FACULTY RESEARCH AWARDS

A Legacy of Scholarly Excellence

Since its founding in 1866, Fisk University has remained a bastion of intellectual rigor and leadership. Our faculty has historically included titans of scholarship and activism, from the sociological pioneering of W. E. B. Du Bois and Charles S. Johnson to the literary brilliance of Arna Bontemps and James Weldon Johnson.

 

Trailblazers such as Nella Larsen, Arturo Schomburg, Constance Baker Motley, Annette Lewis Phinazee, Judith Damison, and others who excelled in history, psychology, political science, music, art, and many other fields, have all passed through the Fisk faculty, staff, or student ranks. Their success as professionals is in large measure due to their encounters with (other) austere Fisk faculty.

 

In keeping with this tradition, Fisk remains committed to fostering an environment where research is not just a requirement for tenure and promotion, but a vital contribution to the global dialogue on identity, equity, and human rights.

​

The Challenge: Funding the Humanities and Social Sciences

We recognize that the Humanities and Social Sciences are often underfunded compared to the natural sciences. Scholars in the Humanities and Social Sciences fields face unique challenges in securing the time, research teams, and resources necessary to maintain the robust publication record required for professional currency and promotion at the University.

​

To bridge this gap, the School of Humanities & Behavioral Social Sciences and the John Lewis Center (JLC) for Social Justice (in collaboration with the Provost Office) Partnership for Southern Impact, a Brennan Center endeavor) established a faculty research award to support scholarly productivity in social justice. 

​

2026 Faculty Awardee & Research Project

Rolande Dathis

Project Title:  Political Narrative: Impact of Racial Immigration and Community Engagement

​

Bassey Koofreh

Project Title: Structural Vulnerability Within a Marginalized Population: Understanding Factors that Predict Rent Assistance Among African American Communities

​

Matthew McCoy

Project Title: "Black American Identity from a Post-Colonial Optic"

​

Gary Nash

Musical Score - Project Title: Symphony No. 1, a U.S. Civil Rights Symphony