Rutgers University-Newark appoints HBCU administrator as its new chancellor

Rutgers University-Newark appoints HBCU administrator as its new chancellor

North Carolina A&T State University's Provost and Vice Chancellor, Dr. Tonya Smith-Jackson, has been appointed as the new Chancellor of Rutgers University-Newark. The Rutgers Board of Governors endorsed her nomination, a joint announcement by incoming President William F. Tate IV and departing President Jonathan Holloway.

Dr. Smith-Jackson earned MS and PhD degrees in Psychology/Ergonomics and Interdisciplinary Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University. She completed her BA in Psychology at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and was a part of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics' inaugural class.

Prior to her new role, Dr. Smith-Jackson served as Department Chair of Industrial and Systems Engineering, interim director of a cybersecurity center, and director of the Human Factors Analytics Lab. She also co-directed the laboratory for Cyber-Human Analytics Research for the Internet of Things (CHARIoT) at North Carolina A&T. For 14 years, she taught at Virginia Tech as an assistant, associate, and full professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering. She also taught in universities and community colleges across North Carolina, New York, Virginia, and Germany, while working as an engineer at IBM and Ericsson Mobile Communications.

Dr. Smith-Jackson identifies as a first-generation, low-income student. She emphasized the importance of reimagining and redesigning higher education ecosystems to ensure everyone's success. She has been instrumental in developing three new doctoral programs, the first artificial intelligence undergraduate program in the state, and increasing graduate assistants and research staff at North Carolina A&T, the country's largest historically black college or university (HBCU).

Her research has focused on helping formerly incarcerated individuals find employment and training in information technology, as well as the benefits of introducing undergraduates to STEM research. Dr. Smith-Jackson's new position at Rutgers will take effect on August 1, 2025. She will receive an annual base pay of $515,000, along with incentive compensation ranging from $25,000 to $77,000, and a guaranteed minimum of $51,500 in her first year. She will also receive $30,000 annually in deferred compensation.

At North Carolina A&T, under Smith-Jackson's leadership, the university has made significant advancements in areas such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, computational science, and engineering. The university consistently ranks highly in the University of North Carolina System for sponsored research funding, securing $250 million in contracts and grants over the past two fiscal years. These achievements underscore Dr. Smith-Jackson's ability to drive academic and research excellence.

1. Dr. Smith-Jackson's emphasis on reimagining higher education ecosystems suggests her commitment to promoting personal growth and education-and-self-development for all students.
2. In her new role at Rutgers University-Newark, Dr. Smith-Jackson will focus on career-development opportunities, as demonstrated by her efforts to establish the first artificial intelligence undergraduate program in North Carolina.
3. As an active advocate for policy-and-legislation, Dr. Smith-Jackson has been instrumental in developing new doctoral programs and increasing research staff at North Carolina A&T, showcasing her leadership in the general-news and academic communities.
4. Given her background in skills-training and working with formerly incarcerated individuals, Dr. Smith-Jackson's research and expertise could contribute significantly to political discussions on employment policies and opportunities in the field of information technology.

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