Jennifer (Rodriguez) Bucalo

Jennifer (Rodriguez) Bucalo, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives at Rutgers University-Newark and the Director of the BOLD Women’s Leadership Network.  She is passionate about increasing college retention for underrepresented students and creating community partnerships with universities for future change agents.

Jennifer teaches Health Disparities: Impact on Urban Communities for the Department of Urban Education.  She has published and presented research on cancer prevention as it correlates to the HPV vaccine among Latina mothers in urban, low-income areas.  

Jennifer has over 15 years of professional service which includes developing an after-school mentoring program at Barringer STEAM High School, facilitating the Women of Color discussion groups, co-founding Healing sounds of Newark a monthly platform which honors incredible sounds and talent from students and community members.  In addition, she co-founded ImVisible an initiative that focuses on expressing the migrant experience through music, art, and poetry.  Most recently, she serves as a member for the Women@NJPAC Leadership Summit, Let’s Talk Women’s Health and Wellness Foundation of NJ, North to Shore, and the Branch Brook Park Alliance.  She has worked with artists to develop the creation of three murals found throughout downtown Newark.  

Jennifer earned her Ph.D. from Rutgers University-Newark.  She was the featured student during 2019 Commencement.  Her groundbreaking research, College Persistence, Resiliency, and Factors Contributing to the Latina Collegian Experience resulted in being the national recipient of the 2019 Latinx Research Honorable Dissertation Award.  

Jennifer is a proud daughter of immigrants from El Salvador and Puerto Rico. Jennifer has been married for 21 years, has two teenage children, and a rescue dog.