ABOUT OUR HOUSE
The Our House Program at Morehouse College is a distinguished annual event established in 2023 by the Office of the Provost to celebrate the achievements of our esteemed faculty. This gathering serves as a platform to highlight the outstanding contributions of Morehouse educators, showcasing their latest research, publications, creative works, and innovations in teaching. By bringing together faculty, students, and the broader Morehouse community, the event fosters a culture of recognition, inspiration, and academic excellence.
More than just a celebration, the Our House Program is an opportunity to engage with the groundbreaking work being done across various disciplines. Faculty members share insights into their projects, demonstrating the impact of their scholarship and dedication to advancing knowledge. Attendees will have the chance to witness firsthand the passion and expertise that make Morehouse a leader in education, while also gaining inspiration from the achievements of their colleagues.
This informative event honors the talented faculty who shape the intellectual foundation of Morehouse College. The Our House Program is an opportunity for the Morehouse community to show support and appreciation for the amazing work being done throughout our academic divisions. This exceptional program celebrates excellence and the transformative power of education at Morehouse.
PROGRAM GUIDE
PRE-RECEPTION
WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS - Provost Kendrick Brown, Ph. D.
NINA GILBERT, Ph.D. : Belonging Beyond Brown
Belonging Beyond Brown is a groundbreaking documentary that explores Black educators’ and students’ untold emotional journeys before and after the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling. Through intimate interviews and historical footage, the documentary delves into the personal struggles and triumphs of students, families, and educators as they navigated the challenges of desegregation. By drawing parallels between the past and present, Belonging Beyond Brown reveals how Brown’s legacy continues to shape today’s fight for racial justice and inclusive education, making these stories as relevant now as they were decades ago.
KIPTON JENSEN, Ph. D. : Enhancing Prison Education via the Andrew Young Center’s Higher Education Prisons Program
The Higher Education in Prisons Program [AYC-HEP] delivers college-level courses to incarcerated men in Georgia prisons. HEP-affiliated faculty and ‘student ambassadors’ are also charged with advocating for expanding higher education in prisons as well as raising awareness on issues of criminal justice and mass incarceration on campus and in our broader community.
LAWRENCE BLUMER , Ph. D. : How You Learn Science Matters, But...
Although the efficacy of high-impact learning in course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) has been thoroughly demonstrated, the importance of student autonomy in choosing their own research question has been unknown. Our study of students and faculty at a wide range of colleges and universities has shown that student outcomes and attitudes are the same in CUREs in which the faculty member chooses the research question compared to those in which the students choose the research question. Student autonomy to choose the research question is not an essential component of CURE learning when authentic research activities are pursued.
JULIET ELU, Ph.D. : Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) and the Future of the Dollar in the International Market
The expansion of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) as the fifth trade bloc may threaten the demand for the dollar in the world market. Part of the BRICS agenda is establishing a currency union with the Yuan as the main currency for its member countries. The result will inform policymakers of the optimum trade strategy to promote growth and development in the U.S.
AARON CARTER-ENYI, Ph.D. : Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Middle Belt, Nigeria
In the Middle Belt of Nigeria, three major language families converge in a region with cultural diversity rivaling the Amazon Basin. According to Ethnologue, there are 340 distinct languages. Each is accompanied by Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), including music and dance, poetry and puppetry, handicrafts, and healing practices. The region has received comparatively little attention from scholars, and countless traditions remain unknown and undocumented. This presentation will include videography of relatively isolated communities with musical practices resembling American genres like Delta Blues and Funk, part of a U.S. State Department Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation project from 2024 to 2027 that aims to document 50 cultures before their traditions are lost.
PROGRAM GUIDE
NATHAN NOBIS, Ph.D. : Philosophical Fact-Checking: Are Embryos “Babies” and “Children”?
Professor Nobis will review two of his recent works on “public philosophy”: “Feminist Philosophical Fact-Checking at the Official Blog of IJFAB: the International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics and “Are Embryos “Babies” and “Children”?” at the blog of the American Journal of Bioethics.
FAROUK BRANIA, Ph.D. : Structure of Deep Neural Network Model
This presentation will describe the structure and function of Deep Neural Network (DNN) models used in Artificial Intelligence and how they learn.
DANIEL PETERSON, Ph.D. : Dehumanization as Ideology
David Livingstone Smith defines dehumanization as a specific attitude towards others. Per Smith, dehumanizers conceive of the dehumanized as monstrous, subhuman creatures. I argue that Smith’s account of dehumanization is too narrow, excluding cases where an individual may be dehumanized without a dehumanizing agent. This presentation will address two cases along with other reasons for thinking that one person having a particular attitude towards another is not a necessary condition for dehumanization to occur. I then sketch an alternative to Smith’s account of dehumanization inspired by Tommie Shelby’s work on racism as a form of social criticism. My alternative defines dehumanization in terms of ideology, and I argue that centering ideology instead of personal attitudes maintains the advantages of Smith’s account while avoiding my objections.
ONDRA DISMUKES, Ph.D. : The Grammarous Life
The Grammarous Life is an ebook written by Dr. Ondra Krouse Dismukes, Visiting Assistant Professor at Morehouse College. The Grammarous Life is a digital textbook designed to help writers of all ages and stages of the craft. The ebook helps students understand basic rules of grammar, as well as how to identify error patterns and edit for clarity; it is an excellent companion for students writing across disciplines.
DERRICK BROOMS, Ph.D. : Black Men’s Belongingness at Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Examining the Campus Environment and Culturally Engaging Practices
This study explores the experiences of 41 Black men collegians at a Hispanic-serving institution. Findings revealed that the HSI campus environment can play a critical role in enhancing Black men’s college experiences by providing an enriching campus environment that helps meet students’ academic, cultural, social, and relational needs.
CLOSING REMARKS - Provost Kendrick Brown, Ph. D.
RECEPTION
PRESENTERS
NINA GILBERT, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Education Department
BLUMER , Ph.D. Professor, Biology Department
Professor, Philosophy Department
Ph.D. Professor, Business and Economics Department
KIPTON JENSEN, Ph.D.
LAWRENCE
JULIET ELU,
PRESENTERS
AARON
CARTER-ENYI, Ph.D.
Research
Associate,
Humanities, Social Sciences, Media & Arts Division
FAROUK BRANIA, Ph.D. Professor, Mathematics Department
Ph.D. Professor, Philosophy Department
PETERSON, Ph.D. Visiting Assistant Professor, Philosophy Department
NATHAN NOBIS,
DANIEL
PRESENTERS
ONDRA DISMUKES, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor, English Department
DERRICK BROOMS, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Black Male Research Institute, Political Science Department
