Research Institute ForSocial Equity

Nakeina E. Douglas-Glenn, PhD, serves as director and associate professor at the Research Institute for Social Equity in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a higher education academic and practitioner with more than 15 years of experience in organizational development, leadership development, public policy analysis, and racial equity. Douglas-Glenn has received numerous awards and honors at VCU, including the President’s Outstanding Achievement Award and the Presidential Award for Community Multicultural Enrichment. In addition, she was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society.

Douglas-Glenn has an established record of accomplishment in building collaborative partnerships to deliver sustainable results within and across organizations and systems. A highly regarded professional, Douglas-Glenn’s practice emerges from the intersection of her training in social work and public administration training and affords her a unique vantage point to understand the macro and micro influences that affect success. Based on a value system that centers equity, this intersection of perspectives serves her well in navigating the complexity of individual needs and institutional demands. Her areas of expertise include teaching and facilitating leadership development experiences for early, mid, and senior career professionals; strategy development to grow and sustain complex operations; public policy analysis for local and state government; social equity analysis for public and private entities; and individual, program, and organizational assessment and evaluation.   

Prior to joining VCU, Douglas-Glenn served as a research and evaluation associate at the National Science Foundation. She was also an adjunct professor at George Mason University in the Department of Public and International Affairs. Douglas-Glenn earned her Doctorate of Philosophy in public administration and public affairs with a certificate in race and social policy from the Center for Public Administration and Policy at Virginia Tech. She has a Master of Social Work from Radford University and received her Bachelor of Arts in political science and Bachelor of Science in sociology from Virginia Tech.

She is an active leader in many civic and professional organizations and is an elected member of several Richmond area non-profit boards. She previously served on the YWCA Richmond board of directors and was appointed to the Millennial Civic Engagement Task Force by Governor Terry McAuliffe. She is an elected member of the American Council on Education's (ACE) Virginia Women's Network executive board and serves as the Women's Network's institutional representative at VCU. She is also a member of the board of directors for the Health Brigade free and charitable clinic (formerly the Fan Free Clinic) and SOAR365, an organization providing services and opportunities for individuals with disabilities.