Cheryl Sterling

Cheryl Sterling serves as Associate Professor of English and African Studies at The Pennsylvania State University, with prior leadership roles as Director of African Studies at Penn State (2018-2021) and Director of Black Studies at The City College of New York (2013-2018).

Her research critically examines representation, race, and aesthetics across African and African Diaspora Literature, Post-Colonial Theory, and Gender Studies, with concentrated focus on transnational social movements in Brazil and the broader Diaspora. She investigates how cultural production intersects with identity formation through literary and performance traditions.

Prof. Sterling's scholarly recognition includes:

• Fulbright Scholar designation
• Organization of American States fellowship
• Book award for African Roots, Brazilian Rites: Cultural and National Identity

She has secured significant research funding through fellowships and grants, currently developing an original Aesthetic theory grounded in Yoruba Orisha paradigms for analyzing African Diasporic texts and visual culture, while maintaining active editorial leadership in transnational women's studies.