Department of American Culture - University of Michigan

Where are they now?
Say hello to Cristina Faiver-Serna, Assistant Professor of Women's and Gender Studies & Geography at the University of New Hampshire. She believes that we need American and ethnic studies now more than ever. Read more below!

Graduation has come and gone for the class of 2026, but we are still so proud of them. Class of 2026, we look forward to watching you grow from beyond. Make sure you stay connected!

Where are they now?
Say hello to Ellen PutneyMoore, Executive Director for the New York Choral Society. She notes that her AMCULT degree has served her in every industry she has worked in. Read more below!

Where are they now?
Meet Daniel Okrent, a writer from Detroit. He states that American Culture taught him how to do archival research, which helps in his practice. Read more below!

Where are they now?
Say hello to Kamal Badhey, Photographer, Arts Educator, Lecturer in Art History/Visual Cultures at the University of Brighton. She urges students to try working in interdisciplinary ways. Read more below!

Where are they now?
Meet Elise McGowan-Cuellar, Attorney and Appellate Justice with Little River Band of Ottawa Indians & Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Court. Her commitment to community work is evident through her service on four boards/foundations. Read more below!

Where are they now?
Meet Christina Abreu, Director of the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies and Associate Professor of History at Northern Illinois University. Her recent work focuses on boxing champion Teófilo Stevenson. Read more below!

Where are they now?
Meet William F. Wu, a science fiction writer. His American Culture Ph.D. has helped him with not only his writing, but with understanding the world at large as well. Read more below!

Where are they now?
Meet Christina Carter-Grant, the Associate Director of the National Land Bank Network Center for Community Progress. She credits Professor Richard Meisler with pushing her towards American Culture, and has used her degree to help communities and neighborhoods rebuild and transform. Read more below!

Where are they now?
Say hello to John R. Chávez, Professor Emeritus of History at Southern Methodist University. He notes that the AMCULT program helped him view cultures within a global framework of shared humanity, something that has influenced him ever since. Read more below!