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Claudia Schwabe is a Professor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Utah State University, within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in German Studies from the University of Florida and has been teaching at USU since 2012. Her academic work bridges German language, literature, and cultural studies with a strong focus on fairy tales and folklore in both historical and contemporary contexts. Education: Ph.D., German Studies, University of Florida, 2012 M.A., Teaching Business Education, Georgia College & State University, 2005 B.A., International Business Administration, Northumbria University, UK, 2003 B.A., International Administrative Management, Accadis, Germany, 2003 Her research centers on 18th- and 19th-century Romantic literature, literary and folk fairy tales (Kunstmärchen), East German cinema, German Orientalism, and the adaptation of fairy tales in new media and popular culture. She explores how traditional narratives are transformed across media and cultures, especially in American television and film. Her teaching reflects this interdisciplinary approach, covering German language, literature, film, business German, and translation. Her recent scholarly publications reveal a strong trend in analyzing the cultural and political significance of fairy tales, particularly in DEFA films and modern adaptations like Grimm and Once Upon a Time . She has published monographs, edited volumes, and peer-reviewed articles with leading presses and journals in folklore and German studies, demonstrating sustained scholarly impact. Scientific Awards and Honors: Faculty Undergraduate Advisor of the Year Award, LPCS, USU (2015) Ed Glatfelter Service Award, LPCS, USU (2016-2017) Nominations for Dean’s Giraffe Award (2016, 2018) Nominations for Researcher of the Year (2016, 2017) Travel Awards from College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Center for Women and Gender Studies (2014) Graduate Student Teaching Award, University of Florida (2010) Grinter Fellowship, University of Florida (2008–2010) Claudia Schwabe has been actively involved in academic service, grant writing (participant in grant proposal seminar), and mentoring. She has served as a faculty advisor and contributed to curriculum development, particularly in interdisciplinary folklore and fairy-tale pedagogy. Her editorial work on volumes like New Approaches to Teaching Folk and Fairy Tales highlights her leadership in shaping scholarly discourse. She has also reviewed books for major journals, contributing to peer evaluation in her field. While no formal lab or research team is mentioned, her work is deeply collaborative, involving co-edited volumes, co-authored entries, and invitations to contribute to high-impact academic projects. Her ongoing research suggests continued exploration of fairy tales in global media, pedagogy, and cultural politics.

• German Studies
• Romantic Literature
• Fairy Tales
• +12 more

Steven T. Brown is a Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Oregon, affiliated with the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages within the College of Arts and Sciences. His scholarship examines Japanese visual culture through transnational frameworks, with expertise in horror cinema, posthumanism, and critical theory. His academic credentials include: B.A. in East Asian Studies and Classics, University of Illinois (1987, Summa Cum Laude) M.A. in East Asian Studies, Stanford University (1988) Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, Stanford University (1994) Brown's research investigates sensory dimensions of Japanese cinema—particularly sound design in J-horror and slow-burn aesthetics—while exploring anime's engagement with posthuman identity. His work bridges Surrealist film theory, transnational cultural flows, and Japanese popular media, revealing how visual narratives interrogate human-machine boundaries in digital societies. Key contributions include analyzing Kurosawa Kiyoshi's sonic landscapes and Ghost in the Shell's technological uncanny. His publication trajectory from Noh theater studies (1990s) to contemporary anime/horror analysis (2000s-2010s) demonstrates evolving focus on sensory experience in visual media. Articles consistently address transnational cultural exchange, with recurring themes of gender representation, technological embodiment, and Japanese-Western artistic dialogues across 27 years of scholarship. Scientific awards: No awards listed in source material While the text doesn't specify current advisees or grants, Brown's extensive publication record—including three monographs with Palgrave Macmillan and Stanford University Press—suggests significant research impact. His editorial work on special journal issues indicates scholarly leadership in Japanese performance studies and anime criticism. No dedicated research labs or collaborative teams are mentioned, though his transnational approach implies cross-institutional academic networks.

