Eileen J. Cheng is a Professor of Chinese and Coordinator of the Chinese Section at Pomona College since 2003. She teaches courses in Chinese language, modern Chinese literature, and gender studies. Research Interests: Her scholarship focuses on Lu Xun studies, gender and nationalism in modern China, translation theory, and world literature traditions. She explores how Lu Xun's artistic vision intersects with political narratives and cultural trauma. Publications: Recent works include analyses of Lu Xun's philosophical writings, annotated bibliographies, and translations of his essays. Her research reveals connections between Chinese modernism and Western critical theory, particularly Adorno's reflections on mechanical reproduction. Education: Ph.D., East Asian Languages and Cultures (Modern Chinese Literatures), University of California, Los Angeles M.A., East Asian Languages and Cultures (Modern Chinese Literatures), University of California, Los Angeles B.A., University of California, Los Angeles (summa cum laude)
Dr. Edyta Frelik is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of American Studies, Faculty of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University. Her academic career spans research and teaching in American art history, visual culture, and interdisciplinary intersections between literature and visual arts. She holds a PhD in Humanities (UMCS, 2013) and has been recognized with prestigious awards including the Terra Foundation Award (2013) and Georgia O’Keeffe Museum nomination (2018). Her research focuses on: Modernist artists' intellectual engagements Interactions between textual and visual media Anti-intellectualism in American art and culture Gender dynamics in avant-garde practice Relationships between science/technology and artistic expression Recent publications highlight her expertise in artists like Georgia O’Keeffe, Ad Reinhardt, and Frank Lloyd Wright, with thematic clusters in: American cultural identity formation Artistic self-representation strategies Transatlantic modernist dialogues Architectural language theory Visual epistemology Post-historical cultural analysis Scientific recognitions include: 2013 : Terra Foundation Award for Best Essay by International Scholar 2018 : Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Book Prize Nomination 2022 : NCN MINIATURA 5 Grant Dr. Frelik has organized international conferences like Wordstruck (2015) and actively participates in academic exchanges across Europe and North America.
Dr. Oliver Double is a Senior Lecturer in Comic and Popular Performance at the University of Kent, where he has taught since 1999. He specializes in stand-up comedy, alternative comedy, and variety theatre, with a focus on first-person audience engagement and historical analysis. As Deputy Head of School, he contributes to academic leadership while maintaining an active research profile. Established the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive (BSUCA) at Templeman Library, Canterbury Interviews Editor of Comedy Studies journal His research explores direct performer-audience dynamics, including works on Karl Valentin, Brechtian cabaret, and punk rock's theatrical dimensions. Key themes include comedy's sociocultural impact, performance authenticity, and the transformation of personal experiences into material. Recent publications analyze Laura Lexx's mental health narratives, tracing terminology origins of stand-up, and examining rehearsal processes. His teaching integrates archival resources and performance theory, preparing students for careers in comedy and related fields. Active in public scholarship, he contributes to documentaries and maintains an ongoing creative practice through the Funny Rabbit comedy club and solo performances like Break a Leg (2015) and Saint Pancreas (2006).
Michael Basseler is an Adjunct Professor of Literary and Cultural Studies at the Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture (GCSC) at Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen. He serves as the Managing Director of GCSC/GGK and has been the academic director since 2013. His work focuses on American literature and culture, particularly on African American literature, narrative theory, and interdisciplinary resilience studies. His educational background includes a PhD dissertation on cultural memory and trauma in contemporary African American novels and a postdoctoral dissertation (Habilitation) on literature as a form of "life knowledge" through short stories from the late 19th to early 21st century. Basseler's research interests span Literary and Cultural theory, African American literature and culture, Literature and knowledge, Narrative theory and cultural narratology, Interdisciplinary resilience studies, and genre theory and history. His recent projects focus on the concept of (cultural) resilience, issues of race and racism, and post-Cold War culture. His scholarly approach integrates literary analysis with cultural studies to examine how narratives shape and reflect cultural understandings of resilience, memory, and identity. His publications reveal a consistent focus on short literary forms, particularly the short story, and their evolving functions in contemporary culture. He has made significant contributions to understanding how literature serves as "life knowledge" and how narratives engage with concepts of resilience in times of crisis. His work often bridges theoretical frameworks with close readings of specific texts to illuminate broader cultural patterns. Reviewed works in Amerikastudien/American Studies Active member of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Amerikastudien (since 2009) Founding member of European Network for Short Fiction Research (since 2014) As a supervisor, Basseler has guided numerous doctoral students through their dissertations, with a focus on contemporary cultural issues including African American identity, Caribbean literary interventions, resilience narratives, and cultural memory. His current research projects include "Narrating Resilience, Achieving Happiness?" (since 2021) and "Short Forms Beyond Borders" (EU Strategic Partnerships, 2020-2023), which explores short forms as tools for cultural, educational, and social mediation in Europe. Basseler leads an international research group and collaborates with specialists from six European universities and a private firm to develop short forms as both tools and objects of pedagogical innovation and cultural mediation, recognizing the growing relevance of brevity in contemporary society across various media forms.
