Gabriele Boccaccini is a Professor of New Testament and Second Temple Judaism in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan since 2002. He holds a Ph.D. in Judaic Studies from the University of Turin (1991) and has held visiting professorships at BIBLIA (Italy), Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism (Detroit), Ecumenical Theological Seminary, and Waldensian Faculty of Theology. His research focuses on Second Temple Judaism Jewish-Christian relations Apocalyptic literature Dead Sea Scrolls Rabbinic origins Jewish intellectual history He has received numerous awards including the LSA Excellence in Education Award (1999), University of Turin Post-Doctoral Grant (1992), and the Italian Doctoral Grant in Judaic Studies (1987). His work spans over 50 publications, including monographs on Middle Judaism and edited translations of key biblical scholarship. As a leader in interfaith dialogue, Boccaccini has served on the founding committees of the Camaldoli Conferences Italian Ecumenical Association Greater Detroit Interfaith Round Table and contributed extensively to journals like Henoch and Amicizia Ebraico-Cristiana .
James C. Kaufman is a Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut. He holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Yale University (2001). His research focuses on creativity, including assessment, meaning-making, social justice applications, and interdisciplinary domains. Notable contributions include the Four-C Model of Creativity and co-founding journals like Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts . He has authored over 50 books and 300 papers, including foundational works like Cambridge Handbook of Creativity . Education: Ph.D., Cognitive Psychology, Yale University, 2001. Research Interests: Creativity Assessment, Creativity and Meaning, Creativity & Social Equity, and Cross-Domain Creativity Applications. His work bridges psychological theory with practical educational strategies. Awards: Mensa Research Award, Torrance Award (NAGC), APA Berlyne & Farnsworth Awards, and leadership in APA Division 10. Advising & Collaborations: Advised students like K. Arrington and C. Connery. Active in mentoring through co-authored research. Collaborates globally on creativity measurement tools like the K-DOCS. Labs/Teams: Leads research teams at UConn focusing on creativity’s societal impact, including pandemic-related studies on creativity and well-being during crises.
Professor Ziad Elmarsafy serves as Professor of Arabic and Comparative Literature at the University of St Andrews, where he is affiliated with the School of Modern Languages and the Arabic and Persian Centre for the Critical Reimagining of Human Rights. His academic profile demonstrates a strong commitment to postgraduate research supervision as indicated by his status as 'Accepting Postgraduate Research Students.' Elmarsafy's research profile reveals a distinctive intellectual fingerprint spanning French Arts and Humanities (100%), Esoteric Islam (75%), Sufism (75%), Idol Studies (75%), Koran/Qur'anic Studies (75%), Genre Theory (37%), and Autobiography (37%). His scholarly work bridges Arabic literature, French intellectual history, and religious studies with particular emphasis on esoteric dimensions of Islamic thought. His research output demonstrates consistent engagement with the intersection of literature, religion, and political thought. Analysis of his 23 research outputs shows a consistent pattern of scholarly contributions exploring the relationships between Islamic thought and Western intellectual traditions, particularly French philosophy. His publications reveal significant attention to translation studies, postcolonial theory, and the representation of Islamic concepts in Western contexts. The thematic coherence across his work demonstrates a sustained intellectual project examining how Islamic thought has been interpreted, translated, and reimagined in modern European contexts. Professor Elmarsafy maintains an active role in the academic community through editorial work and peer review activities. His service includes reviewing manuscripts for prestigious journals such as MLN, Religiographies, Forum for Modern Language Studies, Journal of Arabic Literature, and Middle Eastern Literatures. Since 2023, he has served on the editorial board of Forum for Modern Language Studies, demonstrating his standing within the scholarly community.
