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Sheara Jennings is an Associate Professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW) and the Humana Endowed Chair in Social Determinants of Health. Since joining the GCSW in 2004, Dr. Jennings has been actively engaged in leadership, research, teaching and service. Her research has focused on the well-being of Black and LatinX youth and families in the areas of academic achievement, teen pregnancy prevention, healthy marriage/relationships and community-based interventions. Her current research activities focus on the delivery and evaluation of community-based projects designed to promote healthy marriage/relationships and address the well-being of minority youth via positive youth development strategies. Dr. Jennings has worked in a variety of higher education settings including: a top-10 business school and school of social work; a historically Black university; and an urban, tier one university. Her varied positions and roles represent the culmination of 20+ years of leadership experience. Through these appointments, coupled with practice experience as a master’s level social worker, professional trainer and diversity consultant, Dr. Jennings has developed a wide range of skills and the ability to work with diverse individuals and groups. Her approach is collaborative, task-oriented, analytical and strategic.

Vice President for Neighborhood and Strategic Initiatives, University of Houston, Dr. Lee grew up in Houston’s Third Ward attending public schools including Yates high school. His last two high school years were at Phillips Academy in Massachusetts, after which he attended Yale College graduating magna cum laude. Following Yale Law school graduation, Lee joined WilmerHale, a large firm in Washington, D.C. Returning to Houston, he taught employment, personal injury, administrative and ethics law on his way to becoming the first tenured African-American law professor at UH Law Center.

Subsequently, Lee has served in several administrative positions: interim director of the African American Studies program; twenty years as Vice President for Student Affairs responsible for a comprehensive array of student and enrollment services; and his current vice presidential role, Executive Leader of the UH Third Ward Initiative, that collaborates with neighborhood stakeholders to address disparities in education, health, economic empowerment and art exposure. For two decades he worked with Change Happens in many ways including helping draft the application for the $750 thousand Wells Fargo grant won by Change Happens. He is active in several other Third Ward organizations such as the Super Neighborhood 67, Third Ward Complete Communities, EEDC, SHAPE Community Center, and Project Row Houses.