This issue of Dialogo reintroduces the legacy of Professor W. Allison Davis, a groundbreaking scholar whose work influences faculty and students to this day. He was an early leader in the study of racial and socioeconomic inequality, particularly with regard to educational opportunities and outcomes. A quintessential Chicago scholar, he joined the faculty at the University in 1942 and was the first African American tenured professor at a predominantly white university.
The University of Chicago is establishing a distinguished lecture series in honor of Professor Davis. This symposium will feature a public lecture bearing on the areas which Davis pioneered and provide a forum for community engagement as well as scholarly discussion. The inaugural event will take place on Monday, May 11, 2020. This has been a deeply meaningful initiative with which I have become involved, and I am grateful to Walter Massey, University Trustee Emeritus, and to members of the faculty committee leading the event planning look forward to sharing the schedule with you in Winter Quarter.
In addition to the articles in this issue highlighting the work of current faculty, students, and alumni, I invite you also to read more about Professor Davis and his work in David Varel’s The Lost Black Scholar (UChicago Press 2018).
As is traditional for the fall issue, we also introduce you to faculty who have joined the Division at the start of this academic year. These 12 scholars, from disciplines across the social sciences, embody a range of research interests and methodological approaches. We are pleased to welcome them to our community of scholars and to seeing their distinguished careers develop.
Please keep up-to-date on our latest news, research findings, events, and other accomplishments by following us on Twitter and Facebook.
With best wishes,
Amanda Woodward
Dean, Division of the Social Sciences
William S. Gray Distinguished Service Professor of Psychology
