This fall, Dr. Alicia Moore earned the distinction of becoming the first African American woman to be promoted to full professor in Southwestern University’s 186-year history. Dr. Moore was recently promoted to Professor of Education after serving as Associate Professor of Education.
Moore’s journey to full professorship began in 2001 when she joined the faculty at Southwestern. In her 24 years at SU, she has contributed across all dimensions of academic life, from teaching and scholarship to service and leadership.
“I recognized from an early age that teaching was my calling,” Moore said. “As an only child, I would line up my stuffed animals and dolls, meticulously taking the class roll and orchestrating imaginary lessons. Little did I know then that this childhood inclination would blossom into a lifelong passion for education.”
In the classroom, Moore has taught a wide range of courses, including Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Social Studies Methods, and Instructional Strategies, all with an emphasis on inclusive, culturally responsive practices.
“Growing up in Texas amidst a lineage of educators, my path into the world of education was not just a choice, but an opportunity to preserve an honored legacy,” Moore said. “I was influenced by family stories of collective and deep-rooted passions for learning, and the desire to shape and nurture young minds. I was taught that learning is liberatory – a means to transgress against discriminatory practices and toward a distinct scholar identity that is rooted in the ideals of racial equality and educational equity.”
Outside the classroom, Moore has served as a mentor to countless students, advised organizations like the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society, Best Buddies, and EMPIRE, and worked with administrators and faculty to shape inclusive policies. In 2015, she played an instrumental role in bringing Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the first historically-black Greek-lettered organization, to campus. She also reestablished Nia after a period of inactivity, a service organization that supports young women.
In becoming the University’s first African American full professor, Moore credits three individuals who came before her, helping to pave the way toward this milestone achievement: Dr. Gregory Washington, Professor Reggie Byron, and Dr. LaVonne I. Neal. Washington became the first full-time African American faculty member at Southwestern, hired in 1986 as an Associate Professor of Philosophy. Byron was the first African American male to earn tenure and promotion to full professor at Southwestern after being named Professor of Sociology in 2022. Neal was the first African American woman to earn tenure at Southwestern, serving as an associate professor in the Education Department.
“Each of them left behind footprints, and I followed their path with both reverence and responsibility,” Moore said. “Their legacy inspired me to not just occupy space, but to transform it. I see this promotion as not just a personal achievement, but as a collective affirmation of Black intellectualism, resilience, and excellence in spaces that were not always built with Black scholars in mind.”
The impact of Moore’s teaching career extends beyond Southwestern’s campus. Her scholarship has contributed to national conversations on inclusive pedagogy and has been recognized by organizations such as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) and the Society of Professors of Education. In addition to numerous publications, she has served for 20 years as co-editor of ASALH’s Black History Bulletin (BHB), which received the 2023 Clarion Award in the Education Category from the Association for Women in Communications for its interactive digital cover. She has also led initiatives to diversify classroom content and strengthen inclusive teaching practices across disciplines.
Her leadership has included curriculum development, teacher education reforms, selection to attend an event at the White House as an activist-scholar, and service on national boards, such as the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Advisory Board. Her work has been recognized with multiple awards, including the ASALH’s Mary McLeod Bethune Award and Southwestern’s Tenure-track Teaching Award.
Moore earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education with an endorsement in early childhood from Huston-Tillotson University, a historically Black college and university (HBCU) in Austin. She later earned a Master’s in Education with specializations in early childhood special education, curriculum and instruction, and school supervision and management from the University of Texas. She completed her Ph.D. in special education from the University of Texas as well, focusing on multicultural education and early childhood.
“My progression through institutions with distinct missions and cultures equipped me not only to teach and lead at a liberal arts institution, but to engage in research that interrogates how culture, policy, and pedagogy intersect to shape educational equity and justice,” Moore said.
At Southwestern, Moore was recently appointed as the Faculty of Color Support & Development Liaison, a title that formalizes and recognizes the vital work that she has already been doing throughout the SU community. In this role, she strategizes with the Marketing Department to ensure efforts accurately reflect the University’s commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and belonging, provides mentorship to faculty of color, collaborates with department and program leaders who support faculty of color, and works closely alongside various campus diversity constituencies.
“She mentors junior faculty, advises students with an open-door policy, and contributes actively to retention and recruitment efforts for faculty and staff of color,” Professor of Theatre and former Dean of the Faculty Sergio Costola said. “Her legacy is grounded in the belief that institutions can be changed from within when rigorous scholarship is combined with servant leadership and fearless advocacy.”
Moore has created lasting structures at Southwestern, including mentorship programs, a Black Faculty and Staff Association, curriculum changes, diverse student organizations, and scholarly forums that now serve as pillars of support for others.
“I am here because of those who came before me and because I dared to imagine more,” she said. “My journey continues, not just as the first Black woman to become a full professor at Southwestern, but as a committed educator, scholar, and leader shaping what comes next. I dedicate this milestone, posthumously, to my father, to my husband, to my students, colleagues, ancestors, mentors, and friends, and to all who are still fighting for their place in academia.”
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