Paula Marie Seniors awarded the Gloria D. Smith Memorial Professorship in Africana Studies
Paula Marie Seniors, professor of Africana and ethnic studies in the Department of History, received the Gloria D. Smith Memorial Professorship in Africana Studies.
The professorship, awarded by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, was established in 1997 in memory of Gloria D. Smith, an employee in university counseling services who advocated for minority students. Created in partnership between the university and the Athletics Department, the professorship is awarded to an outstanding faculty member who contributes significantly to the development of minority students, student-athletes, and scholarly pursuits. The honoree oversees a speaker series and makes at least one universitywide presentation during their five-year appointment.
Seniors was nominated for the professorship because of her outstanding work in teaching, research, and engagement with minority students. She has built a strong reputation of service and outreach while continuing to teach advanced courses in Africana studies.
Seniors’ nomination was endorsed by an ad hoc review committee of faculty peers. One reviewer wrote that she “is an accomplished award-winning scholar who is dedicated to Black liberation. She has a strong record of service to Africana studies, which includes providing opportunities for students.”
“My work has been shaped by a lifelong engagement with activism, Black intellectual traditions, the arts, and my professional dance career,” Seniors said. “I remain committed to advancing scholarship that centers Black and ethnic studies histories and cultural productions.”
Seniors earned a bachelor’s degree in dance from City College of New York, an M.A. in musical theater from New York University, and both an M.A. and a Ph.D. in ethnic studies from the University of California, San Diego.
