Camillia Cowling is an Associate Professor of Latin American History at the University of Warwick, based in the Faculty of Arts' Department of History. She specializes in slavery and abolition in Brazil and Cuba, with a focus on gendered dimensions of emancipation processes. Her research examines how enslaved and freed women influenced abolition through legal mechanisms and spatial politics. Cowling holds a Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham (2007) and has held prestigious fellowships including the Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship (2009-2012). Her major work Conceiving Freedom (2013) analyzes gendered abolition dynamics in Havana and Rio de Janeiro, winning the Roberto Reis Prize. Ongoing research includes Bound Journeys, Freedom Places , exploring spatial politics of slavery in 19th-century Cuba with support from British Academy and Leverhulme grants. Cowling co-edited journal special issues on Mothering Slaves (2017/2020), advancing scholarship on maternal roles in slave societies. Teaching focuses on Latin America, including modules on Brazilian history, Atlantic slave societies, and global empire studies. She actively supervises PhDs on 19th-century Latin America, slavery, gender, and spatial mobilities. Notable supervisees include Dr. Liana-Beatrice Valerio (2020) and Dr. Nicolás Gómez Baeza (2024). Awards include the Frederick Douglass Prize nomination and media engagement through interviews like her 2015 Globo article discussing enslaved women's legal agency. Current projects emphasize archival research in Brazil, Cuba, and Spain, with a focus on spatial dimensions of enslavement and resistance.
Dr Simon Layton is a Lecturer in Early Global History at Queen Mary University of London’s School of History. He holds a doctorate from the University of Cambridge (supervised by C.A. Bayly) and has taught at institutions including Lingnan University (Hong Kong) and the University of Otago (New Zealand). His research focuses on the intersection of indigenous maritime sovereignty and European imperial expansion in the Indian Ocean and Pacific worlds. Current projects include a monograph on British naval imperialism and research into early modern seaweed cultivation networks. Affiliations: Queen Mary University of London (current), University of Cambridge (former lecturer), Lingnan University (former teaching role) Teaching: Leads undergraduate modules on global history and piracy, contributes to postgraduate oceanic history programs Key Research Themes: Imperial/environmental history, oceanic turn methodologies, maritime frontiers, indigenous knowledge systems His forthcoming book with Cambridge University Press examines resistance to British imperial naval expansion in littoral regions. Recent research explores seaweed cultivation’s role in global trade and political systems. Supervision includes PhD topics on imperial tea trade and maritime frontiers in Australian history. Professional service includes examining PhD theses at King’s College London and the University of Cambridge. Office hours currently on sabbatical during Semester B 2024-2025.
Zafeirenia Brokalaki is a Lecturer in Marketing and Communications at Queen Mary University of London (School of Business and Management), serving as Programme Co-Director for the MSc Marketing in the Creative Industries. She holds a PhD in Culture, Media and Creative Industries from King's College London, alongside advanced degrees in Philosophy, Cultural Policy, Communication, Marketing, and Dance. Her research focuses on the aesthetics, ethics, and politics of cultural consumption, creative markets, and the sociology of the body. She edits the Arts and The Market Journal and reviews for leading journals like Qualitative Market Research . Her teaching spans global marketing strategies, cultural marketing for social change, and arts management. She has taught at multiple institutions, including the University of Leicester, King’s College London, and the University of Peloponnese. Her work bridges marketing, cultural studies, and performance, emphasizing transformative consumer research and critical marketing theory. She leads the QMUL Impact Fellowship project Impact Stories and collaborates with East London creative organizations. Zafeirenia’s research interests include participatory art, illegal arts markets, and the historical interplay of the body and market systems. She has published in top journals like Journal of Business Ethics , Journal of Marketing Management , and City , and presented at global conferences such as the Consumer Culture Theory Conference and the European Marketing Academy Conference. Her awards include HEA Fellowship and RSA Fellowship. She supervises PhD students on topics like domestic commodification, slow tourism, and AI-generated storytelling. Her public engagement includes consulting with cultural organizations like Dance Umbrella and Opera Holland Park, supported by grants from Nesta, Arts Council England, and others.
