Mark Jerng

Mark Jerng is a Professor in the Department of English at the University of California, Davis, where he has been a faculty member since 2006. His academic work bridges literary studies, critical race theory, and cultural analysis, with a focus on Asian American literature, science fiction, and narrative theory.

Education:

• Ph.D., Harvard University, 2006
• B.A. in English, Princeton University, 1998

His research investigates how genres such as science fiction, plantation romance, and alternate history structure racial perception and worldmaking. He explores the intersections of race, kinship, adoption, and law through narrative forms, especially in transnational and diasporic contexts. His work is deeply interdisciplinary, engaging with legal studies, bioethics, and cultural theory.

His recent publications reflect a sustained engagement with speculative fiction and racial counterfactuals. He analyzes how popular genres shape racial ideologies, from plantation romances to futuristic war narratives. His scholarship consistently centers African American and Asian American authors, particularly Samuel Delany and Chang-rae Lee, to interrogate norms of personhood and belonging.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• Co-Director, Mellon Research Initiative on Racial Capitalism (2017–2020)
• Lead PI, UC-HBCU Initiative Grant (2015–2018)
• UC Center for New Racial Studies Research Grant (2012–2013)
• UC-Davis Faculty Development Award (2009–2010)
• Davis Humanities Institute Fellow (2007–2008)
• Harvard University Graduate Society Dissertation Completion Fellowship (2005–2006)
• Jacob K. Javits Fellowship (1999–2004)
• Honorary Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship (1999)
• Phi Beta Kappa (1998)

Mark Jerng has been actively involved in academic leadership and mentoring. As Co-Director of the Mellon Research Initiative on Racial Capitalism, he helped shape interdisciplinary research on race and political economy. His grant leadership, including the UC-HBCU Initiative, demonstrates a commitment to equity and collaboration across institutions. He teaches a wide range of courses on race, literature, and narrative, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and is affiliated with the Davis Humanities Institute.

He is associated with research groups and initiatives focused on racial capitalism and new racial studies, contributing to collaborative scholarly environments that foster critical dialogue and innovation.