Shaun Irlam

Shaun Irlam is an Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature at the University at Buffalo, College of Arts and Sciences. He has served as Director of the UB Study Abroad Program to Africa since 2001, leading student groups to South Africa, Kenya, and Rwanda annually. His academic background includes a PhD in Comparative Literature from Johns Hopkins University (1993) and an MA/BA in English from the University of Cape Town (1983/1981), with a notable MA thesis on Thomas Pynchon supervised by J.M. Coetzee. Research focuses on 18th-century aesthetics, deconstruction, and postcolonial African/Caribbean literatures. He has lived in the U.S. for over 30 years, exploring American cultural dynamics.

Research & Program:

• Expertise in South African post-apartheid society, Rwandan genocide recovery, and African cultural studies.
• Program emphasizes field-based learning in Cape Town, Kigali, and Nairobi through literature, film, and site visits.
• Organizes visits to Robben Island, genocide memorials, and cultural sites like Bomas of Kenya and Kirstenbosch Gardens.

Affiliations: Director of UB Africa Study Abroad; affiliated with Comparative Literature and African studies initiatives. Contact: irlam@buffalo.edu.