SEDRICK A. MILES, Ph.D.

Global Community Engagement Consultant & Scholar-Practitioner

Location: Bennettsville, SC / Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Email: sedrickmiles@gmail.com Website: www.sedmiles.com
Phone: +1.843.608.8738 (US) | +55.71.99216.0293 (Brazil)

Community Engaged Scholar

Scholar-practitioner uniquely positioned to enhance university engagement through proven Community Engaged Scholarship (CES) expertise. Founded and directs Atlantic Archives Global Education, an international institution delivering university-equivalent programming across three continents with a focus on cultural preservation, social relations, and contemporary political analysis.

Offers universities immediate access to:

Established international partnerships with Brazilian cultural institutions, social movements, and academic networks
Proven methodology for digital humanities and critical archival studies focused on cultural memory and social relations
Ready-to-implement curricula bridging historical analysis with contemporary political developments
Existing networks of cultural practitioners and social researchers across global communities
Demonstrated ability to secure external funding for cultural preservation and social research projects

Academic Distinction: Ph.D. research in transnational community development, positioning scholarship at the cutting edge of digital humanities, cultural studies, and contemporary social movement analysis. Fulbright Scholar and David L. Boren Fellow with published research and international conference leadership spanning Brazil, Asia, West Africa, and U.S. cultural and social networks. Mellon Foundation-supported community-engaged scholarship demonstrates proven ability to bridge academic rigor with transformative community impact through collaborative projects across three continents.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Adjunct Lecturer | James Madison University | August 2025 - Present

Instructor of Record, teaching Latin American Studies with a focus on Brazil-U.S. comparative analysis, cultural preservation, and contemporary social movements
Developed innovative curricula bridging historical analysis with current political developments
Delivered engaging coursework on transnational Afro-diasporic studies and digital humanities methodologies

FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR

Atlantic Archives Global Education | 2018-Present

Institution Overview: International educational organization delivering university-equivalent programming across Brazil, the United States, and Ghana, with partnerships spanning academic, cultural, and governmental sectors.

Key Achievements:

Created fellowship and youth leadership pipelines focused on cultural preservation and social justice, using insights from prestigious U.S. international fellowships
Designed and facilitated 20+ international convenings, fostering partnerships between universities, cultural organizations, and social movement leaders
Led dispersed research teams across time zones, delivering high-impact cultural documentation and social analysis projects on schedule and within budget
Partnered with educational institutions in Brazil and the U.S. to co-design culturally responsive programming for first-generation and historically marginalized students

STRATEGY & KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT OFFICER

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving | 2013-2016

Led participatory grantmaking initiatives on educational disparities in Hartford, CT
Developed internal learning systems to assess program impact, stakeholder engagement, and strategic alignment
Provided responsive support to internal teams and community partners, resolving digital access and production issues
Advised executive leadership on strategies to enhance organizational learning and community-driven philanthropy

FELLOW: STRATEGY PHILANTHROPY

The Proteus Fund | 2012-2013

Designed and implemented participatory knowledge management strategies
Collaborated with stakeholders to develop equity-driven frameworks for grantmaking and community engagement
Contributed to year-long fellowship program design aimed at cultivating leaders of color in philanthropy

CURRICULUM VITAE & UNIVERSITY TEACHING PORTFOLIO

ACADEMIC SUMMARY

Scholar-Practitioner in Community Engaged Scholarship with Institutional Impact

Sedrick Miles represents the next generation of academic leadership, combining rigorous scholarship in Latin American Studies and Digital Humanities with groundbreaking institutional innovation. Through Atlantic Archives Global Education, he provides universities with immediate access to established international research collaborations, proven pedagogical methodologies, and sustainable community partnerships that exemplify the highest standards of Community-Engaged Scholarship.

Research Excellence: Dissertation research in transnational insurgent Black visual archives employs critical archival methodologies and Black feminist theoretical frameworks, contributing original scholarship to digital humanities and Afro-diasporic studies. Collaborative research projects document Brazilian scholar perspectives on everyday acts of resistance, cultural memory, and contemporary social movements, positioning work at the intersection of historical analysis and current political events.

Pedagogical Innovation: 500+ documented teaching hours demonstrate exceptional ability to connect historical analysis with contemporary social relations and current political developments. Curriculum design integrates digital humanities tools, cross-cultural dialogue, and critical examination of social movements, preparing students to understand complex cultural dynamics and engage with contemporary political realities.

Institutional Value: Brings established partnerships with Claflin College, James Madison University, Drexel University, and the Community College of Philadelphia, plus extensive networks across Brazilian academic and cultural institutions. Offers immediate opportunities for international program development, student exchange, and collaborative research initiatives.

