Professor Stafford Hood RIP
We were deeply saddened to hear of the death of our dear colleague and friend, Stafford Hood, who passed away suddenly on Sunday, January 15th 2023. Stafford was the Founding Director, Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation & Assessment & Sheila M. Miller Professor of Education/Curriculum & Instruction Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, an Adjunct Professor at Dublin City University and a member of EQI. He was also our friend, mentor and companion across nearly two decades of shared work in the field of culturally responsive evaluation and assessment.
Stafford was a courageous, innovative and committed scholar who helped many of us think anew about the meaning and role of culture and cultural responsivity in our own lives and work. He was a fiercely supportive and challenging mentor who encouraged generations of scholars globally to think anew about their role as researchers and teachers.
Stafford Hood’s connection with DCU began in 2007 when he was based in Arizona State University and developed over the next 16 years. He central to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between DCU and UIUC, his alma mater and home for the final decade of his career. His role as a key international partner and researcher was publicly acknowledged when he was appointed an Adjunct Professor in 2014.
Stafford was also a key figure in the establishment of EQI, acting as a member of our external advisory board for the last 12 years and joining us as an advisor and participant in a number of Erasmus + and other projects. He led the development of Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation & Assessment (CREA) and invited EQI researchers to join the governing board of the CREA as adjunct faculty. He had a genuine love for Ireland in general and for DCU in particular and was enormously proud of the education he received from the ‘Christian Brothers of Ireland’ in Chicago.
We mourn his loss deeply and offer our sincerest sympathies to his family, colleagues and many friends.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h'anam dílis