PhD Candidate Deonté Hughes Awarded ASA Minority Fellowship

The University of Maryland Department of Sociology is pround to announce that PhD candidate Deonté Hughes has been selected as a fellow in the American Sociological Association (ASA) Minority Fellowship Program (MFP).

Established in 1974, the MFP has supported the training of sociologists of color for over 50 years. The program selects doctoral students to prepare them to assume leadership roles in research addressing contemporary societal issues. As an MFP Fellow, Hughes will receive financial support, professional development, and access to a national network of sociological mentors and peers.

Research Focus: A Strengths-Based Approach

Hughes’ research sits at the intersection of family sociology, race, and inequality. His work applies a critical perspective to the experiences of Black families, focusing not just on how structural racism affects them, but also investigating the specific adaptive strategies these families use to bolster their health and well-being.

By applying this strengths-based perspective, Hughes aims to understand not only how structural racism impacts families, but also how they navigate these challenges. As an MFP Fellow, he notes that the program will "expand the reach of my research" and "provide opportunities for me to collaborate with distinguished scholars." He hopes this platform will encourage the discipline to investigate the specific adaptive strategies families use to protect their well-being under structural adversity.

Through his dissertation, Hughes aims to expand how the discipline analyzes family dynamics under structural adversity:

One of the primary reasons I decided to research the strengths of Black families within the context of structural racism is to challenge sociologists interested in Black families to not just acknowledge the ways in which structural racism affects Black families but also highlight the adaptive strategies those families use to ensure better well-being and health... In doing so, I hope to demonstrate how taking a strengths-based approach to studying the relationship between family processes and racism can provide new theoretically rich, nuanced, and holistic understandings of Black families.

Ultimately, Hughes hopes his findings will provide a broader framework for studying inequality that reaches well beyond his own project. He intends for his research to encourage other scholars studying family and inequality to explore how different cultures utilize unique internal strengths to maintain their health and well-being while navigating adversity.

Connecting with the MFP Cohort

The ASA MFP alumni network includes numerous institutional leaders, authors, and public sociologists (a list of fellows can be found here). As ASA notes, the program’s legacy is evident in the many accomplishments of its fellows: “They have served as teachers and mentors both inside and outside of the classroom. They have moved lines of scholarship forward in meaningful ways and used their research to inform and shape public policy. [And] they have held leadership roles across many institutions and organizations, and in the public and private sectors.”

He notes that being included among such exceptionally talented scholars "reaffirms that my research is not only important to the broader sociological community, but that I also possess the qualities of a promising scholar." Looking toward the future, Hughes plans to leverage this network to explore opportunities both within and beyond the academy:

I look forward to joining the ranks of distinguished MFP alumni whose research advances the field of sociology, informs policy, and builds programs in collaboration with non-academic partners for the betterment of society and communities of interest. I aim to be able to do the same through collaboration with MFP alumni and partnership with community partners in the future.

Mentorship and Community at UMD

Hughes attributes much of his academic development to the collaborative environment within the UMD Sociology Department. He highlights the guidance of his advisor, Dr. Rashawn Ray, who has been encouraging throughout his doctoral journey and has shared key opportunities for academic and professional growth. He also credits the broader faculty for providing essential feedback and discussing career paths in academia.

In addition to faculty mentorship, Hughes points to the department's peer networks and workshops—such as the Rough-to-Ready Workshop—as critical spaces for refining his ideas:

My peers have helped shape who I am as a scholar through providing valuable feedback on projects, working together in writing groups, and brainstorming new ideas... I am truly grateful that the sociology department has an enriching scholarly community that includes faculty and peers who have helped develop the scholar that I am today.

Next Steps

During his fellowship year, Hughes will participate in professional development workshops, collaborate with colleagues across the discipline, and present his dissertation findings at upcoming ASA Annual Meetings.

The UMD Department of Sociology congratulates Deonté Hughes on this selection and looks forward to his ongoing contributions to the field of family sociology!

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