African, African American, and Diaspora Studies Center Welcomes New Director

We are pleased to announce Dr. Delores B. Phillips as the new Director of the African, African American, and Diaspora (AAAD) Studies Center. Joining us this summer from Old Dominion University, Phillips is a wonderful addition to the AAAD team and to the Department of English, where she will be an associate professor with tenure.

“It was the welcome I received in my first Africana Studies Workshop that cemented my commitment to AAAD,” Phillips said. “Since then, I’ve learned of the wealth of AAAD’s activities at and beyond JMU and immediately wanted to contribute to its wide-ranging network of courses, study abroad opportunities, conferences, workshops, sister universities, and JMU faculty, staff, students, and community members.”

Phillips’ extensive research interests include postcolonial literature and theory with a focus on depictions of food, waste, and everyday life in culinary writing and postcolonial fiction. She has been published by Routledge, Women's Press, Narrative Culture, The Projector: A Journal on Film, Media, and Culture, and many more, addressing everything from cookbooks to food on the big screen and beyond.

Dr. Mollie Godfrey, current director of AAAD, is very excited about the news. “Dr. Phillips has been an active AAAD supporter and collaborator for the past couple of years, and we couldn’t be more delighted that she will be bringing her energy, expertise, and leadership here to us at JMU.”

“The collective passion that nourishes AAAD is humbling and joyous to witness and I cannot wait to be part of it,” Phillips continues. “It is my privilege to serve as a member of AAAD’s leadership. I look forward to building upon the Center’s current excellence and to discovering exciting opportunities for innovation in the field of Africana Studies at JMU.”