Kimberly R. Moffitt

Dr. Kimberly R. Moffitt is the Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and holds a joint appointment as Professor in the Language, Literacy & Culture department and Affiliate Professor in Africana Studies. Her research focuses on mediated representations of marginalized groups, Black hair/body politics, and popular culture critiques. She has authored/co-edited multiple books including Michelle Obama and the FLOTUS Effect (2019) and Blackberries and Redbones (2010), and her work extends to analyzing Disney’s The Princess and the Frog and Black male representation in media.

Her teaching interests span culture, media studies, and sports media. Beyond academia, Moffitt contributes op-eds to the Baltimore Sun, appears on local radio/TV, and engages in community initiatives like workshops addressing Black hair/body politics and bullying. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and co-founded Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys Charter School.

Moffitt’s research emphasizes intersectional analysis of race, gender, and media, with particular attention to how marginalized identities are constructed and contested in public discourse.