White text on burgundy background says, EFA Ruth Mullen Memorial Scholarship
Sharese Terrell Willis in a black top, jeans, and sandals sitting on a bench in front of a building

Sharese Terrell Willis, PhD, ELS

I joined the Editorial Freelancers Association on February 3 and volunteered to chair the Ruth Mullen Memorial Scholarship committee on February 9. The scholarship program was founded to support current students and alumni of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) pursuing future careers in publishing and communications in an effort to promote equity in education and cultivate a more diverse publishing industry. If EFA has a heart for HBCU students, this is the organization for me.

I owe all that I am to HBCUs. My parents met at Rust College; I attended Dillard University for a year and graduated from Tennessee State University with my B.A., I met my husband at Clark Atlanta University in graduate school, and I taught at Morehouse College. These HBCUs shaped me from the beginning, and they provided many opportunities to me as a student, such as an internship with the National Institutes of Health. For nearly 30 years, I have been a scientific editor, thanks, in large part, to the opportunities afforded at HBCUs.

I am glad to be a part of an organization that invests in the futures of other HBCU students. To , please make a donation to the Ruth Mullen Memorial Scholarship.

Sharese Terrell Willis, PhD, ELS
Ruth Mullen Memorial Scholarship Committee Chair