Anthony Abraham Jack

Anthony Abraham Jack is an Associate Professor of Higher Education Leadership and the inaugural Faculty Director of the Newbury Center at Boston University's Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. His research focuses on class disparities in higher education, particularly the experiences of first-generation and low-income students at elite institutions. He holds a PhD in Sociology from Harvard University, alongside an AM from Harvard and a BA in Women’s and Gender Studies & Religion from Amherst College.

• Key Roles: Faculty Director of Newbury Center (Boston University), Research Affiliate at Harvard’s Advanced Study of Behavioral Sciences
• Educational Background: PhD (Harvard University), AM (Harvard), BA (Amherst College)

Jack’s scholarship examines how elite colleges fail disadvantaged students through systemic inequities, as detailed in his books The Privileged Poor and Class Dismissed. His work has been featured in major media outlets like the New York Times, Atlantic, and NPR. He advocates for institutional reforms to address class-based barriers in academia.

• Major Themes: Educational equity, first-gen student success, pandemic-era challenges, and the intersection of race and class in higher education

His recent work highlights how colleges’ neglect of socioeconomic diversity exacerbates inequality, as seen in studies of student experiences during the pandemic. He has advised policymakers and universities on creating inclusive environments for marginalized students.