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
Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyUnited States
Emily C. Bartels is a Professor of English at Rutgers University specializing in early modern literature and culture, with particular expertise in Shakespearean and non-Shakespearean drama. She has served as director, and is now dean, of the Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English since 2010, a summer Master's program designed for K-12 English teachers. Professor Bartels received her BA from Yale University and both her MA and PhD from Harvard University. Her academic background positioned her to become a leading scholar in Renaissance literature studies. Her research examines questions of race, cross-cultural relations, gender, genre, and performance in early modern English drama. Professor Bartels is renowned for her groundbreaking work on Shakespeare's Othello and Christopher Marlowe's plays, analyzing how these texts represent cultural and racial difference. She has significantly contributed to postcolonial approaches to early modern literature, revealing how English drama engaged with global encounters and representations of the 'other' during the Renaissance period. Her scholarship demonstrates how early modern writers both reflected and shaped contemporary attitudes toward difference, particularly regarding race, religion, and national identity. Professor Bartels' publications reveal a consistent scholarly trajectory examining racial and cultural representation in early modern England. Her work spans from detailed analyses of specific plays like Hamlet and Julius Caesar to broader studies of how England conceptualized Africa and non-Christian cultures during the Renaissance. A recurring theme throughout her career is the analysis of how early English drama both reflected and shaped contemporary attitudes toward difference, particularly regarding race, religion, and national identity. Roma Gill Prize for Best Work on Christopher Marlowe (1993-94) for Spectacles of Strangeness: Imperialism, Alienation, and Marlowe Board of Trustees Fellowship for Scholarly Excellence (1993) School of Arts and Sciences Award for Distinguished Contributors to Undergraduate Education (2008 & 1993) Warren I. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching (2008) Solmsen Fellowship at the Institute of Research in the Humanities, University of Wisconsin (1995) Black Atlantic Project fellowship from the Rutgers Center for Historical Analysis Professor Bartels has demonstrated exceptional commitment to both research and teaching excellence. She has developed innovative courses exploring the intersections of literature, history, and cultural studies, including undergraduate seminars on Othello and Hamlet, and graduate courses on Shakespeare Page and Stage. Her administrative role as dean of the Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English demonstrates her commitment to education beyond traditional university settings. Her fellowships from prestigious institutions indicate successful grant acquisition throughout her distinguished career. Professor Bartels has been actively involved with the Shakespeare Association of America and has collaborated with international scholars like Emma Smith of the University of Oxford. Her work has positioned her at the forefront of conversations about early modern literature, race studies, and postcolonial approaches to Renaissance drama, influencing how scholars understand the intersections of literature, race, and cultural identity in the early modern period.
Michele Ripplinger is a Berkeley Lecturer and Ph.D. candidate in English and Medieval Studies at UC Berkeley. Her research focuses on late medieval literature, particularly Chaucer and the reception of classical texts, with emphasis on gender studies, representational ethics, and women’s reading practices. She teaches across historical periods, integrating cultural studies and poetry analysis. Education: Pursuing a Ph.D. in English and Medieval Studies at UC Berkeley (dissertation on Chaucer and the Moralized Ovid). Research Interests: Medieval and early modern classics reception, fictionality, history of reading, women’s/gender/sexuality studies, and intersections between premodern and modern literary thought. Her publications and conference presentations highlight work on Chaucer, Hoccleve, and medieval literary methodologies. She has presented at major venues including the New Chaucer Society Congress and the International Congress on Medieval Studies. No scientific awards are listed. Advising and grants details are not provided. Office hours are by appointment.
University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
Anna Morcom is Professor and Mohindar Brar Sambhi Chair of Indian Music in the Department of Ethnomusicology at UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music. She previously held a professorship at Royal Holloway, University of London, and earned her Ph.D. from SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) in 2002, where she also completed her undergraduate studies in Ethnomusicology and Hindi (1993-1996). Her research spans music and dance in India and Tibet, employing ethnographic and oral historical methods to examine the intersections of musical culture with politics, nationalism, identity, gender, inequality, economic development, and media. Morcom's scholarship is notable for its interdisciplinary approach that bridges traditional and popular musics with contemporary theoretical frameworks. Her work demonstrates significant trends toward examining music within economic frameworks, particularly through her founding of SEM's Special Interest Group on Economic Ethnomusicology. Recent publications increasingly focus on cultural economies, performance labor, and the relationship between artistic practice and economic systems in South Asia. Society of Ethnomusicology's Allan Merriam prize (2014) Marcia Herndon prize of SEM's Gender and Sexualities section (2014) Morcom's research has been supported by multiple grants from the Leverhulme Trust and the British Academy. She has been interviewed by prominent media outlets including BBC Radio 4's Thinking Allowed, The Hindu, Tehelka, and Scroll regarding her influential work on Indian dance cultures. As founder of SEM's Special Interest Group on Economic Ethnomusicology, she has shaped scholarly discourse on the economic dimensions of musical practice. Her current projects include the monograph on Hindustani music and co-editing two significant volumes: Creative Economies of Culture in South Asia: Craftspeople Performers (Routledge) and the Oxford Handbook of Economic Ethnomusicology (OUP).
