PhD, MBA/HCM, RN
Michael L. Jones, PhD, MBA/HCM, RN, a native of Leake County, Mississippi, currently serves as the inaugural Associate Dean for Culture, Engagement, and Professional Development in the East Carolina University College of Nursing. In this role, Dr. Jones is responsible for providing leadership and administrative oversight for researching, developing, implementing, and maintaining a range of successful practices for supporting the ECU College of Nursing’s cultural climate that values and prioritizes cultural awareness and represents populations served by ECU, which includes students, faculty, and staff. Dr. Jones is also responsible for creating an organized evidence-based, ongoing multimodal plan for faculty and staff access to professional development offerings.
Dr. Jones did his initial college coursework at East Central Community College in Decatur, Mississippi. He received his formal nursing education at Meridian Community and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He received is Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from Hampton University, becoming the first African American male to graduate from their program and the first African American male to graduate from an HBCU with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing. Dr. Jones also holds an Executive Certificate in Leadership from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business.
Dr. Jones is an inaugural fellow in the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Academy for Diverse Emerging Nurse Leaders and is a member of the AACN 2024 Diversity Leadership Institute Cohort. Additionally, Dr. Jones was recently accepted as a 2023-2024 Faculty Grant Scholar by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Foundation to conduct research related to increasing the number of African American males in nursing. Additionally, Dr. Jones is the recipient of a American Nursing Association’s National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing grant which will also fund research to address African American males in nursing.
Dr. Jones serves on several local, state, and national boards and committees including the Advisory Panel on Clinical Trials with the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute in Washington, D.C. where he was appointed as Chair by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute’s Board of Governors in September of 2021. In this role, Dr. Jones led a group that provides guidance on research methodologies to ensure research studies are inclusive of minorities and underrepresented demographics. He served in this role until his term ended in August of 2023. He currently serves as a founding Board Treasurer for the Institute for the Advancement of Minority Health, which is in Flowood, Mississippi.
Dr. Jones serves as an Assistant Editor for the Association of Black Nursing Faculty Foundation Journal as well as a member of the Editorial Board for Nursing Management – The Journal of Excellence in Nursing Leadership.
Dr. Jones serves as an independent nursing, healthcare, and research content writer where he develops instructional materials for various organizations. Dr. Jones, in his spare time enjoys gardening and collecting African art. Dr. Jones is a proud member of the Eta Eta Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma, Inc.