Kim Haines-Eitzen is the Paul and Berthe Hendrix Memorial Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Religions at Cornell University's Department of Near Eastern Studies within the College of Arts and Sciences. She holds affiliations with multiple programs including Classics, Feminist Gender and Sexuality Studies, Jewish Studies, Medieval Studies, Religious Studies, and the Society for the Humanities. For the 2024-25 academic year, she is a Fellow at the National Humanities Center working on Earth, Wind, and Fire: A Field Guide to the Apocalypse . Her research interests focus on early Christianity, early Judaism, and religion in late antiquity with particular expertise in sound studies, desert monasticism, and the intersection of gender and text transmission. Her work combines traditional textual analysis with innovative field recordings of desert soundscapes to explore how acoustic environments shaped religious imagination in ancient contexts. She approaches her research through interdisciplinary frameworks including phenomenology, affect theory, sound studies, and ecocriticism. Haines-Eitzen's publications include three major monographs: Sonorous Desert: What Deep Listening Taught Early Christian Monks and What It Can Teach Us (2022), The Gendered Palimpsest: Women, Writing, and Representation in Early Christianity (2012), and Guardians of Letters: Literacy, Power and the Transmitters of Early Christian Literature (2000). Her scholarly articles span topics from female scribes in antiquity to the acoustic imagination in early Christian texts. Her scholarly recognition includes an Atkinson Center Faculty Fellowship, an American Academy of Religion Research Grant (2013-2014), and her current National Humanities Center Fellowship. Her work has gained significant public attention through media appearances including NPR's Academic Minute, The Conversation, The Commonweal Podcast, and the National Geographic Channel's 'The Story of God' with Morgan Freeman. Born in Jerusalem and raised in Nazareth, Haines-Eitzen divides her time between Cornell's Finger Lakes campus and the high desert of Southeastern Arizona, where her personal connection to desert landscapes informs her scholarly work. Her field research involves making environmental sound recordings in the Negev, Judaean deserts of Israel, and the American Southwest to illuminate the acoustic dimensions of ancient religious texts and practices.
Maura Nolan is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of California, Berkeley. She specializes in late medieval English literature, particularly focusing on the 14th and 15th centuries, and examines the relationship between medieval aesthetics and early modern developments. Her work bridges sensory experience, cultural cognition, and literary style. Education: A.B. in English, Dartmouth College M.A. and Ph.D. in English, Duke University Research Interests: Nolan’s research explores the role of the aesthetic in medieval vernacular literature, particularly through analyses of sensation, style, and cultural context. Current projects include studies of John Gower’s contingency and sensation, and the intersection of medieval beauty concepts with emerging literary style. She interrogates how medieval texts engage with sensory perception and how these inform modern understandings of aesthetics. Publications: Her work spans monographs, edited volumes, and articles, with a focus on figures like Chaucer, Gower, and Lydgate. Key themes include textual criticism, medieval manuscript studies, and interdisciplinary approaches to aesthetics. Recent publications address Ovidian allusions, Lancastrian literature, and digital humanities methodologies in medieval text analysis. Teaching and Affiliations: Nolan teaches undergraduate and graduate courses at Berkeley and has held roles such as Wheeler Fellow (2005–2008). Her office is in Wheeler Hall 230, and she holds office hours by appointment.
Dr. Solvejg Nitzke is an Acting Professor of General and Comparative Literature at Ruhr University Bochum since April 2024. She holds a habilitation from TU Dresden (2023) and a PhD from Ruhr University Bochum (2015). Her research focuses on ecocriticism, plant studies, climate narratives, and knowledge communication in literature. She has led major interdisciplinary projects like the TUDiSC-funded 'Disrupt!Research' (2020-2023) and the Fritz Thyssen Foundation-supported 'Strange Kinship' (2021). Teaching: Lectures/seminars on ecological storytelling, catastrophes in literature, and arboreal poetics at Ruhr University and TU Dresden since 2011. Recognition: E-Learning Jewel nomination (2020) for digital teaching innovation. Research Projects: Includes 'Precarious Natures' (2017-2020) and 'Time of Climate' (2015-2017). Editorships: Co-editor of Brill's 'Plant Poetics' (2025), De Gruyter's 'Literature & Ecology' handbook (2025), and multiple special journal issues on ecocritical topics.
