2010-11 Diversity Scholars Cohort

Jeffreen was an art history scholar during the 2010-2011 academic year. Hayes, Ph.D., a public art historian and public curator, merges administrative, curatorial and academic practices into her cultural practice of supporting artists and community development as the Executive Director of ThreeWalls . As an advocate for racial inclusion, equity and access, Jeffreen has developed a curatorial and leadership approach that invites community participation, particularly those in historically excluded communities. Her curatorial projects include SILOS (2016-18), Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman (2018-2020), AFRICOBRA: Messages to the People (2018), Process (2019) and AFRICOBRA: Nation Time (2019).

Jeffreen also speaks and writes about art history, Black art, and arts activism. She participated in TEDX Jacksonville and spoke about “Arts Activism in Simple Steps” and “Small Great Conversations on Race.” Additionally, Jeffreen has spoken at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; Norton Museum of Art; ArtPace; Rollins Museum of Art; and Columbia College among several other arts organizations and institutions.

Her writing can be found in several independent online print art publications as well edited museum publications. Some of her books include Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman, AfriCOBRA: Messages to the People, and Etched in Collective History.

She currently serves as an advisory board member for CONDUIT: A Midwestern Black Visual Art Preservation. Jeffreen is also a board member of Artist Communities Alliance. She has previously chaired of the Art Events and steering committee member for The Soul of Philanthropy Chicago exhibition, and previously served as an advisory committee member of Light Switch Dance Theatre and Open Television, respectively.

Hollie was a 2010-2011 anthropology scholar and currently teaches at Penn State University as an Associate Professor of Education.

Donathan L. Brown was a 2010-2011 communications studies scholar. After his time as a scholar, Brown went on to serve Ithaca College as an Assistant Professor, then Chair of the Diversity Scholar Program, the Culture and Communication major coordinator, and finally the Director of Faculty Diversity and Development for the School of Humanities and Sciences. He then went on to serve the Rochester Institute of Technology as the Assistant Provost and Assistant Vice President before moving into his current role.

Brown is now the Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity at Northeastern University. In this role, Dr. Brown works collaboratively with the Office of Academic Affairs and academic deans to lead, envision, and implement proactive diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in support of Northeastern University’s strategic diversity action plans. Among other responsibilities, he leads outreach efforts to develop talented and diverse applicant pools to ensure that Northeastern can accelerate its progress towards recruiting and retaining faculty members who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

He is also an Associate Professor, former U.S. Fulbright Professor and a U.S. Fulbright Scholar Alumni Ambassador.