Jason Brodsky

Jason Brodsky, '07, is Co-UDR for the AAAS Department for 2005-6. He is one of the founders of Okapi!, the student magazine devoted to African and African-American issues.

Travis P. Watson

Travis Watson is Co-UDR for the AAAS Department for 2005-6. He presented a refereed paper at the 2005 meeting of the New England Association for the Study of African-American Life and History.

"On Saturday, April 2, I had the opportunity to speak at the African American Studies Conference held at UMass Amherst. I was the only undergraduate student presenting among graduate students and professors. My panel was entitled "Teaching Contemporary Issues with African-American Music" and focused on the hip-hop group dead prez and how they are re-conceiving revolution. I had a very warm reception and was even asked by a professor if I would help her write a course that she is teaching on contemporary African American music. Speaking at the conference was a truly rewarding experience."

Travis will also present a paper at the Annual Convention of the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History. His paper: "dead prez: Reconceiving Revolution" was accepted based on a national competition and he will be presenting with scholars from around the country.

William Rafelson

"Just recently I was admitted to the Graduate Iowa Writers' Workshop in the Summer with James Alan McPherson. He was a protege of Ralph Ellison and writes splendidly about race relations and the African American experience. Since my writing is greatly influenced by African American voices in literature, his workshop will undoubtedly sharpen my writing and 1st person narrative."