Leadership Team

Dr. Tonya Smith-Jackson, PhD, CPE, Chancellor of Rutgers University–Newark, is an industrial and systems engineer with extensive academic leadership experience. Formerly Provost at North Carolina A&T State University, she has also served at the National Science Foundation. A Fellow of IISE and HFES, she champions academic excellence, equity, diversity, and inclusion across higher education and industry.

Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Robinson is an internationally known author and co-founder of the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship and Economic Development. Robinson holds the Prudential Chair in Business and is Professor of Management and Global Business at Rutgers Business School (RBS).

Corlisse Thomas is the Sr. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs & Sr. Advisor to the Chancellor at Rutgers University-Newark. Dr. Thomas oversees a range of professionals and departments dedicated to student life and leadership, health and wellness, athletics, diversity and inclusion, and housing and residential life. 

Arcelio is the Chief Business Officer at Rutgers-Newark and has responsibilities for the ensuring the fiscal health of the campus. In his role, Mr. Aponte supervises team members who lead the fiscal planning and management process; campus operations; government & external relations; capital projects; and human resources. Arcelio is member of the university’s Finance & Administration leadership team.

LaToya leads the team members within the Division of Enrollment Management & Experience and supervises the Offices of Financial Aid, One Stop, Registrar, Graduate & Undergraduate Admissions, and the Center for PreCollege Programs. Ms. Battle-Brown collaborates closely with colleagues in the offices of Student Accounting, ID Services and the Payment Center. LaToya works closely with central offices like UES, PMO and the Vice President for Enrollment Services to ensure decisions are student-centered.

Angie is the primary lead and liaison on behalf of the Office of the Chancellor to the Institutional Planning and Operations(IPO) team. Ms. Bonilla works closely with various IPO offices on issues related to but not limited to parking, capital improvement projects, grounds, strategic construction projects and access management.

Robyn Brady Ince is the Executive Director of the Newark City of Learning Collaborative and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Urban Education at Rutgers University–Newark. Robyn has extensive experience in strategic program design, development, and implementation; youth leadership development; philanthropy; college access; higher education; and diversity recruiting.

Working closely with Rutgers-Newark Chancellor, the Rutgers University Foundation President, and the Executive Leadership Teams, Beth aligns development strategies to advance Rutgers-Newark. Beth leads the fundraising operations the development team who secure funding from individuals, corporations, and foundations. She and the team focus on cultivating relationships and generating new gifts that advance the Rutgers-Newark’s mission.

Jennifer M. Bucalo is the Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives, as well as the Director of the BOLD Women's Leadership Network at Rutgers University - Newark. Prior to this role, she proudly served as a New York City Board of Education teacher for nearly ten years. Her dissertation was nationally awarded for focusing on Resiliency and Factors Contributing to the Latina Collegian Experience. She is also dedicated and has published research that focuses on Hispanic health disparities as it pertains to cancer prevention.

As the Sr. Vice Chancellor for Research and Collaboration, Joel is dedicated to facilitating and supporting all aspects of the research mission, focusing on fostering the continuum of sponsored research, graduate and undergraduate education, and outreach.  Dr. Caplan is a Professor at Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice (SCJ) and specializes in GIS mapping and crime pattern analysis, and co-developed Risk Terrain Modeling (RTM), a spatial diagnostic technique that connects environmental features to crime locations.

Kevin leads the development of comprehensive technology strategies to enhance student engagement and academic success. They drive digital transformation initiatives and foster industry partnerships to integrate real-world opportunities into the curriculum. Committed to leveraging emerging technologies and data-driven decision-making, Kevin continuously improves educational practices and operational efficiency across the university.

As the Sr. Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs & Strategic Partnerships, John oversees the offices of academic technology, academic scheduling, Lifelong Learning, Student Retention, and Institutional Effectiveness. Dr. Gunkel leads and coordinates academic advising across the Rutgers-Newark based schools to ensure that advising approach is student-centered, and data driven. John collabo represents the Office of the Chancellor as it relates to academic labor relations, assessment, and academic program development and approvals.

Duties: Co-direct and lead managing operations and the facility, oversee existing studios, programming, exhibits, and events, expanding opportunities for students, faculty, and community member’s engagement that actively engage ExpressNewark’s resources. Increase financial support through collaboration with the RU Foundation and increase submissions of grant proposals. Submit an annual report to the Chancellor’s Office and represent ExpressNewark in Chancellor- level meetings.

Diane Hill is the Assistant Chancellor for University-Community Partnerships at Rutgers University-Newark, with over 30 years of experience in leadership positions. For over fifteen years Diane has administered the Office of University-Community Partnerships (OUCP).

Randall Isaac was previously retail manager at Rutgers-Newark and has held positions at Apple, where he was business administrator, and Coach, where he was Senior Manager of Vendor Service and Accounts Payable. His skills include budgets, negotiating and auditing. He holds an A.S. in Business Administration and Computer Science from Thomas Edison University.

Duties: Co-direct and lead managing operations and the facility, oversee existing studios, programming, exhibits, and events, expanding opportunities for students, faculty, and community member’s engagement that actively engage ExpressNewark’s resources. Increase financial support through collaboration with the Rutgers University Foundation and increase submissions of grant proposals. Submit an annual report to the Chancellor’s Office and represent ExpressNewark in Chancellor- level meetings.

Crystal leads the teams for housing operations; reservations, events & conference services; and manages the relationship with the Rutgers-Newark’s dining vendor, Gourmet Dining.  Ms. Lopez works closely with partners across Rutgers-Newark and with various offices and staff within Institutional Planning and Operations.

Shante is a public affairs executive, community advocate and college professor. Her tenure in government, community relations, higher education and grassroots campaigns spans over a decade and demonstrates exceptional experience and professional distinction. By training and professional principle, Shante serves the public interest by acting as a responsible advocate for those she represents.

Charles M. Payne is the Henry Rutgers Distinguished Professor of African American Studies at Rutgers University- Newark where he also directs the Joseph Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Research. His interests include urban education and school reform, social inequality, social change and modern African American history. 

Mary leads the team members for the areas of budget management & fiscal planning, and the team members in student accounting, payment center and DU ID Services. Ms. Tamascoworks closely with all the budget leaders across Rutgers-Newark to ensure that schools and units are in compliance withuniversity, state and federal policies and guidelines.  Mary oversees the daily operations of the budget management process for the Office of the Chancellor.

Luis supervises the leaders of ExpressNewark, Global Initiatives & Experiential Leadership, the Honors Living Learning Community, and the Institute for Jazz Studies. Dr. Rivera is responsible for leading RU-N’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) activities. In these areas he will serve as lead for the RU-N’s HSI efforts and represent RU-N at key national and regional HSI-related meetings.

Erica Williams is the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs & Dean of Students at Rutgers University-Newark. Ms. Williams oversees a range of professionals and departments dedicated to student life and leadership, health & wellness, athletics, diversity & inclusion, and housing & residential life.