Author: Denise A. A. Isom

Dr. Denise Isom received her doctorate in Socio-Cultural Anthropology of Education from Loyola University, Chicago and is currently serving as Department Chair and Professor in Ethnic Studies. Her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Multicultural Education along with a B.S. in Engineering and B.A. in African American Studies were all completed at the University of California at Davis. Dr. Isom’s areas of expertise includes, racialized gender identity, ethnic studies, whiteness, and sociology/anthropology of education. As a professor of Ethnic Studies she teaches courses that include, Race, Culture, and Politics in the U.S., The Social Construction of Whiteness, Gender and Sexualities in the African American Community, Research methods courses, and recently co-developed courses entitled, Beyoncé: Race, Feminism, and Politics, as well as, “Humor, Comedy, and the Politics of Identity.” Her current research agenda includes racialized gender identity and the racialized nature of congregational life. Her work has been presented at numerous national and international conferences, published in journals such as The Urban Review and The Journal of Race, Equality and Teaching, and in chapters on boy culture, teaching race, and African American Female Psychology and identity.