Charles M. Tung

Charles M. Tung is a Professor of English and Vice Provost for Academic Programs at Seattle University’s College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on modernist literature, time philosophy, race studies, and popular culture. Notable works include Modernism and Time Machines (2019) and contributions to studies on time-travel narratives and cultural identity. He teaches courses on modernism, Asian American literature, and literary theory.

His academic leadership includes overseeing academic programs and securing a $495,000 Mellon Foundation grant for the project Race, Racialization and Resistance in the United States. Tung’s interdisciplinary work bridges literature with science, technology, and cultural studies, exploring themes like temporal scale, biological theory, and the anthropocene.

Publications span modernist time machines, heterochrony in literature, and the intersection of evolutionary biology with cultural narratives. His analysis of films like John Wick highlights modernist influences in pop culture. Tung’s pedagogical approach emphasizes “thick reading” and critical engagement with evolving academic landscapes.