James M. Ellis

Dr. James M. Ellis is an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, focusing on educational equity for low-income and racial minority students. His research examines college readiness programs, racism in education, and social support systems influencing student persistence. He employs interdisciplinary quantitative and qualitative methods and collaborates with education practitioners.

• Education: PhD in Education (2015), MSW in Interpersonal Practice/Children & Youth (2007), BSW in Social Work (2006)
• Affiliations: University of Michigan, UNC Chapel Hill (via Finish Line Project grant)

Dr. Ellis’s work includes program evaluation for college access initiatives and studying microaffirmations in social work education. Recent publications explore trauma-informed practices, fictive kin relationships, and self-regulated learning among marginalized youth. His courses include Program Evaluation and Applied Research and Social Problems and Social Work Today.

He contributes to grant-funded research, including the U.S. Department of Education’s Finish Line Project, which analyzed first-generation student retention at UNC Chapel Hill. Future research will address intersectionality of race and socioeconomic status in college persistence among Black and Latinx men.