Jerome Morris

Dr. Jerome E. Morris is the E. Desmond Lee endowed professor of urban education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL), affiliated with St. Louis Public Schools and the Center for Public Policy Research. His work bridges sociology, anthropology, and urban studies to examine race, social class, and place in education. Key research themes include Black students’ experiences in STEM, desegregation’s legacy in St. Louis, and Southern education dynamics.

Dr. Morris has held roles including professor at the University of Georgia (1997–2015), where he directed research groups like the Race, Class, Place, and Outcomes Research Group. He co-founded Education for Liberation, advocating for racial justice in education, and led initiatives such as creating UGA’s Office of Institutional Diversity.

His research focuses on equitable schooling through longitudinal studies in urban and suburban settings. Notable works include Troubling the Waters (2009) and studies on the achievement gap in Atlanta’s Black suburban schools. He has received awards like the William A. Owens Research Award (2014) and UGA’s Creative Research Medal (2010).

Dr. Morris chairs UMSL’s Department of Educator Preparation and Leadership, emphasizing community-school linkages, public policy, and empirical research methods. His scholarship challenges systemic inequities and seeks practical solutions for quality public schooling.