Clarissa Peterson is professor of politics and African and African American studies and special advisor to the vice provost for diversity, equity, and inclusion for faculty affairs at Sewanee, where she teaches American politics and African and African American studies. She earned a Ph.D. from Emory University and joined the University in 2023, where she is the first, and only, Black woman to serve with the title of professor. Prior to coming to Sewanee, Peterson served in various roles at DePauw University, leading the department and university to become more inclusive through her courses, expertise, and facilitation of training and programs on diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is an award-winning teacher who has been recognized for her service, mentorship, and dedication to teaching. Additionally, she has served as an endowed professor of political science, chair of the DePauw University Personnel, Policy and Review Committee, and as director of the Africana Studies Program. Within the discipline of political science, she has served as a member and chair of the American Political Science Association Committee on the Status of Blacks in the Profession and program chair for the National Conference of Black Political Scientists.
Her research focuses on the role that race plays in American political behavior. More specifically, her work looks at the intersection between racial attitudes and the political behavior of people in the United States. Peterson has presented research at several national and international conferences. Her research has been published in journals including The National Review of Black Politics, The Journal of Black Studies, and the Journal of Race and Policy, and several book chapters. Her book, Race and Policy, co-authored with Emmitt Y. Riley III, Racial Attitudes Today: One Nation Still Divided, focuses on the relationship between racial resentment and American Politics. Peterson has also authored several grants including a GLCA Global Connections Grant to investigate racial attitudes in Australia. She taught international courses in South Africa, Ghana, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic. In 2016, she was named the Anna Julia Cooper Teacher of the Year by the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. Peterson has served as both the Frank L. Hall Endowed Professor of Political Science and the Lenard B. and Mary E. Howell Endowed Professor of Political Science, at DePauw University and held the Schaenen Faculty Fellowship.
