Collaborative To Advance Equity Through Research on Women and Girls of Color

The White House Council on Women and Girls and the Anna Julia Cooper Center at Wake Forest University

In November 2015 the White House Council on Women and Girls announced a new initiative – a Collaborative to Advance Equity through Research – during a daylong summit co-hosted by the Anna Julia Cooper Center at Wake Forest University. The summit, Advancing Equity for Women and Girls of Color, affirmed the critical need for research on women of color who will comprise more than half of all women in the United States by 2050 but are rarely the subjects of research.

The Collaborative, beginning as a voluntary affiliation of more than 35 American colleges, universities, research organizations, publishers and public interest institutions, interested in supporting existing and new research efforts about women and girls of color, will be administrated by the Anna Julia Cooper Center at Wake Forest. So far it has received commitments in the amount of $60 million from member institutions to dedicate the next five years to research that enriches and informs the lives of women and girls of color and their peers.

Duke University is one of the charter members of the Collaborative which will serve as a national model of substantive action, best practices, and sustained partnerships to advance equity through its research. Duke joins a range of stakeholders from the academic, private, government and philanthropic sectors interested in discussing ways to break down barriers to success and creating more ladders of opportunity for all Americans, especially women and girls of color.

The Collaborative is led by Duke alumna Melissa Harris-Perry, the Presidential Endowed Professor in Politics and International Affairs at Wake Forest University. Professor Karla FC Holloway is leading Duke’s participation in the initiative.

Duke will focus on faculty and student research that addresses the challenges and opportunities facing women and girls of color and help translate this research into national policies. Holloway expects Duke’s participation will include a particular focus on the ethical, legal and social implications of contemporary issues that effect women and girls of color.

Karla Holloway Mentoring Award

A new Collaborative-based prize: the Karla Holloway Mentoring Award is named for Duke University Professor Karla Holloway who retired in fall 2016 after a distinguished academic career spanning four decades.

We often highlight the value of teaching and research, but give less attention to the critical role of mentoring. Holloway has served as a mentor to many, including Anna Julia Cooper Center Director, Melissa Harris-Perry, providing advice and resources to female students. This award recognizes how important mentorship is for our young women of color,

The Karla Holloway Mentoring Award will be an annual award honoring a nominated individual from a Collaborative institution for excellence in mentoring young women and girls of color.

The first Karla Holloway Mentoring Award recipient will be nominated and awarded this spring.(See DeBono Receives 2017 Karla Holloway Mentoring Award) A small committee comprised of 3-5 representatives from Collaborative institutions will solicit nominations from Collaborative members and determine the award winner. The award will be announced publicly and includes a cash prize.

This is a modestly endowed award, initiated by the Anna Julia Cooper Center at Wake Forest University, and we encourage Collaborative institutions to join us in contributing, even in small amounts, to build the endowment.

For more information on eligibility or to nominate a candidate, contact the Anna Julia Cooper Center at Wake Forest University by email, ajc@wfu.edu.

Dean’s Summer Research Fellowship

Duke senior Jenna Peters is awarded the Dean’s Summer Research Fellowship for her proposal, “Evaluating the Effects of STEM Education Intervention for Female Students in Rural Kenya.” The fellowship is part of Duke’s participation in the Collaborative to Advance Equity Through Research on Women and Girls of Color, an affiliation of U.S. institutions committed to improving research, housed under the Duke Council on Race and Ethnicity.
Read more: https://sites.duke.edu/dcore/applying-science-in-the-real-world/

Duke Council on Race and Ethnicity

Collaborative To Advance Equity Through Research on Women and Girls of Color