James Leak

Ph.D. Student
Department of Education

Email: jleak@uci.edu

Biography

Jimmy graduated from the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Public Policy and Political Science in 2006. His specific focus in Public Policy at UNC was Education Policy. His interest in education formed while working with Latino youth in church during his high school years. In college, Jimmy continued work in education as a tutor at a local elementary school. However, it was in the summer of 2005 while working at Liberty St. Community Center in downtown Durham, NC that he formed his true interest in education policy. From his experiences as a group leader at the community center working with underprivileged kids, Jimmy started research on the achievement gap between white and black students in the Durham Public Schools. In addition, during his senior year at UNC, Jimmy conducted a research project with several other students in the Public Policy program on end of grade assessment systems in several different states.

After graduating from UNC, Jimmy worked in an after-school program and as an assistant project manager at a woodworking design company while applying to graduate schools. Jimmy looked at several graduate programs in Education Policy, but decided on UCI because of it’s specialization in Education Policy and Social Context, the diversity of Southern California, and the opportunity to be a part of a new program that was dedicated to research in education.

Jimmy is currently a member of the inaugural cohort of the Ph.D. program in Education with a specialization in Education Policy and Social Context. He also works as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Education, where he has gained great experience in teaching and increased his knowledge of issues in education. His current research interests focus around achievement gaps between African-American and Hispanic students and their white counterparts.

In the coming years, Jimmy hopes to explore issues surrounding school re-segregation in Southern California school districts. Specifically, he would like to research more about strategies and policies that can be implemented to reduce inequalities in opportunities and resources between students of different racial groups and socioeconomic status. After completing his degree, Jimmy intends to pursue research in the field of education and develop viable policy alternatives at a university, policy institute, or state department of education.

Jimmy is enjoying the opportunity to live and work in Southern California after growing up and living in North Carolina for the majority of his life. Other interesting facts about Jimmy include: he is an avid sports fan, in particular UNC sports, Go Tar Heels! He also worked at a woodworking design company as an assistant project manager for a year.