Mauriell H. Amechi

Personal Details

Bio

Mauriell H. Amechi, Ph.D. is an education professor and rising scholar committed to equity and social justice. His research expertise, pedagogy, and advocacy center on issues of educational equity, college access, student development, and persistence, with a particular focus on the experiences and pathways of underserved youth and adults who have been through foster care.

Adopted and raised by his late grandmother, Dr. Amechi’s scholarship on college-going foster youth is inspired by his background in kinship foster care and the myriad barriers he overcame to earn his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D.

Dr. Amechi's solo and co-authored publications appear in the Review of Higher Education, American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, Journal of African American Males in Education, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education and the edited volume, Advancing Black male student success from preschool through Ph.D.

A product of Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Westside native received his B.A. with highest distinction from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also holds an M.A. in higher education and student affairs from Ohio State University. He later earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Current position (1)

Foster Youth Advocate, Professor,Social Scientist

University of Illinois System

Degrees (1)

Ph.D., Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis

University of Wisconsin-Madison

2017

Presentations

Presentations (5)

Overcoming Adversity: No Single Path to Success

Grown-ish: Transitioning from Foster Care and Developing a Plan for Life after College

Disrupting Deficit Narratives: Enhancing the Resilience and Cultural Wealth of Foster Youth

Beyond Access: Fostering and Sustaining Inclusive Learning Environments for Foster Youth

Our Stories (Un)Told: Amplifying the Voices of Foster Care Alumni in Higher Education

Past talks (2)

Our Stories (Un)Told: Amplifying the Voices of Foster Care Alumni in Higher Education

California State University-Monterey Bay

California

May 1, 2019

No Single Path to Success: Overcoming Adversity

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

May 15, 2021

Reviews

Testimonials (1)

I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Amechi who was the keynote of the California State University Monterey Bay Guardian Scholars - Foster Care Awareness event in May 2019. This was the first time the Guardian Scholars Program hosted a Scholar to bring awareness about the obstacles and resilience of foster youth navigating higher education. Our Stories (Un)Told: Amplifying the Voices of Foster Care Alumni in Higher Education was a huge success! The audience was engaged and really enjoyed learning about Dr. Amechi’s journey into and through higher education. In addition, the research he presented on highlighting different youths narrative resonated with the crowd. I also appreciate that Dr. Amechi came to campus prior to the event to film a documentary on the experiences of current Scholars. This was something he did not have to do. He took time out of his busy schedule to genuinely get to know and film my students. Overall, I had a positive experience working with Dr. Amechi. His research and passion advocating for foster youth in higher education left an imprint on the Guardian Scholars Program and the greater CSUMB community. I highly recommend him for future speaking engagements.
Keyiona Ritchey
Verified

Personal Details

Presentations

Books & Articles (4)

Expertise (20)

Reviews