Faculty | Department of American Studies

Name Title Research Interests Email

Allen, Robert Distinguished Professor • digital humanities
• American cultural history
• family history rallen@email.unc.edu

Alexander, Kelly Instructor • food studies
• ethnographic methods
• documentary studies
• feminisms
kelly.alexander@unc.edu

Berlinger, Gabrielle Assistant Professor • material culture
• ritual
• Jewish folklore and ethnology
• ethnography
• public folklore
• museum anthropology gberling@unc.edu

Cobb, Daniel Full Professor • American Indian and Indigenous Studies
• American Indian history
• politics and activism
• ethnohistorical methods
• biography and memory
• global indigenous rights dcobb@unc.edu

Photo credit: Marsha Miller

Engelhardt, Elizabeth Distinguished Professor • Southern cultures
• food
• Appalachia
• feminism
• literature
• region and place e.engelhardt@unc.edu

Frey, Benjamin E. Assistant Professor • sociolinguistics
• language shift
• Cherokee language benfrey@live.unc.edu

Herman, Bernard Distinguished Professor • material and visual culture
• folklore and folk life
• cultures of the American South
• vernacular art blherman@email.unc.edu

Hinson, Glenn Associate Professor • public folklore
• ethnography
• African American expressive culture
• American South ghinson@unc.edu

Holland, Sharon Distinguished Professor • critical race theory
• feminist theory
• queer theory
• sexuality studies
• animal studies pasharon@email.unc.edu

Kotch, Seth Associate Professor • digital humanities
• modern south
• oral history
• criminal and social justice sethkotch@unc.edu

Marr, Timothy Associate Professor • Nineteenth-Century American literary and cultural history
• Transnational American Studies
• religion in American culture
• Islam in/and America
• Herman Melville marr@unc.edu

Richotte, Jr., Keith Assistant Professor • American Indian law and policy
• legal history
• constitutionalism richotte@email.unc.edu

Robinson, Michelle Associate Professor • 19th and 20th century U.S. religious history
• 19th and 20th century American literature
• U.S. cinema mmrobins@unc.edu

Rodriguez, Annette Assistant Professor • Anti-colonial Theory
• Feminisms
• Histories of land tenure
• 19th and 20th century U.S. popular culture
• Performance
• Ritual violence
• Visual Culture
• Borderlands
• (Im)migration
arodrig@email.unc.edu

Sawin, Patricia Associate Professor • narrative
• discourse
• festival
• culture of adoption sawin@unc.edu

Photo credit: Amy Stern
Tone-Pah-Hote, Jenny Associate Professor • American Indian and Indigenous Studies
• American Indian history
• expressive and material culture tonepahh@email.unc.edu

Willis, Rachel Full Professor • global American Studies
• transportation planning
• labor economics
• service-learning, experiential and higher education Rachel.Willis@unc.edu

	Name	Title	Research Interests	Email
	Allen, Robert	Distinguished Professor	• digital humanities • American cultural history • family history	rallen@email.unc.edu
	Alexander, Kelly	Instructor	• food studies • ethnographic methods • documentary studies • feminisms	kelly.alexander@unc.edu
	Berlinger, Gabrielle	Assistant Professor	• material culture • ritual • Jewish folklore and ethnology • ethnography • public folklore • museum anthropology	gberling@unc.edu
	Cobb, Daniel	Full Professor	• American Indian and Indigenous Studies • American Indian history • politics and activism • ethnohistorical methods • biography and memory • global indigenous rights	dcobb@unc.edu
Photo credit: Marsha Miller	Engelhardt, Elizabeth	Distinguished Professor	• Southern cultures • food • Appalachia • feminism • literature • region and place	e.engelhardt@unc.edu
	Frey, Benjamin E.	Assistant Professor	• sociolinguistics • language shift • Cherokee language	benfrey@live.unc.edu
	Herman, Bernard	Distinguished Professor	• material and visual culture • folklore and folk life • cultures of the American South • vernacular art	blherman@email.unc.edu
	Hinson, Glenn	Associate Professor	• public folklore • ethnography • African American expressive culture • American South	ghinson@unc.edu
	Holland, Sharon	Distinguished Professor	• critical race theory • feminist theory • queer theory • sexuality studies • animal studies	pasharon@email.unc.edu
	Kotch, Seth	Associate Professor	• digital humanities • modern south • oral history • criminal and social justice	sethkotch@unc.edu
	Marr, Timothy	Associate Professor	• Nineteenth-Century American literary and cultural history • Transnational American Studies • religion in American culture • Islam in/and America • Herman Melville	marr@unc.edu
	Richotte, Jr., Keith	Assistant Professor	• American Indian law and policy • legal history • constitutionalism	richotte@email.unc.edu
	Robinson, Michelle	Associate Professor	• 19th and 20th century U.S. religious history • 19th and 20th century American literature • U.S. cinema	mmrobins@unc.edu
	Rodriguez, Annette	Assistant Professor	• Anti-colonial Theory • Feminisms • Histories of land tenure • 19th and 20th century U.S. popular culture • Performance • Ritual violence • Visual Culture • Borderlands • (Im)migration	arodrig@email.unc.edu
	Sawin, Patricia	Associate Professor	• narrative • discourse • festival • culture of adoption	sawin@unc.edu
Photo credit: Amy Stern	Tone-Pah-Hote, Jenny	Associate Professor	• American Indian and Indigenous Studies • American Indian history • expressive and material culture	tonepahh@email.unc.edu
	Willis, Rachel	Full Professor	• global American Studies • transportation planning • labor economics • service-learning, experiential and higher education	Rachel.Willis@unc.edu

Adjunct/Affiliated:

Daniel Anderson, English & Comparative Literature
William L. Andrews, English & Comparative Literature
Sarah Boyd, English & Comparative Literature
Fitzhugh Brundage, History
Maggie Cao, Art & Art History
Claude Clegg, African American & Diaspora Studies, and History
Tyree Daye, English & Comparative Literature
María DeGuzmán, English & Comparative Literature
Kathleen DuVal, History
Lawrence Grossberg, Communication Studies
Philip F. Gura, English & Comparative Literature
Amy Hertel, American Indian Center
Wes Hogan, Center for Documentary Studies-Duke
Malinda Maynor Lowery, History
Jocelyn Neal, Music and Folklore
Michael Palm, Communication Studies
Della Pollock, Communication Studies
Eliza Richards, English & Comparative Literature
Katherine Roberts, Center for the Study of the American South
Rachel F. Seidman, Center for the Study of the American South
William Sturkey, History
Jane Thrailkill, English & Comparative Literature
Tim Tyson, Center for Documentary Studies-Duke
Harry Watson, History
Anne Whisnant, History

Emeritus Professors

Marcie Ferris
William R. Ferris
Peter Filene
Jacquelyn Hall
John Kasson
Joy Kasson
Townsend Ludington
Daniel Patterson
Theda Perdue
Charles Zug