Daniel DiMassa

Daniel DiMassa serves as an Associate Professor in the School of Humanities and Arts at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), where he also co-directs the Berlin Project Center and maintains affiliations with the International & Global Studies program. His academic responsibilities span teaching, research, and institutional governance through WPI's AAUP chapter.

His educational foundation includes:

• PhD from the University of Pennsylvania (2014)
• MAR from Yale Divinity School (2008)
• BA from the University of Notre Dame (2006)

DiMassa's research critically examines intersections between literature, religion, aesthetics, and politics across historical periods. His work bridges German Romanticism (particularly Dante reception) with contemporary fiction (1990-2020), analyzing how modern writers use narrative as a discursive alternative to theodicy. Current projects like "Millennial Fictions" investigate authors including Elena Ferrante and Jonathan Franzen through frameworks of theological discourse and literary innovation.

His scholarly trajectory reveals consistent engagement with how literary forms negotiate religious and philosophical questions across eras. The 2022 monograph "Dante in Deutschland" establishes historical foundations in German Romanticism, while recent publications extend this inquiry into contemporary fiction's treatment of theological concepts through narrative structures.

Key recognitions include:

• Faculty Promotion and Tenure Award (2023)
• President’s IQP Award (2018)

As co-director of the Berlin Project Center, DiMassa mentors students in international project-based learning while advocating for academic freedom through AAUP leadership. Though specific grant funding isn't detailed, his institutional awards reflect significant contributions to WPI's educational mission. His Berlin Project Center leadership facilitates transnational student research teams examining cultural and societal issues in European contexts, complemented by his governance work promoting shared academic decision-making.