Meet the editors of Uplift Memphis, Uplift the Nation: Voices & Perspectives for Progress: Daphene, Amy, and Paola!
Daphene R. McFerren, JD, is the Executive Director of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis. She is responsible for strategic initiatives, program development and implementation, staff management and financial oversight of Hooks Institute operations. Before joining the Hooks Institute, McFerren was in private practice in Washington, DC; was senior counsel in the Office of General Counsel at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission; was counsel to the late Attorney General Janet Reno; and was later Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Maryland prosecuting, among other cases, forced labor and involuntary servitude cases involving foreign victims.
Amy Ruggaber, MPA, is the Hooks Institute Assistant Director and Research Coordinator. She is an expert in public policy within the arts and culture sector and has worked as a performing artist, educator, arts administrator, and advocate for 20+ years. An Interdisciplinary researcher, she works with cross-sector leaders and community members to analyze inequities in current policy systems and develop recommendations for legislation and interventions. She has developed and designed two exhibits for the Hooks Institute: a touring exhibit, “Uplift the Vote,” and “The Fayette County Civil Rights Movement and the Photos of Art Shay,” which is currently on display at the Memphis International Airport. She is the manager of the annual Frances Dancy Hooks Art Award and Exhibition.
Paola Cavallari is the Hooks Institute Graduate Assistant for the 2025-2026 academic year. She is a history PhD candidate at the University of Memphis, and a cat mom to Muffin and Mouse. Her research focuses on the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality in the fields of social and racial justice. Born in Italy, she has a varied educational background, which includes a master’s in Public Service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and a master’s in Public History from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Among her major accomplishments, Paola has translated two books from Italian to English, and she has presented her work at several academic conferences.
Forum posts are curated by the editors and the views expressed in them are those of the authors and are not attributable to any official position of the Hooks Institute or the University of Memphis.
Items to be considered by the Editors for potential Forum Post publication may be sent to BHI@memphis.edu. The editors hold sole discretion as to what blog posts are published. For more information about the Hooks Institute visit memphis.edu/benhooks.