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Yafrainy FamiliaView profile

Researcher

• 20th-21st Century Caribbean Arts & Cultures
• Afro-diasporic and Latinx Studies
• Black and Brown Feminist Geographies
• +3 more

Yafrainy Familia is a PhD Candidate and Researcher at the University of Virginia, affiliated with the Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. She holds a Solidarity Fellowship in the Diaspora Solidarities Lab and is an Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellow in Caribbean Literatures, Arts, and Cultures. Her research bridges visual, literary, and spatial analysis with community-engaged practices, focusing on Caribbean art, gender, and spatial politics. Education: Ph.D. in Spanish (2025), University of Virginia M.A. in Spanish (2022), University of Virginia Graduate Certificate in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies M.A. in Creative Writing (2016), Pompeu Fabra University B.S. in Psychology (2015), Carlos Albizu University A.S. in Social Sciences (2013), Essex County College Research Interests: Familia’s work examines how Caribbean women and queer artists reimagine spatial freedom through visual art, photography, and oral histories. Her dissertation, "Sites of Freedom: Caribbean Art, Gender and the Politics of Space," deconstructs colonial cartographies and explores radical geographic imaginaries. She centers Black and brown feminist geographies, decolonial theory, and visual culture studies. Grants & Awards: Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Higher Learning Grant (2023–present) Dean’s Diversity Doctoral Fellowship (2020–present) Del Greco Annual Essay Prize (2021) B.S. in Psychology Distinguished Student Medal (2015) Teaching & Service: Familia has taught courses on Spanish language and culture at UVA since 2021. She co-chaired panels on transnational feminisms and serves on UVA’s Graduate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Her professional development includes workshops on op-ed writing and teaching pedagogy.

A. Kendra GreeneView profile

Teaching Professor

• Creative Writing
• Literature and Culture
• Environmental Studies
• +7 more

A. Kendra Greene is a Visiting Writer and Teaching Professor specializing in creative nonfiction, book arts, and museum studies. She holds an MFA in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Iowa and has held residencies at the Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center. Her work bridges literary arts and visual culture, focusing on themes of collections, cultural preservation, and environmental narratives. Key affiliations include: Harvard University Library Innovation Lab Fellow Former Writer in Residence at Dallas Museum of Art Visiting Artist at Nasher Sculpture Center Research interests span creative writing pedagogy, book history, and interdisciplinary projects combining text and visual media. Notable awards include the CLMP Firecracker Award and Best American Essays recognition. She teaches creative nonfiction courses at the University of Texas at Dallas and University of Iceland, emphasizing experimental forms and community-engaged writing. Her publications explore intersections between literature and material culture, including The Museum of Whales You Will Never See (Penguin, 2020) which blends travel writing with ecological critique. Recent essays appear in The Guardian , Wall Street Journal , and Atlas Obscura , examining topics from Icelandic museum practices to global book preservation efforts.

Melanie FeinbergView profile

Professor

• Data Modeling
• Critical Data Studies
• History of Information Science
• +3 more

Melanie Feinberg is a Professor at the School of Information and Library Science (SILS), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She specializes in data modeling, critical data studies, and the history of information science. Her research examines the human dimensions of data, blending information science, design, and humanities perspectives. She holds a BA in Humanities from Stanford University, an MIMS from UC Berkeley, and a PhD in Information Science from the University of Washington. Feinberg’s work focuses on classification systems, metadata architectures, and the design of expressive information collections. Her book Everyday Adventures with Unruly Data (MIT Press, 2022) explores how data interacts with human practices. She teaches courses like Foundations of Information Science (INLS 201), Organizing Information (INLS 520), and Metadata Architectures (INLS 720). Her research has been recognized with awards including the Marie Skłowdoska-Curie Fellowship (2019-2021) and IAH Faculty Fellowship (2018-2019). Her articles span HCI, library science, and design, addressing topics like database interactions, rhetorical design, and ethical classification systems. She has advised numerous projects on digital curation, metadata standards, and data-driven storytelling. Feinberg’s interdisciplinary approach bridges technical systems and humanistic inquiry. She actively contributes to academic discourse through her work on classification ethics, data criticism, and the role of design in shaping information systems.

Noura HowellView profile

Assistant Professor

• Ethical AI
• Emotion AI
• Design Futuring
• +4 more

Noura Howell is an Assistant Professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her work focuses on ethical AI, emotion AI, and design futuring, emphasizing inclusivity and critical reflection through artistic and technical explorations. She holds a PhD in Information & Management Systems from UC Berkeley and a BS in Engineering from Olin College. Research interests include biosensing technologies, queer/crip design methodologies, and the intersection of embodiment with emerging technologies. Notable projects include the Future Feelings Lab, which critiques emotion AI through participatory audits and fabulative design practices, and investigations into thermal feedback systems and Sufi spiritual practices mediated by technology. Awards include an NSF CAREER Award for reimagining emotion AI, a Google TensorFlow Faculty Award for educational outreach, and the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award. Teaching spans computational media, interaction design, and design futuring courses. Her lab explores speculative design through projects like the Heart Sounds Bench (life-affirming biosensing) and Salaam, an inflatable sculpture addressing Islamophobia. She has collaborated on interdisciplinary STEAM education initiatives like PREMIER artist residencies.

