Faculty at Southwestern do groundbreaking research that showcases the benefits of diversity and supports the development of strategies to increase inclusion. They study patterns of exclusion or marginalization, develop practices and policies that promote diversity, and advance knowledge from diverse perspectives by elevating the voices and experiences of marginalized groups.

• Professor of Sociology Maria Lowe specializes in research on race and racism, racialized spaces, neighborhood surveillance, campus climate research (race and gender), the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement, and the construction of gender in sports.
• Professor of Spanish Katy Ross investigates questions of gender and representation, especially the portrayal of motherhood, in contemporary Spanish authors and directors.
• Associate Professor of Education Alicia Moore studies the sustainability of culturally responsive teaching in white teacher praxis, perceptions of preservice teachers regarding culturally responsive teaching, African American students in predominantly white institutions (PWI).
• Professor of Music Michael Cooper is working to rectify the systemic erasures of the lives and music of African American composers, Florence Price and Margaret Bonds, by editing and publishing their manuscripts.