Kalenda Eaton, professor of African and African American studies at the University of Oklahoma, has been named the first African American president of the Western Literature Association. Founded in 1965, the association is a nonprofit, scholarly organization that promotes the study of the diverse literatures, histories, and cultures of the North American West.
A Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Eaton studies African American literary and cultural history in the American West, women’s narratives, and Africana studies. Her background includes over two decades of experience in academic program management, graduate and undergraduate studies, education abroad, and digital humanities scholarship. She previously served as interim chair of the women’s and gender studies program at the University of Oklahoma. Earlier in her career, she was director of global learning at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania.
An HBCU graduate, Dr. Eaton received bachelor’s degrees in English and Spanish from Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University.
