External Advisory Board
Dr. Ivory A. Toldson is the president and CEO of The Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network. Established in July 1990 as a non-profit organization in Washington, DC, QEM is dedicated to improving education for underrepresented students throughout the nation. Dr. Toldson is also a full professor at Howard University in the School of Education and and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Negro Education. Previously, Dr. Toldson served President Barack Obama's administration as the executive director, for the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He was also senior research analyst for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and contributing education editor for The Root, where he debunked some of the most pervasive myths about African-Americans in his Show Me the Numbers column.
Dr. Toldson has more than 60 publications, including 4 books, and more than 150 research presentations in 36 US states, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Scotland, South Africa, Paris, and Barcelona. He has been featured on MSNBC, C-SPAN2 Books, NPR News, POTUS on XM Satellite Radio, and numerous local radio stations. His research has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Root, The National Journal, Essence Magazine, and Ebony Magazine.
Dubbed a leader "who could conceivably navigate the path to the White House" by the Washington Post, one of "30 leaders in the fight for Black men," by Newsweek Magazine, and the "Problem Solver" by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, Dr. Toldson, according to U.S. Secretary Arne Duncan, is "a prolific young scholar and myth buster." According to Capstone Magazine, "Toldson has spent a lot of time traveling across the country talking with teachers about misleading media statistics that invariably either link Black males to crime or question their ability to learn." Dr. Toldson was named in the 2013 and 2014 The Root 100, an annual ranking of the most influential African-American leaders.