Scholarship and Biography

Emilie Diouf's research and teaching reflect her interdisciplinary background in African Literature and film, African American and African Studies, as well as Women’s and Gender Studies. She is interested in the relationship between narrative, migration, trauma, and human rights, expanding the field of trauma studies to include more substantially the voices of African women refugees. She uses trauma theory to explore the ways in which African women survivors of civil war and genocide narrate the large-scale violence inflicted upon them to articulate justice and repair . Her research in African women’s literature forms a bridge to Francophone Caribbean Women's literature, and to Black feminist theory. Comparisons of various women’s cultural productions across the African Diaspora enhance critical inquiry into systemic violence and the promotion of justice. Emilie is interested in foregrounding African women's knowledge systems in feminist studies through cross-cultural analysis that allows us to rethink new feminist paradigms that could take into consideration Black women’s unique conditions.

Honors

Fulbright, Institute of International Education
Institute of International Education (United States, New York) - IIE, 2008-2010
Myriam J. Kelly Fellowship for African WomeN
Michigan State University (United States, East Lansing) - MSU, 2013
DFG, German Research Foundation Priority Programme
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Germany, Bonn) - DFG, 2014
Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum Fellowship
Michigan State University (United States, East Lansing) - MSU, 2016-2017
Provost Teaching Innovation Grant
Brandeis University (United States, Waltham), 2019-2020
Mandel Faculty Grants in the Humanities
Brandeis University (United States, Waltham), 2020
Global Justice and Humanities Initiative grant
Consortium for Humanities Centers and Institutes (CHCI), 02/2025
Expanding Massachussetts Stories
Massachussetts Foundation for the Humanities, October 2024
Mandel Public Humanities & Community Engagement Grant
Mandel Center for the Humanities, 2025-2026

Organizational Affiliations

Assistant Professor of English, Department of English, Brandeis University

Affiliated Faculty, Department of African and African American Studies, Brandeis University

Affiliated Faculty, Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Brandeis University

Education

Michigan State University
Ph.D.
Michigan State University
M.A.