Jacob K. Tingle, Ed.D.

How would you finish the following sentence: being a professor at Trinity means… 

Being accountable, empathetic, curious, and open-minded. I’m accountable to the students, their families, my colleagues, and alumni. Everyday I’m faced with decisions that can positively impact who Trinity is (or can be) to each of those stakeholders. If I approach those choices from a place of empathy, curiosity, and open-mindedness – all of which for me combine to mean benevolence – then I can sleep well at night knowing I’ve “done good” for the day.

Your background and research reflect a focus on “organizational systems and structures which enhance or detract from the experiences of sport volunteers and contract staff.” How do you translate this to Trinity and where do you see the experiences of faculty, staff, and students being enhanced by the offerings and/or resources that the university provides?

For this question, Dr. Tingle reflects on, and highlights, the importance of intentionality in the classroom. Especially when we think about linking our research and service outside the classroom, back to it. Intentionality in knowing yourself and your students, works to build a strong sense of community and belonging, despite deeply embedded systems in place that may function against the very work that some professors seek to (un)do. We must consider how shared experiences and other forms of allyship show themselves and encourage opportunities for continuous learning – such as through mentorship programs, which Dr. Tingle is incredibly passionate about. 

Trinity News has recently highlighted you in an article entitled, Trinity University's Jacob Tingle Comments on WNBA Officiating Practices for the LA Times in which you discussed disparities in the infrastructure of officiating– what does it mean to you to be in (a) community, especially when there are disagreements among those who belong to it? How do you find yourself making space for (and sometimes taking space for) accountability within Business, especially within the world of sports?

When Dr. Tingle thinks of accountability and the idea of making space, it is here that the importance of community really begins to shine through. For example, in the world of sports, the officials of the game are often “othered” despite being an essential and highly visible element of the game. However, how fans, players, and other shareholders treat them is often tied with the emotions and perceptions of their team is performing at that moment. Sports officials juggle the weight of maintaining such high importance and visibility with the responsibility of staying calm in the face of adversity or other hardship(s). 

All that to say, he is interested in how members of the Trinity community exist in a workplace where they’re essential but may be invisible and he’s especially attentive to the impact of community or belonging on mental health and wellbeing. Many of these observations are connected to Dr. Tingle’s participation in and research on volunteers and contract staff in sports settings. It is through those personal experience and research that has heightened his awareness of  inequitable practices/treatments for students, all of which impacts his curricular and pedagogical choices. So, when he considers accountability (in the sense of the question asked above), he considers what it means to be a team player at Trinity. Where have we situated ourselves as an institution and where can we see good models to be replicated? Where can we find mentors both at the individual level and also as an institution? These are questions that drive his actions.. 

You were recently awarded the 2025 Spirit of Trinity Alumni Award, which seeks to highlight outstanding alumni who embody what it means to be a Trinitonian. You were highlighted for your many contributions including: helping to launch Trinity’s Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success (CELCS), serving as the first director of Experiential Learning, your involvement in the U.S. Department of State’s Sports Diplomacy programming, and your recent acceptance of the prestigious 2025 Sarah Fain Distinguished Service Award. As an alum and proud Tiger, what inspires you to continue your work both at Trinity and beyond?

Dr. Tingle’s passion for Trinity comes out of his sheer excitement to be here every day, even with the understanding that not every day will be perfect. Dr. Tingle reflects on this intimate knowledge of each student, and knowing what they need to succeed – which is why he has such a strong emphasis on mentorship and its positive impacts.. However, sometimes, what our [Trinity] students need the most is high expectations to rise to and hold themselves to. That doesn’t mean making the work intentionally difficult or hard for them, but it means giving it to them on a level that asks them to think and engage deeper, to challenge them intellectually, but to give them access to tools and resources so they can successfully meet those challenges.