Biography

Dr. Shonda Jones is executive director of academic programs at the School of Professional Studies, Wake Forest University in Charlotte, NC. Dr. Jones is a much sought-after consultant for educational organizations, focusing on academic evaluation, intercultural practices, and equity and inclusion engagement. Before joining Wake Forest University, Dr. Jones served as Associate Dean at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology (Atlanta, GA) and Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology (Dallas, TX).

Dr. Jones spoke earlier this year at the 33rd annual GLAAD Media Awards in NYC to discuss her work as Principal Investigator of the Gilead COMPASS Initiative® Faith Coordinating Center at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity; building the capacity of faith communities to address HIV/AIDS in the Southern United States. She also served in 2021 as the facilitator for Queer Clergywomen Thriving in the South, a virtual, peer-supported cohort for queer clergywomen.

Dr. Jones interests include educational innovation, the intersection of theological school choice and race, and Faith and Health, and her focus broadly examines intercultural practices that promote communal flourishing. She is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church, certified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), and trainer for intercultural communication. Her work as an educator and administrator has included teaching and global engagement in South Africa, Egypt, Israel, South Korea, Brazil, Ghana, and several countries throughout Europe.