• Literary Studies
• Musicology
• Colonial History of Oceania
• +3 more

Prof Emma Sutton is a Professor of English at the University of St Andrews, affiliated with the School of English. She holds a British Academy-funded PhD from the University of Cambridge and has held roles at Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities before joining St Andrews in 2003. She is an Associate of the UK’s Centre for Pacific Studies and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2024. Her research focuses on musical-literary relations across the 19th–21st centuries, with specialties in Decadence, modernist writing (e.g., Virginia Woolf), and music’s role in colonial Oceania. Education: BA English (Exeter), MA English (Leeds), PhD (Cambridge). Research projects include the Leverhulme-funded 'Hearing the Pacific: Robert Louis Stevenson and Musical Cultures in Colonial Oceania' (2025–2027), and collaborations with the National University of Samoa on Sāmoan customary music. She co-founded the AHRC-funded Virginia Woolf and Music project with pianist Lana Bode. Key Awards: Royal Society of Edinburgh Fellowship (2024), Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship (2025–2027) Supervised over 25 doctoral students in literature, musicology, and cultural studies. Research interests include interdisciplinary studies of music and literature, colonial Pacific studies, and Woolfian modernism. Her recent work explores Robert Louis Stevenson’s musical collaborations with Indigenous Pacific musicians in the late 19th century. Public engagement includes BBC Proms collaborations, lectures at the Moscow Conservatoire, and co-curating the Tate Britain/Musée d'Orsay Aubrey Beardsley exhibition (2020).

Christina KinaneView profile

Assistant Professor

• American Politics
• Quantitative Methods
• Policymaking
• +3 more

Christina M. Kinane is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Yale University and a Research Fellow at the Institution of Social and Policy Studies (ISPS). She specializes in American political institutions, focusing on the interplay between legislatures, executives, and bureaucracy in policymaking. Her research examines how presidents strategically use vacancies and acting appointees to advance policy priorities. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan (2019), an M.P.A. from the London School of Economics (2010), and a B.A. from UCLA (2007). Her work has been published in top journals like the American Political Science Review , and her book Unconfirmed Power explores unilateral governance through acting appointees. Her research interests include quantitative methods, bureaucratic control, and presidential politics. She teaches courses on American politics, executive branch dynamics, and research writing. Awards include the E. E. Schattschneider Award (2021) and George C. Edwards III Award (2020) for her dissertation. Her current projects address independent agency oversight, confirmation bargaining, and federal election commission dynamics. Professor Kinane’s articles analyze ACA healthcare coverage, partisan state policies, and the strategic use of U.S. attorney appointments. She has contributed to policy discussions in Marketplace and The Washington Post , emphasizing the implications of administrative governance. Her teaching includes courses like The Chief and the Bureaucrats and Policymaking under Separation of Powers . She mentors students through Yale’s Millstone Fellowship in Public Service and previously taught at the University of Michigan.

Neil NicholsonView profile

Professor

• Topology
• Knot Theory
• Algorithmic Music Writing
• +3 more

Neil Nicholson is a Professor of the Practice in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Notre Dame, part of the College of Science. He holds a B.A. from Lake Forest College (2002) and a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa (2007). His research focuses on collaborative undergraduate projects across diverse mathematical fields, with primary interests in topology (knot theory, knot invariants, and piecewise linear knots) and secondary interests in algorithmic music writing, graph theory, computational geometry, and math education. He has published works in mathematics education and interdisciplinary journals, including a textbook on proof techniques and studies on service-learning impacts. Nicholson advises undergraduate research in areas bridging pure mathematics and applied computational methods. His office is located in 146 Hayes-Healy Bldg.

Mehak F KhanView profile

Assistant Professor

• South Asian literature
• Game studies
• Gender and Sexuality
• +3 more

Dr. Mehak F Khan is an Assistant Professor of Global Anglophone Literature at the University of Notre Dame's Department of English, affiliated with Gender Studies and the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. She holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley (2023) and a B.A. from NYU (2014). Her research focuses on South Asian literature, game studies, and queer/postcolonial theories, with a signature project exploring 'ajeeb aesthetics'—a framework integrating affect, queer, and aesthetic theories to analyze strangeness in contemporary Pakistani culture. Education: Ph.D. in English with Critical Theory emphasis from UC Berkeley (2023); B.A. in English and Game Design from NYU (2014). Research emphasizes transnational narratives, untranslatable concepts, and digital cultural forms. Current projects examine state failure through game logics and speculative fiction editing via Tasavvur magazine. Awards include UC Berkeley's Dissertation Completion Fellowship and Simpson Fellowship. Teaching spans global literature, gender studies, and creative writing. Recent courses include Feeling Strange: Gender, Sexuality and the Global South and Quarter Century Crisis: The Global Novel Today .

