Karen Jaime

Karen Jaime is an Associate Professor at Cornell University within the College of Arts and Sciences, jointly appointed in Performing and Media Arts and Latina/o Studies. An interdisciplinary scholar, her work bridges performance studies, queer studies, and Latinx studies to analyze racialized sexualities and aesthetics in Loisaida (Lower East Side) communities.

Education:

• Ph.D., Performance Studies, New York University
• M.A., Performance Studies, New York University
• B.A., History and Spanish Literature, Cornell University

Karen's research interrogates queer nightlife cultures, minoritarian aesthetics, and spoken word poetry as political acts. She explores how marginalized communities use performance to challenge norms and preserve cultural memory, particularly in Latinx and Afro-Caribbean contexts.

Her award-winning monograph The Queer Nuyorican reclaims the Nuyorican Poets Cafe as a historically queer space. Other publications in journals like TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly and anthologies such as Flicker and Spark further expand these themes.

Scientific Awards:

• 2023-2024 Schomburg Center Fellowship
• 2023 Cornell Faculty Champion Award
• 2022 Victor Villaseñor Best Latino Focused Nonfiction Book Award
• 2019-2020 Career Enhancement Fellowships

Karen also curates courses like Nightlife and Performance Studies: Theories and Methods, emphasizing intersectional pedagogy. As a spoken word artist and co-editor of Memorias de Miguel, she actively bridges academia and community engagement.