Matthew Thomas Payne is an Associate Professor in the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre at the University of Notre Dame. He serves as Director of Graduate Studies and focuses on video games' cultural history, media literacy, and representations of war. His research explores media industries, gaming culture, and educational applications of games through initiatives like the Learning Games Initiative. Payne's work includes authoring books such as *Eugene Jarvis: King of the Arcade* (2025) and *Ultima and Worldbuilding* (2024), alongside articles on military video games and transmedia storytelling. His creative output includes video essays analyzing game design and cultural impact. Payne holds a terminal degree in media studies and actively contributes to academic conferences and digital platforms like Vimeo. Education: Ph.D. in Media Studies (assumed based on faculty role). Research emphasizes intersections between digital media and cultural narratives, with grants likely supporting projects on gaming preservation and pedagogy. He collaborates with institutions like Amherst College Press and NYU Press, and his professional activities include editorial roles and industry research with Warner Brothers.
Amanda Phillips is an Associate Professor at Georgetown University, affiliated with the Departments of English, Film and Media Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, and American Studies. Their research focuses on feminist and queer theory in digital media, with a particular emphasis on critical game studies and digital humanities. Selected publications include Gamer Trouble: Feminist Confrontations in Digital Culture and co-editing the Queer/Trans/Digital book series. Their scholarship appears in journals such as ROMchip , Feminist Media Histories , and Games and Culture . Research Interests: Digital media and gender politics Queer theory in gaming contexts Decolonial and anti-racist digital humanities Critical analysis of game mechanics Digital labor and precarity Affective histories of gaming Scientific Awards: Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellow Academic Leadership: Former chair of the American Studies Association Digital Humanities Caucus Co-founder of the #transformDH Collective Editorial work on special issues of Game Studies and Antares: Letras e Humanidades Previous Institutions: IMMERSe Postdoctoral Fellow at University of California, Davis Ph.D. recipient from University of California, Santa Barbara with emphasis in Feminist Studies
Susan Pfeiffer is a Research Professor of Anthropology at the University of Toronto, affiliated with the Department of Anthropology within the Faculty of Arts and Science. Her research focuses on bioarchaeology, skeletal biology of past populations, and repatriation of human remains, particularly among Southern African Khoe-San and North American Great Lakes communities. She holds a Ph.D. (1976), M.A. (1972), and B.A. (1968) in Anthropology and Religion from the University of Toronto and the University of Iowa. Education: Ph.D. in Anthropology, University of Toronto (1976) M.A. in Anthropology, University of Toronto (1972) B.A. in Religion, University of Iowa (1968) Her research interests include paleopathology, adult age estimation, evolutionary theory, and collaborations with Indigenous communities. Notable works include her 2022 book Osteobiographies , which explores repatriation frameworks globally, and studies on Huron-Wendat ancestral repatriation and Southern African skeletal analysis. Dr. Pfeiffer has received prestigious awards such as the 2019 AAAS Fellowship and the 2016 J. Norman Emerson Medal. Her publications bridge bioarchaeological methodological advancements with ethical repatriation practices, emphasizing cross-cultural collaboration in anthropology. Key Awards: AAAS Anthropology Section Fellowship (2019) Ontario Archaeological Association Medal (2016) University of Toronto Teaching Excellence Award (2001) Her work integrates skeletal analysis with community partnerships, addressing both scientific and cultural dimensions of human remains research. Collaborations with First Nations and African groups highlight her commitment to ethical, culturally sensitive archaeology.
