John M. Wallace Jr. facts for kids

John Mckee Wallace, Jr. is an American sociologist. A sociologist studies how people live and interact in groups. He is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh. He also helps make sure there is a wide variety of teachers and staff at the university.

Early Life and Education

John Mckee Wallace, Jr. went to the University of Chicago for his first college degree in sociology. After that, he went to the University of Michigan for more advanced studies. He earned his highest degree, called a doctorate, in 1991.

After finishing his studies, Dr. Wallace received a special award called a National Science Foundation fellowship. This allowed him to continue his research at the University of Michigan, where he later became a professor.

Helping Communities Through Research

In 2003, Dr. Wallace joined the University of Pittsburgh. There, he started working on a special project called the Comm-Univer-City of Pittsburgh. This project helps solve problems that affect people who don't have a lot of money. It combines research, teaching, and social work to make communities better.

One important part of this work is the Pitt Assisted Communities and Schools (PACS) project. This project helps students and staff from the University of Pittsburgh work with children and young people in the Homewood community. PACS aims to improve the health and well-being of kids and families. It also helps them gain skills for a better future.

The PACS project has three main areas of focus:

• African American Parenting Project: This project helps parents get involved in their children's school success.
• Just Discipline Project: This project works to reduce the number of times students are suspended from school. It uses fair and proven methods instead.
• Justice Scholars Project: This project teaches teenagers about social justice, which means fairness for everyone in society.

Dr. Wallace also worked with James Hugley to study school suspensions in Pittsburgh. They found that Black students were suspended twice as often as white students.

New Programs and Leadership

In 2015, Dr. Wallace became a business professor at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. He started a program there called ESTEAM. ESTEAM helps young people from low-income African American communities learn about entrepreneurship (starting a business), science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and math.

In 2020, Dr. Wallace was given a new leadership role at the University of Pittsburgh. He became the Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity and Development. In this role, he works to make sure the university has a diverse group of teachers and leaders.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Wallace has received many awards for his important work:

• 2012 Marilyn J. Gittell Activist Scholar Award
• 2015 University of Pittsburgh Chancellor's Distinguished Public Service Award
• 2016 YWCA Racial Justice Award
• 2017 Martin Luther King Distinguished Individual Leadership Award
• 2019 Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare

Personal Life and Community Work

Dr. Wallace is married and has four children. Since 2004, he has been the Senior Pastor at the Bible Center Church. His grandparents started this church in 1956.

Through the church, Dr. Wallace leads a program called Own Our Own. This program helps African-American entrepreneurs start their own businesses. He also leads the Board of Directors for Operation Better Block. This group helps the Homewood community by planning and organizing projects. In 2016, Dr. Wallace opened the Everyday Cafe, a place designed to bring the Homewood community together.