Vincent J. Cheng is a Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Utah, holding appointments since July 2019. He previously served at the University of Southern California (1979–2019) in roles including Professor of English and Director of Asian American Studies. His academic leadership includes directing the Tanner Humanities Center (2003–2007). Cheng specializes in modernist literature, particularly James Joyce, with research focusing on cultural memory, national identity, and postcolonial studies. He has authored influential works like Amnesia and the Nation and edited volumes on Joyce’s legacy. Recognized for teaching excellence, he received the Calvin S. and JeNeal Hatch Prize in Teaching (2024) and the Distinguished Teaching Award (2014). Cheng’s research integrates philosophy, history, and literature, exploring themes like migration, empathy, and ethical remembrance. His recent work analyzes Joyce’s treatment of memory and history, connecting Irish and American Southern narratives. He also contributes to Joyce Studies Annual and serves on editorial boards for Western Humanities Review . Teaching-wise, he leads advanced seminars on literary studies and British writers, guiding Ph.D. thesis research. Award highlights include the Fulbright Scholar Award (2015) and the Carole & Gordon Segal Visiting Chair in Irish Studies (2014). He remains active in community outreach, such as presenting Joyce’s Dubliners to high school students. His interdisciplinary approach bridges literary analysis with cultural and ethical inquiry.
Kaya Şahin is an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington's Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. He holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Chicago (2007). His research focuses on the Ottoman Empire, early modern Eurasian empires, and the interplay of historiography, governance, and identity in early modern global contexts. Key areas include the Ottoman-Safavid rivalry, intercultural exchanges, and the construction of imperial discourses. Educational Background: Ph.D. in History, University of Chicago, 2007. Research Interests: - Institutional and ideological foundations of Ottoman imperialism - Comparative studies of early modern Eurasian empires - Ottoman historiography and its modern interpretations - Cultural and religious dimensions of the Ottoman-Safavid rivalry - Early modern Eurasia as a unified historical zone. Awards and Honors: NEH Fellowship (2015-16) SSRC Postdoctoral Fellowship (2012-2013) Sherman Emerging Scholar (2011-2012) Newberry Library Mellon Fellowship (2010-2011) Mellon Fellowship at Northwestern University (2007-2008) His work examines global interconnectedness in early modernity, emphasizing the Ottoman Empire’s role within a broader Eurasian framework. Recent publications explore Anthony Sherley’s Persian travels, Celalzade Mustafa’s bureaucratic writings, and apocalyptic interpretations of Ottoman conquests.
Anna Chiafele is an Associate Professor of Italian in the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Auburn University. Her research examines ecocriticism, ecological disasters, and climate change fiction within Italian literature. Chiafele received the 2022 Italian Prose in Translation Award for her co-translation of Silvana La Spina's 'Penelope'. Her scholarly publications analyze representations of waste, toxicity, and environmental crisis in contemporary Italian fiction. Recent work explores climate fiction narratives and ecological dystopias. Chiafele's research methodology combines environmental humanities with literary analysis to address pressing ecological concerns. She teaches Italian language and literature courses while maintaining active translation projects. Her academic background includes a PhD from University of Toronto and degrees from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and University of Virginia.