University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
Sanjay Subrahmanyam is Distinguished Professor of History and Irving & Jean Stone Endowed Chair in Social Sciences at UCLA's Department of History. A globally recognized historian of the early modern period (15th-18th centuries), he previously held prestigious positions at the Collège de France (2013-2021), University of Oxford (2002-2004), and Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris (1995-2002). He founded UCLA's Center for India and South Asia (2005-2011) and maintains significant academic engagement in France through media appearances and lectures. His educational background includes: M.A. in Economics (First Rank with Gold Medal), Delhi School of Economics (1982) Ph.D. in Economic History, Delhi School of Economics (1987) Honorary D.Litt., University of Calcutta (2015) Doctorat honoris causa, Université catholique de Louvain (2017) Subrahmanyam's research revolutionized global historical methodology through his pioneering concept of 'connected histories,' which challenges Eurocentric periodization and emphasizes horizontal connections across regions. His work spans South Asian political culture, Indian Ocean trade networks, Iberian imperial systems, and Mughal court dynamics, consistently integrating multilingual archives and visual sources. He demonstrates exceptional mastery in synthesizing Portuguese, Spanish, Persian, Tamil, and Sanskrit materials to reconstruct non-Western perspectives on early modern globalization. His recent publications reveal intensified focus on transcultural encounters, maritime archaeology, and the material dimensions of empire. Works like Across the Green Sea (2024) and Mirrors of Empire (2026) showcase his shift toward analyzing ego-documents and visual culture to explore identity formation in frontier zones. The consistent thread remains his critique of civilizational boundaries and emphasis on fluid cultural exchanges across the Indian Ocean world. His scientific recognition includes: Infosys Humanities Prize (2012) Dan David Prize for History (2019) Prix International de l'Histoire (2020) Fellowship in American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2009) Corresponding Fellowship in British Academy (2016) Guggenheim Fellowship (2011-12) Subrahmanyam has mentored nine doctoral students to completion, maintaining active collaborations with Muzaffar Alam (University of Chicago), Velcheru Narayana Rao (University of Wisconsin), and David Shulman (Hebrew University). His editorial leadership includes co-editing The Cambridge World History (2015) and serving over a decade as Joint Managing Editor of the Indian Economic and Social History Review . He currently directs major international projects on Indo-Persian travel writing and Mughal intellectual networks. Though not leading a traditional laboratory, he coordinates the 'Connected Histories' research initiative across UCLA, Collège de France, and University of Chicago, fostering interdisciplinary teams examining early modern knowledge circulation. His public engagement includes regular contributions to French media (France 24, France Info) and curated exhibitions like the Codex Casanatense project.
Reyhan Durmaz is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, affiliated with the School of Arts & Sciences and multiple interdisciplinary programs. Her research focuses on Syriac Christianity, medieval religious dynamics, and the intersection of Christianity and Islam in late antiquity. She holds a Ph.D. from Brown University (2019) and has received prestigious fellowships such as the Dumbarton Oaks Junior Fellowship and the Charlotte Newcombe Dissertation Fellowship. Her seminal book Stories between Christianity and Islam (2022) examines the transmission of saints' stories between religious traditions, earning Honorable Mention from the Middle East Medievalists. Current projects include a study of rural Christianity in the medieval Middle East through soldier-monk narratives and an analysis of the 19th-century Arabic newspaper Kawkab America . She co-leads the Digital Photograph Archive project Visualizing Countryside , documenting medieval religious sites. Dr. Durmaz teaches courses on global Christianity, material culture, and late antiquity, and serves as co-chair of the Philadelphia Seminar on Christian Origins. Her work bridges historical analysis, textual scholarship, and digital humanities, addressing themes of religious identity, cultural exchange, and marginalized communities.
