Carol L. Adams, Ph. D. of Chicago currently is Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS), a position to which she was appointed in January 2003 by Gov. Rod Blagojevich. DHS delivers services directly through nearly 211 local offices and in partnership with a network of local providers that reach every part of Illinois.
An applied sociologist, Dr. Adams was educated at Fisk University, Boston University, University of Chicago and Union Graduate School. A holder of the Phi Beta Kappa key, Dr. Adams has also been the recipient of several awards in the area of social work, including the George Edmund Haynes Social Science Award.
Previously, Dr. Adams was Executive Director of the Center for Inner City Studies at Northeastern Illinois University and administrator of the South Side satellite campus. In that capacity, she established program partnerships with the Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Park District and a host of community-based organizations.
As the Assistant Director for The Center for Inner City Studies at Northeastern Illinois University, Dr. Adams developed the Women's Education Resource Center, the Adult Education Research and Information Center, conducted two studies on minorities and higher education for then State Senator Richard Newhouse and tested Sesame Street in Ida B. Wells for Children's Television Network.
Dr. Adams was the first social scientist to be responsible for the human service needs of Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) residents. While serving as the Director of the Division of Resident Services and Programs for CHA, Dr, Adams developed a host of innovative, national award-winning programs. These programs ranged from combating alcohol and drugs, Project Peace designed to end school conflicts, mental health roundtable/crises response teams and a mentoring program for teen mothers.
As director of the African-American Studies at Loyola University, Dr. Adams was responsible for faculty recruitment and selection, curriculum development, marketing and student: relations and the production of cultural events. In that capacity Dr. Adams also secured grants to underwrite special programs and helped bring noted scholars and artists to the campus.
She was the first director of research and planning for The Neighborhood Institute, a division of South Shore Bank, now called Shorebank Institute. In that position, Dr. Adams helped to establish the nation's first community development bank. She established programs designed to promote community development; revitalization, self-sufficiency and job training plan for the construction industry. She also performed consulting work in the area of human services.
Dr. Adams' community involvement includes working with the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention, Washington Park Homes, ETA Creative Arts Foundation, A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porters Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Harold Washington Research and Policy Institute, Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, Real Men Cook, Bronzeville Arts Trust, Inner City Games and The Support Group,
Dr. Adams was also part of a production company that produced videos dealing with social issues,
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Illinois Transatlantic Slave Trade Commission