André Gagné is a Full Professor and Chair of the Department of Theological Studies at Concordia University, currently on research leave (July-December 2025). His work bridges theology, political science, and sociology with global recognition through 400+ media features in outlets like The New York Times, The Guardian, and Le Monde. Education: Conjoint PhD from Université catholique de Louvain and Université de Montréal M.A. from Université de Montréal B.Th. from Université de Montréal His research centers on Christian Political Thought (examining theology-state dynamics), Global Pentecostal and Charismatic movements (analyzing their sociopolitical impact worldwide), and Reception History of the Bible (tracing interpretive trajectories across cultures). This interdisciplinary approach integrates historical analysis with contemporary case studies, particularly focusing on evangelical movements in the Americas and Europe. His eight books and recent journal articles reveal consistent thematic focus: the weaponization of spiritual warfare rhetoric in politics, apocalyptic narratives in populist movements, and religious violence in Western traditions. The 2024 publications on Trump-era evangelicalism demonstrate methodological innovation through media discourse analysis combined with theological critique. Scientific awards: Newsmaker of the Week (4 times) Newsmaker of the Month (4 times) President's Opinion Leader of the Year (2016) Expert Communicator of the Year (2024) Dr. Gagné supervises MA students in Theological Studies and PhD candidates in Individualized Programs and Humanities. His policy impact is evidenced by service on Public Safety Canada's National Expert Committee on Countering Radicalization to Violence (2023-2025), where he contributed theological perspectives on religious extremism. His media engagement strategy represents a deliberate effort to translate academic research for public discourse. He co-directs the Spirit, State, and Society podcast and maintains affiliations with Concordia's Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance, Université de Sherbrooke's Centre de recherche Société, Droit et Religions, and the multi-university Political Theology Research Group (McGill, Concordia, UdeM, ULaval).
Roger Luckhurst is Professor of Modern Literature and currently holds the prestigious Geoffrey Tillotson Chair of Nineteenth Century Studies at Birkbeck College, University of London. A leading scholar in Gothic literature, science fiction, and trauma studies, he has been affiliated with Birkbeck for over 25 years, contributing significantly to interdisciplinary literary and cultural studies. Education and Career Trajectory: 2020-present: Geoffrey Tillotson Chair of Nineteenth Century Studies, Birkbeck College 2008-2020: Professor of Modern and Contemporary Literature, Birkbeck College 2004-2008: Senior Lecturer, Birkbeck College 1994-2004: Lecturer, Birkbeck College 1992-1994: Lecturer, University of Hull Research Interests and Scholarly Contributions: Luckhurst's research spans multiple interconnected fields, establishing him as a preeminent voice in literary and cultural studies. His work on late 19th century English literature examines the intersections of Victorian culture with emerging scientific discourses. His expertise in science fiction studies encompasses both literary analysis and cultural theory, exploring how speculative fiction reflects and shapes contemporary anxieties. In Gothic studies , he investigates the persistence of Gothic aesthetics and themes across different media and historical periods. His groundbreaking work in trauma studies has contributed significantly to understanding how literature and culture process collective trauma. Publications and Scholarly Impact: His extensive publication record demonstrates a remarkable breadth of scholarly inquiry. From his early work on J.G. Ballard to his recent comprehensive study of Gothic culture, Luckhurst has consistently produced influential scholarship. His books have been translated into multiple languages including French, Japanese, Turkish, and German, indicating significant international impact. His forthcoming The Gothic: An Illustrated History (2021) promises to be a definitive work in the field. Honors and Awards: 2009: Visiting Research Fellow, University of Birmingham 2009: Visiting Research Fellow, Flemish Academic Centre for Science and the Arts (VLAC), Brussels January-June 2011: AHRC Fellowship, Birkbeck College Spring 2016: Mellon Distinguished Visiting Professor, Department of English, Columbia University, New York Public Engagement and Media Presence: Beyond academia, Luckhurst has demonstrated exceptional commitment to public scholarship. He has served as a broadcaster for BBC radio, bringing literary criticism to wider audiences. His journalism has appeared in leading British newspapers, bridging the gap between academic research and public discourse. This dual role as academic and public intellectual exemplifies Birkbeck's tradition of making scholarship accessible to broader communities. Interdisciplinary Approach and Institutional Contributions: At Birkbeck College, Luckhurst has been instrumental in fostering the institution's renowned culture of interdisciplinary studies. His work seamlessly integrates literary analysis with cultural theory, film studies, architectural history, and scientific discourse. This approach has influenced generations of students and scholars, establishing Birkbeck as a leading center for innovative literary and cultural research.
