About
Pericles Lewis is the Douglas Tracy Smith Professor of Comparative Literature and Professor of English at Yale University, serving as Dean of Yale College since 2022. He holds dual citizenship in the United States and Canada. Lewis earned his B.A. (1990) from McGill University and Ph.D. (1997) from Stanford University, joining Yale’s faculty in 1998 as an assistant professor. His research explores how literary forms evolve amid social, political, and existential changes, with a focus on early 20th-century modernist writers.
- Education:
- B.A. (English Literature), McGill University, 1990
- A.M. (Comparative Literature), Stanford University, 1991
- Ph.D. (Comparative Literature), Stanford University, 1997
Research interests include modernist literature, global liberal education, and the social contexts of literary innovation. Lewis has edited major anthologies like the Norton Anthology of World Literature and is currently writing a book on liberal education. His administrative roles include founding president of Yale-NUS College (2012–2017) and Yale’s vice president for global strategy (2017–2022).
His articles and books analyze themes like modernism’s religious dimensions, global education models, and the evolution of liberal arts curricula. Awards include Yale’s Graduate Mentor Award (2004) for advising 14 doctoral students. As dean, Lewis emphasizes student well-being, residential life, and curricular innovation.
Labs/Teams: Leads the Modernism Lab at Yale, focusing on digital humanities and modernist studies.
