N.C. A&T’s Power of Four Fellowship Program Unveils Inaugural Class

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Sept. 27, 2023) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has named four first-year College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science (CAHSS) students as the 2023-24 inaugural class of Power of Four Research Fellows.

The fellowship is a distinguished program aimed at empowering visionary young scholars deeply committed to advancing social justice through innovative research and community engagement.

The four research fellows – all Honors College students – were competitively selected by a faculty committee for their knowledge and creativity in scaling up national and global social equity programs.

The fellows are:

• Diana Bedden, a political science major from Philadelphia, who aspires to ignite social change within her community through her research pursuits;
• Jyanne Guide, a multimedia journalism major from Baltimore, is driven to carry on the legacy of the A&T Four by advocating for social justice through rigorous research;
• Gabrielle Hoskins, a political science major from Elizabeth City, North Carolina is committed to starting a program that provides free or reduced-cost counseling services to at-risk youth;
• Jada Taylor, a visual media design major from Atlanta, aims to deepen her understanding of human rights to reshape current policies and promote equitable outcomes.

“We are excited to welcome our inaugural class of Power of Four Research Fellows,” said Jelani Favors Ph.D., director of N.C. A&T’s Center of Excellence for Social Justice. “We are confident they will carry on the tradition and powerful legacy of the A&T Four and the activist energy that has defined this campus since its inception in 1891. This inaugural class will serve as the heartbeat of our Center of Excellence in Social Justice.”

Each year, the Power of Four Research Fellows program will recruit a cohort of four exceptional first-year students, nurturing the next generation of transformative leaders, said Favors. Through their knowledge, creativity and dedication, the fellows will be at the forefront of driving change and advancing social justice.

Additionally, the research fellows will be partnered with faculty mentors who will guide and advise the students in their research interests over the span of their four years. Faculty mentors will reflect various focus areas aligned with their own social justice research, which will allow students to partner with content experts who can mentor and advise them.

The Center of Excellence for Social Justice, housed in the CAHSS, was recently established by A&T and funded with an $850,000 grant from the Andrew Mellon Foundation. Founded in 1969, the Mellon Foundation’s mission is to “strengthen, promote, and defend the centrality of the humanities and the arts to human flourishing and to the well-being of diverse, fair, and democratic societies.”

The center is set to hold its opening celebration the week of Oct. 30 during A&T’s homecoming celebration.

For more information about the center and its programs, visit its website.