Christopher Dowdy

 Christopher "Chris" Dowdy serves as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Paul Quinn College (PQC), America’s first Urban Work College and among the oldest Historically Black Colleges west of the Mississippi River. As chief academic officer, he facilitates the implementation of the Reality-Based Education model and the integration of the Work College program into the curriculum. He received his Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Southern Methodist University in 2013 and began his work at PQC as Special Assistant to the President in August of 2014. His research focus is on redress for historical injustice, and he is the author of articles on lynching memory and mercy, as well as projects in the digital humanities. He is a member of the Advisory Committee for the City of Dallas's Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan and sits on the 2018-19 Aydelotte Foundation Advisory Board. He was recognized as one of Dallas Business Journal's "40 under 40" in 2019. He and his spouse, Lauren, live with their two boys in Old East Dallas.