William Trent

Professor, Education Policy Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Research Biography

My past research has focused on: 1) Educational Inequality: school desegregation effects (K-12, postsecondary), benefits and consequences, social organization of school, status attainment research, co- and extracurricular activities, comparative education; 2) Race and Ethnicity: social stratification and mobility, equality of opportunity; and 3) Complex Organization/Social Change/Policy.

I am principal investigator for an Educational Reform Project focused on understanding the role of race, ethnicity, class and gender in school reform. I have also recently served as an expert witness on a court appointed panel in Vaughns, et al. v. Bd. of Educ. of P.G. Co., MD.

I will be seeking funding for a major project on school desegregation, focused on educational consequences. I will return to theoretical writing on policy issues, their origins and evolution.

Degrees

Ph.D., Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1982
M.S., Sociology, George Washington University, 1974
B.S., Sociology, Union College, Barbourville, KY, 1966

Key Professional Appointments

Professor, Department of Educational Policy Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1992--
Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1992--
Associate Chancellor, Responsible for campus diversity issues, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1994-1999
Assistant, Associate Professor, Department of Educational Policy Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1983-1992

Activities & Honors

member and reviewer, American Sociological Association, 2006- present
Spencer Resident Fellow, The Spencer Foundation, 2006-2007
ASA Spivak Committee member, American Sociological Association, 2006
Committee member, American Educational Research Association, 2006
Member, The Higher Learning Commission, 2005-2007
Member, Research Planning Committee, Transitions Research Project, Social Science Research Council, 2003-2008
Member of Court Appointed Monitoring Team for Champaign, IL Unit 4 Consent Decree, Champaign Community Unit School District 4, 2003-2008
Meber, National Research Council, 2003-2005
Senior Specialist, Fulbright Senior Specialists are selected based on achievements and the fit with the needs of the participating agencies and universities., Fulbright Program, 2003-2004
Advisor, Illinois Education Research Council, 2002- present
Committee Member, Kellogg Forum on Higher Education, 2002-2006
Visiting Scholar, College Board, 2002-2003
Research Advisory Committee Member, Gates Millenium Scholars Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2001-2019
Member, Higher Education Policy Advisory Board, American Council on Education, 2001-2004
AERA - IES, AIR, ETS- Fellowship Committee, American Educational Research Association, 2000- present
Visiting Chair in Higher Education, Johnson and Wales University, 2000
Co-chair, Committee on Educational Excellence and Testing Equity for the Board on Testing And Assessment, National Research Council, 1999-2002
Outstanding Scholar, American Educational Research Association, 1999
Member, Board on Testing and Assessment, National Academy of Sciences, 1996-2002

Grants

Principal Investigator, Urban Initiative, U.S. Department of Agriculture (Urban & Metropolitan Affairs Office, ACES Extension Program), 2005
Principal Investigator, Illinois Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 2002, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, 2004
Principal Investigator, Data Analysis & Interpretation from 2002 Longitudinal Study, Illinois Education Research Council (Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville), 2004
Advisor, Illinois Transition Project, Illinois Education Research Council, 2003
Principal Investigator, Under-represented Minorities in the Academy: Understanding the Career Attainment Process, U.S. Department of Education, 2001
Principal Investigator, Understanding The Academic Career Aspiration and Attainment of Underrepresented Students, Campus Research Board, 2000

Selected Publications

The Transition to College: Lessons from the Disciplines. William Trent and Terry Orr (eds) A specail issue of The Teachers College Record. V 109, No. 10, 2007.
Trent, W.T. and Y. Gong. (2004). Achieving Justice and Equality in U.S. Higher Education: An Exemplary Program to Increase the Participation of Underrepresented Students of Color. In INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS. Edited by Walter Allen, Marguerite Bonous- Hammarth, and Robert Teranishi. Elsevier Press (In Press)
“Perceptions of Financial Aid Among Students of Color: Examining the Role(s) of Self Concept, Locus of Control and Expectations.” William T. Trent, Heather Lee and Dawn Owens Nicholson. Cultural Barriers to Financial and Access, AMERICAN BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST. Sage Publications. William Tierney, Editor. Forthcoming, 2006
Readings in Equal Education. Volume 22. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Transitions to College: Lessons from the Disciplines. Teachers College Record. Wiliam Trent, Margaret Terry Orr, Sheri Ranis and Jennifer Holdaway. V. 109, No 10. 2007. pp. 1-2. (Online publication available since April 2006)


