Find Academic Supervisors

Noah GelfandView profile

Lecturer

• Atlantic History
• Early American History
• Colonial America
• +3 more

Noah Gelfand is a Doctoral Lecturer in the History Department at Hunter College. He specializes in early American history, colonial America, and American Indian history, teaching US history surveys and advanced courses in these areas. His research focuses on the intersection of religion and commerce in the Jewish Atlantic world during the early modern era. Education: PhD in Atlantic History and US History to 1877 (New York University, 2008) MA in US History (San Francisco State University) BA in History (University of Connecticut) Research Interests: Gelfand examines how merchant communities navigated religious and commercial landscapes across the Atlantic, particularly focusing on Sephardi Jews' roles in transatlantic trade networks. He explores themes of religious tolerance, economic exclusion, and cultural adaptation in colonial contexts. Publications reflect a focus on marginalized groups' experiences in colonial America, including Jewish communities in New Netherland, merchant networks in the Caribbean, and religious diversity in New Amsterdam. His current book project extends this analysis to broader Jewish Atlantic commercial networks. Recognitions include prestigious fellowships from the McNeil Center for Early American Studies and the John Carter Brown Library. He contributes to public history through museum resources and engages in ongoing scholarly discourse about colonial pluralism and economic systems.

Rebecca M. RosenView profile

Assistant Professor

• Multiethnic Early American Literature
• Native American Literature
• African American Literature
• +2 more

Dr. Rebecca M. Rosen is an Assistant Professor of English at Murray State University, serving as Coordinator for the Medical and Health Humanities Minor and Certificate programs. She holds a PhD and MA from Princeton University, an MSt from the University of Oxford, and a BA from Barnard College, Columbia University. Her research focuses on multiethnic early American literature, Native American literature, African American literature, and intersections between literature and medicine. Dr. Rosen teaches courses including ENG 105 (BIPOC Contemporary American Women Writers), ENG 311 (American Literature to 1865), and ENG 320 (Survey of African American Literature). Her work bridges historical literary analysis with contemporary medical humanities, examining themes like reproductive rights, colonial legal practices, and bioethical dilemmas in science fiction. Education: PhD, Princeton University MA, Princeton University MSt, University of Oxford BA, Barnard College, Columbia University Her awards include the Richard Beale Davis Prize (2022), AAS-NEH Fellowship (2023), and recognition as Junior Scholar of the Month by the Society of Early Americanists (2018). She co-coordinates the American Studies Minor and actively participates in professional organizations like the Modern Language Association and the American Studies Association.

Rebecca WynterView profile

Researcher

• History of Mental Health
• History of Psychiatry
• History of Learning Disability
• +4 more

Rebecca Wynter is a Researcher in Health Humanities at the University of Amsterdam's Faculty of Humanities, where she coordinates the Pulse Network. Her work is funded by Wellcome Trust, UKRI (AHRC), British Academy, and other institutions. She specializes in interdisciplinary research bridging history, mental health, and social justice. Research Focus: Wynter investigates the intersections of mental health, policing, and lived experience, particularly in urban contexts. Her current project— Policing Mental Disorder in London and Amsterdam since 1945 —uses oral histories to center survivor and first-responder perspectives. Additional interests include Quaker influences on healthcare, disability in wartime, and the ethics of medical archival practices. Awards & Recognition: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS) Engagement: She collaborates with museums on exhibitions and community groups on public history initiatives, emphasizing mental health advocacy and historical trauma.

• American Revolution
• Early Modern Colonial History
• Franco-American Relations
• +3 more

Bertrand Van Ruymbeke is a Professor of American Civilization at the University of Paris 8, specializing in the American Revolution, Franco-American relations, and Huguenot migration. He coordinates the ANR-funded America 2026 project (2023-2027), commemorating the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. A member of institutions including the American Philosophical Society and the Institut Universitaire de France (2015-2020), he holds the title of Knight of the Order of Academic Palms. Education: PhD from La Sorbonne-Nouvelle (1995), Habilitation à diriger des recherches from Université de Versailles (2003). Visiting positions include Stanford University (Fulbright Scholar), Brown University, and the American Philosophical Society. Research focuses on colonial America, 18th-century transatlantic networks, and the cultural legacy of the American Revolution. He has published extensively on topics like Huguenot diaspora, early modern empires, and revolutionary historiography. Grants and leadership: National Council of Universities member (2019-2023), Scientific Council of the Omohundro Institute, and steering committee member at the David Center for the American Revolution. Supervised 9 doctoral theses and served on 31 thesis juries. Labs/Initiatives: Co-founder of the Journal of Early American History (Brill) and editor of the Early American History Series. Leads the transnational America 2026 research consortium uniting French, European, and U.S. scholars.

