The Library as Lead Storyteller: Spotlighting HBCU Research Across Disciplines

Speakers:

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  Adrienne C. Webber, MSLS

  Dean, University Digital LibraryGrambling State University

  Adrienne C. Webber is the Dean of the Digital Library and Learning Commons at Grambling State University, where she leads innovative, student-centered approaches to digital learning and research. With nearly 30 years of experience in academic librarianship, she has held leadership roles at several Historically Black Colleges and Universities, including the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, South Carolina State University, Xavier University, and Alabama A&M University.

  A proud HBCU alumna, Webber is nationally recognized for her commitment to advancing library leadership and information literacy at HBCUs. She has served as Past Chair of the 1890 Library Deans and Directors and is actively engaged with the HBCU Library Alliance and other professional organizations. Her work focuses on expanding access, mentoring future library professionals, and strengthening the role of academic libraries in fostering lifelong learning.

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  Connie Walton, Ph.D.

  Provost/Vice President of Academic AffairsGrambling State University

  Dr. Connie Walton is Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and a Professor of Organic Chemistry at Grambling State University. A proud GSU alumna, she earned her B.S. in Chemistry from Grambling State and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Southern Mississippi. Her career spans industry and academia, including work as a research chemist with Hoechst Celanese in the United States and Germany.

  Dr. Walton has held multiple senior leadership roles at Grambling State and has led major accreditation efforts with SACSCOC. A nationally recognized STEM leader, she has secured more than $15 million in grant funding, holds two U.S. patents, and is a co-author of a recently released book focused on increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in science-related fields.

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  Dawn Kight, Ph.D.

  Dean of LibrariesSouthern University and A&M College

  Dr. Dawn Kight is Dean of Libraries at Southern University and A&M College, the flagship HBCU and 1890 Land-Grant institution within the Southern University System. A nationally recognized leader in academic libraries and digital inclusion, she brings expertise spanning librarianship, information technology, and STEM education. Dr. Kight holds degrees in computer science, library and information science, and a doctorate in science and mathematics education, with research focused on information literacy in STEM higher education.

  Her professional background includes roles in systems librarianship, instructional services, and national leadership, including service with the Association of Research Libraries. She has led grant-funded, multi-institution initiatives to expand information literacy, digital access, and workforce development across HBCU libraries.

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  Kimberley Bugg, Ph.D.

  Chief Executive Officer and Library DirectorAtlanta University Center, Robert W. Woodruff Library

  Dr. Kimberley Bugg is Chief Executive Officer and Library Director of the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Robert W. Woodruff Library, where she leads one of the nation’s most significant collaborative academic libraries serving Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She provides strategic leadership for library services supporting Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and the Interdenominational Theological Center.

  Dr. Bugg holds a PhD in Educational Studies and has built a distinguished career focused on advancing research, teaching, and equitable access to information in higher education. She is actively engaged in national library leadership, including service with the Association of Research Libraries and OCLC advisory groups, and is recognized for her commitment to innovation, collaboration, and student-centered library services within HBCU communities.

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  Christy Garrison Harrison, PhD

  Assistant Professor of History and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

  Dr. Christy Garrison-Harrison is Assistant Professor of History and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Southern University and A&M College. Her scholarship examines Black women and femme histories in the American South, Black feminist geographies, and the cultural dynamics of White American matriarchy. She has received multiple competitive honors, including a Rhodes College Institute for Race and Social Transformation (iRaST) Faculty Fellowship, a CUNY OEPI NEH Fellowship, and a Distinguished Visiting Scholar appointment at the University at Buffalo.

  Dr. Garrison-Harrison is completing three monographs on Black women’s community activism, Louisiana’s Black women and femme Bounce artists, and antebellum matriarchal culture, and is launching a documentary-focused production company.