University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
Yunxiang Yan is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His work focuses on China and Cultural Anthropology , with specific expertise in Economic Anthropology , Family and Kinship , and Individualization . Education: Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from Harvard University (1993). Yan’s research explores the intersection of social change , moral theory , and family dynamics in modern China. His ethnographic studies in rural villages provide foundational insights into exchange theory and cultural globalization . Recent publications analyze food safety , medical ethics , and moral crises in China, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach combining anthropology, sociology, and philosophy. Articles span themes like intergenerational intimacy , political oppression , and networked social structures . Scientific Awards: Guggenheim Fellowship Levenson Prize-winning Research Yan’s work bridges local Chinese studies with global anthropological discourse. He has held positions at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Johns Hopkins University, and UCLA since 1996. His career reflects a commitment to documenting the lives of ordinary people, rooted in his early experiences as an expelled villager during Maoist China. Contact: yan@anthro.ucla.edu
Professor David A Palmer is a distinguished academic jointly appointed by the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences and the Department of Sociology at the University of Hong Kong, where he has been teaching since 2008. His interdisciplinary work bridges anthropology, sociology, religious studies, and Sinology, establishing him as a leading scholar in Chinese religious studies and transnational religious movements. Palmer's educational background includes a PhD in Anthropology of Religion from Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (Sorbonne, Paris), an MPhil in Clinical Psychology/Medical Anthropology from University of Paris-VIII, and a BA in Anthropology and East Asian Studies from McGill University. His scholarly contributions span multiple disciplines with particular emphasis on Chinese religious traditions and their global manifestations. His research interests focus on the anthropology and sociology of spirituality and religion, especially Daoism and Chinese religion; religion in modern and contemporary China; inter-Asian and transnational religious circulations; Baháʼí Faith; civil society, volunteering, philanthropy, community engagement; and cultural and religious interactions on the Belt and Road. His work examines how religious traditions navigate modernity, state power, and globalization, with particular attention to the Belt and Road Initiative's cultural dimensions. Palmer's publications reveal a consistent focus on understanding Chinese religious traditions within broader theoretical frameworks of social theory, civil society, and transnational religious networks. His articles demonstrate how Chinese religious practices and institutions both adapt to and shape contemporary social and political contexts, with particular attention to the intersections of spirituality, modernity, and state-society relations. Joseph Levenson Award of the Association for Asian Studies PROSE award of the American Publishers' Association Francis L.K. Hsu Award of the Society for East Asian Anthropology Edward Bruner Prize for the best book in Anthropology of Tourism HK Research Grants Council RGC Research Fellowship (2021-2025) HK Research Grants Council Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship (2019) Palmer currently leads multiple significant research projects including 'Global China, Local Cultures: Chinese Modernity and Soft Power on the Belt and Road' (RGC Research Fellowship, 2021-2025), 'Infrastructures of Faith: Religious Mobilities on the Belt and Road' (CRF, 2019-2023), 'Rituals and Manuscripts of the Lanten Yao (Laos)' (GRF, 2021-2024), and 'Religious Cosmopolitanism in China, 1895-1927' (GRF, 2021-2024). He leads the 'Asian Religious Connections' research cluster at HKIHSS, co-convenes the 'Culture, Community and Social Equity' research cluster in the HKU Faculty of Social Sciences, and serves as co-convenor of the HKU Anthropology Research Network. As President of the East Asian Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, he plays a key role in advancing scholarly understanding of religion in the region.
