Adam Hollowell is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Program in Education at Duke University, where he also serves as Senior Research Associate at the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity and Director of the Inequality Studies Minor. His teaching spans ethics, inequality studies, and history across Duke’s Kenan Institute for Ethics, Sanford School of Public Policy, and Department of History. Hollowell holds a Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh (2009). His research focuses on inequality, higher education, public policy, and ethics, with notable work on pandemic impacts, telemedicine in education, and reproductive health access during crises. In Inequality Studies , Hollowell emphasizes understanding policies to drive social change, as highlighted in recent media coverage. His publications explore topics like student behavior shifts during the pandemic, telemedicine adoption in universities, and James Baldwin’s ethical challenges. He is a finalist for the Judith Deckers Prize (2024). Professionally, Hollowell leads projects such as Bass Connections on college contraception access and Story+ initiatives. His work bridges academia and public engagement, addressing systemic inequities through interdisciplinary approaches.
University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
H. Samy Alim is a Professor and David O. Sears Presidential Endowed Chair in the Division of Social Sciences at UCLA, holding a joint appointment in the Department of Anthropology. He serves as Associate Director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies and leads the UCLA Hip Hop Initiative. Alim’s research focuses on Hip Hop Culture, Black Language, and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies, with over 25 years of scholarship in these areas. His work bridges academia and activism, emphasizing Hip Hop’s transformative role in global social justice movements. Alim earned his PhD in Anthropology from Stanford University (2003), following MA (2002) and BA (1999) degrees. His academic contributions include twelve authored/edited books, such as Freedom Moves (2023) and Articulate While Black (2012). His research spans Hip Hop’s linguistic innovations, racialized language politics, and its pedagogical potential in education. Key projects include ethnographic studies in Cape Town, South Africa, and collaborative initiatives like the UC Press Hip Hop Studies Book Series. He co-edits the Oxford Handbook of Language and Race and directs the Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Language. Alim has engaged with global Hip Hop artists (e.g., Chuck D of Public Enemy) to co-produce knowledge, emphasizing Hip Hop as a site of theorizing and activism. His teaching and research highlight intersections of language, race, and power, advocating for pedagogies that sustain cultural identities while fostering equity. Collaborations with organizations like Heal the Hood in South Africa reflect his commitment to community-driven scholarship.
Steven Jackson is a Professor of Information Science and Science and Technology Studies at Cornell University's Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, with additional graduate field appointments in Communication and Public Affairs. Since July 2023, he has served as Vice-Provost for Academic Innovation at Cornell, and previously held leadership positions as Chair of Information Science and Dean of William Keeton House. His work bridges academic research with significant institutional leadership in higher education innovation. Dr. Jackson's research focuses on critical intersections of technology, society, and the environment, with three primary strands: technology ethics, law and policy; maintenance, repair and sustainability; and technology, inequality and global development. His work draws from American pragmatism, political economy, and science and technology studies, integrating methods from sociology, anthropology, philosophy, and media studies. He is particularly interested in how computing practices meet social and material worlds, with implications for infrastructure, collaboration, sustainability, and cultural practice. His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on repair as both theoretical concept and practical methodology, exploring 'ordinary hope' as a framework for technological engagement and examining unmaking as a necessary counterpart to design. The research spans diverse geographical contexts from the global North to South, addressing caste dynamics in computing, digital authoritarianism, and infrastructure challenges in developing contexts. Dr. Jackson has received significant recognition including an NSF CAREER award and more than twenty paper awards at leading computing and information science venues. His research has been supported by major organizations including the U.S. National Science Foundation, Social Science Research Council, Ford Foundation, Sloan Foundation, World Bank, Intel Research, Atkinson Center for Sustainability, and the Canadian Social Science and Humanities Research Council. As an advisor, Dr. Jackson has mentored numerous graduate students who have gone on to prominent positions at institutions worldwide. He currently advises Jen Liu, Amy Cheatle, Daniel Mwesigwa, Johan Michalove, and Ritik Batra, while his former students include Palashi Vaghela (Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University), Samir Passi (Responsible AI Researcher at Microsoft), Maggie Jack (Assistant Professor at NYU), and Ranjit Singh (Senior Researcher at Data and Society). Dr. Jackson convenes the Computing On Earth Lab, an experimental collaboration bringing together social scientists, humanists, artists, and engineers to rethink the material and planetary foundations of computing. The lab reflects his commitment to interdisciplinary approaches that address computing's environmental impacts and sustainability challenges.
