Join us on this week’s Black Doctors Talk Podcast which features our guest, Mr. Steven Neal. Mr. Neal speaks to us on the topic of student support services and professional development opportunities for students. Currently, he serves as Director of the Academic Community of Excellence in the Office of Intercultural Affairs at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

During the podcast, Mr. Neal discusses his former experiences as a student at San Diego State University and how that propelled him into a career in student affairs. He also shares his growing affinity for providing support services for underrepresented students. He is an advocate for the Black Doctoral Network Conference and how it has enhanced the personal and professional lives of the students he brings each year.

Mr. Neal directs the Academic Community of Excellence, where he executes educational initiatives and services to prepare underrepresented students to enroll in graduate and professional school. He also liaisons with internal and external partners to recruit diverse faculty, promotes the engagement and professional development of diverse graduate students, and supports the department’s implicit bias and antiracism initiatives. He earned an M.S.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University, an M.Div. from The Master’s Seminary, and a B.A. in English from San Diego State University.