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Rising Senior Concludes Summer Internship as Du Bois Scholar at Harvard University
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Rising Senior Concludes Summer Internship as Du Bois Scholar at Harvard University
Crystal Drake04 August 2026
3 minute read
Contact: Crystal Drake, Office of Strategic Communications
Okoro
Chioma Okoro, a rising senior, has completed a summer research internship at Harvard University as a member of the Du Bois Scholars Program, becoming the first Tuskegee student selected for the highly competitive initiative.
Reflecting on Okoro’s achievement, Dr. Mark A. Brown, president and CEO, says that past is prologue.
“I am reminded of Booker T. Washington's historic journey to Harvard University in 1896. Standing before one of the nation's most respected institutions, he demonstrated the power of Tuskegee's educational model, one that developed the hand, the heart, and the head,” said Dr. Brown. “At the conclusion of a remarkable speech, Booker T. Washington declared, ‘We're coming,’ a confident affirmation of the generations of leaders who would emerge from Tuskegee. More than a century later, that declaration still resonates. Our students remain living proof that Tuskegee develops men and women for leadership, service, and impact across the world. The next generation of Golden Tigers is coming, and they are ready.”
Okoro, an Economics major with a minor in Philosophy and a member of Tuskegee’s Golden Voices Concert Choir, spent nine weeks conducting research under the mentorship of Andrew Clark, Director of Choral Activities and Senior Lecturer on Music at Harvard University.
Her work examined the history of Negro spirituals, the influence of Black artistic expression in the United States and African art songs, with a particular focus on Nigerian compositions written in the Yoruba and Igbo languages.
For Okoro, the project represented a unique opportunity to combine her academic interests with a lifelong passion for music. As an alto, she has been a member of Tuskegee University's renowned Golden Voices Concert Choir since her freshman year.
"Chioma's rich experience as a member of Tuskegee's illustrious choral tradition made an impact on our work at Harvard this summer, both in performance with the Harvard Summer Chorus and in our research investigating how choral traditions shape individual and institutional identity in higher education," said Clark.
He also praised her intellectual curiosity and commitment throughout the internship.
"She made the most of her time here, both on stage and in the archives, and approached every challenge with curiosity, humility, and determination,” he said.
Okoro learned about the opportunity through LinkedIn after being encouraged to apply by Dr. Janel Bell Haynes, associate professor in Tuskegee University's College of Business and Information Science.
Okoro has built a strong academic portfolio gaining real-world experience with organizations including the Asante Africa Foundation, Doing Good Work in Africa, Partnership for Economic Policy and Honeywell International– far surpassing Tuskegee’s requirement that all students complete at least one internship as preparation to compete in the global economy.
“I'm interested in economics as it relates to people’s real lives,” she said. “When it's in an economically sustainable state and how that relates to people's well-being and quality of life,” she said echoing a primary focus at Tuskegee on equipping students to use their education to take charge of their economic and social mobility.
Raised in Utah by parents who immigrated to the United States from Nigeria, as she considered colleges, she was drawn to the environment offered by HBCUs.
"What was familiar to me was the tight-knit Black community, like the Black immigrant community where I was born and raised," she said. That connection led her to research a number of institutions before ultimately choosing Tuskegee University.
As she prepares for her final choral presentation, she noted the cruel irony of the fact that W.E.B Du Bois was not permitted to audition for the Harvard Glee Club when he was a student at the university, ultimately becoming the first Black person to earn a Ph.D. there.
Named for W.E.B Du Bois and launched in 2024, the Du Bois Scholars Program is a fully funded nine-week research internship housed within the Harvard Summer Undergraduate Research Village. The program was established through Harvard's Legacy of Slavery Initiative and seeks to strengthen research collaboration between Harvard and HBCUs. Scholars receive faculty mentorship, participate in workshops and professional development opportunities, and engage with researchers and students from around the world.
"I'm the first Tuskegee student in this program. I guess I'm kind of a test," she said. If so, it is a test she clearly passed with distinction.
"I have no doubt that she will continue to make meaningful contributions wherever her path leads," said her mentor Clark.
To view her final choral presentation on August 5 at 2:45 p.m., register to watch the livestream at:
