Dr. Salm graduated with a BA in History and a certificate in African Studies from the University of Wisconsin, Madison where he also studied for a year at Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin where he worked under the direction of the indefatigable scholar, Dr. Toyin Falola. Dr. Salm has conducted fieldwork in several West African countries, including Ghana and Sierra Leone, and has received a number of awards and fellowships for his work, including a William S. Livingston Fellowship and a National Endowment for the Humanities grant. He has published seven books, as well as chapters and articles on topics as diverse as gender, youth, music, literature, religion, urbanization, globalization, and popular culture.  He served eight years as the Department Chair of History and four years as the Division Chair of Fine Arts and Humanities. Dr. Salm was the recipient of the Norma C. Francis Faculty Excellence for Service award in 2019.  

Dr. Salm may be contacted at: (504) 520-5272 or by e-mail at sjsalm@xula.edu.