Michael Lucey is the Sidney and Margaret Ancker Chair and Distinguished Professor of French and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. His work bridges French literature from the 19th to 21st centuries with social theory, sexuality studies, and linguistic anthropology. He has authored the critically acclaimed What Proust Heard: Novels and the Ethnography of Talk (2022) and Thinking about Sexuality with Novels (forthcoming). As founding director of the Center for the Study of Sexual Culture , he has shaped interdisciplinary research in queer theory and gender studies. Current research focuses on novels as ethnographic tools Specializes in Proust, Balzac, Woolf, and contemporary French fiction Translation work includes Didier Eribon and Édouard Louis His recent articles explore phonetics in narrative, readability frameworks, and sociological implications of literary form. He actively engages with comparative methodologies and critical theory, while his teaching spans British and American literature’s intersections with French modernism. Lucey’s academic leadership includes directing Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Sexual Culture, which supports global discourse through fellowships and conferences. His office hours are held in Dwinelle Hall and via Zoom. Contact: mlucey@berkeley.edu
Jessica Straley is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Utah, where she has served since 2005 (Visiting Assistant Professor 2005-2007, Assistant Professor 2007-2016, Associate Professor 2016-present). She holds a PhD in English from Stanford University, an MA in Literature, Culture, and Modernity from Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, and a BA in English from Cornell University. Education: PhD, English - Stanford University MA, Literature, Culture, and Modernity - Queen Mary and Westfield College BA, English - Cornell University Her research focuses on intersections between Victorian literature, children's literature, animal studies, disability studies, and ecocriticism. She explores how literary imagination interacts with scientific and moral discourses, particularly in 19th-century contexts. Recent publications analyze feral child narratives, zoo representations, and evolutionary theory in children's texts. Her work bridges historical literary analysis with contemporary critical frameworks like disability rights and environmental ethics. Scientific Awards: Faculty Fellowship Award (University Research Council, 2017) Ramona W. Cannon Award for Teaching Excellence (2016) Tanner Humanities Center Fellowship (2016) University Research Committee Faculty Fellowship (2011) Newberry Library Short-Term Library Research Fellowship (2008) She teaches courses in 19th-Century British Literature, Intellectual Movements, and Honors Thesis/Project supervision. Her external grant (Animal Testing URC, 2017-2018) demonstrates institutional support for her interdisciplinary work.
Matthew Potolsky is Professor of English at the University of Utah, specializing in nineteenth-century literature and literary theory. His career spans from 1998 Lecturer at Harvard University to current University Professorship. He earned a BA in Comparative Literature and Philosophy (1990), followed by MA and PhD in Comparative Literature (1992, 1997) from UC Irvine. Chair of English Department (2013-2016) University Professor (2014-2016) Research focuses on Decadence , Mimesis , Finance-Aesthetics intersections , and Government Secrecy . His work traces connections between financialization and decadent aesthetics, revealing how economic cycles influence artistic production. Key themes include: Decadent anti-realist literary movements Finance capital's cultural impact Decadent counterpublic formations Victorian aesthetic education debates Sublime aesthetics in national security Cosmopolitanism in literary communities Recent publications analyze: Decadent style as financialization rhetoric Reintroduction of verisimilitude theory Decadent responses to financial crises Mimetic labor in artistic production Decadent cosmopolitan counterpublics Historical parallels between financialization and literary decadence
Andrea Selleri is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English Literature at Bilkent University, where he joined in September 2020. He holds a BA and MA from the University of Trieste and a PhD from the University of Warwick. His research focuses on the intersections between British literature, criticism, and philosophy in the long nineteenth century, with particular attention to authorship, aesthetics, and interdisciplinary approaches. Dr. Selleri has published extensively on Victorian literature and its philosophical contexts, including a monograph exploring the evolution of authorship concepts and co-editing Literary Studies and the Philosophy of Literature (Palgrave, 2016). His recent work includes a three-volume critical edition, Literature and Philosophy in Nineteenth-Century British Culture (Routledge, 2024), which compiles annotated primary sources. At Bilkent, he teaches courses such as ELIT 246 (Drama and Performance) , ELIT 366 (Victorian Literature) , and ELIT 458 (Literature and Philosophy in Nineteenth-Century British Culture) . He coordinates the Philosophy and Literature Colloquia series and serves as a review editor for the Journal of Victorian Culture . His research interests span literary history, modern literatures in English, French, Spanish, and Italian, and the philosophy of literature. Current projects include studies on free will in Victorian fiction and the legacy of Romantic authorship in formalist aesthetics.
