Haylee C. Harrell

Haylee C. Harrell (they/them) serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at the University of Houston's College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, with affiliate appointments in African American Studies, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and the Media and Moving Image Program. Their work centers on Black feminist theory and its interdisciplinary connections to critical race studies, philosophy, and literary analysis.

Education Background:

• Ph.D. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Emory University
• Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Utah

Research Focus: As a Black feminist theorist, Dr. Harrell critically engages with Critical Black Studies, feminist philosophy, and 20th-21st century African American literature to interrogate questions of gender, sexuality, and blackness. Their scholarship emphasizes creative pedagogical approaches where students explore race/gender/sexuality through diverse expressive mediums, reflecting their own experience as a first-generation scholar. Key research areas include Black Feminist Theory, Affect Studies, Sexuality Studies, and Foucault Studies within Black intellectual traditions.

Publication Trends: Dr. Harrell's recent publications (2021-2025) demonstrate sustained engagement with Black feminist thought and critical race theory. Their work reinterprets intellectual legacies like Patricia J. Williams' scholarship while bridging Foucault's theories with Black studies, and examines literary representations of race through tropes like the 'monstrous mulatta.' This output reveals a commitment to intellectual reparations and interdisciplinary dialogue across philosophy, law, and literature.

Advising and Grants: The source material does not specify doctoral advisees or formal mentoring relationships, though their teaching of graduate seminars (ENGL 7386/7396) suggests involvement in advanced student supervision. No grant funding details are provided in the available text.

Professional Activities: Dr. Harrell actively contributes to the Critical Studies of the Americas collective, fostering transnational perspectives on the Americas. Their affiliation with multiple interdisciplinary programs underscores a commitment to collaborative scholarship beyond traditional departmental boundaries.