Background
Brian L. McGowan, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Education and Associate Director of Pedagogy and Higher Education Research in the Center for Teaching, Research, and Learning at American University. A critical constructivist, McGowan’s research focuses on Black male college student and faculty experiences in postsecondary educational contexts. More specifically, his research explores their interpersonal relationships, identity, achievement, and classroom practices. McGowan’s scholarship and professional practice have been praised through awards and honors from professional associations and higher education institutions including the New Leader Award from the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University (2020), the Distinguished Research Scholar Award from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Education (2018), and the inaugural Tracy L. Davis Outstanding Emerging Research Award from College Student Educators International (ACPA) Coalition on Men and Masculinities (2016). He is the co-editor of two books – Men and masculinities: Theoretical foundations and promising practices for supporting college men’s development (2019), and Black men in the academy: Narratives of resiliency, achievement, and success (2016). McGowan is the author of over 25 scholarly publications that appear in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of College Student Development, Equity & Excellence in Education, American Journal of Evaluation, and Journal of Men’s Studies (among others). He has delivered over 50 presentations and invited talks at colleges and universities and professional conferences and is active in professional associations, including the American Educational Research Association, and the Association for the Study of Higher Education. McGowan earned his Ph.D. in higher education administration from Indiana University, M.A. in higher education and student affairs from The Ohio State University, and B.M in music education from Old Dominion University.
