David E. Chinitz

David E. Chinitz is a Professor of English and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at Loyola University Chicago, where he has served as Department Chair (2018–2024) and holds roles in AAUP and Phi Beta Kappa chapters. His research focuses on modernist poetry, particularly intersections with jazz, journalism, and drama, with emphasis on T.S. Eliot and Langston Hughes. He co-directs Modernist Networks (ModNets), a digital humanities consortium.

Education:

• BA in Mathematics and English, Amherst College (1984)
• MS in Applied Mathematics, Brown University (1985)
• PhD in English and Comparative Literature, Columbia University (1993)

Research Interests: Modernism, Poetry, T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes, Harlem Renaissance, Popular Culture. He explores cultural hybridity, authenticity in artistic identity, and interdisciplinary modernist studies.

Key Publications: His books include T.S. Eliot and the Cultural Divide (2003), Which Sin to Bear? Authenticity and Compromise in Langston Hughes (2013), and edited volumes like A Companion to Modernist Poetry (2014). His annotated edition of Eliot’s WWII-era prose won the MLA Prize for a Scholarly Edition (2019).

Awards:

• MLA Prize for a Scholarly Edition (2019)
• NEH Digital Humanities Startup Grant (2013)
• American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship (2012)
• NEH Fellowship (2008)

Service & Leadership: President of Modernist Studies Association (2013–14), International T.S. Eliot Society (2010–12; Treasurer since 2016). At Loyola, he directed the English graduate program (2000–05) and led AAUP and Phi Beta Kappa chapters.

Labs/Initiatives: Co-founded Modernist Networks (ModNets), bridging digital humanities and modernist studies, reflecting his background in applied mathematics and programming.