Allyson Nadia Field is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cinema and Media Studies and affiliated with The College at the University of Chicago. She is also an Affiliated Faculty member at the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture and the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality. Ph.D., Harvard University Her research explores African American cinema, silent film, and archival studies. She focuses on how cinema shapes race and gender representation, particularly in nontheatrical and nonextant films. Her work bridges film form, media theory, and cultural analysis. Field’s recent publications examine archival rediscovery, speculative methodologies in film history, and the legacy of early Black filmmakers. She co-edited projects on the L.A. Rebellion and nontheatrical film, emphasizing Black feminist curation and institutional critique. 2024-2025 NEH Public Scholars Grant 2020-2021 ACLS/Burkhardt Fellowship 2019 Academy Film Scholar 2021 National Film Preservation Board appointee She has organized major exhibitions, including the 2023 Sojourner Truth Festival of the Arts, and currently co-edits a collection on the visual afterlives of slavery. Her teaching includes courses on silent cinema, experimental film, and archival theory.
Steven Chung is an Associate Professor at the Department of East Asian Studies and affiliated faculty in Comparative Literature at Princeton University. He currently serves as Director of Graduate Studies and Acting Chair of the University Committee for Film Studies. Education : Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Literatures (University of California, Irvine), M.A. in English Literature (University of British Columbia), B.A. in English Literature (University of Toronto) Research Interests span Korean and East Asian film/media, Cold War cultural histories, political/religious conversion, and film/critical theory. His work examines transnational media flows, postcolonial cinema, and ideological representations. Recent Courses : Cinematic Translation, Contemporary Korean Media Cultures, North Korean Imaginaries, Conversion Media in Asia, and graduate seminars in East Asian Film Studies. Awards : Association for Asian Studies Prize for Best Book in Korean Studies (2014)
Steven G. Kellman is a Professor of English at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), where he has taught since 1976. A leading scholar in comparative literature and literary translingualism, he was UTSA's first Ashbel Smith Professor (1995-2000) and has received numerous accolades including the National Book Critics Circle Balakian Citation and the New York Society Library Award for Biography. His academic foundation includes: Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, University of California at Berkeley (1972) M.A. in Comparative Literature, University of California at Berkeley (1969) B.A. in English & General Literature, State University of New York at Binghamton (1967) Kellman's research focuses on comparative literature, modern and contemporary literature, prose fiction, literary translingualism, film, and biography. He pioneered the study of writers who create in non-native languages, examining how linguistic displacement fuels creativity and shapes identity across cultural boundaries. His work bridges literary analysis with cultural history, particularly in American literature and biography. His recent publications demonstrate sustained engagement with translingualism, pandemic-era literary interpretation, and biographical recovery of marginalized voices. Articles from 2022-2025 reveal consistent thematic threads: re-examining classic texts like Camus' The Plague through contemporary crises, analyzing translingual writing as spiritual practice, and recovering erased narratives in literary partnerships. Honors include the National Book Critics Circle Nona Balakian Citation (2006), New York Society Library Award for Biography (2006), and Gemini Ink Literary Excellence Award (2008). Additional distinctions: UTSA COLFA Researcher of the Year Award (2019-2020) McGinnis-Ritchie Award for Nonfiction (2008) San Antonio Public Library Foundation Arts and Letters Award (2005) Two UTSA President's Distinguished Achievement Awards in Research Excellence (1990-91, 2005-2006) Kellman has secured prestigious fellowships including the Fulbright Distinguished Chair at Sofia University and Harvard's John E. Sawyer Fellowship. He served four terms on the National Book Critics Circle board and edits Brill's Literary Multilingualism series, demonstrating sustained commitment to advancing literary scholarship through editorial leadership and institutional service.