Dorothy Kim serves as Assistant Professor of English at Brandeis University with cross-appointments in the Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies and the Women's Studies Research Center. Her innovative scholarship bridges medieval literary studies, digital humanities, and critical race theory, examining how medieval history is weaponized by contemporary white supremacist movements and advocating for antiracist frameworks in academia. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles and her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. Her educational trajectory reflects deep engagement with interdisciplinary approaches to literature and cultural studies. Kim's research centers on exposing the racialized foundations of medieval studies, particularly through projects analyzing digital white supremacy and medievalism's role in alt-right ideology. She pioneers methodologies connecting medieval women's literary cultures with contemporary trans feminism while interrogating Jewish/Christian difference in manuscript studies. Her work consistently challenges the field's historical whiteness and develops decolonial digital humanities practices. Her publication trends reveal a decisive shift toward critical race interventions in premodern studies, with increasing focus on database methodologies, sonic histories, and the material politics of medieval manuscript transmission. Recent works demonstrate how digital tools can either reinforce or dismantle racial hierarchies in academic knowledge production. Her distinguished honors include: 2023 Medieval Academy of America Article Prize in Critical Race Studies American Studies Association Digital Humanities Book Prize (2021) Society for Medieval Feminist Scholarship's Best Feminist Article Award (2021) AAUW Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018-2019) Folger Shakespeare Library Long-Term Fellowship (2025-2026) SSHRC, Ford Foundation, Fulbright, and Mellon fellowships Kim directs major collaborative projects including the NEH-funded An Archive of Early Middle English (161-manuscript database) and co-leads the Global Middle Ages Project. As co-director of RaceB4Race and the Reckonings Institute, she creates platforms for community archiving and social justice praxis. Her mentorship focuses on training students in critical digital methodologies through Brandeis' DH Lab while developing antifascist frameworks for humanities education. She currently leads the Brandeis University DH Lab housing her NEH project, co-edits Literature Compass's pre-1800 section, and develops two major book projects: Race, the Crusades, and the Katherine Group (based on her AAUW fellowship) and Music, Multimodal Manuscripts, and Remediating the Medieval Lyric for ArcPress.
Charles Athanasopoulos is an Assistant Professor of African American and African Studies & English at The Ohio State University. His research focuses on intersections of Black rhetorics, media, and culture, with expertise in The Black Radical Tradition, Rhetorical Theory, and Cultural Critique. He earned his Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Communication from the University of Pittsburgh. His work analyzes racial progress, public symbols, and post/Ferguson America through lenses of iconoclasm and critical race theory. Education: Ph.D., Rhetoric & Communication, University of Pittsburgh. Research interests span Black American and Diasporic Cinema, Afro-Caribbean and Greek-Roma identity critiques. He has published in venues like Lateral: The Journal of the Cultural Studies Association and Western Journal of Communication. His 2024 book Black Iconoclasm explores dismantling racial symbols in public discourse. Recent articles address Fanonian thought, anti-racist campus rhetoric, and transnational Blackness studies. His publications critically engage with visual activism, film analysis, and decolonial theories. Current projects include studies on sonic rhetorics in Black women’s music and global race discourses in Mediterranean contexts.
Otto Maduro is a Venezuelan-born Professor of World Christianity & Latin American Christianity at Drew University (Madison, New Jersey) since 1992. He chairs the Division of Church & Society in the Theological School and co-leads the Hispanic Institute of Theology and Hispanic D.Min. Program. Married to Dr. Nancy Noguera, they share a passion for social justice, music, and intercultural dialogue. His research focuses on liberation theology, social justice, and the intersection of religion with marginalized communities. Education: PhD (1977), MA (1975), and MA (1973) in Philosophy/Sociology of Religion from the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium), all summa cum laude. Licentiate in Philosophy from Universidad Central de Venezuela (1968). Research Interests: Liberation theology, social justice, ecological ethics, epistemological critiques, religious resistance, and LGBTQ+ rights. His work emphasizes global South perspectives, particularly Latin America’s socio-religious dynamics. Grants & Awards: Henry Luce III Fellowship (2006), Ford Foundation grants (2000–2002), Will Herberg Award (1997), and international recognition for his book Marxismo y Religión (1977). Professional Contributions: Associate editor of Concilium , Journal of Hispanic/Latino Theology , and others. Served on editorial boards of leading journals and as council member of PARAL, SSSR, and ACHTUS. Current Projects: Researching Pentecostal congregations among Latina/o immigrants in Newark and directing the Hispanic Summer Program in Religion & Theology.
