Conference Focuses on Academics

"Dialogues on the Diaspora" was the eighth annual student academic conference organized by the Institute of African-American Research and was held in Graham Memorial.

The conference featured a keynote address by Keletso Atkins, chairwoman of the Department of African-American and African Studies at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

But the bulk of the event was devoted to paper presentations and discussions.

Conference coordinator Kim Allen said all students were encouraged to submit papers for conference consideration. "We issue a call for papers -- this year we focused on the African diaspora," she said.

Allen said five of the 15 papers accepted this year were from undergraduate students, a ratio not characteristic of most conferences.

"It's rare to have a conference of both undergraduate and graduate students," Allen said. "But it's important for undergraduates to become aware of the process of presenting."

Nkechinyelum Chioneso, a graduate student from N.C. State University, said she attended the conference for the presentation experience.

"(I came) because of the need to continue doing these oral presentations and to meet other people in my discipline," she said.

The conference also presented the idea of pursuing a career in academia to students. "We want to, in the end, have more faculty of color, and you have to start early so people will consider a career as an academic professor," Allen said.

Allen said she believes the conference benefits the UNC-CH campus as a whole.

"The University has a commitment to increasing intellectual climate and rigor on campus, and this falls square with that commitment," Allen said. "We're encouraging students to do this type of work, extending notions of learning -- that is what increasing intellectual climate is all about."

Although one student talked about "collective forgetting" during his academic presentation, referring to the study of history by Colombians, the final portion of the conference involved collective remembering.

During a round-table discussion, faculty and student panelists recounted their academic experiences and shared advice with audience members.

Jabar Akbar, a graduate student in UNC-CH's School of Public Health, contrasted his current courses with those he took as an undergraduate.

"Classes at this stage take on a different meaning," Akbar said. "You're taking classes because it's part of your research, what you're interested in."

Other advice focused on academic publishing and getting tenure as a professor. "Be prepared to compete," said UNC-CH business Professor Jim Johnson. "Success is not just about being smart -- it's about being persistent and tenacious."

Tomeiko Ashford, a postdoctoral scholar at UNC-CH, also said the academic environment requires dedication to succeed. "This is a balancing act; it is survival of the fittest," she said. "It's not about how intelligent you are but how smart you play the game."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.