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Saginaw Valley State University

March 27, 2018

SVSU welcomes scholar on academic performance of boys and men of color

Luke_WoodSaginaw Valley State University will host a public talk by a leading scholar on the academic performance of boys and men of color. J. Luke Wood, the Dean's Distinguished Professor of Education in the College of Education at San Diego State University, will speak in SVSU’s Curtiss Hall banquet rooms Tuesday, April 3 at 5 p.m.
 
Wood serves as the director of the joint Ph.D. program in education between San Diego State and Claremont Graduate University. He also serves as director of the Ed.D. program in community college leadership. In addition, Wood is co-director of the Community College Equity Assessment Lab, a national research and practice center.
 
Wood’s research focuses on factors affecting the success of boys and men of color in education. He has been featured by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, New York Times, Chronicle of Higher Education, Huffington Post, Fortune Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, San Francisco Chronicle and C-SPAN.
 
SVSU has incorporated Wood’s work into its student retention initiatives. Earlier in the academic year, SVSU’s Office of Multicultural Student Affairs hosted a free public course offered through San Diego State University titled “Black Minds Matter.” The 8-session series is designed to encourage dialog and understanding regarding the issues facing black boys and men in education. SVSU students, faculty and staff attended the sessions.
 
As a scholar, Wood has authored and edited 14 books. His most recent books include “Supporting Men of Color in the Community College” and “Teaching Boys and Young Men of Color.” Wood also has authored over 120 publications, including more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles.
 
Wood completed a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies, and a  master's degree at Arizona State University. He also completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees at California State University, Sacramento.
 
The lecture at SVSU is free and open to the public. It is supported through SVSU’s Dow Visiting Scholars program, an endowment established by The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation to enrich our regional cultural and intellectual opportunities by featuring the insights and perspectives of highly distinguished guest presenters. Wood’s talk is co-sponsored by the SVSU’s offices of Multicultural Student Affairs, Student Affairs, and School/University Partnerships.
 
For more information, visit svsu.edu/publiclectures.