Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences Faculty
Interview with Jessica Elfenbein
The interview was conducted as part of the University of Baltimore Stories: 100th Anniversary Oral History Project, directed by the Special Collections and Archives department at the University of Baltimore's RLB Library. It was conducted via Zoom application by Bedell Terry on June 22th, 2021. The interviewee is Jessica Elfenbein, Associate Provost and Professor of The University of Baltimore, 1995-2012. She served the University of Baltimore for 17 years in multiple positions as Assistant and Associate Professor, and Associate Provost. She also founded and directed the Community Studies and Civic Engagement (CSCE) major.
During this interview, Professor Elfenbein explained her path to the University of Baltimore and her interactions with the Library's Special Collections department. Additionally, she discussed different positions she held while at the University of Baltimore.
She also directed the prize-winning Baltimore ’68: Riots and Rebirth project.She recalled working with Dr. Elizabeth Nix, history professor, and Tom Hollowak, the Special Collections and Archives director at the time. Baltimore ’68 offered a multi-faceted close-up examination of the civil unrest that occurred in Baltimore following the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.
Interview with Elizabeth Nix
The interview was conducted as part of the University of Baltimore Stories: 100th Anniversary Oral History Project, directed by the Special Collections and Archives department at the University of Baltimore's RLB Library. It was conducted via Zoom application by Bedell Terry on August 6, 2021. The interviewee is Elezabeth Nix, Associate Professor and Chair of the Division of Legal, Ethical and Historical Studies of University of Baltimore, 2003-2019. She was also the director of the Helen P. Denit Program from 2014 to 2017. In 2016, Dr. Nix won the President's Faculty Award for outstanding teaching, service and scholarship.
In this interview, Professor Nix discussed her path to the University of Baltimore, her teaching, and her work promoting public history both at the University of Baltimore and in Baltimore City. She was a member of the steering committee for the Baltimore '68 project, along with the project director Jessica Elfenbein and Tom Hollowak. Her accomplishments also include founding Southwest Baltimore Charter School in 2005, where she served as chair of the board from 2005 to 2020.
Interview with Diedre Badejo
The interview was conducted as part of the University of Baltimore Stories: 100th Anniversary Oral History Project, directed by the Special Collections and Archives department at the University of Baltimore's RLB Library. It was conducted via Zoom application by Bedell Terry on February 18th 2022. The interviewee is Dierdre Badejo, a professor emeritus of The University of Baltimore, who has led a storied career in the university setting, including more than 20 years as an administrator and an instructor. In addition, Badejo is an accomplished author, poet and essayist, with work that has been published around the world.
In this interview, Dr. Badejo discusses her education and work experiences in the university setting, both as a professor and a dean. She also speaks on her youth and family life where she fostered a strong connection to community, which is something that would play a prominent role in her career as an educator, administrator, and author. The interview provides a closer look at her numerous accomplishments in the education system, as well as her endeavors in building and nurturing communities within the cultural and educational spheres.
Interview with Nicole Hudgins
The interview was conducted as part of the University of Baltimore Stories: 100th Anniversary Oral History Project, directed by the Special Collections and Archives department at the University of Baltimore's RLB Library. It was conducted via Zoom application by Jevona Anderson on January 16, 2024. The interviewee is Nicole Hudgins, a history professor at the University of Baltimore. Professor Hudgins shared her life journey from her birth in Johannesburg, South Africa, to her academic and professional experiences in the United States. She discussed her academic career, starting with her move to the U.S. at the age of three, her education, and her eventual tenure as a professor at the University of Baltimore.
During the interview, Professor Hudgins discussed her expertise in the intersection of history and photography, her pedagogical approach to online education, and her insights into the impact of photography on historical documentation. She also touched on her personal experiences and challenges in academia, emphasizing the role of the University of Baltimore in her professional life.