University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
Ali Mousavi is Assistant Professor of Iranian Archaeology in UCLA’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures and a core faculty member of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology. A Berkeley PhD and former fellow of the Smithsonian, Maison de l’Orient and Global Heritage Fund, he has directed excavations and UNESCO World-Heritage projects at Pasargadae, Bam, Susa, Sultaniyeh and Turang Tepe and authored prize-winning volumes Ancient Iran from the Air and Persepolis: Discovery and Afterlife of a World Wonder . Education PhD, Near Eastern Studies (Archaeology), University of California, Berkeley (2005) MA, Archaeology, History and Languages of Old World Civilizations, Université Lyon II, France (1997) BA, Archaeology and Art History of Europe and the East Mediterranean, Université Lyon II, France (1996) Research interests span the archaeology and art history of Iran from the Neolithic to the early-20th century, with particular focus on Achaemenid and Sasanian monumental architecture, ancient irrigation (qanats), landscape archaeology, digital heritage, and the modern historiography of Iranian archaeology. His field projects integrate remote sensing, epigraphy, GIS and conservation science to investigate imperial capitals, rock-cut monuments and water-management systems across the Iranian plateau. Across more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, Mousavi has re-examined dating criteria for Achaemenid stone monuments, analysed royal inscriptions as visual displays, traced medieval Persian pilgrims’ graffiti at ancient sites, and produced synthetic archaeological surveys of the Sasanian empire and the Central Alborz Iron-Age cultures. The corpus reflects a sustained engagement with primary field data, archival research and critical historiography of 19th- and 20th-century excavations. Selected honours Ehsan Yarshater Book Award (2014) Iranian Ministry of Culture World Book Award (2014) Leon Levy – Shelby White publication grant (2008) UNESCO award for World-Heritage nomination files (2003) Iran Heritage Foundation field-work award (2003) Guitty Azarpay Fellowship, UC Berkeley (2000-2003) IFRI Fellowship, Paris (1998) At UCLA he offers undergraduate courses “Archaeology of Iran” and “Ancient Cities of Iran (4000 BC-AD 1900)” and mentors graduate researchers in the Cotsen Institute. His grants and fellowships from NSF-equivalent European and American agencies underwrite both field seasons and publication of critical archaeological corpora, while his service on Iranian, UNESCO and international heritage boards continues to link scholarly output with heritage-management policy.
M. Christine Boyer is a Professor of Urbanism and the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Architecture and Urbanism at Princeton University's School of Architecture. She received her B.A. from Goucher College, M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania, and M.C.P. and Ph.D. from MIT. Her research bridges urban history, city planning, preservation, and digital technologies. B.A., Goucher College M.S., University of Pennsylvania M.C.P./Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology Her work examines intersections between urban history, collective memory, and cybernetics in urban design. Recent research focuses on heritage terrorism, urbicide, and post-conflict urban reconstruction, reflecting her expertise in critical urban theory and digital urbanism. Notable scientific recognition includes the Department of Art and Archaeology Publication Fund award (2010) for her work on Le Corbusier. She has presented lectures on Cold War urbanism and disasters like Hurricane Katrina's impact on New Orleans. As director of Princeton's Undergraduate Urban Studies Certificate Program, she shapes urban pedagogy while collaborating internationally through workshops in Athens and conferences addressing spatial analysis of terrorism and urban security.
Andrew Ollett is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago , where he has taught since 2019. His research focuses on the literary and intellectual traditions of South and Southeast Asia, particularly through works in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsha, and Kannada from the first millennium CE. Co-founder and editor of NESAR (New Explorations in South Asia Research) Director of NEH-funded edition/translation of the Kavirājamārga (earliest Kannada literary manual) Expert in Prakrit and Kannada literary traditions His work explores the 'question of language'—examining how language choice shaped cultural production and change in premodern India. Current projects include a monograph on context-sensitivity in Indian language theories and a study of manuscript technology's impact on early South Asian knowledge communities. He has authored The Mirror of Ornaments (Naples: Unior Press, 2025) and Language of the Snakes (UC Press, 2017), and co-authored Lilavai (Harvard, 2021). Recent publications include interdisciplinary studies on: Sanskrit-Prakrit campū genre reevaluation Pragmatics in Mīmāṁsā interpretive concepts Manuscript literacy's influence on literary forms Historical linguistics of Middle Indic syllable reduction Philosophy of language in Śālikanātha and Kumārila Bhaṭṭa Awarded the NEH 'Scholarly Editions and Translations' grant , he teaches classical South Asian literature courses covering Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Tamil traditions. He maintains digital resources including a Prakrit Digital Texts Project and Mīmāṁsādigdarśinī digital text repository, and actively contributes to open-access scholarship.
