African American Scholars at Notre Dame

Richard B. Pierce

A member of the Notre Dame faculty since 1996, Richard B. Pierce, Assistant Professor of History, serves as Chair of Notre Dame’s newly established Department of Africana Studies. He specializes in African American, Urban, and Civil Rights history and examines social and political protest in urban environments. He was a primary architect in the development of the Erskine A. Peters Dissertation Fellowship Program. Additionally, he convened and organized the African and African American Program’s first symposium on "African American Women’s Labor" in 2000.

In recent years, Dr. Pierce has been awarded multiple fellowship and academic appointments. These include: Joan D. Kroc Institute for Institute for Peace Fellow (2002); Carl E. Koch, Jr., Assistant Professor of History Chair (2000), a Ford Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for African American Urban Studies and the Economy (CAUSE) at Carnegie Mellon University (2000); and was a member of the Indiana Delegation to Capitol Hill in support of the NEH (1998.) In 2004, he was elected the Indiana Historical Society board of directors.

Professor Pierce earned his bachelor's degree at Valparaiso University, his master's from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and took his doctorate at Indiana University. His manuscript, Polite Protest: The Political Economy of Race in Indianapolis, 1920-1970, was published by Indiana University Press in 2005. He was a consultant for "Faith and Community Initiative" of the Project on Religion and Urban Culture" at POLIS Research Center, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and For Gold and Glory, an award-winning documentary that depicted the African American automobile racing league of the 1920s. As a member of the Urban Research and Development Initiative at Notre Dame, he is the lead researcher on a project that documents the impact of de-industrialization on minority communities. Dr. Pierce has published articles and essays that have appeared in the Journal of Urban History, The State of Indiana History 2000, Robert Taylor, ed., Chicago Tribune, and National Public Radio. This is his second year as Academic Director of this seminar.

Charmelle Green

Charmelle Green, is an assistant athletics director at the University of Notre Dame, having served for the past two years as Director of Student-Athlete Development and Welfare. This program focuses on providing a balanced Notre Dame experience for student-athletes by addressing five key areas: academic excellence, athletic success, career preparation, community involvement and personal development.

Ms. Green is passionate about working with students and enjoys assisting them in obtaining success both inside and outside of the classroom. She joined the Notre Dame administrative staff in 2005 after spending the previous four years as an assistant coach on the Irish softball team. During her tenure with the Notre Dame softball program, the Irish amassed a 176-67 (.724) record, claimed the BIG EAST Conference regular season championship four times, won two conference tournament crowns and made four NCAA Tournament appearances.

Ms. Green also has worked as a residential social worker for the New Zealand Children and Young Persons Service in Christchurch, New Zealand, and served as an assistant director for the National Conference in Salt Lake City.

A 1991 graduate of the University of Utah, Ms. Green was nominated as Utah's Female Athlete of the Century and was inducted into the school's Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. She has been with the University of Notre Dame since 2002 and is a member of the National Consortium for Academic and Sports, the Committee for Sexual Assault Prevention, Notre Dame’s United Way Campaign, and is a University Ombudsperson

This is Ms. Green’s first year as co-academic director of African American Scholars at Notre Dame.

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Housed in the humanities division of the College of Arts and Letters, the Department of Africana Studies offers an interdisciplinary curriculum in which undergraduates study the African American experience; the histories, literatures, political systems, arts, economies and religions of the African continent; and the African diaspora - the global dispersion of people of African descent.

For more information about the Department of Africana Studies at Notre Dame please click here.

HOME GENERAL INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS APPLICATION FAQ'S IMPORTANT DATES / DEADLINES ACADEMIC DIRECTOR RESOURCES	Office of Pre-College Programs • University of Notre Dame • 202 Brownson Hall • Notre Dame, IN 46556 Tel. 574.631.0990 • Email precoll@nd.edu ACADEMIC DIRECTORS Richard B. Pierce A member of the Notre Dame faculty since 1996, Richard B. Pierce, Assistant Professor of History, serves as Chair of Notre Dame’s newly established Department of Africana Studies. He specializes in African American, Urban, and Civil Rights history and examines social and political protest in urban environments. He was a primary architect in the development of the Erskine A. Peters Dissertation Fellowship Program. Additionally, he convened and organized the African and African American Program’s first symposium on "African American Women’s Labor" in 2000. In recent years, Dr. Pierce has been awarded multiple fellowship and academic appointments. These include: Joan D. Kroc Institute for Institute for Peace Fellow (2002); Carl E. Koch, Jr., Assistant Professor of History Chair (2000), a Ford Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for African American Urban Studies and the Economy (CAUSE) at Carnegie Mellon University (2000); and was a member of the Indiana Delegation to Capitol Hill in support of the NEH (1998.) In 2004, he was elected the Indiana Historical Society board of directors. Professor Pierce earned his bachelor's degree at Valparaiso University, his master's from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and took his doctorate at Indiana University. His manuscript, Polite Protest: The Political Economy of Race in Indianapolis, 1920-1970, was published by Indiana University Press in 2005. He was a consultant for "Faith and Community Initiative" of the Project on Religion and Urban Culture" at POLIS Research Center, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and For Gold and Glory, an award-winning documentary that depicted the African American automobile racing league of the 1920s. As a member of the Urban Research and Development Initiative at Notre Dame, he is the lead researcher on a project that documents the impact of de-industrialization on minority communities. Dr. Pierce has published articles and essays that have appeared in the Journal of Urban History, The State of Indiana History 2000, Robert Taylor, ed., Chicago Tribune, and National Public Radio. This is his second year as Academic Director of this seminar. Charmelle Green Charmelle Green, is an assistant athletics director at the University of Notre Dame, having served for the past two years as Director of Student-Athlete Development and Welfare. This program focuses on providing a balanced Notre Dame experience for student-athletes by addressing five key areas: academic excellence, athletic success, career preparation, community involvement and personal development. Ms. Green is passionate about working with students and enjoys assisting them in obtaining success both inside and outside of the classroom. She joined the Notre Dame administrative staff in 2005 after spending the previous four years as an assistant coach on the Irish softball team. During her tenure with the Notre Dame softball program, the Irish amassed a 176-67 (.724) record, claimed the BIG EAST Conference regular season championship four times, won two conference tournament crowns and made four NCAA Tournament appearances. Ms. Green also has worked as a residential social worker for the New Zealand Children and Young Persons Service in Christchurch, New Zealand, and served as an assistant director for the National Conference in Salt Lake City. A 1991 graduate of the University of Utah, Ms. Green was nominated as Utah's Female Athlete of the Century and was inducted into the school's Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. She has been with the University of Notre Dame since 2002 and is a member of the National Consortium for Academic and Sports, the Committee for Sexual Assault Prevention, Notre Dame’s United Way Campaign, and is a University Ombudsperson This is Ms. Green’s first year as co-academic director of African American Scholars at Notre Dame. *** * *** Housed in the humanities division of the College of Arts and Letters, the Department of Africana Studies offers an interdisciplinary curriculum in which undergraduates study the African American experience; the histories, literatures, political systems, arts, economies and religions of the African continent; and the African diaspora - the global dispersion of people of African descent. For more information about the Department of Africana Studies at Notre Dame please click here.