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Grammy-winning producer Jermaine Dupri announces new student internship at Ideas Festival Emory
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headshot of Jermaine Dupri wearing glasses

Two Emory students will have the opportunity to intern with Jermaine Dupri and So So Def Recordings next spring, the renowned music executive shared during the Ideas Festival’s keynote. Shown with Dupri (left) are Joycelyn Wilson, assistant professor of hip-hop studies and digital humanities in the School of Literature, Media and Communication at Georgia Tech; Matt Whyte, host of Sing for Science; and professor Ken Carter, founder of Emory’s Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement.

Jermaine Dupri, a Grammy Award winner, Atlanta native and founder of So So Def Recordings, announced a new internship for Emory students during the keynote session of the inaugural Ideas Festival Sept. 20. 

The internship will provide two undergraduate students with an opportunity to work with Dupri and So So Def Recordings during the spring 2025 semester. 

“I’ve always been a person that gives younger individuals and people who want to be in this business a chance,” says Dupri. “I’m looking for superstars that are not on the stage and I hope that I can find them in this So So Def/Emory intern partnership.” 

Undergraduate students in Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Oxford College, Goizueta Business School and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing are eligible to apply for the internship beginning later this fall. The selected students will earn academic credit as they partner with Dupri and a faculty mentor throughout the internship. 

“Experiential learning opportunities outside the classroom are critical for Emory students to extend their knowledge,” says Branden Grimmett, vice provost for career and professional development and leader of Emory’s Pathways Center. Grimmett will work with Bridgette Gunnels, associate dean and director of Oxford College’s Center for Pathways and Purpose, to develop and administer the internship. “We are thrilled Jermaine Dupri is partnering with Emory to provide a unique and transformative learning experience for our students to explore the music industry.” 

Hosted by Emory’s Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement on the Oxford College campus Sept. 20-22, the Ideas Festival connected students and the broader community with impactful and innovative speakers and scholars, including scientists, musicians, writers, filmmakers and creators. Ken Carter, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Psychology and the center’s founding director, says the festival was designed to spark important conversations and experiences for students and attendees. 

“We are committed to creating meaningful connections between innovators, creators and students,” says Carter. “This internship is a perfect example of the kind of knowledge-sharing that bridges the gap between ideas and application, giving students a unique opportunity to engage with experts in a hands-on, impactful way.” 

During the festival’s keynote session on Friday, Dupri talked with Matt Whyte, host of the Sing for Science podcast, and Joycelyn Wilson, assistant professor of hip-hop studies and digital humanities in the School of Literature, Media and Communication at Georgia Tech. The trio discussed the forces that helped shape Atlanta’s unique identity as a thriving epicenter for hip-hop and R&B, transforming the city into a global culture phenomenon. 

Running through Sunday, Sept. 22, Ideas Festival Emory featured more than 40 speakers covering many themes including science, history, literature, entrepreneurship, music and cinematography and photography. Whyte returned for the festival’s closing session Sunday, hosting a conversation between Grammy-nominated genre-defying duo SOFI TUKKER and Maria Ortiz, the food scientist behind the popular Instagram account All You Knead Is Bread. Additionally, live music and entertainment, photography exhibits and food and drink vendors were set up on and around the Oxford College quad.

To learn more about the festival, visit ideasfestival.org.


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