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Ida Susser is a Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center. Her research focuses on urban social movements, gender, global health, and political polarization, with fieldwork in the U.S., Southern Africa, and Puerto Rico. She holds a PhD from Columbia University and has authored seminal works including Norman Street: Poverty and Politics in an Urban Neighborhood (Oxford, 2012) and AIDS, Sex and Culture: Global Politics and Survival in Southern Africa (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), which won the Eileen Basker Memorial Prize. Her work examines themes like urban commons, austerity policies, and HIV/AIDS activism, supported by grants from the NSF, MacArthur Foundation, and NIH. She has held leadership roles in major anthropological organizations, including past president of the American Ethnological Society and founding president of the Society for the Anthropology of North America. Education : - PhD in Anthropology, Columbia University Research Interests : Dr. Susser’s research integrates urban ethnography with critical theory, addressing topics such as: Political polarization and urban commons in post-2008 Europe Gender dynamics in global health crises Historical and comparative urban inequality Social movements and scale-crossing activism Grants & Awards : MacArthur Foundation Research Fellowship National Science Foundation Award National Endowment for the Humanities Grant Eileen Basker Memorial Prize (2012) Professional Contributions : As a leader in engaged anthropology, she co-chaired the 2008 Mexico City AIDS Society Conference and founded Athena: Advancing Gender Equity in HIV/AIDS. Her recent work probes housing rights and displacement in New York’s Greenpoint/Williamsburg neighborhoods, linking historical and contemporary urban struggles.

• Urban Anthropology
• Gender Studies
• Medical Anthropology
• +4 more

Tom Selwyn is Professorial Research Associate at SOAS University of London within the Department of Anthropology and Sociology , and concurrently serves as Visiting Professor at Breda University (Netherlands) and Bethlehem University (Palestine). His career has been devoted to the anthropology of tourism, pilgrimage, and cultural heritage, with a particular regional focus on the Mediterranean, especially Palestine/Israel. Education: PhD (SOAS University of London), 1981 – Thesis: The Brahman and the Goldsmith: Caste and kinship in an Indian village Research Interests: Selwyn’s scholarship weaves together several strands: the anthropology of tourism , pilgrimage and sacred travel , cultural heritage in contested landscapes , and the political economy of hospitality . His ethnographic gaze ranges from Mediterranean islands to Palestinian border towns, exploring how movement, memory, and identity are negotiated through tourism practices. He interrogates how myths, imagery, and power relations shape tourist destinations and the lived experiences of both hosts and guests. Across four major EU-funded projects (1990–2010) he investigated sustainable tourism development, cultural heritage management, and institution building in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Palestine. His work on the MED-VOICES database and the TEMPUS projects has influenced regional policy and educational reform, while his edited series Articulating Journeys (Berghahn) advances scholarly dialogue on home, mobility, and commemoration. Scientific Awards & Recognition: Leverhulme Emeritus Professorial Research Fellowship (2014) Lucy Mair Medal, Royal Anthropological Institute (2009) Honorary Librarian, RAI Library Collection, British Museum (decade-long service) Advising & Programme Leadership: In 2010 Selwyn founded and continues to co-convene SOAS’s innovative MA in Anthropology of Travel, Tourism and Pilgrimage (ATTP) , mentoring successive cohorts of postgraduate students and directing the associated summer school. While no individual advisees are named in the provided texts, his role as founder and ongoing convenor signals significant academic mentorship. Labs, Teams & Editorial Roles: He is co-editor (with Nicola Frost) of the Articulating Journeys: Festivals, Memorials, and Homecomings book series (Berghahn) and has co-edited numerous influential volumes, including Thinking Through Tourism (Berg, 2010) and Contesting the Foreshore (Amsterdam University Press, 2004). These editorial activities function as collaborative intellectual hubs, fostering global research networks in tourism anthropology.

