Avital Ronell

Avital Ronell holds dual academic appointments as the Jacques Derrida Chair and Professor of Philosophy at The European Graduate School / EGS, and University Professor of the Humanities and Professor of German, Comparative Literature, and English at New York University. Born in Prague to Israeli diplomats in 1952, she emigrated to New York in 1956 and has maintained an influential academic career spanning multiple institutions including the University of Virginia, University of California campuses, and her current positions since 1995.

Ronell's research transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries, engaging deeply with literary studies, philosophy, feminist theory, technology, psychoanalysis, and deconstruction. Her work is characterized by a distinctive approach to language materiality, where words "go AWOL" from referential duties, creating textual noise that challenges foundational meaning structures. She is particularly known for tracking concepts until they exceed their own definitions, as seen in works like The Telephone Book and Stupidity, where she explores the "weaker neighborhoods of thought" that resist secured meaning.

• Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung Fellowship (1981-1983)
• American Cultures Fellowship (1991)
• Research Fellow Award (1993)
• University of California's President's Fellowship (1995-1996)
• Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture

Ronell has served as chair of divisions at the Modern Language Association (1993-1996) and was invited by Centre Pompidou for conference performances in 2009. Her recent lectures through 2025, including "America: The Troubled Continent of Thought" and "Unfriending the Gods: An American Shakeout," continue her exploration of authority, technology, and contemporary thought. She maintains a critical distinction between "destruction" as a "critical clearing" pledged to the future versus "devastation" as a fundamental shutdown, positioning her work at the vital intersection of ethics, deconstruction, and political theory in our postfoundational era.