Akash Kumar

Akash Kumar is an Assistant Professor of Italian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, within the Division of Arts & Humanities. His research focuses on medieval Italian literature, the history of science, Mediterranean studies, and digital humanities. Before joining Berkeley, he held positions at Columbia University, UC Santa Cruz, and Indiana University, Bloomington. He earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University.

His research interests include exploring the intersection of scientific thought and early lyric traditions, as seen in his first book project Dante’s Elements. Current projects examine chess as a cultural lens in medieval/renaissance Italy and address themes of migration and decolonizing Dante’s legacy. He collaborates with the Cosmopolitan Italies Collective and the Critical Race, Diasporas, and Migrations Caucus of the American Association of Italian Studies.

Kumar has contributed to Digital Dante editorial board and co-edited a cluster on Dante and digital humanities for Bibliotheca Dantesca. He also co-translated Giacomo da Lentini’s poetry with Richard Lansing (2018).