New Jersey Institute of Technology Hires a Leading Voice for Diversity
New Jersey Institute of Technology has tapped David E. Jones, a leading voice for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in higher education, to become its first chief diversity officer.
Jones, who starts Dec. 1, joins from William Paterson University, where he has been chief diversity officer since 2020. On his watch, the university established scholarship opportunities for diverse students; developed a predoctoral fellowship program to improve faculty of color representation; launched a monthly Community Dialogue Series for faculty and staff; conducted workshops on unconscious bias, race and gender identity; issued a land acknowledgement statement and created a Council for Equity and Justice, which Jones chaired.
Before William Paterson, Jones was director of the Paul Robeson Cultural Center at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, where he oversaw a mentoring program for Black undergraduates and earned the MLK Staff Service Award. Jones also teaches DEI modules to senior leaders via The Equity Institute — a remote program at the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center — and has written about DEI issues in publications such as the Journal of Higher Education Management and the Journal of College Student Development.
At NJIT, Jones assumes a high-level, multi-faceted role as the university strives to deepen diversity across all its ranks, foster belonging for students, faculty and staff on campus and earn the federal designation of being a Hispanic-serving institution. Such initiatives flow from NJIT’s strategic plan, which seeks to redouble efforts to enroll women and underrepresented minority students, attract and retain diversity faculty and hire and promote diverse administrators.
“David is ideally suited for this role, given his 15 years of experience as an administrator, educator and consultant in diversity, equity and inclusion,” said NJIT President Teik C. Lim. “I’m particularly struck by his energy and enthusiasm for creating an inclusive campus climate here in Newark in which every individual can thrive.”
The university’s DEIB initiatives encompass surveying, research, training and recruitment, with everything from college prep for Newark high school students and diversity leadership training for undergraduates to a management training partnership with McKinsey & Co., research into the online harassment of female and LGBTQ live streamers and now, a chief diversity officer. Ultimately, the goal is to serve students.
Jones, who holds a doctor of education in organizational leadership and communication from Northeastern University, a master of education in college student affairs from the University of South Florida and a bachelor of science in communications from Eastern Connecticut State University, worked closely with students at the Robeson Cultural Center and earlier, as director of residence life and student conduct at the City University of New York. Indeed, his career is rooted in student experience.
“My lived experiences have informed my career and life’s work,” Jones said, adding, “I’m eager to blend those experiences as the chief diversity officer at NJIT.”
Click here to learn more about DEIB at NJIT.
About New Jersey Institute of Technology
One of only 35 polytechnic universities in the United States, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is an R1 (most elite) Carnegie Classification research university that offers more than 125 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and spurs economic growth while preparing students to become leaders in the technology-dependent economy of the 21st century. NJIT is a catalyst for applied research and innovation that improves lives and fosters economic growth. Ranked No. 14 in the nation on Money’s Best Colleges list, NJIT also stands among the top 100 colleges and universities nationally for the mid-career earnings of its graduates, according to PayScale.com. NJIT is ranked No. 33 nationally by The Princeton Review as a Best Value College and is rated among the top 50 public national universities and top 100 overall by U.S. News & World Report.