Jiwon Min serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Emory University, teaching undergraduate courses including ENG 185 Writing and Inquiry in the Liberal Arts and ENG 256 Survey of English Literature since 1660. Her academic position places her within Emory's humanities division with direct responsibility for literary curriculum development and student mentorship. Her educational foundation includes: BA in English Literature from Seoul National University (2003) MA in English Literature from Seoul National University (2007) PhD in English from Louisiana State University (2021) Dr. Min's research interrogates the intersection of Victorian-era literature with contemporary ecological crises through decolonial frameworks. She specializes in EcoGothic studies, examining how 19th-century texts like Mary Shelley's The Last Man encode environmental anxiety and colonial violence. Her work bridges literary analysis with climate discourse, emphasizing global perspectives and non-Western epistemologies in Victorian scholarship. Particular focus areas include pestilential colonialism, weather weirding narratives, and the rhetoric of empire in periodical literature. Analysis of her publications and 12 conference presentations since 2020 reveals consistent engagement with environmental humanities and global Victorian studies. Her scholarship demonstrates how historical literary representations of ecological disruption inform modern climate discourse, particularly through decolonial reinterpretations of Gothic and nature writing traditions. The recurring emphasis on Korean Victorianist perspectives highlights transnational scholarly networks and challenges Eurocentric academic frameworks.
Marc Redfield holds the Florence Pirce Grant University Professorship in English and Comparative Literature at Brown University, with additional appointments in German Studies. He previously taught at the Université de Genève and Claremont Graduate University. His work bridges literature and philosophy across British, American, French, and German traditions, with a focus on Romanticism and interdisciplinary studies. Education: Studied at Yale and Cornell universities. Research interests include literary theory, aesthetics, and the intersections of literature with philosophy. Major awards include the MLA First Book Prize for Phantom Formations . Editorial contributions include special issues of Diacritics , Romantic Praxis , and The Wordsworth Circle . His edited volumes include Legacies of Paul de Man and co-edited collections on cultural studies and critical theory.
Roger Luckhurst is Professor of Modern Literature and currently holds the prestigious Geoffrey Tillotson Chair of Nineteenth Century Studies at Birkbeck College, University of London. A leading scholar in Gothic literature, science fiction, and trauma studies, he has been affiliated with Birkbeck for over 25 years, contributing significantly to interdisciplinary literary and cultural studies. Education and Career Trajectory: 2020-present: Geoffrey Tillotson Chair of Nineteenth Century Studies, Birkbeck College 2008-2020: Professor of Modern and Contemporary Literature, Birkbeck College 2004-2008: Senior Lecturer, Birkbeck College 1994-2004: Lecturer, Birkbeck College 1992-1994: Lecturer, University of Hull Research Interests and Scholarly Contributions: Luckhurst's research spans multiple interconnected fields, establishing him as a preeminent voice in literary and cultural studies. His work on late 19th century English literature examines the intersections of Victorian culture with emerging scientific discourses. His expertise in science fiction studies encompasses both literary analysis and cultural theory, exploring how speculative fiction reflects and shapes contemporary anxieties. In Gothic studies , he investigates the persistence of Gothic aesthetics and themes across different media and historical periods. His groundbreaking work in trauma studies has contributed significantly to understanding how literature and culture process collective trauma. Publications and Scholarly Impact: His extensive publication record demonstrates a remarkable breadth of scholarly inquiry. From his early work on J.G. Ballard to his recent comprehensive study of Gothic culture, Luckhurst has consistently produced influential scholarship. His books have been translated into multiple languages including French, Japanese, Turkish, and German, indicating significant international impact. His forthcoming The Gothic: An Illustrated History (2021) promises to be a definitive work in the field. Honors and Awards: 2009: Visiting Research Fellow, University of Birmingham 2009: Visiting Research Fellow, Flemish Academic Centre for Science and the Arts (VLAC), Brussels January-June 2011: AHRC Fellowship, Birkbeck College Spring 2016: Mellon Distinguished Visiting Professor, Department of English, Columbia University, New York Public Engagement and Media Presence: Beyond academia, Luckhurst has demonstrated exceptional commitment to public scholarship. He has served as a broadcaster for BBC radio, bringing literary criticism to wider audiences. His journalism has appeared in leading British newspapers, bridging the gap between academic research and public discourse. This dual role as academic and public intellectual exemplifies Birkbeck's tradition of making scholarship accessible to broader communities. Interdisciplinary Approach and Institutional Contributions: At Birkbeck College, Luckhurst has been instrumental in fostering the institution's renowned culture of interdisciplinary studies. His work seamlessly integrates literary analysis with cultural theory, film studies, architectural history, and scientific discourse. This approach has influenced generations of students and scholars, establishing Birkbeck as a leading center for innovative literary and cultural research.
Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyUnited States
Lauren M.E. Goodlad is a Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Rutgers University, serving as Chair of Critical AI @ Rutgers and Editor of the journal Critical AI . She holds affiliations with the Center for Cultural Analysis (CCA), Rutgers British Studies Center, and Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science. Her research bridges 19th-century studies and critical AI, emphasizing 'critical AI literacies' and ethical AI development. Goodlad has held roles like Associate Chair of English and membership in Rutgers' AI Advisory Council and CASS (Cyberinfrastructure for Science, Engineering & Society). Her education includes a BSILR from Cornell University, MA in English from NYU, and PhD in English from Columbia University. Notable grants include NEH funding for global AI workshops ('Unboxing AI'), an NSF planning grant on teaching writing with AI, and an upcoming Global Humanities Institute on Design Justice AI. Research interests span Victorian literature, genre theory, television studies, and AI's sociocultural impacts. Awards include University of Illinois' Kathryn Paul Professorial Scholar and Provost Fellow for Undergraduate Education. Current projects include a book on 19th-century fiction's ontological influence and collaborations on AI ethics frameworks. Publications include The Victorian Geopolitical Aesthetic (Oxford, 2015), co-edited special issues on Mad Men and Victorian Internationalisms , and recent critical AI essays in Critical AI and New Literary History . She advocates for AI development aligned with public interest through pedagogical innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Imogen Forbes-Macphail is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Davis, specializing in the interdisciplinary intersections of nineteenth-century British poetry and mathematical thought. Her current book project, Line and Number: Formal Problems in Nineteenth-Century Poetry and Mathematics , examines how Victorian poets and mathematicians engaged with analogous formal challenges. Victorian Poetry Caucus Representative, North American Victorian Studies Association Co-Editor (with Anna Henchman), Special Issue of Nineteenth-Century Gender Studies on women’s writing and scientific knowledge production (“Longing to Know”) Research Focus: Forbes-Macphail’s work bridges literary formalism and historical scientific methodologies, particularly exploring topics like computational proof, topological poetics, and the mysticism inherent in Victorian-era mathematical and poetic discourse. Her interdisciplinary approach highlights how mathematical concepts influenced poetic structures and vice versa. Scientific Contributions: Her publications span analyses of the Four-Color Theorem, Ada Lovelace’s literary-scientific legacy, and the gendered dynamics of 19th-century knowledge production. Key trends include the aestheticization of mathematical rigor, the role of formalism in shaping Victorian intellectual paradigms, and crossdisciplinary epistemological inquiries. Honorable Mention, “Expanding the Field” Essay Prize, Northeast Victorian Studies Association (2022) Susan Morgan Graduate Student Essay Prize, Interdisciplinary Nineteenth-Century Studies (2019) Sally Mitchell Prize, North American Victorian Studies Association (2018) Honorable Mention, Susan Morgan Graduate Student Essay Prize (2018) Sussex-Samuel Prize, Australasian Universities Language and Literature Association (2013) Forbes-Macphail’s teaching includes courses such as ENL 164: Writing Science Publications , emphasizing the synthesis of scientific and literary communication. She previously held a Junior Fellowship at the Harvard Society of Fellows (2022–25), underscoring her prominence in Victorian studies.
