History professor Marsha Barrett and history and African American studies professor Erik McDuffie received named scholar positions for their contributions in education and research at the University of Illinois.
Professor Barrett has been named a Helen Corley Petit Scholar for the 2025-2026 academic year. Barrett examines the political and social history of the United States during the twentieth century. She is interested in how public sentiment, racial dynamics, and social movements have influenced modern U.S. politics, policy, and political culture after 1945. Her latest book is Nelson Rockefeller's Dilemma: The Fight to Save Moderate Republicanism.
Professor McDuffie received a campus Distinguished Faculty Promotion Award and has been named a Dean's Distinguished Professorial Scholar for the 2025-2026 academic year. McDuffie's research and teaching interests include the African diaspora, the Midwest, black feminism, black queer theory, black radicalism, urban history, and black masculinity. His latest book, The Second Battle for Africa: Garveyism, the US Heartland, and Global Black Freedom, received the Jon Gjerde Prize for Best Book in Midwestern History.