Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson Awarded First Foxworth Creative Enterprise Initiative Grant.

Along with Ana Patricia Rodriguez (SLLC) and Leigh Wilson Smiley (TDPS), the Department of American Studies' Associate Professor Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson was one of three recipients of the inaugural Foxworth Creative Enterprise Initiative grants. Made possible by the generosity of two ARHU alumni, Domonique (AMST) and Ashley (ENGL) Foxworth, the Foxworth Initiative's goal is to enrich the education and scholarship of Arts and Humanities students by supporting projects that address central themes of the Arts and Humanities. The Foxworths want to encourage faculty to enrich the classroom experience, and enable our students to enter into collaborative learning and working relationships with under-represented communities.

Dr. Williams-Forson received the grant for one of her current courses, AMST418G. The class, titled Cultural Themes in America; Food, Trauma, and Sustainability, focuses on examining the issue of food insecurity and how people combine this issue with that of cultural sustainability. Unlike most people, Dr. Williams-Forson views food as more than mere sustenance; she sees it as a large part of culture, and realizes that the cultural aspect is greatly impacted when a group of people are moving around or going through a large change in the way they are able to live their lives. AMST418G is available this spring semester, with 35 seats, all of which are currently filled with enthusiastic students.