Dr. Jane Park is a Senior Lecturer in Gender and Cultural Studies at The University of Sydney, specializing in race, diaspora, and media representation. Her work examines globalization's impact on East Asian and diasporic communities through film, education, and policy frameworks. She actively contributes to the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre and teaches undergraduate/postgraduate units including GCST1601 Introduction to Cultural Studies and INGS4002 Identity, Politics, Globalisation. BA, Brown University MA, University of California, Irvine PhD, University of Texas Her research centers on decolonial pedagogies, race/ethnicity studies, and transnational media, evolving from early analyses of Hollywood's Orientalism ( Yellow Future: Oriental Style in Hollywood Cinema , 2010) toward contemporary anti-racism policy. Current projects include an ARC-funded study on Australian anti-racism ideologies (2022–present) and a memoir on teaching and healing. Her 2025–2014 publications reveal a trajectory from cinematic representation to embodied pedagogy, with increasing focus on Australian racial discourse and student affective experiences. Jane supervises PhD candidates researching digital design bias (Diana CHAMMA) and Chinese Danmei fandom (Lynn ZHENG). Her 2022 ARC Discovery Project examines Australian anti-racism policies since the 1990s, while earlier grants include Korean cosmetic surgery media analysis (2011). As a core member of the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre, she bridges academic research with community engagement through interdisciplinary teams exploring diasporic identities and transnational cultural flows.
Lisa Cordes is a Professor of Latin Studies at the Institute of Classical Philology , Humboldt University of Berlin, since 2023. Her research focuses on fiction, literary figures, and authorship in Latin literature , with a strong emphasis on panegyric rhetoric, gender studies, and cultural theory . She has held notable positions, including a Humboldt Foundation Visiting Fellowship (2024-2025) and a Feodor Lynen Fellowship (2022-2023). PhD in Classical Philology, LMU Munich (2016) Juniorprofessorin für Latinistik at HU Berlin (2019-2023) Lisa Cordes' research explores panegyric fictionality , gendered first-person discourse , and literary character theory in premodern texts. Her work bridges classical philology with modern frameworks like discourse analysis and digital humanities , focusing on authors such as Cicero, Seneca, and Ovid. Her recent publications (2025-2021) analyze literary character modeling , Cicero’s dialogues , and authorship performativity , with recurring themes of imperial representation and autobiographical elements . She co-edits the Handbuch der lateinischen Literatur (Band 3.2) and leads the BridgeClassics research group for digital classics. Scientific Awards: Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship (2022-2023) Member, Jungen Akademie der Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, Mainz (since 2020) As a visiting fellow at Princeton University (2024-2025) and visiting scholar at Cambridge (2022-2023), Cordes has collaborated internationally. She has also contributed to digital classics projects and interdisciplinary workshops on textualization and authorship.
