Ryan R. Hediger

Ryan R. Hediger is a Professor and Undergraduate Studies Coordinator in the Department of English at Kent State University. His research focuses on U.S. literature, environmental humanities, posthumanism, and the intersections of animal studies with ecocriticism. He serves on the editorial advisory board of The Hemingway Review and has published extensively in transdisciplinary journals.

His scholarly works include the monograph Homesickness: Posthumanism, Eco-cosmopolitanism, and the Desire for Place in the U.S. (2019), which examines homesickness in works by authors like Marilynne Robinson and Toni Morrison, and the edited volume Animals and War (2013). Current projects include editing Planet Work: Rethinking Labor and Leisure in the Anthropocene.

Dr. Hediger’s teaching philosophy emphasizes transformative encounters with texts through collaborative inquiry, fostering critical engagement with cultural and environmental issues. His research often bridges literary analysis with ecological and ethical questions, particularly regarding human-animal relationships and environmental crises.

Publications span topics such as Hemingway’s ecological symbolism, animal agency in conflict contexts, and the role of sport in vulnerability narratives. His work consistently engages with transdisciplinary frameworks to address contemporary challenges in environmental and posthumanist studies.