Faculty Accomplishments

Mount Holyoke professors have won Guggenheim awards, NASA grants and Carnegie Fellowships.

They receive millions in funding from national foundations, leading to unique research opportunities for students.

They’re intense, passionate, innovative, determined and demanding. Explore their accomplishments here, read recent faculty news articles or search the faculty directory.

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Presenting-“Diversity Capital: How Cultural Patronage Shapes Corporate Identity”, Sociology Department, University of California, Berkeley, March 2019, Berkeley, CA


Presenting-“Diversity Capital: Culture and Racial Signaling in Corporations,” Sociology Department, Stanford University, March 2019, Stanford, CA


Presenting-“Philanthropy and Black Culture,” CASBS, Stanford University, February 2019, Stanford, CA


Secretary-Treasurer (elected), Section on Sociology of Consumers and Consumption, American Sociological Association (2019- )


Member of Editorial Board, Poetics (2018- )

Presenting-“Giving Black: Cultural Consumption and Cultural Steering Among Wealthy African Americans,” American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, August 2018, Philadelphia, PA

Presenting-“Patrons of Memory: Museum Philanthropy among Black Voluntary Associations,” American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, August 2018, Philadelphia, PA

Presenting-“Racism Rehab: Rebranding to Recover from a Racial Image Crisis,” Consumers and Consumption Mini-Conference, August 2018, Rutgers University-Camden. Camden, NJ

Remarks & Conversation-“Sociology of Museums,” Excavating the Image: Little Frank and His Carp (2003) by Andrea Fraser, Smith College Museum of Art and Kahn Liberal Arts Institute, March 2018

Presenting-High Culture, Black Culture: Strategic Assimilation and Cultural Steering in Museum Philanthropy, Culture, Wealth, and Elites session, Class and Culture Mini Conference, Eastern Sociological Society Annual Meeting, February 2018, Baltimore, Maryland


Elected to American Sociological Associate Sociology of Culture Committee (2017)


Council Member (elected), Section on Sociology of Culture, American Sociological Association (2017- )

Chair, Assistant Professor of Sociology Search Committee, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Mount Holyoke College (2017-)

Chair, LITS (Library, Information, & Technology Services) Committee, Mount Holyoke College (2017- )

Chair, Mary Douglas Prize for Best Book, Section on Sociology of Culture, American Sociological Association (2017)

Invited Guest Lecture-African American Museums and their Meanings, MUX 119: Museums in Society, Smith College, 6 October 2017

Panelist-The Globalization of Contemporary Art: Markets, (De-) Coloniality and (De)Commodification, American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, August 2017, Montreal, Canada

Faculty Workshop Participant-“Crafting Management Skills for the Arts,” The Business of Teaching, Copenhagen Business School, July 2017, Copenhagen, Denmark

Faculty Forum Participant-Race in the Marketplace (RIM) Forum, Kogod School of Business, American University, Washington, D.C., May 2017

Presenting-Philanthropy and Diversity at African American Museums, Fifth Exposure Seminar (The Dark Room Seminar), Mount Holyoke College, May 2017

Presenting-E-Commerce and the Fine Art Market, Mini-Conference: Digital Sociology: XII: Digitally Networked Field Studies, February 2017, Philadelphia, PA

Invited Guest Speaker, American History as African American History: Visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smith College visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, April 2017, Washington, D.C.


Chair, Art Museum Director Search Committee, Mount Holyoke College Art Museum (2016)

Chair (Acting), Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Mount Holyoke College (2016)

Presenting-Is the Market for Contemporary African Art on the Rise?, Black Portraiture[s] III: Reinventions: Strains of Histories and Culture, 17-19 November 2016, Turbine Hall, Johannesburg, South Africa

Panelist-Professional Development Workshop and Business Meeting: Navigating the Faculty/Post-Doc Job Market as a Cultural Sociologist, American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, 20 August 2016, Seattle, Washington, 4:30 p.m.

Panelist-Conversation featuring Riché J. Daniel Barnes and her new book Raising the Race: Black Career Women Redefine Marriage, Motherhood, and Community (Rutgers 2016), 29 April 2016, Smith College, Neilson Browsing Room, 4:30 pm

Presenting-Intersectionality and the Market for Contemporary Art, Fourth Exposure Seminar (The Dark Room Seminar), 23 April 2016, Mount Holyoke College, Gamble Auditorium, 11:15 am-12:45 pm

Presenting-The Rise of Africa in the Contemporary Art Market: Myth or Reality?, The Art Market in a Global Perspective, 28 January 2016, University of Amsterdam

Interviewing-Touria El Glaoui, Founder 1:54: Contemporary African Art Fair, The Art Market in a Global Perspective, 28 January 2016, University of Amsterdam


Member, Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award Committee, American Sociological Association (2015- )

Presenting-Black Artists in the Art Market, Family & Friends Weekend, 25 October 2015, Mount Holyoke College, Hooker Auditorium, 11 am-12 pm

Presenting-Prices for Art by Female and Male Artists of African Descent in the Auction Market, Section on Sociology of Culture Paper Session: Art, Money, and Meaning Panel, American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, 24 August 2015, Chicago, IL.