Jonathan SassiView profile

Professor

• American Religious History
• Early American Republic
• Antislavery and Race
• +3 more

Jonathan Sassi is a Professor of History and Executive Officer of the History Department at The Graduate Center, CUNY. He is affiliated with the College of Staten Island and the CUNY Graduate Center. His research focuses on the Early American republic, American religious history, and antislavery movements. He holds a Ph.D. from UCLA. Key research themes include the interplay of religion and race in the founding era, transatlantic abolitionism, and the role of Quaker networks. His work explores how religious institutions shaped early American political and social landscapes. Selected publications span topics like Anthony Benezet’s abolitionist strategies, Revolutionary-Era sermons, and the religious dynamics of New England clergy. His 2001 article on political parties and public Christianity earned the 2002 Ralph D. Gray Prize. No grants or advising details are listed. His work contributes to understanding the religious foundations of early U.S. identity and the moral dimensions of antislavery movements.

• 17th/18th Century Philosophy
• Early Modern British Philosophy
• Metaphysics
• +11 more

Timothy Yenter is an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Associate Dean for Capstone at the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, University of Mississippi. He is affiliated with the Department of Philosophy & Religion in the College of Liberal Arts. His academic work bridges early modern philosophy and philosophy of film. His educational background includes a PhD in Philosophy from Yale University (2012), as well as MA (2003) and MPH (2008) degrees from the same institution. He earned his BA in Philosophy and History from Bethel University (MN). Yenter's research focuses on 17th and 18th-century British philosophy, especially metaphysics, methodology, and neglected figures such as Mary Astell, Anne Conway, and Samuel Clarke. He also explores the intersection of philosophy and media, particularly in film, aesthetics, and cinematic self-understanding. He describes himself as a 'shiny object' philosopher, drawn to intellectually stimulating topics across disciplines. His recent publications reflect a strong trend in early modern metaphysics and ethics, with increasing attention to feminist and interdisciplinary perspectives. Articles on Anne Conway, Mary Astell, and divine causation demonstrate deep engagement with historical and theological contexts. His work on film, including analyses of Whit Stillman and Buster Keaton, reveals a unique approach to philosophical inquiry through cinema. While no formal scientific awards are listed, his publications in respected journals such as the Southern Journal of Philosophy , British Journal for the History of Philosophy , and Film and Philosophy reflect scholarly recognition. As Associate Dean, he oversees honors capstones and the Honors Scholars program, advising numerous students. He teaches core philosophy courses including Introduction to Philosophy, History of Philosophy II, Aesthetics, and Philosophy of Film. He does not list formal PhD or Master's advisees, but his role involves significant mentorship. He maintains an active research profile with interdisciplinary reach, contributing to both historical philosophy and contemporary media studies. His ongoing work suggests continued exploration of early modern thinkers and their relevance to modern ethical and cinematic questions.

Jonathan BainbridgeView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Transnational Criminal Law
• Anti-Money Laundering
• Legal Education
• +4 more

Jonathan Bainbridge is a Senior Lecturer at Northumbria Law School, serving as Year 4 Director of Studies for the LLB (Hons) Exempting Degree and M Law Programme, and the School of Law’s Erasmus Co-ordinator. He holds an LLB (Hons) from Northumbria University and qualified as a solicitor in 2001. He undertook secondments at Dickinson Dees (2001–2002). His research focuses on transnational criminal law, anti-money laundering frameworks, legal education, and corporate law ethics. Research interests include global anti-corruption mechanisms, legal pedagogy, and the intersection of religion and corporate governance. His publications analyze Nigeria’s anti-money laundering challenges, Quaker business practices, and mobile learning innovations in legal education. He has contributed to legal dictionaries and regulatory timelines. Collaborations include international student mobility programs through Erasmus partnerships. No scientific awards are listed. Grants and lab affiliations are unspecified. His academic contributions emphasize practical legal training and interdisciplinary approaches to compliance and ethics.

Margaret ThickstunView profile

Professor

• Literary Studies
• Religious Literature
• History of the Book
• +4 more

Margaret Thickstun is the Jane D. and Ellis E. Bradford ’45 Distinguished Writing Chair at Hamilton College, holding a full professorship in Literature and Creative Writing. Her expertise spans religious literature, the history of the book, and early modern women’s writing, with a focus on transitions from manuscript to print culture. She teaches courses on 17th-century literature, Milton, and the role of women in early modern literary production. Thickstun earned her Ph.D. from Cornell University, following M.A. and B.A. degrees from Cornell and Mount Holyoke College. Her research explores intersections between Puritan doctrine, literary representation, and gender, highlighted in works like Fictions of the Feminine: Puritan Doctrine and the Representation of Women and Milton’s Paradise Lost: Moral Education . Her scholarship emphasizes marginalized voices, such as Puritan women’s spirituality and Quaker feminist critiques of Pauline theology. Recent articles address Milton’s Samson Agonistes , Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress , and Anne Bradstreet’s literary legacy. Thickstun has served extensively at Hamilton, including College Marshal since 2008 and leadership roles in academic committees like the Bicentennial Subcommittee and Writing Advisory Committee. Key professional affiliations include the Milton Society and Society for the Study of Early Modern Women. Her work bridges literary analysis with historical context, particularly examining how material aspects of books (e.g., physical form, canonization) shape cultural narratives.

