Doctor of Humane Letters (D.H.L.)
Honorary Degree
Florida Memorial University
2016
See all Profiles
Faculty
Faculty
Ivory Achebe Toldson, Ph.D.
Professor
Department/Office
- Human Development & Psychoeducational Studies
School/College
- School of Education
Biography
Ivory A. Toldson, Ph.D. is a professor of counseling psychology at Howard University, the chief of research for concentric educational solutions, and the editor-in-chief of The Journal of Negro Education. He also serves as the executive editor of the Journal of Policy Analysis and Research, published by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. He has authored over 100 scholarly works, including 4 books.
Toldson's media appearances on MSNBC, CNN, and NPR highlight his commitment to public discourse. He wrote the Brill bestseller, "No BS (Bad Stats): Black People Need People Who Believe in Black People Enough Not to Believe Every Bad Thing They Hear about Black People." Toldson was named one of the nation's top 200 most influential education scholars by Education Week’s Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings. Previously, he served as the director of education for the NAACP and has been the principal investigator for more than 20 NSF grants totaling over $11 million. The Washington Post described him as a leader "who could conceivably navigate the path to the White House," Newsweek Magazine listed him among "30 leaders in the fight for Black men," and Diverse: Issues In Higher Education called him the "Problem Solver." His research and commentary have also been featured in CNN.com, The New York Times, The National Journal, Essence Magazine, US News and World Report, The Grio, and Ebony Magazine.
Toldson also served as the president of the QEM Network and was appointed by President Barack Obama as the executive director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs. He is active on social media, providing public commentary, and has given over 200 research presentations in 41 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and internationally in Canada, the Dominican Republic, Scotland, South Africa, France, and Spain. He is an art collector and has over 100 unique works of art in the home he shares with his wife, Marshella, and their two children in Washington, DC.
Education & Expertise
Education
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Counseling Psychology
Temple University
2002
Master of Education (M.Ed.)
Counselor Education
The Pennsylvania State University
1997
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Psychology
Louisiana State University
1995
Academics
Academics
Graduate Courses
Advanced Psychopathology
Testing and Measurement
Counseling in Urban Diverse Communities
Multicultural Counseling
Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling
Consulting and Counseling
Undergraduate Courses
General Psychology
Abnormal Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Therapeutic Approach to Substance Abuse
Drugs and Human Behavior (Web-based)
Forensic Psychology
Research
Research
Funding
Principal Investigator: "Developing a Model to Explicate the Institutional and Student Characteristics Associated with HBCU Production of Baccalaureate Graduates Who Subsequently Earn STEM Doctorates." National Science Foundation. 2017; Award Amount: $1,499,240.00 – Collaboration with American Institute for Research
Principal Investigator: "Increasing the Competitiveness of 2- and 4-year Minority-serving Institutions (MSIs) in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM)." Award Number: 1757143; National Science Foundation. 2017; Award Amount: $171,229.00.
Principal Investigator: "QEM Outreach Forum on Building Research and Education Capacity in Advanced Computing, Communications, and Information Systems at HBCUs." Award Number: 1724391; National Science Foundation. 2017; Award Amount: $176,435.00.
Principal Investigator: "Workshops to Broaden the Participation of HBCU STEM Faculty in NSF's Education Research-focused Programs." Award Number: 1741718; National Science Foundation, HRD; 2017; Award Amount: $559,471.00.
Principal Investigator: "Workshop to Broaden Participation and Increase the Competitiveness of Minority-serving Institutions in the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program." Award Number: 1742877; National Science Foundation. 2017; Award Amount: $201,163
Accomplishments
Accomplishments
Ranked on RHSU Education Week’s Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings; 2020
Rainbow Push Award for Excellence in Higher Education; 2019
LSU Legend Award Recipients – A.P. Tureaud Sr. Black Alumni Chapter; 2018
Equity Champion Award - NYC Department of Education; 2015
Featured News
Featured News
Read: Word in Black | Why Free Tuition Might Not Help Black Kids Go to Harvard
Read: Word in Black | The Power of Challenging the Black ‘Achievement Gap’
Read: Arkansas Times | At Little Rock Nine 68th anniversary event, speakers ask us not to whitewash history
Read: Inside Higher Ed | Hopes and Fears: Higher Ed Leaders Sound Off on Trump’s Return to Power
Read: NPR | Colleges are ending legacy admissions to diversify campuses post-affirmative action
Read: NBC | They integrated Little Rock’s schools — now they’re slamming restrictions on AP African American Studies
Read: The Washington Post | Five of Little Rock Nine on Arkansas’ attempt to erase Black history
Publications and Presentations
Publications and Presentations
Books
No BS (Bad Stats): Black People Need People Who Believe in Black People Enough Not to Believe Every Bad Thing They Hear About Black People; (2019, Brill-Sense).
Defining the Black Agenda in a Post-Obama Era; (2018, The Center for Policy Analysis and Research (CPAR) at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc.).
Teacher Education and Black Communities: Implications for Access, Equity and Achievement; (2014, Information Age Publishing).
Black Male Teachers: Diversifying the United States' Teacher Workforce; (2013, Emerald Press)
Black People Don't Read: The Definitive Guide to Dismantling Stereotypes and Negative Statistical claims about Black Americans; (2012, CreateSpace Publishing).
Black Sheep; (2004, Baton Rouge: House of Songhay Commission for Positive Education)
Drivers and Barriers of Success for HBCU Researchers Submitting STEM Proposals to the National Science Foundation
The purpose of this investigation is to gain a better understanding of the drivers and barriers of success for HBCU researcher submitting STEM proposals to NSF. Grants and contracts are essential for an institution’s long-term viability; reducing tuition dependence and providing important funding for research, services and programs. However, in 2014, HBCUs accounted for only 0.8 percent of all funds allocated to all institutions of higher education for Research and Development. This investigation used organizational learning theory and focus group research to understand the process through which HBCUs acquire knowledge and translate knowledge into dynamic capabilities to prepare successful proposals to NSF.
Will Betsy DeVos be a Friend or Foe to HBCUs?
Will Betsy DeVos be a Friend or Foe to HBCUs?
Secretary DeVos oversees the Federal agency that is responsible for more than two-thirds of all of the annual federal revenue to HBCUs. How she helps or hurts HBCUs will have little to do with her philosophical view of their foundation, and a lot more to do with the following factors: (1) What are Secretary DeVos’ views on Title III, strengthening HBCUs? (2) Will Secretary DeVos create new grant programs and contracting opportunities for HBCUs? (3) What are Secretary DeVos’ views on college affordability?
Betsy DeVos’s Power Over Black Colleges
Betsy DeVos’s Power Over Black Colleges
Op-Ed for The New York Times
Recent Articles
Multimedia
Velshi - MS NOW | Little Rock Nine member: I thought ‘if they don't kill me, my own fear might take me out’
66 years after The Little Rock Nine made history by enrolling in an all-white school, Arkansas is still dealing with racial discrepancies in its education system. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has placed restrictions on the AP African American Studies course resulting in zero credits for students taking it. Member of the Little Rock Nine Dr. Terrence Roberts and NAACP’s Dr. Ivory Toldson join Ali Velshi to explain why this move by Arkansas is an “attempt to erase history.”
The Cross Connection - MS NOW | Almost Two Dozen HBCU Colleges And Universities Are Canceling Millions In Student Debt
Jelani Cobb and Ivory Toldson discuss the impact of over 20 HBCU colleges and universities wiping out student debt, and what that means for young Black Americans trying to build wealth.