Alicia Carroll is a Professor and Department Chair of English at Auburn University . She holds a PhD from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and specializes in Victorian Studies and Ecocriticism . Carroll actively mentors both graduate and undergraduate students in these fields. Department Chair, English Member of UKI Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment Member of American Association for Studies in Literature and the Environment (serving in Diversity Caucus) Research Interests focus on 19th-century British literature and culture, green cultural studies, environmental humanities, women's and gender studies, and Victorian ecocriticism. Her work explores intersections of gender, ecology, and cultural production during the Victorian era. Key Publications include her monograph New Woman Ecologies: From Arts and Crafts to the Great War and Beyond (2019) and co-edited works examining Victorian environmental narratives. She also contributed to the Quilts of Gee’s Bend in Context website as a lead faculty member.
Vincent Masse is an Associate Professor in the Department of French at Dalhousie University's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. His office is located in Room 3172, Marion McCain Building, with contact information including email (vincent.masse@dal.ca) and phone (902-494-6808). He holds a BA and MA from McGill University, a PhD from the University of Toronto, and completed postdoctoral work at Paris IV (Sorbonne). His research focuses on medieval and early modern European history and literature, with specializations in: Portrayals of non-European worlds Travel narratives and contact literature History of apocalyptic thought Development of printed news and ephemeral literature 19th-century Quebec literature History of the book and print culture Professor Masse has supervised multiple graduate students including MA theses on apocalyptic elements in medieval literature, Renaissance philosophical thought, and religious conversion tropes in Enlightenment fiction. He maintains regular office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30-3:00 p.m. His media engagements include podcast appearances on Arthurian legends and documentary participation about lost kingdoms. His course "FREN 2666 The End Of The World" has received significant media coverage in outlets like CBC Radio and The Chronicle Herald.
Paula Schneider serves as Teacher for Special Tasks at the University of Art and Design Offenbach am Main , heading their book and paper workshop since 2020. She studied Book Art at Burg Giebichenstein Halle (2013-2019) and previously taught at Bezalel Academy (2017-2020). Her work bridges bookbinding , literary experimentation , and archival research through installations, artist books, and public interventions. Education : 2019: Diploma in Book Art, Burg Giebichenstein University of Halle Teaching : 2020–present: Lecturer for special tasks at HfG Offenbach 2017–2020: Annual courses at Bezalel Academy for Arts and Design, Jerusalem Screen printing tutor during studies Her artistic research explores narrative structures , time perception , and memory systems through works like Inner Monologue (2018) and Mio Mnemotop (2021). Recent projects include Night Frost (2024) examining textual accumulation and Cloudburst Working on the Textberg (2024) using mining metaphors for textual analysis. She examines book formats (e.g., leporello, monotypes, screen printing) to interrogate knowledge preservation (Rabaraababaraba, 2015) and urban observation (Praise of the Gate, 2023). Notable exhibitions include Because We Are Young (2021) analyzing GDR industrial history and Between (2019) at Halle/Leipzig Airport, which required mobile audience engagement with audio pieces about airport soundscapes. Her works have been featured in Text3 and Spin n errei tours. Contact: schneider@hfg-offenbach.de | Workshop: +49 69.80059-245 | Office: +49 69.80059-106
Eileen M. Hunt is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame whose scholarly work centers on modern political thought, feminist theory, the family, rights, ethics of technology, and the intersection of philosophy and literature. She holds concurrent faculty appointments in the Gender Studies Program and is a Faculty Fellow at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, Kroc Institute for Peace Studies, and Nanovic Institute for European Studies. Hunt's research focuses on the works of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley, particularly their enduring relevance for contemporary issues in feminism, AI and technology ethics, and political thought. Her scholarship bridges historical political theory with urgent contemporary questions, examining how classic texts can inform modern debates about rights, technology, and social justice. She has developed a distinctive approach to political science fiction, analyzing how works like Frankenstein and The Last Man anticipate modern concerns about artificial intelligence, pandemics, and post-apocalyptic scenarios. Hunt's fifteen most recent publications reveal a consistent scholarly trajectory exploring Wollstonecraft's feminist philosophy, Shelley's political science fiction, and the historical development of women's human rights discourse. Her work demonstrates increasing engagement with contemporary issues like pandemic literature, AI ethics, and intersectional feminist theory, while maintaining deep roots in Enlightenment political thought. Her publications span prestigious university presses, major political science journals, and influential media outlets including The New York Times and The Washington Post . David Easton Award (2022) for Artificial Life After Frankenstein Okin-Young Award (2014) for best article in feminist political theory Carr-Thomas-Ovenden Fellowship in English Literature (2022) Distinguished Fellow of the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study (2019) NEH Scholarly Editions grant recipient (2024-27) Hunt currently directs a major NEH-funded project creating the first standard integrated scholarly edition of Wollstonecraft's Vindications for Oxford University Press. She has also secured funding from the ACLS, Sloan Foundation, and Bodleian Libraries to support her research on Wollstonecraft, Shelley, and their legacies. Hunt is actively mentoring students through the Glynn Family Honors Program and has previously served as Faculty Director of the Notre Dame Scholars' Program, demonstrating her commitment to undergraduate education and mentorship.
