Vanderbilt University has appointed 11 faculty members to endowed chairs. Three of the appointments went to Black men.
C. André Christie-Mizell was appointed to the Centennial Chair in Sociology. He also serves as vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School. Dr. Christie-Mizell, who joined Vanderbilt’s department of sociology as a tenured associate professor in 2010, is a licensed family and child psychologist. He previously taught at the University of South Carolina, the University of Akron, and Kent State University. Professor Christie-Mizell is a graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in sociology and social psychology from Ohio State University.
Michael Eric Dyson was named to the NEH Centennial Professorship. He also serves as University Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Society in the Divinity School. Before joining the faculty earlier this year, Dr. Dyson was a professor of sociology at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. A native of Detroit, Dr. Dyson is an ordained Baptist minister. He is a graduate of what is now Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, Tennessee. He holds a Ph.D. in religion from Princeton University.
Major Jackson was appointed to the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities. A professor of English, Jackson is the author of five volumes of poetry. He serves as the poetry editor of The Harvard Review. Professor Jackson, a native of Philadelphia, previously taught at the University of Vermont and New York University, He holds a bachelor’s degree from Temple University and a master of fine arts degree from the University of Oregon.
It appears the pseudo-academic Michael E. Dyson continues to be Rewarded another meaningless academic title at another Historically White College and Universities (HWCUs). Dyson. Dyson still fail to produce any academic work in the field in which he earned his PhD in Religious studies. In fact, the body of his work is akin to someone who has a PhD in African American literature. Now, I see why Howard University did not hire him years ago for his lack of intellectual contribution in his RESPECTIVE FIELD. What I find very interesting is Dyson’s ability to get ‘pushed out’ of these HWCUs (i.e., UPENN, Georgetown) and get Rewarded for sub-par performance at another HWCU.
Last point, how can Dyson who pontificate about how much he loves so-called Black people and yet, he still refuses to teach at an HBCU. I just bet Dyson will not even serve as an adjunct at nearby Fisk University. Talk about hypocrisy Dyson. The money must be good at Vanderbilt.
You say that Dyson refuses to teach at an HBCU, but you also state that Howard (an HBCU) did not want to hire him. Let’s get this right.
Kwame
Hey Kwame,
I would seriously suggest that you work on your READING COMPREHENSION skills. I clearly stated that “shucking and jiving” Dyson was not hired at Howard due to his lack of intellectual work in the field in which he’s trained (can you say Religious Studies?). I would challenge you to find any substantive work by Dyson in Religious Studies. In other words Kwame, you need to conduct some research before you start jumping on the “Shucking and Jiving” Dyson bandwagon. Comprende!
Congrats to all!
Hey Hampton,
What’s the probability that you’re an ‘establishment so-called Black’ based upon your dimwitted comment? You must be in social sciences.