Project Team

About the Rosenwald Team

The Forging Future Pathways: Building a Portal to Rosenwald Collections project provides meaningful professional development opportunities for Fisk undergraduate and graduate students. Working closely with the project manager and library staff, students gain hands-on experience with the kinds of digital initiatives shaping academic libraries and archives nationwide. They learn core archival functions and standards while developing a deeper appreciation for the unique archival holdings at Fisk University.

Fisk Digitization Center

As the library's first large-scale digital initiative, the Forging Future Pathways: Building a Portal to Rosenwald Collections project set the precedent for future digital work at Fisk. Its success catalyzed a broader institutional commitment to expanding digital access and directly led to the creation of the dedicated Digitization Center within the John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library.

Meet the Rosenwald Team

DeLisa Minor Harris

DeLisa Minor Harris
Project Director

DeLisa Minor Harris is the Director of Library Services at Fisk University, where she leads efforts to enhance both archival access and current information resources for the university community at the John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library. In her role, she ensures that the library operates to support student, faculty, and staff scholarship and research by providing access to today’s information tools

LaTaevia Berry

LaTaevia Berry
Senior Software Engineer

LaTaevia Berry is a visionary software engineer with over 14 years of experience transforming ideas into impactful solutions. She is dedicated to using technology to empower the African American community. Her career spans work with Fortune 500 companies, global consulting firms, and the music industry. As Senior Software Engineer for Fisk University’s digital collection project, LaTaevia leads efforts to highlight Julius Rosenwald’s contributions to African Americans. The project establishes a replicable

Joanna Hilda Soderberg

Joanna Hilda Soderberg
Digital Library Projects Coordinator

Joanna Soderberg is a Swedish-born social justice advocate, digital humanities professional, and former educator. Her passion for human rights and the Civil Rights Movement led her to pursue a master’s in social justice at Fisk University, where she developed a deep interest in digital preservation. Currently, she serves as Digital Library Projects Coordinator at the John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library. As an HBCU-NMAAHC Scholar, she is advancing her expertise in digital public humanities through the Smithsonian-Mason Graduate Certificate Program at George Mason University.

Mouminatou Thiaw

Mouminatou Thiaw
Branding and Marketing Consultant

Mouminatou Thiaw is the Branding and Marketing Consultant for the Julius Rosenwald Portal. She graduated with her BA in Africana and Media Studies at Scripps College, and received the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, a twelve-month post-graduate research grant where she conducted curatorial and historical research of contemporary African arts across seven countries. She is a Senegalese-American artist, budding curator, media specialist and is deeply motivated by justice, collective learning and love.

Becky Xin

Becky Xin
UI/UX Designer

Becky Xin is a UI/UX Designer seeking to design an accessible, immersive, and respectful experience for the Julius Rosenwald Fund website. Previously, she interned as a UX designer for international nonprofits, created news websites for her university, and designed for medical technology startups. Becky is excited to be part of an important legacy of racial equality and is ready to create the clearest, most accessible, experience for visitors.

Oreoluwa “Ore” Owoseeni

Oreoluwa “Ore” Owoseeni
Student Coordinator and Undergraduate Digitization Assistant

Ore serves as one of the digitization student workers and the student coordinator on the Rosenwald digitization project, where he works with the project coordinators and student workers on digital archiving. He is a biochemistry and data science major at Fisk University and is interested in advocacy and public health. He is eager and passionate about a project that prioritizes accessibility and holds a lasting impact.

Rosenwald Team Gallery

Team meeting in conference room Team members at presentation Rosenwald team members group photo Team member at digitization workstation Rosenwald team members group photo outdoors Rosenwald team formal group photo

Project Participants

  • Oluwadara “Dara” Oyedun, Undergraduate Junior Developer
  • Manoj Gurung, Undergraduate Junior Developer
  • Oghenevwegba “Joseph” Ikuru, Undergraduate Digitization Assistant
  • Princess Nwanekwu, Undergraduate Digitization Assistant
  • Adetoro “Toro” Akinola, Undergraduate Digitization Assistant
  • Frank Inyiama, Undergraduate Digitization Assistant
  • Kosisochukwu Aniekwe, Undergraduate Digitization Assistant
  • Maureen Nwsu, Undergraduate Summer Intern
  • Aadesh Dhodari, Undergraduate Summer Intern
  • Daniel Chuckwudera, Undergraduate Summer Intern
  • Ogechi Uche, Undergraduate Summer Intern
  • Lucky Abolorunke, Undergraduate Junior Developer
  • Aayush Bhatta, Undergraduate Junior Developer
  • Michael “Mike” Ewing, Digital Projects Assistant
  • Amber Glenn, Digital Projects Assistant
  • Collins Ikepyi, Undergraduate Digitization Assistant
  • Prosper Nwanekwu, Undergraduate Digitization Assistant
  • Olakitan “Kitan” Oguntuase, Undergraduate Digitization Assistant
  • Philip Olapade, Undergraduate Summer Intern
  • Scentery Hafford-Thomas, Undergraduate Summer Intern
  • Ikeoluwa Albert, Undergraduate Digitization Assistant
  • Adetunji Akinola, Undergraduate Digitization Assistant
  • Joshua Amosu, Undergraduate Digitization Assistant
  • Chukwuanugo “Chuks” Obiaga, Undergraduate Digitization Assistant
  • Loveli Fowlkes, Undergraduate Digitization Assistant
  • Morgan Allen, Graduate Student Assistant
  • Anys R Dawson, Graduate Student Assistant
  • Assatu Wisseh, Project Manager
  • Dannie Wynans, Project Manager
  • Samantha Gilmore, Project Manager

Student Volunteers

  • Juliet Alozie
  • Oluwatosin Ategbole
  • Olufiyin Ben-Stowe
  • Torrah Crawley
  • Kelise Hampton
  • Oghenevwegba Ikuru
  • Ifeatu Nwanekwu
  • Chidebum Uba
  • Ogochukwu Uba
  • Ogechi Uche
  • David Faleye

Editorial Board

  • Aisha M. Johnson, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Academic Affairs & Outreach, Georgia Tech University
  • Crystal deGregory, Ph.D., Historian, Storyteller, and Fisk University Alumna 2003
  • Dana Chandler, MLIS, University Archivist, Tuskegee University
  • Jessie Carney Smith, Ph.D., Librarian Emerita, Fisk University
  • Kenvi Phillips, Ph.D., Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion for University Libraries, Brown University
  • Lopez Matthews, Ph.D., State Archivist, and Public Records Administrator, Government of the District of Columbia
  • Mary Hoffschwelle, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Strategic Planning and Partnerships and SACSCOC Liaison, Middle Tennessee State University
  • Stephanie Deutsch, Writer, Author, and Rosenwald Park Campaign advocate
  • Brandon A. Owens, Sr., Ph.D., President and CEO, African American Historical Research and Consulting (AAHRC)