Michael Pifer

Michael Pifer is the Marie Manoogian Professor of Armenian Language and Literature at the University of Michigan, affiliated with the Department of Middle East Studies and multiple institutes including the Center for Armenian Studies and CREES. He holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan (2014), recognized with prestigious awards such as the ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award and three Hopwood Awards for creative non-fiction.

His research focuses on medieval Armenian cultural production, emphasizing cross-cultural exchanges with Persian, Turkish, and other adjacent traditions. Central themes include multilingualism, mixed-script writing, and cultural entanglements in premodern Eurasia. Current projects include participation in the ERC-funded 'Armenia Entangled' initiative, exploring cultural interactions across the Armenian plateau from the 9th to 14th centuries.

Teaching interests span Armenian history, language, and literature, as well as cosmopolitanism, representation of trauma, and borderland studies. Notable courses include '20th Century Armenian Cinema' and 'Kim Kardashian and the Armenian Experience.'

• Affiliations: Middle East Studies, Center for Armenian Studies, CREES, Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia
• Grants: European Research Council (ERC) funding for 'Armenia Entangled' project

Publications include Kindred Voices: A Literary History of Medieval Anatolia (Yale UP, 2021) and co-edited volumes such as An Armenian Mediterranean (Palgrave, 2018). His work bridges literary analysis with historical context, redefining understandings of Armenian cultural agency in Mediterranean and Eurasian contexts.