It is a great honor to be a “first” in accomplishing a meaningful endeavor. Dr. Gladys DeJesus was the first woman in her country, the Dominican Republic, to earn a Ph.D. in Economics. She graduated as valedictorian and summa cum laude from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and later earned her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from The Ohio State University. She also received a Fulbright Scholarship in 1974 to study at Stanford University.

After teaching in the United States at Ohio University and East Carolina University, Dr. DeJesus returned to Santo Domingo to serve as her country’s principal International Trade Representative. In 1989, she was honored with the Distinguished Alumna Award from the National University in the Dominican Republic. Most recently, in 2023, she was awarded the Orgullo UNPHU Award from the same institution.

Dr. DeJesus joined the Chowan University faculty in 1993, serving as Professor of Economics for 25 years. Among her many accomplishments, she established the Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society at Chowan. She was named Distinguished Professor of Economics in 2001 and served as Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies. In 2011, she received the Faculty Advisor of the Year Award and earned the Excellence in Teaching Award in both 2002 and 2013. In 2018, she was inducted into Chowan’s Order Lux Et Veritas. The School of Business honored her legacy by creating the Dr. DeJesus Economics Award scholarship in her name.

A published author, Dr. DeJesus has reviewed papers and research proposals for various organizations and has presented her work at numerous professional conferences. She is an active member of professional organizations such as the American Economic Association, Southern Economic Association, International Atlantic Economic Society, American Association of University Professors, and the International Academy of Business and Economics.

In a speech delivered to Honors College inductees in 2017, Dr. DeJesus remarked, “Always remember that education is a process. Both your society and your human nature demand that you continue learning. As the boundaries of your disciplines expand, you must learn to stay on top of new developments and attempt to push those disciplinary boundaries.” These words reflect her lifelong dedication to education and intellectual growth.

The beauty of her personal learning journey lies in how she gained knowledge from her students—through moments of reflection and by discovering new ways of thinking and teaching. She shared, “The moment of epiphany I see in a young person’s eyes when I have nailed the explanation of a concept has taught me new ways of teaching. I have learned throughout this quarter of a century at Chowan that learning is truly a lifelong process.” (Taken from an article written by Christina Thomas Hill)

Most importantly, Gladys DeJesus is a warm, loving, and caring person. As noted in Business School Monthly in 2018, “There are not enough words to express how much we admire and appreciate Dr. DeJesus. She is thoughtful, kind-hearted, and tenacious—a winning combination. We are all better people because of her.”

Dr. Gladys Antonia DeJesus continues her Chowan journey through her generous love and support for Chowan University students and her service to the broader community. She is an active member of Saint Charles Catholic Church in Ahoskie, where she serves as Chair of the Parish Finance Council. Additionally, she has devoted years of service to Rotary International, contributing her time and energy to global and local initiatives.