Research Projects
- Network to Freedom Underground Railroad Oral History Project (URP)
- Co-Principle Investigator
- Mellon AFAM Scholars Program
- Faculty Advisor
- AFAM Honors Domestic Study Away
- Coordinator
Areas of Interest/Research
- Gender, race, medicine, and community histories in the 19th and 20th centuries.
- African American Military History
- Health Humanities
- Digital Pedagogy in History
Current Courses
- AFA 3342 African Diaspora, Women, and Medicine
- AFA 3223 African American History: 1865 to the Today
- AFA 4222 African American History 1619 to 1865
- AFA 4936 AFAM Senior Seminar
Contact Information
Background
Dr. Alyssa Cole is an Assistant Professor in African American Studies, specializing in the intersections of history, health activism, and Black communities in the Midwest. Dr. Cole completed her Ph.D. in history at the University of Kansas, where she also received an M.A. in African and African American Studies.
Dr. Cole’s research focuses on health activism, exploring the historical context and contemporary implications of Black individuals and communities advocating for better health outcomes. Her current work, “Movement before the Movement: Black Women’s Health Activism in Kansas City, 1900-1940” explores the roles of Black women who advocated for health equity during the early twentieth century. Her research examines the intersections of race, class, and gender, highlighting Black individuals' agency in pursuing health equity.
Dr. Cole is the faculty advisor for the African American Studies Mellon Scholars Program.