معرفی
Joel Westerdale is an Associate Professor of German Studies at Smith College, where he also serves as Chair of German and Italian. He is affiliated with the Film and Media Studies and Comparative Literature programs, with courses cross-listed in Jewish Studies and the History of Science.
- Ph.D. and A.M. from Harvard University
- B.A. from University of Michigan
His research focuses on 19th-21st century German literature, intellectual history, and early cinema. He examines intersections between language, technology, and cultural expression, particularly in works like Nietzsche’s Human, All Too Human and early German films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Recent scholarly contributions include analyses of Nazi-era film historiography and Nietzschean philosophical themes in literature. He has conducted extensive research at institutions in Germany, including University of Freiburg and Center for Literary and Cultural Research (ZfL) in Berlin.
Grants from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, U.S. Fulbright Commission, and Whiting Foundation have supported his work. He co-directed Smith’s Kahn Liberal Arts Institute Evil project (2011–12) and led the study abroad program at University of Hamburg (2015–16).
