[4] Jessell received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from Florida State University.
He is also a professor of finance at the Florida International University College of Business.
Jessell agreed to a three-year contract and an annual base salary of $650,000 as president of Florida International University and a performance-based bonus of $175,000, with his total compensation package coming out to $996,081, and was approved by the FIU Board of Trustees on October 17, 2022.
[6][7] His three year contract ends in 2025 and he is expected to be replaced by Florida's lieutenant governor and FIU alumna Jeanette Nuñez as interim president on February 17, 2025.
[8] Jessell is a native South Floridian and he and his wife Lori reside in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida, and have two adult children, Amanda and John, and a grandson James.