Elissa Sampson

Elissa Sampson is a Lecturer in the Jewish Studies program at Cornell University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. She earned a PhD in Urban Geography from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research integrates urban geography, migration studies, and Jewish cultural history, focusing on memory, activism, and heritage in spaces like the Lower East Side, Brooklyn, Jerusalem, and Paris.

• Education: PhD in Urban Geography (UNC Chapel Hill)

Her work explores how historical narratives shape contemporary migration, gentrification, and social justice movements. She specializes in the Yiddish left-wing tradition, Triangle Fire commemorations, and the interplay between physical spaces and cultural memory.

Her recent projects include From Popular Front to Cold War (Cornell University Press, 2026) and the digitization of International Workers Order (IWO) archives, funded by Cornell Digital Humanities DCAPS Awards. These efforts preserve Yiddish left-wing materials, supporting interdisciplinary research in gender studies, Black Studies, and immigration history.

• Scientific Awards: Eighth Acker Annual Award (2022), Lower East Side Hero Award (2017)

Sampson has contributed to documentaries (e.g., Streit’s: Matzo and the American Dream) and public tours on New York City’s urban ecology. She teaches courses like Jewish Cities (JWST 4520/7520) and collaborates with institutions such as the Tenement Museum.