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</p><div id="attachment_51890" style="width: 970px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-51890" src="; alt="快活林性息 is working to create a 鈥淐ommunity-Endowed Professorship in Africana Studies.鈥� The position will split time between teaching at the university and hosting 鈥渙ffice hours,鈥� as well other activities in the community. Photo by dragana991, iStock." width="960" height="640" srcset=" 300w, 768w, 960w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /><p class="wp-caption-text">快活林性息 is working to create a 鈥淐ommunity-Endowed Professorship in Africana Studies.鈥� The position will split time between teaching at the university and hosting 鈥渙ffice hours,鈥� as well other activities in the community. Photo by dragana991, iStock.</p></div>
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<p style="font-weight: 400;">Yan Searcy, dean of California State University, Northridge鈥檚 <a href=" of Social and Behavioral Sciences</a>, truly believes that one person can change the world.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">鈥淥ne professor can inspire students and communities,鈥� Searcy said. 鈥淥ne professor can be the role model that sparks global change.鈥�</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">To that end, Searcy is working to create a 鈥淐ommunity-Endowed Professorship in Africana Studies.鈥� The individual selected for the position will split their time between teaching at the university and hosting 鈥渙ffice hours,鈥� as well other activities in the community to ensure that voices of the people who live in Los Angeles鈥� underrepresented neighborhoods are heard.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">鈥淵es, by virtue of being out in the community, there will be some outreach and recruitment,鈥� Searcy said. 鈥淏ut this person will be out in the community, listening to community members, finding out what they see their needs are and serving as a bridge builder to bring resources that the university has to our external stakeholders. I want to decrease the distance between the university and the community, and have them working together for the benefit of everyone involved.鈥�</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Searcy noted that there has been a growing distrust of higher education 鈥渁nd those who have the power of critical thought鈥� among the American public.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">鈥淲hen we turn on the television, we see people making predictions or comments, but they are not experts,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he experts are here, in higher education, but you鈥檙e not seeing them on television. And when younger people go on social media, they鈥檒l find even fewer experts offering commentary without any real research to back up their opinions. There are experts at colleges and universities across the country, including 快活林性息, who have dedicated their careers and spent years studying these topics, yet they aren鈥檛 being heard.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">鈥淲e need to make what we do at universities more accessible, and demonstrate through our presence that we truly care about the communities our students come from,鈥� Searcy said.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Searcy sees the holder of community-endowed professorship, who will be housed in 快活林性息鈥檚 <a href=" of Africana Studies</a>, facilitating a partnership between the university and the community.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">鈥淪o many times, people and organizations will go into a community and tell its residents what they need,鈥� Searcy said. 鈥淭his professor鈥檚 role will be different. They will be there to listen 鈥� that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 so important they hold 鈥榦ffice hours鈥� in the community 鈥� and work with the community to address their needs as an active liaison. Maybe it鈥檚 helping to advocate for affordable housing, addressing food insecurity by hosting sessions with the campus鈥� freight farming experts or setting up a college-track afterschool program for kids. What community members identify as their needs will be the driving force. This professor will be working with our students, their fellow faculty and community members to come up with solutions.鈥�</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">At the same time, Searcy said, the professor also will be modeling the positive impact a college education can have, reiterating, 鈥淥ne person can indeed change the world, especially with 快活林性息 behind them.鈥�</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">For information about the Community-Endowed Professorship in Africana Studies, contact Tracy Baum at <a href="mailto:tracy.baum@csun.edu">tracy.baum@csun.edu</a>.</p>
Yan Searcy, dean of California State University, Northridge鈥檚 College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, truly believes that one person can...