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Professor Catherine Boyle is a distinguished academic in Latin American Cultural Studies at King's College London, holding the position of Professor of Latin American Cultural Studies and Head of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures since 2022. She earned her PhD in Latin American Studies from the University of Liverpool (1986) and has held academic roles at Strathclyde and King's since 1990. Her research focuses on cultural expressions in socio-historic contexts, particularly Chilean theatre, translation studies, and performance. Boyle is the Principal Investigator of the Out of the Wings project (since 2008), exploring theatre translation and performance. She directs the Centre for Language Acts and Worldmaking under the Global Cultures Institute, emphasizing multilingualism and cultural competency. Boyle has published extensively on topics like pandemic narratives, cultural transmission, and feminist translation. Awards include the Supervisory Excellence Award (2008) and Excellence in Innovation & Impact (2012). Her work bridges academic and creative realms, collaborating with institutions like the Royal Shakespeare Company and leading initiatives such as the Worldmaking in the Time of Covid-19 project. Education: Bachelor of Arts in Modern Foreign Languages, University of Strathclyde (1982) MA and PhD in Latin American Studies, University of Liverpool (1983–1986) Research interests include Chilean theatre under dictatorship, translation methodologies, gender studies, and multilingualism. She supervises doctoral students on topics such as Latin American theatre translation and cultural history. Boyle’s recent work explores pandemic narratives and the role of language in shaping global perspectives. Publications include Multilingual Narratives of a Pandemic: Covid 19 and Worldmaking (2023) and Language Acts and Worldmaking (2022). She leads grants like the AHRC-funded Language Acts and Worldmaking initiative. Boyle is active in public engagement through festivals like the Being Human Festival and collaborates on cultural competency modules. Awards: Excellence in Innovation & Impact Award (2012) Supervisory Excellence Award (2008) Her academic leadership includes roles as Department Head and President of the Association of Hispanists of Great Britain and Ireland (2020–2024). Boyle’s work emphasizes the intersection of cultural transmission, performance, and multilingual advocacy.

• Latin American Cultural Studies
• Theatre Studies
• Translation Studies
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Dr. Maribel Fierro is a distinguished Research Professor at the Institute of Languages and Cultures of the Mediterranean and Near East (ILC) , part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in Madrid. She has held this prestigious position since 2005 after serving as Scientific Researcher at CSIC's Arabic Studies Department (1992-2005) and previous academic appointments at Universidad Complutense Madrid (1983-1987). Education: Dr. in Semitic Philology (1985), Universidad Complutense Madrid Visiting appointments: Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton), Hebrew University (Jerusalem), École des Hautes Études (Paris) Her scholarly work focuses on Medieval Islamic History with particular emphasis on Al-Andalus, Islamic Law, Heresy and Orthodoxy, Political Legitimacy, and Gender Studies. She directed the European Research Council Advanced Grant project Knowledge, Heresy and Political Culture in the Islamic West (8th-15th centuries) (2009-2014). Notable publications include foundational studies on: Ẓāhirī legal school adoption in Islamic Spain Violence against women in Andalusi legal texts Heretical movements in Islamic political culture Christian-Muslim relations during Almoravid/Almohad periods Manuscript circulation networks in Islamic West Prophetic legitimacy narratives in cross-cultural contexts Scientific honors include: 2014: R. Stephen Humphreys Distinguished Scholar (UC Santa Barbara) 2011: Waldo G. Leland Prize (American Historical Association) Prof. Fierro serves on academic committees including the Italian MIUR evaluation board since 2011, and has held editorial leadership roles in major Islamic studies journals since 1989, currently serving as editor for Der Islam and Intellectual History of the Islamicate World .

