Dr. Stafford Louis Hood earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin (Whitewater) in 1974. He also played football as an undergraduate. In 1975, he completed his Master of Science degree in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Wisconsin (Whitewater). Stafford earned his Ph.D. degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (1984) with an emphasis in program evaluation, administration and policy analysis.

Upon graduation from the University of Illinois, he accepted a position as a Program Evaluator and Assessment Specialist at the Illinois State Board of Education in Springfield, where he remained until 1988. Stafford began his academic career in 1988 as Assistant Professor of Psychology in Education at Northern Illinois University (DeKalb).

In 1991, he accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Counseling/Counseling Psychology at Arizona State University (Tempe). In 1996, he was tenured and promoted to Associate professor and in 2004, he was promoted to the rank of Professor. Between 2004 and 2008, Stafford served at the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Education at Arizona State University.

In 2008, he accepted a position at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He took great pride in being named the Sheila M. Miller Professor and Department Head of Curriculum and Instruction and Professor of Educational Psychology in the College of Education. In 2011, Stafford transitioned to be the Associate Dean for Research and Research Education in the College of Education (2011-2014).

In 2011, decades of work were realized when he became the Founding Director of the Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA) in the College of Education. Stafford remained as the Director until his retirement in December 2020.

From January 2021 until his passing, he was also the Sheila M. Miller Professor of Education/Curriculum and Instruction Emeritus. He remained actively involved in the administration of CREA and active in the research, evaluation and assessment communities.

His parents preceded him in death (Virginia in 1994; Willie in 2011) as did his brothers Willie Hood Jr., LeRoy Ward, and sister Cheryl Jean.

Stafford is survived by his sister Judith Scroggins, cousins Howard Porche, Jr. Melvin Darby, and many others throughout the U.S. 

Stafford married Denice Ward Hood, Ph.D. in 1985. which led to their 37 years of marriage. Stafford was extremely proud of his two sons and one daughter,  six grandchildren, and two great grandsons.