Walid A. Saleh is a Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Toronto , holding appointments in both the Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations department and the Department for the Study of Religion . His scholarship focuses on the Qur’an , Quranic exegesis (Tafsir), Islamic apocalyptic literature , and Biblical reception in Islam . PhD from Yale University (2001) Recipient of Mellon New Directions Fellowship (2014) and Konrad Adenauer Fellow (2017) Editor of the Routledge Qur’an Series His research analyzes Quranic chronology , manuscript traditions , and Islamic intellectual history . Recent publications examine periodization in Sunni tafsir, late Ottoman book culture, and the reception of al-Bayḍāwī's Anwar al-tanzīl . Articles explore topics from Quranic death narratives to medieval Islamic cosmology . Key article themes: Quranic identity formation , Islamic manuscript studies , exegetical methodology He has edited critical texts like al-Biqa`i's Bible treatise and serves on editorial boards for the Journal of the American Academy of Religion and Journal of Qur'anic Studies . His teaching includes advanced courses in Arabic paleography and Quranic hermeneutics .
Lucia Dolce serves as the Numata Professor of Japanese Buddhism within the Department of Religions and Philosophies at SOAS University of London, part of the School of History, Religions and Philosophies. Her academic base is room 342 in the Russell Square: College Buildings campus. Her educational background includes: Laurea MA (University of Venice) PhD (Leiden University) Professor Dolce's research centers on two interconnected projects: first, the discourse on the body in medieval Japanese Buddhist rituals and its connections to continental Tantric practices, emphasizing ritual fluidity and performative theory applications; second, contemporary Buddhism-Shinto syncretism with focus on revival of premodern practices in Kyoto shrines. She also examines Tokyo's urban pilgrimage routes like the Seven Gods of Fortune, analyzing institutional negotiations and religious marketing dynamics. Her journal articles (1992-2023) consistently explore ritual knowledge transfer in Japanese Buddhism, with recent works on scriptural repurposing and tantric exegesis highlighting material culture and practice-centered approaches. Earlier publications establish foundational studies on Nichiren Buddhism's esoteric dimensions, astrological cults, and celestial body worship, revealing enduring thematic threads across three decades of scholarship. Scientific awards: No awards listed in provided text Advising and grants: She currently supervises four PhD candidates: Rachel Williams (Japanese Secularity), Haruka Saito (Repentance Rituals), Sooyeun Yang (Korean Astrological Buddhism), and Yeonju Lee (Korean Nationalism). Previous supervisees include twelve PhD graduates such as Emanuela Sala (2022, Sannō Shintō), Ronit Wang (2022, Thai Hell Parks), and multiple 2011 completions. Dolce led the Newton Fellowship-associated project 'The Lucky Gods of Tokyo' (2014-2016), investigating spatial politics in Buddhist-Shinto pilgrimage networks.
Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto is a Professor at Waseda University's Faculty of International Research and Education, with a PhD from the University of California, San Diego, MA from UCLA, and BA from SUNY Binghamton. His academic journey includes tenure at University of Iowa, New York University, Princeton University, and Waseda University since 2010. Education: PhD, University of California, San Diego MA, University of California, Los Angeles BA, State University of New York at Binghamton Yoshimoto's research spans Film Studies , Anime Studies , and Planetary Humanities . He explores intersections between cinema and neoliberalism, postcolonial theory in media, and the Anthropocene's representation in visual culture. His work includes analyzing nuclear disasters in film and intermedial adaptation in anime. His publications address topics like AKIRA 's role in English-speaking anime studies, In This Corner of the World 's transmedia adaptation, and populism in Hollywood films. He led the 2019 international symposium 'Theorizing Anime' at Waseda University. Scientific Awards: FY2014 Scientific Research Grant Review Committee Award 2014 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Grant Yoshimoto has conducted funded research projects, including 'Reconsidering Japanese Anime Studies' (JSPS 2019-2022) and 'Contemporary Hollywood Films and the Shock Effect' (Waseda University). He teaches courses on cultural critical theories and international communication at graduate and undergraduate levels.