Dr. Jason Ney is an Associate Professor of English and the Director of the Writing Center at Colorado Christian University, where he has been a faculty member since 2013. He is affiliated with the College of Undergraduate Studies and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, teaching courses in American Literature, Creative Writing, and Literary Criticism and Theory. Ph.D., English - Literary Studies, University of Denver M.A., English and Comparative Literature, University of Cincinnati B.A., English, Cedarville University Dr. Ney's research spans creative nonfiction and film criticism, with a strong focus on ethical issues in narrative truth and memory. He is a noted scholar of film noir and cinematic adaptations of American literature, particularly works like The Great Gatsby and The Scarlet Letter . His academic interests include semiotics, literary theory, and the intersection of faith and storytelling. His recent publications reflect a deep engagement with noir cinema, mid-century Hollywood, and the psychological dimensions of identity in film. He has contributed audio commentaries and critical essays to numerous Blu-ray and DVD releases, and his creative nonfiction has appeared in respected anthologies and journals. His work often explores moral ambiguity, personal transformation, and cultural memory. Dr. Ney is actively involved in academic and public scholarship, presenting at conferences and co-running CCU’s annual film series. He mentors students in creative writing, many of whom have achieved publication. While no formal scientific awards are listed, his sustained contributions to film and literary criticism demonstrate significant scholarly impact. He also contributes to the Augustine Honors Program and has delivered presentations on writing center pedagogy and graduate education. His leadership in the Writing Center reflects a commitment to student development across disciplines.
Grace Lavery is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research and creative work interrogate the intersections of capitalism, gender, and embodiment, with a focus on the ascription of sexual meaning to flesh. She holds expertise in 19th-Century British literature, critical theory, cultural studies, and gender studies. Lavery’s scholarly monographs include *Quaint, Exquisite* (2019), *Pleasure and Efficacy* (2023), and *Closures* (2024), alongside her creative memoir *Please Miss* (2022). Her current research explores contemporary demonology and possession narratives. She frequently lectures on trans studies, queer theory, and literary form at institutions such as Harvard, Princeton, and Brown. Her academic career includes teaching at Berkeley since 2016, focusing on courses that blend literary analysis with critical theory. Lavery’s work bridges scholarship and creative writing, examining how formal and generic frameworks shape understandings of the body. Her research often engages psychoanalysis, poststructuralism, and cultural materialism to unpack themes of identity, desire, and power. Notable contributions include rethinking trans literature through historical figures like Christine Jorgensen and analyzing modern media’s portrayal of heterosexuality in sitcoms. Her interdisciplinary approach has led to collaborations across departments and institutions, reflecting her commitment to expanding critical discourses on gender, sexuality, and culture.
Markus Nornes is a Professor of Asian Cinema at the University of Michigan, affiliated with the School of Art & Design, Department of Film, Television and Media, and Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. His research focuses on Japanese and broader Asian cinema, documentary filmmaking, and film translation theory. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in 1996 and has taught at Michigan since then. His work explores the political and ethical dimensions of nonfiction film, particularly in Japan's documentary history from the Meiji era through Hiroshima, and the evolution of screen translation. He advocates for 'abusive translation' to challenge conventional subtitling norms. Current projects include a critical biography of Adachi Masao and a multi-volume Japanese film theory translation collection. Recent publications include Brushed in Light (2021) on calligraphy in East Asian cinema, Hallyu 2.0 (2015) analyzing Korean media's digital expansion, and Forest of Pressure (2007) on Ogawa Shinsuke's collective. His Google Scholar profile reflects a career bridging film history, translation ethics, and transnational media studies. Faculty Research Grant for Taiwan Studies, Ministry of Education, Taiwan (2011) Visiting Professorship at Fudan University (2010) Edwin O. Reischauer Visiting Professor at Harvard (2008-2009) Japan Foundation Research Fellow (2004-2005) Fulbright Research Fellow (1999-2000) As a filmmaker, Nornes co-directed The Big House (2018) and When We're Together (2020), often collaborating with students. He has curated major film retrospectives at Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival and University of Michigan, specializing in Japanese and Asian nonfiction cinema. His digital humanities projects, such as the Ozu and the Poetics of Cinema online reprint, showcase his commitment to accessible film scholarship.
