Archival work at UVA spurred Cook to continue doctoral research on policing, crime
As a first-year Echols Scholar working in the Harrison Institute and Special Collections Library, DeAnza Cook (History, 2017) prepared hundreds of issues of The Black Panther and other Black Panther Party materials for digital publishing onto the University of Virginia’s online repository.
This archival work sparked an interest in historical research on race and policing, and Cook went on to found and launch the Black Student Research Network. The BSRN grew to more than 300 members and led to the sponsorship of UVA’s first Black Research Forum for minority students to showcase their work. During her undergraduate career in the Corcoran Department of History’s Distinguished Majors program, Cook participated in a variety of historical research projects at the UVA School of Law Special Collections Library and the Miller Center of Public Affairs.
The recipient of the 2017 Sheri Gayle Richman Memorial Scholarship, awarded to a fourth-year Echols Scholar in the humanities or social sciences who intends to enter a program of graduate or professional study the semester after graduation, Cook was accepted last year in Harvard University’s doctoral program in U.S. History as a Presidential Scholar. As she continues her doctoral studies, Cook says she hopes to produce historical research on policing and crime that is accessible to both scholarly and general audiences.
“The Echols Scholars program served as a vital support system for me as an undergraduate at UVA,” says Cook, who also served as Head Resident of the Lawn her fourth year. “As an Echols Scholar, I had the freedom to craft my own intellectual trajectory and cultivate a well-rounded and enriching college experience. With the support of program faculty, I learned how to navigate the University’s expansive academic and extracurricular landscape and take full advantage of a variety of resources that UVA’s institutions had to offer. From priority course registration to access to research grants, being an Echols Scholar ultimately spearheaded and sustained my success at UVA and beyond.”