Sami Schalk is an Associate Professor in the Department of Gender & Women’s Studies. Her research focuses on disability, race and gender in contemporary American literature and culture, especially African American and women’s texts. Her first book, Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women’s Speculative Fiction, was published in 2018. Her work has also appeared in a variety of journals such as The Journal of Literary and Cultural Disability Studies, Journal of Modern Literature, Journal of Popular Culture, Girlhood Studies, and African American Review. Sami teaches courses on disability studies, black feminism, intersectionality and literature such as “Gender & Social Justice Literature,” “Gender, Disability & Sexualit,” and “Adaptations of Black Women’s Literature.”
A word from Janet Hyde, Chair of Gender and Women’s Studies Department:
The Department of Gender & Women’s Studies is excited to have Dr. Sami Schalk in our midst as a tenured faculty member. She is a compelling and inspiring teacher who engages in extensive outreach to the community. A pathbreaking scholar, her first book, Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women's Speculative Fiction, has been enthusiastically received. As one reviewer put it, the book is “the most significant contribution to literary and cultural disability studies in years.” Sami is one of a new generation of leaders in Gender & Women’s Studies.