Peter C. Murrell, Jr., Ph.D.

Peter C. Murrell, Jr., Ph.D., joined Loyola in July 2008 as founding dean of the School of Education. He is a nationally known expert in the field of urban education.

Formerly the director of the Center for Innovation in Urban Education and associate professor at Northeastern University in Boston, Murrell was charged with developing Loyola’s third distinct school, which is the only School of Education in Maryland with a dedicated focus on the advancement of achievement and development of city children and youth that is based on an analytical framework of identity, race and culture. By extension, Murrell believes, this emphasis in urban education will lead to an improved quality of life for all who live and work in America’s cities.

Murrell holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Carleton College, a master’s degree in experimental cognitive psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Ph.D. in urban education with a specialization in educational psychology, also from the University of Wisconsin.

His research interests include cognition and learning, human development in social and cultural contexts and the social and cultural contexts of urban schooling. Murrell is the author of four books dedicated to the issues of urban education, including his most recent, 2007’s Race, Culture, and Schooling: Identities of Achievement in Multicultural Urban Schools. He has also authored or co-authored dozens of articles and book chapters. He joined the faculty at Northeastern University in 1996 after holding positions at Wheelock College, Alverno College and Marquette University.

Read the Dean's message.