• Comparative Literature
• Film Studies
• Japanese Popular Culture
• +4 more

Volker Benkert serves as Associate Professor in Arizona State University's School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, with additional affiliations at the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict, Melikian Center, Jewish Studies program, and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Education: Dr. Phil., University of Potsdam Staatsexam, University of Bonn Studies in History and English at Universities of Edinburgh, St. Petersburg, and Fribourg Research Focus: Benkert investigates regime change impacts on biographies in 20th century Germany through biographical interviews and discourse analysis. His work examines transmission of apologetic historical narratives across generations, focusing on German-Jewish relations, Holocaust representation, and generational identity formation. Key methodologies include comparative genocide pedagogy and media memory studies , with publications spanning German reunification impacts and DDR generational studies. Publication Trends: Recent output (2013-2022) reveals three dominant strands: 1) Comparative genocide education (collaborative works on Holocaust/Rwanda pedagogy), 2) German generational history (particularly the "last DDR generation" born circa 1970), and 3) Critical analysis of Holocaust representation in German media. His edited volumes consistently explore memory politics through generational lenses. Scientific Awards: No awards documented in provided materials. Advising & Grants: Mentored seven Honors Theses and 35+ honors contracts at ASU, plus two Master's theses. Secured collaborative funding through Arizona Holocaust Education Initiative and partnerships with USC Shoah Foundation, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Anti-Defamation League for genocide education workshops. Research Teams: Co-organizes International Comparative Genocide Symposium and Terrortimes, Terrorscapes conference series. Leads ASU's Holocaust education initiatives with Jason Bruner and Lauren Harris, developing digital tools for comparative genocide teaching.

• German History
• Holocaust Studies
• Genocide Studies
• +4 more

Friedemann Weidauer is a Professor in German Studies at the University of Connecticut, specializing in post-1945 East and West German culture, 20th-century literature, and DEFA films. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with prior education at Freie Universität Berlin and Reed College. Education: Ph.D., German, University of Wisconsin-Madison MA, German, University of Wisconsin-Madison Zwischenprüfung, German, American Studies, and Education, Freie Universität Berlin BA, Classics, Reed College Weidauer's research focuses on East and West German film, minority literatures, and the intersection of Kulturpolitik with DEFA cinema. His recent work includes editorial contributions to the Brecht Yearbook (Volumes 33–37, 2007–2012) and studies on authors like Jurek Becker and Wolfgang Borchert. Contact details: Email friedemann.weidauer@uconn.edu , phone +1 860 486 1533, office in Oak 261. Office hours are conducted via WebEx by appointment.

• 20th Century Literature
• East German Film
• West German Film
• +5 more

Katarzyna Marciniak is Professor and Department Chair of Media Arts & Culture at Occidental College, appointed in 2019 after serving as Distinguished Visiting Professor during the 2019-20 academic year. Her office is located in Weingart 112 with regular office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Her academic credentials include: Master of Arts from the University of Lodz Master of Arts from the University of Montana Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oregon Professor Marciniak's research interrogates the aesthetics and politics of transnational visual cultures, with rigorous focus on representations of foreignness, immigration, national (un)belonging, and border zones as sites of contention. She integrates feminist theory, refugee studies, and postsocialist media analysis—particularly regarding Eastern European cultures—to examine how visual media construct identities in contexts of displacement. Her pedagogical innovations emphasize ethics in teaching trauma cinema and creating transnational classrooms that engage critically with migration narratives. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a cohesive scholarly trajectory centered on refugee cinema, transnational visual representation, and socialist/post-socialist cultural studies. Her work consistently applies feminist and ethical frameworks to dissect cinematic mediation of migration, border politics, and cultural alienation, while pioneering pedagogical approaches for teaching difficult subjects through film. Her distinguished recognition includes: 2025 Linda and Todd White Teaching Prize Modern Language Association Florence Howe Award for Outstanding Feminist Scholarship (2010) for her article 'Pedagogy of Anxiety' in Signs While the source text does not specify graduate student mentorship or research grants, Professor Marciniak's prolific scholarly output and editorial leadership demonstrate active academic community engagement. She serves as Lead Editor for Palgrave's Global Cinema series and has co-edited five major volumes including The Oxford Handbook of Communist Visual Cultures (Oxford University Press). Her authored monographs include Alienhood: Citizenship, Exile, and The Logic of Difference (University of Minnesota Press) and Streets of Crocodiles: Photography, Media, and Postsocialist Landscapes in Poland (Intellect/University of Chicago Press). Her forthcoming co-authored book Refugee Cinema with Bruce Bennett (Lancaster University) is scheduled for Oxford University Press publication in 2025.

• Transnational Visual Cultures
• Refugee Representations
• Feminist Media Studies
• +5 more

Tom Roberts serves as Assistant Professor of Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies at Smith College, where he researches Russian literature, cinema, and intellectual history with specialization in 19th-century literary realism. His multidisciplinary teaching spans Russian cultural history, including courses on Cold War science fiction, revolutionary traditions, and Soviet avant-garde cinema. His educational credentials include a Ph.D. and M.A. from Stanford University and a B.A. from Middlebury College. Roberts' scholarship critically examines intersections of secular and spiritual discourses in 19th-century Russian culture, analyzing how scientific materialism and Eastern Orthodox theology shaped literary aesthetics. His current book project investigates representations of transcendence in Dostoevsky, Leskov, and Chekhov that challenge realist fiction paradigms, while his extensive cinema publications focus on directors Kira Muratova and Alexei German. His recent publications reveal consistent thematic threads across film studies and literary scholarship, emphasizing cultural-religious-political interplay in Russian artistic expression from the imperial era through late socialism. Roberts advises students within the Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies program, developing courses that integrate artistic forms with philosophical, political, and social discourses across historical periods.

