Dr. Michael Lomax, a distinguished leader in politics, the arts, education, and civic engagement, and the current president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), will be in Pasadena Tuesday to deliver a lecture as part of Caltech’s Presidential Distinguished Speaker Series at 5 p.m. at Beckman Auditorium.
Dr. Lomax is a leading advocate for college readiness. As UNCF’s president and CEO, he directs the country’s largest philanthropic organization focused on providing scholarships and other educational support to Black students. He has helped to raise more than $3 billion and helped more than 110,000 students earn college degrees.
The series brings eminent speakers to campus to discuss timely topics in science and engineering, culture, public policy, and American higher education. The talk will be live-streamed for those requiring remote access. In-person attendance is strongly encouraged. Tickets can be reserved online in advance.
Dr. Lomax launched the UNCF Institute for Capacity Building, which helps historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs) become stronger, more effective, and more self-sustaining. He also leads advocacy efforts for college readiness and education reform through partnerships with leaders and organizations working to advance HBCUs through engagement with Congress, the administration, and the Department of Education.
A native of Los Angeles, Dr. Lomax began his college education at Morehouse at the age of 16, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He earned a master’s degree in English literature from Columbia University and a PhD in American and African-American literature from Emory University.
In his professional career, Dr. Lomax held faculty positions in English departments at Emory, Spelman, and Morehouse colleges, and taught literature at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia. He served on the Fulton County Commission from 1981 to 1993 as part of his commitment to the legacy of the civil rights movement.
A significant supporter of the arts in Atlanta, he founded the Bureau of Cultural Affairs, the Fulton County Arts Council, and the biennial National Black Arts Festival. His extraordinary contributions prompted columnist Colin Campbell to describe Dr. Lomax as “one of Atlanta’s most distinguished citizens.”
In 1994, Dr. Lomax began his tenure as president of the National Faculty, an Atlanta-based organization dedicated to bringing together arts and sciences higher education scholars with K-12 teachers. He then became president of Dillard University in New Orleans where student enrollment increased by nearly 50 percent during his tenure from 1997 to 2004.
Among his many honors, Dr. Lomax was appointed to the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities by President George W. Bush. He serves on the boards of several organizations including the KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) Foundation and Teach for America.
Dr. Lomax will deliver his free, public talk at Beckman Auditorium at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 17. For more information on the series visit the speaker series website.
Reserve tickets online in advance. In-person attendance is strongly encouraged. The talk will be live-streamed for those requiring remote access.
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