• Medieval Islamic History
• History of Al-Andalus
• Islamic Law
• +7 more

Matthew Kraus is an Associate Professor of Judaic Studies at the University of Cincinnati, where he has held positions including Interim Department Head and Director of Hebrew Programs. His academic journey includes roles at Williams College and Wright State University, with a focus on the intersection of Jewish, Christian, and Classical traditions in Late Antiquity. Ph.D. in Classics from the University of Michigan (1996) Rabbinic Ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (1991) BA in Classics from Harvard-Radcliffe (1985) Kraus's research centers on biblical interpretation in Late Antiquity, Jewish-Christian dialogue, and the translational and cultural dynamics of the Vulgate. He explores how Jerome’s work reflects Jewish, Christian, and Classical influences, and examines Chanukah’s historical evolution and Reform Judaism’s theological foundations. His publications span topics like the Vulgate’s intertextual relationships, economic approaches to American Judaism, and rabbinic influences on biblical translation. He has presented at international conferences on Jerome, Philo, and Jewish-Greco-Roman cultural interactions. Kraus teaches courses including Women and the Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls, and Modern Hebrew, emphasizing pedagogical innovation and historical context.

• History of Biblical Interpretation
• Judaism and Christianity in the Greek and Roman Worlds
• Scholarship in Antiquity
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Erin Graff Zivin is a Professor of Spanish and Portuguese and Comparative Literature at the University of Southern California (USC), affiliated with the USC Dornsife College. She serves as Director of the USC Dornsife Experimental Humanities Lab and Acting Director of the USC Society of Fellows in the Humanities. Her research focuses on modern/contemporary Latin American literature, deconstruction, ethics, politics, aesthetics, and critical theory. Education: Ph.D. in Spanish and Portuguese from New York University (2004), M.A. in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley (1998). Academic roles include Chair of Comparative Literature (2017-2022) and Spanish and Portuguese (2013-2016) at USC. She has authored multiple books, including Anarchaeologies: Reading as Misreading (2020) and edited volumes like Terror: La perspectiva hispana (2020). Recent publications explore themes like Levinasian ethics, music and capitalism, and postcolonial theory. Her work bridges philosophy, literature, and cultural critique, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches. Labs/teams include the Experimental Humanities Lab, fostering innovative research.

• Latin American Literature
• Deconstruction
• Ethics and Aesthetics
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Franck Andrianarivo Rakotobe serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of French Studies and Modern Languages at the American University of Paris. He joined AUP after completing his PhD in French at Emory University in 2021, where he developed expertise in Francophone literatures and cultures. His educational background includes an MA in English from Université François Rabelais of Tours and a Licence (BA) in English from Université de La Réunion, with additional studies at the University of Sheffield. Prior to his doctoral studies, he gained six years of teaching experience at Harvard University as a Teaching Assistant in French. Professor Rakotobe's research focuses on Francophone Indian Ocean, African, and Caribbean literatures, cultures, and films. His current book project investigates famadihana, an ancestral exhumation practice from Madagascar, which he employs metaphorically to analyze multigeneric insular narratives from La Réunion, Tromelin, Martinique, and Madagascar. Using a minor transnational approach, he examines how contemporary authors exhume historical figures from 'tombs of oblivion' through fiction, poetry, bande dessinée, and film. His scholarly work appears in peer-reviewed journals including French Forum and L'Esprit Créateur , contributing to fields such as Indian Ocean Studies, Caribbean Studies, Postcolonial Studies, Francophone African Cinemas, Migration and Diaspora Studies, Gender Studies, and Popular Culture. Indian Ocean Studies Caribbean Studies Postcolonial Studies Francophone African Cinemas Migration and Diaspora Studies Gender Studies Popular Culture

• Francophone Indian Ocean Studies
• African Literature
• Caribbean Literature
• +6 more

Nicole Infanta Keller is a Part-Time Lecturer in English at Northeastern University's College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH). She holds a PhD in English from Northeastern University. Her research focuses on women’s scientific writing, 18th- and 19th-century British literature, and digital humanities. She has received multiple grants and fellowships, including an NEH-sponsored seminar fellowship and a Harry Ransom Center Dissertation Fellowship. Keller teaches advanced writing courses tailored to business, science, technical, and social science fields, emphasizing professional communication skills through workshops and peer review. Her academic contributions include co-authoring articles on digital humanities projects like the Women Writers Project and contributing to Orlando: Women’s Writing in the British Isles. She has also explored topics such as colonial Caribbean print culture and Civil War-era death studies. Her teaching philosophy integrates critical research and audience analysis across disciplines. Awards and grants highlight her work in interdisciplinary research and scholarly collaboration. She maintains an active presence in academic communities through digital humanities initiatives and pedagogical innovation.

