Cole Alexander Morgan

Biography

Cole Alexander Morgan, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of English and Affiliate Faculty Member in the Culture and Theory Ph.D. Program at the University of California, Irvine. His research examines the intersections of African American literature, photography, and visual culture, with particular attention to how Black writers engage with photographic media and representation.

Morgan received a Ph.D. in English Literature from Brown University in 2020. His work has been supported by the Ansel Adams Research Fellowship from the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona and the Center for American Literature First Book Institute at Penn State University. He has presented his research at conferences including the Modern Language Association, the International Society for the Study of Narrative, and the Society for Textual Scholarship.

At UC Irvine, Morgan teaches courses on African American literature and visual culture at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. His courses have focused on authors including Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, and Richard Wright, as well as broader themes of history, memory, and visual representation in Black literary traditions. He serves on the MA Committee in the English Department and has previously served on the Executive Committee and Graduate Committee.

Education

• Ph.D. in English Literature, Brown University, 2020
• B.A. in English Literature and Black Studies, Amherst College, 2013

Distinctions

• Ansel Adams Research Fellowship, Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona, 2024
• Center for American Literature - First Book Institute, Penn State University, 2022
• Faculty Success Program, National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, 2021