Jalata Named Betty Lynn Hendrickson Professor
Professor Asafa Jalata was named the Betty Lynn Hendrickson Professor by the College of Arts and Sciences in August 2023. This endowed professorship is given biannually to a faculty member in the college with an exceptional record of research and teaching in the social sciences. The professorship recognizes Jalata’s 32 years on the faculty of the Department of Sociology, along with his affiliations with Global Studies and Africana Studies.
Jalata is originally from Oromia, a region of Africa under the control of Ethiopia. The oppression of the Oromo people and the banning of the Oromo language, followed by years of heavy repression from state forces, left a lasting impression on Jalata, who has dedicated his career to exploring the possibilities for genuine democracy in the nations of the global South.
Jalata works and teaches in the areas of critical race and ethnic studies and political economy and globalization. His research record is substantial, including publishing 15 books—nearly one every two years across his scholarly career. He has also published more than 70 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and works of public sociology explaining social movements, violence, and war in Africa. Works like those produced by Jalata are significant to the American public, which hears too little about Africa and knows little about US-African relations and policies. His ability to dig deeply into Africa’s political, social, and cultural conditions lends to our understanding of the lasting impact of colonialism, imperialism, oppression, and democracy’s frailty.
Jalata is active in the Oromo Studies Association, has served as its president, and edited the Journal of Oromo Studies. This substantial body of work was acknowledged in 2020, when he received the Oromo Studies Association Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a fellow with the Center for the Study of Social Justice. He serves as the editor-in-chief of Sociology Mind and on the editorial board of the Journal of Pan African Studies and the Journal of World-Systems Research. He is also active in the African Studies Association and the Association of Concerned African Scholars.