• Women’s Scientific Writing
• 18th- and 19th-Century British Literature
• Digital Humanities
• +3 more

Robert Eaglestone is a Professor of Contemporary Literature and Thought at the Department of English, Royal Holloway, University of London. He has held leadership roles including Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Arts (2005-2009) and Deputy Director of the Holocaust Research Institute (2002-2016). His research bridges literary theory, Holocaust studies, trauma, and European philosophy. Ph.D., University of Wales, Lampeter MA, Southampton University BA, Manchester University His work focuses on contemporary literature, ethical responses to trauma, and philosophical engagements with the Holocaust. He explores intersections of narrative theory, memory, and critical theory through thinkers like Levinas, Derrida, and Arendt. Recent publications analyze Kazuo Ishiguro's fiction, Heidegger's classical reception, and Arendt's political philosophy. He has contributed to debates on subject benchmarking for English and Holocaust memorialization in policy contexts. National Teaching Fellowship (2014) College Teaching Prize (2012) Elected Fellow of the English Association (2017) Senior Fellow at The Flemish Academic Centre (2009) He supervises PhD students in literature and philosophy, teaches psychiatrists at the Maudsley Hospital, and participates in public engagement through radio, literary festivals, and Holocaust education initiatives.

• Literary Theory
• Holocaust and Genocide Studies
• Trauma and Literature
• +5 more

Ottmar Ette is Chair of Romance Literature at the University of Potsdam, Germany, where he has held a professorship since 1995. A leading scholar of Alexander von Humboldt and comparative literature, Ette has established himself as a major intellectual figure through his development of TransArea Studies and the conceptual framework of 'Lebenswissenschaft' (science of life). His academic career spans multiple continents with significant contributions to understanding the intersections of literature, globalization, and cross-cultural knowledge. Ette's research interests form a rich interdisciplinary tapestry exploring literary studies as life science , conviviality (living together), and the poetics of movement within TransArea Studies. His work examines how literary knowledge functions as essential repository of human experience, particularly regarding ethically relevant themes such as migration, belonging, and survival. The scholar has pioneered approaches to understanding literature beyond national boundaries, focusing on 'literatures without fixed abode' and the 'vectorial imagination' that transcends traditional dichotomies between national and world literature. His extensive publication record reveals consistent engagement with globalization processes across historical periods, with particular emphasis on the works of Alexander von Humboldt as a lens for understanding interconnected knowledge systems. Ette's scholarship demonstrates remarkable breadth, spanning from 18th century francophone literature to contemporary transareal literary phenomena, while maintaining focus on how literary texts generate knowledge for living in increasingly interconnected worlds. 2014 Research Award Escuela Nacional de Altos Estudios from UNAM 2014 Honorary Member of the Modern Language Association of America 2013 Ordinary Member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences 2012 Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques (France) 2010 Ordinary Member of the Academia Europaea 2001 Hugo Friedrich/Erich Köhler Research Award 1991 Young Scholars Award for Romance Literature 1987 Heinz-Maier-Leibnitz Award Ette has directed significant research projects including the 3-year Research Project on Humboldt's American Travel Diaries (2014-2017) and the 18-year project 'Travelling Humboldt - Science on the Move' at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences. He co-founded multiple DFG-funded Research Training Groups including 'lebensformen + lebenswissen' (2006), 'Zwischen Räume' (2009), and 'Sichtbarkeit und Sichtbarmachung' (2011). His editorial work encompasses founding the electronic journal HiN - Alexander von Humboldt in the Net and serving as co-editor of Iberoamericana and Istmo. As co-founder of the ForLaBB (Research Network Latin America Berlin-Brandenburg), Ette has created important institutional frameworks for transnational scholarly exchange. His academic leadership extends through organizing numerous international conferences on topics ranging from 'Caribbean(s) on the Move' to 'Conviviality in Difference,' fostering collaborative research environments that bridge disciplinary and geographical boundaries.

