Renowned Sociologist and Author of “Color Stories: Black Women and Colorism in The 21st Century” Selected to Lead New Institute

Jacksonville, FL — JeffriAnne Wilder, Ph.D. has been selected to serve as Founding Director of the Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations at the University of North Florida. As a distinguished scholar and thought-leader specializing in cultural diversity, race relations, and gender issues, she brings an unparalleled knowledge and expertise to the leadership position.
Wilder, a tenured Associate Professor of Sociology, brings more than 15 years of experience in higher education to her new position, and her scholarship has been published in an array of academic journals and publications.
As a race scholar, “My professional philosophy and overall approach to the academy is centered on the following core principles: a quest for knowledge, creativity, and a spirit of activism,” comments Wilder. “I am a sociologist who employs an intersectional lens of race, class, and gender to the critical analysis of the social world and institutions,” she further notes. Wilder argues that in the 21st century, matters of diversity are critically important to the vitality and sustainability of our colleges and universities.
Wilder earned her Ph.D. in Sociology, with a concentration in Women’s Studies and Gender Research, from the University of Florida. She also completed her M.A. in Sociology from Cleveland State University, and a B.A. from Allegheny College. Wilder’s areas of research interest include race and ethnic relations, minorities in higher education, women of color in the U.S., qualitative methodology, and the sociology of teaching and learning.
Wilder is the author of Color Stories: Black Women and Colorism in the 21st Century, published in October 2015. The book explores the impact of skin-tone bias and discrimination found in communities of color, particularly among Black women and girls in the era of “post-racialism.”
About the UNF Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations (SRER)
The UNF Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations (SRER) was created in 2015 as an inter-disciplinary research institute on the study of racial inequality that is centered on the local and southeast region, but equally attentive to the broader impact in our national and international communities. Grounded within the core principles of research, education and public scholarship, this endeavor aims to foster critical and creative thinking, conduct and facilitate empirically based research, and promote and support public scholarship on issues surrounding race, racism and racial inequality.
To learn more about the University of North Florida and the recently launched Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations, visit www.unf.edu/aa/srer/. Wilder has been featured by many local, national, and international media outlets. She is available for media interview, speaking engagements, and book signings and may be reached via email at j.wilder@unf.edu.
 
Source: blacknews.com