Jason Rivera
Vice Provost for Student Success and Dean of University College
Dr. Jason Rivera has over two decades of experience in the field of education. Throughout his career, he has been resolute in his commitment to dismantling systemic barriers that prevent all students, but especially Latino and African American students, from being able to successfully use education to transform their lives. He currently serves as the Vice Provost for Student Success and Dean of University College at Ball State University. In his role he oversees student academic support services, academic advising, student athlete support services, student success coaching, and the first-year experience. He also coordinates university-wide student success and retention efforts with the goal of dismantling barriers students might encounter as they pursue their degree.
Prior to joining Ball State, Dr. Rivera served as the vice chancellor for student academic success at Rutgers University-Camden, where he led Rutgers University-Camden's efforts to promote successful academic outcomes for its undergraduate students by advancing the university's long-standing culture of support for every student. He also previously served as dean of the sophomore class and director of the Intercultural Center, both at Swarthmore College, and held a number of academic leadership positions at Montgomery College in Maryland.
Dr. Rivera's research explores college completion for Latino and African American male-identified students as well as the ways care, capital, and community cultural wealth influence student outcomes, and he has presented his research at conferences nationwide. He is also a lead author of Achieving the Dream's Equity Toolkit (2023). Additionally, his research was used to develop Montgomery College's Achieving the Promise Academy, an academic coaching program created to ensure every student has the assistance, opportunities, and tools needed to succeed in college.
He earned his Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with a concentration in minority and urban education at the University of Maryland, College Park, his master's degree in elementary education at CUNY's College of Staten Island and his bachelor's degree in history and political science at Manhattanville College. He lives in Muncie, Indiana with his husband and son.