Laurie Shannon is the Franklyn Bliss Snyder Professor of English at Northwestern University, with a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. She studies English literature and culture in the long sixteenth century, focusing on the history of ideas in language, stakeholdership, embodiment, and cross-species relations. She serves as convener of The Anne Lister Society and is collaborating with Oxford University Press on a scholarly edition of Anne Lister’s Journal. Education: J.D., Harvard Law School; Ph.D., University of Chicago Shannon’s research explores the political imagination in early modern literature, particularly through friendship (Sovereign Amity: Figures of Friendship in Shakespearean Contexts) and animal studies (The Accommodated Animal: Cosmopolity in Shakespearean Locales). Her current monograph, 'Frailty’s Name: Shakespeare and the Natural History of Human Being,' examines human negative exceptionalism in Renaissance thought and its implications for climate crisis ethics. Her publications span Shakespeare studies, queer theory, environmental humanities, and textual editing. Notable awards include the Elizabeth Dietz Memorial Award, Robert B. Cox Teaching Award, and Dean’s Award for Graduate Mentoring. She has held NEH, ACLS, and Guggenheim fellowships. Scientific Awards: Elizabeth Dietz Memorial Award, Robert B. Cox Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award, Dean's Award for Graduate Mentoring, NEH Fellowship, ACLS Fellowship, Guggenheim Fellowship Shannon contributes to the Anne Lister Diary Transcription Project and has served as English Department Chair at Northwestern. Her recent articles focus on Shakespeare’s engagement with natural history, queer cosmology, and animal sovereignty, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach.
Blair Hoxby is Professor of English at Stanford University's School of Humanities and Sciences, where he has taught since 2007. Previously, he served as Associate Professor of History and Literature at Harvard University (2005-2007) and Associate Professor of English at Yale University (2003-2005), where he began as Assistant Professor in 1998. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in English from Yale University (1998), an M.Phil. in English Studies from the University of Oxford (1990), and an A.B. in English and American Literature and Language from Harvard University (1988). Hoxby's research focuses on literature and culture from 1500 to 1800, with particular emphasis on tragedy theory, Milton studies, and the intersection of literature and economics. His notable works include What Was Tragedy? Theory and the Early Modern Canon (2015) and Mammon's Music: Literature and Economics in the Age of Milton (2002). He argues that early modern tragedy differed significantly from contemporary understandings of the genre, with passions rather than deeds or character serving as the keys to early modern tragic performance. Hoxby's recent scholarly output reveals a consistent engagement with early modern theatrical practices, particularly tragedy and opera. His work demonstrates sophisticated interdisciplinary approaches, connecting literary analysis with historical context, economic theory, and performance studies. He has made significant contributions to understanding how commercial culture shaped literary production and how theatrical conventions evolved across national boundaries in Europe. Scientific Awards and Honors Internal Fellow, Stanford Humanities Center (2009-2010) Morse Fellowship, Juilliard School (2001-2002) Samuel and Ronnie Heyman Prize, Yale University (2001) John Addison Porter Prize, Yale University (1999) Rhodes Scholarship, University of Oxford (1988-1990) Hoxby has supervised numerous doctoral students and served in various administrative roles at Stanford, including Director of Undergraduate Studies (2011-2014) and Director of Graduate Admissions (2008-2011). His teaching portfolio includes courses on English poetry from the Renaissance to Romanticism, tragedy and tragic theory from Aristotle to the present, theater history, and performance theory. Currently, he teaches courses such as Court Theater from Shakespeare to Mozart and Introduction to English II: From Milton to the Romantics . Hoxby maintains active scholarly engagement through committee memberships, including the Executive Committee of the Milton Society of America (2009-2013) and service as a referee for major academic presses including Oxford University Press and the University of Pennsylvania Press.
