Kris Rowe smiles is is shown from the shoulders up. She has brown skin, shoulder length locs, and small gold necklaces and earrings. She wears a printed button down shirt. is in front of Leaves (a tree or bushes?) are in the background.

KRISTIN DENISE ROWE (“KRIS”) is an Associate Professor of American Studies at California State University Fullerton. Her research and teaching interests include: body politics, hair and beauty culture, race and popular culture, cultural studies, social media/new media, Black and women of color feminism(s), and sexuality.

Kris’s forthcoming book project offers unprecedented original scholarly research on narratives about Black women’s natural hair within art and popular culture since the turn of the 21st century. To learn more about her scholarship, visit the “Research” page.

Kris is a former Career Enhancement Fellow, funded by the Mellon Foundation and administered by the Institute for Citizens & Scholars (2022 - 2023).

She is an award-winning author with publications in forums including Open Cultural Studies journal, Journal of American Culture, Women and Language journal, and Journal of Contemporary Ethnography. Kris has also written for outlets such as CRWN magazine, The Body is Not an Apology, CurlyNikki, and The Research Collective for Decolonizing Fashion. To view these essays, visit the “Public Writing” page.

She has been quoted in publications such as The Washington Post, Refinery 29, Travel Noire, “The Lily” by The Washington Post, “Unbothered” by Refinery 29, Byrdie, and The Orange County Register. She was also featured episodes 1 and 3 of the tripart docu-series The Black Beauty Effect produced by FaceForward Productions and now streaming on Netflix.

Kris is from Newark, Delaware. Today, she lives in Inglewood, California. She likes watching TV, art and community-based events in Los Angeles, coffee, thrifting, craft beer, her house plants, and her exercise bike.

EDUCATION

2019, Ph.D., African American and African Studies, Michigan State University (Graduate Certification in Women’s and Gender Studies) - East Lansing, MI.

2015, M.A.,  African American and African Studies, Michigan State University - East Lansing, MI.

2013, B.A., English & Black American Studies (Dual Degree, with Distinction), University of Delaware - Newark, DE.

COURSES AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY FULLERTON

Department of American Studies

  • AMST 300: Introduction to American Popular Culture

  • AMST 377: Prejudice in American Culture

  • AMST 401T: Proseminar in American Studies - “The Body in American Culture”

  • AMST 401T: Proseminar in American Studies - “Drugs in American Culture”

  • AMST 412: Women, Race, & Ethnicity in American Culture

  • AMST 447: Race and American Popular Culture

Department of African American Studies

  • AFAM 356: African American Music Appreciation

To get in touch with her with questions or about collaborating, please use the contact form.