Bridging Scholarship and Service
Clark Atlanta University’s faculty are committed to research with a purpose. Whether in scientific labs, policy forums, or artistic venues, they continue to push forward new knowledge while directly engaging and benefiting the communities around them.
Their work not only advances public health, scholarship, and creative expression but also carries forward the University’s legacy of fostering social change, civic leadership, and cultural enrichment in the African American community.
Groundbreaking Cancer Research
CAU’s Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development (CCRTD) received an $11 million renewal grant from NIH’s NIMHD to expand what is one of the nation’s largest prostate cancer programs. This five-year award supports three new translational research projects targeting prostate cancer in African-American men, upgrades to research facilities, and enhanced community engagement in prostate cancer education.
The investment builds on CCRTD’s mission to eradicate prostate cancer health disparities through cutting-edge research and outreach.
Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Program
We have received funding from the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program in Prostate Cancer for two projects.
Intracrine Regulation of Androgen Receptor in Prostate Cancer Cells
Dr. Shafiq A. Khan (CCRTD Director) leads the “Intracrine Regulation of Androgen Receptor in Prostate Cancer Cells” study, which examines how prostate tumors may produce their own testosterone to resist standard hormone therapy, aiming to improve treatment for both androgen-dependent and -independent cancers. Such work could inform new combination therapies to more fully starve tumors of growth signals in later-stage disease.
Snail-mediated Signaling in Human Prostate Cancer
Dr. Valerie Odero-Marah, CCRTD associate professor, investigates the molecular drivers of prostate cancer spread. Her project, “Snail-mediated Signaling in Human Prostate Cancer,” focuses on the Snail transcription factor, which promotes epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process linked to metastasis.
By studying how Snail contributes to EMT and neuroendocrine changes in prostate tumors, this research seeks new strategies to halt aggressive, metastatic prostate cancers. Such insights are vital for developing therapies to prevent lethal disease progression.
Civic Engagement and Public Policy Initiatives
Legislative Analysis
The Georgia Legislative Review (GLR), produced by CAU’s W.E.B. Du Bois Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy, is an annual faculty-led analysis of Georgia’s legislative session. It provides an in-depth review of major state bills and policy decisions each year, with special attention to issues affecting marginalized communities and has quickly become a valuable resource for scholars, citizens, and advocates seeking to understand and influence policy in the American South.
Uniquely, the GLR “grades” state legislators on their voting records by evaluating how those votes impact the quality of life for Black Georgians. In doing so, the review highlights outcomes in areas such as voting rights, redistricting, social justice, housing, and education, holding policymakers accountable to the Black community’s interests.
“Status of Black Atlanta” Urban Policy Study
CAU’s Du Bois Center is leading a comprehensive study on the State of Black Atlanta, examining critical challenges faced by Black residents in the city. Each section assesses inequities (e.g. achievement gaps in schools, income and job barriers, healthcare access, affordable housing shortages, and racial disparities in policing and sentencing). By spotlighting these issues, the report serves as a call to action for policymakers and stakeholders to enact reforms and investments that improve quality of life for Black Atlantans.
The study’s ultimate goal is to inform urban policy solutions that make Atlanta a more equitable and inclusive city.
Black Labor Policy and Leadership Initiative
In 2024, CAU’s Du Bois Center partnered with national nonprofit Jobs With Justice to launch a Labor Institute for Advancing Black Strategies. Officially launched in March 2025, this initiative aims to develop Black policy strategists and worker-leaders focused on economic justice in the U.S. South.
The institute supports cohorts of HBCU students and community organizers through courses, seminars, and apprenticeships centered on Southern labor organizing and Black workers’ rights. It will also commission research and public forums on issues such as low-wage worker protections, unionization efforts, and the intersection of race and labor policy.
By elevating Black workers’ experiences and training new advocates, this program addresses civic engagement from a workforce and economic empowerment perspective, broadening the scope of voting-rights advocacy to include workplace rights and democratic participation in the economy.
Learn more about this research
Black Women and Policy Leadership
In March 2024, the Du Bois Center hosted its inaugural Black Women in Public Policy in the South Symposium, convened by Executive Director Dr. Joseph L. Jones. This scholarly gathering focused on pressing challenges affecting Black women in the region, including disparities in reproductive health, mental health, and other areas.
Researchers, policymakers, and community voices come together to highlight the unique policy needs of Black women and strategize responsive solutions. It exemplifies CAU’s commitment to exploring African-American political participation and policy in all its dimensions, ensuring that the voices of Black women and other underrepresented groups are included in civic discussions.
Creative Initiatives (Arts, Design, and Media)
Investing in Black creative research not only protects the legacy of Black visual artists, but also enables new exhibitions, community programs, and digital projects that share these stories of creativity and resilience with broader audiences.
Preserving Black Visual Arts Archives
The Clark Atlanta University Art Museum, under the leadership of Dr. Danille K. Taylor, is spearheading a major archival preservation project thanks to a recent Getty Foundation grant. The university received a $140,000 award to establish an official archive for its museum, focusing on organizing and safeguarding decades of records on African-American art exhibitions, artists, and object collections.
The museum’s holdings originated from the historic Atlanta University Art Annuals, which, for much of the 20th century, showcased leading Black artists (Henry O. Tanner, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, and others) who were often excluded from mainstream museums. By cataloguing these materials and preserving the university’s rich artistic heritage, CAU will make invaluable resources accessible to scholars, students, and the public.
Annual CAU Writers Workshop
For over half a century, CAU’s faculty have engaged the Atlanta community through the Clark Atlanta University Writers Workshop, a celebrated annual literary event. Now in its 51st year, this workshop (led by English and African American Studies professors, including Dr. Georgene B. Montgomery, invites the entire community to campus for several days of seminars, readings, and creative writing sessions.
The program highlights African-American literature, poetry, and narratives, often featuring renowned Black authors and poets as mentors. By opening its doors free of charge to aspiring writers of all ages, the workshop has become a cornerstone of CAU’s cultural outreach.
This long-running initiative exemplifies how faculty leverage the arts to educate and inspire the community beyond the classroom.
Archiving a Pioneering Black Journalist
In a project blending media and cultural preservation, CAU is honoring the legacy of the late Maynard Eaton, Emmy-winning African-American journalist and former CAU professor, by archiving his papers and memorabilia. CAU’s archives (in partnership with the AUC Woodruff Library) are collecting Eaton’s extensive body of work, which spans decades of reporting on civil rights and urban politics.
Preserving these documents will provide students and historians access to firsthand accounts of Black civic life and media history. Eaton’s career as both a working journalist and an educator embodies CAU’s mission to merge scholarship with real-world impact. By saving his interviews, articles, and notes, the university ensures that future generations can learn from his experiences and the narratives he chronicled.
