AASD Brochure

The Department of African American Studies is one of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences’ 10 interdisciplinary departments and programs, all committed to investigating and improving the human condition. www.bsos.umd.edu

DEPARTMENT OF

African American Studies

AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES BE EMPOWERED ANTHROPOLOGY BE CULTURAL CRIMINOLOGY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE BE JUST ECONOMICS BE EFFICIENT GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES BE GLOBAL GOVERNMENT & POLITICS BE CIVIL HEARING & SPEECH SCIENCES BE HEARD JOINT PROGRAM IN SURVEY METHODOLOGY BE COUNTED

African American Studies at Maryland >>

PSYCHOLOGY BE UNDERSTOOD SOCIOLOGY BE SOCIAL

At the Department of African American Studies at the University of Maryland, the African American experience is the starting point as we discover new knowledge through our research and teaching. Contemporary issues in African American communities are explored within the context of history and culture.

Located near Baltimore and Annapolis, we inspire Maryland

BE EM POW ER ED

pride by partnering with local schools and community organizations to discuss challenges and offer research-based solutions. Our department proudly offers a diverse and supportive environment in which our students pursue their studies and their passions.

We work closely with stakeholders to find solutions to problems of local, state and national interest. Our proximity to the nation’s capital helps us transform the student experience through research and internship opportunities, programming and site visits with entities including the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Museum of American History and the Library of Congress. We turn imagination into innovation through policy-focused research that seeks progressive solutions to persistent social challenges.

1119 TALIAFERRO HALL 4280 CHAPEL LANE COLLEGE PARK, MD 20742 WWW.AASD.UMD.EDU P 301.405.1158 / F 301.314.9932

Research in Action

AASD Faculty >>

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Our faculty, students, partners and alumni are committed to addressing a wide range of issues of concern to the African American community, including: »» closing the educational achievement gap; »» addressing disparities in health care; »» improving the developmental outcomes of boys and young men of color; »» interrupting the “school-to-prison pipeline”; »» facilitating the community re-entry of incarcerated persons; and »» examining racial identity, gender and socio-economic differences.

go.umd.edu/AASDResearch

AASD Points of Pride

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STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS OFFER LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCES.

Left to right, top row:

Left to right, bottom row:

OSCAR BARBARIN, chair of the department, is an expert on the

SANGEETHA MADHAVAN conducts family and HIV-related research in

development of African American children and their families, as well

Sub-Saharan Africa. Her work utilizes demographic methods to examine

as on related psychological assessments and program evaluations.

the impact of population movements and changing household struc-

His current work focuses on the role of families and schools in reduc-

tures on child well-being and family functioning.

ing achievement gaps and promoting positive emotional development of children, particularly young boys.

CECILY HARDAWAY is a developmental scientist with training in sophisticated quantitative modeling. She conducts research on the

JOSEPH RICHARDSON studies health and functioning of African

academic and emotional development of African American adolescents.

American men, particularly those affected by gun violence and

She is especially interested in how poverty poses risks to youth devel-

trauma. He is an expert in qualitative analyses, and his most recent

opment, how differences in socio-economic status translate into diverse

work focuses on traumatized youth in health care settings and parent-

family processes, and how family differences contribute to different

ing strategies employed by their families.

outcomes for youth.

SHARON HARLEY is a widely acclaimed scholar and teacher whose

ANGEL DUNBAR conducts experimental and bio-behavioral studies

scholarship utilizes historical and archival methods and lies at the

of emotional development of African American children. Her work

intersection of race and gender. Her scholarly writings focus on black

examines the nature and impact of strategies parents use to help

women’s labor history and racial and gender politics.

children to cope and to regulate emotional arousal in the face of racial micro-aggressions.

EXPERT FACULTY ARE COMMITTED TO WORKING CLOSELY WITH STUDENTS AS TEACHERS, MENTORS AND RESEARCH COLLABORATORS.

JONATHAN ENGLAND uses a political science background to examine changes in interest group power and influence in African American

CARYN BELL studies obesity and cardiovascular disease risk in African

communities in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. His recent

American communities. Her research employs GIS methods to conduct

work focuses on the effects of gentrification in urban areas.

innovative studies of social networks in racially segregated neighborhoods and their impact on health and health-promotive behaviors.

JASON NICHOLS is a scholar of international hip-hop culture and is the co-founder and editor of Words, Beats & Life. His work aims OUR PROXIMITY TO D.C. ALLOWS FOR UNIQUE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.

WE PROUDLY COLLABORATE WITH THE JUDGE ALEXANDER WILLIAMS, JR. CENTER FOR EDUCATION, JUSTICE & ETHICS: GO.UMD.EDU/JUDGEAWCENTER

Academic Offerings

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UNDERGRADUATE OFFERINGS

Bachelor of Arts degree with specialized courses on »» African American Children, Youth and Families »» Health and Psychological Well-being »» Public Policy and Social Systems Analysis »» Socio-cultural and historical context of Gender, Race and Sexuality

Joint Bachelor of Arts/Master of Public Management Minor in Black Women’s Studies go.umd.edu/AASDUndergraduate GRADUATE OFFERINGS

Certificate in African American Studies Joint Bachelor of Arts/Master of Public Management go.umd.edu/AASDGraduate

to link hip-hop to life skills for youth. Other interests include African

go.umd.edu/AASDPeople

American-Latino relations, adult bullying, and black culture.

“ AASD is a family, not a department.

That is mainly due to the amazing advisors, support staff, and faculty who engage students outside of the classroom. Care is given to all students to help them craft a vision for their academic and professional futures, and to connect them to resources and alumni to empower their success.”

CHAYLA C. JACKSON, ESQ. , AASD ’10 Attorney; Member, Board of Directors, Be Beautiful Foundation