Dorothy Noyes

Dorothy Noyes is Professor of Folklore at The Ohio State University with a joint appointment in the Departments of English and Comparative Studies and courtesy appointments in Anthropology, French and Italian, and Germanic Languages and Literatures. She serves as Director of the Mershon Center for International Security Studies and teaches in the Program in International Studies, having previously directed the Center for Folklore Studies from 2005 to 2014.

She earned her Ph.D. in Folklore and Folk Life from the University of Pennsylvania. Her research centers on political ritual and the traditional public sphere in Europe, folklore theory, and international policy careers of culture concepts, authoring key works including 'Fire in the Plaça: Catalan Festival Politics After Franco' and 'Humble Theory: Folklore’s Grasp on Social Life', with her current project 'Exemplary Failures: Gesture and Pedagogy in Liberal Politics'.

Noyes' scholarship consistently explores intersections of cultural tradition, political expression, and international relations, with recurring themes of civic engagement, national identity formation, and ritual dynamics across European contexts. Her methodological approach bridges ethnographic fieldwork with theoretical innovation in folklore studies.

Her recent publications demonstrate sustained focus on political ritual, cultural policy, and tradition's role in contemporary society, with increasing attention to sensory studies and material culture following pandemic-era disruptions to communal practices.

Noyes has received significant recognition for her contributions to folklore studies:

• Elected Fellow of the American Folklore Society (2005)
• Honorary Doctorate from the University of Tartu, Estonia (2019)

As current President of the American Folklore Society and former executive board member of the Société Internationale d'Ethnologie et de Folklore, Noyes has shaped international scholarly discourse through leadership roles and interdisciplinary projects including the Göttingen Working Group on Cultural Property.

Her institutional leadership spans the Mershon Center for International Security Studies and the former Center for Folklore Studies, where she fostered collaborations connecting folklore scholarship with international security policy and cultural heritage management.