Neal Lester

About Me

Neal A. Lester, PhD earned a M.A. and Ph.D. in English at Vanderbilt University. Since 1997, he has served as the Foundation Professor of English at Arizona State University. His areas of specialization are African American literature and cultural studies. He is the Founding Director of Project Humanities, the award-winning Arizona State University initiative. Project Humanities strives to be a leader in local, national, international conversations about the breadth, depth, and value of humanities study and humanist practice and understanding across disciplines and communities. The Project Humanities initiative brings scholars and communities together to “talk, listen and connect.” Dr. Lester created “Hacks4Humanity,” the first hackathon for social good at Arizona State University.