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Angel Adams Parham

Associate Director
Associate Professor of Sociology

Angel Parham is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Senior Fellow at the Institute for
Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia. Additionally, she serves as the
Associate Director of the Program of Political and Social Thought. She holds a B.A. in Sociology
from Yale University, and she pursued both an M.S. and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University
of Wisconsin-Madison. Her academic journey has also seen her as a member of the School of
Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, as a recipient of a Fulbright
grant, and a Professor of Sociology for 18 years at Loyola University.

Professor Parham's academic focus lies in historical sociology, delving into the past to illuminate
present-day living and future envisioning. She also actively engages in public-facing teaching
and scholarship, dedicating herself to equipping K-12 educators with resources and training to
seamlessly integrate Black writers and history into their curriculum. She is an accomplished
author of the book, American Routes: Racial Palimpsests and the Transformation of Race.
Professor Parham’s commitment to public engagement led her to co-found and serve as the
executive director of Nyansa Classical Community, offering curricula and programming tailored
to diverse student populations, encouraging engagement in the Great Conversation while
nurturing the moral imagination and pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty.

Department Profile