Nathan Martin is an Associate Professor of Music Theory at the University of Michigan, School of Music, Theatre & Dance. He joined in 2015 after postdoctoral fellowships at Columbia, Harvard, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Hochschule für Musik Freiburg, and Yale. He holds a PhD from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music (2009). His research focuses on the history of music theory and musical form analysis, particularly the works of Jean-Philippe Rameau and their reception among Enlightenment thinkers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He integrates intellectual history with practical analytical methods, emphasizing both contextual and emic perspectives. Recent interests include adapting empirical social science and linguistics methods to study musical form. Key publications include articles on Rameau’s harmonic concepts, Rousseau’s musical writings, and global music theory history. His 2014 article on Rameau’s supposition/suspension theories earned the Society for Music Theory’s Outstanding Publication Award. He co-edited Formal Functions in Perspective (2015) and served as co-editor of Music Theory & Analysis until 2019. Professional highlights include the Edward T. Cone Membership at the Institute for Advanced Study (2018–2019) and a 2023 visiting researcher role at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary empirical approaches, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue in music theory.
James Hankins is Professor of History in the Department of History at Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, located at Robinson Hall 206, 35 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. A leading scholar in Renaissance intellectual history, his work focuses on the intersection of political thought, philosophy, and classical traditions within 15th-16th century Europe. His research centers on Renaissance political thought, the history of philosophy, and classical tradition reception, with emphasis on Italian humanism and virtue politics. As Founder and General Editor of the I Tatti Renaissance Library (Harvard University Press) and Associate Editor of the Catalogus Translationum et Commentariorum, he has shaped critical editions and scholarly resources. He is currently completing The Virtue Politics of the Italian Humanists and recently launched The Pratrizi Project on Francesco Patrizi's political theory. Publications reveal sustained engagement with Renaissance philosophy through critical editions, monographs, and editorial projects spanning five decades. Key themes include Platonic theology, civic humanism, and classical philosophy recovery, demonstrating methodological rigor in intellectual history and textual scholarship across European Renaissance contexts. He actively participates in the Harvard Colloquium for Intellectual History. Information regarding students, grants, scientific awards, and laboratory affiliations was not provided in source materials.
Frank Griffel is the Louis M. Rabinowitz Professor of Religious Studies at Yale University, where he has been teaching since 2000. His academic work is deeply rooted in Islamic intellectual history, focusing on theology, philosophy, and the interplay between reason and revelation. He holds a PhD from the Freie Universität Berlin and previously worked as a research fellow at the Orient Institute in Beirut. University: Yale University Department: Department of Religious Studies Academic Rank: Professor His research expertise lies in classical and post-classical Islamic philosophy, particularly the works of al-Ghazālī, Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, Avicenna, and Averroes. He has made significant contributions to understanding how philosophical discourse evolved in the Islamic world after the so-called classical period, challenging the notion of decline and highlighting the emergence of new genres such as ḥikma . His scholarship bridges theology and philosophy, examining how Muslim thinkers reconciled Aristotelian and Neoplatonic ideas with Islamic doctrine. Griffel’s most recent major work, The Formation of Post-Classical Philosophy in Islam (2021), redefines the field by demonstrating the continuity and innovation in 12th-century Islamic thought. His earlier book, Al-Ghazali’s Philosophical Theology (2009), is widely regarded as a seminal study. He has also published extensively on topics such as apostasy, virtue ethics, and the reception of philosophical texts, with articles spanning from 2011 to 2025. His work often appears in major academic handbooks and journals, and he has edited and translated key texts into German, Arabic, and Turkish. Islamic Philosophy Islamic Theology (Kalām) Post-Classical Islamic Thought Al-Ghazālī Studies Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī Avicenna and Averroes Griffel has contributed to collaborative volumes such as Shari’a: Islamic Law in the Contemporary Context and Islam and Rationality , and his research engages with both historical and contemporary debates in Islamic thought. He has no listed scientific awards or students in the provided texts, but his influence is evident through citations and scholarly engagement. He maintains an active research profile, with recent publications addressing ambiguity, contradiction, and the popularization of philosophy in medieval Islam. He has held affiliations with the University of Oxford as a Faculty Member in the Faculty of Theology and Religion, indicating a strong international academic presence. His work continues to shape the understanding of Islamic intellectual history, particularly in the West.
