A Legacy of Creating Change

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By Hannah Epperson '11 MLAS '18

Faculty emeriti Dwight Mullen and Dolly Jenkins-Mullen are well known in the UNC Asheville community as beloved professors, dedicated mentors, and change makers. In the fall of 2023 UNC Asheville celebrated the endowment of the Drs. Mullen Don't Be Afraid to Change the World Scholarship in honor of their legacy on our campus and in the broader Asheville community.

After years in development, the scholarship received the final donations it needed to become endowed during the 2023 Give UNC Asheville, the University's annual day of giving.

As two of the first Black faculty at UNC Asheville, Mullen and Jenkins-Mullen co-founded the African-American Colloquium, which dramatically improved graduation rates for Black students in the 1990s. They also founded the State of Black Asheville, a resource which collects data-driven research and analysis about racial disparities within Asheville.

Founded by alumni and endowed by more than 150 donors, this scholarship seeks to provide financial support to students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds who engage in diversity-based leadership initiatives on campus.

You can give to the Drs. Mullen Scholarship, or any scholarship or department of your choice, during Give UNC Asheville 2024!

Donate to Give UNC Asheville 2024 on April 17!

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"You won't believe this, but I don't know what to say," said Jenkins-Mullen at the scholarship celebration. "This is an honor. There are no words to say thank you; there is, though, tremendous gratitude that it was noticed."

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"You can change the world, because look at me. I'm from Watts (Los Angeles). You can't get further away from UNC Asheville than Watts. If I can get here, the students that this money will go to can go even further," said Mullen. "The more students we can finance, the further they can go. I am so thankful to you for it."

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