Find Academic Supervisors

Laurie ShannonView profile

Professor

• Early Modern Literature
• Gender & Sexuality Studies
• Environmental Humanities
• +5 more

Laurie Shannon is the Franklyn Bliss Snyder Professor of English at Northwestern University, with a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. She studies English literature and culture in the long sixteenth century, focusing on the history of ideas in language, stakeholdership, embodiment, and cross-species relations. She serves as convener of The Anne Lister Society and is collaborating with Oxford University Press on a scholarly edition of Anne Lister’s Journal. Education: J.D., Harvard Law School; Ph.D., University of Chicago Shannon’s research explores the political imagination in early modern literature, particularly through friendship (Sovereign Amity: Figures of Friendship in Shakespearean Contexts) and animal studies (The Accommodated Animal: Cosmopolity in Shakespearean Locales). Her current monograph, 'Frailty’s Name: Shakespeare and the Natural History of Human Being,' examines human negative exceptionalism in Renaissance thought and its implications for climate crisis ethics. Her publications span Shakespeare studies, queer theory, environmental humanities, and textual editing. Notable awards include the Elizabeth Dietz Memorial Award, Robert B. Cox Teaching Award, and Dean’s Award for Graduate Mentoring. She has held NEH, ACLS, and Guggenheim fellowships. Scientific Awards: Elizabeth Dietz Memorial Award, Robert B. Cox Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award, Dean's Award for Graduate Mentoring, NEH Fellowship, ACLS Fellowship, Guggenheim Fellowship Shannon contributes to the Anne Lister Diary Transcription Project and has served as English Department Chair at Northwestern. Her recent articles focus on Shakespeare’s engagement with natural history, queer cosmology, and animal sovereignty, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach.

Ali Karjoo-RavaryView profile

Assistant Professor

• Islamic History
• Intellectual History
• Social History
• +8 more

Ali Karjoo-Ravary is the Richard W. Bulliet Assistant Professor of Islamic History at Columbia University, specializing in the intellectual, social, and visual histories of premodern Islam through Arabic, Persian, and Turkic sources. His research intersects historical writing, cosmology, Sufism, and multilingual poetry in the Islamic East (Mashriq). Education: Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania (2018) M.A., University of Pennsylvania (2016) B.A., SUNY Stony Brook (2011) His current book project, Muhammad’s Song: Politics, Performance, and Cosmology in the Fourteenth Century , examines post-Mongol Islamic monarchy through Kadi Burhaneddin's life and rule. He also explores Sufi visual iconography, science fiction's relationship to religion, and architecture's role in evolving Islamic discourses. Scientific Awards and Fellowships: Bard Graduate Center Visiting Fellow (Fall 2020) Wolf Humanities Center Graduate Research Fellow (2016-2017)

• Islamic Architecture
• North African Urbanism
• Material Culture Studies
• +3 more

Dr. Simon O'Meara is a Professor at SOAS University of London , serving as Reader in the History of Architecture & Archaeology of the Islamic Middle East and Department Student Support and Experience Convenor. He holds a PhD from the University of Leeds (2004) in Arabic and Islamic Studies, following BA and MA degrees in Art History with a focus on visual theory. Key research areas: Islamic architecture , North African urbanism , material culture , and Islamic visual theory Specializes in analyzing how Islamic religious/legal discourses shape urban spaces and visual culture His publications include two monographs: Space and Muslim Urban Life (2007) on Fez's party walls, and The Kaʿba Orientations (2020) on Mecca's spatial symbolism. Current work examines Quranic exegesis through architectural lenses (2024) and Sufi cosmological centers (2023). PhD supervision topics include: Charlie Oubridge: The Nation in Egyptology Aydin Ozcandan: Ottoman fountains and epigraphs Contact: so20@soas.ac.uk | Office: Room 558, Russell Square: College Buildings