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyUnited States
Esther Duflo is the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she is affiliated with the Department of Economics within the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. She co-founded and co-directs the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and holds the position of Chaire, Pauvreté et politiques publiques at the Collège de France. Duflo also serves as President of the Paris School of Economics, demonstrating her significant international influence in economic policy and research. Her educational background includes first degrees in history and economics from Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris, followed by a Ph.D. in Economics from MIT in 1999. This strong foundation has enabled her to become one of the most influential economists of her generation. Duflo's research focuses on understanding the economic lives of people living in poverty, with the explicit aim of informing effective social policy design and evaluation. Her work spans critical areas including health, education, financial inclusion, environmental sustainability, and governance. What distinguishes her approach is the rigorous application of randomized controlled trials to evaluate development interventions, bringing scientific precision to poverty alleviation efforts. Her research methodology has revolutionized how economists approach development questions, moving beyond theoretical models to evidence-based policy recommendations. Her scholarly output demonstrates remarkable breadth and impact, with publications spanning from technical academic papers to influential books for general audiences. Duflo's work consistently bridges the gap between academic research and practical policy applications, with recent publications addressing contemporary challenges including climate change adaptation, pandemic response, and economic policy for hard times. Her research trends reveal a deepening commitment to translating complex economic concepts for broader audiences while maintaining scholarly rigor. Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (2019, with Abhijit Banerjee and Michael Kremer) Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences (2015) A.SK Social Science Award (2015) Infosys Prize (2014) John Bates Clark Medal (2010) MacArthur 'Genius Grant' Fellowship (2009) Member of the National Academy of Sciences (2017) Duflo has supervised numerous graduate students and collaborated extensively with researchers worldwide through J-PAL, which has grown into a global network conducting field experiments across multiple continents. Her grant portfolio includes substantial funding from major foundations and government agencies supporting large-scale development research. Beyond traditional academic advising, Duflo has mentored a generation of development economists through J-PAL's training programs and field research opportunities. Her primary institutional home is the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), which she co-founded at MIT. J-PAL has grown into a major research center with offices worldwide, connecting academic researchers with policymakers to ensure that program evaluations inform real-world decisions. Duflo also leads research teams at the Collège de France and the Paris School of Economics, creating a transatlantic network focused on evidence-based poverty reduction strategies.
Adam Hollowell is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Program in Education at Duke University, where he also serves as Senior Research Associate at the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity and Director of the Inequality Studies Minor. His teaching spans ethics, inequality studies, and history across Duke’s Kenan Institute for Ethics, Sanford School of Public Policy, and Department of History. Hollowell holds a Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh (2009). His research focuses on inequality, higher education, public policy, and ethics, with notable work on pandemic impacts, telemedicine in education, and reproductive health access during crises. In Inequality Studies , Hollowell emphasizes understanding policies to drive social change, as highlighted in recent media coverage. His publications explore topics like student behavior shifts during the pandemic, telemedicine adoption in universities, and James Baldwin’s ethical challenges. He is a finalist for the Judith Deckers Prize (2024). Professionally, Hollowell leads projects such as Bass Connections on college contraception access and Story+ initiatives. His work bridges academia and public engagement, addressing systemic inequities through interdisciplinary approaches.
David Glovsky serves as Assistant Professor of History and African and African American Studies within Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, focusing on 19th-20th century West Africa with regional expertise in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Guinea. His research examines borderlands through lenses of mobility, citizenship, and alternative geographies, challenging state-imposed borders with community-driven spatial narratives. His educational foundation includes a B.A. in History and Human Geography from Dartmouth College and a Ph.D. in African History from Michigan State University. Prior academic appointments include the Department of Africana Studies at University at Albany and the Department of History at Boston University, following Peace Corps service in southern Senegal that redirected his career from sports media into academia. Glovsky's research program centers on social justice-oriented historical narratives of marginalized West African communities, particularly Fulbe populations. His work synthesizes oral histories and archival research across six nations to analyze how borderland residents construct fluid geographies that transcend colonial/postcolonial boundaries. Key themes include migration as resistance , gendered border experiences , and Islam's role in transnational community formation , with methodological innovation in spatial history and decolonial approaches. Analysis of his nine recent publications (2019-2023) reveals consistent engagement with West African borderland resilience , demonstrating how communities maintain cross-border networks despite state fragmentation. His work bridges historical scholarship and contemporary migration debates , employing interdisciplinary frameworks from anthropology, geography, and postcolonial theory to document alternative spatial organizations that challenge Western cartographic traditions. ACLS Fellowship supporting book project Borderlanders: Popular Geographies, Mobility, and Belonging in West Africa Glovsky actively mentors graduate students interested in African history, emphasizing pathways for underrepresented scholars into U.S. academia. His research has received competitive external funding including the ACLS Fellowship, while his collaborative work on the NEH ‘Ajamī Project advanced accessibility of Pulaar manuscripts through digitization and multilingual translation. He maintains strong community ties with West African scholars and institutions, particularly in Senegambia. Though not leading a formal laboratory, Glovsky collaborates with international research teams across West Africa on borderland studies and manuscript preservation, working closely with scholars in Kolda (Senegal), Dakar, and Guinea-Bissau to document community histories through participatory methodologies.