• Anthropology of Tourism
• Anthropology of Pilgrimage
• Cultural Heritage Studies
• +4 more

Dr. Nick Bentley is a Senior Lecturer in English Literature and Research Director for the School of Humanities at Keele University. He holds a PhD on 1950s British fiction and has taught at institutions including the University of Birmingham and the Open University. His research focuses on twentieth- and twenty-first-century literature, postmodernism, postcolonialism, youth subcultures, and marginalized voices. He has authored/co-edited multiple books, including Radical Fictions: The English Novel in the 1950s and Youth Subcultures in Fiction, Film and Other Media . Education: B.A. in English and History from Keele University; M.A. in Twentieth-Century British Fiction; Ph.D. in 1950s British fiction. Research Interests : Bentley’s work examines contemporary literature’s engagement with postmodernism, postcolonialism, and youth subcultures. He explores themes such as working-class writing, ethnic minority narratives, and the representation of marginalized identities. Current projects include a monograph on youth subcultures in postwar literature and research into contemporary working-class writing. Publications : His extensive publications include monographs, edited collections, and journal articles on British fiction from the 1950s to the present, focusing on cultural theory and narrative innovation. Recent works analyze gentrification in contemporary fiction and the neo-mythological novel. Awards & Affiliations : Bentley serves on the executive committees of the British Association of Contemporary Literary Studies and the Literary London Society. He is a member of several scholarly associations, including the Doris Lessing Society and the European Association for Commonwealth Literature. Teaching & Supervision : He teaches courses on postmodernism, contemporary literature, and critical theory. He supervises PhD students in areas such as marginalized voices in literature and co-supervises creative writing PhDs. Labs & Teams : As Research Director, he oversees the School of Humanities’ research strategy, fostering interdisciplinary projects and collaborations.

• Twentieth-Century British Fiction
• Postmodernism
• Postcolonialism
• +7 more

Lisa Blee is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Wake Forest University, where she also coordinates the Cultural Heritage & Preservation Studies Minor. Her work focuses on American Indian and settler politics, historical narratives, and commemorations in the U.S. West. She earned a B.A. from Lewis and Clark College (2002) and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota (2008). Prior to her tenure at Wake Forest, she served as an Adjunct Instructor at Seattle University (2008–2009). Her research explores intersections of memory, Indigenous sovereignty, and historical justice. Key publications include Framing Chief Leschi: Narratives and the Politics of Historical Justice (2014) and Monumental Mobility: The Memory Work of Massasoit (2019), which analyze how monuments and narratives shape collective memory. Her courses cover the American West, Native American history, environmental thought, and public history practices. Her scholarship emphasizes Indigenous perspectives in historical narratives, challenging dominant settler colonial frameworks. Recent work examines urban Indigenous place names and diaspora communities' cultural preservation efforts. She actively engages in public history initiatives to democratize historical discourse.

• American West History
• Native American History
• Environmental Thought
• +4 more

Paul Kendall is Senior Lecturer in Chinese Cultural Studies at the University of Westminster's School of Humanities. His ethnographic research examines the intersection of sound, space and cultural identity in urban China, with recent focus on memories of Third Front industrial sites. Kendall's scholarship investigates how urban environments are sonically constructed through ethnic performance, tourism development, and historical memory. His publications analyze cultural authenticity in Guizhou province, sonic dimensions of urban branding, and documentary representations of industrial heritage. He previously worked as a music journalist in Beijing and holds an MMUS in ethnomusicology from SOAS. Kendall teaches Chinese language and cultural studies at undergraduate level plus cultural/urban studies at postgraduate level.

• Urban Soundscapes
• Chinese Cultural Studies
• Cultural Memory
• +2 more

Laura McTighe is an Associate Professor of Religion at Florida State University’s Department of Religion, College of Arts and Sciences. Her work bridges academia and activism, focusing on race, religion, abolition, and mutual aid. She earned a Ph.D. in Religion from Columbia University, alongside degrees from Harvard Divinity School and Haverford College. Her research centers collaborative knowledge production to analyze gendered racial capitalism and imagine liberatory futures. Key works include Fire Dreams: Making Black Feminist Liberation in the South (2024) with Women With A Vision and the forthcoming Abolition is Sacred Work . She leads major grants from the Henry Luce Foundation, including Creating the World Anew and The Callie House Project . McTighe teaches courses on abolition, gender, and religion, including Hope is a Discipline and Religion, Prisons, & Abolition . She advises over 20 doctoral, masters, and undergraduate students. Her activism includes co-founding TEACH Outside, the Tallahassee Bail Fund, and the First Seven advocacy group. Her awards include the University Teaching Award (2022) and fellowships from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation and Columbia University. She has published widely in journals like Signs , Souls , and Cultural Anthropology , alongside public writing in Truthout and The Immanent Frame . McTighe’s community projects include the Born in Flames Living Archive and EMBERS zine series, translating academic work into actionable tools for grassroots organizers.