Reyhan DurmazView profile

Associate Professor

• Syriac Christianity
• Medieval Studies
• Byzantine Studies
• +7 more

Reyhan Durmaz is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, affiliated with the School of Arts & Sciences and multiple interdisciplinary programs. Her research focuses on Syriac Christianity, medieval religious dynamics, and the intersection of Christianity and Islam in late antiquity. She holds a Ph.D. from Brown University (2019) and has received prestigious fellowships such as the Dumbarton Oaks Junior Fellowship and the Charlotte Newcombe Dissertation Fellowship. Her seminal book Stories between Christianity and Islam (2022) examines the transmission of saints' stories between religious traditions, earning Honorable Mention from the Middle East Medievalists. Current projects include a study of rural Christianity in the medieval Middle East through soldier-monk narratives and an analysis of the 19th-century Arabic newspaper Kawkab America . She co-leads the Digital Photograph Archive project Visualizing Countryside , documenting medieval religious sites. Dr. Durmaz teaches courses on global Christianity, material culture, and late antiquity, and serves as co-chair of the Philadelphia Seminar on Christian Origins. Her work bridges historical analysis, textual scholarship, and digital humanities, addressing themes of religious identity, cultural exchange, and marginalized communities.

Lucia DolceView profile

Professor

• Japanese Buddhism
• Medieval Japanese Religious Culture
• Ritual Studies
• +7 more

Lucia Dolce serves as the Numata Professor of Japanese Buddhism within the Department of Religions and Philosophies at SOAS University of London, part of the School of History, Religions and Philosophies. Her academic base is room 342 in the Russell Square: College Buildings campus. Her educational background includes: Laurea MA (University of Venice) PhD (Leiden University) Professor Dolce's research centers on two interconnected projects: first, the discourse on the body in medieval Japanese Buddhist rituals and its connections to continental Tantric practices, emphasizing ritual fluidity and performative theory applications; second, contemporary Buddhism-Shinto syncretism with focus on revival of premodern practices in Kyoto shrines. She also examines Tokyo's urban pilgrimage routes like the Seven Gods of Fortune, analyzing institutional negotiations and religious marketing dynamics. Her journal articles (1992-2023) consistently explore ritual knowledge transfer in Japanese Buddhism, with recent works on scriptural repurposing and tantric exegesis highlighting material culture and practice-centered approaches. Earlier publications establish foundational studies on Nichiren Buddhism's esoteric dimensions, astrological cults, and celestial body worship, revealing enduring thematic threads across three decades of scholarship. Scientific awards: No awards listed in provided text Advising and grants: She currently supervises four PhD candidates: Rachel Williams (Japanese Secularity), Haruka Saito (Repentance Rituals), Sooyeun Yang (Korean Astrological Buddhism), and Yeonju Lee (Korean Nationalism). Previous supervisees include twelve PhD graduates such as Emanuela Sala (2022, Sannō Shintō), Ronit Wang (2022, Thai Hell Parks), and multiple 2011 completions. Dolce led the Newton Fellowship-associated project 'The Lucky Gods of Tokyo' (2014-2016), investigating spatial politics in Buddhist-Shinto pilgrimage networks.

Kristin SchwainView profile

Professor

• American Material and Visual Culture
• Art and Religion
• Arts of the African Diaspora
• +3 more

Kristin Schwain is a Professor in the Department of Art History at the University of Missouri's School of Visual Studies. She holds a PhD in Art History and Humanities from Stanford University and a BA in Art History and Humanities from Valparaiso University. Her interdisciplinary research examines marginalized objects and practices in American art history, emphasizing their cultural significance through lived experience. Her educational background includes: PhD in Art History and Humanities, Stanford University BA in Art History and Humanities, Valparaiso University Dr. Schwain's research centers on American Material and Visual Culture, Art and Religion, Arts of the African Diaspora, and Public Humanities. She investigates overlooked artifacts to reveal their influence on everyday life, challenging assumptions about modernization's impact on religious expression. Her work bridges historical analysis with contemporary relevance through studies of traditional craft, artist books, photojournalism, and mass-produced objects as lenses into social practices. Her recent publications demonstrate consistent focus on art-religion intersections in American cultural history, from Henry Ossawa Tanner's biblical paintings to Afro-Cuban religious themes in Ediciones Vigía artist books. This body of work reveals evolving methodologies for uncovering marginalized narratives through interdisciplinary frameworks spanning visual culture, material studies, and diaspora scholarship. Her scholarly recognition includes: First Biennial National Basketry Association Book Award for Rooted, Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in America Dr. Schwain has secured major grants from the Smithsonian Institution, Luce/American Council of Learned Societies, Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture, and Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Research Center. Her collaborative public humanities projects with the Missouri School of Journalism's Pictures of the Year International and Scruggs-Vandervoort-Barney department store collection demonstrate institutional partnerships that translate academic research into community engagement. She actively collaborates with the Museum of Art and Archaeology at the University of Missouri on exhibitions like Rooted, Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in America and Juan Roberto Diago: Foraged Materials, Assembled Histories , fostering cross-generational dialogues through multi-venue traveling shows and digital initiatives including The iCatalog .

