Dr. Emmanuel Joshua Stokes was appointed Director of The Office of Convocations at Berea College in July 2024. In this role, he serves as the transitional leader and artistic administrator of Berea’s distinguished lecture program and the Stephenson Memorial Concert Series. Working in collaboration with the Office of Signature Events and under the direction of the President’s and Provost’s Offices, Dr. Stokes oversees the Convocations program, a key component of the General Studies curriculum that enriches the academic and cultural experience of Berea College students.

A native of Morristown, Tennessee, and a proud Appalachian, Dr. Stokes brings a deep appreciation for the region’s rich musical and cultural traditions to his work as a scholar educator, artistic administrator, and creative experience curator. In his primary faculty appointment as Assistant Professor of Music, he serves as Berea College’s resident musicologist, teaching a diverse range of courses in music appreciation, American musics, global music, and musical theatre, as well as the Music History sequence for majors and minors. He also serves as the Conductor and Artistic Director of Berea College’s award-winning gospel choir, the Black Music Ensemble (BME). Additionally, Dr. Stokes is an affiliate faculty member in the departments of African & African American Studies and Theatre.

A graduate of Berea College, Dr. Stokes earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. Dr. Stokes holds graduate degrees in Musicology from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (M.M.), and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Ph.D.). His research explores the intersections of gospel music, sacredness, and secularity, with a broader interest in how Black musical traditions shape cultural and artistic expression.