Jonathan D. Gomez is an Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Studies Advisor in the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies at San José State University (SJSU). He also serves as Faculty Director and Co-Facilitator of the SJSU Culture Counts Reading Series. Dr. Gomez holds a 2021-2022 Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship from UC Santa Cruz’s Department of Latin American and Latino Studies. Education: PhD in Sociology with an Emphasis in Black Studies (UC Santa Barbara, 2018); BA in Sociology with Honors (UC Santa Cruz, 2008); Transfer Student in Sociology (East Los Angeles College, 2005). His research centers Chicanx and Latinx spatial practices in postindustrial Los Angeles, exploring how marginalized communities reclaim urban spaces through cultural resistance. Key themes include critical pedagogy, decolonial theory, and the intersection of race, space, and cultural expression. His work bridges sociology, cultural studies, and urban theory, with notable contributions to understanding punk subcultures and Black radical traditions. His publications reflect a trajectory from early analyses of East LA punk scenes (2012) to contemporary explorations of transformative education and spatial justice. Recent works emphasize collective pedagogical frameworks rooted in decolonial praxis. Awards: Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021-22) As an educator, Gomez designs courses on race, creative expression, and cultural studies. He actively engages in community-based scholarship through the Culture Counts series, fostering dialogues on race and culture. His advising and mentorship are central to his role, though specific grant details are not disclosed in the provided materials. Current initiatives include directing the Culture Counts Readings Series, which amplifies marginalized voices in cultural discourse.
Aisha Durham is a Professor of Communication at the University of South Florida's College of Arts and Sciences, with affiliations in Humanities & Cultural Studies and Women's & Gender Studies. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2007) and has held academic positions at Texas A&M University and the University of Georgia. Her research focuses on Black feminist thought, autoethnography, and media/cultural studies. She is the award-winning author of Home with Hip Hop Feminism: Performances in Communication and Culture and a co-editor of Home Girls Make Some Noise! Key research areas include Hip Hop Feminism, intersectionality, and qualitative methodologies. Durham has received prestigious awards such as the NCA Marsha Houston Award and the Ellis-Bochner Award for autoethnography. She contributes to public scholarship through podcasts, media analyses, and international talks for outlets like CNN and NPR. Her work emphasizes democratizing knowledge and addressing systemic inequities in academia and culture. Professional activities include editorial board roles, advisory positions (e.g., Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap), and keynote speaking at institutions worldwide. Her recent publications explore pedagogical resistance, hiphop literacies, and Black feminist mentorship frameworks.
Joshua B. Guild is an Associate Professor in the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University. He is also an Associated Faculty member in the Program in Urban Studies and has been involved with the Center for Digital Humanities. His scholarly work bridges historical research with public engagement and digital innovation. His education includes a PhD in History and African American Studies from Yale University and an undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University, where he was a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow. Professor Guild's research centers on 20th- and 21st-century African American social and cultural history, urban history, and the modern African diaspora. His interests include migration, black internationalism, black popular music, and the black radical tradition. He is deeply engaged in the digital humanities and public scholarship, organizing seminars and contributing to podcasts and public exhibitions. The recent publications and projects reflect a strong focus on urban Black communities, transnational migration, and cultural politics. Themes include the Great Migration, postwar New York and London, New Orleans after Katrina, and the Black 1980s. His work combines historical analysis with cultural critique and social justice advocacy. Scientific Awards and Fellowships: Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship Ford Foundation Fellowship Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation Award Charles Warren Center Fellowship (Harvard University) W.E.B. Du Bois Institute Fellow (Harvard University) Professor Guild has advised graduate students through seminars and collaborative projects, though no individual students are named. He has led initiatives supported by institutional grants, particularly in digital humanities and public engagement. His leadership in the 'Black Studies in the Digital Age' seminar and editorial work on the 'Black 1980s' special issue demonstrates his commitment to advancing the field through interdisciplinary collaboration. He is affiliated with the Program in Urban Studies and the Center for Digital Humanities at Princeton, where he contributes to shaping curricula and research directions in African American Studies and digital scholarship.
