DR. TIMOTHY D. GOLER
Sociologist, Author, and Public Scholar

Dr. Timothy D. Goler is a sociologist, author, public scholar, and founder of The Goler School. He is the author of Liberated Mind: A Guide to Black Clarity and the creator of Bonsai Theory and Reconstructed Self Theory.

Dr. Goler is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at Norfolk State University. His scholarship examines how social conditions shape identity, consciousness, stress, health, and human development, with particular attention to Black community life and the life course.

He earned a Ph.D. in Sociology from Case Western Reserve University. His doctoral research examined racial differences in stressful life events, coping, and psychological well-being among urban older adults.

Dr. Goler’s public work connects scholarship, education, institution building, and community life. He is the founder and former CEO of the HBCU Preparatory Schools Network in Cleveland and a co-founder of PolicyBridge. In August 2026, he appeared at The City Club of Cleveland for a public conversation on Liberated Mind, clarity, identity, and the conditions that shape us.

Through Liberated Mind, Bonsai Theory, Reconstructed Self Theory, and The Goler School, Dr. Goler helps people and institutions understand the forces that have shaped them and act with greater clarity, authority, and direction.

Sources: The City Club of Cleveland; Norfolk State University Department of Sociology; Case Western Reserve University Department of Sociology.