Je'Nai Righter is profiled for leadership focused on equity and service

Je'Nai L. Righter, EdD, an assistant provost at Thomas Jefferson University, is being highlighted for a 20-year career in higher education centered on student success, leadership development and equity. Her profile points to growing pressure on colleges to adapt to AI, rising costs and the need to build psychologically safe environments for students and staff.

Why it matters: - Righter’s career reflects a broader push in higher education to pair institutional strategy with student support, leadership development and equity-centered management. - Her profile also spotlights two major pressures facing colleges now: the rise of artificial intelligence and the financial strain of earning a degree. - The article frames leadership development as a long-term investment in the people who will carry higher education forward.

What happened: - Je'Nai L. Righter, EdD, was profiled by Influential Women on Sept. 22, 2026. - Righter serves as assistant provost at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. - The profile highlights more than 20 years of work in education and higher education leadership. - Her career focus includes student success, organizational strategy, leadership development and building environments where people can grow with dignity and purpose.

The details: - Righter began in K–12 education as an aspiring English teacher working with children in an inner-city community. - That experience led her to higher education and a career centered on systemic change. - She has held leadership roles at Lincoln University, University of the Sciences, Immaculata University, Neumann University and Thomas Jefferson University. - In her current role, she works on strategic systems building, operational excellence and initiatives that support institutional outcomes and student experiences. - Her responsibilities include aligning initiatives with institutional strategy, guiding teams, developing leadership opportunities for graduate and professional health science leaders, strengthening community partnerships, supporting accreditation efforts and advancing sustainability initiatives. - She emphasizes that operational decisions should support institutional goals while also helping the people the institution serves. - Righter is especially focused on psychologically safe environments, where people can learn, adapt, ask questions and make mistakes without fear of losing belonging or value. - Her academic background includes a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, a Master of Science in Educational Leadership and Administration from Saint Joseph’s University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. - She is QPR certified in suicide prevention, holds a Trauma-Informed Leadership Certification and is pursuing a Restorative Justice Practice Certificate. - Her professional affiliations include NASPA, The Delaware & Lehigh Valley Student Advancement Collaborative and the National Society of Leadership Success. - Righter says faith in Jesus Christ and personal resilience shape her work and help her stay committed through fear, bureaucracy and barriers to access. - She says staying grounded requires being present for herself, making space for spiritual renewal and allowing God to lead her. - Her guiding career principle is remembering her “why,” which she uses to stay focused when an environment becomes difficult. - She advises young women entering higher education to “Keep a standard, get a standard, and never lower your standards.” - Righter and her husband co-founded Pure Living Enterprise, a group of organizations focused on the holistic development and restoration of leaders across generations and marketplace sectors. - Her stated values include integrity, trust, diligence, authenticity and compassion.

Between the lines: - The profile presents Righter as part administrator, part leadership coach and part cultural architect. - Her emphasis on psychological safety and restorative practices suggests a leadership model built around retention, belonging and long-term development. - Her comments on AI and degree affordability point to a higher education sector under pressure to prove value while finding new ways to support emerging leaders. - The donor angle signals a broader argument: philanthropy may need to fund leadership pipelines, not just campus operations.

What's next: - Righter is continuing to build leadership capacity through her work at Thomas Jefferson University and through Pure Living Enterprise. - Her public message suggests she will keep pushing for higher education models that combine strategy, service and human development. - The profile points to continued attention on how colleges adapt to technology, cost pressures and the need for stronger support systems for future leaders.

The bottom line: - Righter’s profile casts higher education leadership as a service role with real institutional stakes: strengthen systems, develop people and protect the conditions where both can succeed.