Erika Jackson is Assistant Director of Institutional Research in charge of student success.

When did you join the University?

I came to UC Davis as a grad student in 2005, went to work at Office of the President in 2011, but returned in Davis in 2012. I missed Davis!

What's your day-to-day role in stewarding university resources?

As the Assistant Director of Institutional Research in charge of student success, I work to understand what is helping students be successful and what’s preventing them from achieving their goals. The better we can be at structuring our institution to facilitate student success, the more efficient we can be with university resources. I’m a strong believer in rigorous evaluation of programs and knowing the actual effect they are having on students. Many efforts may seem like they would be helpful but a careful analysis may show that money can be better spent on other methods of supporting students. 

What's an example of how you delight customers?

I try my best to anticipate questions that will be asked, not just answer those that have already been posed. We work with very busy people who appreciate this type of thorough analysis and it’s nice to feel one step ahead!

What do you like best about working at UC Davis?

I’ve had the opportunity to learn from some incredible leaders in my time here, especially women in leadership positions. These experiences have been powerful and I’m lucky to work at an institution that has such a diverse set of leaders.

If I wasn’t working at Davis I would miss walking to and from work through the Arboretum and the Tomatillo Chicken dish from the Coho!

What's the most challenging part of your job?

Trying to balance goals and aspirations for what we can accomplish with the reality of how much time we have to produce something is really tough. It’s frustrating when you dream of something being bigger and better but just don’t have the time to get it to that point. Learning to accept that is a challenge!

Tell us something about yourself that most people wouldn’t know. 

I used to be a wedding photographer - I’ve photographed over 50 weddings!

What’s something you like to do when you’re not at work?

My husband and I are from Missouri and are big Cardinals baseball fans – we watch or listen to most of their games and try to get to at least one game each year.