Fabio Franceschi is an Associate Professor of Ecclesiastical Law, European Ecclesiastical Law, and Law and Religion at the Faculty of Law, Sapienza University of Rome. He teaches courses including Diritto Ecclesiastico (Ecclesiastical Law), Diritto Ecclesiastico Europeo (European Ecclesiastical Law), and Law and Religion. His institutional affiliation is with the Department of Legal and Economic Studies at Sapienza University of Rome. Franceschi's research interests focus on ecclesiastical law and the relationship between law and religion in contemporary society, the history of relations between State and Church in Italy (particularly in pre- and post-unification periods), canon law, and intercultural law. His work examines religious freedom, secularism, religious confessions, and the legal frameworks governing religious institutions in increasingly multicultural and multireligious societies. His publication record includes over 60 academic works in Italian and English, with his most notable contribution being the 'Compendium of Ecclesiastical Law,' which has gone through multiple editions. His recent scholarship addresses contemporary issues such as religious freedom in MENA countries, end-of-life decisions from religious perspectives, and the financial operations of religious institutions. Franceschi is actively involved in research groups including 'DiReSom (Law and Religion in Multicultural Societies)' and the executive committee of the interdisciplinary research center 'ORFECT - Observatory on Religious Freedom in the Jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights.' He also coordinates the research group 'Tradizioni religiose, diritti umani e diritto interculturale' (Religious Traditions, Human Rights and Intercultural Law). He serves on the scientific committee of the legal journal 'SudEuropa. Quadrimestrale di civiltà e cultura europea' and the editorial board of 'Il Diritto ecclesiastico.' His teaching materials for attending students are available on the university's E-Learning platform, and he maintains regular office hours for student consultations.
Mulki Al-Sharmani is a Professor at the University of Helsinki, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and the Department of Cultures (specializing in Middle Eastern Studies). Her research focuses on Islamic feminism, Muslim family law, gender studies, and transnational migrant communities. She examines how religious texts and practices intersect with legal frameworks and social dynamics in contexts like Egypt, Finland, and the Somali diaspora. Her work includes analyzing Islamic legal reform, gender equality in marriage, and the lived experiences of Muslim women. Key publications explore Qur'anic hermeneutics, the role of feminist activism in legal change, and the wellbeing of transnational families. She has contributed to projects like 'Reclaiming Adl and Ihsan in Muslim Marriage' and co-edited volumes on Islamic ethics and family law reform. Research interests: Islamic feminist theory, Middle Eastern legal traditions, transnational family dynamics, and religious praxis. Recent articles highlight themes like Qur'anic ethics of marriage, legal pluralism in Finland, and the political dimensions of Egyptian family law reform. Active in international conferences, including presentations at SOAS University of London, American University in Cairo, and panels on Islamic law and gender at venues like MESA and EASR. Involved in interdisciplinary initiatives such as the Africa Research Forum and Musawah's global network for equality in Muslim family laws.
Jonathan R. Lyon is Professor of History of the High and Late Middle Ages at the Institute for Austrian Historical Research within the Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies at the University of Vienna. He maintains office hours on Thursdays from 14:00-16:00 (available via Zoom by appointment) and can be contacted at jonathan.lyon@univie.ac.at or +43-1-4277-27297. His educational background includes: B.A. in History and Latin, Colgate University (1997, Summa cum laude) Exchange year at Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (1996) M.A. in History, University of Notre Dame (1999) Ph.D. in History, University of Notre Dame (2005) Lyon's research centers on the Holy Roman Empire during the High and Late Middle Ages, European political and social structures (1000-1500), the evolution of statehood, corruption mechanisms, medieval kinship systems, and gender dynamics with particular emphasis on masculinity. His work examines how political power, social networks, and religious institutions intersected in shaping medieval governance and community life, often challenging traditional narratives about medieval state formation through comparative analysis of German and Hungarian contexts. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals consistent chronological focus on the 12th-15th centuries with increasing attention to corruption, gender, and monastic institutions since 2015. His scholarship demonstrates methodological diversity through charter analysis, prosopography, and comparative institutional studies, while maintaining thematic continuity in examining power dynamics between nobility, monarchy, and religious entities across Central Europe. His major scientific awards include: 2024 Otto Gründler Book Prize for Corruption, Protection and Justice in Medieval Europe: A Thousand-Year History 2017 John Nicholas Brown Prize for Princely Brothers and Sisters: The Sibling Bond in German Politics, 1100–1250 Lyon has secured prestigious research funding including the Fulbright Fellowship (2000-2001), DAAD Research Fellowship (2007), FWF Lise Meitner Fellowship (2013-2014), and Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship (2017-2018). He served as Academic Director of the Berlin Consortium for German Studies (2012-2013) and currently advises the Manchester Medieval Sources Series. His ongoing projects include editing charters of Quedlinburg abbesses and authoring an introductory text on the medieval Holy Roman Empire.
