معرفی
Alfred Hornung serves as Research Professor of American Studies and English at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, where he directs the Obama Institute for Transnational American Studies as its founding Speaker since 2017. His work establishes transnational frameworks that expand American literature beyond U.S. boundaries through planetary-scale academic collaboration with institutions across Europe, the Americas, Australia, and China.
Hornung's research pioneers intersections of Transnational American Studies and Life Writing, analyzing how global migrations reshape literary canons from the 18th to 21st centuries. He investigates transpacific/transatlantic cultural flows, ecological dimensions of life narratives, and diversity in autobiographical practices, with current book projects examining Confucius and America, Jack London's literary legacy, and Al Capone's biography.
His recent publications demonstrate consistent thematic focus on transnational methodologies, with monographs and handbook chapters exploring life writing's relationship to ecocriticism, diversity pedagogy, and global autobiography. The 2019 Routledge Companion and North American Autobiography chapter establish foundational frameworks for the field, while 2016-2018 works connect ecological theory with transnational classroom practices.
Hornung's scholarly recognition includes:
- Carl Bode-Norman Holmes Pearson Award for Outstanding Contributions to American Studies (2013)
- Membership in Academia Europaea: The Academy of Europe (2014)
- Honorary Chair Professorship at Shandong University (2019)
As lead participant in the DFG Research Training Group on Life Sciences/Life Writing since 2015, he develops interdisciplinary research funding models while supervising graduate students in transnational methodologies. His international teaching across four continents emphasizes practical application of academic learning through bi- and trinational degree programs.
The Obama Institute functions as Hornung's primary research hub, facilitating global academic exchange through partnerships with Rhineland-Palatinate universities, the Atlantic Academy, and international networks. He further extends this collaborative model through editorial leadership of American Studies: A Monograph Series and The Journal of Transnational American Studies, alongside advisory roles in the World Ecological Organization and International Auto/Biography Association.
