Iheoma U. Iruka, Ph.D. is an advisor on Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. She is a research professor in the Department of Public Policy and the Founding Director of the Equity Research Action Coalition at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at UNC-Chapel Hill. Dr. Iruka leads projects and initiatives focused on ensuring that minoritized children and children from low-income households thrive through the intersection of anti-bias, anti-racist, and culturally grounded research, program, and policy. She has authored over 80 books and papers and given over 200 talks in the past several years.

Dr. Iruka serves on numerous national and local boards and committees, including the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs; and the National Science Foundation. In addition to serving on the National Advisory Committee for the U.S. Census Bureau and acting as a census advisor for the National Urban League, she is the recipient of the 2022 American Psychological Association Mid-Career Award for Outstanding Contributions to Benefit Children, Youth, and Families and is the winner of the 2023 Association of University Centers on Disabilities Leadership for All Award.