Randall Clemens, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Department Chairperson
College of Human Development Culture and Media

Randall F. Clemens, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Department Chairperson in the Department of Education Leadership, Management and Policy (ELMP) in the College of Education and Human Services at Seton Hall University. His research—incorporating critical perspectives from sociology and public policy—pertains to three interrelated themes: First, he focuses on how growing up in low-income neighborhoods influences education equity, access and readiness for minoritized students. Second, Clemens explores the role of qualitative research to improve public policy. And third, he investigates innovative methods to design, conduct, and share qualitative research. His work has appeared in a variety of peer-reviewed outlets including Cultural Studies <=> Critical Methodologies, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, and Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research. Clemens teaches graduate courses related to qualitative inquiry, administrative leadership, sociology of education, and culturally sustaining pedagogies. He engages in service activities at the department, school, professional, and community levels. Undergirding his research, teaching, and service is a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Prior to joining Seton Hall University, Clemens worked for nine years as a professor—beginning as an Assistant Professor and then as an Associate Professor with tenure—in the Department of Administrative and Instructional Leadership at St. John’s University. He received his Ph.D. in Urban Education Policy from University of Southern California, MSEd in School Administration and Supervision from Johns Hopkins University, and B.A. in English Literature from University of Maryland at College Park. While at the USC Rossier School of Education, Clemens worked as a doctoral fellow at the Pullias Center for Higher Education, where he later served as a research affiliate for six years. Before becoming a researcher, he served as a high school English teacher in Prince George’s County Public Schools.