معرفی
Michelle Decker is an Associate Professor of English at Scripps College, specializing in colonial and postcolonial African literatures. Her research reimagines conceptions of African literary geography through her book project African Genres, analyzing texts from the Long East Coast (Zanzibar to South Africa). She teaches courses like Human Rights and World Literature and Queer Postcolonial Theory, emphasizing cross-cultural understanding. Her work bridges literary analysis with geographical and temporal frameworks.
Education:
- PhD in Comparative Literature, Pennsylvania State University
- MA in Comparative Literature, Pennsylvania State University
- BA in Comparative Literature, Pennsylvania State University
Research Interests: Dr. Decker explores how literary forms and geographical imaginaries shape perceptions of Africa. Her work interrogates genre conventions, postcolonial temporalities, and the intersection of poetry with political resistance. She advocates for recentering African poetics within global literary discourse.
Awards & Grants:
- Mellon Interdisciplinary Humanities Initiative Grantee (Community-Engaged Courses)
- Graves Award in Humanities (2020)
- Mary W. Johnson Faculty Achievement Award (Teaching)
Teaching & Mentorship: Her pedagogy emphasizes critical engagement with global texts, fostering intellectual humility and curiosity. Courses like Black Poetry and Subversive Selves integrate close reading with socio-political analysis. She prioritizes one-on-one mentorship to help students navigate cultural complexities.
