James P. Huguley

James P. Huguley is an Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work and chair of the Race and Youth Development Research Group (RaYDR) at the Center on Race and Social Problems. He directs the Just Discipline Project and Parenting While Black initiatives, focusing on racial and educational justice through research-practice partnerships.

His educational background includes a Bachelor's in Secondary Education from Providence College, followed by a Master's in Risk and Prevention and Doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University.

Dr. Huguley's research examines culturally distinct socialization practices and school-based interventions to improve mental health and academic outcomes for BIPOC youth. He investigates how racial socialization, restorative discipline practices, and family engagement strategies promote resilience in oppressed educational contexts, with particular emphasis on African American communities.

His 12 publications (2012-2024) reveal consistent focus on racial socialization mechanisms, school discipline reform, and family-school partnerships. Key trends include meta-analyses on parental socialization impacts, community-engaged studies of restorative justice, and frameworks for culturally responsive educational engagement.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Larry E. Davis Award for Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship (2022)
• Distinguished Research Award from AERA (2021)
• Excellence in Research Award from SSWR (2021)

Dr. Huguley secures major funding from IES, HRSA, NSF, Spencer Foundation, Heinz Endowments, and Richard King Mellon Foundation. Current projects include Just Discipline in Schools (2021-2025), Parenting While Black (2021-2023), and Behavioral Health Workforce Training (2021-2025), totaling over $5M in active grants.

He leads the RaYDR research collective and serves on advisory boards for the Human Services Center Mon Valley and Office of Child Development, driving community-academic collaborations for systemic change in youth services.