Martin D. Ruck

Martin D. Ruck is Professor of Psychology and Urban Education at the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center, holding concurrent appointments in Africana Studies. He serves as Faculty Executive Officer of Educational Opportunity and Diversity and Deputy Executive Officer of Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies, providing institutional leadership in diversity initiatives and academic program development.

His research examines cognitive socialization through the lens of race, ethnicity, and social class, with core investigations into children's perceptions of human rights, social exclusion, and intergroup relations. This work extends internationally to the UK and South Africa, and connects to urban education contexts and youth civic engagement. Ruck co-edited the influential Handbook of Children's Rights: Global and Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Routledge, 2017), which documents the evolution from child protection frameworks to participatory rights models.

As a key architect of CUNY's Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies program, Ruck secured a $5 million Mellon Foundation grant establishing New York's first dedicated graduate degree in this field. This initiative funds 65 faculty and doctoral fellowships to advance scholarship across the CUNY system. His editorial roles include Child Development, Human Development, and Journal of Social Issues, where he shapes discourse in developmental science and social justice research.