Phyllis Lassner

Professor Phyllis Lassner is a Professor of Instruction at The Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies, Northwestern University, USA. She held a Diamond Jubilee International Visiting Fellowship at the University of Southampton (UK) from 2014 to 2017, hosted by Professor Clare Hanson (English and Humanities). Her research focuses on interdisciplinary topics such as espionage, exile, and Jewish/non-Jewish relations, with a particular emphasis on Holocaust studies and 20th-century history.

During her fellowship, she collaborated with the Parkes Institute (Southampton) to co-edit an essay collection and organized symposia on espionage, Holocaust visual representations, and Soviet escape routes during the Holocaust. Key activities included workshops on spy fiction, undergraduate Holocaust seminars, and public lectures through 'Writers in Conversation.'

Her work bridges literature and history, examining how cultural narratives reflect political upheavals and diasporic experiences. The fellowship supported transatlantic academic exchange, culminating in collaborative publications and educational initiatives.