Jerome Ellis Morris

Jerome Ellis Morris is the E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor of Urban Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he directs the Race, Class, Place, and Outcomes Interdisciplinary Research Group. His scholarship examines institutional structures in schools, marginalized communities, and partnerships with educational stakeholders. A Spencer Foundation awardee, he co-founded Education for Liberation, a national coalition advancing educational equity. His work emphasizes the intersection of race, social class, and geography in shaping educational opportunities.

Research interests include urban schooling, desegregation, and the impact of community viability on academic achievement. His ethnographic approach informs policy reforms aimed at reducing disparities in Black education.

Awards include the Lyle M. Spencer Research Award for developing Communally-bonded Schooling theory. He serves as Vice-President of the American Educational Research Association and partners with St. Louis community organizations.