A Mentor to All, Educator Invests in Future Teachers

In his long career at the University of Miami School of Education and Human Development, Professor Robert F. Moore has provided guidance and advice to generations of students and prepared teachers from all walks of life to be effective leaders in the classroom. As President Donna E. Shalala said at the 2014 Black Student Scholarship Reception, “Bob is everyone’s mentor here at the University.”

"By growing the scholarship fund, we can provide assistance to students who have the drive, energy, and passion to become great teachers in the future. I believe in the importance of giving back to our University, and I encourage other faculty and staff members to support a school or a program that has a special meaning for them."

Robert F. Moore

Moore now serves as assistant provost for undergraduate education and director of the Office of Academic Enhancement. He is also a resident master at Mahoney Residential College. “Being part of the living and learning community at Mahoney has been a great experience for me,” he says.

In 2014 an anonymous donor provided a $10,000 gift to the University to establish the Robert F. Moore Scholarship Fund to benefit students in the Teaching and Learning program. “Since then, I have been contributing my own resources and asking my friends and colleagues for their support,” says Moore, who actively supports the University of Miami Alumni Association.

A native of Tuskegee, Alabama, Moore earned his undergraduate degree at Fisk University and a master’s degree and a doctorate in special education at Indiana University. He taught at Coppin State College and Fisk for several years before joining the UM faculty in 1975 and earning numerous honors. In 1999, he was named Professor of the Year by the Panhellenic Council. He also is a member of the Iron Arrow Honor Society, and has a building at Bel-Aire Elementary School in Cutler Bay, where he has been professor in residence for many years, named for him.

Recognized as a leader in the evolving field of special education, Moore served as associate dean for the School of Education from 1981 to 1994, and was acting dean for two years. He also guided UM education programs in The Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Nevis and the Virgin Islands, and last summer led a UM teaching trip to South Africa.

For Moore, the link between philanthropy and education is clear. “By growing the scholarship fund, we can provide assistance to students who have the drive, energy, and passion to become great teachers in the future. I believe in the importance of giving back to our University, and I encourage other faculty and staff members to support a school or a program that has a special meaning for them.”