James Haywood Rolling Jr. is a Dual Professor of Art Education and Teaching and Leadership in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the School of Education at Syracuse University, and chair of the Art Education programs. He is currently the interim chair of the Department of African American Studies in the College of Arts in Sciences (starting in May 2024), where he is an associated faculty member. In his earlier education, Rolling earned his MFA in studio arts research at Syracuse University while studying as a Graduate Fellow in the Department of African American Studies.
Rolling most recently published Swarm Intelligence: What Nature Teaches Us About Shaping Creative Leadership (Palgrave Macmillan), a surprising new look at the social origins of creativity, in addition to over 25 peer-reviewed articles and papers, nine book chapters, and four encyclopedia entries on the subjects of the arts, education, creativity and human identity.
Arts-based Research; Narrative Inquiry; Creative Leadership
Dr. Rolling’s scholarly interests include arts-based research, creative leadership, urban education, narrative research methods, and the study of identity.
A member of the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Rolling is also the Editor of Art Education, the official bi-monthly journal of the National Art Education Association, covering a diverse range of topics dealing with subjects of professional interest to arts & design educators. Dr. Rolling has served on the Board of Directors of the National Art Education Association (NAEA), and currently serves as Commissioner At-Large on the new NAEA Research Commission.