James L. Moore III, Ph.D., is the inaugural EHE Distinguished Professor of Urban Education and professor of counselor education in the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University. He is a prominent education researcher, scholar, educator, administrator, policy leader, and public servant in the United States and has held numerous senior positions in higher education, government, and K-12. A co-founder of the International Colloquium on Black Males in Education and the former executive director of the long gone Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male, he is internationally recognized for his work on Black men and boys.

 

His research agenda focuses on school counseling, gifted education, urban education, higher education, multicultural education/counseling, and STEM education. A hallmark of his work has been his unyielding commitment to addressing systemic educational barriers faced by underrepresented, underresourced, and/or underserved students in urban contexts and beyond, particularly Black men and boys. His scholarship is distinguished by its depth and rigor but also by its focus on actionable solutions, at every juncture of education, for educational vulnerable populations. To this end, he has co-edited and co-authored eight books and published over 180 publications; obtained nearly $50 million in grants, contracts, and gifts; and given over 200 scholarly presentations and lectures throughout the United States and other parts of the world (e.g., Dominican Republic, Brazil, Bermuda, Bahamas, Jamaica, Canada, England, Spain, China, India, Indonesia, Ireland, and France).

 

Since 2018, Dr. Moore has been cited annually by Education Week as one of the 200 most influential scholars and researchers in the United States. His work has been consistently recognized by organizations, such as the American Educational Research Association, American Counseling Association, National Association for Gifted Children, National Association for Multicultural Education, American College Personnel Association, National Alliance of Black School Educators, Institute for School-Based Family Counseling, American Council of Education, Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, MENSA International, Phi Delta Kappa, College Board, and The Education Trust. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Educational Research Association,  American Counseling Association, Oxford Symposium for School-Based Family Counseling, and, more recently, he was elected to the National Academy of Education.

 

Dr. Moore has developed a reputation as a thought leader on important educational policy topics and is regularly invited to share his expertise with various K-12 school systems, universities, professional associations, and governmental and non-profit agencies. On May 9, 2019, former Congressman Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH), and staff of the U. S. House Representatives Committee on Science, Space, & Technology invited him to testify at the hearing titled, “Broadening Participation in STEM Education,” in the Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC. In 2011, he was presented a proclamation from the Ohio House [OH]; in 2014, a resolution from the Columbus City Council [OH]; and in 2015, a key to the City of Spartanburg [SC]. Additionally, in 2018, Missy and Bob Weiler of Columbus, Ohio established in his honor the Dr. James L. Moore III Scholars Program to support undergraduate students transferring from Columbus State Community College to The Ohio State University. On January 25, 2025, he was awarded the Order of the Palmetto – South Carolina’s highest honor bestowed to residents and natives of the state, who have demonstrated “extraordinary lifetime achievement, service, and contributions of national or statewide significance.”

 

A proud HBCU graduate, he earned his B. A. in English Education from Delaware State University and both his M.A. Ed. and Ph.D. in Counselor Education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.