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Eric Mayes, Ph.D. is the Associate Director of the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, and Faculty Fellow in the Eugene Applebaum Chair in Community Engagement. He also teaches in the College of Education's division of Theoretical and Behavioral Foundations. Dr. Mayes' research examines the impact that culturally diverse, developmentally appropriate, emotionally supportive and socially engaging learning environments have on human growth, development and cognition.

Prior to joining the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute Dr. Mayes was an adjunct professor at Howard University and Dean of Students at an elementary and middle school in Washington, DC.  Dr. Mayes has studied and researched in both the Gambia-West Africa, and in Salvador, Bahia. Dr. Mayes graduated from Howard University in 2006 with a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the Department of Human Development and Psychoeducational Studies. Dr. Mayes earned both his bachelor's degree in 1998 and master's in Education Technology in 2000 from the University of Michigan. In 1997, he was a captain of the University of Michigan's national championship football team.