The Pullias Center asks the organization’s alumni to submit proposals for research projects that explore racial equity and inclusion in higher education and presented $5,000 awards to support five of these projects. These winning projects were selected through a blind review conducted by Pullias Center faculty along with Adrianna Kezar, Director of the Pullias Center.
2022-2023 Projects
Global White Supremacy, Anti-Blackness, and the University
Alexander Jun (USC ‘08)
This project examines the idea of the university as a carrier of White dominance, and the role they play in knowledge and empire production.
Critical Race Theory Webinar
Raquel M. Rall (USC ‘14)
and
Antar Tichavakunda (USC ‘18)
This project posits that while both the left and right-focus mainstream media channels have a lot to say about CRT with their own inherent biases, more public discussions with experts about what CRT is and is not are solely needed.
The End of Racial Justice? A Content Analysis of Racial Justice Backlash Bills
Jarrett Gupton (USC ‘09)
This project examines the impact that federal executive orders and state bills enacted since the Summer of 2020 have had on universities and the evolution of the regressive rhetoric surrounding the racial justice backlash.
Technology and College Access
Sharla Berry (USC ‘17)
This project examines the barriers that Black students face in attaining college access, specifically how technology plays an imperative role in providing students with the right opportunities and resources to attain college access.
Homeless and Foster Youth
James Dean Ward (USC ‘14)
This project examines economic, social, and political forces that result in racial disparities within foster and homeless youth and how their unique experiences directly impact their access to educational opportunities, specifically focusing on their postsecondary experiences.
Getting the Boards Involved
Raquel M. Rall (USC ‘14)
This project examines the role a university’s board of trustees plays when universities seek to combat racial inequity on-campus.
Understanding the Narratives of Safe Space
Cecile Sam (USC ‘12)
This project examines the idea of “safe spaces” in higher education by drawing on over 400 news articles from 2004-2018 to formulate a critical discourse analysis of how the term “safe space” has been reported in higher education news.
The State of Black Students in Higher Education
Antar Tichavakunda (USC ‘18)
This project examines how anti-blackness manifests in higher education access and persistence for Black people in a region with a large Black population.