Edward L. Shaughnessy serves as the Lorraine J. and Herrlee G. Creel Distinguished Service Professor in Early Chinese Studies and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. A renowned scholar of ancient China, he specializes in archaeologically recovered texts from the Zhou dynasty period (c. 1045-249 BCE), particularly bronze inscriptions, bamboo-slip manuscripts, and the classical texts Zhou Yi (I Ching), Shang Shu, and Shi Jing. His research interests focus on the intersection of archaeological discoveries and literary traditions, with particular expertise in bronze inscriptions and the Zhou Yi. Shaughnessy has pioneered efforts to bridge Western and Chinese scholarly traditions, publishing extensively in both English and Chinese. He has written seven volumes of technical scholarship in Chinese and is currently leading an international team translating Tsinghua University's fourth-century BCE bamboo-slip manuscripts. His recent scholarly output shows strong trends in paleographic studies, with numerous publications analyzing newly excavated manuscripts. His work demonstrates a consistent focus on textual transmission, historical context, and the relationship between archaeological evidence and received literary traditions. Notable patterns include systematic analysis of bamboo-slip manuscripts, comparative studies of textual variants, and interdisciplinary approaches combining philology, archaeology, and historical analysis. Shaughnessy has received recognition through his appointment as a Distinguished Service Professor, one of the highest academic honors at the University of Chicago. His scholarly contributions have significantly advanced the field of early Chinese studies through both original research and editorial work. As an educator, Shaughnessy teaches seminars on oracle-bone inscriptions, bronze inscriptions, bamboo-strip inscriptions, and courses on the Yi jing, Shi jing, and Shang shu. He serves as Director of Graduate Studies for the department and has supervised numerous graduate students. His current and upcoming courses include 'The Ji Zhong Discovery,' 'The Development of Early China Studies in the West,' 'Western Zhou Bronze Inscriptions,' 'The Shang shu,' and 'The Shi jing.' Shaughnessy maintains an active research program with current projects including the translation of Tsinghua University's bamboo manuscripts and serving as co-editor of the journal Bamboo and Silk. His scholarly network extends internationally, as evidenced by his 2013 lecture series at the Collège de France titled 'Unearthing the Chinese Classics,' where he presented on the Zhou Yi, Shang Shu, Shi Jing, and Laozi.
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUnited States
James J. O’Hara is the George L. Paddison Professor of Latin at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His academic journey includes a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He has held significant roles, such as Department Chair (2003-2007), Director of Graduate Studies, and President of the Vergilian Society. His research focuses on Greek and Latin poetry, with a special emphasis on the Augustan period, epic, didactic literature, and satire. Education highlights include studies at the College of the Holy Cross (A.B., 1981) and the University of Michigan (Ph.D., 1986). He taught at Wesleyan University before joining UNC in 2001, where he has contributed extensively to teaching and scholarship. Research interests span Latin poetry, particularly Vergil, Catullus, Lucretius, and Ovid. Notable works include Death and the Optimistic Prophecy in Vergil’s Aeneid (1990), True Names: Vergil and the Alexandrian Tradition of Etymological Wordplay (1996), and Inconsistency in Roman Epic (2007). Current projects explore teaching authority in didactic and satirical works. Publications include over 40 articles and book reviews, with a focus on Vergilian studies, Lucretian analysis, and classical pedagogy. Recent lectures address topics like Aeneid Book 8 and Horace’s Ars Poetica . Grants/Awards: James Gilmore Fletcher Whitton Faculty Fellowship (2012), Loeb Classical Library Fellowship (2015-2016), SUTASA Teaching Award (2013). Students: Directed 15+ M.A. and Ph.D. theses, including works on Lucan, Lucretius, and Vergilian reception. Labs/Teams: Collaborative projects include the Focus-Hackett Aeneid commentary series and editorial work for Vergilius . Active in professional organizations like the Vergilian Society and Classical Association of the Middle West and South.
Kenneth S. Sacks is a Professor of History and Classics at Brown University, with a focus on Greek intellectual history and American Transcendentalism. He previously served as Dean of the College at Brown (1995–1998) and taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1976–1995). Holding a PhD in Ancient History from UC Berkeley (1976), he has authored seminal works such as Understanding Emerson and Diodorus Siculus and the First Century . His research explores the intersection of classical antiquity and American thought, including projects funded by the Mellon Foundation Sawyer Seminar Program. Awards include the Rabbi Joseph L. Baron Faculty Achievement Award and recognition as a top educator by Wisconsin students. He teaches courses on Hellenistic Greece, Transcendentalism, and the history of historical writing. Education: PhD, MA (UC Berkeley); BA (University of Pittsburgh) Research: Currently co-PI on a $105,000 grant for Mediterranean cultural exchange studies (Brill Press publication pending). His teaching spans ancient and American intellectual history, including popular courses like World of Walden Pond and History of Greece . He has held leadership roles in academic committees and boards, including the Howard Foundation and Brown’s Ancient Studies Program.