• Russian Literature
• Cinema Studies
• Intellectual History
• +2 more

Andrea Bachner is a Professor of Comparative Literature at Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences. She served as Director of the East Asia Program (2019–2022) and contributes to transregional research through editorial and committee roles. Her work bridges Sinophone, Latin American, and European cultural productions. MA, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich PhD, Harvard University Her research focuses on theories of interculturality, media studies (visuality/textuality), gender/sexuality, and transcultural queer theory. She examines how cultural comparison reshapes literary and media analysis, with attention to Sinophone diasporic and minor cultural expressions. Her recent publications explore Sinographic practices in global contexts, poststructuralist media theory, and cross-Pacific cultural projects. Key journals include Comparative Literature , Modern Chinese Literature and Culture , and Oxford Handbook of Modern Chinese Literatures . Notable awards include the 2002 Owen A. Aldridge Prize for her article in Comparative Literature Studies . She teaches courses on literary theory, Judith Butler, and global literature at Cornell.

• Comparative Literature
• Sinophone Studies
• Latin American Cultural Production
• +7 more

Christina Gerhardt is a Professor and Henry J. Leir Endowed Chair in Foreign Languages and Cultures at Clark University. Her research focuses on environmental humanities, blending literary and cultural analysis with climate science. She has held prestigious visiting positions at Princeton University’s High Meadows Environmental Institute as Barron Visiting Professor of Environmental Humanities and multiple terms as Senior Fellow at the Rachel Carson Center (Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich). Her work bridges environmental studies and cultural critique, exemplified by her award-winning book *Sea Change: An Atlas of Islands in a Rising Ocean* (2023), recognized by *New Scientist* as a top science book. She also serves as Editor-in-Chief of *ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment*. Her academic trajectory includes visiting roles at Harvard, Columbia, UC Berkeley, and the Free University of Berlin. Notable fellowships include the Newberry Library Short-Term Fellowship (2022–2025) and multiple Woodrow Wilson Center and Freiburg Insitute for Advanced Studies grants. Her publications span environmental atlases, German cinema studies, and transnational revolutionary movements. Current research explores climate change’s cultural and geographic impacts, particularly in coastal regions and urban centers. Awards: New Scientist 'Best Popular Science Book' (2023), Barron Visiting Professorship (Princeton), Rachel Carson Center Senior Fellowships Grants: Newberry Library Fellowship, Woodrow Wilson Center Fellowship, Freiburg Insitute for Advanced Studies Grant Labs/Teams: Leads Clark University’s environmental humanities initiatives, collaborates with global institutions on climate atlases and cultural memory projects

• Environmental Humanities
• Climate Change Studies
• Literature and Environment
• +5 more

Seth Howes is an Associate Professor of German and Associate Chair of the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of Missouri. He holds a PhD from the University of Michigan and a BA from the University of Texas. His research focuses on 20th-century German literature and culture, with a particular emphasis on Cold War contexts, East German experimental film, punk subcultures, and the works of Peter Weiss. Education: PhD in German, University of Michigan BA in German, University of Texas Research interests include Cold War cultural studies, East German experimental film, punk subcultures in the GDR, and the political aesthetics of Peter Weiss. His articles and edited volumes analyze topics like sound in cinema, underground publishing practices, and Weiss’s transnational collaborations. Recent work explores Cold War geopolitics in Weiss’s Swedish period. Publications reflect a focus on interdisciplinary approaches to German cultural history, with attention to intermediality, sound studies, and transnational networks. His edited collections and monographs engage with experimental film, punk theory, and Weiss’s legacy in Cold War intellectual history. Teaching spans undergraduate and graduate courses on German literature, culture, and political thought. Courses include advanced seminars on violence in literature, totalitarianism, and Jewish/German cultural intersections.

