Carolyn Meyers facts for kids

Carolyn Winstead Meyers is an important leader in education. She is known for being the former president of Jackson State University. Dr. Meyers was born in Newport News, Virginia. She studied mechanical engineering at Howard University. Later, she earned her master's and doctorate degrees in engineering from Georgia Tech. She also did advanced studies at Harvard University.

Starting Her Career

Dr. Meyers began her career at General Electric. There, she worked as a steam generator and systems analyst. This means she helped design and understand how large machines that create power work.

Working in Universities

After General Electric, Dr. Meyers moved into higher education. She held teaching and leadership roles at several universities. These included Georgia Institute of Technology and the Atlanta University Center Corporation. She also worked for the National Science Foundation.

At North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, she was a top academic leader. She served as the provost, which means she oversaw all the academic programs. She also led the College of Engineering as its dean. Before that, she was the Associate Dean of Research for the Georgia Tech College of Engineering.

Leading Universities

On February 3, 2006, Dr. Meyers was chosen to be the president of Norfolk State University. She started this role on July 1, 2006.

Achievements at Norfolk State

As president, Dr. Meyers helped Norfolk State University raise a lot of money. She brought in more funds than any president before her. This included a large donation of $3.5 million. Under her leadership, the university also did more research than ever before.

Moving to Jackson State

On November 3, 2009, Dr. Meyers was considered for the president role at Morgan State University. She then resigned from Norfolk State University on June 30, 2010. Later that year, on November 22, 2010, she was named the next president of Jackson State University.

Awards and Recognitions

Dr. Meyers has received many honors for her work. She is part of the Georgia Tech Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni. She is also a member of several honor societies like Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi, and Tau Beta Pi.

She has won important awards such as the NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award. Other awards include the Society of Automotive Engineers' Ralph A. Teetor Award. She also received the National Society of Black Engineers' Golden Torch Award. In 1993, she was named an ASME Fellow.

Personal Life

Dr. Meyers is a parent to three adult children. She is also a grandmother to three grandchildren.