Annette Yoshiko Reed is the Krister Stendahl Professor of Divinity and Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Harvard Divinity School (HDS). She joined HDS in 2022 after roles at New York University, the University of Pennsylvania, and McMaster University. Her expertise spans Second Temple Judaism, early Christianity, and Jewish-Christian relations, with a focus on how ancient texts shape identity and difference. Key research areas include apocalypses, demonology, and the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. She has authored or co-authored books such as Fallen Angels and the History of Judaism and Christianity and Demons, Angels, and Writing in Ancient Judaism . Education: BA from McGill University, MTS from Harvard Divinity School, and MA/PhD from Princeton University. Her work integrates Biblical Studies, Patristics, Jewish Studies, and Classics. She serves on the editorial boards of Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism and Studia in Veteris Testamenti Pseudepigrapha , and chairs the Society of Biblical Literature’s “Jewish Christianity/Christian Judaism” section. A Fellow of the American Academy of Jewish Research, her current project explores the cultural power of forgetting in ancient Jewish history. Her research highlights marginalized writings like 1 Enoch and Pseudo-Clementine literature to bridge Jewish and Christian histories. Recent publications include studies on Enochic reception, rabbinic historiography, and demonology in ancient texts. She teaches at both HDS and Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Professor Kecia Ali is a scholar of Religion and Islamic Studies at Boston University, with a PhD from Duke University. Her research focuses on Islamic law, gender studies, ethics, and biography, emphasizing feminist critiques of religious texts and institutions. She has authored influential books like Sexual Ethics and Islam and The Lives of Muhammad , exploring intersections of gender, law, and culture in Islamic traditions. Ali has held fellowships at Brandeis University and Harvard Divinity School before joining BU in 2006. She actively contributes to organizations like the American Academy of Religion and served as President of the Society for the Study of Muslim Ethics (2014–2016). Her work bridges religious studies with popular culture, analyzing themes in J.D. Robb's fiction and critiquing academic sexism. Courses taught include Islamic law, Quranic studies, and representations of Muhammad.
Takashi Miura is an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona specializing in Japanese religions from the early modern to modern periods. His work explores millenarian movements, Shinto practices, and Buddhist visual culture. He holds degrees from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (B.A./M.A.) and Princeton University (Ph.D.). Dr. Miura's research examines religious innovations like the rise of 'yonaoshi' renewal gods and deified peasants. His 2019 monograph Agents of World Renewal analyzes apocalyptic concepts in Japanese history. Current projects include a study on early modern peasant deification and its societal impacts. He teaches courses on Buddhism and Japanese religious practices, including EAS 160A1 and JPN 220. His publications span academic journals and edited volumes, addressing topics from Meiji-era polemics to post-war new religions. His work frequently bridges textual analysis with visual and material culture studies.
Professor Emma Mason is a leading academic in the Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies at the University of Warwick . Her career spans roles as an educator, editor, and researcher with a focus on poetry, Christianity and literature, Catholic theology, and ecological themes in the long nineteenth-century . Editor of the Bloomsbury monograph series New Directions in Religion and Literature Co-editor of the Year's Work in Critical and Cultural Theory Director of the Comparative Religions and Literatures group at Warwick Her research explores spiritual materialism and ecological transformation , particularly through figures like Christina Rossetti. She is currently working on a study of Catholic mysticism in late 19th- to early 20th-century Europe. Mason's publications include Christina Rossetti: Poetry, Ecology, Faith (OUP, 2018) and co-edited volumes addressing religion in literary contexts. Recent Publications (2025-2027): Analysis of Newman's novels as ecological narratives Contributions to Cambridge and Oxford handbooks on religion and literature Editorial work on William Barnes' dialect poetry Studies on Victorian theological ecology and contemplation Scientific Awards: British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship Mason supervises postgraduate research in poetry, religion, and affect theory . She is on study leave until Easter 2026 but remains active in editorial and collaborative projects.