Jaimey Fisher is Professor and Chair of Cinema and Digital Media and Professor of German at UC Davis. He holds a PhD from Cornell University with emphases in German intellectual history and film studies. His research explores German cinema, postwar reconstruction, and genre theory. Fisher authored four books: German Ways of War (2022), Treme (2019), Christian Petzold (2013), and Disciplining Germany (2007). He edited seven volumes including The Berlin School and Its Global Contexts (2018) and publishes widely on war films, transnational cinema, and critical theory. His articles analyze affective geographies in war cinema, transnational art film movements, and ethics in speculative media. Recent work examines New German Cinema's global resonances and AI ethics in Black Mirror . Fisher developed a summer-abroad course at the Locarno Film Festival and received grants from the Mellon Foundation and NEH. He directs graduate studies and mentors students in critical media analysis.
Susanne Wofford is Professor at NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where she served as Dean from 2007-2022. A distinguished scholar of epic poetry and Renaissance literature, her academic appointments include positions at Yale University, University of Wisconsin-Madison (where she directed the Center for the Humanities and held the Mark Eccles Professorship), and visiting professorships at Harvard and Princeton. Her research examines Shakespeare, Spenser, Renaissance and classical epic traditions, comparative European drama, and literary theory. Current book projects explore transnational dimensions of Renaissance drama: 'The Apparent Corpse: Popular and Transnational Bodies on the Shakespearean Stage' and 'Shakespeare and the Foreign: Intercultural Literacy and Literary Diaspora in Early Modern Europe'. Wofford's extensive honors include teaching awards from Yale and Wisconsin, the Robert Frost Chair at Bread Loaf School of English, and prestigious fellowships including the Marshall Scholarship. She holds leadership positions in major academic organizations including the Modern Language Association and Shakespeare Association of America.
Catherine Bolten is a Professor of Anthropology and Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs, holding concurrent appointments in Africana Studies and Poverty Studies. Her primary affiliation is the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, where she also served as Director of Doctoral Studies (2018–2023). She is affiliated with multiple interdisciplinary initiatives including the Eck Institute for Global Health and the Initiative on Race and Resilience. Bolten holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Michigan (2008), an MPhil from the University of Cambridge (2000), and a BA from Williams College (1998). Her research focuses on Sierra Leone, examining themes such as youth agency, structural violence, food security, and climate change through long-term ethnographic engagement. She has conducted fieldwork on primate-human coexistence, Ebola crisis response, and post-conflict development since 2003. Her research interests bridge anthropology, peacebuilding, and environmental studies. Recent work explores climate change impacts in rural Sierra Leone, youth participation in peace processes, and the intersections of ecology and violence. She has authored three books and over 40 peer-reviewed articles, with ongoing projects funded by the NEH and ND Institute for Advanced Studies. Bolten has advised over 30 doctoral and master’s students in anthropology, peace studies, and global health. Her awards include the Undergraduate Mentoring Award (2013, 2022) and the UC Press Public Anthropology Prize. She serves on editorial boards for African Conflict and Peacebuilding Review and Studies in Comparative International Development , and has held leadership roles in professional organizations like the American Anthropological Association.
Stefanie Markovits is a Professor of English and Director of Undergraduate Studies at Yale University. She holds a Ph.D. in English Language and Literature from Yale (2001), an M.Phil. in English Romantic Studies from Oxford (1996), and a B.A. in English and Philosophy from Yale (1994, summa cum laude). Her research focuses on 19th-century British literature, including Romantic and Victorian poetry and novels, German classical literature (e.g., Goethe and Schiller), aesthetic theory, war literature, and genre theory. She explores intersections between formal innovation and socio-political contexts, such as the impact of the Crimean War on Victorian poetry. Her publications include The Number-Sense of Nineteenth-Century British Fiction (2025), The Victorian Verse-Novel (2017), and The Crimean War in the British Imagination (2009). Recent articles analyze themes like numerical symbolism in literature and the evolution of the verse-novel genre. She teaches undergraduate courses on literary analysis, Romantic and Victorian novels, and Jane Austen, as well as graduate seminars on Dickens and Eliot.
