PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (August 31, 2020) – The Office of the President at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) recently announced a plan to invite distinguished alumni to serve as visiting fellows at the university. The program would give PVAMU alumni, who might be qualified to lead colleges and universities, a chance to learn first-hand how upper-level university administration works. Fellows would be asked to undertake projects in line with their previous experience and their current administrative interests.
Dr. W. Gabriel Selassie I
The first visiting alumnus at PVAMU will be Professor W. Gabriel Selassie I, the Ralph Bunche Professor of History, African American Studies, and Religion at the Los Angeles City College. Selassie earned a Bachelor’s of Architecture degree with a minor in civil engineering from Prairie View A&M in 1988.
After spending a semester of graduate study in American history with Professor Purvis Carter at Prairie View, Selassie joined the City of Los Angeles’ Bureau of Engineering in 1989. His history background led him to be assigned to create the bureau’s historic preservation and rehabilitation program. In that role, he worked on civic landmarks, including the Los Angeles City Hall Seismic Retrofit and the Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue Central Library. In 2000, he founded his own firm, Cultural Resource Management/Archistoria, centered on domestic and international cultural heritage and historic preservation consulting.
In addition to his bachelor’s degree from PVAMU, Selassie holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in history from the Claremont Graduate University. He also holds Masters of Arts degrees from University of California, Los Angeles in African American studies; theology from the University of Notre Dame; and public history and preservation from California State University at Dominguez Hills.
Selassie’s academic specialization is 19th and 20th century African American intellectual and cultural history and cultural heritage. Currently, his work focuses on the discourse between politics and theology of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). His most recent article, “Rethinking Garveyism as Religion: Ritual Symbolism and the UNIA Negro Ritual and Negro Catechism,” was published in Vol. 8, No. 2, Summer 2020, in the Journal of Africana Religions. He is working on a biography of George Alexander McGuire, the General Chaplain of the UNIA and founder of the African Orthodox Church.
Selassie is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and he serves at the Western Region Associate Editor of the Sphinx Magazine. He is a member of Phi Alpha Theta national history honor society and Prince Hall Masons. He also held a commission in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Selassie is married and the father of two children, Isotta and Matilde. He is a spokesperson for Rastafari, loves international travel, and is an avid Peloton rider as a member of the #HBCUPVAMU and #PVURiders Peloton Groups.
Dr. Selassie will be assigned to the Office of the President during his time as an alumni fellow.
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