Michell Chresfield is an Assistant Professor in Africana Studies where her research and teaching focuses on Black and Indigenous histories, the history of science and medicine, and the history of racial formation and identity making in twentieth century America. Dr. Chresfield received her Bachelor’s degree in American Studies from the University of Notre Dame in 2008 and a Ph.D in History from Vanderbilt University in 2016. She joined the Cornell faculty in July 2022 after a 6-year post in the UK.

Dr. Chresfield’s current book project, positioned at the intersections of African American history, Native American Studies, and the history of science asks, “What does it mean to be both Black and Native? And how does scientific knowledge mediate that lived experience?” Dr. Chresfield spends an inordinate amount of time thinking about the process of writing and how to get herself to write more efficiently. As such she is always open to recommendations for good study music.