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2005 EMERGING SCHOLARS OF THE YEAR |
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Isolation, lack of adequate mentorship and
vague, or not so vague, suggestions that the
research topics African American scholars
pursue are somehow not worthy of academic
consideration are only a few of the
horrors young scholars can encounter along
the road to the doctorate. Indeed, various
public discourses in 2004 indicate how fraught the
higher education landscape is for people of color
who desire its pursuit. The 50th anniversary of
Brown v. Board of Education that illuminated some
shameful shortcomings in the equal education equation;
Bill Cosby's comments upon that occasion; a
shocking decline in the numbers of African American
students matriculating in U.S. colleges and universities;
skyrocketing tuition; inadequate
counseling at the high school level; and the apparent
malfunctions of No Child Left Behind combine to
create a rather bleak snapshot of pathways toward
Black excellence in education.
Yet, despite these and other difficulties, or, in
some cases, because of them, the group of academicians
presented here in Black Issues In Higher Education's
annual edition celebrating rising stars in the
academy demonstrates that scholars of color continue
to prevail and flourish. And an overview of
current scholarship by people of African descent reveals
the reality that interdisciplinary endeavors are
simply a fact of academic life for these scholars who
clearly advocate for highlighting intersections that
can facilitate the substantial development of their respective
fields as well as elevate the extent of their
personal contributions to the academy.
The scholars of education and history, for example,
who appreciate and apprehend the impact of
hip-hop as an influential element shaping contemporary
cultures around the globe; the multilingual classics
scholar who advances the importance of the
types of international connections - historical as
well as modern - this particular discipline makes
possible; the music theory scholar who encourages
students to learn new languages as a means to participate
fully in the world; and the scholar of biomedical
engineering whose astounding research may
well enhance one of her proteges' quality of life; as
well as the management scientist, the poet, the
chemist and the professors of law and accounting at
the top of their fields all show with their relevance
that any disconnect between the academy and the
"real" world is neither necessary nor acceptable.
In addition to new discoveries, advanced theories,
prolific publications, awards and fellowships,
this array of scholars from a range of backgrounds
are also remarkable for their passionate contributions
to the teaching profession. Black Issues In
Higher Education is proud to present 10 outstanding
scholars from around the nation who, as 2005 rising
stars, illuminate the path toward academic excellence
and the professoriate for all those who might
follow their example.
Emerging Scholars of the Year.
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