Yerodin Lucas

Committed Educator and Academic Leader, skilled in planning and delivery of lectures and pedagogy focused on student engagement, personal development, and professional growth. Fully engaged presenter, mentor, and advisor with proven ability to foster productive learning environments and academic excellence across diverse student populations and curriculum programming objectives.

• American Educational Research Association, 2018 – Present
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 2022 – Present

• K-12 School Leader (Principal) Certification – Pennsylvania (expected Fall 2024)
• Pennsylvania Level II Teaching Certification – Special Education (N-12)
• Title IX Coordinator Certification
• Title IX Investigator Certification

• 2023 – Developed and implemented institutional Equity Action Plan
• 2023 – Co-chair, Middle States Self-Study Working Group
• 2023 – Faculty group leader/mentor for service-learning trip to Accra and Cape Coast, Ghana with Marywood University’s African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC). Partnership with Marywood and ASEC to lead U.S.-based students to work with children and adults on educational, medical, and sustainable development projects.
• 2023 – Doctoral dissertation committee Chair (1)
• Doctoral dissertation reader (2)
• Doctoral dissertation committee member (3)
• 2023 – Search Committee Chair, Vice-President for the Student Experience position
• Search Committee Chair, Director of Student Accessibility Services position
• 2021 – Present – Chair, Senior Leadership Team
• 2021 – Founded Youth4orce, Inc. a not-for-profit organization aimed at addressing the opportunity gap toward college and/or career readiness for underrepresented and underserved middle and high school students
• 2021 – Present – Developed and implemented the institution’s first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certificate Program, aimed at bridging gaps in awareness, understanding, and action for on-and-off campus stakeholders
• 2021 – Established the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center at Marywood University. Formation of campus center was in direct result of a funded grant from the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
• 2020 – 2022 – University COVID-19 Pandemic Coordinator/Officer
• 2020 – Supervisor/Mentor, graduate student’s Professional Contribution Project: “Social and Academic Impact of the First-Year Student Experience Course”
• 2020 – Instructor/Mentor, doctoral student’s Independent Study project: “Psychological and Physiological Effects of Workplace Bullying and Harassment on Employee Work Performance and Mental Health”
• 2020 – Doctoral dissertation reader (3)
• Doctoral dissertation committee member (4)
• 2020 – Developed and coordinated campus-wide event: Changing the Narrative: The Workshop Series, Addressed issues of equity and inclusion in higher education
• 2019 – Present – Chair, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (university standing committee)
• 2017 – Search Committee Member. Career Services Specialist position
• 2016 – 2018 – President, Graduate Student Council, Marywood University
• 2009 – Faculty group leader/mentor for 8th grade school trip to Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Fundraised $25,000 to take a class of 50 “at risk”, inner city students on an experiential learning opportunity to incentivize the desire for international travel. Independence Charter School, Philadelphia, PA
• 2004 – Venue Host at the XXVIII Olympic Games in Athens, Greece

• 2023 – Council of Independent Colleges & NetVUE – Reframing the Institutional Saga, $40,000 – funded
• 2022 – U.S. Department of Justice grant, Office of Violence Against Women, $300,000 – funded
• 2019 – Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT), Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) $20,000 – funded
• 2019 – It’s On Us, Pennsylvania Governor’s Office, $20, 000 – funded

• 2024 – Invited Presenter, AAC&U’s Conference on Diversity, Inclusion, and Student Success (DESS). Presentation: Exploring DEI College Readiness in a Rural School District in Northeast Pennsylvania (NEPA)
• 2023 – Workshop Presenter, Hazleton Area School District. Faculty/staff DEI professional development
• 2023 – Invited Presenter, Lackawanna College. Presentation: “Identifying, Understanding, and Addressing Implicit Bias and Microaggressions in the Classroom and on Campus”
• 2021-2023 – Workshop Presenter, multiple DEI workshops presented to administrators, faculty, and staff. Wallenpaupack Area School District
• 2020 – Invited Presenter, “Strengthening Our Dialogue: Cultural Sensitivity and the Role of Campus Law Enforcement at ESU”, East Stroudsburg University
• 2020 – Invited Presenter, “Professionals on the Front Line: Cultural Competency in Healthcare. Presentation to student cohort in the Physician Assistant Program, Marywood University
• 2019 – Invited Presenter, “Black Males and Higher Education in the United States.” Diversity & Inclusion Conference, Wilkes University
• 2018 – Workshop Presenter, Symposium: Honoring Diversity in Higher Education and the Workforce Presentation for undergraduate and graduate business students, Marywood University
• 2018 – Workshop Presenter, “Who Belongs on College Campuses in America?” Equity & Inclusion presentation for first-year students, Marywood University
• 2017 – Invited Presenter, “Challenges to Success for Black Male Students in Higher Education.” Consortium for the Study of Leadership and Ethics in Education (CSLEE) Values & Leadership Conference, Los Angeles, CA

• Book (Co-Authored) - 2023
• The First Year Student Experience: Cultivating Equitable Environments for Underserved Students, Cognella
• Peer Reviewed
• Lucas, Y. (2020). Factors Affecting African American Male Students at Predominantly White Institutions: A Case Study in Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA). The Journal of Applied Professional Studies, 1(1), 1-30.
• Lucas, Y. (2018). Support structures: Challenges and potential solutions toward persistence in earning a baccalaureate degree for black male students attending predominantly white institutions. Journal of Business Diversity, 18(1), 68-78.
• Periodical
• Lucas, Y. (2020). Making Equity and Inclusion a Top Priority: The Call-to-Action that Institutions Must Answer. NAGAP, A Newsmagazine for Graduate Enrollment Management Professionals, 32(3), 1-24.
• Manuscripts in Progress
• Lucas, Y. Building Better Bridges: Supporting the Transition from High School to College for Students of Color.
• Lucas, Y., John, L, and Richards-Palmiter, L. Disrupting the Status Quo: Creating Inclusive Environments that Attract and Retain Faculty and Staff of Color in the Academy.
• Lucas, Y. The Global Impact of Investing in Black Male Student Academic Achievement. Case Studies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.