Richard Simonds

Richard M. Simonds, Ed.D, MSW, BCC, is an Assistant Professor of Social Work and Director of the Financial Coaching and Economic Stability Lab at the University of Houston-Downtown.  He holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Lamar University and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Houston.  His research focuses on financial capability and asset building within social work education and practice, scarcity mindsets, and building collaborative teams to tackle complex and enduring issues in education  He has over 15 years of education and executive coaching experience, and his data and research expertise has successfully helped clients reach their goals. Richard has worked with clients at Fortune 500 companies, school districts, nonprofits, and community organizations and presents locally, regionally, and nationally about behavioral change, education, and social justice issues.

Richard previously served the College of Public Service at the University of Houston-Downtown supporting students and faculty in the social work, urban education, and criminal justice programs as the Director of College Data Analytics. He believes that insights from empirical data and collaboration lead to positive and lasting improvements, especially with regard to assessment and grading policies and practices.