Kyle Frackman

Kyle Frackman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies at the University of British Columbia, where he has been teaching since July 2012. His academic work spans German and Nordic studies with a strong focus on queer theory, gender studies, and East German cultural history.

Dr. Frackman's educational background includes a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he also earned a Certificate in Advanced Feminist Studies, along with an M.A. from the same institution. He completed his undergraduate studies at Hamline University with a major in German Studies and was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study in Hamburg, Germany from 2001-2002.

His research interests encompass a wide range of interdisciplinary topics including queer studies, media studies, German-language and Nordic literature (particularly 19th-21st century), East German culture and history, German and Nordic film, book history, print cultures, and German-North American immigration. His work consistently intersects gender, sexuality, and cultural history within German and Nordic contexts.

Analysis of Dr. Frackman's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on queer theory applied to German and East German contexts, with particular attention to temporal dimensions of queer experience, representation of LGBTQ+ lives in film and literature, and historical explorations of sexuality in socialist Germany. His work bridges literary analysis, film studies, and historical research with contemporary queer theory.

Scientific Awards:

• 2023 Killam Teaching Prize

Dr. Frackman has received significant research support from organizations including the Killam Trusts (for his project 'Towards a Queer Media Theory'), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) (for 'Coming Out of the Iron Closet: Queer Lives in East Germany'), the Holocaust Education Foundation, the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, the Nordic Council, the Fulbright Commission, the American-Scandinavian Foundation, and the Swedish Institute. He has supervised numerous graduate students through both Ph.D. and M.A. programs.

Dr. Frackman is actively involved with several interdisciplinary centers at UBC, including the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice (where he previously held a lecturing position), the Centre for European Studies, the Centre for Cinema Studies, and the graduate program in Cinema and Media Studies. His collaborative 'Queer Collections Project' with Dr. Gregory Mackie works to augment UBC's holdings in queer literary and cultural history.