Title:Soyica Colbert comes full circle as the College’s interim dean

Nearly 20 years ago, Soyica Colbert (C’01) was wrapping up her senior year as an English major. Nowadays, she’s carrying those undergraduate experiences into her role as the newly appointed interim dean of Georgetown College.

Despite a busier schedule, she continues to teach courses, and amid the pandemic, she says it’s not lost on her how trying it is for students and faculty.

“My life experience tells me that when you’re in a moment of crisis, your adrenaline is flowing and you’re trying to triage,” Colbert shares. “Once the crisis is over, that’s when I anticipate that there will still be a lot of community care work to attend to.”

Colbert adds that she realizes more than ever how precious class time is and places high value on time spent with students. One course she teaches focuses squarely on addressing and combating anti-Black racism, a topic that has intersected with recent national events.

“Having that larger conversation, not just about the class subject matter, but how we go about searching for truth; I think students need to understand how the university and the work we do is different from the national discourse we’ve witnessed over the last four years.”

Beyond her academic roles, Colbert is the author of several works, including her new book, Radical Vision: A Biography of Lorraine Hansberry, which explores the life and works of the esteemed playwright, writer, and activist. She is also collaborating on a radio play alongside an up-and-coming playwright in New York.

Even as she takes on new responsibilities and projects, Colbert says that having a daily dose of laughter, quality interactions with her husband and family, and engagement with art keep her fueled and inspired to handle what’s next.