School of Education Dean Lemuel Watson has been awarded the 2018 Warrior Award from the International Colloquium on Black Males in Education. Watson is one of four recipients of the award that recognizes individuals who have provided long-standing service, commitment and leadership focused on the most difficult challenges impacting black males in education globally.

Watson admitted he was totally surprised to learn he would be receiving the award.

“I like to think of myself as a humble person who goes about the world living my best life and making a different whenever and however I can. I know to change the world takes many small gestures as large ones. It is work I will continue to be involved with, and I am so blessed to be at the university and school where my work is valued by my colleagues and peers,” Watson said.

The seventh annual International Colloquium on Black Males in Education was held on October 24-26 in Dublin, Ireland. The colloquium offered a diverse array of programs that serve to elicit intellectual thought, discussion, and ideas that can be implemented to serve and improve the experiences of black males throughout the world. These activities allowed participants to interact with peers from other institutions and develop a global network of contacts.

The colloquium also provides a forum for top researchers, high-impact practitioners, policy makers, funders, and students from across the globe to share their knowledge and perspectives, as well as to learn from global research strategies that inform education policies and programs on black males in education.