Rutgers-Newark Chancellor Inducted into PhD Project Hall of Fame

Rutgers-Newark Interim Chancellor Jeffrey Robinson was among three leaders honored by The PhD Project, a nationally recognized non-profit aimed at diversifying the business world.

He was inducted into the PhD Project Hall of Fame in celebration of the organization’s 30th anniversary. The PhD Project supports Black, Latinx and Native American students pursuing doctoral degrees in business with the intent to become university faculty. Rutgers-Newark will be hosting a November 7 event titled “Creating Change in Corporate America”  to mark the organization’s anniversary. Registration information can be found here.

"Jeff started with The PhD Project 27 years ago and has aspired to leadership and now inspires our members and countless business students,’’ said Blane Ruschak, president of The PhD Project. “Our 30th Anniversary Hall of Fame inductees exemplify our strong roots and three-decade commitment to enriching education for all.’’

Also inducted were Jennifer Joe, Professor in the Accounting and Information Systems Department of the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech and Tara Perino, Senior Director of Operations for The PhD Project, who is only the second non-academic to be inducted in Project history,

Since its launch, the PhD Project has been responsible for dramatically increasing the number of underrepresented professors, administrators and academic leaders, helping more than 1,700 former business professionals and undergraduate students attain their doctoral degree. The program also includes 250 students currently enrolled in a business PhD programs. 

Robinson, a Rutgers alumnus, is an internationally known author and co-founder of the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship and Economic Development at Rutgers Business School. He joined Rutgers-Newark in 2008 as a faculty of management and global business at Rutgers Business School. His work addresses community and economic development issues for urban metropolitan areas in the United States and abroad. 

He is the co-author of two books published by HarperCollins Leadership, including Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness, published in 2010, and a sequel Black Faces in High Places: 10 Strategic Actions for Black Professionals to Reach the Top and Stay There, which won a 2023 Axiom Award, one of the top honors for books about business. Both books were co-authored with Rutgers alumnus Randal Pinkett, Robinson’s long-time friend and business partner.

Robinson, the Prudential Chair in Business at Rutgers Business School, holds five academic degrees spanning engineering, urban studies, and business, including a Ph.D. in Management and Organizations from Columbia University's Graduate School of Business.

“Through his research, academic leadership and community-engaged scholarship, Dr. Robinson makes direct impacts on corporate workplaces, entrepreneurs and economic development policy in the state of New Jersey and beyond,’’ according to the PhD Project.