Dr. Neal Lester, Associate Vice President for Humanities and Arts, Arizona State University, speaking on “Nappy Edges and Goldy Locks: The Race and Gender Politics of Hair” Everyone has a hair story, and each of our hair stories connects us to other people. Hair is also deeply political and tells much about race, gender, and culture. This interactive presentation looks at the politics of hair and raises the level of the seemingly mundane to greater significance. Hair matters! A popular public speaker and discussion facilitator, Dr. Lester specializes in African American literary and cultural studies, and he has an extensive record of publications, lectures, editorships, and public interviews. Over the course of his twenty-year professional career, Dr. Lester has received numerous teaching awards and recognitions for his work both inside and outside the classroom, including “Distinguished Public Scholar” by the Arizona Humanities Council. In 2012, Dr. Lester became Associate Vice President in the Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development at Arizona State University, where his role is to promote and integrate humanities research throughout the university.