• Alexander von Humboldt studies
• Literary theory
• Francophone literature
• +9 more

Catherine Grant is an Honorary Professor at Aarhus University, Denmark, and Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the University of Reading, UK. She previously served as Professor of Digital Media and Screen Studies at Birkbeck, University of London (2017–2020), and held academic roles at institutions including the University of Sussex and University of Kent. Her research focuses on videographic criticism, essay filmmaking, Latin American cinemas, and screen studies methodologies. Grant earned a PhD in Mexican literature and feminist theory from the University of Leeds (1991) and a First Class B.A. in Modern Languages (1986). She pioneered the use of audiovisual essays in film studies, co-founding and editing the award-winning [in]Transition: Journal of Videographic Film and Moving Image Studies until 2024. Her work explores film authorship, found-footage techniques, and digital media practices. Her research interests span essay filmmaking, world cinema, and the intersection of theory and practice in film studies. Over 200 of her video essays have been showcased globally, emphasizing experimental methodologies and critical engagement with cinematic form. Grant has received the Society for Cinema and Media Studies Award of Distinction (2014–2015). She co-edited significant volumes on world cinema, Latin American cinema, and videographic criticism, and maintains influential platforms like Audiovisualcy and Film Studies For Free .

• Essay filmmaking
• Latin American cinemas
• Videographic film studies
• +7 more

Grace Heneks is a Lecturer in the Department of English at Texas A&M University, within the College of Liberal Arts. Her academic background includes a PhD in English from Texas A&M (2021), an MA from the University of Colorado at Denver (2014), and a BA from the same university (2010). She specializes in contemporary African American literature, critical race studies, and humor studies, focusing on satire’s role in addressing racial dynamics and cultural narratives. Her research interests encompass 20th/21st century American literature, African diaspora studies, and the intersection of humor with critical race theory. She has published in journals like MELUS , The Comparatist , and Studies in American Humor , analyzing works by authors such as Colson Whitehead and Jordan Peele. Awarded the Murray and Celeste Fasken Distinguished Graduate Teaching Award (2020), she emphasizes student engagement and critical thinking in her teaching. Her recent publications explore Obama-era black satire’s critique of whiteness and racial history in contemporary literature. Grace’s work bridges literary analysis with broader cultural discourse, addressing topics like post-racial allegory, the satirical gaze in horror films, and historical narratives of race. She actively contributes to American humor studies through peer-reviewed articles and academic grants.

• African American Literature
• Critical Race Studies
• American Literature and Culture
• +3 more

Mikko Tuhkanen is a Professor of English at Texas A&M University, specializing in African American and African-diasporic literatures, LGBTQ+ literatures, and literary theory. He holds a PhD from SUNY Buffalo (2005) and a dual PhD from the University of Tampere, Finland (2000), with an MA from the same institution (1994). His research focuses on transnational literatures, race and ethnicity studies, gender and sexuality, and 20th-century comparative literature. Key publications include The American Optic (2008), The Essentialist Villain: On Leo Bersani (2018), and the edited volumes Leo Bersani: Queer Theory and Beyond (2014) and The Cambridge History of Gay and Lesbian Literature (2014). Recent articles explore James Baldwin’s aesthetics, Richard Wright’s psychoanalytic frameworks, and cinematic fascination theory. His work bridges literary criticism, queer theory, and poststructuralist thought, often engaging with thinkers like Leo Bersani, Jacques Lacan, and Gilles Deleuze. He is currently completing studies on James Baldwin and the cultural impact of Pet Shop Boys.

• Transnational Literatures
• Race and Ethnicity Studies
• Gender and Sexuality
• +3 more

Yoon Sun Yang is an Associate Professor at Boston University in the Department of Korean & Comparative Literature and affiliated with Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies. She holds a PhD from the University of Chicago and has taught courses on Korean literature, comparative studies, and gender in East Asian cinema. Her research focuses on colonial Korean literature, transpacific cultural exchanges, and intersections of medicine/gender with literature. Her major publications include From Domestic Women to Sensitive Young Men (2017), which won the James B. Palais Book Prize, and the edited Routledge Handbook of Modern Korean Literature (2020). Current projects involve translating early colonial Korean texts and studying transpacific migrant literature. Her work has been supported by NEH and Suzy Newhouse Center fellowships. Teaching focuses include Korean literature surveys, comparative East Asian works, and gender-focused film studies.

