Research Institute ForSocial Equity

Nakeina E. Douglas-Glenn, PhD, serves as Director and Associate Professor at the Research Institute for Social Equity within the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. With over 15 years of experience in higher education, Douglas-Glenn is both an academic and practitioner specializing in organizational development, leadership development, public policy analysis, and racial equity. Recognition at VCU includes the President’s Outstanding Achievement Award and the Presidential Award for Community Multicultural Enrichment, along with induction into Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society.

Douglas-Glenn has a well-established record of building collaborative partnerships that yield sustainable results across organizations and systems. Drawing from a unique background that combines training in social work and public administration, Douglas-Glenn brings a multidimensional perspective to understanding the macro and micro influences on institutional and individual success. Grounded in a value system centered on equity, this approach enables effective navigation of complex organizational demands and diverse individual needs.

Areas of expertise include leadership development for professionals at all career stages, strategic planning for complex operations, public policy analysis at local and state levels, social equity analysis for public and private entities, and comprehensive evaluation at individual, program, and organizational levels.

Prior to joining VCU, Douglas-Glenn served as a research and evaluation associate at the National Science Foundation and as an adjunct professor in the Department of Public and International Affairs at George Mason University. Douglas-Glenn earned a PhD in Public Administration and Public Affairs with a certificate in Race and Social Policy from Virginia Tech, a Master of Social Work from Radford University, and both a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Virginia Tech.

An active civic and professional leader, Douglas-Glenn holds elected positions on multiple Richmond-area nonprofit boards. Past appointments include service on the YWCA Richmond Board of Directors and the Millennial Civic Engagement Task Force, appointed by Governor Terry McAuliffe. Douglas-Glenn also serves on the executive board of the American Council on Education’s (ACE) Virginia Women’s Network and represents VCU as the institution’s Women’s Network representative. Additional board service includes the Health Brigade free and charitable clinic and SOAR365, an organization supporting individuals with disabilities.