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| deandre miles-hercules (Photo by Mariah Webber) |
There have been several Anthropologist Profiles on this blog, and the vast majority focus on individuals with terminal degrees working either within or outside of academia. There have been very few that have spotlighted up and coming anthropologists at the student level. Typically, students are seldom featured because they are focusing on their studies, developing and honing the skills to become notable anthropologists in their own right. There are, however, students who maintain the delicate balance between learning and performing scholarship, which is when they become eligible to be featured herein. University of California, Santa Barbara linguistics doctoral student deandre miles-hercules (they/them) is one such individual who has beyond earned such recognition.
Hailing from Price George’s County in Maryland deandre has established theirself as an integral part of the anthropological community. They earned their Bachelor of Arts degree from Emory University with specializations in linguistics, anthropology, and African American Studies. Deandre followed up their B.A. with a Masters of Arts in Linguistics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. They are currently continuing their doctoral education in linguistics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Their research, which focuses on language, power, culture, and identity within Black, femme, queer, and trans communities, is funded in part through the National Science Foundation.
Deandre has an amazing educational pedigree, which is complemented by their numerous awards and accolades. During their tenure at Emory they earned several accolades, including the Award for Excellence in the Study of Linguistics and the Modupe Dayo Civic Engagement Award. They have also published numerous pieces in various prestigious journals, including the Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, The Oxford Handbook of Language and Sexuality (2022), Pedagogy, and Gender and Language.
Service is also an important part of deandre’s resume. They have completed the Mellon-Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program, National Science Foundation REU program, and Smithsonian Science Education Center internship. They also recently served as a graduate mentor for the UCSB-HBCU Scholars in Linguistics Program. Currently, deandre serves in various executive positions with the Linguistic Society of America’s OMBUDS Committee and Committee on Ethnic Diversity in Linguistics, in addition to being a Member at Large for the Association of Black Anthropologists’ Executive Board.
In addition to all of these activities deandre makes time to serve as an expert consultant for various news outlets and magazines, including Vox, Yahoo, and Vice News. Their public anthropological work is featured in various outlets, and they also advocate on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ community, including speaking on the matter of Alpha Phi Alpha considering a ban of transgender members. This advocacy more than likely stems from their belief “that education is freedomwork and they strive resolutely to examine, expand, and sharpen our tools for living freely and combating inequality,” a statement this blog author wholeheartedly agrees with.
Works Cited
Anderson, T. (2024, July 11). GLAAD EXCLUSIVE: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Considers Transgender Ban. Retrieved from GLAAD: https://glaad.org/glaad-exclusive-alpha-phi-alpha-fraternity-considers-transgender-ban/
Association of Black Anthropologists. (N.D.). ABA Executive Board. Retrieved from Association of Black Anthropologists: https://aba.americananthro.org/
Miles-Hercules, D. (N.D.). Doctoral Student: Deandre Miles-Hercules. Retrieved from Stanford Graduate School of Education: Black Academic Development Lab: https://badlab.stanford.edu/people/deandre-miles-hercules
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