Dr. John Kuykendall joined the Department of Educational Policy & Leadership as an Assistant professor in fall of 2006.

I am John A. Kuykendall, III, the son of John Jr. and Etta Kuykendall. I am a native of Pine Bluff, located in the southern part of Arkansas, so I am a “southern boy” at heart and really proud of that fact. Being an educator is in my blood. My maternal grandmother and three of her daughters, which includes my mom, were all school teachers. My dad also works in higher education administration.

I graduated from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, where I majored in Biology Education. Initially, I wanted to be a physician in the area of internal medicine; but, after taking a few education courses, I realized my passion for teaching. After careful thought and prayer, I changed my major to biology education and landed my first job after graduation as a biology teacher at Millington Central High School just north of Memphis, TN. This is when I truly began to realize the impact I could have on students and their learning development. While teaching at Millington, I completed my master’s degree in educational leadership by taking evening courses at Christian Brothers University. At that time, I thought that being a school principal was on the horizon.  However, my thirst for knowledge would not let me stop there. So, I applied to doctoral programs, and was admitted to a program in Higher Education Administration at Indiana University.

My four years in Bloomington were the best one could imagine. During that time, I learned so much about myself and others -- and I glimpsed the true greatness of the education profession. Upon graduation, I landed my dream job. As a college professor at Marquette University School of Education, I plan to continue my contributions to the field by preparing minds and scholars for various fields in education.

The two most important people in the world to me are my fraternal twin children, Jackson & Neala. They are the inspiration for everything that I do and hope to become in life. They are truly blessings to me and not a day goes by that do not I recognize how proud they make me feel. Being a father teaches you how to love unconditionally and put others before yourself. I enjoy reading, traveling, and recreational sports (golf, tennis, and racquetball). I am also a huge college football fan; my favorite team is the one that wins!