Ingrid Whitaker
By Amy Matzke-Fawcett
Ingrid Whitaker, associate professor in Old Dominion University's Department Sociology and Criminal Justice, has been elected for a second term on the Portsmouth School Board.
Whitaker, who also serves as graduate program director of the M.A. in sociology at the College of Arts and Letters, previously served on the board from 2014 to 2018, focusing on expanding career and technical education programs, increasing support services to students and parents, and fully funding Portsmouth Public Schools.
At the University, Whitaker facilitates student growth through teaching and other enrichment, including leading the upcoming program "" on Nov. 10 with the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice 黑料正能量 chapter.
"My goal as an educator and a member of the Portsmouth Public School Board is to help students reach their full potential," Whitaker said.
Her research interests include social welfare policy, race and welfare policy, welfare reform and the justice system in the Caribbean. She has worked extensively on research projects that have examined the relationship between welfare, well-being and race. She has authored several papers on race, public policy, welfare in the United States and the justice system in the Caribbean.
Whitaker is a native of Trinidad and Tobago. She holds a B.A. in psychology and sociology from the University of Illinois, and an M.S.W., M.A. in sociology and a Ph.D. in sociology and social work from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.