• Abolition Studies
• Black Feminist Theory
• Religion and Social Justice
• +4 more

Elisabeth Anker is an Associate Professor of American Studies and Political Science at George Washington University, serving as Director of the Film Studies Program. Her work bridges political theory and cultural studies, focusing on freedom, violence, and power in US contexts. She co-edits the interdisciplinary journal Theory&Event and appears frequently on media platforms like Al Jazeera and BBC. Education: Ph.D. in Political Science from UC Berkeley (2007), Ed.M. from Harvard (1998), and A.B. from Brown University (1997). Research emphasizes 'ugly freedoms'—how freedom ideals both enable domination (e.g., white supremacy, neoliberalism) and emerge in marginalized practices. Her book Ugly Freedoms (Duke, 2022) explores this paradox through film, art, and historical analysis. Earlier work Orgies of Feeling (2014) examines melodrama's role in legitimizing state violence. Teaching includes graduate courses on neoliberalism, critical theory, and American political thought, as well as undergraduate seminars on democracy and film studies. Awards include Romero Prize finalist status and a Choice Academic Title. Media contributions address contemporary events like Black Lives Matter and the 2020 U.S. election.

• Political Theory
• Cultural Studies
• US Politics
• +4 more

Robert Stilling is an Associate Professor and Director of the Literature, Media, and Culture program at Florida State University (Ph.D., University of Virginia; B.A., Yale University). His research explores intersections of decadence studies, transnational modernism, and postcolonial literature, focusing on British, Irish, and postcolonial writers. Key works include his book Beginning at the End: Decadence, Modernism, and Postcolonial Poetry (Harvard UP, 2018), which examines how postcolonial artists reinterpreted European decadence. Current projects expand on global decadent literature, analyzing how peripheral writers critique Western modernity. His research interests span Fin-de-siècle literature, queer literature, and poetry studies. Awards include the Modernist Studies Association First Book Prize (2019) and a Special Collections Fellowship (2015). Courses taught include graduate seminars on postcolonial British poetry. His publications critique colonial legacies, hybrid identities, and literary form across global contexts, emphasizing decolonial perspectives and queer poetics. Education: Ph.D., University of Virginia; B.A., Yale University Key Projects: Book on global literary decadence, exploring writers like Walcott, Rushdie, and Achebe Awards: Honorable Mention MLA First Book Prize (2019), First Year Assistant Professor Award (FSU, 2013) Stilling’s work bridges literary history and contemporary critical theory, offering innovative frameworks for understanding decadence as a decolonial and queer discourse.

• Modern British and Irish Literature
• Decadence Studies
• Postcolonial Studies
• +4 more

Conor Stechschulte is an Assistant Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), specializing in Printmedia. He teaches courses such as Comics to Print , Deep Risography , and Adventures in Self-Publishing , emphasizing experimental print techniques and challenging institutional hierarchies. His research focuses on self-publishing as a tool for democratizing art and eroding cultural gatekeeping. Stechschulte’s work includes the graphic novel Ultrasound (2022), adapted into a feature film, and Portage (2023). He has exhibited internationally and received awards like the Eisner Award nomination and the Marion Kryczka Excellence in Teaching Award. His artistic practice spans comics, installations, and collaborative projects, often exploring themes of identity, memory, and perception. Education: BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), MFA from SAIC. Research Interests : Experimental printmaking (Risograph and offset), self-publishing cultures, visual storytelling, and the intersection of art and community. Recent Highlights : Films in collaboration with Magnolia Films; exhibitions at Mana Contemporary and Cleaner Gallery; publications with Fantagraphics, Colorama Press, and Coconino Press. His courses integrate technical mastery with critical discourse on art’s role in society. Labs/Teams : Involved with Risograph collectives and artist-publishers like Colorama and Anemone Press, fostering global networks in independent publishing.