James Grantham TurnerView profile

Professor

• Gender & Sexuality Studies
• 18th-Century British Literature
• Renaissance and Early Modern Studies
• +7 more

James Grantham Turner is the James D. Hart Chair and Distinguished Professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley. He specializes in 18th-century British literature, gender and sexuality studies, Renaissance and Early Modern studies, narrative and the novel, poetry, and drama. His research bridges literature and art history, focusing on sexuality, gender, ecology, and classical antiquity. He holds degrees from Oxford University (B.A., 1968; M.A., Cert.Ed.; D.Phil., 1977) and has taught at institutions including Oxford, Sussex, Northwestern, and Michigan before joining Berkeley in 1990. Turner’s recent work includes The Villa Farnesina: Palace of Venus in Renaissance Rome (2022), winner of the PROSE Award in Art History, and Eros Visible: Art, Sexuality and Antiquity in Renaissance Italy (2017). His research explores interdisciplinary histories of sexuality, combining European literature, social history, and art. He has contributed to major exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Victoria, and the Getty Museum. Awarded fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, NEH, and ACLS, Turner’s scholarship spans over 100 articles and books. He has served on editorial boards for PMLA , Eighteenth-Century Studies , and others. His recent conference papers include discussions on Milton’s cosmology and Renaissance erotic art. He currently teaches at Berkeley and maintains office hours in Wheeler Hall. Turner’s research also intersects with global sexualities, food studies, and classical mythology. His work emphasizes cross-cultural analysis, from Italian Renaissance palaces to Enlightenment-era libertinism. He continues to explore intersections of art, literature, and sexuality across pre-modern Europe.

Elizabeth AlexandrinView profile

Associate Professor

• Islamic Intellectual History
• Sufism
• Ismaili Thought
• +2 more

Elizabeth (Lisa) Alexandrin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religion at the Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba . Her academic work bridges Islamic Studies , Sufism , and gender theory , with a focus on visual and textual representations of mysticism. Education: PhD in Islamic Studies, McGill University (2006) MA in Anthropology, University of Toronto (1993) BA in Anthropology, Boston University (1993) Research Interests: Islamic intellectual history Sufism Ismaili thought Body histories Visual piety Key Themes in Publications: Apocalyptic narratives in Fāṭimid Ismāʿīlī thought Qurʾanic calligraphy as spiritual practice Symbolism of walāyah (sainthood) in Sufi texts Intersection of dreams and mystical exegesis Awards: SSHRC Insight Development Grant (2018-2022) Explore SSHRC/University of Manitoba grant (2021-2022) SSHRC standard research grant (2011-2012)

Qudsia MirzaView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Islamic Law
• Islamic Law and Gender
• Islamic Feminism
• +5 more

Qudsia Mirza is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of East London (UEL), affiliated with the Department of Law & Criminology in the Royal Docks School of Business and Law. A qualified solicitor, she has extensive academic experience across the UK and US, including roles at Birkbeck, University of London, Albany Law School (New York), and the University of Cincinnati. Her research focuses on Islamic Law with a particular emphasis on feminist/reformist perspectives, diasporic legal cultures, and human rights intersections. Research interests include Islamic Law and Gender, Islamic Feminism, Legal Pluralism, and Human Rights. Current projects examine the impact of religious and legal frameworks in Pakistan and globally, co-directed with Southern Methodist University. She has held prestigious visiting positions at Harvard Law School, UC Berkeley, and Spain's Onati Institute. Publications span topics like intersectionality in Muslim labor markets, human rights cinema, and feminist exegesis of religious texts. She has received two British Academy Research Grants and holds editorial roles at Social and Legal Studies and Muslim World Journal of Human Rights . Active in professional governance, she serves on Liberty's Executive Committee and advises organizations like the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and the Contemporary Arab and Muslim Cultural Studies Institute.