Nancy Mock is an Associate Professor in the Department of Global Health Systems and Development at Tulane University's School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine. She holds affiliated faculty status at the Stone Center for Latin American Studies. Her academic journey includes a B.S. in Biology from Yale University (1976), an M.P.H. in International Health from Tulane (1979), and a Dr.P.H. in International Health from Tulane (1985). Dr. Mock's research focuses on global health systems, evaluation methodologies, complex emergencies, and health systems in Latin America and Africa. Notable areas include Haiti's public health challenges and Rwanda's educational health programs. She has directed key institutions like the Center for International Resource Development and contributed to the Famine Early Warning System (FEWS). Her work is supported by major grants, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant (2007), USAID's Regional Public Health Leadership Initiative (2006-2007), and Rwanda-focused projects (2000-2004). She has consulted for organizations such as the World Food Program, UNICEF, and the Pan American Health Organization. Fluent in French and Spanish, her overseas experience spans Honduras and extensive fieldwork in Africa and Asia.
Michael S. Horn is a Professor at Northwestern University with a joint appointment in Computer Science and the Learning Sciences. He directs the Tangible Interaction Design and Learning (TIDAL) Lab and coordinates the Learning Sciences PhD Program. His work focuses on leveraging interactive technology to design innovative learning experiences, such as tangible programming languages (e.g., Tern) and music-coding platforms (e.g., TunePad). He holds a PhD from Tufts University and has collaborated with institutions like the California Academy of Sciences and the Museum of Science, Boston. Education: PhD in Computer Science, Tufts University MS in Computer Science, Tufts University BS in Computer Science, Brown University Research Interests: Dr. Horn explores how emerging technologies can create engaging learning environments. His projects include museum exhibits (e.g., DeepTree, Build-a-Tree), educational tools for computational literacy (e.g., TunePad, Strawbies), and collaborative design with educators. Recent work emphasizes integrating music and coding to foster computational thinking. Publications: His recent work addresses computational thinking in STEM education, AI-driven qualitative analysis, and hybrid music-coding practices. Themes include equitable participation, teacher professional development, and immersive AR/VR tools for learning. Awards: Recipient of the 2018 Edith Ackermann Award for innovative work in child-computer interaction. His research has led to commercial products like Osmo Coding and Kibo Robotics. Grants & Labs: Principal investigator on NSF grants (e.g., #1612619, #1451762) and collaborator with labs like the Center for Connected Learning (CCL) and the Collaborative Technology Laboratory (CollabLab).
Ashley Cordes (Coquille/KōKwel) serves as an Assistant Professor of Indigenous Media in Environmental Studies and Data Science at the University of Oregon's College of Arts and Sciences. She is also a recent American Council of Learned Societies Fellow whose research bridges Indigenous science and technology studies, digital media, and environmental/place-based studies. Her educational background includes a PhD in Media Studies with an outside area in Native American Studies from the University of Oregon (2019), an MA in Communication from Hawaii Pacific University (2012), and a BA in Communication with a Journalism Certificate from Loyola Marymount University (2010). Cordes' research centers on how Indigenous culture and technology producers leverage digital media, emerging technologies, and discourse to advance Tribal sovereignty, cultural revitalization, and the resurgence of Indigenous knowledge systems. Her work specifically examines AI, blockchain, and cryptocurrency through Indigenous epistemologies, challenging dominant narratives about technological progress and financial systems. She has published in journals such as Cultural Studies >Critical Methodologies , Journal of International and Intercultural Communication , and Feminist Media Studies , and is the author of Indigenous Currencies: Leaving Some for the Rest in the Digital Age (MIT Press). Her recent publications reveal a consistent focus on decolonial approaches to technology, with particular attention to Indigenous data sovereignty, environmental justice, and alternative economic systems. The trajectory of her work shows increasing engagement with AI ethics from Indigenous perspectives, culminating in her contributions to the Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence position paper. American Council of Learned Societies Fellow Contributor to Indigenous Protocols and Artificial Intelligence Working Group Cordes actively mentors doctoral students in Indigenous digital media and participates in multiple research collectives including Abundant Intelligences, CHoRUS Network (focusing on ethical data gathering in Indigenous contexts), Indigenous Protocols and Artificial Intelligence, and the Climate Resilience Taskforce. Her community-engaged work includes the Storying on the Coquille River project, which addresses climate change impacts on salmon populations through digital humanities approaches. She maintains strong connections to her Coquille Nation community, serving on the Climate Resilience Taskforce and as Chair of the Culture and Education Committee, ensuring her academic work remains grounded in community needs and Indigenous knowledge systems.