Pierpaolo PolzonettiView profile

Professor

• Musicology
• Opera Studies
• Eighteenth-Century Music and Culture
• +6 more

Pierpaolo Polzonetti is a Professor of Music at the University of California, Davis , with a PhD in Musicology from Cornell University . His research bridges opera, eighteenth-century music, and interdisciplinary themes like food, social justice, and transcultural exchange. Research Interests include operatic gastromusicology, the intersection of music and cuisine, eighteenth-century social and gender dynamics in opera, Cuban popular music, and prison music education. He pioneers the study of gastronomic symbolism in operatic works, as seen in his 2021 book Feasting and Fasting in Opera . His publications reveal a focus on gastronomic codes in opera, political themes in Mozart and Haydn, and cultural identity in Italian opera. Awards include the Lockwood Book Award , Slim Award , and Latina International Prize . He has secured grants from the NEH , ACLS , and Earhart Foundation . Scientific Awards: Lockwood Book Award Slim Award Einstein Article Award Latina International Prize in Music Studies Grants: National Endowment for the Humanities American Council for Learned Societies Earhart Foundation Cuban Research Institute Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center Global Affairs UC Davis Seed Grant Polzonetti's teaching philosophy emphasizes social engagement, notably through programs like Don Giovanni Goes to Prison . His documentary El Sabroso (2024) explores Son music in Havana, aligning with his interests in marginalized cultural expressions.

• Modern British History
• History of Education
• Social and Cultural History
• +3 more

Mark Freeman is a Professor of Social History and Education at the IOE - Education, Practice & Society within University College London . He has worked at UCL since 2014 and holds a visiting professorship at King's College London, Department of History (2022–present). His research spans modern British social history, education, and cultural practices, with a focus on historical pageants, adult education, and outdoor learning. Research Interests : Freeman specializes in the history of education , social and cultural history , and historical pageants . He co-led the AHRC-funded project The Redress of the Past: Historical Pageants in Britain 1905-2016 , producing an edited book and documentary film. He chairs the advisory board for the AHRC-funded Partitions of Identity project and contributes to journals like History of Education and Paedagogica Historica . Teaching : Freeman leads modules on archival research and oral history, supervises undergraduate research methods, and mentors dissertation projects. His editorial roles include co-editing History of Education and serving on international journal boards. Collaborations : Active in the International Centre for Historical Research in Education (ICHRE), Freeman bridges historical research with public engagement through projects like historicalpageants.ac.uk .

Carol FaulknerView profile

Professor

• 19th-Century America
• U.S. Women's History
• Gender Studies
• +5 more

Carol Faulkner is a Professor in the History Department at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She also serves as Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and is a Tenth Decade Faculty Scholar. Her work focuses on 19th-century America, particularly U.S. women, gender, sexuality, and social movements. Ph.D., State University of New York at Binghamton (1998) Her research explores the intersection of gender and race in American history, with a focus on abolitionism, women’s rights, and marriage reform. She has authored and edited influential works such as Unfaithful: Love, Adultery, and Marriage Reform in Nineteenth-Century America and Lucretia Mott’s Heresy: Abolition and Women’s Rights in 19th-Century America . Carol’s publications reveal consistent themes in gender studies, political history, and social movements, emphasizing the roles of women in abolitionism, suffrage, and Reconstruction. Her work often analyzes primary sources to uncover the activism of women like Lucretia Mott. Scientific Awards & Honors: Kate B. and Hall J. Peterson Fellow (2014) Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (2003-2004) Moore Research Fellowship (2004) Postdoctoral Fellowship, Yale University (2006) Visiting Fellow, The Library Company (2006) Carol has secured grants from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Defense Intelligence Agency. She actively engages public discourse through media appearances and a 2026 course on the U.S. Semiquincentennial.

