Professor Jamel K. Donnor joins the faculty
Donnor earned his Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Dr. Donnor was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and is a military veteran with active duty service in the U.S. Army, as well as, serving as a reservist in the Army National Guard and the Air Force Reserve, respectively. As a Doctoral candidate, Jamel received the Minority Dissertation Fellow Award from the American Educational Research Association (AERA) in 2004, and the Bill Cosby Most Engaging Professor Award at Cal-State Fullerton in 2008. While at CSUF, Dr. Donnor taught a variety of undergraduate courses, including Introduction to African American Studies, African American Males in American Social Systems, Intracultural Socialization, and Teaching Diverse Student Populations in Secondary Schools. At W&M, he is currently teaching the Social, Philosophical, Cultural, and Historical Foundations of Education (EDUC 310) and Qualitative Research Methods (EDUC 664).
Currently, Jamel is engaged in a series of scholarly projects examining the cultural and institutional relationship between African American male student-athletes, major college football, and academic underachievement. He is also working on an edited book project with Dr. Adrienne Dixson at The Ohio State University on race and the resegregation of America's public education system. The goal of the edited volume is to explain what access to a quality education means in the 21st century, and why the education quality for the majority of students of color in America remains fundamentally unequal. In addition, he is analyzing whether federal policy inducements can improve the academic achievement of students of color.
Dr. Donnor saw the opportunity to join the faculty in the School of Education at W&M as a "once in a lifetime opportunity." Upon sharing the news of his appointment to the College with friends and family, all have remarked, "Wow, that's a great school!" Dr. Donnor has observed that W&M students are of the highest quality. Jamel has found his new colleagues and staff members to be extremely supportive and giving of their time in making him feel welcome. His transition to Williamsburg has also been wonderful due to the friendliness and generosity of Williamsburg area residents.
Jamel's wife, Andrea Donnor, holds an M.B.A. from Harvard University, and received her undergraduate degree in Economics and American Studies from Wellesley College. She is the Tidewater Area regional director for DaVita, Inc., the second largest provider of dialysis services in the United States.
