Willie Pearson, Jr.

WILLIE PEARSON

Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

Willie Pearson, Jr., is a professor of sociology at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of History, Technology, and Society. He specializes in the sociology of science and sociology of the family. His research focuses primarily on broadening participation in science and engineering and the careers of African-American Ph.D. scientists. He is the author or co-editor of numerous books and articles, including Beyond Small Numbers: Voices of African American PhD Chemists (2005). Professor Pearson is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and former chair of the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering, Office of the Director, National Science Foundation. He received his Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, an M.A. in sociology from Atlanta University, and a B.A. from Wiley College.