Andrew Ollett is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago , where he has taught since 2019. His research focuses on the literary and intellectual traditions of South and Southeast Asia, particularly through works in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsha, and Kannada from the first millennium CE. Co-founder and editor of NESAR (New Explorations in South Asia Research) Director of NEH-funded edition/translation of the Kavirājamārga (earliest Kannada literary manual) Expert in Prakrit and Kannada literary traditions His work explores the 'question of language'—examining how language choice shaped cultural production and change in premodern India. Current projects include a monograph on context-sensitivity in Indian language theories and a study of manuscript technology's impact on early South Asian knowledge communities. He has authored The Mirror of Ornaments (Naples: Unior Press, 2025) and Language of the Snakes (UC Press, 2017), and co-authored Lilavai (Harvard, 2021). Recent publications include interdisciplinary studies on: Sanskrit-Prakrit campū genre reevaluation Pragmatics in Mīmāṁsā interpretive concepts Manuscript literacy's influence on literary forms Historical linguistics of Middle Indic syllable reduction Philosophy of language in Śālikanātha and Kumārila Bhaṭṭa Awarded the NEH 'Scholarly Editions and Translations' grant , he teaches classical South Asian literature courses covering Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Tamil traditions. He maintains digital resources including a Prakrit Digital Texts Project and Mīmāṁsādigdarśinī digital text repository, and actively contributes to open-access scholarship.
Dr. Hannah Zdansky is an Assistant Professor of English at Belmont Abbey College, specializing in medieval languages, literatures, and manuscript studies. Her research focuses on cross-cultural connections in medieval Britain and Ireland, particularly exploring multilingualism, religion in literature, and medieval reading practices. She holds a B.A. from Baylor University, an M.A. from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame. Her expertise spans Old and Middle English, French, Irish, Welsh, and Latin, with a methodological focus on digital humanities and the history of the book. Dr. Zdansky’s work examines how medieval literary and material cultures were shaped by multicultural interactions, including studies on medieval manuscripts, the role of women in literary production, and the intersection of religion with secular narratives. Her recent scholarly engagements include presentations on topics like the transnational dimensions of medieval texts, the interplay between sacred and secular themes in works such as Gui o Bharbhuic , and comparative analyses of Welsh and English manuscript traditions. Her publications span peer-reviewed articles, encyclopedia entries, and book reviews, reflecting her commitment to interdisciplinary medieval studies. Dr. Zdansky teaches a wide range of courses, from Old English Language and Literature to Irish History, emphasizing close textual analysis and historical context. She has advised numerous students through independent studies and thesis work, fostering academic rigor and intellectual curiosity in her classroom.
Alexander Tulin is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at Howard University, within the College of Arts & Sciences. He has been a faculty member at Howard since 1990, originally in the Department of Classics, which he chaired from 2017 to 2021 before its closure led to his transition to the English Department. Institution: Howard University School: College of Arts & Sciences Department: Department of English Academic Rank: Associate Professor Email: atulin@Howard.edu Education: PhD in Classics, Columbia University, 1990 Dr. Tulin's research and teaching span classical antiquity and modern literature. His primary scholarly interests include Ancient Greek Philosophy, Plato, Ancient Law, and Rhetoric, with a current focus on the interstices between Antiquity and Modernity. In the English Department, his teaching centers on Modernism, modern art from 1870–1950, and the 20th-century novel in Europe and America. His publications reflect a deep engagement with classical philosophy and textual analysis. The most recent works show a sustained interest in Platonic dialogues, Socratic method, philosophical rhetoric, and the interpretation of ancient legal and literary texts. He has also contributed numerous scholarly reviews, demonstrating active participation in the academic discourse of classical studies. Scientific Awards: No specific awards or honors are mentioned in the provided text. Advising and Grants: There is no information available regarding students advised, research grants, or funding received. Labs and Research Teams: No information is provided about laboratories, research groups, or collaborative teams associated with Dr. Tulin.
