History department chair Jacqueline Jones, Truman professor of American Civilization, was inducted into the Alumni Wall of Fame at the University of Delaware on May 9. According to their Web site, the award honors members of the University of Delaware Alumni Association who have distinguished themselves in professional and community endeavors. She graduated from the University of Delaware in 1970.Jones is a MacArthur Fellow, having won the award - also known as the "Genius Grant" - in 1999. She specializes in African-American women, slavery and the American working class. In a profile on the Brandeis Web site, Jones is described as having teaching experience at both Wellesley College and Brown University.

A prolific writer, Jones has authored several books, including "Soldiers of Light and Love: Northern Teachers and Georgia Blacks, 1865-1873," "Labor of Love," "Labor of Sorrow: Black Women, Work, and the Family from Slavery to the Present" and, most recently, "The Dispossessed, America's Underclasses from the Civil War to the Present."

Upon arriving a few years ago, Jones was impressed with what she found at Brandeis. "This is a very lively place. There is a lot going on intellectually and the department is very distinguished. I had my first chance to work with graduate students ... The American history program is really wonderful," she said. "I enjoy Brandeis very much. It is a vital and interesting place. I think it has been good for my work and good for my teaching.