His doctoral dissertation focused on 20th-century African-American literature, but his research interests also include hip-hop culture, constructions of Black masculinity, and Black feminist criticism. In 2007 Dr. Ikard published his first book, Breaking The Silence: Toward a Black Male Feminist Criticism, which explores the possibility of a Black male feminist perspective. He has also recently co-authored “Barack Obama and the Politics of Race,” published in the Journal of Black Studies. Dr. Ikard is a recipient of the Chancellor’s Research Award, the Ford Postdoctoral Fellowship, and has also been a nominee for the University Teaching Excellence Award.