• 20th Century German Literature
• Cold War Studies
• East German Punk Culture
• +5 more

Maya Barzilai is Professor of Modern Hebrew and Jewish Culture at the University of Michigan, with primary appointments at the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies and the Department of Middle East Studies. She also maintains affiliations with Comparative Literature and Germanic Languages and Literatures. Her academic career spans teaching and research in multiple disciplines focusing on Jewish cultural production across linguistic boundaries. Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley (2009) and an M.A. in Comparative Literature from Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2002). These foundations have shaped her interdisciplinary approach to studying Jewish cultural production. Barzilai's research centers on twentieth-century Hebrew, German, and Yiddish literature and cinema, with particular emphasis on cultural exchange through translation and adaptation. She explores German-Hebrew translation discourse and practice, demonstrating how literary translators engaged scriptural translation models while negotiating Jewish national culture. Her work extends to Weimar cinema, Israeli visual culture, and post-war poetics, creating a rich tapestry of comparative cultural analysis that bridges linguistic and national boundaries. Analysis of her scholarly publications reveals consistent engagement with themes of translation, cultural memory, and the intersection of Jewish identity with broader European and Middle Eastern contexts. Her work demonstrates particular strength in analyzing how literary and cinematic texts navigate the complex relationships between Hebrew, German, and Yiddish cultural spheres, with special attention to how translation functions as both cultural practice and theoretical concept. Her scholarly recognition includes: 2017 Jordan Schnitzer Book Prize in the category of Jewish Literature and Linguistics for Golem: Modern Wars and Their Monsters Honorable Mention for the Salo Baron AAJR First Book Prize While specific grant information isn't detailed in the provided materials, her award-winning publications suggest successful research funding. Barzilai teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses including 'Screening Jewish Cultures,' 'The Jewish Graphic Novel,' and 'Comics and Conflict: Reframing the Middle East' at the undergraduate level, and 'The Task of the Self-Translator' and 'Sacred Languages, Secular Translations' at the graduate level, demonstrating her commitment to mentoring across academic levels. Though specific laboratory information isn't provided in the materials, her work appears to be conducted within the intellectual communities of the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies and the Department of Middle East Studies, where she contributes to interdisciplinary conversations about Jewish cultural production across linguistic and national boundaries.

• Modern Hebrew literature
• German literature
• Yiddish literature
• +7 more

Jan Hagens is a Senior Research Scholar in Divinity and Senior Lecturer in Comparative Literature at Yale University since 2010. He holds academic affiliations with Yale Divinity School and the Department of Comparative Literature. His roles include directing YDS Summer Study, Visiting Fellows, Postdoctoral Fellows Programs, and international student exchange programs spanning Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Education: M.A. degrees from the University of Virginia, Universität Tübingen, and Princeton University (combined M.A./Ph.D.). Earlier teaching roles included Carleton College, Eckerd College, and the University of Notre Dame. His research focuses on German and comparative drama (1550–present), drama theory, and intersections of philosophy/theology with literature. He has published on Jesuit drama, genre theory, theater semiotics, German film, Nietzsche, Freud, and language pedagogy. Teaching interests encompass German literature, film, intellectual history, and Western drama’s history/theory. Awards include the 2007 University of Notre Dame teaching award and major fellowships from the NEH, Templeton, Ford Foundation, and Max Kade Foundation. He serves on editorial boards for Text and Presentation and the Comparative Drama Conference.

• German Drama
• Comparative Drama
• Drama Theory
• +4 more

Nancy Reagin is a Professor in the Department of Women's and Gender Studies at Pace University’s Dyson College of Arts and Sciences. She holds a PhD from Johns Hopkins University and has established herself as a leading scholar in European history, particularly in German gender history, consumer culture, and the cultural politics of fandom. Her interdisciplinary work bridges history, gender studies, and popular culture. PhD, Johns Hopkins University, 1990 MA, Johns Hopkins University, 1985 BA, University of California at Berkeley, 1983 Her research focuses on the intersections of gender, national identity, and domestic life in modern Germany, with significant contributions to understanding how consumer culture and household practices shaped national ideologies from the 19th century through the Nazi era. She has also pioneered scholarly exploration of fan communities, historical reenactment, and the use of science fiction and fantasy literature as sites of historical imagination and political analogy. Her work often examines how popular media reinterprets and refracts historical narratives. Her recent publications reveal a strong trend toward analyzing fandom as a form of historical engagement, particularly in transatlantic contexts. She investigates how Western reenactment, Star Wars , and Harry Potter serve as vehicles for processing historical trauma, constructing identity, and negotiating political ideologies. These works span cultural history, media studies, and reception theory, demonstrating her interdisciplinary reach. LGBTQ Educator of the Year Award, Pace University, 2015 Kenan Award for Teaching Excellence, Pace University, 2014 Undergraduate Research Initiative Award, Pace University, 2011 Distinguished Faculty Research Award, Dyson College, 2010 Special Service Award, Pace Student Government Association, 2001 Nancy Reagin has been deeply involved in academic leadership and mentoring, having chaired the Department of Women's and Gender Studies, the Faculty Council, and served as interim Academic Associate Provost. She has secured significant research funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Fulbright, and Verizon, supporting projects on educational resources and historical research. While specific advisees are not listed, her leadership in undergraduate research and teaching excellence underscores her commitment to student mentorship. Her work on educational initiatives, including the 'Reacting to the Past' pedagogical model, reflects her engagement with innovative teaching methods that immerse students in historical role-playing. She has also contributed to public-facing scholarship through edited companions to fantasy and science fiction literature, expanding the reach of historical analysis beyond academia.

