Biography

Erin DiCesare studies the role of reality television in popular culture, recently expanding her research to include baseball and popular culture and holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Humanities from Florida State University. Her current research focuses on the impact of the Negro Leagues in Baseball and the social activism of past and current major league players.

She currently serves as the program coordinator for the Interdisciplinary Studies major at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C, where she is also a Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies. She was appointed as the Director of Global Education and Engagement in February 2024 and is helping expand study abroad experiences and learning opportunities for students. 

A continued research focus for Dr. DiCesare is the use of digital tools in the Charlotte region’s escalating human trafficking problem. She is interested in both building awareness and in helping find ways to protect potentially vulnerable populations from becoming victims of human trafficking. She has conducted various community lectures on trafficking at both Johnson C. Smith University and The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In October 2023 she was selected to participate in the Department of Transportation Task Force’s Research and Data Subcommittee to help combat and address human trafficking within various transportation sectors. The final report will be presented to Congress in November 2024. 

Dr. DiCesare is a native of New York and first moved to North Carolina at the age of eight. Since her arrival at Johnson C. Smith University, she has grown the Interdisciplinary Studies Department, which previously had four majors, to a budding program that fosters over 40 majors, and which has expanded to include an online program for adult learners. Her students have successfully matriculated to various graduate programs at NYU, Syracuse, San Fransisco State, Temple University and Howard University.