Prita Meier is an Associate Professor of Art History at New York University's College of Arts & Science , affiliated with the Department of Art History & the Institute of Fine Arts. Her work bridges African art history, Indian Ocean world studies, and global modernity frameworks. Education: Ph.D. (2007) in History of Art, Harvard University M.A. (2000) in History of Art, University of Iowa B.A. (1996) in Art History, University of Florida Research Interests focus on the visual and architectural cultures of Africa, particularly Swahili Coast port cities, exploring globalization's cultural dimensions, Islamic art, and photography histories. Her work interrogates spatial-temporal dynamics in African modernity and colonial art frameworks. Scientific Awards include CASVA Senior Fellowship, NEH Implementation Grant (with Allyson Purpura), Mellon Collaborative Grant (with Kenny Cupers), Clark Art Institute Residential Fellowship, and Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship. Notably, she declined the National Humanities Center Fellowship and Stanford Humanities Fellows Program. Publications highlight Indian Ocean trade networks, Swahili Coast architecture, and photography's global circulation. Recent works (2020-2017) examine infrastructure as identity, oceanic materiality, and itinerant art historiography. Earlier articles (2016-2009) analyze porcelain trade, modernist discontents, and Swahili funerary practices. Contact: spm9@nyu.edu | 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003
Kristin Schwain is a Professor in the Department of Art History at the University of Missouri's School of Visual Studies. She holds a PhD in Art History and Humanities from Stanford University and a BA in Art History and Humanities from Valparaiso University. Her interdisciplinary research examines marginalized objects and practices in American art history, emphasizing their cultural significance through lived experience. Her educational background includes: PhD in Art History and Humanities, Stanford University BA in Art History and Humanities, Valparaiso University Dr. Schwain's research centers on American Material and Visual Culture, Art and Religion, Arts of the African Diaspora, and Public Humanities. She investigates overlooked artifacts to reveal their influence on everyday life, challenging assumptions about modernization's impact on religious expression. Her work bridges historical analysis with contemporary relevance through studies of traditional craft, artist books, photojournalism, and mass-produced objects as lenses into social practices. Her recent publications demonstrate consistent focus on art-religion intersections in American cultural history, from Henry Ossawa Tanner's biblical paintings to Afro-Cuban religious themes in Ediciones Vigía artist books. This body of work reveals evolving methodologies for uncovering marginalized narratives through interdisciplinary frameworks spanning visual culture, material studies, and diaspora scholarship. Her scholarly recognition includes: First Biennial National Basketry Association Book Award for Rooted, Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in America Dr. Schwain has secured major grants from the Smithsonian Institution, Luce/American Council of Learned Societies, Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture, and Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Research Center. Her collaborative public humanities projects with the Missouri School of Journalism's Pictures of the Year International and Scruggs-Vandervoort-Barney department store collection demonstrate institutional partnerships that translate academic research into community engagement. She actively collaborates with the Museum of Art and Archaeology at the University of Missouri on exhibitions like Rooted, Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in America and Juan Roberto Diago: Foraged Materials, Assembled Histories , fostering cross-generational dialogues through multi-venue traveling shows and digital initiatives including The iCatalog .
Jesse Schotter is an Associate Professor of English at Ohio State University and a faculty member in the Film Studies Program. His academic work bridges literary scholarship and creative writing, with a focus on twentieth-century literature and media studies. He holds a PhD from Yale University (2011) and a BA from Yale (2003). PhD, Yale University, 2011 BA, Yale University, 2003 Schotter specializes in modernist literature and culture, film theory, and media histories of the twentieth century. His research explores the intersections between traditional literary forms and emerging media technologies, particularly examining how debates about ancient media like Egyptian hieroglyphics influenced twentieth-century understandings of new media such as film and phonography. He investigates how literary modernism engages with questions of media transitions, narrative form, and cultural memory across different historical contexts. His scholarly output reveals consistent engagement with media theory, adaptation studies, and modernist experimentation. Schotter's work demonstrates how literary texts negotiate technological change, with particular attention to narrative structure across different media forms. His publications span traditional academic journals like Genre and James Joyce Quarterly to more accessible venues like Full Stop and Electric Lit , showing his commitment to reaching both academic and public audiences. Finalist, Modernist Studies Association First Book Prize Schotter teaches a diverse range of courses including modernism and media, silent film, ghosts and trauma, contemporary British fiction, introductory film studies, children's fantasy literature and video games. He co-organized the Modernist Studies Association Conference in Columbus in 2018, demonstrating active engagement with the broader academic community. His teaching philosophy appears to integrate his research interests, connecting historical literary forms with contemporary media experiences for students. Schotter maintains an active presence both in academic scholarship and creative writing, with fiction published in literary journals. His work demonstrates the productive tension between scholarly analysis and creative practice, with his research on media history informing his creative writing and vice versa.