Salomé Aguilera Skvirsky is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cinema and Media Studies and The College at the University of Chicago, with affiliated appointments in the Center for Latin American Studies and the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh and serves as co-editor at Critical Inquiry. Her research pioneers the concept of the “process genre”—a transmedial category depicting step-by-step production processes that aestheticize labor as skilled and artisanal across ideological spectrums. She employs hemispheric frameworks to analyze race, labor, and “the people” in Latin American political cinema, Third Cinema, and nonfiction media, revealing how representations intersect with power structures and historical trauma. Recent publications examine police representation in “Filming the Police,” domestic labor in Roma, and the legacy of The Battle of Chile. Her work spans Cinema Journal, Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies, and The Routledge Companion to Latin American Cinema, demonstrating methodological rigor in visual analysis and political theory. Major recognitions include: Best First Book Prize (Society for Cinema and Media Studies, 2021) PROSE Book Awards Finalist (Media and Cultural Studies, 2021) Kraszna-Krausz Moving Image Book Award shortlist (2021) She teaches advanced seminars on Latin American Documentary, Cinema/Labor, and Filming the Police, mentoring students in critical media analysis while advancing her book project on police representation across televisual and digital platforms.
Chuck Jackson is a Professor of English and Coordinator of the B.A. in English program at the University of Houston-Downtown, overseeing concentrations in creative writing, education, and film studies. He earned his Ph.D. in U.S. Literature, Film, and Culture from Rice University. His research focuses on nontheatrical film studies, archival film preservation, independent Black cinema, and the intersection of prison abolition with literary and cultural studies. Jackson has received significant grants including the Mellon Foundation Black Studies Course Development Grant (2025) and a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) award (2024). He teaches courses like Film Theory, Cultural Criticism, and Literature and Culture, emphasizing critical pedagogy and interdisciplinary approaches. His scholarship bridges cinematic horror analysis with historical contexts, particularly exploring petroleum culture in 1960s-70s horror films and the work of Black cinematographers like James E. Hinton. Recent publications include 'Small Collection, Enormous Power' (2025) examining archival film curation and 'Texas/Chain Saw/Atmospheres' (2024) analyzing regional identity in horror cinema. Jackson has secured multiple Organized Research Grants (2023, 2021) and focuses on educational justice through pedagogical innovations. His work frequently intersects with social justice themes, linking literary analysis to contemporary debates about incarceration and systemic racism.
Austin Bunn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Performing and Media Arts at Cornell University, where he also serves as Director of the Milstein Program in Technology and Humanity. His career bridges academia, filmmaking, and literary arts, with expertise in screenwriting, short film production, and creative nonfiction. Education B.A. in American Studies, Yale University M.F.A. in Fiction & Playwriting, University of Iowa Writers' Workshop Research and Creative Interests: Austin's work spans screenwriting pedagogy, LGBTQ+ narratives in film, and interdisciplinary storytelling. His recent focus includes audio drama development and rural queer representation in documentary media. Selected Scientific Awards: Carpenter Memorial Advising Award (2017) Audie Award for Best Fiction Collection (2017) Michener-Copernicus Fellowship International Days Prize, Venice Film Festival Advising and Professional Impact: He has mentored at the Screenwriters' Colony and Outfest Screenwriting Lab, and won the Carpenter Memorial Advising Award for connecting students with industry professionals. His Milstein Program leadership fosters collaborations between technology and humanities.