Professor Helena Sanson is a Full Professor of Italian, History of Linguistics, and Women's Studies at the University of Cambridge , where she is also a Fellow of Clare College and serves as Postgraduate Teaching and Examining Officer for the Italian Section. She joined Cambridge in 2005 after teaching at University College London (1998-2003) following her British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship. PhD from University of Reading (2002) Her interdisciplinary research focuses on the intersection of Italian linguistic history , literary culture , and gender studies from the Renaissance to post-Unification period. Particular emphasis includes women's contributions to linguistic thought , conduct literature analysis , and female roles in translation networks . Her work examines how women navigated language standardization, educational access, and literary production across social strata. Recent projects include Leverhulme-funded research on women's linguistic experiences in 18th-19th century Italy and co-edited volumes on transnational travelers' accounts and early modern female education . She founded the Women and Gender in Italy (1500-1900) book series and the journal Women Language Literature in Italy . Scientific awards include: British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship Leverhulme Research Fellowship Philip Leverhulme Prize CRASSH Early Career Fellowship Isaac Newton Trust grant Senior Visiting Fellowship at University of Bologna She supervises graduate research in topics spanning women's writing , linguistic thought , translation history , and cultural marginalization in 16th-20th century Italy. Her work bridges philology, literary criticism, and social history through rigorous textual analysis.
Lyndsay Campbell is a Professor at the University of Calgary, cross-appointed between the Faculty of Law and the Department of History in the Faculty of Arts. Her work bridges Canadian and American legal history, comparative law, and constitutional studies. Ph.D., Jurisprudence and Social Policy, University of California, Berkeley (2008) Master of Law, University of British Columbia (1999) J.D., University of British Columbia (1995) M.A., English Literature, University of Toronto (1991) B.A., English Literature, University of British Columbia (1990) Campbell's research focuses on Canadian and American legal history , libel law , constitutionalism , and imperial legalities . Her work examines intersections between legal and extralegal regulatory strategies, comparative approaches to law, and 19th-century Canadian constitutionalism. Current projects include an edited collection on Legal Histories of Empire with Shaunnagh Dorsett. Her publications analyze legal histories of censorship , racial justice in law , and gender-related legal frameworks . Recent work includes the 2022 monograph Truth and Privilege and the 2020 co-edited open-access volume Canada’s Legal Past . Fellow, Constitutional Law and History Program, University of California, Berkeley (2008) William Nelson Cromwell Fellowship in Legal History (2007) Dean's Normative Time Fellowship, UC Berkeley (2004) Regents Intern Fellowship (2001) Osgoode Society Legal History Prize (1998) SSHRC doctoral fellowship (1997) Campbell teaches courses in Canadian and American history, legal theory, and the undergraduate Law and Society program. She previously practiced law in British Columbia and clerked for justices at the British Columbia Court of Appeal.
Royal Holloway, University of LondonUnited Kingdom
Mark Berry is a Professor of Music & Intellectual History at Royal Holloway, University of London. He holds a BA, MPhil, and PhD from the University of Cambridge, and was a Fellow of Peterhouse (2001–2009). His research bridges Music, History, and Philosophy, with focuses on Wagner, Schoenberg, Mozart, and Modernism. He has authored influential books like Treacherous Bonds and Laughing Fire and Arnold Schoenberg , receiving the Prince Consort Prize and Seeley Medal. Education: Bachelor of Arts (History), University of Cambridge MPhil and PhD (Music/History), University of Cambridge Dr. Berry’s research integrates interdisciplinary approaches, exploring topics such as German idealism, Marxism, and the intersection of music with politics, theology, and art. His work includes studies on 18th- and 20th-century composers, opera, and modernist music drama. Recent projects involve a two-volume analysis of Mozart’s operas within Enlightenment contexts. Awards: Prince Consort Prize Seeley Medal Advising & Grants: Supervised doctoral topics ranging from Berlioz’s aesthetics to social media marketing in music. Recipient of a British Academy grant for Arnold Schoenberg and Intellectual Biography (2017). Labs/Teams: Maintains the blog Boulezian , contributes to The Wagner Journal , and collaborates on editorial projects like Cambridge Companion to Wagner’s Ring .