Dr. Kiana T. Murphy is an Assistant Professor of American Studies at Brown University, specializing in intersections of Black Studies, Gender & Sexuality Studies, and Archival Theory. Her work bridges Black speculative aesthetics with Black girlhood studies, focusing on how Black women and queer artists reimagine futures through worldbuilding. She holds a PhD and MA from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Education PhD in English, University of Pennsylvania (2021) MA in English, University of Pennsylvania (2016) BA in English/Creative Writing/Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2015) Research Interests Murphy's interdisciplinary research examines speculative aesthetics in 20th/21st century Black cultural production. Her current book project analyzes how Black women, queer, and non-binary creators center Black girlhood in worldbuilding across genres. This work critiques systems of criminalization while advocating for intersectional frameworks of care and futurity. Her creative writing explores gentrification's impact on Black children's imaginations. Awards & Fellowships 2024-2025 BBQ+ Center Fellowship 2024 NEH Institute Fellow (People's History of Landscape) 2023 NEH Institute Fellow (Reconstructing the Black Archive) 2021-2022 Huntington Library Mellon Fellow Teaching & Mentorship Murphy teaches courses on Black science fiction, archive theory, comics studies, and Black queer life. Recent courses include Black to the Future: Race as Science Fiction and Black Archival Experiments . She has advised the Black Cultural Studies Collective and co-curated the Joanna Banks Exhibit at UPenn's Kislak Center. Labs & Collaborations Her research engages interdisciplinary collaborations through fellowships and curatorial work, emphasizing public-facing scholarship and community archives.
Natalie E. Latteri is an Adjunct Professor and Part-Time Faculty member at the University of San Francisco, teaching courses on Jewish-Christian Relations within the Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice. She holds a PhD in History from the University of New Mexico, an MA from Purdue University, and a BA from the University of California, Davis. PhD, History, University of New Mexico MA, Purdue University BA, University of California, Davis Latteri’s research focuses on interfaith relations in medieval Europe , particularly Jewish-Christian interactions through apocalyptic and polemical texts. Her work explores themes of messianism, hauntings, possession, and gender/sexuality in religious writings , analyzing the Toledot Yeshu tradition, Christian apocrypha, and medieval recensions of apocalyptic narratives. Her recent publications examine the historiography of Jewish apocalypticism (2016), comparative analyses of Antichrist narratives in Jewish and Christian texts (2017), and gendered interpretations of biblical typology in apocalyptic literature (2016). These works span disciplines including Religious Studies, Gender Studies, and Medieval History. Scientific awards include fellowships from the Russell J. and Dorothy S. Bilinski Foundation (2016-17) and the American Academy for Jewish Research (2015) , recognizing her contributions to Jewish-Christian interfaith scholarship.
