Announcing High Jump’s Chief Programs Officer: Shaz Rasul

On October 28, 2024, High Jump will welcome Shaz Rasul as Chief Programs Officer. Leading strategy and day-to-day operation of all programs at High Jump, Shaz will oversee our campus-based Scholars program, neighborhood-based Community Scholars program, and Alumni Scholars program extension. Shaz will also supervise program recruitment with an eye toward growth and equity in access.

Shaz is an accomplished program leader – developing, implementing, innovating, and sustaining programming at the University of Chicago for 20+ years. He previously served as the Executive Director of Education Partnerships & Student Civic Engagement in the University’s Office of Civic Engagement (OCE).

Shaz has led program teams in student civic engagement, nonprofit capacity building, digital equity, and PK-12 Education. For almost a decade, Shaz led the Neighborhood Schools Program, which partners with local schools to give University students the opportunity to provide direct education and enrichment to pre-K to 12th-grade students.  He was the founding director of the Community Programs Accelerator, which helps equip nonprofits that serve the South Side with tools and resources to fulfill their unique missions. Shaz has led OCE’s strategy around Student Civic Engagement and led the University’s Community Service Center team. Most recently, Shaz worked to develop educational partnerships to advance inclusive innovation in the STEM fields.  

Beyond the University, Shaz served in the US Peace Corps in South Africa, was named a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow (2019), and serves on the boards of MetroSquash and EasterSeals serving Chicagoland and Greater Rockford.

Shaz holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Chicago.

Shaz’s commitment to improving the work of our programs will ensure that all programs effectively grow students’ academic abilities, strengthen their social and emotional learning, and equip them to thrive in high school and beyond. We hope you will join us in welcoming Shaz to High Jump.