• Feminist Theory
• Queer Theory
• Extinction Studies
• +6 more

Dr. Hannah Stark is an Associate Professor and Head of English and Writing at the University of Tasmania's School of Humanities. Her work bridges literary studies, philosophy, and environmental humanities, focusing on themes like extinction, queer theory, and love's political dimensions. She leads the ARC-funded 'Beyond Extinction' project reconstructing the Thylacine archive. A 2018 Vice-Chancellor’s Award winner, she also coordinates researcher development programs. Education: PhD in Deleuze's Differential Ontology and the Problem of Ethics (University of Adelaide, 2011) BA (Hons) English (University of Adelaide, 2005) Research Interests: Feminist and queer theory applied to climate change and extinction Philosophies of love and posthuman kinship Nonhuman turn and critical plant studies Anthropocene cultural narratives and public sentiment Her Extinction and Memorial Culture (2023) and Feminist Theory After Deleuze (2016) exemplify her interdisciplinary approach. Key Projects: ARC-funded 'Beyond Extinction' (2020–2025) 'How to Do Politics with Love' (with Timothy Laurie) Awards & Recognition: 2018 Vice-Chancellor’s Exceptional Researcher Development Award ERS Theme Small Grants Award Supervision & Grants: Guided 9+ doctoral students on topics like posthumanism and climate fiction Secured $213k ARC funding for Thylacine research Coordinated Go8 Future Research Leaders Program (2019) Labs/Teams: Collaborates with global institutions like the University of Edinburgh on projects linking love ethics to environmental stewardship.

Andisheh GhaderiView profile

Lecturer

• Francophone Literature
• Caribbean Literature
• African American Studies
• +12 more

Dr. Andisheh Ghaderi is a Lecturer in French at Washington University in St. Louis. She holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and graduate certificates in African Studies and African American Studies from the University of Kansas. Her research focuses on Francophone Literature, Caribbean studies, Postcolonial Studies, and Digital Humanities. She is currently working on a book, Reimagining the American Dream: Critical Perspectives by Francophone Voices , and a translation project of Haitian Creole literature. Her work includes studies on Haitian radio folklores and Franco-Iranian author Serge Rezvani. Education: PhD in French, University of British Columbia Certificates in African Studies and African American Studies, University of Kansas Her research interests span Francophone Africa, Canada, and the Caribbean, with emphases on Trauma Studies, Biopolitics, Race, Gender, and Class. She has published in journals like The French Review and Mouvance Francophone . Beyond academia, she mentors in the UBC REX program and advocates for DEAI initiatives, including voice-over work for visually impaired audiences. She is fluent in multiple languages, including French, Haitian Creole, Persian, and German, and actively expands her linguistic repertoire. Her interdisciplinary projects include mapping African migration literature and creating pedagogical materials for Haitian Creole.

Sally BallView profile

Professor

• Creative Writing
• Poetry
• American Literature
• +2 more

Sally Ball is a Professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Arizona State University (ASU), with additional roles as Senior Global Futures Scientist and Instructor at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Her work bridges poetry, environmental advocacy, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Ball’s research focuses on contemporary American literature, creative writing pedagogy, and the intersection of ecological crisis with artistic expression. She has published three poetry collections: Hold Sway (2018), Wreck Me (2010), and Annus Mirabilis (2005, winner of the Barrow Street Press Poetry Prize). Her poetry explores themes of climate anxiety, human resilience, and societal critique, often collaborating with visual artists like Jan Vičar on projects like the HOLD exhibition series (2015–2018). Awards: Arizona Commission on the Arts Fellowship, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference Fellowship, and multiple residency grants. Teaching: Leads ASU’s MFA Program for Creative Writing and oversees student internships with Four Way Books. Collaborations: Partnered with Jan Vičar on multimedia projects addressing environmental themes, exhibited globally. Ball’s work has appeared in Harvard Review , The American Poetry Review , and Yale Review , alongside international exhibitions. She advocates for poetry’s role in confronting ecological and social challenges through both academic and artistic platforms.

