The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change
Hooks Institute Leadership Team
Daphene R. McFerren, JD
Executive Director
Contact: drmcfrrn@memphis.edu
As executive director of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the
University of Memphis, Daphene R, McFerren is responsible for strategic initiatives,
program development and implementation, staff management and financial oversight of
Hooks Institute operations. Before joining the Hooks Institute, McFerren was in private
practice in Washington, DC; was senior counsel in the Office of General Counsel at
the United States Securities and Exchange Commission; was counsel to the late Attorney
General Janet Reno; and was later Assistant United States Attorney for the District
of Maryland prosecuting, among other cases, forced labor and involuntary servitude
cases involving foreign victims.
Daniel Kiel, JD
Associate Director
Contact: dkiel@memphis.edu
Daniel Kiel is the Fed Ex professor of law at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, where he joined the faculty in 2008. Kiel teaches constitutional law, education & civil rights, and property law. In addition to his record of publications focusing on disparities in education, Professor Kiel is the director of The Memphis 13 (2011), a documentary sharing the stories of the first graders who desegregated Memphis City Schools in 1961. The film has been screened at universities, film festivals, museums, and schools across the country and was made possible in part by a research grant from the Hooks Institute in 2010.
The university recognized Professor Kiel on campus with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Award (2013), the Alumni Association's Distinguished Teaching Award (2017), and various honors within the law school. He has served on the Hooks Institute's National Book Award committee since 2012 and contributed a paper to the Institute's 2018 Policy Papers series. Professor Kiel is a native Memphian and a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and Harvard Law School.
Amy Ruggaber, MPA
Assistant Director, Research Coordinator
Contact: amy.ruggaber@memphis.edu
Amy Ruggaber is an expert in public policy within the arts and culture sector and has worked as a performing artist, educator, arts administrator, and advocate for 20+ years. She has worked with the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change in various contractor roles since 2018 and developed and designed two exhibits for the Hooks Institute at the University of Memphis: “Uplift the Vote” and “The Fayette County Civil Rights Movement and the Photos of Art Shay,” which is currently on display at the Memphis International Airport. Most recently, she served as the Arts and Culture Social Policy Consultant for the "More for Memphis" project, working with cross-sector leaders and community members to analyze inequities in current policy systems and develop recommendations for legislation and interventions that would improve economic mobility for Memphis-based artists and culture-bearers. Previously, she was the manager of the award-winning Fellows Program for ArtsMemphis and has worked locally with Tennesseans for the Arts, Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Company, Hattiloo Theatre, and more.
Deeply committed to shining a light on the vital role of the arts in communities, she is an experienced arts advocate and has led advocacy efforts and training across the state of Tennessee and nationwide. An Arts Integration and Community Engagement Specialist, Amy has written and directed over 60 devised theatre pieces with children and differently-abled individuals. She has a Master of Public Administration degree with a concentration in Public Policy and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Memphis, as well as a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Cole Scroggins
Executive Assistant | Community Engagement Specialist
Contact: tnscrggn@memphis.edu
Cole Scroggins (they/them) serves as the Executive Assistant and Community Engagement Specialist at the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis. In this role, they provide executive support to the Institute’s leadership and coordinate initiatives that promote civil rights, social justice, and community empowerment. Their work bridges administrative coordination with public engagement, ensuring that the Institute’s mission is effectively carried out across programs and outreach efforts. Cole also helps manage the Hooks Institute’s HAAMI (Hooks Academic and Mentoring Initiative) and ASATT (A Seat at the Table) programs, contributing to student success and community development through targeted outreach and engagement.
A Memphis native, Cole earned their undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Central Arkansas, afterwards working for two years as a neuroscience research assistant. During this time, they gained grant writing experience, presented their research at the International Society for Neuroscience Conference, and supervised lab volunteer staff, demonstrating early leadership and collaboration skills within an academic environment.
Cole continued their career in healthcare, working in Healthcare IT, home healthcare case management, and rapid response programs across the country during the Covid19 pandemic. They later served as the founding Executive Director of Project Access West Tennessee, a healthcare nonprofit that connects uninsured and vulnerable populations to vital specialty care. This work deepened their commitment to advancing equity in health and human services.
Passionate about equity, justice, cultural history, and creative advocacy, Cole brings both organizational expertise and a deep commitment to social change to their role at the Hooks Institute.
Paola Cavallari
Graduate Assistant, Editor of "Uplift Memphis, Uplift the Nation" Blog Forum
Contact: pcvllari@memphis.edu
Paola Cavallari is the Hooks Institute Graduate Assistant for the 2025-2026 academic year. She is a history PhD candidate at the University of Memphis, and a cat mom to Muffin and Mouse. Her research focuses on the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality in the fields of social and racial justice. Born in Italy, she has a varied educational background, which includes a master’s in Public Service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and a master’s in Public History from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Among her major accomplishments, Paola has translated two books from Italian to English, and she has presented her work at several academic conferences.
M. Elena Delavega, PhD
Programs Research Advisor
Contact: mdlavega@memphis.edu
Elena Delavega, Ph.D., MSW, is an associate professor at the Department of Social Work at the University of Memphis (UofM), where she teaches social welfare policy, advanced community practice, and poverty. Her research is complex and multifaceted and consists of three broad areas: understanding poverty, social and economic exclusion, and promoting social and economic development. Delavega evaluates the research component of the Hooks Academic Achievement & Mentoring Initiative and plays an integral role in the writing and publication of the Hooks Institute's Policy Papers.
Daven Baptiste
Media Content Manager
Contact: dbptiste@memphis.edu
Daven Baptiste is a distinguished Memphis-based filmmaker and accomplished director, specializing in commercials, film, and television. His impressive portfolio includes over 100 commercials, two independent films, and an array of viral videos. He started his career in Los Angeles as a Vice President, Creative, at the prestigious boutique advertising agency, Relevant Content + Media. There, DBaptiste oversaw campaigns for Nike, Coca Cola and 20th Century Fox, while meticulously cultivating his talents as an eminent photographer and masterful short-form storyteller. Presently, DBaptiste is in pre-production for "Interrupting Love," an inaugural installment of a profound cinematic trilogy meticulously set in the enigmatic landscape of Memphis.
Cecelia Johnson-Powell
Strategic Initiatives Advisor
Cecelia Johnson-Powell is the Strategic Initiatives Advisor for the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis. A native of Indianapolis, Indiana, Cecelia relocated to Memphis in 2011 from Indianapolis with her husband. Cecelia holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Management from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Indianapolis, has completed post-graduate coursework from Indiana University, Harvard University. Cecelia has served in the social good sector in the areas of nonprofit, government, charitable, and foundation program support for over 25 years for organizations such as the United Way of the Mid-South, United Way of Central Indiana, Indiana state government, and MIFA.
She is a long-time member of First Congregational Church and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated and volunteers with Baptist Desoto Hospital. Cecelia has two grown children, and lives with her husband and two pets in Desoto County.