Julia Alekseyeva is an Assistant Professor of English and Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences. She is affiliated with the Department of Eastern European and Russian Studies (REES) and teaches courses such as CIMS 3100 / REES 3770: Cinema and Socialism. Her academic work bridges film, media, and radical politics across transnational contexts. Ph.D., Comparative Literature (Secondary Field: Film and Visual Studies), Harvard University, 2017 Postdoctoral Fellow, Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies Former faculty, Harvard University and Brooklyn College Dr. Alekseyeva's research centers on the intersections of global media and leftist political movements, with a comparative focus on Japan, France, and the former Soviet Union. Her work spans avant-garde cinema , documentary film , transnational animation , graphic narratives , and digital media . She investigates how radical ideologies shape media forms, particularly in response to capitalism and socialist realism. Her scholarship appears in both traditional academic and innovative visual formats. The 15 most recent articles reflect a consistent engagement with politically charged media forms across historical and cultural contexts. They span graphic narratives , documentary experimentation , avant-garde film , and activist media , demonstrating a methodological commitment to interdisciplinary and transnational analysis. Keywords include Film Studies, Political Activism, Visual Culture, and Media History, while sub-fields range from Feminist Autobiography to Digital Documentary, showcasing the breadth of her scholarly impact. Dr. Alekseyeva has received recognition for her work, most notably as the award-winning author of Soviet Daughter: A Graphic Revolution . Her publications in venues like The Nib and Jewish Currents reflect her commitment to public scholarship. Award-winning author for Soviet Daughter: A Graphic Revolution She advises students in film and media studies and is developing new curricula that integrate visual and academic scholarship. Her current projects include a monograph on 1960s avant-garde documentary and an anthology of her academic essays in graphic narrative format. While specific grants are not listed, her postdoctoral fellowship at the Reischauer Institute indicates prior competitive funding. She is actively shaping the future of media studies through hybrid, accessible, and politically engaged scholarship. Dr. Alekseyeva is also developing a new interdisciplinary lab or research collective focused on graphic scholarship and visual epistemology , aiming to bridge academic research with public-facing visual storytelling. Her work with The Paper Brigade and The Nib suggests strong collaborative ties with artists, historians, and activists committed to cultural resistance and radical pedagogy.
Jennifer Lynn Peterson is a Professor in the Filmmaking program at Woodbury University's School of Media, Culture, and Design, where she teaches courses in Cinema and Media Studies. Her academic career includes a previous position as a tenured Associate Professor in the Film Studies Program at the University of Colorado Boulder, and adjunct teaching roles at UC Riverside, UCLA, CalArts, and USC. Education: PhD, University of Chicago MA, University of Chicago BA, University of California, Berkeley Jennifer Peterson is a film historian whose research focuses on the relationship between media and the environment. Her work explores how cinema and other visual media have shaped environmental consciousness and conservation efforts throughout history. She examines topics such as travelogues, sponsored films, government documentaries, and experimental cinema through an ecological lens, revealing how moving images have influenced public understanding of nature and environmental issues. Her scholarship bridges film history with environmental humanities, creating a distinctive interdisciplinary approach that has gained recognition in both fields. Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on environmental media history, with particular attention to early nonfiction film, nature conservation movements, and the Anthropocene. Her articles span topics from mountain roadbuilding in US government films to air pollution documentaries and the representation of redwood forests. This body of work establishes her as a leading scholar at the intersection of film studies and environmental humanities, with special expertise in how visual media shapes ecological awareness across different historical periods. Advising and Grants: While specific details about her current advisees are not provided in the available information, Professor Peterson has extensive experience mentoring students through her teaching positions at multiple institutions. Her scholarly work has been supported through academic appointments and likely research grants related to her publications on film history and environmental media. Her position as a full professor suggests active involvement in departmental committees, curriculum development, and potentially directing student theses or dissertations, though specific details are not mentioned in the available materials.
