Neal A. Lester

Neal A. Lester is a Foundation Professor of English at Arizona State University (ASU) and the Founding Director of Project Humanities, an award-winning university initiative. His roles include former Dean of Humanities (CLAS), Associate Vice President for Humanities and Arts, and Department Chair of English. He holds a PhD from Vanderbilt University (first African American English PhD recipient there) and a BA from the University of West Georgia (Valedictorian).

Research focuses on African American literature and culture, children's literature, race/gender politics of hair, and social justice. He authored/co-authored 8 scholarly books, including Once Upon a Time in a Different World (2007) and Understanding Zora Neale Hurston (1999). His Ntozake Shange: A Critical Study (1995) remains foundational.

Recipient of over 50 awards, including the Roy Wilkins Award (2014), ASU Parents’ Professor of the Year (2003), and 2022 MLK Servant-Leadership Award. Project Humanities has garnered 350 media mentions and awards like the Key of Excellence (2014) and Tempe’s Excellence in Diversity Award (2021).

Publications span Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education, Humanities, and The Lion and The Unicorn. Over 280 lectures/keynotes and 350 media interviews highlight his public scholarship on race, privilege, and social justice.