Dr. Terrell L. Strayhorn is Professor of Education and Psychology at Virginia Union University (VUU), where he also serves as Associate Provost for Faculty Development and Director of Research in the Center for the Study of Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs). An internationally recognized scholar and thought leader, Strayhorn’s research focuses on the social psychological determinants of success for racially minoritized faculty, staff, students, and other vulnerable populations in global contexts. His ground-breaking research on college students’ sense of belonging has informed state policies, transformed campus/school and workplace practices and STEM environments, and led to successful intervention testing. Strayhorn is a highly cited researcher, Co-Editor of Belonging, Associate Editor of the Journal of Minority Achievement, Creativity & Leadership, Social Sciences & Humanities, Specialty Chief Editor of Frontiers in Education, Guest Editor of Youth and Sustainability; as well as author of 13 books and over 200 refereed journal articles, chapters, monographs, and reports; with expert commentary in NPR, Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and other national media outlets.
A member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, Strayhorn is a faculty affiliate at Rutgers University’s Center for MSIs, Fellow of the Association of Governing Boards (AGB) Leadership Institute, Diversity Scholar-in-Residence at Harrisburg Area Community College, Member of the Children’s Defense Fund’s Freedom Schools Research Advisory Committee and several other non-profit boards including Rainbow Labs, Career Analysis Organization of America, MEN Inc. (Houston), and Psychologists of Color, Inc. Among his awards and recognitions, he has been named one of the country’s top diversity and inclusion scholars by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, “Top 20 to Know in Education,” and “Top 40 under 40” by BusinessFirst. He earned a Ph.D. in education from Virginia Tech, a master’s in education policy from the University of Virginia (UVA), a second masters in psychology from Indiana Tech, and a bachelors in music and religious studies from UVA. Follow him on social media @TLStrayhorn or @DoGoodWork