LOS ANGELES, CA — An Emory University professor could add Emmy winner to her resume Monday night for her work on HBO’s “The Gilded Age.”

Erica Dunbar, chair of African American Studies at Emory, serves as a co-executive producer and historical consultant for the show, which is nominated for eight Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series.

“I was hired originally to focus on the sort of Black storyline in the show, working on the storyline of the Black elite living in 1880s New York City,” Dunbar said.

Dunbar said working on the series provided an opportunity to bring a different story to viewers.

“One of the things that was very attractive to me in terms of working on this show, was that it gave the viewing public an opportunity to see a different story,” Dunbar said.

She also said her work outside the classroom carries a lesson for her students at Emory.

“I’m proof that what we do in the classrooms specifically here at Emory, is that we challenge our students to become the critical thinkers that can move in any industry,” Dunbar said.

“The Pitt” leads this year’s field with 25 nominations, followed by “Hacks” with 24. “Widow’s Bay” and “Pluribus” have nearly 20 nominations each, while “Abbott Elementary,” “The Bear” and “Saturday Night Live” are also among the nominated shows.

The 78th annual Emmy Awards will be held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles and broadcast live at 8 p.m. on NBC.

WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons & Michelle Wright contributed to this story.