• Eastern European History
• Slavic Linguistics and Literature
• Comparative History
• +3 more

Orel Beilinson is an academic affiliated with Yale University's Department of History, focusing on Eastern European, Slavic, and Central European history with interdisciplinary interests in linguistics, literature, and cultural studies. His research delves into the intersections of language, nationalism, and political systems across historical contexts, particularly in regions like the Balkans, the Caucasus, and post-Soviet states. Key research areas include: the cultural and linguistic dimensions of national identity formation, the impact of war and displacement on communities, comparative guild systems in Islamic societies, and the dynamics of social stratification in 19th-century Europe. He has also explored the historiography of female leadership in imperial Russia and the legacy of Soviet educational reforms in Vienna. Beilinson's recent publications (2022–2025) reflect a growing focus on transnational phenomena such as Turkish-Azerbaijani cultural ties and the global implications of Islamic journeymen guilds. His work frequently employs comparative methodologies to analyze entangled histories, emphasizing how local contexts interact with broader imperial or transnational frameworks. While no formal awards are listed in the provided texts, his extensive publication record demonstrates sustained engagement with underexplored topics in Slavic and Eastern European studies. His research often bridges literary analysis, archival materials, and socio-political frameworks, contributing to debates about memory, identity, and historical agency in contested regions.

• Typography
• Conceptual Art
• Editorial Design
• +3 more

Dr. Ruth Blacksell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Typography & Graphic Communication at the University of Reading. She holds a PhD from the University of Sheffield and specializes in the intersection of typography, conceptual art, and architecture. Her research explores typographic engagements in 1960s/70s conceptual art and interdisciplinary practices bridging art, design, and architecture. She co-organized notable events with the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), including Architecture and the Spaces of Information and Art Information: Editorial Strategies . Blacksell has supervised doctoral students in art publishing and typography history. She secured a Collaborative Doctoral Partnership with Tate Library to study publishing in modern art. Before academia, she worked as a typographic designer, including roles at Sotheby's and founding the design consultancy O-SB with Anne Odling-Smee. Her publications span architecture and design journals, focusing on topics like Claude Parent's work, editorial strategies in art, and spatial information systems. She has contributed to exhibitions and symposia globally, emphasizing cross-disciplinary dialogue between art and design.

• Economic and Political Geography
• Mobility Studies
• Migration and Territorial Dynamics
• +9 more

GHISALBERTI Alessandra is Full Professor of Economic and Political Geography at the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, University of Bergamo. She serves as Coordinator of the PhD program in Landscape Studies for Global and Local Challenges and President of the Master's Degree in Geourbanism. She also leads research on 'New Dwelling and Tourism' at the Lelio Pagani Center for Territorial Studies and is a member of the Imago Mundi Lab, reflecting her strong interdisciplinary engagement in geography, urban planning, and digital humanities. Her research focuses on mobility regimes—including migration, commuting, and tourism—and their impact on territorial dynamics in diverse global contexts such as rural Africa, urban Italy, East Asia, and Latin America. She investigates cartographic and landscape imaginaries, spatial justice, and the role of universities in territorial innovation. Her methodological approach emphasizes qualitative fieldwork, collaborative digital mapping, visual tools, and historical cartography. The recent publications highlight a consistent trajectory in sustainable development, community-based co-mapping, digital humanities, and the intersection of memory, landscape, and regeneration. Themes such as water resources, migration networks, and educational innovation in geoscience demonstrate the breadth and applied nature of her work. Mobility and sustainable living Urban and landscape regeneration Collaborative and digital cartography Spatial justice and community engagement Educational innovation and third mission Interdisciplinary territorial research She is actively involved in supervising academic programs and leading research initiatives, with no mention of formal scientific awards in the provided text. Her teaching portfolio includes courses such as Geography of Movement, Development Geography, and Urban Regeneration, all at the graduate level. She applies collaborative learning methodologies that integrate digital and ecological transitions, reflecting a strong commitment to educational and societal impact. Her work is closely tied to stakeholder engagement and third mission activities, particularly through co-design with local communities and institutions. She promotes the integration of digital and ecological transformation in both research and education, positioning the university as a key actor in territorial ecosystems.

Josh KunView profile

Professor

• Cultural History
• Popular Music Studies
• Urban Studies (Los Angeles)
• +7 more

Josh Kun is Vice Provost for the Arts at USC and Professor/Chair of Cross-Cultural Communication at the USC Annenberg School. His work bridges cultural history, musicology, and public humanities, with a focus on Los Angeles' multicultural dynamics, migration narratives, and sonic archives. He leads initiatives like the Norman Lear Center's Popular Music Project and co-curates the CALA Crossfade Lab. Awards include the MacArthur Fellowship (2016) and Berlin Prize (2018). Affiliations: Norman Lear Center, Institute for Difference and Empowerment in the Arts, Annenberg Innovation Lab Key Projects: LAPL archives trilogy, Grammy Museum collaborations, Tijuana Dreaming research, and sound art installations Research emphasizes archives as living cultural artifacts, exploring how music and sound shape urban identity. Recent work includes analyzing Mexican-American music soundtracks and curating exhibitions on Los Angeles' collective memory. His writings appear in top journals and publications like The New Yorker and Los Angeles Times .