Jon W. ParmenterView profile

Associate Professor

• Native American history
• Iroquois studies
• Colonial North America
• +6 more

Jon W. Parmenter is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences. He is a historian of colonial North America, specializing in the history of indigenous peoples in the Northeast, particularly the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois). Dr. Parmenter's work combines archival research with indigenous oral traditions and modern GIS technology to analyze historical patterns of indigenous spatial mobility and settlement. Education: Trained at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada Completed doctorate at University of Michigan Research Focus: Dr. Parmenter's research examines the historical experience of indigenous nations during the Seven Years' War and American Revolution, the impact of the US/Canada border on Native American nations, and contemporary Haudenosaunee nation-building initiatives. His work shows how indigenous spatial mobility represented a geographical expression of social, political, and economic priorities. Recent Publications: His publications span the period from 1993 to 2015, covering topics related to Iroquois studies, colonial North America, historical geography, and race and ethnicity. The articles show a consistent focus on Haudenosaunee history, indigenous-settler relations, and the geographical dimensions of historical events. Scientific Awards: National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship Stephen and Margery Russell Award for Distinguished Teaching (2011-12) Teaching: Dr. Parmenter teaches courses at Cornell including "America at War to 1898," "Everything You Know About Indians is Wrong: An Introduction to Native American History," and seminars on Iroquois History, the Seven Years' War, and Treaties and Aboriginal Rights in North American History. Community Engagement: He has served as legal and historical consultant to several Haudenosaunee communities, including the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and the Oneida Indian Nation, and was qualified as a recognized Historical Expert in the History and Ethnography of the Iroquois in Ontario Superior Court (2014). Dr. Parmenter has also been involved in research on Cornell University's ties to Indigenous dispossession and historical mapping of Seneca and Cayuga villages.

Sarah RudenView profile

Researcher

• Classical Literature
• Biblical Studies
• Translation Studies
• +3 more

Sarah Ruden is a Visiting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Arts & Sciences, renowned for her translations of classical and sacred texts. With a Ph.D. from Harvard and extensive postdoctoral work in South Africa, she specializes in classical literature, biblical studies, and translation. Her research spans humor in Silver Latin, Paul of Tarsus, and the ethical dimensions of ancient texts. Ruden’s translations of works like The Aeneid , The Gospels , and Confessions emphasize historical and literary fidelity, stripping away theological accretions to reveal texts’ original contexts. Her awards include Guggenheim, Whiting, and Silvers grants, recognizing her contributions to classical scholarship and literary translation. Ruden’s interdisciplinary approach bridges ancient and modern thought, addressing themes of power, truth, and human dignity through her translations and critical analyses. As a Quaker, she engages in ecumenical lecturing and cultural journalism, advocating for precise, accessible language in sacred and secular texts. Education: B.A. (University of Michigan), M.A. (Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars), Ph.D. (Harvard). Key Roles: Translator, poet, cultural journalist, visiting scholar. Research Themes: Classical literature, biblical hermeneutics, translation ethics, ancient Mediterranean society.

Kelly RossView profile

Associate Professor

• Early American Literature
• 19th-Century American Literature
• African American Literature
• +3 more

Kelly Ross is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at Rider University, specializing in Early American Literature, 19th-Century American Literature, and African American Literature. Her research also extends into detective fiction, poetry, and American Studies.

Herbert TuckerView profile

Professor

• 19th Century British Literature
• Victorian Poetry
• Romanticism
• +7 more

Herbert Tucker is the John C. Coleman Professor in the Department of English at the University of Virginia, within the College of Arts & Sciences. He specializes in 19th-century British literature, with a focus on poetry, prosody, and Victorian intellectual culture. His scholarly work spans Romantic and Victorian poetics, epic form, dramatic monologue, and literary influence. His research interests include Victorian poetry , 19th-century British literary form , prosody , epic poetry , Shakespeare reception , and literary theory . He explores how poetic form conveys meaning, how writers engage with tradition, and how literature reflects cultural and philosophical concerns of the era. His work often bridges literary analysis with intellectual and cultural history. The recent articles reflect a deep engagement with poetic form , manuscript studies , literary influence , and the aesthetics of charm and enchantment . His scholarship appears in leading journals such as Critical Inquiry , Victorian Studies , and New Literary History , demonstrating sustained contributions to Victorian and Romantic studies. American Academy of Arts & Sciences Member Fulbright Scholar Donald J. Gray Prize National Humanities Center Fellow MLA-ACLS Fellow Whiting Fellow Danforth Fellow Shannon Center Fellow International Senior Research Fellow (Durham) Distinguished Visiting Fellow (Queen Mary) Herbert Tucker has served as Associate Editor of New Literary History since 1996 and Series Editor of Victorian Literature and Culture since 1989, indicating long-standing mentorship and editorial leadership. He has held visiting professorships at Williams College, Massey University, and Yale, and has delivered lectures globally. His projects include For Better for Verse , an interactive prosody tutorial, showcasing innovation in pedagogy and technology. He is affiliated with the New Literary History editorial team and the Victorian Literature and Culture series, both based at the University of Virginia. His work with the Shannon Center for Advanced Studies and the Teaching and Technology Initiative reflects engagement with interdisciplinary research and digital humanities.