Professional Development Opportunities

2019 AERA Division J Emerging Scholars Workshop 

Application Deadline: March 8, 2019 

In but not of: Intellectual Inquiry and Academic Labor in Totalitarian Times 

What does it mean to be in the institution, but not of the institution? Scholars such as Robin D. G. Kelley, Stefano Harney, Fred Moten, Roderick Ferguson, and many others are re-centering this important question. Reflecting on the creation of Black Studies programs in “Black Study, Black Struggle,” Robin D. G. Kelley writes that these counter-intellectual spaces were, “conceived not just outside the university but in opposition to a Eurocentric university culture with ties to corporate and military power. Having emerged from mass revolt, insurgent black studies scholars developed institutional models based in, but largely independent of, the academy.” Heeding Kelley’s words, what might it look like for higher education scholars to create spaces, action, struggle, and thought in spite of the university, without the university, while within (or adjacent to) the university? 

One might ask more specifically, what is the role of higher education and the scholar in responding to these perilous, yet perennial, times? How can critical scholars develop the capacity to strategize effectively against the institutionalization of “post-truth” rhetoric? How do scholars resist intellectually in an environment that devalues education, theory, and research-based solutions? How can scholars honor multimodal and collectivist practices in postsecondary environments that valorize the “independent scholar”? How do critical scholars introduce silenced truths and resistant approaches for the public good, while simultaneously attending to their own professional, psychological, and physical well-being? What does effective action look like in the context of administrative re-centralization, control, and surveillance? These questions overarch the 2019 AERA-J Emerging Scholars Workshop. 

Workshop Details 

Over the course of this workshop, participants will engage with one another and senior scholars in the field. Topics include: articulating and advancing career goals, pursuing critical scholarship, examining career options at different types of institutions, maximizing opportunities for publication success, building community and prioritizing self-care, public intellectualism, monetizing ones skill set, and sustaining a long-term career. Participants will also engage with presentations on various aspects of the job search process including writing CVs, professional socialization, and offer negotiation. This pre-conference workshop is scheduled for Thursday, April 4th (beginning at 9 am) through Friday, April 5th (ending at noon). 

This workshop is intended for doctoral students and early-career junior faculty members. If selected for participation, participants will be asked to pay a $50.00 participation fee, which will help defray the costs of food, workshop materials, and room rental. 

All prospective applicants are asked to complete an online application which is available at the following link:

The Emerging Scholars Workshop co-chairs are Drs. Kirsten T. Edwards Williams (University of Oklahoma) and Paul Eaton (Sam Houston State University). Any questions about the workshop should be forwarded to Dr. Eaton at