About
Sharon Dean is a Professor at the University of Cincinnati specializing in American ethnic literature, women's literature, film studies, and composition pedagogy. She previously served as Acting Associate Director at the Center for Women's Studies, where she developed courses on American women writers and Black women in film. Her research focuses on African American literary traditions, cinematic representation, and pedagogical strategies.
Education: Doctor of Arts from the University of Illinois (1971).
Research interests span African American literature (particularly Harlem Renaissance women writers), film aesthetics in independent Black cinema, storytelling strategies in composition classes, racial impersonation in slave narratives, and comparative analysis of minstrelsy and cinematic cross-dressing. Her work frequently examines intersectional identities and cultural negotiations through literature and film.
Awards include:
- Provost’s Award for Senior Faculty Mentor (2003)
- University of Cincinnati College of Evening and Continuing Education Fellowship (1997-1999)
Grant leadership includes major projects like the NEH-funded 'Negative to Positive: Strategies for Using Black Film' ($150,000), FIPSE-supported Center for Women's Studies initiatives ($140,000), and curriculum development grants for first-year composition programs. Her scholarship frequently integrates community engagement with academic research.
