Andrea E. Evans, Ph. D. is the Director of the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies at Northeastern Illinois University. In addition, she holds an appointment as a full professor in the Department of Leadership, Literacy, and Development in the Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education. Dr. Evans has spent more than 25 years in Illinois education. Before coming to NEIU, Dr. Evans served as the Dean of the College of Education at Governors State University.  Also, she has served as an administrator and/or professor at other Illinois institutions including Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Northern Illinois University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Evans is a published scholar in the area of educational leadership, diversity, and equity, and recently served on Illinois State Board of Education’s State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board (SEPLB). Prior to her work in academia, Dr. Evans worked for 11 years as a high school science teacher and alternative school administrator in the Chicago area.