Office Administration Provost Committees Policies and Procedures University Lectures Current Lecturers Previous Lecturers Speeches and Reports Historical Archive Office of the Vice Chancellor and Provost Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Services Enrollment Management Undergraduate Admissions Financial Aid Enrollment Management Research Graduate Enrollment Management Air Force ROTC Army ROTC SU Abroad Office of the Registrar Graduate School Information Technology and Services (ITS) Office of the Associate Provost for Academic Programs Office Staff Reporting Units Learning Communities Office of Institutional Research and Assessment Academic Integrity Office Project Advance Office of Undergraduate Studies Native Student Program University Assessment Council Academic Coordinating Committee Links Shared Reading Program Office of Research Syracuse University Press Syracuse University Library Schools and Colleges Policies and Procedures Faculty Hiring New Faculty Department Chairs Recognition Tenure Emeritus Faculty Teaching Resources Part-Time Faculty Personnel Policies & Forms New Faculty Directory
Meet the Provost Office Administration Provost Committees Policies and Procedures University Lectures Speeches and Reports	William Trent bio William Trent Professor, Education Policy Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Research Biography My past research has focused on: 1) Educational Inequality: school desegregation effects (K-12, postsecondary), benefits and consequences, social organization of school, status attainment research, co- and extracurricular activities, comparative education; 2) Race and Ethnicity: social stratification and mobility, equality of opportunity; and 3) Complex Organization/Social Change/Policy. I am principal investigator for an Educational Reform Project focused on understanding the role of race, ethnicity, class and gender in school reform. I have also recently served as an expert witness on a court appointed panel in Vaughns, et al. v. Bd. of Educ. of P.G. Co., MD. I will be seeking funding for a major project on school desegregation, focused on educational consequences. I will return to theoretical writing on policy issues, their origins and evolution. Degrees Ph.D., Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1982 M.S., Sociology, George Washington University, 1974 B.S., Sociology, Union College, Barbourville, KY, 1966 Key Professional Appointments Professor, Department of Educational Policy Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1992-- Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1992-- Associate Chancellor, Responsible for campus diversity issues, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1994-1999 Assistant, Associate Professor, Department of Educational Policy Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1983-1992 Activities & Honors member and reviewer, American Sociological Association, 2006- present Spencer Resident Fellow, The Spencer Foundation, 2006-2007 ASA Spivak Committee member, American Sociological Association, 2006 Committee member, American Educational Research Association, 2006 Member, The Higher Learning Commission, 2005-2007 Member, Research Planning Committee, Transitions Research Project, Social Science Research Council, 2003-2008 Member of Court Appointed Monitoring Team for Champaign, IL Unit 4 Consent Decree, Champaign Community Unit School District 4, 2003-2008 Meber, National Research Council, 2003-2005 Senior Specialist, Fulbright Senior Specialists are selected based on achievements and the fit with the needs of the participating agencies and universities., Fulbright Program, 2003-2004 Advisor, Illinois Education Research Council, 2002- present Committee Member, Kellogg Forum on Higher Education, 2002-2006 Visiting Scholar, College Board, 2002-2003 Research Advisory Committee Member, Gates Millenium Scholars Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2001-2019 Member, Higher Education Policy Advisory Board, American Council on Education, 2001-2004 AERA - IES, AIR, ETS- Fellowship Committee, American Educational Research Association, 2000- present Visiting Chair in Higher Education, Johnson and Wales University, 2000 Co-chair, Committee on Educational Excellence and Testing Equity for the Board on Testing And Assessment, National Research Council, 1999-2002 Outstanding Scholar, American Educational Research Association, 1999 Member, Board on Testing and Assessment, National Academy of Sciences, 1996-2002 Grants Principal Investigator, Urban Initiative, U.S. Department of Agriculture (Urban & Metropolitan Affairs Office, ACES Extension Program), 2005 Principal Investigator, Illinois Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 2002, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, 2004 Principal Investigator, Data Analysis & Interpretation from 2002 Longitudinal Study, Illinois Education Research Council (Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville), 2004 Advisor, Illinois Transition Project, Illinois Education Research Council, 2003 Principal Investigator, Under-represented Minorities in the Academy: Understanding the Career Attainment Process, U.S. Department of Education, 2001 Principal Investigator, Understanding The Academic Career Aspiration and Attainment of Underrepresented Students, Campus Research Board, 2000 Selected Publications The Transition to College: Lessons from the Disciplines. William Trent and Terry Orr (eds) A specail issue of The Teachers College Record. V 109, No. 10, 2007. Trent, W.T. and Y. Gong. (2004). Achieving Justice and Equality in U.S. Higher Education: An Exemplary Program to Increase the Participation of Underrepresented Students of Color. In INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS. Edited by Walter Allen, Marguerite Bonous- Hammarth, and Robert Teranishi. Elsevier Press (In Press) “Perceptions of Financial Aid Among Students of Color: Examining the Role(s) of Self Concept, Locus of Control and Expectations.” William T. Trent, Heather Lee and Dawn Owens Nicholson. Cultural Barriers to Financial and Access, AMERICAN BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST. Sage Publications. William Tierney, Editor. Forthcoming, 2006 Readings in Equal Education. Volume 22. Johns Hopkins University Press. Transitions to College: Lessons from the Disciplines. Teachers College Record. Wiliam Trent, Margaret Terry Orr, Sheri Ranis and Jennifer Holdaway. V. 109, No 10. 2007. pp. 1-2. (Online publication available since April 2006)