Jens WolffView profile

Research Fellow

• Image and Media Theory
• Cultural Hermeneutics
• Figurative Knowledge
• +6 more

PD Dr. Jens Wolff is a German theologian and researcher at the Faculty of Theology, University of Rostock . His work bridges image theory , cultural hermeneutics , and negative theology , with a focus on Lutheran theology and its intersections with literature and art . Education : Studied at Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle/Wittenberg, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Academic Timeline : 1995–1998 Heidelberg Academy researcher, 1998–2002 assistant at Münster's Faculty, 2003 PhD, 2005 ordained pastor, 2009–2012 DFG project on Sigmund von Birken, 2012–2015 DFG project on Image Theory, 2015 habilitation. Wolff's research explores image and media theory through theological lenses, interrogating figurative knowledge , religious rhetoric , and intercultural hermeneutics . His work connects Baroque literature (e.g., Klopstock, Hamann) with contemporary philological and deconstructive methods , examining tensions between sacralization and secularization . His recent publications analyze the word of God as performative polysemy in Lutheran thought, death and utopia in Stefan Andres' work, and iconic anthropology in Reformation contexts. He co-edited the two-volume Bild und Tod (2016), a foundational text on image-death relations. Awards: Martin-Luther-Preis für den akademischen Nachwuchs (2005) for his dissertation on Metapher und Kreuz . Wolff's advising and collaborative work focus on interdisciplinary image studies , including DFG-funded projects and symposia like the Image and Sound conference (2014). He maintains links to institutions in Bratislava , Frankfurt , and Brazil .

Konstantin VoigtView profile

Professor

• Medieval Music History
• Latin Song Traditions
• Music Theory (Antiquity & Middle Ages)
• +7 more

Konstantin Voigt, Professor of Musicology II , serves at the University of Würzburg within the Faculty of Philosophy and Institute of Music Research. His research spans medieval Latin song traditions, music theory, notation systems, and digital humanities applications. He also explores 20th-century composers like Arnold Schoenberg and the reception of medieval music in popular culture. Current: Chair of Musicology II, University of Würzburg (2024–) Previous: Tenure-track Professor, University of Freiburg (2020–2024) Education: PhD (Würzburg), MA (Erlangen-Nürnberg), Musicology & Art History Voigt's research bridges premodern music history with digital methodologies, focusing on: Medieval Latin song structures (9th–13th centuries) Development of musical notation and visualization Digital editions as tools for manuscript analysis Intermedial relationships in postmodern composition Stefan George’s poetry in Schoenberg’s works His recent publications analyze scribal practices in Paris 1139 manuscripts and digital approaches to monophonic music. He co-leads the Weave Lead project on French music reception in Central Europe before 1350 and contributes to the Corpus monodicum digital edition. Collaborations include PD Dr. Hana Vlhova-Wörner (Prague) and institutions like the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis.

Simon GilsonView profile

Professor

• Dante Studies
• Renaissance Italian Literature
• Medieval and Renaissance Reception Studies
• +3 more

Professor Simon Gilson FBA is the Agnelli-Serena Professor of Italian at the University of Oxford, affiliated with Magdalen College. He previously served as Professor of Italian at Warwick University (2010-2017), holding leadership roles including Chair of Italian and roles in the Arts Faculty. His academic journey began with degrees from Leeds and Cambridge Universities, followed by teaching at multiple institutions including Keio University in Tokyo. Gilson is a leading scholar in Dante studies, focusing on reception history, Renaissance commentary traditions, and the interplay between literature and medieval/scientific thought. His research explores Dante’s legacy in Renaissance Italy, particularly through commentaries by figures like Landino and Varchi. He has directed major projects like the AHRC-funded 'Envisioning Dante' and currently holds a Leverhulme Fellowship (2024-2027) for work on Petrarch. Gilson’s publications include monographs on Dante’s reception and edited volumes on Italian literature and philosophy. He has served as editor for Italian Studies and holds roles in scholarly societies including the Dante Society of America and the Society for Italian Studies. Key awards include Fellowship of the British Academy (2022) and honorary membership in Florence’s Dante Society. His teaching focuses on medieval and Renaissance Italian literature (c.1250-1600), blending textual analysis with cultural context. Collaborative work includes databases on vernacular Aristotelianism and Renaissance Petrarch commentary, reflecting his commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship.