Juan Eduardo Wolf is an Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of Oregon's School of Music and Dance. He holds a PhD in Folklore and Ethnomusicology from Indiana University (2013), alongside degrees in Chemical Engineering and Art Studio from prestigious institutions. His research focuses on music-dance traditions of Afro-descendant and Indigenous communities in Latin America and the Caribbean, exploring decolonial methodologies and cultural equity. He directs the Latin American Studies Program and coordinates the World Music Series, which hosts global music performances. His awards include grants from UO's Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies (2018) and Global Oregon (2018). Wolf teaches courses like Decolonizing Music, Music in World Cultures, and directs World Music Ensembles focusing on Andean and Puerto Rican traditions. His research examines how marginalized groups use music-dance to resist colonial legacies, with fieldwork in Chile, Puerto Rico, and Bolivia. He is a core faculty member in Folklore and Public Culture Programs and advises on Latinx Studies initiatives. Notable publications include Styling Blackness in Chile (2019), analyzing Afro-Chilean music-dance, and Un Tumbe Ch’ixi (2021), integrating Afro-descendant ideas into Andean methodologies. His work challenges colonial frameworks and advocates for socially just music science practices. He performs as a percussionist/guitarist in global ensembles and mentors students through experiential learning.
Kwok Pui-lan is the Dean’s Professor of Systematic Theology at the Candler School of Theology, Emory University. Her work bridges postcolonial and feminist theological frameworks with contemporary social justice issues. She is a prominent author of works including Postcolonial Politics and Theology , Occupy Religion , and Introducing Asian Feminist Theology . Her research focuses on globalization, gender, peacebuilding, and the intersection of theology with race, power, and pedagogy. Dr. Kwok actively contributes to academic discourse through her blog (http://kwokpuilan.blogspot.com) and writings for the Wabash Center, addressing themes such as embodied teaching in digital spaces, anti-racism in academia, and theology’s role in responding to societal crises. Her scholarship emphasizes critical reflection on religious education and the ethical implications of emerging technologies. Her teaching philosophy integrates collaborative learning, arts-based methods, and embodied practices to foster transformative education. She has explored topics like machine learning’s impact on religious imagination and the role of spirituality in pandemic-era learning environments. Dr. Kwok’s work consistently interrogates systems of power and oppression, advocating for marginalized voices in theological discourse. Her contributions to the field include reimagining pedagogical approaches to address contemporary challenges in religious education and social justice advocacy.
Stephen M. Rich serves as the Maurice Jones, Jr. – Class of 1925 Professor of Law and Vice Dean for Academic Research and Intellectual Life at the University of Southern California's Gould School of Law, where he teaches employment discrimination law, constitutional equality law, and civil procedure. His educational background includes: JD from Yale Law School MA and BA in African American Studies from Yale University Rich also received a Fulbright Scholarship to study music in Fes, Morocco, and was awarded the A. Bartlett Giammati Fellowship during his undergraduate studies. Rich's research critically examines antidiscrimination law through interdisciplinary lenses, blending statutory and constitutional analysis with sociology and social psychology. His work challenges conventional approaches to racial classifications, prejudice, and diversity frameworks, arguing for nuanced understandings of social injustice and the practical limitations of legal enforcement. Recent scholarship focuses on reimagining diversity beyond affirmative action to advance equal opportunity. His publications from 2011-2016 reveal consistent thematic evolution: early work analyzed social psychology's role in discrimination enforcement ( Against Prejudice , 2011), progressed to examining textualism's impact on employment law ( A Matter of Perspective , 2014), and culminated in reconceptualizing diversity's relationship to equal opportunity ( What Diversity Contributes , 2016). Rich's accolades include: William A Rutter Distinguished Teaching Award (first junior faculty recipient at USC Gould) Fulbright Scholarship and Reginald Lewis Fellowship Yale prizes for senior essay and master's thesis Olin Fellowship at Yale Law School As Vice Dean, Rich shapes academic research initiatives while maintaining an active scholarship profile. His career trajectory—from Ninth Circuit clerkship to Cleary Gottlieb litigation practice before entering academia—infuses his work with practical legal insight. Though specific current grants aren't detailed, his Reginald Lewis Fellowship supported race and political equality research at Harvard Law School.
