Strong supporter of student success named dean of Merze Tate College

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Dr. Luchara Wallace, director of the Lewis Walker Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations, has been named dean of Western Michigan University’s Merze Tate College. Her appointment begins immediately, pending Board of Trustees approval.

“In her leadership roles both at Western and within the Kalamazoo community, Dr. Wallace has proven to be a strong supporter of student success and a leader who encourages students to embrace their potential and pursue their purpose,” says Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Her background positions her well to lead a college with a vital mission that spans across colleges and academic units at Western.”

Wallace came to Western in 2009 as an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education and Literacy Studies, where she led research and advocacy on topics such as juvenile incarceration, generational wealth attainment and policies impacting families and individuals with disabilities. She has served as faculty and in several leadership roles at Western throughout the past 15 years, most recently as the director of the Lewis Walker Institute since 2019 and as associate dean in the College of Education and Human Development since 2023.

At the helm of the Lewis Walker Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations, Wallace made significant strides in securing nearly $1 million in external funding over the past five years to support the institute’s mission. Wallace increased funding for the WIRE Summer Science and Math programs, expanding their services to meet growing demand from families and students. She developed innovative programming and partnerships based on her research as a faculty member, including the Lewis Walker Institute Youth Social Justice Fellows and the Youth Juvenile Justice Fellows programs, which will allow the institute to partner with other youth justice organizations to expand programming statewide this year.

Under Wallace’s leadership, the Lewis Walker Institute gained recognition as a notable research center and a partner in policy analysis and advocacy at the local, regional and national levels. In spring 2022, following a surge in gun violence in Kalamazoo, the institute facilitated a communitywide conversation and developed short-term solutions to address gun violence that summer. As a result, the institute’s research team secured an opportunity to investigate the root causes of violence along the I-94 corridor in southwest Michigan.

As dean of Merze Tate College, Wallace will be expected to foster a collaborative environment, prioritize student success, build partnerships and secure external funding.

“I am so grateful for this opportunity and I am humbled to be at the helm of a college that has such a rich tradition of commitment to student success,” Wallace says. “Merze Tate College is central to the success of students who are exploring their options or are coming back to finish their degrees through University Studies. I appreciate how the college transcends across the University, providing opportunities for collaboration across colleges and units.”

Wallace earned a Ph.D. in special education from the University of Kansas. She earned master’s degrees in special education and Catholic studies from Loyola University Chicago. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Afro-American Studies from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She says she is enthusiastic about the future of Merze Tate College, particularly the potential for growth and expansion of the centralized advising model.

“It allows us to take the best of what all our colleges are doing and enhance it with the centralized model,” says Wallace. “The Student Success Hub is revolutionary and positions us to help our students holistically, which is crucial in higher education today.”

Wallace succeeds Dr. Staci Perryman-Clark, who has served as interim dean for Merze Tate College since July 2023.

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