Tili Boon Cuillé

Tili Boon Cuillé is a Professor of French and Comparative Literature at Washington University in St. Louis, serving as Director of Graduate Studies in French. She holds core faculty status in the Interdisciplinary Project in the Humanities (IPH) and affiliate roles in Performing Arts and Film & Media Studies. With a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, her work focuses on 18th-century French literature, philosophy, and aesthetics, emphasizing intersections with opera, science, and material culture. She co-convenes the long-running Eighteenth-Century Interdisciplinary Salon, supported by grants from the Center for the Humanities. Her research bridges disciplinary boundaries, exploring how Enlightenment-era thinkers merged artistic and scientific inquiry.

Education:

• PhD in French Literature, University of Pennsylvania

Her research interests span opera studies, history of science, and the history of emotion. Recent work examines how Enlightenment authors used musical tableaux and scientific discourse to challenge gender norms and disciplinary divides. She has received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities for her book Divining Nature, which explores the entanglement of art and natural philosophy in 18th-century France.

Advising & Grants: Leads the Eighteenth-Century Interdisciplinary Salon since 2002, supported by Faculty Seminar Grants. Mentors students through seminars blending literary analysis with visual arts, performance, and science studies.

Labs/Teams: Co-directs the IPH opera studies program and collaborates with international scholars on interdisciplinary projects linking literature, music, and science.