• Graphic Novels
• Printmaking
• Self-Publishing
• +3 more

Ryan Madson is a Professor of Architecture at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where he has taught since 2011. He specializes in architecture studios emphasizing design fundamentals, urban design, and environmental design, with research focusing on 'The Open City' and social justice. His professional experience includes leadership roles in urban planning and landscape design through his firm Madson Modern Workshop (2012–17). He holds an M.L.A. in landscape architecture from Harvard University, an M.U.E.P. in urban and environmental planning, and a B.A. in English from Georgia Southern University. Madson's research spans 'Projective Preservation' (2012–17), regional planning for the Galapagos Islands (2016–21), and collaborations with entities like Disney Imagineering and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. As Graduate Coordinator for the Master of Urban Design program (2012–22), he shaped SCAD's urban design curriculum. His professional affiliations include the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture. His publications and presentations explore topics like post-industrial aesthetics, infrastructure poetics, and speculative urban futures, blending artistic, environmental, and social justice dimensions. Notable works include Pop-cycled Apocalypse (2024) and Projective Preservation: A Manifesto for Savannah (2016). Madson actively contributes to Savannah’s civic life through roles on the Tourism Advisory Commission (2023–present) and the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace Advisory Committee (2019–24).

• Urban Design
• Environmental Design
• Landscape Architecture
• +4 more

Dr. Mohini Chandra is a Senior Lecturer in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art (University of the Arts London) and convenor of the Empire and Place Research Network. Her work critically engages with decolonization, postcolonial diaspora, and the politics of memory through photography, installation, and film. Chandra holds a PhD from the Royal College of Art (RCA) and served as AHRC Fellow there (2000–2003), initiating pioneering decolonial initiatives in higher education. Her research focuses on vernacular visual cultures challenging colonial archives, explored through projects like Paradise Lost (2021) and Tall Tales and Wonder Rooms (2022), funded by Arts Council and the Australia Council. She has exhibited internationally at venues including the Royal Academy (London), the Courtauld Gallery, and the Chennai Photo Biennale. Key collaborations include work with the SHIPS Project (marine archaeology), the International Slavery Museum (Liverpool), and Autograph (Black photographers’ advocacy). Recent exhibitions deconstruct colonial narratives through Plymouth’s maritime heritage and global diasporic connections. Education : PhD, Royal College of Art (1995–1999) Awards : Jarman Film Nomination, Arts Institute Film Commission, AHRC Fellowship Research Networks : Empire and Place, Train (Transnational Art Identity & Nation)

• Decolonisation
• Globalisation
• Empire and Place
• +4 more

Clare Brennan is a Lecturer in Visual Arts Practice at Abertay University's Faculty of Design, Informatics and Business. She leads modules across the BA (Hons) Computer Arts programme, emphasizing visual inquiry, curation, and professional practice through studio work and engagement with creative industries. Her research explores intersections between playful technology, performance, and community engagement, focusing on socio-cultural topics like wellbeing and self-expression through interactive installations, exhibitions, and collaborative projects. Clare's work prioritizes community outreach, involving playtesting, workshops, and public events to integrate audience perspectives into her practice. Notable projects include curating Re:make / Re:sist (2019) and contributing to the NEoN Digital Arts Festival. She has held leadership roles in cultural initiatives such as the Hannah Maclure Centre and Weave Dundee, fostering connections between academia and the public. Clinical and professional contributions include roles on the Dundee Cultural Development Group and Festivals and Events Strategy Group. Her interdisciplinary collaborations span performers, game designers, and sound artists, always centering the player/visitor experience. Current projects explore nostalgia, cooperative games, and lived experiences through accessible, participatory formats.

