Shirelle Jackson joined the University of Miami (UM) Athletics Department staff as the Director of Student-Athlete Development in April 2014. Jackson spent the previous five years in various capacities in the College of Arts and Sciences at UM. This new position was intended to enhance the athletic department’s efforts to develop programming which has strengthened the total development of our student-athletes.
Jackson oversees the Office of Student-Athlete Development at the University of Miami and is committed to the personal and professional development of our entire student-athlete population. She supports this population by placing the focus on: Personal, Leadership, & Career Development, Community Service & Outreach, while serving as the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) advisor.
She was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director of Student-Athlete Development in May 2016. Prior to arriving at UM, Shirelle was the Director of Athletic Academic Support Services from 2005-2008 at Florida International University (FIU), where she oversaw the management and operation of the school’s academic support program for its 400 student-athletes. She also coordinated the academic and personal advising, class registration, tutors, study hall and study skills workshops. During her tenure at FIU, she saw her full-time staff increase from three to six and the student-athlete graduation rate improved by 16 percent.
She was the Assistant Director for Student-Athlete Services for an academic year at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Her first athletics position was as Coordinator for Student-Athlete Development at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU), where she started in August 2000. After two years, she was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Student Development, also at ECSU, until 2004 .
Jackson was a letter winner for the women’s track and field team at Bowling Green. She received her bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green in 1994 and her master’s degree in counseling: student development in higher education from Central Connecticut State in 1998. She is currently a doctoral candidate in higher education leadership at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, FL.
She is married to Jason Jackson, who is the television host and courtside reporter for Miami HEAT telecasts on Sun Sports. The couple has two children – Justin (17) and Jordan (13).