Age: 30

Hometown: Teaneck, N.J.

Prior degrees: Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Montclair State University ( N.J.), with minors were in history and African-American studies.

Dissertation: “The Influence of Cheikh Anta Diop’s Two Cradle Theory on Africana Academic Discourse: Implications for Africana Studies.”

Diop’s theory divides people of African origin and European origin into two cradles: Those with European ancestry originated from the more nomadic north and those with African ancestry originated in the more stationary and settled south.

This theory also posits that these two cradles merged in what Diop called the Zone of Confluence.

Why I love what I do: “Intellectually, people tend to dismiss African-American [Africana/black/pan-African] studies as just black history, but it is more than history.

My research looks at how we can use Diop’s Two Cradle Theory as a means to develop African-American studies through the use of an interdisciplinary theory.

I looked at the Two Cradle Theory, its development amongst certain Africana scholars within academia, how their discussion contributes to general ideas of cultural difference and unity within African American Studies, and how the Two Cradle Theory can be used to help African-American studies function as an interdisciplinary discipline via the development of culture-specific concepts and assumptions.”

Why the African-American studies discipline needs to widen its focus: “It’s important because you can then use different lenses to understand culturally specific phenomena. You can use the lens of African-American studies to look at different phenomena via psychology, history and/or philosophy to focus on those issues that pertain to black people.

How I plan to pass on what I’ve learned: “As a lecturer in the Department of Black Studies at the State University of New York–New Paltz, I’ve put two classes together at my current institution. The one class, ‘Introduction to Black Psychology,’ has been approved. The other one, ‘Introduction to Black Sociology,’ is still pending approval from the General Education Board.”