News

Diedre Cooper-Owens

The Library Company of Philadelphia Honors Former Program of African American History Director Deirdre Cooper Owens.

The Library Company of Philadelphia honored Deirdre Cooper Owens in a program titled The Past, Present, and Future of Black Women’s History. The event recognized her leadership and lasting contributions to the field of Black women’s history.

March 20, 2026

 

 

Dr. Cato T. Laurencin and Dr. Shirley Malcom pose together on a stage in front of a blue backdrop reading "TWAS 17th General Conference, Brazil 2025," with sponsor logos including Finep and BNDES. Dr. Laurencin wears a navy suit with a bow tie; Dr. Malcom wears a white top, black pants, and a vibrant floral jacket in pink, green, and red

UConn Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin Attends World Academy of Sciences Conference

Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin recently attended the World Academy of Sciences Conference, representing the University of Connecticut and contributing to global conversations on science, innovation, and health equity.

February 11, 2026

 

 

Marketa Burnett

Marketa Burnett Receives SHE WORKS Mentor of the Year Award.

Marketa Burnett recently received the SHE WORKS Mentor of the Year Award from LiveGirl  in  January 2026.

 

Professor Fiona Vernal delivers the MLK keynote at a wooden podium, holding printed notes with a heading that appears to read "MLK Keynote: Humility and Audacity." She has braided hair and wears glasses, gold earrings, and a rust-orange cardigan over a dark floral blouse. An NBC Connecticut microphone is positioned in front of her, with an olive-green curtain in the background

Keynote speaker, Dr. Fiona Vernal. West Hartford’s 30th celebration of Martin Luther King

West Hartford held the 30th annual ceremony on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, with speakers reflecting on the life on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the awarding of the Earl Exum Servant Leader award.

January 19, 2026

 

 

Manisha Sinha

Manisha Sinha Wins President's Book Prize.

Manisha Sinha has been awarded the biannual President's Book Prize from the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. The award recognizes outstanding scholarship on the history of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era.

January 9 2026

 

 

Preston Green

Professor Preston Green was acknowledged as a 2026 RHSU edu-scholar for 2026.

This recognition goes to the 200 education scholars who have impacted education policy. This year, he was #168. This is the fourth consecutive year that he has been on the list.

January 7, 2026

 

 

2025 News

Professor Fiona Vernal speaks into a microphone at a wooden podium bearing the seal of the Town of Bloomfield, Connecticut. She has long braids and wears glasses and a white blouse with a black floral line pattern, gesturing with one hand as she speaks, with a blurred audience member in the foreground.

UConn Humanities Project Helps Bloomfield Preserve Its Cultural Mosaic

A UConn Humanities project led by Fiona Vernal highlights and preserves local community history.

November 13, 2025

 

 

Sir Cato T. Laurencin

Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin is Plenary Speaker at AAMP Conference

Professor Laurencin delivered a plenary talk on racial and ethnic health disparities.

October 28, 2025

A group of about eighteen students and faculty pose together outdoors in front of a brown banner with text that includes "Dikan," standing under a metal roof with a wall behind them. Most are young adults dressed in a mix of professional and colorful attire, with an older man in a light patterned shirt at the center of the group

Africana Studies is Now Offering an African Studies Minor

Africana Studies officially began offering an African Studies minor in 2024.

July 29, 2025

Six women stand side by side smiling at a conference venue, in front of a beige curtain and stone wall with a window. Their outfits range from a black blazer with teal pants and a green patterned cardigan to a red floral blouse, a marigold dress with black brushstroke print, and cream cardigans with dark pants

Professor Burnett attends the Society for Research in Child Development Conference

Professor Marketa Burnett attended the Society for Research in Child Development Conference.

May 3, 2025 

Fumilayo Showers

Panel by the International Studies Association

Professor Fumilayo Showers was invited to speak on a panel about migration, borders, and receiving-nation health systems.

April 16, 2025

Professor David Embrick

President for the 2026-2027 term by the Society for the Study of Social Problems!

Professor David Embrick was elected President-Elect for 2025–2026 and President for 2026–2027.

April 16, 2025

Event flyer for the Amistad Center's Uncomfortable Conversations Series featuring Evelyn M. Simien, PhD, on Friday, April 4 at 5 PM. "Uncomfortable Conversations" appears in white serif lettering over a navy watercolor banner at the top. Below, on a white panel with a gold border, the event details sit beside a headshot of Dr. Simien, smiling in a dark blazer and pearl necklace, with a QR code for registration

Uncomfortable Conversations: Voting Engagement with Dr. Evelyn M. Simien

The Amistad Center hosted a conversation with Dr. Evelyn M. Simien on voting rights and civic engagement.
 

April 16, 2025

The Dodd Center for Human Rights hosts “U.S. Democracy and Human Rights at a Crossroads” in Storrs, Conn. on Feb. 18, 2025. Event panelists conversed and reflected upon democracy. Photo by Sydney Chandler/The Daily Campus.

U.S Democracy and Human Rights: At a crossroads?

A panel discussion examined U.S. democracy and human rights at a crossroads.

February 19, 2025

Deirdre Cooper Owens in Black and White Dress
Dierdre Cooper Owens Named 2025 Stafford Ellison Wright Black Alumni Scholar-in-Residence

Deirdre Cooper Owens was named the 2025 Stafford Ellison Wright Black Alumni Scholar-in-Residence.

January 28, 2025

2024 News