Catherine Wessinger is the Rev. H. James Yamauchi, S.J. Professor of the History of Religions at Loyola University New Orleans, where she teaches in the Department of Religious Studies within the College of Arts and Sciences. She serves as co-director of the Loyola Himalaya Adventure: Summer Study in Dharamsala, India program and director of the Religion and Media Minor. Her educational background includes: Ph.D. in History of Religions from the University of Iowa (1985) Dr. Wessinger's research spans several interconnected fields within religious studies. She is particularly known for her expertise in women in religions, new religious movements, millennialism, and religion and violence. Her work often examines the intersection of gender and religion, with special attention to women's leadership in both mainstream and marginal religious traditions. She has conducted extensive research on Tibetan and Indian religions, as well as the Branch Davidian movement and other new religious movements that have experienced conflict with authorities. Her publications reveal a consistent focus on understanding religious movements that exist outside mainstream religious traditions, with particular attention to how these groups interact with society and authority structures. Over her career, she has traced the evolution of millennialist thought across different cultures and historical periods, while also documenting women's leadership roles in religious movements that have often provided more opportunities for female religious authority than mainstream traditions. Dr. Wessinger serves as co-general editor of Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions published by University of California Press, and is editor of the Women in Religions series at New York University Press. She is also co-director of the Women in the World's Religions and Spirituality Project , part of the World Religions and Spirituality Project online encyclopedia. Her advising work has been particularly notable in her oral history project with surviving Branch Davidians, which produced three autobiographies. She continues this work through her YouTube channel, documenting first-hand accounts from Branch Davidian survivors. Her current research includes writing books on the Branch Davidian-Federal Agents Conflict and Women in New Religious Movements for the Cambridge Elements Series.
Dr Tim Aistrope is a Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Director of Graduate Studies (Taught) at the University of Kent's School of Politics and International Relations. Based in Canterbury, his research focuses on the intersection of political culture, security studies, and international relations theory. Key themes include the role of imagination, conspiracy theories in foreign policy, and the embodiment of political narratives. His notable work includes the book Conspiracy Theory and American Foreign Policy (2016), analyzing post-9/11 secrecy and power dynamics. He teaches courses on IR theory and security, supervising PhD students exploring topics like securitization and translation. Active in professional associations, he contributes to journals like International Studies Quarterly and International Affairs . His recent publications address pandemic governance, apocalyptic narratives, and cybersecurity. Research interests span IR theory, US/Australian foreign policy, international ethics, and cyber security. His work often bridges cultural studies and security, examining how narratives shape policy and public perception. He has advised on counter-radicalization strategies and explored the role of social media in counterterrorism. His academic contributions highlight interdisciplinary approaches to understanding global politics through lenses of culture, ethics, and critical theory.
Kimberly Stratton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religion at Carleton University within the College of the Humanities. She holds a Ph.D. in the History of Religions in Late Antiquity from Columbia University (2002), following degrees from Barnard College and Harvard University. Her research focuses on religion, violence, and social identity in antiquity, ancient magic, and gender studies. She has authored Naming the Witch: Magic, Ideology, and Stereotype in the Ancient World (2007), which won the F. W. Beare Book Award, and co-edited volumes such as Daughters of Hecate: Women and Magic in Antiquity (2014). Her work examines intersections between religion, power, and identity in Greco-Roman, early Christian, and Rabbinic Jewish contexts. Recent projects include exploring violence and Exodus narratives in early religious identity formation, as seen in her 2017 article in History of Religions . She has presented widely on topics like Roman imperialism and apocalyptic literature at venues such as the Society of Biblical Literature. Her research highlights how ancient societies used religious discourse to construct social boundaries and authority. Awards include recognition from students and scholarly societies for her impactful contributions. Education: B.A. Barnard College (1991), M.T.S. Harvard (1995), Ph.D. Columbia (2002) Affiliations: Canadian Society of Biblical Studies, American Academy of Religion Office: 2A47 Paterson Hall | Email: kim.stratton@carleton.ca
