Consultants
Full-Spectrum Leadership
Jen Meyers Pickard, Ph.D.
Senior Partner & Practice Leader, Student Affairs and Student Success
Tucson AZ USA
Get in TouchBased in Tucson, Arizona, Jen Meyers Pickard brings to WittKieffer nearly two decades of experience in higher education administration at leading AAU institutions, including Northwestern University, the University of Maryland, and the University of Arizona. With a deep understanding of how academic enterprises operate, Jen serves as a trusted advisor to boards and senior leaders, partnering with clients to navigate complex leadership needs and recruit executives who align with institutional mission, strategy, culture, and long-term priorities.
Jen conducts searches for presidents, chancellors, provosts, deans, and senior leaders across a broad portfolio of functional areas, including finance and administration, student affairs and student success, research and innovation, economic development and external engagement, and a broad range of cabinet and senior executive leadership positions. She works with a wide range of institutions, including public and private universities, academic health centers, and community colleges, helping organizations identify leaders who can advance mission, drive innovation, strengthen institutional effectiveness, and respond to evolving workforce and community needs.
She is particularly valued as a strategic partner for her ability to bring informed market perspective, understand institutional culture, mission, and leadership needs, identify candidates beyond traditional networks, and guide stakeholders through a clear and efficient process. Clients consistently highlight her responsiveness, communication, and ability to make complex searches feel manageable while delivering exceptional outcomes.
Prior to joining WittKieffer, Jen spent 19 years in higher education, most recently serving as Assistant Vice President for Divisional Initiatives and Planning at the University of Arizona. In this role, she operated in a chief-of-staff capacity, extending the vision and effectiveness of senior leadership through enterprise-level change management, executive talent strategy, oversight of institution-wide assessment efforts, and the design and implementation of initiatives that advanced student success, organizational effectiveness, and institutional performance.
Jen is deeply committed to leadership development within higher education and is an active contributor to national organizations including NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), and other higher education associations. She has served on the Board of the International School of Tucson since 2020, including as Board Chair from 2021 to 2026, and now continues her service as Past Chair.
Distinctions
WittKieffer Values Award Winner
Education
Ph.D., College Student Personnel, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
M.A., College Student Personnel, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
B.S., Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH
Expertise
Presidents and Chancellors
Provosts, Deans and Academic Leadership
Vice Presidents and Officers
Finance and Administration
Student Affairs and Student Success
Research and Innovation
Economic Development and External Engagement
Community Colleges
Publications
- Hold Off on “Hybrid” Interviews
- Student Affairs: What Worries Higher Ed’s Hardest Working Leaders?
- The "I" vs. "We" Balance: Highlighting Your Collaborative Prowess When Interviewing
- Reimagining the CFO Role in Higher Education
- Hold Off on “Hybrid” Interviews
- Student Affairs: What Worries Higher Ed’s Hardest Working Leaders?