Qiana Cutts Givens, associate professor of educational foundations at Mississippi State University, has received the 2024 Lillian E. Smith Writer-In-Service-Award from the Lillian E. Smith Center at Piedmont University in Georgia.
The annual prize is awarded to scholars who are advancing writing through volunteering or public service, and provides them with a two-week residency program at Piedmont University. During her residency, Dr. Cutts Givens will work on her manuscript focused on rural Black girls and their creative artistry.
Throughout her career, Dr. Cutts Givens has received numerous grants in support of her research. Her interdisciplinary academic endeavors have focused on Black and hip-hop feminism, Black women and girls, and critical media literacy.
Dr. Cutts Givens is a graduate of the University of West Alabama, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in teaching. She holds a second master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Argosy University in California and a doctorate in educational policy studies from Georgia State University.
