Graduate Spotlight: Dr. Sha’Mira Covington named Assistant Professor in Fashion

Gathered by: Chera Jo Watts

The IAAS would like to congratulate Dr. Sha’Mira Covington on joining the Faculty of The University of Georgia as an Assistant Professor of Fashion in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. In Spring 2023, she graduated from The University of Georgia with her PhD in Polymer, Fiber, and Textile Science with an emphasis in International Merchandising under the direction of Dr. Katalin Medvedev. Also, Dr. Covington earned graduate certificates in African American Studies and Interdisciplinary Teaching. As a scholar-artist with interests in Africana studies within the fashion-industrial complex, she often supported the life and work of the Institute and our students through a variety of talks, programs, and several book clubs. Further, her research agenda makes the case for increased dialogue between the visual, sensory, and material-based methods of Black liberation. When asked to describe her research interests, Dr. Covington said, “I look to fashion and dress, the body really, as a process of decolonization for Black folks despite it being tied in narratives of colonization.” We in IAAS are so proud to call her alumni! Keep reading to learn more about Dr. Covington’s work, involvement with the Institute, and more. 

During her doctoral studies, Dr. Covington contributed to scholarship and programs which enhanced the life and work of African American Studies at UGA, and she was acknowledged as a recipient of the 2021 Giles Award. For example, she co-facilitated five book clubs for a variety of university and community members. The four-meeting structure of these book clubs allowed anywhere from 20-30 participants to build community among one another as they engaged with content and with the co-facilitators of the group. Further, these book clubs were supported by the Institute along with other grants at UGA, such as through the Office of Sustainability, Franklin Residential College, and the Institute for Women’s Studies. Recently, she also curated an exhibit as part of “Knowing Cotton Otherwise” at the Fashion for Good Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, marking her turn to international collaboration and scholarship. We included several photos from the exhibit with this article, and some of the items were borrowed from UGA’s Historic Clothing and Textile Collection housed in the Special Collections Library. 

Finally, we want to share a couple of reflections from Dr. Covington as she thinks about her time studying at UGA and also looks toward her new position as Assistant Professor. 

What was your favorite AFAM course and why? My favorite AFAM course was AFAM 4860 Afro-Latinx Identity. I loved looking at the African diaspora through a transnational lens and exploring themes of global Blackness in the course. As Black woman who grew up between New Jersey and New York, in community with Afro-Latinx folks, I felt connected to the material and learned much about the connections between Blackness and Brownness. I highly recommend the class!

What are you excited about in your new position at UGA? I'm most excited to be in the classroom with students and introducing new materials into the courses that I teach! I'm also creating new courses within my department that will supplement the current curriculum and give students a Black perspective of our discipline, which I'm very excited about. I'm hoping that students expand their interests through my courses.  

Congratulations, again, Dr. Covington!