Matthew Kirschenbaum

Matthew Kirschenbaum is a Distinguished University Professor of English at the University of Maryland, with affiliate appointments in the College of Information Studies. He specializes in digital humanities, media studies, and book history, holding prominent roles such as chair of the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing board. His interdisciplinary work bridges literary studies, technology, and archival science.

Education: B.A. from SUNY Albany; M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of Virginia.

Research Interests: His scholarship explores writing technologies, digital preservation, artificial intelligence’s impact on literature, and the materiality of media. He co-founded BookLab, a makerspace for book arts and letterpress printing, emphasizing hands-on engagement with literary and technological history. Recent projects include analyzing AI-generated texts and the future of digital literary heritage.

Article Trends: His work spans AI ethics, digital forensics, wargaming as narrative form, and the legacy of word processing. He bridges academic rigor with public engagement through writing for outlets like The Atlantic and The Washington Post.

Awards & Grants: Over $1M in grants secured, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and NEH support. His book Mechanisms won multiple awards for its forensic analysis of digital media.

Advising & Mentoring: Founded the Design Cultures and Creativity living-learning program and the graduate certificate in Digital Studies. Mentored students like Diana Proenza and Nat McGartland, emphasizing accessibility and collaborative innovation.

Labs & Teams: Directed the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH) for a decade, fostering interdisciplinary digital humanities projects. BookLab remains a hub for experimental book arts and technology integration.