University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
Anna Morcom is Professor and Mohindar Brar Sambhi Chair of Indian Music in the Department of Ethnomusicology at UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music. She previously held a professorship at Royal Holloway, University of London, and earned her Ph.D. from SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) in 2002, where she also completed her undergraduate studies in Ethnomusicology and Hindi (1993-1996). Her research spans music and dance in India and Tibet, employing ethnographic and oral historical methods to examine the intersections of musical culture with politics, nationalism, identity, gender, inequality, economic development, and media. Morcom's scholarship is notable for its interdisciplinary approach that bridges traditional and popular musics with contemporary theoretical frameworks. Her work demonstrates significant trends toward examining music within economic frameworks, particularly through her founding of SEM's Special Interest Group on Economic Ethnomusicology. Recent publications increasingly focus on cultural economies, performance labor, and the relationship between artistic practice and economic systems in South Asia. Society of Ethnomusicology's Allan Merriam prize (2014) Marcia Herndon prize of SEM's Gender and Sexualities section (2014) Morcom's research has been supported by multiple grants from the Leverhulme Trust and the British Academy. She has been interviewed by prominent media outlets including BBC Radio 4's Thinking Allowed, The Hindu, Tehelka, and Scroll regarding her influential work on Indian dance cultures. As founder of SEM's Special Interest Group on Economic Ethnomusicology, she has shaped scholarly discourse on the economic dimensions of musical practice. Her current projects include the monograph on Hindustani music and co-editing two significant volumes: Creative Economies of Culture in South Asia: Craftspeople Performers (Routledge) and the Oxford Handbook of Economic Ethnomusicology (OUP).
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Taşağıl is a prominent historian specializing in Turkic studies, Eurasian history, and pre-Islamic cultures. He holds the rank of Professor at Yeditepe University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, History Department, since 2015, and previously served at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. His academic journey includes a PhD from Istanbul University (1989-1991) and extensive research on ancient Turkic empires like the Gokturks and Huns. Education: PhD in General Turkish History (Istanbul University), MSc in Medieval History (Istanbul University), BA in History (Istanbul University). Affiliations: Currently at Yeditepe University; previously at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University and Kirgizistan-Türkiye Manas Üniversitesi. Research Interests : Focuses on early Turkic states (Gokturks, Huns, Uyghurs), cross-cultural relations between Turkic and Chinese empires, shamanism, and pre-Islamic Turkic societies. His work bridges archaeology, ethnohistory, and political analysis, with a particular emphasis on primary sources like Chinese records and Orkhon inscriptions. Publications : Over 50 books and articles, including seminal works like Kök Tengri’nin Çocukları , Avrasya'nın Sekiz Asrı Çengizoğulları , and İslamiyet Öncesi Türkler . His research often examines the socio-political structures of nomadic empires and their legacy in Eurasian history. Awards : Recipient of the Moğalistan Devlet Onur Madalyası, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Tarih Ödülü, and numerous academic honors. His contributions to Turkic cultural heritage are widely recognized internationally. Grants & Projects : Led projects on Central Asian archaeology, cultural atlas of the Turkic world, and historical studies of Siberian tribes. Collaborated with institutions in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkey. Teaching : Offers courses on pre-Islamic Turkic history, Eurasian empires, and historical methodology in Turkish and English.
