Daphene R. McFerren
Director

Daphene R. McFerren is the Director of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis. McFerren is a 1984 graduate of Yale College and a 1989 graduate of Harvard Law School.  Prior to joining the Hooks Institute, McFerren practiced law in the Washington, DC area and was an attorney for the United States Department of Justice and counsel to former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno from December 1999 to January 2001.

In 1995, McFerren was awarded a summer stipend grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The NEH summer grant funded, in part, McFerren’s efforts to collect primary source materials on the Fayette County, TN, civil rights movement.  She is the daughter of John and Viola McFerren, two leaders of that movement.  The collected materials were donated to the University of Memphis Libraries, Special Collections, where they are now available to the public.

From June 2006 to May 2007, McFerren was a Visiting Scholar at the Hooks Institute and was responsible for creating the symposium “The Fayette County, Tennessee, Civil Rights Movement: How African-Americans Changed Themselves, Their Community, and Their Nation by Demanding the Right to Vote." In addition, McFerren worked with a team that included Robert Hamburger, Producer, New Jersey City University faculty and students, and the University of Memphis, among others, to produce the documentary titled Freedom’s Front Line:  Fayette County, Tennessee.  This documentary recounts how, beginning in 1959, African Americans struggled to gain the right to vote in Fayette County and how their efforts evolved into a sustained civil rights movement.

Assistant Director position opening, for more information Click Here

Esra Ozdenerol, Ph.D.
Associate Director

Esra Ozdenerol is the Associate Director of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis. She also serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences and Director of the Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the University of Memphis in addition to her position as Adjunct Professor of Preventive Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN. Ozdenerol holds a degree in Geography from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA, and has been with the University of Memphis since 2003, where she teaches GIS and its applications to health disparities.

Ardella M. Jeffries
Administrative Associate

Ardella Jeffries is the Administrative Associate of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change. Jeffries received a Bachelor of Professional Studies Degree with a concentration in Health Services Administration from the University of Memphis in 2007. She also received an Associate of Applied Science Degree from Northwest Mississippi Community College. Ardella was formerly an Administrative Assistant in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Memphis in Memphis, TN.

Felecia Malone                                                                 Graduate Assistant Felecia Malone began working as a Graduate Assistant with the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change in August 2012. She will be a candidate for a Master of Public Health Degree with a concentration in Epidemiology from the University of Memphis in 2014. She also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biological Sciences from Clark Atlanta University.

		Jennifer Amido                                                                 Graduate Assistant Jennifer began working as a Graduate Assistant with the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute in August 2012. Jennifer is currently pursing her Master's Degree in Public Administration. Jennifer is an MPA candidate of May 2013. Jennifer received a Bachelors degree in International Studies as well as in Spanish from the University of Memphis.
		Eugene Tee Graduate Assistant Eugene Tee is a Graduate Assistant with the School of Accountancy. He is assisting the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute with accounting and financial statements for 10 hours a week starting February 2013. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Accounting and CPA certification. Eugene is a MSc candidate in 2014. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Biology from Campbell University.