MAKING A CONNECTION ADOLPHUS BELK JR. OFFERS STUDENTS GUIDANC

The young Adolphus Belk Jr. envisioned he would become a lawyer, possibly working in the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

What changed that dream was a conversation with a professor during his undergraduate days at Syracuse University on how he could earn a Ph.D. without any out-of-pocket costs. “I loved school, and I loved learning,” Belk said, but he had not entertained the idea of teaching because of the negative image of low-paid professionals who withstood a lot of criticism.

Belk changed his mind once he earned a scholarship that rewarded his interest in the humanities and African-American studies.

He earned a master’s and Ph.D., at the University of Maryland, before joining the Winthrop faculty in 2003. He quickly emerged as a passionate political science professor who connected with students.

Belk directed the African American studies program until this fall. Recognized as the 2009 Outstanding Junior Professor, he was selected in 2015 for the James Pinckney Kinard and Lee Wicker Kinard Award for Excellence in Teaching.

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