Jackasha Wiley

Jackasha-Janaee I. Wiley serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Access, where she provides strategic leadership to advance educational equity and expand opportunities for historically underserved, first-generation, and under-resourced students. In this role, she oversees a broad portfolio of initiatives including Pre-College Outreach, Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math-Science, the Paul Robeson Success Institute, Thrive Student Support Services, and the Cooperman and Posse Scholar cohort programs. 

Ms. Wiley directs efforts to strengthen the pre-college to post-baccalaureate pathway by developing innovative programs, cultivating partnerships with school districts and community organizations, and working collaboratively across the university to promote college access, persistence, retention, and timely degree completion. Her responsibilities also include securing external funding, ensuring compliance with U.S. Department of Education reporting requirements, and building institutional capacity to support the holistic development of diverse student populations.  

Over her 15-year career at Rutgers, Ms. Wiley has held several key leadership roles, including Acting Associate Vice Chancellor, Senior Director, Director and TRIO Principal Investigator and award-winning educator—Ms. Wiley has become a nationally engaged scholar-practitioner whose influence extends far beyond campus. Her leadership includes chairing committees, reviewing national proposals, and serving as a mentor in executive leadership development institutes. 

She is celebrated for her conference presentations, research on African American males in urban education, and active leadership in Council for Opportunity in Education, Association for Equality and Excellence in Education, NASPA, and other professional organizations.  Committed to community impact, she volunteers with several civic and alumni organizations and is recognized for her longstanding mentoring and service to youth. Ms. Wiley continues to transform lives and elevate the future of education across New Jersey and beyond. 

Ms. Wiley is a two-time Rutgers University graduate, earning a Bachelor of Arts in History and Women’s & Gender Studies from Douglass College and a Master of Education from the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, with specializations in Social Studies and Urban Education. Before joining Rutgers professionally, she served as a K–12 educator in History and Financial Literacy, where she developed curriculum, supported diverse learners, and led innovative instructional initiatives in local school districts.