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUnited States
Professor Jeanne Moskal holds a faculty position in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She specializes in 18th- and 19th-century British literature, critical theory, and the intersection of literature with religion, medicine, and science fiction. Her research includes seminal works on Mary Shelley, including editing Shelley’s travel writings for the definitive edition of her works, and co-editing Teaching British Women Writers, 1750-1900 . Education: 1984 PhD English, University of Washington, Seattle 1982 MA English, University of Washington, Seattle 1978 BA English, Santa Clara University Her current research project, Secularization & Jane Eyre, 1930-2000 , explores how adaptations of Charlotte Brontë’s novel reflect 20th-century secularization debates. She has curated notable exhibitions, including the 2018 Reconstructing Frankenstein’s Monster at UNC’s Wilson Library. Teaching and Mentoring: A屡获殊荣的导师，她指导了13名博士生，其中9人获得终身教职或终身教职轨道职位。 Her teaching portfolio includes courses on Jane Austen, science fiction, Romanticism, and post-secularism theory. Research Grants: 2005/06 NEH Fellowship for University Teachers 2007 ACLS Course Development Grant 2014 Mellon Foundation Book Manuscript Workshop Awards: 2016 UNC最高教学奖终身成就奖 2013 Carolina Women’s Leadership Council研究生指导奖
Dr. Apala Das is a Research Fellow at Bilkent University, specializing in 20th-century global anglophone literatures, modernist poetry and poetics, and postsecularism studies. Her academic work bridges postcolonial theory, South Asian literatures, and political theology within transnational frameworks. Her educational background includes a PhD from the University of Toronto, completed in 2024. Dr. Das's research centers on modernist asceticism as a critical lens for examining literary experiments by figures like Rabindranath Tagore, Hilda Doolittle, Aurobindo Ghose, and May Sinclair. She investigates how these writers negotiated ascetical ideals within colonial and postcolonial contexts, connecting literary form to biopolitics, secular citizenship, and ethno-nationalist ideologies. Her approach synthesizes postcolonial ethics, comparative literature, and political theology to analyze transnational modernist aesthetics. Her publications from 2018-2024 reveal consistent engagement with mobility, hybridity, and spiritual dimensions across literary traditions. Early work analyzed mobility in ethnography and Romantic-era travel, evolving toward contemporary meta-minimalist fiction and systematic studies of asceticism in global modernism. Dr. Das has received significant recognition for her scholarship: Ontario Graduate Scholarship (awarded twice) Chancellor Jackman Junior Fellowship from the Jackman Humanities Institute, University of Toronto Khashu Award for Tagore Studies from the Institute for South Asia Studies, UC Berkeley As a recent PhD graduate, she has not yet taken on formal graduate advising roles. Her research has been supported by competitive doctoral grants including the Ontario Graduate Scholarships and Chancellor Jackman Junior Fellowship, with current work funded through the Bilkent University/British Institute at Ankara Joint Fellowship. Dr. Das is actively developing her book manuscript "Modernist Asceticisms: Discipline, Form, and the Postsecular in the Transnational Twentieth Century" while participating in academic initiatives like the 2024 book launch for "Mind and Embodiment in Late Victorian Literature".
Professor Emma Mason is a leading academic in the Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies at the University of Warwick . Her career spans roles as an educator, editor, and researcher with a focus on poetry, Christianity and literature, Catholic theology, and ecological themes in the long nineteenth-century . Editor of the Bloomsbury monograph series New Directions in Religion and Literature Co-editor of the Year's Work in Critical and Cultural Theory Director of the Comparative Religions and Literatures group at Warwick Her research explores spiritual materialism and ecological transformation , particularly through figures like Christina Rossetti. She is currently working on a study of Catholic mysticism in late 19th- to early 20th-century Europe. Mason's publications include Christina Rossetti: Poetry, Ecology, Faith (OUP, 2018) and co-edited volumes addressing religion in literary contexts. Recent Publications (2025-2027): Analysis of Newman's novels as ecological narratives Contributions to Cambridge and Oxford handbooks on religion and literature Editorial work on William Barnes' dialect poetry Studies on Victorian theological ecology and contemplation Scientific Awards: British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship Mason supervises postgraduate research in poetry, religion, and affect theory . She is on study leave until Easter 2026 but remains active in editorial and collaborative projects.