Vance Byrd is an Associate Professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures at the University of Pennsylvania , with a secondary appointment in History of Art. He serves as Special Advisor in the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty (2024–2025) and is completing an Ivy+ Mellon Leadership Fellowship. Education: Ph.D., M.A. University of Pennsylvania B.A., University of Georgia Research Interests: Byrd’s work focuses on late-eighteenth- and nineteenth-century German literature , visual and print culture , media history , and commemoration . He engages with race, gender, and sexuality studies , environmental humanities , and the history of books and periodicals . His scholarship examines how panoramic media, illustrated journals, and printed materials shaped cultural memory and identity. Scientific Awards: New Directions Fellowship, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (2019) Residential Fellow, National Humanities Center (2021–2022) Getty Scholar, Getty Research Institute (2021–2022) Ivy+ Mellon Leadership Fellow (2024–2025) Grants and Affiliations: His research has been supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Fulbright Commission, and the Quadrangle Historical Research Foundation. He serves on editorial boards for Monatshefte , The German Quarterly , and the Signale book series, and participates in international academic networks like the Berlin Program for Advanced German and European Studies.
Dr. Darren Thomas Baker is an Assistant Professor of Responsible Leadership at Monash University's Department of Management (Monash Business School). He holds an MA from the University of Oxford and a PhD from King’s College London. His research focuses on gender and economic inequalities, workplace sustainability, and psychoanalytic methodologies in organizational studies. He advises organizations on fostering equitable environments and has consulted with multinational corporations and international bodies. Education: MA (Oxford University), PhD in Business (King’s College London, 2018). Former roles include Adjunct Fellow at University of Technology Sydney (2020–2022) and Visiting Fellow at Macquarie University (2019). He also served as Assistant Professor at University College Dublin (2017–2028) and worked as a management consultant at Deloitte and Accenture. Research Interests: Gender inequality dynamics, climate change impacts on workers, qualitative methodologies (psychoanalysis/discourse analysis), and organizational structures in finance, hospitality, and sport sectors. His work addresses structural barriers to career advancement and promotes inclusive meritocratic environments. Teaching: Leads large-scale undergraduate courses in Business Ethics and Management, recognized for innovative pedagogy. Serves on Monash's Equity, Diversity, and Social Inclusion Committee and is PRME Ambassador for responsible management education. Recent Research Trends: Explores neoliberalism's psychological impacts, organizational masculinities, and gendered responses to workplace precarity. His 2023–2024 publications analyze gender equity defences, spatial psychoanalysis, and elite athlete vulnerability during crises.
