Iheoma Iruka

Iheoma U. Iruka, Ph.D., is a Research Professor in the Department of Public Policy and the Founding Director of the Equity Research Action Coalition at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Iruka is leading projects and initiatives focused on ensuring that minoritized children and children from low-income households, especially Black children, are thriving in the early years through the intersection of anti-bias, anti-racist, culturally grounded research, program, and policy. Dr. Iruka serves on numerous national and local boards and committees, including the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs, Brady Education Foundation, and Trust for Learning. In addition to being on the National Advisory Committee for the U.S. Census Bureau, Dr. Iruka is a Census Advisor for the National Urban League. Dr. Iruka is the recipient of the 2022 American Psychological Association Mid-Career Award for Outstanding Contributions to Benefit Children, Youth, and Families. She has published over 70 articles, books, and chapters. In the past year she has given almost 100 invited talks to national, state, and local research, policy, philanthropic and professional organizations, agencies, and think tanks. She has a B.A. in Psychology from Temple University, an M.A. in Psychology from Boston University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in applied developmental psychology from the University of Miami, FL.