Jethro Israel

Jethro brought a wealth of knowledge as an educator when he joined the Smarty Pants team in 2021. He has a deep understanding of teens, young adults, and parents and how best to connect with them – strengths he derived through work at an educational nonprofit, as a high school teacher and as an adjunct professor.

Jethro is also a gifted presenter. He honed his public speaking savvy and became a confident orator in the classroom and while presenting at educational conferences such as UNC Asheville’s Undergraduate Research Conference and the Bucknell Digital Humanities Graduate Research Conference.

As an Insights Prodigy, Jethro supports all phases of the qualitative and quantitative research process, with responsibilities ranging from managing research logistics to synthesizing data. He is a true insights-driven researcher with an ability to synthesize data and identify key findings while overlaying historical and cultural context. He applies these talents to a fascinating array of Smarty Pants clients, including WWE, Warner Media, De Beers and Sesame Workshop.

Jethro earned his bachelor’s degree at Lafayette College, where he majored in Africana Studies and won numerous awards for his scholarship. He went on the obtain his Master of Arts in History at Boston University. He was the recipient of the Excellence in Humanities and Social Sciences Award and a Foreign Language and Area Studies fellow, among other accolades.

As a graduate student at Boston University Jethro traveled to Senegal to conduct primary and secondary research on culture and politics in 18th century Senegambia (a region in Western Africa). He spent two summers living with host families and learning Wolof, the native language of Senegal. His research thesis examined how hospitality or teranga, the hallmark of Senegalese culture, illustrated power dynamics.

Jethro’s professional career began with a stint as a student advisor and Dean of Student Advisement and Residential Life for New Jersey SEEDS. Eager to expand his educational impact, he became a high school U.S. History teacher in Brevard County, Florida. He then graduated to an adjunct professor position teaching U.S. History at Eastern Florida State College where he guided 18- to 65-year-olds on how to use data, analytics, research skills and argumentative strategies to sharpen their understanding of America’s past and present.