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Latin American Studies | Tulane University | August 2025
Concentration: Brazil-U.S. Relations

M.A. in Research Psychology | New School University, New York, NY | 2002
Emphasis: Research Methods, Culture, and Academic Performance

B.A. in Educational Psychology | Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA | 2000
Emphasis: Social Psychology, Education

RESEARCH & ACADEMIC INTERESTS

Black Diaspora and Latin American Studies: Brazil-U.S. comparative analysis of social relations, cultural exchange, and contemporary social movements

Digital Humanities: Archival preservation and multimedia documentation focusing on cultural memory and resistance narratives

Critical Archival Studies: Community-based digital preservation, epistemic resistance methodologies, and transnational diasporic visual archives documenting social movements and cultural practices

Applied Linguistics: Portuguese language instruction and cross-cultural communication as tools for understanding social relations and cultural dynamics

Contemporary Political Analysis: Democratic institutions, civil society development, and current political events across the Black Atlantic

Cultural Studies: Heritage preservation, ritual practices, and the intersection of traditional culture with contemporary social movements

UNIVERSITY TEACHING EXPERIENCE

FORMAL UNIVERSITY INSTRUCTION

LAXC 252 General: Intro to Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies

James Madison University | August 2025 - Present | Instructor of Record

LAST 1010: Introduction to Latin American Studies I
Tulane University | Fall 2017 | Instructor of Record

PhD FIELDWORK-BASED UNIVERSITY-LEVEL INSTRUCTION (2019-2025)

Portuguese Language & Cross-Cultural Communication
Community-centered Portuguese language program emphasizing cultural immersion, understanding social relations, and developing skills for cross-cultural dialogue and historical analysis.

Student Population: Study abroad groups, cultural researchers, social workers, academic researchers focusing on Brazilian culture (40+ participants annually)

Digital Archives & Cultural Memory
Comprehensive training in digital preservation of cultural artifacts, oral histories, and community memories, with a focus on Brazilian religious practices and social movements.

International Cultural Studies & Social Relations
Advanced seminar examining cultural practices, social movements, and historical continuities across the Atlantic, with emphasis on contemporary political developments and their historical roots.

Research Methods & Data Collection
Comprehensive training in qualitative research methods, data collection techniques, and scholarly publication for social science research.

Media Production & Professional Communication
Professional media production training emphasizing journalism, digital content creation, and multilingual communication for international audiences.

Cultural Heritage & Community Tourism
Examination of cultural heritage preservation and community-based tourism as tools for maintaining cultural identity while engaging contemporary social and political challenges.

FELLOWSHIPS & AWARDS

ACADEMIC PRESENTATIONS

2026 | 16th Annual AAAD Interdisciplinary Conference, Sanctuary: Sites of Survival and Spontaneity. Presented conference paper, “Cartographies of Flight: The Bahian Space Program as the Final Wave of Pan-African Sanctuary,” James Madison University, February 2026.

2025 | James Madison University 15th Annual African, African American, and African Diaspora Studies Conference | February 2025
Speaker & International Programming Coordinator

Featured Presentation: "Special Plenary Diaspora Dialogues: Linked Fates Across the Black Atlantic: On Black Solidarities in Brazil and in the U.S."

Panel Organization: "On the Politics of Quilombismo"

Featured international researchers and cultural professionals
Multi-day programming integrating international perspectives with U.S. scholarship
Formal academic partnership development between institutions

2019 | "Transnational Dialogues USA/Brazil" Tenth Biennial Conference of the Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora (ASWAD) - College of William & Mary

2018 | "Working-Class Comparative Approaches to Race in Brazil and the United States" Brazilian Studies Association - BRASA XIV Congress Rio De Janeiro

2017 | "Working Class Dialogues Among Afro Brazilians and African Americans" Latin American Studies Association LASA 2017 International Congress – Dialogos de Saberes, Lima, Peru

PUBLICATIONS & RESEARCH

Forthcoming Publications

"From Extraction to Co-Creation: Fellowship-as-Commons as Transdisciplinary Tool in Salvador, Bahia" | Journal Article under revision for Alternautas, 2026

Theorizes fellowship-as-commons as methodological intervention redistributing material, authorial, and infrastructural capital, grounded in Lélia Gonzalez's Amefricanidade, Latin American participatory action research, and critical community archives scholarship

"Visual Ancestralities: Material Memory and Digital Archives in Afro-Brazilian Terreiros" | Journal Article in preparation, 2025
Employs concepts of epistemic resistance, sacred futurity, and refusal of cultural erasure, grounded in Black feminist theoretical frameworks and critical archival methodologies

"Building Transnational Insurgent Black Archives" | NACLA Report on the Americas
DOI: 10.1080/10714839.2022.2084998

"The Colorful Tradition of Mardi Gras Indians" | Fashioning The Self Magazine, 2018

Editorial Leadership

Editor-in-Chief, Kora Journal | 2024-2025
Multilingual publication featuring cultural and international perspectives on culture and politics

Professional Writing

Contributor to The Hub News (https://thehub.news/author/sed-miles/)
Cultural Analysis: Brazil-U.S. social relations and contemporary cultural movements
Historical Commentary: Afro-diasporic cultural practices and their contemporary significance

INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Global Conference Participation

AWID Global Feminism Conference | December 2024 | Bangkok, Thailand

Cultural preservation and social movement analysis specialist
International collaboration on social relations and cultural heritage projects

Academic Partnerships

Drexel University Ubuntu Center: Language and cultural studies in Brazil collaboration
Community College of Philadelphia: Virtual cultural exchange programs
Federal University of Bahia Brazil: International cultural studies and collaboration
Claflin College: Group exchange and lectures on Brazil-U.S. social relations and cultural movements

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Languages: English, Portuguese

Digital Platforms: Database management, digital archival systems, multimedia production

Research Methods: Qualitative analysis, survey design, statistical analysis

Business Development: Strategic planning, international marketing, partnership development