John M. Wallace Jr.
John Mckee Wallace, Jr. is an American sociologist who is the David E. Epperson Chair and Professor, Center on Race and Social Problems at the University of Pittsburgh. He also serves as Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity at the University of Pittsburgh. Education and early career Wallace completed his undergraduate degree in sociology at the University of Chicago. He moved to the University of Michigan for his graduate studies, where he earned a doctoral degree in 1991. His doctoral research considered differences between the cigarette, alcohol and marijuana use of young people and how this was influenced by ethnicity. In 1991 Wallace was awarded an National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship, and remained at the University of Michigan, where he was eventually promoted to associate professor. Research and career Wallace joined the University of Pittsburgh in 2003. Center on Race and Social Problems Comm-Univer-City of Pittsburgh project, which combines research, teaching and social work to ameliorate social problems that disproportionately impact people who are economically disadvantaged. As part of this effort, Wallace coordinates the Pitt Assisted Communities and Schools (PACS) project, which promotes community engagement of students and staff from the University of Pittsburgh with children and young people in Homewood.