Spotlights
Gabriella Davis and Dr. Regis Fox
Gabriella Davis is currently a McNair scholar pursuing a double major in English and Spanish, as well as a minor in history. As a McNair Scholar, Gabriella conducted her first independent research project under the mentorship of Dr. Regis Fox, an Assistant Professor of English at GVSU. Dr. Fox, whose research interests include nineteenth-century American literature, African-American literary and cultural studies, and feminist theory, earned her Ph.D. from UC Riverside.
With her research, Gabriella was able to combine her interest in the literary, cultural and historical through her analysis of how Afro-Ecuadorian literature allows Black Ecuadorians to reclaim their sexuality and resist Ecuadorian anti-blackness. By understanding the complex historical and social narratives in Drums Under My Skin by Afro-Ecuadorian writer Luz Argentina Chiriboga, Gabriella was able to frame Blackness in Ecuador in a way which brought Black perspectives to the forefront.
Gabriella’s additional scholarly interests include neo-slave narratives, African American spirituality, Black sexuality, configurations of race in Latin America through the use of language, and Black communities in Latin America.
Gabriella’s work with the McNair Scholar’s Program was selected for an oral presentation in the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship’s annual Summer Scholar Showcase, earning her recognition within and beyond the GVSU campus community.
GVSU McNair Scholars participate in a 15-month program which includes academic and career counseling, a paid summer research experience, faculty mentoring, and graduate school application preparation.
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