Yvette C. Latunde

Yvette C. Latunde is a Professor of Organizational Leadership at the University of La Verne's LaFetra College of Education. She previously served as Director of the Center for Educational Equity and Intercultural Research (CEEIR). Her work focuses on equity-centered leadership, family-school-community partnerships, and leveraging Black family resources to support student success. Latunde is a leading voice in culturally responsive education, having authored influential books like Equitable by Design and Research in Parental Involvement.

Her research interests include inclusion, transformative leadership, neurodiversity, and dismantling inequities through culturally proficient frameworks. Latunde has published extensively on African American family engagement, dual capacity-building models, and faith-based interventions in education. She co-founded the Black Parent Advisory Councils to strengthen community-school ties.

Latunde's scholarship emphasizes hospitality theory in school inclusion and values-based leadership practices for marginalized groups. Her work bridges academic research with practical strategies for educators, policymakers, and community leaders. She holds a Doctorate in Education (EdD) and has over two decades of experience in K-12 and higher education settings.

Her advisory roles include serving on the Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship Advisory Board. Latunde’s research has been featured in Frontiers in Education, Journal of Negro Education, and Journal of Multicultural Education, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to social justice in education.