Hans Beck serves as Professor of Greek History at the University of Münster (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität) since 2018, with an additional appointment as Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Arts at McGill University. His academic career includes previous positions as Professor of Ancient History and Director of Classical Studies at McGill University (2005-2018), Heisenberg Fellow at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt (2004-2005), and Research Assistant at the University of Cologne (1997-2004). Beck earned his academic training through doctoral studies at the Universities of Erlangen, Canterbury, and Cambridge (1989-1996), followed by a fellowship at the Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, DC (2001-2002). His educational background reflects a strong international foundation in classical studies. His research spans multiple interconnected fields within ancient history, with particular emphasis on the history and culture of ancient Greece, historical geography of Greece, environmental studies of the ancient Greek world, political culture of the Roman Republic, and ancient historiography. Beck's work consistently explores themes of localism, federalism, and political structures across ancient societies, with notable contributions to understanding Greek city-states, regional identities, and comparative political systems. His approach often bridges geographical, historical, and cultural perspectives to examine how ancient communities organized themselves politically and maintained regional identities within larger frameworks. Analyzing his recent publications reveals a sustained focus on local political structures within broader contexts, particularly examining how Greek city-states maintained autonomy while participating in federal leagues. His work increasingly incorporates comparative approaches, connecting Greek political structures with those of Rome and even ancient China, reflecting his editorial work on cross-cultural studies. Beck demonstrates particular expertise in analyzing how physical landscapes shaped political organization and how religious practices reinforced regional identities. Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2018) Anneliese Maier Research Award from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (2014) Heisenberg Fellowship from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (2004) Doctoral scholarship from German Academic Exchange Service (1995) Doctoral scholarship from Hanns Seidel Foundation (1994) Beck has supervised numerous doctoral students including Jordan Christopher (2022), Chandra Giroux (2021), Wentian Fu (2020), Rebecca Robinson (2017), Alex McAuley (2015), and François Gauthier (2015), covering diverse topics from ancient Qin and Macedon to cult practices in ancient empires. His academic leadership extends to directing research projects B3-49 'Belonging in/to Lakonia' and B3-40 'Localism and Religion in Ancient Greece' within the Excellence Cluster focusing on 'Religious Diversity and Legal-Political Unity.' As head of the project 'Belonging in/to Lakonia' and 'Localism and Religion in Ancient Greece,' Beck leads interdisciplinary research teams examining archaeological and historical evidence from the Sanctuary of Apollo at Amyklai and its surroundings. His work integrates textual analysis with material culture studies, creating comprehensive approaches to understanding ancient regional identities and religious practices. Beck's leadership in these projects demonstrates his commitment to bridging traditional disciplinary boundaries in classical studies.
Professor Janet B. Pierrehumbert is a leading academic in computational linguistics and natural language processing, holding the position of Professor of Language Modelling at the Oxford e-Research Centre, University of Oxford. She is also a Senior Research Fellow at Trinity College and affiliated with the Faculty of Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics. Her work bridges interdisciplinary research in phonology, sociolinguistics, and computational models of language dynamics. Education: PhD in Linguistics from MIT (1980), A.B. in Linguistics from Harvard University (1975). Research Interests: Focuses on computational linguistics, dialect variation, language dynamics, and the societal impacts of NLP. Her group develops algorithms for analyzing social media discourse, forecasting trends, and modeling language evolution. Recent work includes studies on dialect fairness in LLMs and semantic shifts in political discourse. Key Projects: EPSRC-funded research on online forum dynamics, the Wordovators project on lexical innovation, and collaborations with institutions like the Oxford Man Institute. Her work emphasizes robust NLP systems and theoretical linguistics. Awards: ISCA Medal (2020), National Academy of Sciences membership (2019), Fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Cognitive Science Society. Grants & Advising: Over £6M in research funding, including EPSRC and Templeton grants. Supervised over 30 PhD students and postdocs, many now leading academics and industry researchers in NLP and linguistics. Labs/Teams: Leads the Pierrehumbert Language Modelling Group, collaborating with the Oxford e-Research Centre and international partners like Stanford and the University of Canterbury.