Derrick R. Spires serves as Associate Professor of English in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Delaware, specializing in early Black print culture, citizenship studies, and African American intellectual history. His scholarly mission centers on recovering the rich imaginative worlds African-descended people generated through print media and how these imaginings facilitated material change, spanning from tragicomic expressions to mundane daily practices. Spires' research interrogates how Black writers articulated expansive, practice-based theories of citizenship through robust print networks including newspapers, the Colored Conventions movement, and ephemeral publications. His work reveals the centrality of seriality, pseudonymity, and collaborative performance in Black political thought, demonstrating how print culture enabled Black communities to navigate and reshape citizenship frameworks despite systemic exclusion. He examines how early African American literature cultivated aesthetic sensibilities that sustained resistance and community building. Analysis of his 2016-2024 publications reveals consistent thematic threads: the material conditions of Black bibliography, gendered dimensions of political expression, and the performance aspects of print culture. His scholarship increasingly engages with digital humanities methodologies while maintaining deep archival rigor, particularly regarding Dorothy Porter's bibliographic mission and liberation bibliography frameworks. Key publications map connections between early Black social media practices and contemporary digital activism. Spires' accolades include: Modern Language Association Prize for First Book (2020) St. Louis Mercantile Library Prize (2020) National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship Ford Foundation Fellowship Social Science Research Council Fellowship Mellon/Mays Initiatives Fellowship American Antiquarian Society Fellowship His editorial leadership encompasses the Broadview Anthology of American Literature and the University of Pennsylvania Press series 'Black Print and Organizing in the Long Nineteenth Century.' Research has been supported by major fellowships examining Black print networks, though specific grant details beyond institutional fellowships aren't specified. Spires contributes significantly to recovering marginalized intellectual traditions through meticulous bibliographic work and theoretical innovation in citizenship studies.
Dr. Alexandra Smith is Reader in Russian Studies at the University of Edinburgh's School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, where she has been teaching since 2007 and was promoted to Readership in 2008. She previously held academic positions at the University of Essex, University of Bristol, University of Canterbury (New Zealand), and the University of Sheffield. Dr. Smith is an active researcher, supervisor, and member of numerous editorial boards, including The Dostoevsky Journal and Experimental Poetics and Aesthetics . Her research spans Russian literature from the 19th through 21st centuries, with particular focus on literary and film theory, critical theory, comparative literature, émigré writing, and the relationship between literature and other arts. Dr. Smith has published extensively on Russian modernism, particularly on Marina Tsvetaeva, Pushkin reception, and Soviet-era literature. Her work demonstrates a consistent interest in canon formation, memory studies, and intermediality, examining how literary works interact with other art forms like theater, film, and visual culture. Dr. Smith's scholarly output reveals a trajectory from early work on Tsvetaeva and Pushkin toward broader examinations of canon formation, national identity, and post-Soviet cultural memory. Her recent publications increasingly address contemporary Russian literature and film, examining how modern Russian writers and filmmakers engage with historical trauma, national mythology, and cultural memory. This evolution reflects both her deepening expertise in Russian literary history and her responsiveness to contemporary cultural developments in Russia. Alexander Nove Prize (2022) for Poetic Canons, Cultural Memory and Russian National Identity after 1991 Co-winner of ASEES's Pushkin Prize contest for 'The Poetics of Expressiveness and Some Aspects of Non-Verbal Communication in Pushkin's Work' Dr. Smith has supervised an impressive number of graduate students, including 12 completed PhD theses and several current projects across Russian Studies, Comparative Literature, and European Theatre. She has secured significant research funding, including a major £450,757 AHRC grant for 'Reconfiguring the Canon of Twentieth-Century Russian Poetry, 1991-2008' and multiple smaller grants for conferences and workshops on Russian literature and culture. Her knowledge exchange activities extend beyond academia through media appearances, public lectures, and collaborations with theater companies, including translating Russian plays for the National Theatre of Scotland. As an active member of the academic community, Dr. Smith serves on numerous committees at the University of Edinburgh, acts as External Examiner for several institutions, and participates in professional organizations including BASEES, AATSEEL, and ASEEES. Her work bridges traditional literary scholarship with contemporary cultural analysis, making significant contributions to our understanding of Russian literature's evolution and its ongoing relevance to questions of national identity and cultural memory.