Panu Savolainen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture at Aalto University. His work bridges architectural history, urban studies, and heritage conservation, with a focus on medieval structures, suburban identities, and historical timber innovations. PI of projects: 'La cathédrale engloutie' (2024–2028), 'Deciphering roofs' (2020–2025), 'Lähiöpride' (2021–2022), and 'Argumenta, Fostering modern Heritage' (2021–2022) Recipient of State Award for Public Information (2025), History Book of the Year (2024), and Teacher of the Year (2021) Research Interests: Panu Savolainen specializes in architectural history, urban studies, and heritage. His work explores historical timber structures, medieval archaeology, and suburban environments. He integrates historical analysis with modern design principles, emphasizing cultural memory and sustainable practices. Publication Trends: His recent articles focus on Nordic architecture, historical reconstruction, and urban evolution. Themes include 18th-century domestic spaces, 20th-century suburban identities, and medieval building techniques. He frequently collaborates on topics like forest integration in design and carbon-neutral construction. Scientific Awards: State Award for Public Information (2025) History Book of the Year (2024) Nominee for Tieto-Finlandia Prize (2024) Teacher of the Year, Aalto (2021) Kritiikin punnukset (2021)
Dave Miranda is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Social Sciences. His research focuses on the psychological role of music in adolescent development, particularly in relation to personality, mental health, and cultural identity. Research Interests: Psychology of Music Adolescent Development Developmental Psychopathology Personality Traits Cultural Diversity Cyberpsychology Emotion Regulation His work explores how music functions as a tool for emotion regulation, identity formation, and cultural understanding among youth. He investigates music’s role in coping with internalizing symptoms and reducing cultural prejudice, often using interdisciplinary approaches that combine psychology, musicology, and cultural studies. The recent trend in his publications shows a strong emphasis on empirical and meta-analytic studies, particularly examining neuroticism, music listening behaviors, and cross-cultural musical influences. His research spans journals such as Musicae Scientiae and Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts , reflecting a blend of experimental and theoretical inquiry. Scientific Awards: No awards listed in the provided text. Advising and Grants: No students or advisees mentioned. No grants or funding sources specified in the text. Labs and Teams: No specific lab or research team is mentioned in the provided information.
Ida Zilio-Grandi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Asian and North African Studies at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, where she specializes in Arabic Language and Literature (SSD L/OR-12). She also holds teaching responsibilities in Islamic Thought and Theology (SSD L/OR-10) and has been actively involved in multiple interdisciplinary programs, including Master’s degrees in Interfaith Dialogue, Islamic Philosophy, and Mediterranean Studies. From 2019 to 2023, she served as Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Abu Dhabi under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reflecting her deep engagement with cultural diplomacy. Education Graduated in Oriental Languages and Literatures (Arabic) from Ca' Foscari University of Venice. PhD in “Studies on the Middle East and the Maghreb from the founding of Islam to the Present day” at the University of Naples “L’Orientale”. Research Interests Her scholarly work centers on Quranic studies, Islamic ethics, and Arabic literature. She investigates religious figures in the Quran (e.g., Mary, Cain, Pharaoh, Jonah), Islamic moral concepts such as gratitude (šukr), patience (ṣabr), tolerance, and mercy, and the ethical dimensions of employment, speech, and hospitality. Her research draws on classical exegesis, adab literature, and contemporary Islamic thought, bridging historical analysis with modern applications. She also explores interfaith dialogue, particularly between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, and cultural relations between the Islamic world and the West. Publication Trends Her recent publications (2020–2025) reflect a sustained focus on Islamic virtues, ethics, and Quranic interpretation. These include monographs on the moral life of Muslims, studies on Sufism in the UAE, Abraham’s legacy, and environmental ethics in Islam. Her work combines rigorous philological analysis with philosophical insight, often published in high-impact journals and academic volumes. Scientific Service and Recognition Member of the “Committee for Islam in Italy” at the Ministry of Interior (since 2015). Member of the Scientific Committee of the “Dialogue méditerranéen sur la modernité et le religieux” at Collège des Bernardins, Paris. Sits on the editorial boards of Annali di Ca’ Foscari , Islamo-Christiana , and L’opera Comune . Invited Researcher at the Pontificio Istituto di Studi Arabi e d’Islamistica (PISAI), Rome (since 2017). Advising, Grants, and Leadership She has coordinated several Master’s programs at Ca' Foscari, including the LM “Languages, Economies and Societies of Asia and Mediterranean Africa (LEISAAM)” and the international LM “MIM – Crossing the Mediterranean.” She is the Erasmus+ Coordinator for partnerships with the University of Jordan and Mohammed V University in Rabat. She led the research project The Languages of the Absolute (2011–2015), funded by Ca' Foscari University. Though no formal students are listed, her mentorship is evident through her academic leadership and editorial roles. Labs and Research Groups She is affiliated with several research centers, including the Ca' Foscari Center for Studies on Human Rights (CESTUDIR), the Center for Contemporary Middle East Studies (CEM), and the Religion, Law and Economy in the Mediterranean Area Center (REDESM). She is also a member of the Arab-Christian Research Group (GRAC) and the Lay Association for Biblical Culture “Biblia.”
