Jolley Bruce Christman a Greenville, SC native, has lived in Philadelphia for many years where she began her career in public education as an English and history teacher at a neighborhood high school. She earned a B.A. in history from Randolph College (founded as Randolph-Macon Woman’s College) and is a past president of its Board of Trustees. Jolley holds a Ph.D. in education administration from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a Founder of Research for Action, a non-profit research organization that seeks to improve the educational opportunities and outcomes of urban youth, strengthen public schools, and enrich the policy, civic, and community dialogue about public education. She taught at the Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania for almost three decades -- first as a teacher educator and then as a research methodologist working with graduate students.

Jolley is a trustee of the Jolley Foundation, a family foundation in Greenville, which envisions a just, compassionate, and vibrant Greenville County. She is the daughter of Mamie Jolley Bruce, whose original vision and founding endowment made Furman’s nationally recognized Bridges to a Brighter Future a reality.  Bridges has transformed the lives of more than 300 low-income youth, preparing them to be the first generation of their families to attend college.