Damon R. Young is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, holding office hours in Dwinelle Hall. His scholarly work critically examines intersections of media, sexuality, and subjectivity through film theory and digital culture lenses. His research spans film and media theory, global art cinema (with French and francophone focus), gender and sexuality studies, cultural studies, and digital media. Young investigates how media technologies—from 1950s cinema to Instagram—shape sexual identities and social relations, emphasizing queer and feminist perspectives on public/private boundaries. Recent publications reveal an analytical trajectory from cinematic studies to digital subjectivity, exemplified by his book Making Sex Public (2018) and current project After the Private Self . His work consistently challenges normative frameworks around sexuality and media representation. As a member of the Bully Bloggers collective, Young contributes to public queer theory discourse. The source text provided no details about advising activities or research grants.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ramutė Rachlevičiūtė is an art historian and curator at the Vilnius Academy of Arts (VAA), where she has lectured since 1991 on topics including Western Modernism, Russian avant-garde, Lithuanian art of the 20th century, and Soviet art. She contributes to interdisciplinary research and publishing projects, and is affiliated with the Institute of Art Research and the Art and Research Department at VAA. Education: MA in Art Criticism from Vilnius Academy of Arts (1978), PhD in Art Criticism (2012) Her research focuses on surrealism in Lithuanian art, female identity in visual culture, autobiographical narratives in art, and Soviet-era artistic movements. She has led multiple funded projects examining artists' biographies and cultural memory. Recent publications analyze themes like surrealism's intersections with eroticism, futurist traditions in Lithuania, and muralist art's political significance during the Soviet period. These works reflect her expertise in avant-garde studies, gender theory, and visual cultural analysis. Scientific Awards Culture and Art Award by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania (2021) As president of AICA Lithuanian Section (2004-2018), she organized 9 conferences on female creative spaces. She has curated 50 exhibitions, including 10 national-level art institutions, and serves as an expert for the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport.
Marivel Danielson is an Associate Professor in the School of Transborder Studies at Arizona State University. Her work focuses on intersections of Chicana/Latina literature, queer theory, and border studies. She examines topics like transborder identities, queer care practices, and Anzaldúan border theory through literary analysis and cultural critique. Her research explores how Chicana and Latina authors reimagine maternalhood, queer kinship, and bodily autonomy through life writing and performance. She has written extensively on queer desire frameworks, rasquache resistance in popular culture, and the application of autohisteoría methodology in Chicana studies. Publications span from 2004 to 2024, with recent emphasis on parenting narratives and queer futurity. While no awards are explicitly listed, her work demonstrates significant contributions to transnational Latina/o queer studies.
Deborah Stein is a distinguished faculty member in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where she teaches playwriting and theatrical collaboration. She is also Co-Artistic Director of Stein | Holum Projects (SHP), a collaborative laboratory for creating innovative performances. Her work bridges academic scholarship and professional theatre, with national commissions and festival premieres. BA, Swarthmore College MFA, Brown University (studied with Paula Vogel) Her research and creative practice focus on playwriting, experimental performance, and interdisciplinary collaboration . She explores narrative innovation through devised theatre, often working with ensembles and MFA students to create original works that challenge traditional forms. Her work emphasizes emotional depth, physicality, and social themes. The 15 most recent creative projects reflect a strong trend in collaborative, experimental, and socially engaged theatre . They span festival productions, commissioned works, and student collaborations, often developed in residency settings. Keywords include immersive storytelling, devised creation, and political resonance, with subfields ranging from physical theatre to identity exploration. Deborah has received numerous honors and grants supporting her artistic research: Drama Desk Award Nomination (CHIMERA) National Theatre Project Award (2015) NYSCA Grant Bush Artist Fellowship Two Jerome Fellowships McKnight Advancement Grant Alumna, New Dramatists She actively mentors MFA students, having co-created THE BITTER GAME with Keith Wallace and MOVERS + SHAKERS with graduate students. Her advising integrates creative development with academic rigor. She has secured external funding from NEFA, ArtsEmerson, and foundations to support collaborative projects. Her work has been developed in partnership with institutions such as Playwrights’ Horizons, HERE, and La Jolla Playhouse. Deborah leads creative research through Stein | Holum Projects, which functions as a performance laboratory. This collective has developed work at major venues including FringeArts, the Playwrights’ Center, and Perry-Mansfield, fostering a national network of experimental theatre makers.
