Bio
Dr. Hawkins is a Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor of United States History in the Department of History. She earned an MPhil and a PhD in US History and the Atlantic World from New York University. Her dissertation examined the trans-imperial food trade that linked Spanish Florida and the British colonies of the North American Southeast, as well as New York, during the 18th-century. Her research focuses on the ways food circulated across political and cultural boundaries of these often-rival empires, shaping colonial economies, trans-imperial relations, and everyday life.
At FIU, she teaches courses on US history, with an emphasis on helping students connect major themes in American history to global contexts and broader cultural frameworks. In addition to her academic work, she writes about food history and culture for public audiences, making historical research accessible beyond the classroom.
Dr. Hawkins has deep roots in the FIU community, where she earned a BA in History. She also worked in the Department of Religious Studies and as the administrator of the office of the Faculty Senate before leaving to pursue her doctoral education.