Rodney Harrison is a Reader in Archaeology, Heritage and Museum Studies at the UCL Institute of Archaeology, University College London. He serves as the founding editor of the Journal of Contemporary Archaeology and has been Vice President of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies since 2012. His research focuses on critical heritage studies, contemporary archaeology, and future-making practices in heritage contexts. Harrison's work challenges traditional boundaries between past, present, and future in heritage discourse, emphasizing how heritage functions as a future-oriented practice. His research spans cultural and natural heritage, exploring connections between heritage conservation and other material legacy management systems, including nuclear waste disposal. Harrison leads the major international 'Heritage Futures' research program funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council. This project represents one of the largest critical, comparative ethnographic studies of heritage practices, examining how different forms of heritage function as distinctive future-making practices across diverse contexts. His scholarly contributions include more than a dozen books and over 60 peer-reviewed articles. Notable publications include Collecting, Ordering, Governing: Museums, Anthropology and Liberal Government (2016), Heritage: Critical Approaches (2013), Reassembling the Collection (2013), Understanding the Politics of Heritage (2011), and The Heritage Reader (2008). Harrison's work consistently engages with critical theory, challenging conventional heritage frameworks and exploring innovative approaches to understanding how material and cultural legacies shape future possibilities. His research has significant implications for heritage policy, conservation practice, and theoretical developments in critical heritage studies.
Ramón Soneira Martínez is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Austrian Archaeological Institute's Department of Classical Studies. He holds a Degree in History from the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain) with a focus on Ancient History, a Master's degree in Religious Studies, and a PhD in Religious Studies from the Max-Weber-Kolleg of the University of Erfurt (Germany) and the University of Graz (Austria). His academic career centers on interdisciplinary approaches to ancient religious phenomena. Education : Bachelor's Degree in History (Ancient History focus), Complutense University of Madrid Master's Degree in Religious Studies Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Religious Studies, Max-Weber-Kolleg (University of Erfurt) and University of Graz Research Interests : Ramón specializes in Ancient History of Religion, Theory and Methodology of Religious Studies, Religious Deviance, and Atheism in the ancient Mediterranean. His work explores unbelief narratives, sacred spatial practices, and biopolitical dimensions of religious systems in Greco-Roman contexts. Publication Trends : His recent scholarship (2020–2025) examines atheistic positions in Classical Athens, interdisciplinary frameworks for analyzing ancient religion, biopolitical dimensions of marriage, and ecological interpretations of sacred landscapes. These works frequently engage with Platonic philosophy, pre-Socratic thought, and comparative methodologies across Mediterranean civilizations. Current Research Projects : Doubt and religion in the ancient Mediterranean: A comparative analysis of unbelief narratives Lodging/Living in a Sacred Context: Investigating spatial dynamics of religious environments
Kamila Kociałkowska is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History of Art at the University of Warwick, Faculty of Arts. She joined the department in 2024 after holding postdoctoral fellowships at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Getty/ACLS, and Harvard University’s Davis Center. Education: PhD in History of Art, University of Cambridge MA in History of Art, Courtauld Institute of Art MA in Fine Art, University of Edinburgh Her research centers on modernism in Eastern Europe, especially the interplay between artistic production and systems of censorship and surveillance in the Soviet Empire and its peripheries. She employs new materialist approaches to analyze redacted and fragmented visual and textual sources, rethinking the origins of abstraction beyond traditional resistance narratives. Her work also explores the cryptographic imagination and the impact of surveillance technologies on interwar avant-garde aesthetics. Her recent publications span topics such as Suprematist resistance, undead imagery in Stalinist propaganda, and explosive futurist texts, reflecting a deep engagement with avant-garde experimentation under repression. These works reveal recurring themes: the materiality of censorship, subversive semiotics, and the transformation of political constraint into aesthetic innovation. Scientific Awards and Fellowships: Leonard A. Lauder Postdoctoral Fellow, Metropolitan Museum of Art Getty/ACLS Postdoctoral Fellow in the History of Art Visiting Scholar, Davis Center, Harvard University She is currently completing her first book, The Black Square and the Blue Pencil: Censorship and the Stimulation of Modernist Style , which charts how censorship shaped avant-garde aesthetics in Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan. Her second project, Coding Modernity: The Cryptographic Imagination and the Interwar Avant-Garde , investigates the cultural history of spying and secret policing in interwar Europe. She does not currently have any listed advisees or research grants in the provided text.
