Dr. Jacob B. Chacko, M.S. ’14, has made student affairs the focus of his professional life. Washington University in St. Louis thought so much of his work that he was named the inaugural director of Dialogue Across Difference. The program is an eight-week diversity and inclusion initiative where undergraduates “explore difficult topics such as politics, religion, race, gender, and socioeconomic identity.”
He started his new position, which is a dual academic and student affairs role, in January 2023. By the first week of March, he had launched a set of four 1-credit classes on race, ethnicity, gender, and politics. He wants students to understand that common ground does exist even in a polarized society, and it’s OK to have differences and yet still live together. It’s important work that’s also important to him personally.
“We’re doing lifesaving and life-affirming work where students are challenged in their course work and in thought,” Chacko said. “Mental health is a huge crisis in higher ed, as is houselessness, hunger, and suicide ideation. We are providing the support students need, giving them a space to talk. Our impact on them is what keeps me motivated.”
Born in Kerala, India, his parents moved to the United States when Chacko was 9. He spent his formative years in Skokie and considers it his hometown. Now, 38, he tells students his journey wasn’t without a few detours.
“My dad’s side are teachers mostly, and my parents thought my pathway should be biology, pre-med. But that was not for me,” Chacko said. “I changed my major several times.”
He would go on to earn a Ph.D. in education policy, organization and leadership with a focus on global studies in education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; an M.S. in teaching and learning at Illinois State University; and a B.A. in secondary education and Spanish at Northeastern Illinois University. After undergraduate studies, he lived in South Korea for several years teaching English and traveling South and Southeast Asia. He speaks Malayalam, English, Spanish, and some Korean. He said his time in Korea made a profound impact on how he views the world.
He arrived in St. Louis with a solid resume. His experience in student affairs includes working as interim coordinator for the Titan Dreamers Resource Center and as inaugural coordinator for the Asian Pacific American Resource Center at California State University, Fullerton; as inaugural associate director of Diversity and Inclusion for the Santos Manuel Student Union at California State University, San Bernardino; and most recently as director of the Asian American Cultural Center at Rutgers University prior to his current position.
“So many policies now are based on fear and are affecting our trans and nonbinary students in particular and our LGBTQ+ students in particular. Our Black and Brown communities have been under attack out of fear, and fear fuels white supremacy.”
Dr. Jacob Chacko
Chacko identifies as a queer Indian American. He is passionate about equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). His personal and professional experiences meld as he seeks commonalities to help calm a world that is often far from that.
“So many policies now are based on fear and are affecting our trans and nonbinary students in particular and our LGBTQ+ students in particular,” Chacko said. “Our Black and Brown communities have been under attack out of fear, and fear fuels white supremacy.”
In April, Chacko brought his message to the Alumni Center as guest speaker for Illinois State’s Asian Heritage Week. His presentation, “Understanding Intersectionality and the Asian/Asian American Community: Past, Present, and Future,” was part of an anti-racism series. His visit was sponsored by the Office of Equity and Inclusion and AsiaConnect.
“I spoke about my own experience and my identity,” he said. “I talked about how I was looking for the place in life where I could be queer and South Asian.”
During his visit, he was impressed with the Multicultural Center, which opened in 2021, several years after he left campus. The visit prompted fond memories of being a member of Alpha Psi Lambda, a Latino-interest, co-educational fraternity that welcomes all cultures. His passion for serving the fraternity’s undergraduates as an advisor helped put him on the path to his Ph.D., he said.
“Familia—I found a family there,” Chacko said.
His time at Illinois State influenced him in other important ways. He worked at the Graduate School after being hired as an office assistant by Dr. Alberto Delgado, who he said believed in him. Delgado, Dr. Amy Hurd, Dana Davidson, and Kim Shennett were big supporters.
“ISU had such great folks there, and my world completely changed working at the Graduate School,” he said. “I was doing administrative work and spent a lot of time with faculty. Everyone helped me thrive in that space.”
Daena Ramos, M.S. ’14, was another important person to him back then. She was studying college student personnel administration and was his fraternity sister.
“She was a human being who was like family to me,” Chacko said. “She brought me to a lot of events, opening space to me. We were navigating life together away from home.”
Dr. Miranda Lin was his advisor in the College of Education (COE) who observed that he was thinking of being a college professor and would need a writing topic.
“She helped me arrange a master’s thesis,” Chacko said. “She said I should focus on my own experiences in South Korea. I also attended a conference in South Korea with COE. That’s when a light bulb went off, and I said: ‘This is what I want to do.’”
In addition, he was awarded the Eleanor Kong Memorial Endowed Scholarship in Education, which he said meant so much in helping him pursue his studies.
When he’s not working, Chacko enjoys exploring his new community with his husband, Jimmy, whom he met in Southern California and married in 2018. They’re foodies and love trying new restaurants. They also have two dogs they love—Mochi, a terrier mix, and Miso, a Pomeranian.
Chacko appreciates that he’s immersed in a career based on his passions of equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice. He’s noticed that his passions are becoming priorities in the workplace. He tells his students to look at their LinkedIn accounts for all the companies and graduate schools asking about EDI.
“A lot of different careers require experience with EDI,” he said. “EDI is a sought-after skill needed in any field, and it goes beyond diverse people. Students are understanding the importance of a diverse experience. They know to be sure to get this experience.”
