Michele Elam

Michele Elam serves as the William Robertson Coe Professor of Humanities in Stanford University's English Department, with concurrent leadership roles as Faculty Associate Director of the Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and Race & Technology Affiliate at the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity.

Her interdisciplinary scholarship connects literature and social sciences to analyze evolving cultural constructions of gender and race, emphasizing how racial perception critically shapes health, wealth, and social justice outcomes. Current research investigates the humanities and arts as essential frameworks for addressing equity challenges in emergent technologies.

Elam previously directed Stanford's Program in Modern Thought and Literature, African & African American Studies, and English Department Undergraduate Studies. She currently advises the Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Studies, Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, and Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school). National service includes chairing the Modern Language Association's Black Literatures & Culture Division and serving on the American Literature Society Executive Council.

She has received multiple national awards recognizing both scholarly contributions and teaching excellence.