• European History
• German Gender History
• Gender and Sexuality
• +11 more

Yue, Ming-Bao is an Associate Professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures, and Director of the Center for Chinese Studies. His research focuses on 20th-century Chinese literature, film, and cultural studies, with particular attention to diaspora representations, transnationalism, gender studies, and ideological theories. He holds a PhD in Modern Chinese Literature (with a minor in Comparative Literature) from Stanford University, along with two BAs from Hamburg University (Chinese Studies) and Peking University (Chinese Literature). His research explores themes such as cultural constructions of 'Chineseness,' transnational Chinese popular culture, and feminist theory. Recent work includes analyses of gender representation in cinema and multiculturalism debates in Germany. Yue's publications span academic journals like Asian Cinema and Journal of Cultural Studies , with a focus on memory studies related to the Cultural Revolution and transnational narratives.

• 20th Century Chinese Literature
• Film Studies
• Cultural Studies
• +9 more

Evan Torner is Professor of German Studies and Film & Media Studies at the University of Cincinnati, where he directs the UC Game Lab. His research integrates German cinema, science fiction, and role-playing game studies, with emphasis on East German (DEFA) film, colonial representations, and participatory media. Previously an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow at Grinnell College, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (2013). Education highlights: Ph.D. in German Studies (University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2013) M.E. (University of Tokyo, 2014) B.A. (Grinnell College, 2004) Research examines transnational genre cinema, especially kagome metal cultural circuits, and game-based pedagogy. Current projects analyze Cold War cinematic exchanges and larp (live-action role-playing) as pedagogical tools. Publications reflect sustained inquiry into German film history and game studies, particularly DEFA's transnational collaborations and narrative innovations in science fiction. Recent trends show increased focus on role-playing methodologies and game theory applications. Awards & Honors: Dean's Teaching Excellence Award (2017) Outstanding Essay Award in Cinema Studies (2015) DAAD Fellowships (2009-2010, 2012) Block Winter Award for interdisciplinary scholarship (2020) Leads NIH/NSF-funded projects on game-based learning and co-edits the Analog Game Studies journal. Advises students in German-film crossovers and organizes international larp events. Directs the UC Game Lab, fostering research on immersive media and game design pedagogy.

• East German cinema
• transnational genre cinema
• role-playing games
• +3 more

Joan Clinefelter is a Professor in the Department of History at the University of Northern Colorado, affiliated with the College of Humanities & Social Sciences. She specializes in Modern European History, focusing on 20th-century Germany, Nazi Germany, and Cold War cultural dynamics. Her research explores propaganda, media, and gender studies in historical contexts. Education: A.B., German and European Studies, Grinnell College M.A., Modern European History, Indiana University Ph.D., Modern European History, Indiana University Research Interests: Dr. Clinefelter investigates the intersection of media, politics, and ideology in 20th-century Europe. Her work analyzes Cold War radio propaganda (e.g., RIAS Berlin broadcasts), Nazi art policies, and gender dynamics in historical media. She emphasizes audience reception and cultural control mechanisms in totalitarian regimes. Key Articles: Her recent work examines Cold War women’s radio programming, Nazi-era art, and propaganda strategies in films like Der ewige Jude . These studies highlight how media shaped societal perceptions under political regimes. Awards/Honors: Jack and Anita Hess Faculty Fellow (2015, 2012) National Endowment for the Humanities Grant Recipient (2008, 1996) Multiple awards for Outstanding/Favorite Faculty (1995–2017) Grants & Advising: Secured grants from the NEH, Provost’s Office, and DAAD. Advises students in Modern European History, though specific advisees are not listed here. Active in promoting Holocaust education and archival research. Labs/Teams: Engaged with the US Holocaust Memorial Museum through faculty fellowships, contributing to interdisciplinary projects on Nazi Germany and Cold War media.

• Modern European History
• 20th-Century Europe
• Modern Germany
• +4 more