Dr. James P. Stancil II is an independent scholar, first-generation college graduate, professional educator, and nationally certified academic support specialist at the K-12, collegiate, and adult education levels. In his “day job,” he works as an Academic Strategist for the lifePATH program, a post-secondary educational program for neurodiverse students with a focus on assisting students as they develop independence, exercise self-determination, increase knowledge of college-level academic expectations, practice social expectations necessary for success in the adult world, and engage in opportunities for career exploration.

James is a respected community servant in Houston outside of his professional work. He formed a 501(c)(3) organization, Intellect U Well, Inc., which promotes the joy of reading, media literacy, digital citizenship, and academic achievement in the Houston community. Its most well-known work is the Nature by the Book eco-literacy reading initiative. Twice a year, a book related to nature and outdoor life is chosen, read, and discussed either virtually or in person at an outdoor location related to the book topic. The culminating activities often include an author talk or book discussion during the nature outing. James is also a volunteer leader with the Houston Network of Outdoor Afro, which seeks to reconnect Black people with nature and the outdoors and is a 2016 class member of 100 Black Men of Metropolitan Houston, Inc., a chapter of the nation’s largest mentoring organization for Black males.

Dr. Stancil is a North Carolina native from the Eastern North Carolina town of Smithfield. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies with a focus on media analysis and criticism. He next earned a Master of Education degree from North Carolina State University with a Curriculum and Instruction major and a specialty in secondary social studies education. He later attended Virginia Commonwealth University to pursue a Ph.D. in Education and Instructional Leadership and an additional doctorate in anomalous research. His research interests include paranormal and anomalous folklore within the African Diaspora, academic achievement, reading advocacy, media literacy, and digital citizenship.

For the Autumn 2024 issue, James recommended Shopping All the Way to the Woods: How the Outdoor Industry Sold Nature to America, Rachel S. Gross, Yale University Press, 2024, 304 pages.

For the Summer 2024 issue, James recommended Wild Houston: Explore the Amazing Nature in and around the Bayou City, Suzanne Simpson and John Williams, Timber Press, 2023, 352 pages.

For the Spring 2024 issue, James recommended Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, Octavia E. Butler (author), Damian Duffy (Adapter), John Jennings (Illustrator), Henry N. Abrams, 2021, 288 pages; and The Naturalist at Home: Projects for Discovering the Hidden World Around Us, Kelly Brenner, Mountaineers Books, 2023, 224 pages.