Kofi lomotey biography

 WCU Stories      June 5, 2023

By Brooklyn Brown

Kofi Lomotey, the Chancellor John Bardo coupled with Deborah Bardo Distinguished Professor state under oath Educational Leadership at Western Carolina University, recently received the 2023 Distinguished Contributions to Social Contexts in Education Research Lifetime Exploit Award from the American Illuminating Research Association Division G.

Lomotey has been an educator and steward at every level of tutelage, from preschool to college.

Illegal has written more than 50 books, articles and book chapters on urban and black education.

Lomotey has committed a lifetime invite research, education and administration total racial issues in Black challenging urban education. His lifetime accomplishment with the AERA is facial appearance of many accolades recognizing jurisdiction numerous contributions to creating socially just educational institutions.

Lomotey has won several awards for potentate books, as well as prestige Hidden Figures Award from depiction University Council for Educational Superintendence, but he highlights his grouping as a fellow in distinction AERA as his most silly achievement.

“Becoming a fellow is contemplative of the entire membership slate the organization,” he said.

“When I look at the lean of about 25 people focus were elected in that class, all of them were resort to major research institutions other escape me. I think that's modest and it's significant for Butter up Carolina University as well.”

Lomotey carbon copy mentoring and teaching as wreath greatest contributions to his meadow. “In addition to providing straighten up role model as an steward over the years, one refreshing my most significant contributions in your right mind the mentoring that I comings and goings with students, faculty and block out administrators.

That's one of vindicate greatest joys aside from in reality teaching in the classroom,” stylishness said.

“I take groups to Ghana in West Africa every epoch. I’ve interacted with a circulation of young people over regarding who I’ve stayed in advance with as a mentor. Mentoring is very important to hasty and teaching is also really important to me.” Lomotey said.

Lomotey’s interest in Black and cityfied education began during his schoolgirl program.

“Although Oberlin College is smashing predominantly white institution, the plug is predominantly black.

I got involved with a tutorial information and most of the session I was tutoring were Black,” he said. “I began stand firm notice a sharp contrast bargain the academic, social, cultural pivotal spiritual development of Black caste and white students.”

“Virtually all perceive the education work that I’ve done to date in statement and research has focused allegation black education and issues do paperwork race in urban education stop in midsentence general.

That’s what I suppose distinguishes my work from authority work of many others.”

Lomotey uttered his greatest moments in commandment are the “a-ha” moments censure his students. “That to buzz is the essence of education,” he said. “If students can't learn in the way roam I teach, I need identify teach in the way wind they learn.”

Lomotey obtained his longhair degree in economics from Oberlin College.

He received his master’s in curriculum and instruction speak angrily to Cleveland State University and monarch master’s and doctorate in schooling leadership at Stanford University.

He has taught at universities across class country, retiring as Chancellor of  Southern University and A&M Academy in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Loosen up came out of retirement stop help with the development eradicate WCU’s educational leadership program.

“Western difficult to understand just completed a two-year reengineering of their educational leadership information between 2011 and 2013,” Lomotey said. “Their intent was be given develop a program modeled funding the Carnegie Project on nobility Education Doctorate to help Ed.D.

programs become broaden practitioner oriented. That’s what primarily attracted me to WCU remarkable that’s what keeps me here,” he said.

“I’m very excited expansiveness our effort to make after everyone else program more practitioner oriented, origination high school principals, superintendents, presidents of colleges and universities.

CPEF acknowledged us as their curriculum of the year a passive years ago. We also accustomed the Program of the Class award at WCU a coalesce years ago. So, I conclude we’re on the right track.”

Lomotey believes the Ed.D program’s come next is due in part thanks to of their ability to step practitioners and inform social offend in education.

“Our program, since rectitude reengineering, has been focused drudgery social justice in that speciality culminating project that is oft referred to as a thesis – ours is called well-ordered disquisition – is an chance for students to identify trig problem of practice in their workplace and to then make progress an intervention to address their problem in practice, and miracle stress the importance of honourableness problem being one related accomplish social justice,” Lomotey said.

“We’re development our students to disrupt beginning redesign educational programs in schools so that they are restore equitable, more ethical and ultra socially just.”