Katrina Overby Honored with the 2025 Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Faculty Pluralism Award | May 2025
“Dr. Overby represents the best of the human spirit in how she unselfishly shares her time and talents for the bettering of our world.”
That is what one person wrote in describing Katrina Overby. She is this year’s recipient of the Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Faculty Pluralism Award.
The award is named in honor of RIT’s first chairperson of the Commission for Promoting Pluralism.
Overby came to RIT in 2018 after taking part in the Future Faculty Career Exploration Program. Dynamic. She was invited to join the School of Communication as a post-doctoral fellow in the College of Liberal Arts (COLA). She identifies as an “activist scholar who is interested broadly in media, race, sexuality and gender.”
She says, “My scholarship itself is deeply rooted in advancing conversations about race, gender, and digital space. My research on Black women's digital discourse, academic sisterhoods, and Black feminist communication pedagogy critically examines the ways Black women navigate digital spaces and create networks of support.”
Now an assistant professor, Overby teaches Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication and Communication Law and Ethics and her commitment to her students is strong.
“At RIT, my efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion have been deeply integrated into my teaching, mentorship, and programming. I have developed and delivered innovative curricula that encourage students to critically examine diversity through a Black feminist lens. My teaching methods foster dialogue concerning pluralism, as highlighted in my co-edited special issue in Feminist Pedagogy, which equips educators with tools and language to discuss racialized and gendered power dynamics in media and pop culture.”
She has this message for her students: “Diversity isn’t just about representation; it’s about the positive transformation, growth, and collective efforts of our communities. Be a part of championing and creating transformative spaces and networks—for yourself and for others."
In addition to her teaching and scholarly research, Overby is also a connector, a community builder and a peer mentor, providing support networks for Black faculty and scholars.
One person shared first-hand knowledge of the impact Overby is making. In a letter of recommendation, they stated, “Since her arrival, she has been the central node linking the Black faculty in COLA and in expanding my network to Black faculty in other Rochester higher education institutions. This position as the central node in a network of linked Black scholars was accomplished within a year of arriving in Rochester and I am truly appreciative of her efforts to build community among Black scholars at RIT, the Rochester region, and the professional academic organizations in her discipline. Prior to Katrina’s arrival at RIT, I was not part of a community of Black scholars. Katrina however, connected all the tenure track faculty in COLA via gatherings at coffee shops, her home, restaurants, and other places.”
Overby says, “One of my most impactful initiatives has been the Inaugural Sister Scholars Connect Faculty Writing Retreat, which I spearheaded to cultivate scholarly accountability and build lasting community among Black women faculty. Supported by the AdvanceRITat Connect Grant, this day long retreat brought together over 30 Black women faculty members in upstate New York, providing a space for collaboration, peer mentorship, and knowledge production. The need for such spaces is pressing, as Black women faculty continue to face systemic barriers in academia, and I am proud to have played a pivotal role in fostering greater community in this region.”
Overby supports many DEI efforts on campus, whether it is working with the Future Faculty Career Exploration Program, saying “yes” to serve as keynote speaker for Let Freedom Ring, or teaching Upward Bound students during the summer months. Another person who wrote a letter of recommendation recalled his impressions after stopping by one of those Upward Bound classes. Overby.
“I remember how she welcomed me to come in and share my college and professional journey. I was impressed with how Dr. Overby engaged students to strengthen their self-awareness and encourage them to express their thoughts and ideas. I found Dr. Overby to be dynamic, engaging and challenging. She has a way of connecting with every student and helping them feel seen and heard.”
Whether it is a high school student or a college faculty member, making those connections is central to what Overby does. It is part of who she is.
“Before, Katrina arrived, I would occasionally work with a few other faculty members that I had met in COLA, but she has become my ride or die. Since 2019, Katrina and I have spent numerous days and nights at area coffee shops and libraries writing and generally doing the work of a professor. At first, she connected me to writing sessions via Zoom with Black scholars from across the country with whom she had developed working relationships but as the pandemic waned, much of our work is conducted in-person. I earned tenure in 2023, and without a trace of hyperbole, I credit the time Katrina and I spent working together as crucial to my accomplishment.”
Overby says, “My dedication to peer mentorship, institutional transformation, and public advocacy aligns with the mission of the Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Faculty Pluralism Award. I am honored to receive this recognition and will continue my work to ensure that RIT remains a place where diversity is not just valued but actively cultivated and sustained.”