Biography
Burnis R. Morris, Carter G. Woodson Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications, directs the high school workshop. Professor Morris is engaged in research about Woodson, “the Father of African-American history,” and his use of the press to promote black history. In recognition of his research, Professor Morris has received several honors, including being named Marshall University’s 2011-2012 Distinguished John Deaver Drinko Academy Fellow, Emory University’s Carter G. Woodson Fellow (summer 2012) and 2011-2012 West Virginia Humanities Council Fellow. He has presented papers on Woodson at meetings of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, an organization founded by Woodson in 1915. Professor Morris is known nationally for his work to improve news coverage of tax-exempt organizations, and he has received more than $1 million in grants supporting that work and other programs he created at Marshall University and the University of Mississippi to attract the best and brightest students to careers in journalism.