Dr. Sydney Carr (Class of 2018)
Dr. Sydney L. Carr is a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Political Science at College of the Holy Cross. Dr. Carr recently earned her PhD in Public Policy and Political Science from the University of Michigan (2023). She also received her B.A. in political science from the University of Connecticut (2018) with a minor in Africana Studies and M.A. in political science from the University of Michigan (2020). She is a native of Hamden, CT.
Sydney’s research has been funded by numerous prestigious fellowships including the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, the APSA Minority Fellowship Program, the Center for American Women & Politics Research Grant, and the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research Hanes Walton Jr. Fellowship, among others. Her work has been published in the National Review of Black Politics and is currently under review at other outlets.
Sydney’s primary research interests include American political behavior, race, ethnicity, and politics, gender and politics, and political communication. Sydney’s work grapples with the disadvantages faced by Black women political elites, the factors that influence voter support for minority candidates, as well as news media coverage of minority groups, among other topics. Her work is critical at a time when the political arena continues to grow more diverse across racial and gender lines than ever before. Further, Sydney remains committed to centering the experiences of marginalized political leaders within her work, and particularly those with intersecting identities.
Beyond research, Sydney remained active in regard to DEI initiatives while she was a graduate student at the University of Michigan. She previously served as the President of SCOR (Students of Color Rackham)- one of the largest student-led organizations in the country dedicated to the well-being of minority graduate students. To this end, she often worked closely with university administrators in order to ensure that the concerns of graduate students of color were met. As a faculty member, Sydney looks forward to continuing this important work to further DEI and anti-racist efforts at the institution level, while continuing to advance her research, and serve as a mentor to students.
Dae-Zhane Boland, MPH, BA (Class of 2019)
Dae-zhané (she/her) is a second-year Doctoral Student in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Urban and Community Studies,with a minor in Africana studies and her master’s degree in Applied Public Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut. She is a native of Waterbury, CT.
Dae-zhané has worked on health equity report cards for girls and women of color, health equity art contests, and a Black mother’s care plan that educates and provides resources for community members in order to improve the health outcomes of Black mothers and their infants. She is also currently on a research team that is conducting a systematic review on racial disproportionality in the child welfare system in the United States. Prior research has included social support and mental health outcomes among Black men, the impacts of tobacco use, online racism and gender differences in perceived stress among Black adults. Her research interests include maternal and child health disparities, reproductive justice, trauma and mental health disparities, and agency and sexual decision making among Black women. She hopes to deepen her knowledge and understanding of the way trauma, stress, and racism impact the health and health outcomes of Black women and girls.
Tyrese Fenty, BA, M.Ed. (Class of 2021)
Tyrese Fenty graduated from the University of Maryland with his Master of Education in Student Affairs, Higher Education, and International Education Policy in May 2023. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a minor in Africana Studies from the University of Connecticut in May 2021. He is a native of East Hartford, CT. Tyrese is the Program Coordinator of Learning and Development in the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland.
He is responsible for creating and developing experiential and educational student programs that develop, inspire, and equip innovators, activists, and changemakers for positive social impact. Manage ongoing or one-time educational and skills-based programs and opportunities for students to build and develop skills, competencies, and knowledge.
Prior to the Do-Good Institute Tyrese worked at the University of Maryland in the Leadership and Community Service Learning office as the Graduate Coordinator for Terps for Change, helping to connect students wanting to do community service in the local DMV area to local nonprofits. He also was the graduate assistant for the Student Success Initiative helping to manage student-led programs at the University of Maryland that empower the Black student population academically, financially, and professionally. Amongst these roles, he was able to be an instructor in the Words of Engagement: Intergroup Dialogue program and advisor to students during his graduate career during his spare time.