Changing Lives

When you ask Dr. Jorge Pérez about the value of The PhD Project, he’s quick to answer. “It has changed so many people’s lives, and it has changed the face of the academy,” he says. “Just to be able to say that I’ve been a part of that is a tremendous honor.”

One of the lives The Project changed was his own.

When The PhD Project was just getting started, Dr. Pérez attended the first information systems (now referred to as information systems and sciences) doctoral student association conference. “By that point in my doctoral studies, I was already done with my comprehensive exams, but I hadn’t really made a lot of progress on my dissertation. I was kind of orbiting my program elliptically.” That event – and a chance encounter with his dissertation chair, who was also in attendance – reinvigorated and inspired him to finish his dissertation.

Since earning his PhD from Florida State University, Dr. Pérez has built a notable career in academia. Prior to his current role as associate vice president for institutional effectiveness at the University of Tennessee, Dr. Pérez was vice provost and professor of information systems at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Along the way, he was also recognized for his commitment to excellence as a recipient of a prestigious American Council on Education (ACE) Fellowship, spending an academic year at the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.

“My family left Cuba with the clothing on our backs. That’s it,” he says. “Everything that my brothers and I have accomplished is through higher education. It is still the path to social mobility in this country. While I’m not teaching anymore, I wanted to stay in the Academy because it still inspires me so much to serve students who are trying to change their lives by pursuing education.”

What drives Dr. Pérez is simple: “It’s about the lives that I’ve changed. There are people walking this earth whose lives took a different turn because they interacted with me.” He’s been a role model and cheerleader to many students, including a few who were ready to turn their backs on their majors, and to countless aspiring PhDs who attend The Project’s annual conference, where Dr. Pérez has become a regular fixture. His commitment to guiding those considering a doctoral degree has made him a true PhD Project trailblazer.

“I think of a trailblazer as someone who looks over their shoulder and makes sure that it’s easier for those who come behind them,” he says. “That’s why I tell my story at The PhD Project conference, on the off chance that it will resonate with someone. I want them to think: If you can do it, then I can do it. That’s probably what motivates me more than anything and keeps me connected to The PhD Project.”

Ultimately, Dr. Pérez wants to be remembered for making a difference. He says, “There are very few people walking the planet who will have statues erected in their likeness, but scholars and academics can be monumental in a very different way. They can make a difference in other people’s lives – become someone another person will never forget because they made such a tremendous impact.”