July 21, 2021

The Graduate College is pleased to announce that Alonzo M. Flowers, III, PhD, will formally join the Graduate College as Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Graduate College effective September 1, 2021.

Dr. Flowers is an associate professor and former PhD program director in the School of Education. He is also a member of the Dean’s Equity Leadership team. This past year, Dr. Flowers served as the faculty diversity liaison for the Graduate College and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies within the College of Medicine, as well as inaugural faculty chair of the Graduate College’s Diversity Advisory Council (DAC).

The DAC was formed in spring 2020 to ensure continued and persistent work toward diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Graduate College community. Under Dr. Flowers’ leadership, the DAC is committed to eliminating systems of inequities and injustices against marginalized communities of color and other underrepresented groups and creating a climate that celebrates diversity and inclusion. Also led by inaugural student chair, Matthew Shirley, a PhD student in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health System and president of the Drexel Black Graduate Student Union, the DAC consists of students, faculty, and professional staff members who are committed to building a more inclusive community. The DAC also liaises with Drexel’s Anti-Racism Task Force.

As an educational leader, Dr. Flowers’ research, teaching, leadership, and service are dedicated to justice-oriented practices within higher education. His work reimagines higher education as a continuous pathway of upward social mobility for all marginalized communities. His research and scholarship focus on PK-20 educational pathways in STEM, academic identity formation among African American and Latino males, and equity and access in STEM for other underrepresented and minoritized populations. He has spent his entire career committed to the engagement of critical research that focuses on social justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity across the educational continuum.

As a researcher and scholar, Dr. Flowers is also actively involved in regional, national, and international professional organizations. He has completed 50 peer-reviewed national conference presentations, including at the Association for the Study of Higher Education and American Educational Research Association. Dr. Flowers is also a member of The Journal of Race and Policy editorial board and a reviewer for several educational journals. Most recently, Dr. Flowers was selected to serve as the co-editor of the Journal of African American Males in Education which focuses on critical issues impacting African American males and education. He also co-authored a book, The African American Student ‘s Guide to STEM Careers, which focuses on practical educational tools for African American students to navigate the STEM pipeline. In addition, he is co-authoring a book through Hopkins University Press that focuses on Black faculty experiences within the white Academy. The book will provide Black scholars with a space to unpack their nuanced experiences within higher education.

Dr. Flowers is proven advocate and champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion and we thrilled to welcome him to the Graduate College in this role.