Karla Slocum
The new director of the Institute of African American Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will be Dr. Karla Slocum, an associate professor in anthropology and African and Afro-American studies at the University.
Slocum’s appointment is effective July 1.
Slocum is an anthropologist whose research focuses on globalization, place, rural lifeways, and race and history as they relate to groups within the African diaspora. For the past year, she has been a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow and Resident Scholar at the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
At UNC, Slocum also has been co-director of the Moore Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program. Each summer, 18 to 22 undergraduates in the program pursue 10 weeks of research at UNC, guided by faculty mentors.
“Her strong record of scholarship in African diaspora studies, long-standing relationship with the institute and commitment to forging interdisciplinary connections all position her well to provide sound and energetic leadership for the IAAR, said Carol Tresolini, vice provost for academic initiatives. “We look forward to working with Dr. Slocum as she engages, expands and strengthens the broad community of scholars of African American and diaspora studies at UNC-Chapel Hill and beyond.”
The mission of the IAAR is to facilitate, support and promote research being done by scholars of African American and diaspora studies in every discipline. It encourages and creates space for innovative, interdisciplinary interactions and collaborations and also is committed to the serious engagement of public policy issues, particularly to those confronting black North Carolinians, as well as those concerning African Americans throughout the United States and African descendants in the diaspora.