The Samuel D. Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice | GSE | Rutgers

Rodney Cunningham

Rodney T. Cunningham is a developmental psychologist. He is a tenured associate professor in the department of psychology at North Carolina Central University, and President of Ashburton Press, LLC, a self-publication press and higher educational consulting business.

He received his B.A. in psychology from Winston-Salem State University, M.A. in psychology from North Carolina Central University, and Ph.D.in developmental psychology from Howard University. Cunningham is a noted teaching professor in higher education. He has won awards for teaching at Hampton University, Coppin State University, and North Carolina Central University, respectively. His research interests are in the areas of expressive movement – music and learning in African American children, African American male development (adolescence and college), and cultural theory and developmental factors related to student success and character development at HBCUs. He is the author of the 2023 – Revised Edition of “An experience of a lifetime: The academic journey from “student” to “professor” at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).” Indeed, the book speaks to his journey from a student to the professoriate at HBCUs, and is a testament to his commitment to academic, professional, and career development quests for students attending HBCUs.