At Cognella, we’re proud to partner with authors and professionals across the disciplines who are often underrepresented in the academic publishing industry. We are committed to elevating diverse voices, distinct perspectives, and innovative approaches.

The Cognella Author Spotlight Series was created to highlight our incredible authors, provide them with a platform to speak about their unique experiences within academia, and showcase their textbooks with Cognella.

In light of current events and the vital conversations being had regarding racism, police brutality, and inequity in the United States, we are proud to use this program to celebrate our Black authors.

Professor, West Chester University Graduate Department of Social Work

Anthony James, Jr. 

Associate Professor of Family Science and Social Work, Director of the Family Science Program, Interim Vice President of Institutional Diversity, Miami University

Editor of Black Families: A Systems Approach

Kimberly Finney and Terence Fitzgerald

Clinical Associate Professors of Social Work, Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California

Authors of The Reality of Diversity, Gender, and Skin Color: From Living Room to Classroom

Professor of History, Director of the Black Studies Program, Northern Kentucky University

Fay Z. Belgrave, Ph.D., Interim Associate Dean for Equity and Community Partnerships, College of Humanities, Virginia Commonwealth; Professor of Psychology and Founding Director of the Center for Cultural Experiences in Prevention

Trenette Clark Goings, Ph.D., Sandra Reeves Spears and John B. Turner Distinguished Professor, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Heather A. Jones, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University

Authors of African American Families: Research, Theory, and Practice

Trauma Psychologist, Chair of the Clinical Psychology PsyD Program – Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Adjunct Faculty – Georgetown University School of Medicine

Mike Alleyne

Professor, Department of Recording Industry, Middle Tennessee State University

Author of The Essential Hendrix: An A-Z Compendium

Stephanie Hicks

Lecturer in the Program on Intergroup Relations, Faculty Affiliate of the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Michigan

Author of Introduction to Intergroup Dialogues

Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation

Dr. Kimmery Newsom, Ph.D., LMFT, CFLE, Tenured Senior Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at Nystrom and Associates, Ltd.

Dr. Lover Chancler, Associate Professor of Child and Family Development at the University of Central Missouri, Director of the Center for Multiculturalism and Inclusivity

Dr. Keondria McClish-Boyd, Adjunct Instructor of Human Relations at the University of Oklahoma

Editors of Cultural Diversity in Family Life Education

Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Justice, California University of Pennsylvania