• Digital Arts
• Interactive Media
• Community Engagement
• +3 more

Brandon Bloch is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, specializing in modern German and European history with a focus on democracy, human rights, memory politics, and social thought. His research examines how national and religious identities evolved amid territorial conflicts, ethnic cleansing, and genocide in 20th-century Europe. Research explores: Religious nationalism and democratic consolidation in post-Nazi Germany Transformation of Protestant political thought after 1945 Human rights legal frameworks stemming from forced migrations Memory politics of the Holocaust and wartime violence Recent publications (2018-2025) focus on Protestantism's role in West German democratization, refugee law development after population transfers, and critical reassessments of continental philosophy. His first book, Reinventing Protestant Germany: Religious Nationalists and the Contest for Post-Nazi Democracy (Harvard University Press, 2025), analyzes how church figures reshaped democratic institutions while confronting problematic historical narratives. Awards and Grants: Dorothy and Hsin-Nung Yao Teaching Award (2023) First Book Award, UW-Madison Center for the Humanities (2022) DAAD and Center for German and European Studies Research Grants (2022-23, 2024-25) He teaches courses including Europe and the Modern World , The Weimar Republic and the Rise of Nazism , and Genocide, War Crimes Trials, and Human Rights . Dr. Bloch holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University and previously taught at the University of Florida. His current project investigates how German expellee organizations influenced international law on ethnic cleansing and the 'right to homeland' after WWII.

• Modern German History
• European Intellectual History
• Democracy Studies
• +3 more

Colleen Vasconcellos is a Professor of History and History Program Coordinator at the University of West Georgia's School of Humanities within the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. She holds a B.A. in History from Western Carolina University (1995), an M.A. in American History from East Tennessee State University (1998), and a Ph.D. in Atlantic Studies from Florida International University (2004). Her research focuses on the intersection of slavery, abolition, and childhood in the Caribbean, particularly in Jamaica, as well as global girlhood studies. Notable works include Slavery, Abolition, and Childhood in Jamaica, 1788-1838 (2015) and the co-edited volume Girlhood: A Global History (2010). Recent projects explore the Yulee Family in Antebellum Florida and the cultural significance of foodways in American history. Dr. Vasconcellos teaches courses ranging from U.S. and World History to specialized topics like Pirates of the Caribbean, American Foodways, and Gender Studies. She frequently updates her syllabi, offering both online and traditional sections across multiple semesters. Her publications span monographs, edited collections, and peer-reviewed articles in journals such as a/b: Auto/Biography Studies and Citizenship Studies . In addition to her academic contributions, she coordinates the History Program and advises students through thesis work. Her research consistently bridges Atlantic Studies with interdisciplinary approaches, emphasizing marginalized voices in historical narratives.

• Slavery and Abolition Studies
• Childhood and Girlhood Studies
• Caribbean History
• +5 more

Meghan Tinsley is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Manchester, affiliated with the Faculty of Humanities. She holds a PhD from Boston University (2018), an MSc from the London School of Economics (2010), and a BA from Wellesley College (2007). Her research focuses on nationalism, imperial memory, decolonization, and postcolonial theory. She has held visiting fellowships at the University of Cambridge, University of Melbourne, and University of Ghana. Research Interests: Contesting statues and imperial nostalgia Decolonizing museums and public memory Postcolonial nation-building through memorials Global histories of empire, slavery, and anti-colonial struggle Key Projects: Commemorating and Constructing the Postcolonial Nation (mixed-method study of monuments in Ghana, Guinea, Barbados, and Martinique) Commemorating Muslims in the First World War Centenary (Routledge book analyzing national identity narratives) Awards: 2024 Fellowship for Postcolonial Nation Study 2023 Shortlist, Memory Studies Association Book Award 2020 Indigenising Museum Fellowship Engagement: Convenor of the Decolonial Reading Group, co-founder of the British Sociological Association's Postcolonial Transformations Study Group, and editorial board member for Sociology and The Sociological Review . Activities: Over 100 academic engagements including conferences, editorial work, and media appearances (e.g., BBC, Nature, culturalstudies podcast).

• Nationalism
• Memory of Empire
• Decolonization
• +3 more