Mariel Rodney

Mariel Rodney is an Associate Professor of English and Global Literatures in the School of Humanities at Purchase College. Her academic work bridges literature, performance, and visual culture across the Black diaspora, with deep engagement in the Americas, Africa, and the Caribbean. She is actively involved in research, teaching, and global education initiatives.

Educational Background:

• BA, Queens College, City University of New York
• MA, Columbia University
• PhD, Columbia University

Her research focuses on the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality in literary and cultural expressions. She explores how Black communities reimagine power, freedom, and kinship through spiritual, linguistic, and communal frameworks. Her work critically engages with decolonial methodologies and challenges Eurocentric paradigms in research and pedagogy. A central theme in her scholarship is the legacy of Zora Neale Hurston and the transatlantic routes of West African influence, particularly through Vodou and Afro-Caribbean women’s traditions.

Mariel Rodney has been supported by competitive fellowships and grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Social Science Research Council, underscoring the significance and innovation of her interdisciplinary research.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• Fellowship from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
• Fellowship from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
• Grant from the Social Science Research Council

As an experienced educator and mentor, she has taught American literature, music, and culture at institutions including Columbia University, the City University of New York, and Princeton University. She has developed innovative courses on literature of the Americas and the Caribbean and continues to contribute to academic discourse through her upcoming book manuscript on 19th and 20th-century routes to freedom and creative 'newness' in Black literary and performance traditions.

Rodney is also affiliated with the Office for Global Education at Purchase College, where she participates in international partnerships and programs such as the Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad, reflecting her commitment to global scholarship and cross-cultural exchange.