Susanne EhrichView profile

Research Fellow

• Medieval Studies
• Religious Poetry
• Text-Image Analysis
• +3 more

Dr. Susanne Ehrich (born 1977) is a Research Fellow and academic coordinator at the Institute of History , University of Regensburg , since 2012. As academic coordinator of the Forum Mittelalter since 2007, she specializes in interdisciplinary medieval research with focus on apocalyptic commentaries , German religious poetry , and text-image analysis . She co-edits the Forum Mittelalter-Studien series. Education: German Studies, Catholic Theology, Romance Studies (Regensburg & Pisa, 2002); First State Examination for secondary school teaching; German as a Foreign Language Certificate Research Interests center on medieval eschatological frameworks, vernacular biblical poetry, and the interplay between textual and visual media in apocalyptic traditions. Her work examines how religious texts were adapted across Teutonic Order communities and urban contexts. Publications focus on Middle High German apocalypse manuscripts, urban cultural analysis, and interdisciplinary methodologies. Key trends include text-image relationships , didactic elements in religious poetry , and eschatological historiography . Scientific Awards: Doctoral grant from the Cusanuswerk (Bishop's Study Fund, 2003–2007) Editorial Roles: Co-editor of Forum Mittelalter-Studien series since 2009; collaborative projects with Prof. Dr. Jörg Oberste and other medievalists.

Boris PaschkeView profile

Academic

• New Testament Studies
• Early Christian Theology
• Apocryphal Literature
• +4 more

Dr. Boris Paschke serves as a Guest Associate Professor of New Testament at the Evangelische Theologische Faculteit Leuven . Holding a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from ETF Leuven (2009), he has been actively engaged in theological education since 2001, teaching at ETF Leuven and in public secondary schools in Brussels. Ph.D. in New Testament Studies (ETF Leuven, 2009) Licentiaat in de godgeleerdheid (M.Th., ETF Leuven, 2004) M.A. in Biblical Studies (University of Gloucestershire, 2001) Paschke's research focuses on New Testament theology , apocryphal literature , and early Christian worship practices , particularly prayer to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. His work explores intertextuality (e.g., Song of Songs in Romans 3), historical contexts (Roman censorship, slavery), and theological intersections between Christianity and Islam. Recent publications highlight trends in liturgical theology (2024 analyses of 1 Timothy 1:12 and Peräa), prayer studies (2023 essays on Tertullian and 2 Timothy 1:18), and historical criticism (2016-2022 works on Semler, Acts of John, and Philemon). He participates in multiple academic societies, including the Society of Biblical Literature and the Association pour l’étude de la littérature apocryphe chrétienne , and has co-authored works on ancient speech impediments (2016, 2023).

Juliette CalvarinView profile

Researcher

• East-Central Europe in the late Middle Ages
• Mediality of textiles and textile images
• Liturgical commentary, theology, and semiotics
• +1 more

Dr. Juliette Calvarin is a researcher at the Institute for Art and Visual History (HU Berlin) since July 2021. She earned her BA in European and North-American history from Yale University (2013) and her PhD in Art History from Harvard University (2021), supervised by Jeffrey Hamburger and Evelin Wetter (Abegg-Stiftung). Her research focuses on East-Central Europe in the late Middle Ages, medieval textiles, liturgical symbolism, and material culture reuse. Supervised dissertation: Ornamenta Sacerdotum: Marian Chasubles for Priestly Bodies in pre-Hussite Prague Current role: Researcher in the Bildkulturen des Mittelalters group led by Prof. Kathrin Müller Her publications address topics like bishops’ rings, altarpieces, and textile semiotics, with fellowships from Munich’s Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte and Mainz’s Institut für europäische Geschichte. She explores how liturgical objects shape clerical identity and medieval theological discourse.