ABOUT
Dr. Jason K. Wallace is a higher education scholar whose work examines how colleges and universities can cultivate environments where all students can thrive. As a critical qualitative researcher, his scholarship explores educational access, student success, identity development, and pathways to graduate education, with particular attention to the experiences of Black students and first-generation scholars. His work centers on understanding how institutional contexts shape educational experiences and how students navigate systems not originally designed with them in mind.
His research spans three interconnected areas: the educational experiences of Black students and professionals in higher education; first-generation student success and graduate education pathways; and culturally grounded qualitative methodologies in higher education inquiry. Dr. Wallace has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals and edited volumes, including The Review of Higher Education, The Journal of Higher Education, and the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. He has delivered more than 50 peer-reviewed presentations at international, national, and regional conferences and currently serves as co-editor of the Journal of First-generation Student Success.
Committed to bridging scholarship and practice, Dr. Wallace regularly delivers invited lectures, keynote addresses, workshops, and consultations for colleges, universities, and professional organizations across the country. His work equips educators and institutional leaders with research-informed strategies to strengthen student success and reimagine institutional cultures through human-centered practice. Raised in a working-class community, he is deeply committed to ensuring that higher education represents a meaningful and worthwhile investment for students.
Before entering the professoriate, Dr. Wallace spent more than a decade in student affairs at institutions including the University of Georgia, Emory University, the University of North Texas at Dallas, and Texas Christian University. He is also co-founder of @FirstGenDocs, a virtual community created to amplify and affirm the experiences of first-generation doctoral students.
Dr. Wallace holds a bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Texas Christian University and a Ph.D. in Education, with an emphasis in College Student Affairs Administration, along with a graduate certificate in Interdisciplinary Qualitative Studies from the University of Georgia. Outside of his scholarly work, he enjoys live music, hip-hop culture, gaming, and spending time with family and friends.