Stephanie Leigh Batiste

Stephanie Leigh Batiste is a Professor of Black Studies and English at the University of California, Santa Barbara, with affiliate appointments in Theater and Dance and Comparative Literature. She serves as Director of the Hemispheric South/s Research Initiative and previously held leadership roles including Acting Chair of the Black Studies Department (2011-2012) and Co-PI on the Consortium for Black Studies programming and research grant (2015-2018).

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in American Studies, George Washington University
• M. Phil. in American Studies, George Washington University
• A.B. Cum Laude in Sociology with minor in African American Studies, Princeton University

Dr. Batiste's research critically examines imperial representation in Black performance cultures across historical and contemporary contexts. Her work intersects Race and Racism, Performance Studies, and African American Literature to explore how performances generate community belonging amidst violence, grief, and systemic oppression. She investigates embodied resistance through interdisciplinary lenses spanning U.S. History, Cultural Studies, and Diaspora Studies.

Her publications include the award-winning monograph Darkening Mirrors (2011) and the forthcoming Metaphysics of Resurrection, alongside journal articles analyzing transnational Black performance practices. Her creative work as a poet and playwright extends these scholarly inquiries into artistic expression.

Scientific recognition includes:

• MLA William Sanders Scarborough Prize
• ATHE Book Award Honorable Mention
• LA Creation Residency at Bootleg Theater

Dr. Batiste has secured significant research funding including the Consortium for Black Studies grant. Her teaching spans Black Modernism, Afrofuturism, and performance studies, mentoring students through creative and critical frameworks. She directs the Hemispheric South/s Research Initiative, fostering collaborative scholarship on global south connections to the Americas.