The 2022 Cohort
Timothy Anderson
Class of 2024
From: Wake Forest, NC
B.A. Studio Art, B.A. Art History
Timothy conducted a solo Art Show titled "Southland." It was a study on the relationship between symbols and collective perception of the American South. He combined digital humanities, history, oral history, environmental storytelling, and more to create a thematically focused exhibit that discussed how we understand Southern culture and the marginalization present.
Keywords: Art, Philosophy, Culture
Inaya Abubakari
Class of 2026
From: Charlotte, NC
B.S.P.H. Environmental Health Sciences
Research Interest: With a passion for the Sciences, Inaya plans to take a multidisciplinary approach to her research by creating a short documentary that sheds light on the vibrant world of Southern Black muralists within the Triangle region.
Keywords: Race/ethnicity; culture; Environmental Justice
Hallie Brew
Class of 2026
From: Apex, NC
B.A. American Studies; Health & Societies Minor
Research Interest: With an interest in highlighting the “hidden histories” of her hometown, Hallie plans on working with local organizations to uplift untold stories within communities that have been historically underrepresented. Motivated by the stories of community members recounting lynchings in Wake County through the late twentieth century, Hallie hopes to uncover the names and stories of those who suffered at the hands of this racialized form of violence and create a curriculum guide that could be used in middle and high schools across Wake Couty.
Keywords: Race/Ethnicity; Gender; Literature.
Peyton Brooks
Class of 2026
From: Lumberton, NC
B.A. Exercise & Sports Science; Minor in Advertising & Public Relations
Research Interest: For her project, Peyton plans to travel to the Lumbee Tribute Center in Robeson County, which will act as the cornerstone of her project. Peyton aims to spotlight the significance of maintaining traditional native values within educational environments, and through her research, she hopes to inspire other native students to pursue higher education.
Keywords: Race/Ethnicity; History; Culture
Laura Couch
Class of 2025
From: Elkin, NC
B.A. Public Policy; English and Health & Societies minors
Research Interest: For her project, Laura plans to write a research paper centered on the literary works of renowned Southern authors William Faulkner and Toni Morrison. Through a literary analysis and the creation of an accompanying graphic, Laura aims to highlight the intricacies of the American South. She seeks to reaffirm the importance of looking at the South through a multidisciplinary lens to provide a comprehensive overview necessary to rebuilding the South.
Keywords: Literature; Art; Digital design and policy
Jada Council
Class of 2025
From: Durham, NC
B.A. Sociology
Research Interest: Through "The Porch Sweep Project", Jada hopes to raise awareness about the importance of air quality in Black (Queer) Southern communities to promote a more holistic form of airborne virus prevention less reliant on structural institutions for mobilization and implementation.
Keywords: Literature; Environmental Justice; Race/Ethnicity;Policy
William Etringer
Graduated May 2023
From: Mayodan, NC
B.A. Philosophy; Social and Economic Justice minor; Environmental Justice minor
Will conducted research on legal deserts in North Carolina. It was divided into three steps: (1) using NCBA directory info to profile attorney populations in rural counties; (2) interviewed attorneys & other members of legal communities in those rural counties; (3) displayed my findings in a research report– presenting an argument for a more comprehensive approach to legal deserts. He is now attending UNC Law School.
Keywords: Policy; Class; History; Culture
Dylan Hammonds
Class of 2026
From: Pembroke, NC
B.A. Human and Organizational Leadership Development; Minor American Indian and Indigenous studies
Research Interest: Dylan is passionate about his community and wants to conduct work on Southeastern Natives with the goal of eventually presenting his work at a conference.
Keywords: Race/Ethnicity; Culture
Eleanor (Iris) Leonard
Class of 2026
From: Winston Salem, NC
B.A. Public Policy; B.A. Political Science
Research Interest: Iris, captivated by the beauty of the mountains of North Carolina, plans on doing her project on the conservation efforts of protected land in North Carolina. With the history of the South in mind, Iris is interested in the stories that the land can tell her. She plans on creating a webpage that emphasizes the connections between communities and land and hopes to interview individuals in the NC conservation community to provide a more comprehensive view of the future of this land.
Keywords: Race/Ethnicity; Culture
Nikolas Lewis
Class of 2026
From: Apex, NC
B.A. Economics; BA Public Policy
Research Interest: Nikolas is interested in researching the impact of cash transfers on various wellbeing factors, such as education, food security, nutrition, etc. Project would take the form of a policy brief.
Keywords: Class;Philosophy;Race/Ethnicity;Environmental Justice;Economics;
Paola Lopez-Cervantes
Class of 2026
From: Marion, NC
B.A. Spanish; Translating & Interpreting Minor
Research Interest: Combining her passions in the arts and her community, Paola is interested in producing a photo essay on the migrant communities in the South, more specially the Latinx community in rural NC. It would include pictures of Latinx youth, community organizations, and different aspects of this community such as past-times like bailes, sports, and other events that add to the diversification of the South.
Keywords: Race/Ethnicity;Gender;Art;Culture;Performing Arts;Environmental Justice;History;
Colin O’Hagerty
Class of 2026
From: Hillsborough, NC
B.S.P.H. Environmental Heatlh Sciences
Research Interest: Leveraging his musical background, Colin’s project is grounded in the sounds of his hometown, Hillsborough, NC. He plans to record soundscapes at various locations key to the environment, like the Eno River, and blend these recordings into an immersive audio gallery supplemented by community interviews and historical research. Through his research, Colin hopes to examine the impact of a divided perception on environmental and social movements in his community.
Keywords: Class; Gender; Performing Arts; Environmental Justice; History; Culture; Race/Ethnicity
Agustin Orozco
Class of 2025
From: Medellin, Colombia
B.S.Psychology, B.A. Data Science
Research Interest: Agustin wants to critically examine algorithms and machine learning models that operate in the private and public spheres. Specifically, looking at how models reinforce narratives that systematically oppress marginalized people. He will use digital ethnographics methods to look at cases of predictive policing in the South, as well as the conceptualizations that these models create.
Keywords: Race/Ethnicity; Class; Gender; Art; Literature; Culture; Performing Arts
Ellie Sellers
Class of 2027
From: Princeville, NC
B.A. English and Comparative Literature: Concentration in Science, Medicine, and Literature
Research Interest: Ellie plans on conducting oral histories and creating art to depict the history of minority women’s health in the late 20th century
Keywords: Race/Ethnicity; Gender; Literature; Culture; Performing Arts; Class
Jada Weyand
Graduated December 2023
From: Pullman, WA
B.A. Women and Gender Studies
Jada collaborated with the Craven County School District in enhancing their summer feeding program into an innovative foodways project that focused on community engagement. She reconfigured a school bus into a restaurant as a space for students and families to be around others in a safe environment that is not simply a school cafeteria. Furthermore, she produced toolkits that others could implement in their own communities and school districts.
Keywords: Race/Ethnicity; Gender; Foodways; Culture; Class
Kaitlyn Williford
Class of 2026
From: Wilson, NC
B.A. History
Kaitlyn is interested in combining her love for history and education by creating student interactive workbooks about lesser known Southern inventors. This would allow children to learn about Southern History in a fun way. Hopefully, the workbook could be used in schools or with families.