Patrick Whitmarsh is a Visiting Assistant Professor of English at the College of the Holy Cross. He holds a Ph.D. from Boston University and specializes in 20th- and 21st-century American literature, narrative prose, environmental humanities, ecocriticism, and Anthropocene and extinction studies. His research examines intersections between literature, environmental history, and planetary crises, particularly focusing on vertical spatial descriptions in fiction that reflect scientific perspectives post-World War II. Whitmarsh’s first book, *Writing Our Extinction: Anthropocene Fiction and Vertical Science* (Stanford UP, 2023), analyzes how post-1960 novels depict vertical spaces (e.g., outer space, boreholes) to reflect emerging scientific paradigms and planetary crises. He is currently working on a second book project titled *Planetary Alienation: Materialism and Environmentalism in Crisis Culture from 2008 to the Present*, exploring class politics and environmental concerns in contemporary literature and cinema. Recent articles include studies on ecohorror in cinema, post-apocalyptic narratives in TV series, and layered ecologies in Karen Russell’s *Swamplandia!* His work bridges literary analysis, environmental science, and speculative fiction, emphasizing the Anthropocene’s spatial and temporal dimensions. Whitmarsh teaches courses such as *Introduction to Literary Study*, *American Realism*, and *Modern American Novel*. His scholarship has been featured in venues like *Contemporary Literature* and *Modern Fiction Studies*, and he contributes to interdisciplinary dialogues on environmental humanities and cultural responses to climate change.
Dr. Jeremy Otten is a Guest Assistant Professor of New Testament at ETF Leuven and Senior Researcher in New Testament Studies. He holds a Ph.D. in Biblical and Theological Studies (New Testament) from Wheaton College Graduate School (2016), an M.Div. in Pastoral Care from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (2010), and a BA in English Writing and Biblical Literature from Taylor University (2004). His academic roles also include adjunct professorships at Wheaton College (2012–2017) and guest lectureships in Japan and the U.S. Dr. Otten’s research focuses on New Testament exegesis, particularly exploring themes like social identity, remnant theology, and intertextual connections between biblical narratives. His work often intersects with Lukan theology, Elijah motifs, and early Christian hermeneutics. Key projects include analyzing Luke’s use of Old Testament patterns in Acts and the Synoptic Gospels, studying Markan narratives through socio-rhetorical lenses, and examining Christological developments in Luke-Acts. His publications include monographs like I Alone Am Left: Elijah and the Remnant in Luke-Acts (2021) and edited volumes such as Let God Be True: Perspectives on Romans 3 (2023). He regularly presents at major conferences including the Evangelical Theological Society and Society of Biblical Literature, focusing on topics like Lukan Christology, Markan demonology, and pedagogical strategies for diverse student populations. Dr. Otten is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and Evangelical Theological Society. His teaching emphasizes interdisciplinary engagement, biblical languages, and formative theological education for pastoral leaders. Current research continues exploring Elijah typology in the New Testament and reception history of patristic exegesis.
Karma R. Chávez is the Bobby and Sherri Patton Associate Professor and Chair of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies at the University of Texas at Austin's College of Liberal Arts. She holds cross-affiliations with the Department of Communication Studies, Department of Rhetoric and Writing, Center for Women's and Gender Studies, Center for Mexican American Studies, and the LGBTQ Studies Program. Research Interests: Centered on queer of color critique, coalition-building, and rhetorical analysis of social movements through text and fieldwork methodologies. Teaching: Offers courses in Mexican American Studies including Rhetoric of Ethnic Studies, Queer Migrations, and Interpretive Methods. Key Publications: Authored The Borders of AIDS: Race, Quarantine, and Resistance (2021) and co-edited volumes on rhetorical methods, gender studies, and feminist practices. Current projects include community-university collaborations in Wisconsin and creative non-fiction on Midwestern race dynamics. Media Contributions: Regular host of LatinXperts and Feminist Keywords podcasts, with radio work at WORT-FM. Academic Collaborations: Co-authored with scholars like Eithne Luibhéid, Cindy L. Griffin, and the Against Equality collective.
