Dr. Renee Akbar is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership.  She came to Xavier in 2003 from Tallahassee, Florida, where she was an elementary teacher and an administrator. While at Xavier, The Bronx native served as the Chair of the Division of Education and Counseling and as the program coordinator of Educational Leadership. Additionally, she was the first recipient of the Norman C. Francis Excellence in Teaching award, a founding faculty of Xavier's doctoral program of Educational Leadership and the Founding Director of the Norman C. Francis Teacher Residency Program.  Dr. Akbar's research interests address the systemic inequities of public education that limit the academic growth of African – American children.