Samirah Alkassim is an Assistant Professor of Film Theory at George Mason University's Film and Video Studies program. She holds a BA in English Literature from Oberlin College (1989) and an MFA in Cinema Production/Studies from San Francisco State University (1996). Her research focuses on MENA cinemas, genre studies, and film's intersection with politics and global contexts. Current projects include a book on 21st century Arab film/media and a documentary about Jordanian artist Hani Hourani. Her academic affiliations include teaching positions at the American University in Cairo, Ngee Ann Polytechnic (Singapore), and US institutions. She has received grants such as the 2023 CHR Summer Research Grant and 2022 Robert K. Purks Grant. Her work bridges theoretical scholarship and experimental filmmaking, with recent presentations at venues like Beirut's IESAV/ALBA and Saudi Arabia's Film Commission Forum. Key research interests span global horror film, transnational cinema, and the politics of representation in Middle Eastern media. She co-edits the Palgrave Studies in Arab Cinema series and authored The Cinema of Muhammad Malas (2018). Recent publications include analyses of Palestinian cinema, Lebanese filmmaker Jocelyne Saab, and post-cinematic aesthetics in Arab films. Teaching specialties include global horror, film perception theory, and video production for education. She actively participates in academic panels discussing publishing trends in Middle Eastern studies and filmic approaches to historical memory.
Vladan Nikolic is a Professor of Media Studies at The New School , where he teaches courses like Storytelling Across Media (NMDS 5577) and Writing & Directing: Script to Screen (NMDS 5254). He serves as Dean of the School of Media Studies , overseeing curriculum development and institutional partnerships. Academic Leadership : Dean at The New School's School of Media Studies Consulting : Advised Icelandic government on film education; established Asia's first transmedia program at Hong Kong Design Institute Research Interests focus on: Transmedia, crossmedia, and immersive media storytelling Digital filmmaking and distribution models Independent cinema production techniques New media technology applications His filmography demonstrates evolving transmedia innovation: from early digital film Burn (2001) to pioneering transmedia project Zenith (2010), followed by critically acclaimed works like Allure (2014) and Everything That Will Happen Has Already Happened (2024), which combines global filmmaker collaborations. Scientific Awards include: Tribeca Film Festival Best NY Narrative Geneva Film Festival Special Mention Berlin Film Festival participation SXSW Grand Jury Prize (for Most Beautiful Island ) Tiburon Golden Reel Award As an educator , Nikolic has mentored emerging filmmakers through courses such as Thesis Supervision (NMDS 5960) and Independent Study (NMDS 5920). He has also led international workshops on cross-media storytelling and advised on film education reforms.
Chris Cagle is an Associate Professor in the Film and Media Arts Department at Temple University's School of Theater, Film and Media Arts. His research focuses on classical Hollywood cinema, cinematography, documentary film, and social theory. He authored Sociology on Film: Postwar Hollywood's Prestige Commodity (2016), analyzing 1940s social problem films as sociological discourse. Current projects include examining international 'festival film' styles in contemporary documentaries. His work appears in Cinema Journal , Screen , and Quarterly Review of Film and Video . He maintains the blog Category D for interdisciplinary film/media studies discussions. Key research themes include cultural theory applications to film analysis, middlebrow cinema, and the intersection of sociology with cinematic form. His writing bridges academic rigor with accessible cultural critique, evidenced by his edited volumes contributions and blog engagements.
Lillian Morton is a Graduate Student and Predoctoral Instructor at the University of Washington (UW), focusing on Creative Writing and related disciplines. She holds an A.A. in Liberal Arts from Front Range Community College (2020) and a B.A. in English Creative Writing from Colorado State University (2023). Her research and teaching interests span Creative Writing, Drama, Film/Cinema, Medieval Nonfiction Prose, Novel/Prose Fiction, Poetry, and Women Writers. She has been awarded the Creative Writing and Performing Arts Scholarship from Colorado State University in 2022. As a Predoctoral Instructor, she teaches courses in her areas of expertise. Lillian is also pursuing an MFA degree and is affiliated with UW’s English department. She maintains a dedicated presence on Zoom for office hours and engages actively with literary communities via social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Note: Lillian has a severe latex allergy and requests avoidance of latex in shared spaces.
