Ethel Scurlock

Dr. Ethel Scurlock serves as Dean of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and Associate Professor of English and African American Studies at the University of Mississippi, where she is affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and Department of English.

Her academic credentials include:

• B.S. in English from University of Tennessee-Knoxville (1990)
• M.A. in English from Bowling Green State University (1992)
• Ph.D. in English from Bowling Green State University (1997)

Her research and teaching focus on English literature and African American cultural studies within humanities education. As a Memphis native, she integrates regional cultural perspectives into her scholarship while advancing interdisciplinary approaches in liberal arts education.

Her distinguished service has earned multiple honors:

• College of Liberal Arts Teacher of the Year
• UM Humanities Teacher of the Year
• Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher of the Year
• Black Alumni Trailblazers Award
• Donald Cole Award for Faculty and Staff

Prior to her deanship, Dr. Scurlock directed African American Studies and served as Senior Faculty Fellow for the Luckyday Residential College. She maintains active leadership in academic programming and student mentorship across the university's honors and residential college initiatives.