Ira K. Blake, Ph.D.

Ira Kincade Blake, Ph.D., serves as a professor of psychology in the Department of Psychology in the College of Human Sciences and Humanities. Blake earned a doctorate in developmental psychology from Columbia University. She also earned master’s degrees in developmental psychology from Teachers College and educational psychology from San Francisco State University. Blake has held faculty roles in both private and public universities. Her areas of research interest are cross-cultural factors in child development, the language development of African-American children, and educational policy that affects equitable access, opportunity and support of children from diverse backgrounds.

Blake has served productively in several administrative roles at both the public university and system levels. As the fifth president of University of Houston-Clear Lake, and the first African American and female president, the university saw substantial gains in enrollment, diversity, student civic engagement, and industry alliances to increase student experiential learning opportunities and faculty industry-based research.

Blake is a strong advocate for meeting the personal and educational needs of students as learners. She integrates her administrative and academic experience to enhance students’ understanding of self within the meaningful variation of humankind, to advance their critical thinking and to increase their innovative capacity. Blake values institutional strategies that work to improve student access to educational equity, to expand student opportunities for personal development and career preparation, and to increase student credential completion. All must be supported by the resilient instruction of faculty.