Biography
Dr. Michelle Yates is Associate Professor of Cultural Studies and Humanities in the Department of Humanities, History, and Social Sciences at Columbia College Chicago. Dr. Yates received her Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from the University of California at Davis and a B.A. with honors in Women’s Studies from the Pennsylvania State University. Her work is situated in the environmental humanities at the intersection of film and media, critical theory, and gender and sexuality. She has published in peer-reviewed journals, including Antipode: A Radical Journal of Geography; Food, Culture & Society; ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment; Science Fiction Film and Television and edited collections such as Gender and Environment in Science Fiction and The SAGE Handbook for Frankfurt School Critical Theory.
At Columbia College Chicago, Dr. Yates teaches courses including Urban Images in Film and Media; Nature and Environmentalism in U.S. Culture; Making and Unmaking Whiteness; Feminism and Film; and Cultural Theories.
Dr. Yates is also the co-founder and co-director of the Chicago Feminist Film Festival.
Instructional Areas
Cultural studies; Critical whiteness studies; Environmental humanities; Film and media; Gender and sexuality; Technology and culture; Urban studies
Creative Practice and Research Interests
Ecomedia; Environmental humanities; Environmental justice; Feminism and film; Feminist ecology; Marxist critical theory; Science fiction; Waste and discard studies
Degrees
B.A., Women's Studies The Pennsylvania State University 2001
Ph.D., Cultural Studies University of California, Davis 2012