For this month’s TLI Faculty Spotlight, we are proud to highlight Dr. Shaneda Destine, a dedicated educator whose commitment to student engagement and mentorship is making a lasting impact at the University of Tennessee.
Before joining UT, Dr. Destine spent a year as a lecturer at Iowa State University, where she developed five courses across three departments—Sociology, Women’s Studies, and African and African American Studies. Her engaging teaching style quickly earned high praise from students as she led thought-provoking discussions in courses such as Social Class, Women of Color, and Introduction to African and African American Studies.
At the heart of Dr. Destine’s teaching philosophy is the belief that students should actively participate in their own learning. Her classroom discussions occur in a circle, where students are encouraged to share insights, engage in critical dialogue, and connect course concepts to real-world issues. To spark discussion, she often introduces news articles or video clips on current events, such as the impact of COVID-19 on students’ lives. These conversations open the door for students to explore socio-political implications, reflect on personal experiences, and consider the effects of systemic inequality on marginalized communities.
“I believe this enables students to be active agents in their learning process and encourages them to be confident in their contributions to the field,” Dr. Destine explains. “It is my duty to provide both theoretical knowledge and real-world applications of Sociology and Africana Studies to help students develop a deep understanding of social structures and inequalities, apply research methods to social analysis, and ultimately become advocates for positive social change.”
Beyond the classroom, mentorship has been pivotal in Dr. Destine’s career. While officially advising two undergraduate independent studies, she has gone above and beyond—mentoring six additional students, serving on undergraduate committees, and facilitating research opportunities. Her students have explored topics such as healthcare disparities, Black Lives Matter, and Black land ownership. Two of her students even received the Undergraduate Research Award—one for Creative Achievement and another for Academic Achievement.
In collaboration with UT’s 1794 Honors Program, Dr. Destine has also worked to secure funding for student research, with several students receiving grants to further their studies. This funding created a multi-semester research lab focused on Black farmers’ land tenure in South Carolina. In this lab, students met biweekly to set goals, conduct research, and present their findings at the end of each semester, gaining invaluable experience in collaborative research and historical analysis.
When reflecting on the future of teaching and learning in higher education, Dr. Destine remains deeply committed to her role as an educator and mentor.
“My goal as an intersectional social movement scholar and educator has always been to help students develop a critical lens with which to view the world and recognize their positionalities within it,” he shares. “I strive to provide students with the tools that helped shape me as a young scholar—resources to grapple with systemic inequality, space for necessary conversations, and encouragement to become active participants in their communities and the broader political landscape.”