Dr. Farah Jasmine Griffin
Acting President Claire Shipman announced the appointment in a letter to the Columbia community Tuesday, citing Griffin's "rare breadth and clarity" as a scholar whose work spans literature, music, history, and politics in examining the Black experience in America.
Griffin served as the inaugural chair of Columbia's Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies, where she helped establish the direction and elevate the profile of the academic unit.
The Harvard and Yale-educated scholar has authored or edited eight books throughout her career. Her latest work, Read Until You Understand: The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature, combines memoir, cultural criticism, and history to explore Black literary traditions and their influence on American culture.
Griffin's early scholarship focused on African American cultural and political life, particularly migration patterns, collective memory, and the experiences of Black women artists. Her research has consistently bridged academic disciplines, connecting literary analysis with historical and musical studies.
Beyond traditional academic work, Griffin has collaborated with musicians to bring scholarship to public audiences. She partnered with the late composer and pianist Geri Allen to create two musical works celebrating Black women in jazz history. The performances were staged at prominent venues including the Apollo Theater, Harlem Stage, and the Kennedy Center.
Griffin received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2021 and has served as a Mellon Foundation Scholar in Residence. She earned her bachelor of arts in history and literature from Harvard University and completed her doctorate in American studies at Yale University. In 2015, she was named by Diverse as one of the leading women in higher education.
Dr. Angela Olinto, Columbia’s provost, praised Griffin as "a visionary and pioneering scholar and an outstanding member of our Columbia community," noting that her work "has impacted multiple fields and areas of focus and exemplifies the sort of pathbreaking, interdisciplinary scholarship that we seek to honor in our University Professors."
The University Professor designation recognizes faculty members whose scholarship crosses traditional academic boundaries and demonstrates exceptional distinction in research, teaching, and service to the university community.
Griffin joins a select group of Columbia faculty members who hold the University Professor title, which allows scholars to teach and conduct research across multiple departments and schools within the university.
