FDI Scholars in Residence
In keeping with Frederick Douglass' life of public service and commitment to equity and access, the Frederick Douglass Institutes of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education offers teaching opportunities to graduate students who are pursuing careers as university faculty and who are entering their final year of terminal degree and/or doctoral programs.
Diamond Howell (2019-2020)
Diamond Howell is a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is pursuing her Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in Multicultural Education. Diamond earned her B.A. in Human Development from Connecticut College where she also participated in Elementary Education and Policy in Community Action certificate programs. Diamond loves to teach and has experience with students that range from infants to adults. Her research interests include social justice education, school/institutional climate, educational access for marginalized students, and identify development with schools. Diamond is a recipient of an Advanced Opportunity Fellowship, the John and Tashia F. Morgridge Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship, and is an Edward Alexander Bouchet Scholar. Originally from New York City, Diamond had the opportunity to attend an all-girl's boarding high school. This experience prompted Diamond to ask questions about educational access/quality, representation in the curriculum, social mobility/stratification and racism, sexism, classism, and other forms of discrimination-this ultimately constructed the foundation for her dissertation. Diamond's dissertation research examines the experiences of students of color at elite boarding school in the United States. Specifically, she examines how students' identities influence their interaction with school settings, and raises important questions about what dreams, desires, and aspirations, and sacrifices these institutions represent for students. After completing her Ph.D. program, Diamond aspires to become a tenured professor where she can continue to teach, conduct research and serve the campus community. In doing so, she is committed to encouraging students to examine educational disparities, create research opportunities, and be a mentor for graduate students and undergraduate students during their academic journeys. Furthermore, Diamond is committed to working with institutions of higher education to construct climates that are welcoming for all students to learn and grow.
David Stephens (2019-2020)
David Stephens comes to Kutztown by way of Bowling Green State University where he is completing his doctorate in American Culture Studies. David’s academic journey has taken him all over, including New Orleans where he did his master’s work on Black queer representation in film. As a southern native, his experience living in places like Selma, Montgomery and Birmingham has given him a unique perspective on historical and contemporary dynamics within Black communities. While working in the Frederick Douglass Institute, he hopes to combine his personal experience with his academic knowledge to contribute to the Kutztown academic community. Currently, David is working to complete his dissertation, a chapter of which focuses on the ways that major corporations use Black language and symbols as a way to cultivate relationships with consumers of all backgrounds on social media. His interest in race, media, and culture has culminated in him teaching courses like Ethnic Studies, Black Popular Culture and Social Media and Culture. His research brings a seriousness to the study of what we enjoy every day and he wants to challenge people to take a more critical stance in evaluating our online interactions. In his leisure, David really enjoys anime, video games and exploring nature.
James Gutierrez (2018-2019)
Beginning in Southern California as a composer/arranger/keyboardist, James' central mission is to realize the potential of music-learning and music-making as forces for social change, community building, and personal wellness. This mission led James to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of California, San Diego in Integrative Studies of Music, while teaching at several institutions including UC San Diego, Azusa Pacific University, and the Hall-Musco Conservatory. His academic work, which blends music theory and musicology with cognitive psychology, has been published by the College Music Symposium and presented at conferences for the American Musicological Society, the Society for Music Perception and Cognition, the Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research, and others. James also operates in the non-profit sector to support underserved schools and communities through music, most recently partnering with refugee musicians in San Diego. Currently, James is a Frederick Douglass Teaching Scholars Fellow at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, and, when possible he enjoys playing ultimate frisbee and planning his wedding with his fiancé.
Bart Bailey (2017)
With more than two decades of management, supervisory, and training experience, Bart Bailey has dedicated his professional career to helping others overcome obstacles. A Pennsylvania native who grew up in the Washington D.C. area, Bailey graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, N.J., with a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration. His compassion for his coworkers and a dedication to improving their workplace safety drove him to turn his focus to a career in improving performance and safety in companies. Bailey served as a process improvement leader for PPL Electric Utilities' Technical Development and Improvement Group and as a shift supervisor in PPL Electric Utilities' emergency operations department. While at PPL, Bailey trained employees in the areas of implicit and Unconscious Bias and facilitated training for employees on constructive culture and lean thinking. Bart is currently a diversity consultant for Cook Ross Inc and an adjunct instructor at William James College.
