معرفی
Caren Irr serves as the Kevy and Hortense Kaiserman Professor in the Humanities at Brandeis University, where she also heads the Division of Humanities as of July 2023. She holds appointments in the Department of English, Environmental Studies Program, Interdepartmental Program in Film, Television and Interactive Media, Interdepartmental Program in History of Ideas, and Master of Arts Program in Comparative Humanities.
Dr. Irr earned her BA from Swarthmore College, followed by MA and PhD degrees from Duke University. Her academic journey has established her as a leading scholar at the intersection of critical theory, environmental humanities, and contemporary literature.
Professor Irr's research spans critical theory, film and media studies, contemporaneity, environmental humanities, and the novel. Her work particularly focuses on environmental aesthetics and philosophy, exploring how literary and cultural forms respond to ecological crises. She examines the relationship between plastic culture and petromodernity, geopolitical dimensions of contemporary fiction, and the environmental humanities' contribution to understanding our current moment. Her research connects critical theory traditions, particularly the Frankfurt School, with contemporary environmental challenges.
An analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trajectory toward environmental thought, with increasing focus on multispecies relations, plastic culture, and the political dimensions of the Anthropocene. Her work bridges literary analysis with philosophical inquiry, showing particular interest in how contemporary fiction navigates climate change, resource extraction, and new forms of political organization in ecological crisis.
- Plant Humanities Virtual Faculty Research Fellowship, Dumbarton Oaks (Harvard University), 06/2024
- Fulbright Lectureship in Czech Republic, Fulbright Association, 2003-2004
- Canada-U.S. Fulbright Scholarship, Fulbright Association, 1994-1995
- Summer Seminar Fellowship, National Endowment for the Humanities, 1999
As editor of the Journal of Modern Literature (2022-present) and the Environmental Futures anthology, Professor Irr has created significant platforms for emerging scholarship in her fields. Her editorial work complements her extensive publication record, which includes multiple monographs that have reshaped conversations around environmental literature, critical theory, and contemporary fiction. She has secured competitive fellowships including the Plant Humanities fellowship at Dumbarton Oaks and multiple Fulbright awards that have supported her international scholarly engagement.
Professor Irr leads the Humanities Division at Brandeis while maintaining active research collaborations across environmental humanities initiatives. Her work connects with broader institutional efforts in sustainability and interdisciplinary environmental research, particularly through her affiliations with the Environmental Studies Program and related initiatives.