• Korean Literature
• Comparative Literature
• Colonial Studies
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Gavin Jones is the Frederick P. Rehmus Family Professor of Humanities and Chair of the Department of English at Stanford University. He holds a B.A. from Oxford University (1990), and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Princeton University (1993, 1996). Before joining Stanford in 1999, he held a fellowship at Harvard University’s Society of Fellows. His research focuses on 19th- and early-20th-century American literature, examining themes such as cultural anxieties, poverty, literary depictions of failure, and the societal impact of literature. His major publications include Reclaiming John Steinbeck (2023), American Hungers (2007), and Strange Talk (1999). He co-edited the Cambridge Companion to the American Short Story (2023) and has published essays in American Literary History , New England Quarterly , and others. Current projects include Zora Neale Hurston and the Art of Controversy and The Storytellers . His work has been recognized through prestigious fellowships, including the Harvard Society of Fellows. Jones teaches courses such as 'Contemporary American Short Stories' and actively contributes to literary scholarship through editorial roles and academic leadership.

• American Literature
• Nineteenth-Century Literature
• Early-Twentieth-Century Literature
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Charles L. Leavitt IV is the William Payden Associate Professor of Italian and Film at the University of Notre Dame, serving as Director of Graduate Studies in Italian. His research focuses on modern and contemporary Italian literature and film, with specialties in post-war cultural history, Fascism/Resistance studies, and minoritized cultures. He co-directs the Primo Levi Digital Commentary project and holds affiliations with the Kellogg Institute for International Studies and the Nanovic Institute for European Studies. Leavitt’s work has been honored with major awards, including the 2020 AAIS Visual Studies Book Prize for Italian Neorealism: A Cultural History and the 2022 Society for Italian Studies Essay Prize. Education: Ph.D. (Literature), M.A. (Italian Studies), and B.A. (Comparative Literature) from the University of Notre Dame and University of Oregon. His teaching spans Italian literature, cinema, and comparative studies, with a focus on post-war and contemporary contexts. He organizes the Italian Research Seminar and Modern Roads to Rome lecture series, and serves on editorial boards for Italian Studies , Italianist , and Annali d'italianistica . Key research areas include Italian Jewish culture, African American-Italian cultural intersections, and the legacy of Fascism. His current book project examines African American soldiers’ roles in Allied-Occupied Italy. Leavitt’s scholarship bridges film, literature, and history, emphasizing transnational cultural flows and Italian contributions to global culture. Award-winning educator, Leavitt has received teaching excellence awards from the University of Reading and University of Notre Dame. His work integrates interdisciplinary approaches, combining close textual analysis with broader historical and cultural frameworks to explore identity, memory, and resistance in 20th-century Italy.

• Modern and Contemporary Italian Literature
• Italian Film Studies
• Fascism and Resistance
• +6 more

Marie Tejero Hughes is a Professor in Special Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago , focusing on graduate literacy instruction for educators in urban communities. Her work centers on comprehension strategies for culturally/linguistically diverse students and Latino family engagement . PhD in Reading and Learning Disabilities MSEd in Elementary Education BSEd in Early Childhood/Elementary Education Her research examines: Spanish literacy interventions for English learners Teacher leadership in special education MTSS/PBIS implementation in high-need schools Latinx family perspectives on autism education Coaching models for literacy development Recent publications highlight: Teacher leadership frameworks Bilingual literacy outcomes Latinx family expertise in math education Parent training programs in Colombia Technology-enhanced play interactions She has directed multiple US Department of Education grants focused on special education teacher recruitment and retention, and frequently collaborates with Colombian researchers on autism family support systems.

• Special Education
• Literacy Instruction
• Bilingual Education
• +4 more