Venturing from the East Coast to the Deep South, Richard Purcell serves as one of the newest additions to the University of Mississippi’s distinguished faculty as associate professor and Herbert H. McAlexander Chair of English.
After earning a Ph.D from the University of Pittsburgh and serving as an associate professor of English at Carnegie Mellon University, the Staten Island, N.Y., native, decided to plant new roots in Mississippi last spring.
“I went to state schools for my undergraduate and graduate degrees and believe in the mission of state universities,” Purcell said. “I love the size of the University of Mississippi, not too big but also not too small, as well as the student energy and diversity here on campus.”
In his English classes, Purcell aims to expose students to diverse perspectives, infusing his specialization in contemporary Black literature and media studies into the curriculum to help students better understand themselves and the world around them.
“Students come to college to expand their professional horizons and along the way encounter subjects and ideas that round them out as humans and citizens of this planet,” Purcell said. “Exposing students to novels, poems, films and music by Black artists is crucial to broadening their understanding of the human experience.”
Endowed by the Fant family’s $1.5 million dollar gift in honor of educator and writer Herbert H. McAlexander, the named professorship provides the university with the capacity to retain esteemed educators and scholars.
“In this case of the Herbert H. McAlexander Chair, it also means that the university and the College of Liberal Arts has a deep investment in the humanities, a collection of disciplines that provide the analytical, ethical and imaginative approach to our human and collective cultural experiences,” Purcell said.
Purcell is the second faculty member to hold this distinguished title, preceded by acclaimed Mississippi writer Kiese Laymon.
“Holding an endowed chair is an honor and something I do not take for granted,” Purcell said. “Endowed positions mean that a university has a strong commitment to faculty excellence and the student experience in the classroom.”
Within his current scholarly explorations, Purcell is working on multiple projects pertaining to his interests in contemporary Black literature and media studies.
“One is a book about the relationship between graffiti artists and experimental media-makers in New York City during the 1970s and early 1980s,” Purcell said “The other book, a kind of follow-up to the graffiti and media book, studies the effects of market liberalization on Black artists from the late twentieth into the twenty-first century.”
In celebration of 50 years since hip-hop was born in the Bronx, Purcell moderated a critical discussion surrounding the evolution of the genre across the country, featuring panelists Derrick Harriell, Tauheed Rahim II and Jason England, on Oct. 30.
“Given the high visibility of hip-hop culture and its full integration into American popular culture, I hope the community can see and continue to critically think about the process in which art and culture is made and changes over time,” Purcell said.
