James McMaster

James McMaster is Assistant Professor of American Studies and English at The George Washington University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. His work bridges interdisciplinary scholarship in race, gender, performance, and care ethics.

Education:

• Ph.D., New York University, 2019
• M.A., University of Texas at Austin, 2014
• B.A., Muhlenberg College, 2008

His research centers on Asian American theatre, queer and trans subcultures, and abolitionist movements. He develops critical frameworks around racialized care, affect, and social reproduction, drawing from feminist, crip, and queer theories. His work appears in leading journals such as American Quarterly and Journal of Asian American Studies, and he has co-edited a special issue on collaborative performance.

His recent publications reflect a sustained engagement with how marginalized artists use aesthetic forms to resist systemic neglect and reimagine care. Themes include digital separatism, virtue signaling, and the psychosocial dynamics of race and performance in contemporary U.S. culture.

Scientific Awards:

James McMaster mentors students in American Studies and English, with a focus on minoritarian performance and affective politics. While specific grants are not listed, his publication record and editorial work indicate active research funding and scholarly leadership. He also contributes public scholarship to outlets like Teen Vogue and VICE.

Though no formal lab or research center is mentioned, his collaborative editorial project The Between: Couple Forms, Performing Together suggests engagement with performance collectives and interdisciplinary research teams focused on co-authorship and relational aesthetics.