Boris Ricks
- Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow
- B.A., Mississippi Valley State University
- MPA, University of Mississippi
- M.A., University of Southern California
- Ph.D., University of Southern California
- Contact Information
- Office: Carnegie 8
- Phone Number: 909.607.1660
- E-mail: boris.ricks@pomona.edu
- Classes
- Politics 43: Blacks in the Political Process (current)
Brief Bio
Boris Ricks, Ph.D., is a native Angeleno. He attended public schools in Los Angeles and is a proud product of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Dr. Ricks received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California (2003) under the mentorship of Black Politics and Urban Affairs expert Dr. Michael Preston. Boris’ areas and fields of interest include: American Politics; State and Local Politics; Urban Affairs; Minority Politics; Black Politics; Religion and Politics; Public Administration and Public Policy. Boris is a former Chancellor Norman Topping Graduate Student Scholarship Recipient, President Steven Sample Leadership Institute Fellow, Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs (CBCSA) Thurgood Marshall Leadership Awardee, USC Tommy Award Recipient, USC Ambassador, USC Minority Graduate Fellowship Awardee, Greenlining Institute Academy Graduate Fellow, and Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Congressional Fellow.
Dr. Ricks is a Cum Laude graduate of Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) where he was a two-time Academic All Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and GTE Academic All American (Southern Region) Defensive Back and teammate of future NFL Hall of Famer, Jerry Rice of the Oakland Raiders. Later, Boris earned the Masters of Public Administration (MPA) with honors from the University of Mississippi, where he was Associate Graduate Student Body President and Co-Founder of the Black Graduate and Professional Student Association. He also holds a Masters of Political Science from the University of Southern California.
Boris was born and raised in South Central and attributes much of his success to “blessings from above, family support, and being at the right place at the right time.” Dr. Ricks is a member of many organizations some of which include: Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., St. Anthony Grand Lodge AF&AM, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Los Angeles Board of Directors, Weingart YMCA Board of Managers, NAACP (member at-large), American Political Science Association, Western Political Science Association, National Conference OF Black Political Scientists, American Society of Public Administration, Conference of Minority Public Administrators, National Forum for Black Public Administrators, and Deacon at the Full Gospel Baptist Church.
Bo-Ricks, as he is commonly referred, to enjoys family, traveling reading, working-out, and flag football. One of the many quotes that serves to motivate Boris reads: “if a task is once begun, never leave it until it’s done, be the laborer great and small, do it well or not at all.” Boris is also the recipient of various awards, too numerous to mention.