Expert on cultural studies to head NU-Q Liberal Arts Programme

Northwestern University in Qatar has appointed Dr Sandra Richards, a leading voice on cultural studies and expressive arts, to be the first director of its Liberal Arts Programme. Dr Richards, who will also hold the distinction of being the first professor of African American Studies and Theatre in residence at NU-Q, brings with her wide-ranging experience in the classroom and the theatre. Her extensive work in literary and cultural studies has embraced the African diaspora and focused on black dramatists, theatre, cultural tourism and slave sites in the Black Atlantic.Dr Richards served as chair of African American Studies and interim director of the Programme of African Studies at Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Liberal Arts, as well as a professor of performance studies and theatre in the School of Communication. NU-Q dean Dr Everette Dennis noted that “Dr Richards’ background as a distinguished scholar and teacher in four fields makes her the perfect choice to head NU-Q’s growing Liberal Arts Programme.”Students in communication and journalism at NU-Q are expected to take substantial work in the liberal arts, with journalism students being required to take up to 75% of their coursework in the associated fields and disciplines. Before joining Northwestern University, Dr Richards earned her PhD in Dramatic Literature from Stanford University, and held teaching and research positions at Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Benin in Nigeria.In addition to her functions as professor and administrator, Dr Richards is interested in using the tools she has developed in Diaspora studies to learn more about the diverse expatriate populations living in Doha. “On my last visit, I was intrigued by a student who said, ‘I am Palestinian, but I have never lived in Palestine.’ I believe certain aspects of my studies on dispersed African populations around the world can be applied to communities here,” she added.