Chera Kee
Chera Kee is a Ph.D. candidate in Critical Studies in the School of Cinematic Arts. Her dissertation explores the cultural history of the zombie in the United States: considering the zombie’s Haitian roots, their influence on its contemporary manifestations, and the political fears and desires enacted by it, her project demonstrates that the zombie is a potent figure that represents an alternative mode of existence between the absolutes of living under white patriarchal capitalism and being “dead,” or irrelevant, to that society.
Chera received her B.A. from Oklahoma City University, where she majored in Mass Communications and Asian Studies and minored in Chinese language studies. There, she was a tutor in the school’s Learning Enhancement Center and a conversation partner for ESL students. At Harvard University, Chera obtained an A.M. in the Regional Studies—East Asia program. She also acted as a Teaching Fellow for a semester in the Anthropology department and was awarded a Certificate of Distinction in Teaching for her work there. Chera next received a Master’s degree from the Critical Studies department at USC, where she is currently working on her Ph.D. She has been a Teaching Assistant in that department for the past three years and was last year’s recipient of their Award for Excellence in Teaching.