Africana & American Indian Studies Program

FACULTY

Dr. Robert S. Mikell
Professor: Ethnic Studies 1972-present
Director: Africana Studies Research Center

Office: McF203B
Phone: 559.278.2913
FAX: 559.278.2233
email Dr. Mikell

Educational Background

Doctor of Education, University of Southern California—1978
Master of Business Administration, California State University, Fresno—1972
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration,California State University, Fresno—1972
Associate of Arts, Business Administration, Fresno City College—1969
Certificate in Ethnic Studies, State of California Certified

Awards and Special Honors

Rosa Parks Award, Fresno State African Peoples History Month—February 1999
City of Fresno Human Relations Commission Award for Education—April 1997
Certificate and Medal of Appreciation for Services Rendered, HUD—February 1995
Image Award in Education, Fresno Branch, NAACP—April 1994
Community Service Award, United Black Men of Fresno, Inc.,—May, 1993
Excellence in Innovative Teaching and Mentoring, Fresno State—April 1993
Professor Meritorious Performance Award, Fresno State—1989

Courses Taught and Developed

African American Community
Race Relations, developed a service learning component
Diversity in the U.S.
Ethnic Experience
Basic Composition and Communication
African American Sociology
Life and Times of Martin Luther King, Jr.—developed and taught
Business and Economic Development—developed and taught
African American Music—developed and taught
Field Placement in Community Relations—co-developed and taught
African American Cuisine—developed and taught
Rap Music Genre—developed and taught
History of Allensworth—developed and taught

Professional Services

Journey on the Underground Railroad, Fresno County and City Historical Society Civil War Revisited, Outdoor Lecture, Sept. 29, 2002, Kearney Park

Supervisory Committee, Educational Employees Credit Union, elected to three-year term, 2002-2005

State of California Department of Education Textbook Legal and Social Compliance Review Committee, 1998-2001

Developed and co-chaired national conference, 26th Annual Conference of the National Association for Ethnic Studies, March 25-28, 1998

Founder—African American Student Graduation Recognition Program, 1980

Radio Talk Show Host, KBIF, Blacks in Action, 1976-1977

Organized several campus and community exhibits on the African Diaspora

Professional Organization Memberships

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for Ethnic Studies
Statewide and Campus Black Faculty and Staff Association
Fresno State Alumni Association; Founder and President, African Peoples' Chapter

Grants Awarded

FIPSE, Recruiting Multicultural Teacher Through Distance Learning, $242,000, 1999-2002; Fresno Unified School District, $30,000, 2001; Fresno Unified, $30,000, 2002

Learning Beyond the School Bell, $14,380, Fresno Unified School District and Fresno Regional Foundation, Merrill Lynch, Spring 1999

Martin Luther King, Jr. Student Conference, Drum Major for Peace and Diversity, Fresno State, $3,000—1999, Diversity Awareness Program; $3,000—2000, Instructional Related Activities; $3,000—2001, IRA; $3,000—2002, IRA

Evolution of African American Music, Fresno State Diversity Awareness Program, $1,300—1997; $3,000—1998; $1,000—1999

Reading the African American Classic, Fresno State Instructional Related Activities, $3,000—1997-98

Conversation with an African American Author, Associated Students, Inc., and Diversity Awareness Program, $1,000—1999,2000

In Search of Racial Harmony, Fresno State IRA, $6,500, April 2-7, 1993 to take nine students of diverse ethnicities to conferences at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis and King Center in Atlanta

Co-authored proposal to establish African American Studies Research Center and Latino Research Center, $27,000 for each center, ASI

Professional and Research Interests

Small Business Development

Hip Hop Culture

African American Music

Race Relations and Diversity

Recent Publications

To his credit, Dr. Mikell has several publications, has presented scholarly conference papers, delivered keynote addresses, and given interviews on local, national, and international issues.

FIPSE Grant Database

Educational Employees Credit Union Advisory Board, currently serving as Secretary