Michael Sawyer

Michael Sawyer is Associate Professor of African American Literature & Culture in the Department of English at the University of Pittsburgh’s Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences. He serves as Director of Graduate Studies and Director of the Graduate Program in Cultural Studies, and is an Electus Faculty Fellow in the David C. Frederick Honors College. He is also a faculty affiliate of Africana Studies and maintains active editorial roles in prominent journals.

His educational background includes a BS in Political Science from the United States Naval Academy, an MA in International Relations from the University of Chicago, and MA and PhD in Comparative Literature and Africana Studies from Brown University.

Michael Sawyer’s research centers on Africana political thought, philosophy, and literary criticism, with strong interdisciplinary engagement in post-colonial studies, critical race theory, and revolutionary history. His work bridges philosophy, aesthetics, and literary critique, exploring themes of temporality, Black subjectivity, and resistance. He has a particular interest in the intersections of naval history, revolution, and creative expression, including African American music and literary fiction.

His recent publications reflect a consistent engagement with Black intellectual traditions, from Malcolm X to contemporary Black phenomenology. He frequently publishes in cultural theory, political philosophy, and literary journals, with a focus on redefining the boundaries of Africana thought. His forthcoming and in-progress works extend into immersive media, biography, and Melville studies, indicating a broad and evolving scholarly trajectory.

• Lloyd E. Worner Teacher of the Year Award (2017)
• Professor R. Bruce Lindsay Graduate Fellowship (Brown University)

Michael Sawyer advises graduate students through his leadership in the PhD and MA programs in English and Cultural Studies. He has secured external support for his research, including a multi-year immersive media residency at ONX Studios in New York City and Athens, Greece, funded by the Onassis Foundation. His editorial work includes co-editing The Journal of French and Francophone Studies and serving on the boards of Critical Times, Political Concepts, and the PMLA Advisory Committee.

He is currently in a three-year immersive media residency at ONX Studios, supported by the Onassis Foundation, reflecting his innovative integration of digital and artistic media into scholarly practice.