Leading with Purpose, Giving with Heart: Dr. Jackie Fouse Honored with Hall of Fame Award
Whether guiding groundbreaking therapies from the lab to patients’ lives or creating opportunities for the next generation of business leaders, Dr. Jackie Fouse has built her career on helping people reach their full potential.
As Board Chair and former CEO of Agios Pharmaceuticals, Jackie has led with a steadfast belief that scientific innovation should serve people, families and society.
Jackie’s passion for helping others hasn’t gone unnoticed, and this fall, she will be inducted into the UTA College of Business Hall of Fame, recognizing both her career success and generous support.
“It is an amazing honor and a humbling experience to know that the College of Business Administration at UTA has deemed me worthy of this recognition,” Fouse said. “There are many stellar alumni of the school that could be included in this group, and I am simply grateful and proud to be one of the inductees.”
Jackie with her dog George in New York City.
Jackie graduated with a BA in Economics from UTA in 1982, then returned for an MA in Economics in 1984 and ultimately a PhD in Business Administration/Finance in 2012. Her decision to attend UTA was shaped by both practical considerations and academic quality.
“I think there were two aspects supporting my decision to study at UTA. One was a very practical one related to needing to study at a university that offered the flexibility to commute and work full-time while also taking a full load of courses each semester. UTA supported that approach. I needed to be able to work while going to school,” Fouse said. “The other was related to the quality of the business school and the subjects I wanted to study. UTA had, and has, strong business degree programs and a great faculty, so I knew I would get a high-quality education with the flexibility to support my lifestyle.”
During her time at UTA, Jackie found that the College of Business focused on developing graduates with practical, real-world skills, not just theory. While the foundational concepts were covered, the emphasis on real-life application helped support her career ambitions. She also remembers being surrounded by driven, like-minded classmates who helped push her forward.
“The people who study at UTA want to work hard and earn their place in the world, regardless of the subject they study,” Fouse said. “I liked being around other students with that attitude – study hard, work hard, earn your way on your own and pursue a successful career that can contribute to bettering the part of the world you want to serve. That’s how I approached my career.”
Dr. Jackie Fouse.
Jackie left UTA feeling grateful for the experiences and relationships she gained during her time, and wanted to give back to the school and community that supported her. She generously supports the College of Business, establishing the Jack and Doris Fouse Study Abroad Scholarship, the Jacqualyn A. Fouse Endowed Scholarship, and is a founding member and a donor to the Dean's Leadership Circle. She also established the Goolsby-Jacqualyn A. Fouse Endowed Chair and gave to the Daniel Himarios Endowed Chair. Jackie has also given to the UT Foundation for the Jacqualyn A. Fouse Chancellor’s Excellence Endowment.
“I like what the school does for students and the community and want to support those efforts. I was a student who didn’t have extra money, and I wanted to give so that perhaps some students can get access to opportunities that they might not otherwise have without a little bit of support,” Fouse said. “UTA supported in some way the ultimate career success I had, and that has provided me with some financial means and I want to give some of that back.”
The College of Business isn’t the only benefactor of Jackie’s selfless generosity.
Jackie is deeply involved in conservation and environmental volunteer work, with a particular focus on land preservation and the restoration of the Herring River in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment and a master’s in Wildlife Forensics and Conservation from the University of Florida. In addition to volunteering with the Herring River Restoration Project and two environmental nonprofit organizations, she continues to serve as a corporate board director for three pharmaceutical companies.
Jackie poses for a photo with the Protector of the River award.
“The conservation and environmental volunteer work comes from having an interest in topics relevant to the world today and making a contribution to those. My business experience can be relevant to that work as well,” Fouse said. “One aspect of my outlook is that we should each find ways to leverage our experiences to benefit people and the planet. A lot of the business experience we have can be applied in a variety of ways, and it’s fun to figure those ways out and do something for the betterment of the world.”
When asked what advice she would give to current students, Jackie encourages students not to over plan their careers and remain flexible about what their future might hold.
“If you remain open to a variety of opportunities and experiences, pursuing those will make you a more well-rounded person and you will find creative ways to apply your skills and knowledge,” Fouse said. “If you do too much planning and have a narrow view of how your career should unfold, you may miss an important, meaningful opportunity that could literally change your life.”
Throughout her career, Dr. Jackie Fouse has focused not just on advancing science or business, but on advancing people. Her belief in creating value for others has guided her work in healthcare, education and the environment, and her induction into the College of Business Hall of Fame celebrates a life spent empowering others to succeed.