction that we want to grow.”
Another one of Jackson’s roles is as the mascot for discovery world on market, Izzy.
Copyright 2023 WTAP. All rights reserved.