Wu Hung is the Harrie A. Vanderstappen Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago, affiliated with The College , the Department of Art History , and the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations . He serves as Director of the Center for the Art of East Asia and Consulting Curator at the Smart Museum of Art .
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyUnited States
Dacia Viejo-Rose is a Senior Lecturer in Cultural Heritage and the Politics of the Past at the Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge , and serves as Deputy Director of the Cambridge Heritage Research Centre . Her research focuses on cultural heritage in contexts of armed conflict, examining its role in division, exclusion, and post-conflict reconciliation. She integrates perspectives from memory studies, political science, and transitional justice. PhD (2009) in Cultural Heritage from University of Cambridge British Academy Post-doctoral Fellow (2012–2014) Her work analyzes the symbolic and ethical dimensions of cultural heritage destruction and reconstruction, particularly in post-civil war Spain, Bosnia, and Syria. She advocates for reparations frameworks in international law and critiques the instrumentalization of heritage in global conflicts. Key publication themes include: Post-conflict justice and cultural property law Cultural violence and socio-legal approaches Memory politics and identity formation Heritage conservation and ethical interventions Scientific awards: British Academy Post-doctoral Fellowship Her exhibitions, such as the 2015 Gernika Peace Museum display , highlight the interplay between heritage and peacebuilding. She contributes to debates on democratic memorial practices and international involvement in post-conflict societies.
Thomas Herron is a Professor in the English Department at East Carolina University (ECU). His research focuses on early modern poet Edmund Spenser, Irish plantation history, and connections to figures like Sir Walter Raleigh and Thomas Harriot. He also specializes in Shakespeare, medieval and early modern Irish history, archaeology, and literature surveys. Herron earned a B.A. from Carleton College, followed by an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His publications include the monograph Spenser’s Irish Work: Poetry, Plantation and Colonial Reformation (2007), co-edited volumes on Ireland in the Renaissance, and articles in journals such as Spenser Review and South Atlantic Review . He co-curated the Folger Shakespeare Library exhibit Nobility and Newcomers in Renaissance Ireland (2013) and edited the journal Explorations in Renaissance Culture . Teaching interests span Spenser, Shakespeare, Milton, Joyce, and Irish literature. He has developed courses on Renaissance literature, literary surveys, and digital humanities projects like Centering Spenser , a resource reconstructing Kilcolman Castle. His work integrates historical archaeology with literary analysis, emphasizing colonial dynamics and cultural memory.
Rebecca Hains is a Professor of Media and Communication at Salem State University. Her research focuses on children's media culture, gender representation, and marketing to children through critical/cultural studies. Ph.D. in Mass Media and Communication from Temple University (2007) Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies from Temple University (2007) M.S. in Mass Communication from Boston University (2000) B.A. in English/Communication Arts from Emmanuel College (1998) Her work has been featured in major news outlets like BBC, The New York Times, and NPR. She has authored two monographs: The Princess Problem (2014) and Growing Up with Girl Power (2012), and co-edited three collections on children's media and toys. Recent publications analyze: Barbie's body politics and diversity marketing Gendered marketing in LEGO toys Intersectional analysis of media's impact on children Critical perspectives on youth media consumption She actively engages in public scholarship through RebeccaHains.com , social media, and media commentary. Key research trends show: Continuity in examining gendered consumer culture Evolution from girl power narratives to contemporary princess culture Increasing focus on intersectional analyses of race, gender, and class Interdisciplinary approach combining media studies, sociology, and gender studies Her teaching includes courses like: MCO 222 How Advertising Works MCO 303 Media and Race MCO 475 Critical Analysis of Media and Culture MCO 330 UX Research in Digital Media