Erik Wade

Erik Wade is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Creative Writing at SUNY Oswego. He holds a PhD from Rutgers University and has taught at Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn in Germany. His research focuses on race, sexuality, and national identity in early medieval English literature, with a particular emphasis on how these themes intersect with religious texts and cultural narratives. He currently directs the Medieval and Renaissance Studies minor and serves on the advisory board for Exemplaria: Medieval, Early Modern, Theory.

Educational Background:

• PhD in English, Rutgers University (2018)
• MA in English, University of Oregon (2011)
• BA in English and History with a minor in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, SUNY Oswego (2009)
• AA in Humanities, Onondaga Community College (2007)

Research Interests:

• Interrogates racial and sexual discourses in medieval literature
• Examines how early English texts constructed national identity through contested themes like rape culture and racial hierarchies
• Investigates global influences (e.g., Byzantine theology) on medieval English thought
• Challenges Eurocentric narratives in medieval studies

Recent Publications Highlight: His work analyzes trans and queer themes in medieval hagiography, the racialized language of 'Anglo-Saxon' terminology, and the intersections between animal studies and gender relations. He co-authored a Smithsonian Magazine article deconstructing the term 'Anglo-Saxon.'

Teaching and Advocacy: Teaches courses on medieval global literature, critical theory, and premodern identity. Actively promotes inclusive pedagogy and addresses systemic racism in academic disciplines through published opinion pieces and collaborative projects like the upcoming Race in Early Medieval England (Cambridge UP).