Ms. Judy Tallwing McCarthy (2015-2016)
Photo by Max RulzNative American artist and tribal elder Judy Tallwing-McCarthey is of Apache, Tewa, and African-American heritage. Born in Arizona, she was a former advocate for equal rights. She resides in her home in Baltimore, Maryland, where she experienced renewed creative vision and artistic passion. She has been painting for more than 60 years. Judy is a medicine woman who paints the stories told to her as a child. She uses the knowledge taught her by her maternal grandmother to infuse depth and energy into her paintings. Her hope is to add "more good medicine" to the planet.
Dr. Pamela Thomas (2011)
Pamela Thomas, currently a child welfare administrator, has spent the last twenty years working in the human service field. She has served as a counselor and facilitator working with several social service agencies providing interventions for at-risk youth. Pamela began her career in 1986 employed as a social worker within the Philadelphia School District where she discovered her initial passion for youth. In 1987 she became a Certified Addictions Counselor for several agencies in Philadelphia and became very involved in the field of recovery and addictions. She later became a Trainer for various agencies educating their staff and clinicians on topics such as Ethics, Diversity, Drug/Alcohol Addiction, HIV/AIDS, etc. Pamela then earned her Masters Degree in the area of Human Services from Lincoln University and began teaching courses at Camden County College as well as within Temple University's Pan-African Studies Community Education Program. Pamela continued to enhance her skills and received her certification in 2001 as a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She used those skills in her passion of assisting at-risk and adjudicated youth. She is also currently a member of the Correctional Education Association, the American Correctional Association, both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Prison Society's and the American Education Research Association where in some capacities she continues her roles in leadership. Pamela continues at present to provide workshops for students and parents designed to preserve individual interests while strengthening relationships and building connections between individuals with diverse backgrounds, and to create processes that make communities work for everyone involved.
Dr. Meredith Holladay (2010)
Dr. Meredith Holladay was the KU FDI scholar-in-residence the summer of 2010. She taught the philosophy of religion summer classes for the KU Philosophy Department, co-wrote an article about the History of Protest Music with Drs. Sanelli and Rodriquez, and delivered a series of lectures on a variety of topics. After leaving KU, Meredith finished her Ph.D., taught at Bloomsburg and Baylor Universities, and now is a minister residing in Kansas. She also has an M.Div. graduate from Princeton Theological School.
Dr. Cheryl Homes (2009)
Dr. Holmes is a 2005 recipient of the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Sociology from Boston College. Her dissertation examines the commonalities and the differences between the Sacred Christ-centered and the Secular Assertive life practices. Dr. Holmes is a result-oriented restorative justice advocate and educator deeply committed to the implementation of cutting-edge instructional technologies and strategies that enhance independent and institution-based educational programs. She is a first-generation professional of working-class parents who specializes in the design and implementation of workshops, courses, and programs ensuring timely academic and career success of disenfranchised and first-generation students. Dr. Holmes dedicates her time to research and practice advancing: human capital asset development leading to individual and community empowerment. A talented lyricist and vocalist, in 2005, Dr. Holmes secured extramural funding from the Boston Commission for Public Health to design and implement a youth-led, adult-supported entrepreneurial, violence prevention, performing arts summer project. She collaboratively accesses resources necessary to provide social adjustment and enrichment opportunities that inspire and/or augment leadership development. She is the recipient of the Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowship for Ph.D. study, the Harvard University Middle Management Administrative Fellowship and the 2008 Frederick Douglass Institute Summer Teaching Scholar appointment at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Nathaniel J. Williams (2008)
Dr. Williams' journey from orphan and foster child to Doctor of Education, nonprofit founder, and author has been both challenging and rewarding. Dr. Williams has proven that success can be attained when a person possesses commitment, tenacity, and integrity. In his career, he has fulfilled a multitude of roles, including direct care worker, foster parent, house parent, entrepreneur, nonprofit and for-profit organization founder, Chief Executive Officer, adjunct professor, scholar-in-residence, talk show host, and international motivational speaker. Dr. Williams is the creator and sponsor for the Walking in the Shoes Of... Program for the Kutztown University Frederick Douglass Institute. He has graciously donated his time and monies to fund our road trips and FDI Walking in the Shoes Of (WITSO) luncheon.