Dr. Jocelyn Buckner is an Associate Professor and Program Director of the BA Theatre Studies program at Chapman University's College of Performing Arts. She teaches courses in theatre history, dramaturgy, and dramatic theory, while also mentoring student research through the University Honors Program. Education: B.A., Converse College M.F.A., Virginia Commonwealth University in Theatre Pedagogy Ph.D., University of Kansas in Theatre Studies Her research focuses on intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality in contemporary plays and U.S. popular entertainment. She is a leading scholar on Lynn Nottage, editing the first scholarly collection on the playwright. Dr. Buckner’s expertise spans dramaturgy, theatre historiography, and identity politics in performance. Recent Publications: Contributions to Contemporary Black Theatre and Performance: Acts of Rebellion, Activism, and Solidarity (2023), and editorial work for Theatre History Studies (2022-2027). Her articles appear in journals like African American Review and Theatre Journal . Awards: Faculty Excellence Award in Mentorship Valerie Scudder Award for Teaching and Research Sigma Alpha Pi Excellence in Teaching Award Dr. Buckner collaborates with theatres such as Donmar Warehouse, Center Stage Theatre, and Native Voices at the Autry. She serves as dramaturg for Chance Theater’s New Works Series and mainstage productions, and holds leadership roles in professional organizations like the American Theatre and Drama Society.
Cathy Lee Crane is a Professor at the Roy H. Park School of Communications within Ithaca College , specializing in directing actors for film. Since 1994, her work has redefined speculative history through lyrical, archival-based filmmaking. She received the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship (2013) and has been honored with multiple awards, including Best Feature Documentary at the Syracuse International Film Festival (2020). Key Projects: Crossing Columbus (2020), terrestrial sea (2022), and the (X)-trACTION collective Residencies: Harun Farocki Institute (2022), Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Her cross-platform border work challenges traditional storytelling, while her 16mm short films distributed by Canyon Cinema and Light Cone continue to shape experimental cinema. As SFIndie Fest 2018’s The Manhattan Front was declared a 'masterpiece' by Noel Burch, Crane remains a pivotal figure in queer and experimental film discourse. Scientific Awards: Guggenheim Fellowship (2013) New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship Best Feature Documentary (Syracuse International Film Festival, 2020) Jury Citation (Festival de Cinema da Fronteira, 2022)
Nina Sharma is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of English at Barnard College, part of Columbia University, where she teaches and mentors students in creative writing and literature. She holds an M.F.A. from Columbia University’s School of the Arts, an M.A. from Columbia’s School of Arts and Sciences, and a B.A. from Barnard College, reflecting a deep academic engagement with the literary arts. M.F.A, Columbia University School of the Arts M.A., Columbia University School of Arts and Sciences B.A., Barnard College Her research and creative interests center on personal essays, BIPOC narratives, mental health in Asian American communities, humor writing, and intersectional identity. Her work explores themes of love, race, gender, and cultural belonging through a deeply personal and often satirical lens. She has been a two-time grantee of the Asian Women Giving Circle for her workshop “No Name Mind: Stories of Mental Health from Asian America,” highlighting her commitment to community-based storytelling. Her publications include essays and interviews in The New Yorker , Harper’s Bazaar , Electric Literature , Women’s Studies Quarterly , and The Margins . Her debut collection, The Way You Make Me Feel: Love in Black and Brown (Penguin Press, 2024), synthesizes personal narrative with cultural critique, examining interracial love and identity. The essays reflect recurring themes: the emotional labor of womanhood, the absurdities of assimilation, and the resilience of marginalized voices. She has been awarded prestigious residencies from the Vermont Studio Center and St. Nell’s Humor Writing Residency. These fellowships underscore her recognition in the literary community. She is also a proud co-founder of Not Your Biwi Improv and co-created the column Blackshop for Anomaly , fostering allyship between BIPOC communities. Nina Sharma formerly served as Programs Director at the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, where she expanded programming for emerging writers. Her current teaching at Barnard and Columbia continues this mission of mentorship and literary advocacy. She has no formal PhD students listed, but her workshops and public engagements suggest a strong advisory role in creative development. She is actively involved in literary events, with a book tour spanning New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, engaging audiences through readings and panel discussions. Her work bridges academic, artistic, and public spheres, contributing to contemporary conversations on race, gender, and narrative form.