Deborah Boehm, Ph.D., is a Foundation Professor of Gender, Race, and Identity and Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she also serves as Graduate Director for the Gender, Race, and Identity Program. Her research explores intersections between immigration, gender, family dynamics, and state control mechanisms, with a focus on transnational Mexican communities. Education: Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of New Mexico Her work examines: Gendered family relations in immigration contexts Transnational youth experiences 21st-century immigration control systems Detention and deportation practices Borderlands studies Intersectionality in migration narratives Recent research trends include analyzing spaces of invisibility in immigration detention and collaborative studies on undocumented migrant children categorized as 'unaccompanied' by the U.S. government. Scientific Awards & Fellowships: American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship Fulbright-Garcia Robles Award School for Advanced Research residency University of Arizona School of Anthropology residency Center for the Study of Law and Society (UC Berkeley) residency
Professor Murray Phillips is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences , University of Queensland , specializing in the historical and contemporary dimensions of sport . He has held academic roles at the Universities of Canberra, South Australia, and Queensland, joining UQ in 2000. His research spans sport history , Indigenous sport , digital history , and socio-cultural analyses of sport . Education: PhD in Sport History (University of Queensland, 1992) Key Research Areas: Sport and war, gender in sport, rugby league history, sport coaching, Indigenous public history, and sport-related brain trauma. His recent work focuses on brain trauma in sport , including editing the 2025 book Head in the Game , and analyzing Indigenous sport history in Cherbourg and Torres Strait. He has secured funding from the Australian Research Council, Australian Sports Commission, and other institutions. Professor Phillips is also a prominent editor and reviewer for journals like Sporting Traditions and Journal of Football Studies .
Donnacha M. Dennehy is a Professor of Music at Princeton University and Director of the Princeton Sound Kitchen. Previously a tenured lecturer at Trinity College Dublin, he was appointed a Global Scholar at Princeton University in Autumn 2012 and joined the music faculty in 2014. Dennehy founded Crash Ensemble, Ireland's renowned new music group, in 1997 after returning to Ireland from studies in the USA, France, and Holland. Dennehy's research interests focus on contemporary composition with particular emphasis on opera, experimental music theatre, overtone series exploration, and ensemble music. His work bridges traditional composition with innovative approaches to sound and performance, often incorporating elements of Irish musical tradition within contemporary frameworks. He has developed a distinctive compositional voice that has earned him international recognition. His compositions have been performed at major festivals and venues worldwide including the Edinburgh International Festival, Royal Opera House London, Carnegie Hall New York, The Barbican London, and many others. Dennehy's work shows consistent exploration of narrative structures within contemporary classical music, with a particular interest in collaborations across artistic disciplines including theatre, visual arts, and literature. Scientific Awards: Elected to Aosdána (Ireland's Academy of Creative Artists), 2005 Fulbright Scholarship Irish Times Theatre Award for best opera (for The Last Hotel), 2015 International Rostrum of Composers 'recommended' for Crane, 2010 Dennehy has received numerous commissions from prestigious organizations including Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Metropolitan Museum of Art, BBC, and RTE National Symphony Orchestra. His collaborations extend to renowned artists including Dawn Upshaw, Kronos Quartet, and writers Colm Tóibín and Enda Walsh. As Director of Princeton Sound Kitchen, he leads an ensemble dedicated to innovative contemporary music performance and creation. Dennehy's work with Crash Ensemble has been particularly influential in the new music scene, with their 2011 Nonesuch release of his music, Grá agus Bás, named by NPR as one of its '50 favorite albums' of 2011. His teaching at Princeton includes courses in composition, instrumentation, and music theory through performance.
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