Rhiannon Welch

Rhiannon Welch is an Associate Professor in the Department of Italian at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, within the School of Arts and Sciences. Her research and teaching focus on Italian literature, film, and visual culture from the 19th and 20th centuries, with a strong emphasis on post-colonialism, biopolitics, race, and nationalism. She maintains an active scholarly profile through publications, translations, and international symposia.

Her research interests center on the intersections of race, colonialism, and biopolitical thought in modern Italy. She explores how visual culture, literature, and film reflect and shape national identity, colonial memory, and racial discourse. Her work draws heavily on critical theory and film theory, particularly in analyzing cinematic representations of migration, crisis, and historical trauma.

The available publications demonstrate a consistent engagement with postcolonial Italian identity, the legacy of empire, and the biopolitical dimensions of race. Her scholarship often bridges literary analysis with anthropological and philosophical frameworks, contributing to interdisciplinary conversations in Italian studies, cultural theory, and migration studies.

Scientific Awards:

• Rutgers Centers for Global Advancement and International Affairs Global Urbanism Grant (2015)
• Cornell University Institute for European Studies Faculty Research Grant (2010)
• Cornell University Society for the Humanities - Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow (2008-09)
• American Council of Learned Societies/Mellon - Dissertation Completion Fellowship (2007-08)
• University of California Graduate Division Travel Research Grant (Summer 2006)
• University of California Dean’s Normative Time Award (2005-06)
• University of California (Berkeley) Institute of European Studies Merit Fellowship (2001-02; 2003)

Rhiannon Welch has been actively involved in organizing academic events and symposia, including international conferences on visual culture and migration. She has received multiple research grants and fellowships, supporting her work in European and postcolonial studies. While specific grant details are limited, her funding from ACLS, Cornell, and Rutgers highlights her strong research profile. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in Italian literature, cinema, and interdisciplinary topics.

She has contributed to collaborative academic initiatives, co-organizing symposia with departments such as Art History, Cinema Studies, and Comparative Literature, as well as centers like the Center for African Studies and the Center for European Studies. These efforts reflect her commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship and global intellectual exchange.