Dr. Clarissa West-White is the University Archivist, Assistant Professor at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. A native of Quincy, Florida, she has degrees in Creative Writing, Curriculum & Instruction English Education and Information from Florida State University. She wrote and successfully defended her unpublished dissertation, “”The Writing Assignment: The Impact Teachers’ Assignments and Instruction Have on Students’ Preferences, Perceptions and Class Procedures. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida” in 2001. Dr. West-White has experience as a middle and high school English teacher, program coordinator, adult literacy director, university English department chair, and assistant professor and adjunct at a number of public and private universities in the state of Florida and online. She has completed archival projects and served as an education consultant with the U.S. and Florida Department of Education. She has received fellowships and scholarships, including: Robert Frederick Smith Internship, National Museum of African American History & Culture, Smithsonian Institute; Teacher and Librarian Scholarship Recipient, Key West Literary Seminar; National Information Standard Organization (NISO) Plus Scholarship Recipient; Preserving Digital Objects With Restricted Resources Institute Recipient; Fulbright-Hays, Turkey. She enjoys marrying community activism with literature, art and education. She has presented to local, state and national audiences about English instruction, teacher training, teaching pedagogy and methodology, issues concerning African American women, and most recently, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. Since transitioning to the library, she has become more involved in grant writing and able to secure and serve as Principal Investigator on several grants. She currently serves as Past President of the Florida Association of College & Research Libraries and Faculty Athletic Representative. Her hobbies include traveling, road trips, and photography. She is married with two sons.
