Campus Compact is pleased to announce that Jodi Skipper, Ph.D., professor of anthropology at the University of Mississippi, has been awarded Campus Compact’s Thomas Ehrlich Civically Engaged Faculty Award. The award, presented in partnership with Brown University’s Swearer Center, recognizes senior faculty who practice exemplary engaged scholarship through teaching and research. Recipients are selected on the basis of their collaboration with communities, institutional impact, and high-quality academic work.
Skipper is recognized for her outstanding contributions to engaged scholarship at the University of Mississippi and her commitment to addressing historical and contemporary social injustices through community collaboration. Her work transcends the traditional boundaries of academic research, actively involving community partners in both the preservation and interpretation of African American heritage sites across the South.
“I have been at the University of Mississippi for 27 years and consider Dr. Skipper to be one of our most innovative and cutting-edge scholars, paving the way for more transformative community-engaged work in the academy,” said Kirsten Dellinger, associate dean for Access and Strategic Initiatives at the University of Mississippi in a letter supporting Skipper’s nomination. “Since I first met Dr. Skipper, she has been building a deeply engaged, high-quality academic portfolio of scholarship and courses related to how African Americans are represented in material culture and how this interacts with the construction of heritage in tourism spaces. I believe her work is groundbreaking and richly deserving of the Ehrlich Award.”
“Dr. Skipper’s work is a clear exemplar of all the values we seek in Ehrlich Award winners,” said Bobbie Laur, Campus Compact president. “Through her teaching and research, Dr. Skipper demonstrates how intentional engaged scholarship, deeply rooted community partnerships, and exceptional teaching can combine and result in impact that is more than the sum of its parts. We are honored to present her with this award.”
The following faculty have been named Ehrlich Award finalists: Julia Roncoroni, associate professor of counseling psychology at Universisty of Denver and Daniel Trudeau, professor of geography at Macalester College.
The Thomas Ehrlich Civically Engaged Faculty Award is presented as part of Campus Compact's Impact Awards, which recognize the outstanding work of individuals and institutions in pursuit of the public purposes of higher education. Read more about the other awards and this year's recipients here.
The recipients of these awards will be recognized at Compact25, Campus Compact’s annual conference, which will be held in Atlanta, Georgia from March 31st - April 2nd, 2025.