معرفی
Christina Christoforatou is Associate Professor of English at Baruch College, City University of New York (CUNY), specializing in medieval literature (Western-European and Byzantine), manuscript studies, and medieval cosmology. She is affiliated with the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences and the Department of English. Her scholarly work examines the institutional and symbolic relation of literature to politics, linking the role of Byzantine literati to the court, the aftermath of political upheaval, and figurations of power in literary and artistic commissions.
Education:
- Ph.D., English, The Graduate School and University Center (CUNY)
- MPhil., English, The Graduate School and University Center (CUNY)
- M.A., English, Brooklyn College (CUNY)
- B.A., English, Brooklyn College (CUNY)
Research Interests:
Professor Christoforatou's scholarship spans broadly over medieval cultural poetics, Byzantine intellectual history, and iconographic expressions of power. Her work often explores the interplay between Eros and political power in Byzantine texts, examining how sexual and political iconography intersect in literary and artistic commissions. She investigates how imperial patronage influences literary evolution and how Byzantine authors navigate complex political landscapes through their writing. Her comparative approach connects ancient Greek traditions with Byzantine innovations and explores the transmission of literary forms across cultural boundaries.
Recent Publications Trends:
Her most recent publications focus on Byzantine literature as performance, theories of consciousness from Aristotle to Bachelard through Byzantine thought, and the movement of manuscripts and ideas across cultural boundaries. She has been actively exploring digital humanities tools for medievalists and examining how Byzantinists approach teaching and scholarship in contemporary academic settings. A consistent thread throughout her work is the examination of power dynamics, particularly how Eros and Logos function as political and literary concepts in Byzantine culture.
Scientific Awards:
- PSC-CUNY-45 Research Award (2014)
- Andrew Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities (2011-2012)
- PSC-CUNY-42 Research Award (2011)
- PSC-CUNY-41 Research Award (2010)
- PSC-CUNY-40 Research Award (2009)
- PSC-CUNY-39 Research Award (2007)
- PSC-CUNY-38 Research Award (2006)
- The Alfred Gordon Prize for Distinguished Dissertation in Medieval Studies (2004)
- Writing Across the Curriculum Fellowship (2002)
- Medieval Studies Certificate (2001)
Advising and Grants:
Professor Christoforatou mentors students interested in medieval literature and serves as Assessment Director for the English department's evaluation of English Majors and Minors. She has received multiple research grants including 'Ontologies of Power and the Myth of Autonomy in the Sovereign Politics of Pindar and Machiavelli' (PSC-CUNY 45, 2014), 'Nomos, Thanatos, and the Politics of Sovereign Legitimation in Pindar and Machiavelli' (PSC-CUNY 42, 2011), and 'Mirabile Dictu: Imaginative Travel-Quests in Ancient Greek Narrative Fiction' (PSC-CUNY 41, 2010). Her current research focuses on a monograph examining the interplay of sexual and political iconography in Byzantine literary texts.
Professional Affiliations:
Outside of CUNY, Professor Christoforatou serves as Vice President of the Byzantine Studies Association of North America (BSANA), is affiliated with the Medieval Academy of America, the Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture, and serves on the editorial board of the interdisciplinary journal Diogenes. She has served on the programming committee of the International Congress on Medieval Studies and the Byzantine Studies Association of America.
